ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 157533
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| Date: | Tuesday 5 May 1942 |
| Time: | 01:25 |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 420 (City of London) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | P1187 |
| MSN: | PT-X |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | St.Mary's Farm, Great Bentley, 7 miles ESE of Colchester, Essex. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire |
Handley Page Hampden Mk.I P1187 (PT-X) of 420 (City of London) Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. Lost on combat operations on 4-5/5/1942. Took off from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire at 21:56 on 4/5/1942, with the Robert Bosch Electrical Components Factory in Stuttgart, Germany at the target
Stuttgart was heavily defended by flak/AAA and night fighters, and the target was completely covered by cloud, resulting in a poor outcome. P1187 attacked the target using "dead reckoning" to estimate when to release its bomb load, but there was never any confirmation that the Hampden hit the target.
P1187 was hit by flak over Luxembourg on its return flight at 01:25 hours on the morning of 5/5/1942. It was then attacked three times by an Me.110 night fighter. The Hampden was able to evade the first two attacks,but the third slightly injured the pilot, Flight Sgt Hiley, killed Sgt James Halward, damaged the electrical and hydraulic systems, and set the starboard engine on fire, which resulted in the propeller falling off. Return fire from Wireless Operator Sgt Johnson hit the fighter on its third attack. The fighter broke off its attack and was not seen again.
Flying on one engine, the Hampden crashed landed at St.Mary's Farm, Great Bentley, 7 miles East-South-East of Colchester, Essex. Sgt James Halward was the only casualty, although the other crew members were suffering from shock of the crash. For his great courage during the most hazardous of circumstances, Sgt Frederick Staples Hiley RCAF was awarded an immediate DFM. Three of the crew survived, one was killed. Flight Sgt James Halward's body was taken to the Station Sick Quarters at RAF Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, Suffolk on 5/5/1942.
Crew:-
Pilot : Sergeant Frederick Staples Hiley DFM RCAF R/78427 [Injured]
Observer : Sergeant George Henry Germain DFM RCAF R/78315
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant James Frederick (Jim) Halward RCAF R/80540 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant George Debbage Johnson RAFVR 1283052
Flight Sgt James Halward was buried at Ipswich New Cemetery Sec. X.H. Grave 436G. Although the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (Sgt. George Johnson) and the Observer (Sgt Henry Germain) survived this incident, both were killed on 23/6/1943 when Hampden AD786 crashed at Boothby Pagnall, Lincolnshire
Sources:
1. Air-Britain: Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-R9999
2. 420 (City of London) Squadron Association
3. Bomber Command losses 1942.
4. https://www.ipswichwarmemorial.co.uk/james-frederick-halward-1/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2720667/halward,-james-frederick-(jim)/
6. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RAF_owned_p9999.html
7. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 27 July 1942 | AE202 | 420 (Snowy Owl) Sqn RCAF | 3 | Tönning, Schleswig-Holstein |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Jul-2013 05:28 | JINX | Added |
| 25-May-2015 18:23 | King | Updated [Operator] |
| 19-Dec-2017 19:41 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Dec-2017 19:43 | Red Dragon | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Aug-2018 16:11 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Aug-2018 16:13 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2018 20:05 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 03-May-2024 06:56 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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