Accident Handley Page Hampden Mk I P1149,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 157445
 
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Date:Friday 7 February 1941
Time:night
Type:Handley Page Hampden Mk I
Owner/operator:16 OTU RAF
Registration: P1149
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase: Take off
Nature:Training
Departure airport:RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Destination airport:RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire
Narrative:
On 7 February 1941 the Hampden I P1149 of 16 OTU RAF was taking off from Upper Heyford for a training sortie when it flew into another of the unit's aircraft, the Hampden I P1302, which was in the process of landing. Locked together the two aircraft fell onto the airfield where they began to burn.

The pilot of P1149, Sgt H Walker, managed to escape the inferno with a thigh injury. His wireless operator, Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Harry JAMES RAFVR (943703) Age 20 and son of Ernest and Lucy James of West Kirby, Cheshire is buried in sec B grave 48 at Upper Heyford Cemetery

The pilot of P1302, Flg Off Swain Moxham DFC, was saved by two officers who rushed at the scene. Wing Cdr W C Sheen DSO and the gunnery officer Plt Off J C Cunningham managed to drag him from his cockpit and beat out the flames that were engulfing his flying suit, but sadly he died from his wounds the same day. His wireless operator, Sgt Richard Ernest Fenton, was killed.

The DFC of Flg Off Moxham was gazetted on 22 November 1940 for his service with 50 Sqn RAF.

Sources:

1. "Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses, volume 7: Operational Training Units 1940-1947", by W R Chorley, ISBN 1-85780-132-6
2. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/remembering-today-7-2-41-sergeant-harry-james-943703-royal-air-force-volunteer-reserve.60416/
3. http://www.theygavetheirtoday.com/raf-upper-heyford.html
4. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34998/page/6699/data.pdf
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Upper_Heyford
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2421959/james,-harry/

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
03-Jul-2013 08:33 JINX Added
06-Jul-2013 18:20 JINX Updated [Aircraft type]
06-Jun-2015 10:40 Oezil 007 Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport]
15-Dec-2017 09:01 Laurent Rizzotti Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Source, Narrative]
24-Jul-2018 16:33 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]

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