ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 15706
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| Date: | Friday 26 April 1940 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 49 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L4040 |
| MSN: | EA-N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | between Hallig Suderoog and Suderoog Sands, Schleswig-Holstein -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Montrose, Angus |
Handley Page Hampden Mk.1 L4040 (EA-N) of 49 Sqaudron RAF: Lost on combat operations on night of 26 April 1940. Hampden L4040 officially listed as "crashed between Hallig Suderoog and Suderoog Sands, off the Schleswig coast, Germany, 25 April 1940". According to the ORB (Air Ministry Form 540) for 49 Squadron for this date:
"25/26 April, 1940; MINELAYING - BALTIC:
This would prove to be the squadron's most costly and saddest night of the war so far; 8 Hampdens fought their way through terrible weather to the now familiar "gardening" areas in Kiel Bay. Only one aircraft dropped "vegetables" (mines) successfully, the remainder failed due to the bad conditions. Returning home the squadron was diverted to Montrose where 4 aircraft landed and a fifth landed at Leuchars. 3 aircraft and crews were missing. The reason why two of the aircraft failed to return will never be known, but the third gained the unenviable distinction of being the first bomber to be shot down by a German night fighter (Bf.109?) and crashed Near Hornum, Schleswig-Holstein, Nordfriesland, at approximate Coordinates: 54°45′27″N 8°17′15″E
Claim by Ofw Hermann Förster 11(N)/JG 2 - Hörnum/Sylt at 01:10. (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 3 - 3)
Crew
Pilot: 39090 Fg Off David White - Hamburg Cemetery Plot 4A Row C Collective Grave 8-10.
Observer/Bomb Aimer: 518847 Sgt Ninian Lewis Jones - Hamburg Cemetery Plot 4A Row C Collective Grave 8-10.
Wireless Operator: 525267 Cpl Percy Joseph Hurst - Hamburg Cemetery Plot 4A Row C Collective Grave
8-10.
Air Gunner: 551285 LAC Norman Hornsby - Hamburg Cemetery Plot 4A Row C Collective Grave 8-10.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 23)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) Fire AIR 81/174: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141975
3. https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/hampden/25910-L40401940-04-26.html
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2201128/white,-david/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2200376/jones,-ninian-lewis/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2200334/hurst,-percy-joseph/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2200311/hornsby,-norman/
8. http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/White_D
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 29 August 1941 | AE126 | 49 Sqn RAF | 4 | Waddenzee off Ameland, Friesland |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Mar-2008 15:43 | JINX | Added |
| 17-Jun-2013 17:54 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
| 07-Jul-2013 21:07 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Source] |
| 02-Feb-2015 16:57 | Victor III | Updated [Operator] |
| 25-Jun-2018 21:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Jun-2018 21:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 07-Aug-2018 00:50 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 28-Oct-2018 20:11 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 10-Jun-2019 23:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2022 11:13 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
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