Date:	Sunday 16 May 1943
Time:	night
Type:	Handley Page Hampden Mk I
Owner/operator:	455 Sqn RAAF
Registration:	AN148
MSN:	UB-K
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	sea off RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Handley Page Hampden Mk.I AN148: Built by Canadian Associated Aircraft, and converted to Hampden T.B.I (Torpedo Bomber). Issued 12/12/1942 To 455 Squadron, RAAF, Coded UB-K.

Written off (destroyed) 16/05/1943 when crashed at RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands after engine failure during air launched torpedo exercise. The Hampden was on a night ALT (Air Launched Torpedo) exercise off Shetland with the Beaufighters of 235 Squadron, and ships of the Home Fleet.

The starboard engine failed and the pilot lost control. The aircraft dived into the sea at a unknown location. The accident had been seen by Squadron Leader O’Conner, and he circled the area. But all that could be seen at the crash location was a tyre and fuel tank. All four crew were presumed killed, as very little wreckage was recovered, and none of the bodies of the crew:

Crew:
411290: Flight Sgt Geoffrey Vincent Courtney (Pilot, aged 25) KIA
125634: Flying Officer Alfred Charles Smith RAF (Navigator/Bomb Aimer, aged 25) KIA
1193308: Sgt John Alexander King RAF (W/Op, aged 20) KIA
411627: Flight Sgt Charles Hilton Alfonso Smith (Air Gunner, aged 31) KIA

1. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/hampden.htm
2. http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/455-Hampden/IWM_C_3389
3. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205211367
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1085074/courtney,-geoffrey-vincent/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1807354/smith,-alfred-charles/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802759/king,-john-alexander/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1807375/smith,-charles-hilton-alfonso/
8. http://sumburghairport.notshetland.com/crash-log/world-war-ii/5/

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

11 April 1942	AE291	455 Sqn RAAF	4	near Hitdorf, Leverkusen, Nordrhein-Westfalen		w/o
24 May 1943	AT132	455 Sqn RAAF	4	North Sea, 5 miles off Frazerburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland		w/o
Mid-air collision

Handley Page Hampden TB Mark I, AN148 'K', of No. 455 Squadron RAAF Detachment, flying back to Wick, Caithness, after sustaining damage to its port rudder from anti-aircraft fire while attacking shipping off Norway.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jul-2018 17:34	Dr. John Smith	Added
20-Nov-2018 19:35	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]