Accident Handley Page Hampden Mk I X3004,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 213129
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Sunday 8 December 1940
Time:night
Type:Handley Page Hampden Mk I
Owner/operator:50 Sqn RAF
Registration: X3004
MSN: VN-N
Fatalities:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Mannesmann Röhrenwerke, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen -   Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Lindholme, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:RAF Lindholme
Narrative:
7-8 December
DUSSELDORF
Eight aircraft bombed an armament works at (Mannesmann Rohnenwerke) Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia. X3004 took off at 18.10 hours. Again, due to severe weather causing icing, only three aircraft bombed the target; of the remaining five Hampden aircraft, one, X3004, with

41864 Flying Officer Robert Trevor Mulligan (pilot, New Zealander, aged 21),
638746 Sgt. Francis Arthur Buckle (Wireless Op/Air Gunner, aged 20)
43292 Pilot Officer Malcolm James Preece (Observer, Tasmanian. aged 26) and
612904 Sgt. Cyril James Smith (Air Gunner. aged 19)

F.T.R.(Failed To Return). All four aboard presumed Killed In Action. Robert Mulligan was granted a Short Service commission on 1/4/39 as Acting P/O on probation. He was graded as P/O on probation on 21/10/1939 and later re-graded as P/O on 23/1/1940 before receiving promotion to F/O on 21/10/1940. F/O Mulligan and Sgt Smith were posted missing on Ops on 8/12/1940 when Hampden X3004 was lost on Ops over the North Sea.

Aircraft presumed to have been shot down by AAA/Flak over or near the target or over the North Sea on the return leg. This crew were never recovered and are commemorated on the memorial at Runnymede

Sources:

1. http://www.no-50-and-no-61-squadrons-association.co.uk/app/download/5802508903/50+SQUADRON+ORB+1939+1943+Revision+1.pdf
2. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1077384/mulligan,-robert-trevor/
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1530764/buckle,-francis-arthur/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1804633/preece,-malcolm-james/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1807387/smith,-cyril-james/
6. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york40/l4062.html

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
31 August 1940 L4079 50 Sqn RAF 4 Angerlo-Giesbeek, 14 km E of Arnhem, Gelderland w/o
13 July 1941 AE230 50 Sqn RAF 4 Waltrop, 15 Km East of Recklinghausen, North Rhine-Westphalia w/o

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
10-Jul-2018 22:52 Dr. John Smith Added
28-Jul-2018 20:33 Dr. John Smith Updated [Country]
11-Nov-2018 14:22 Nepa Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]
28-Oct-2019 14:46 Uli Elch Updated [Operator, Location]
02-Nov-2019 18:55 Anon. Updated [Operator, Operator]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org