ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 225722
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| Date: | Friday 29 September 1939 |
| Time: | 10:00 LT |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 144 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L4126 |
| MSN: | PL-R |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sea, Between Helgoland & Wangerooge, Frisian Islands, Lower Saxony -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Airborne 06:40 on mission to bomb German ships moored at Heligoland. Eleven Hampdens were sent in two formations: the first six attacked two destroyers, but missed the target, the second wave of five Hampdens were intercepted by Bf. 109s that were now over the target and were waiting and ready. All five Hampdens in the second wave were shot down. Of the 20 crew in five aircraft (four per aircraft) 16 were killed, and 4 were captured and taken as PoWs
L4126 was intercepted & shot down by Bf.109 flown by Oblt Gunther Specht of 1./ZG26 into sea between German islands of Heligoland & Wangerooge, off the Frisian Islands in Lower Saxony, Germany. Note that the official file on the incident (Air Ministry File AIR 81/84) gives the details as "Hampden L4126 shot down and crashed into the sea off St Peter, near Tonning, Holstein, 29 September 1939"
Crew of Hampden L4126:
Flying Officer R D Baughan (Pilot, Service Number 37922) - survived, captured, taken as POW
Sergeant Nigel Miller Kirkus (Service Number 563852, aged 27) - killed in action
Sergeant Herbert Harold Turner (Service Number 508292, aged 30) - killed in action
Aircraftman 1st Class J Anthony (Wireless Op/Air Gunner, Service Number 534149, aged 23) - killed in action
The three crew fatalities are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 24)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/84: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141906
3. http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem4.htm
4. http://aircrewremembered.com/coste-gonga.html
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802828/kirkus,-nigel-miller/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1809126/turner,-herbert-harold/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2199723/anthony,-john/
.
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 7 February 1942 | AE392 | 144 Sqn RAF | 5 | North Sea W of Terschelling, Friesland |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Jun-2019 20:33 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 03-Jun-2019 09:36 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 05-Jun-2019 23:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Jun-2019 23:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2019 00:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
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