Date:	Friday 12 April 1940
Time:	approx 12:15
Type:	Handley Page Hampden Mk I
Owner/operator:	44 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P1173
MSN:	KM-P
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, 100 miles SW of Kristiansand -   Norway
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Handley Page Hampden Mk.1 P1173 (KM-P) of 44 Squadron, RAF. Failed to return from air operations over Kristiansand Harbour, Norway. Shot down in flames by Bf.109's on 12 April 1940.Took off at 08:20 hours on 12 April 1940 from Waddington. The plane was on a mission to attack warships off the Norwegian coast.

Unable to locate any of the warships at sea in the poor weather, with others attacked instead two ships in Kristiansand Harbour shortly after noon. On heading out to sea in clearing weather, P1173 came under attack by fighters, being seen to catch fire and dive into the sea about 100 miles South West of Kristiansand.

All four crew died, the captains body later being recovered on or near the coast of Denmark, where he is buried. His three comrades are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Crew of P1173:

Flying Officer Harry Wood Robson (pilot, Service Number 39759, aged 22)
Corporal John Henry Evans (Service Number 532189, aged 20).
Pilot Officer. Kenneth John Alan Johnstone (Pilot, Service Number 40229, aged 24)
Corporal William Henry Glyndwy Evans. (W/op Air Gunner, Service Number 566421, aged 24)

Flying Officer H.W.Robson is buried at Fredrickaven Cemetery, Denmark. His crew are commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 5)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/128: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141963
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20130624002742/http://members.iinet.net.au:80/~mpage/page21.html
4. https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/hampden/26126-P11731940-04-11.html
5. http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/allied/battalion.php?pid=1871
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1269710/evans,-john-henry/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2271262/robson,-harry-wood/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802206/johnstone,-kenneth-john-alan/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1269742/evans,-william-henry-glyndwr/
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14042912/harry-wood-robson
11. National Archives Kew 44 Sdrn ORB Record of events doc AIR27/447/14 page 6

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jul-2013 02:57	JINX	Added
05-Jul-2013 02:58	JINX	Updated [Country, ]
05-Jul-2013 03:02	JINX	Updated [Date, Registration, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Narrative, ]
05-Jul-2013 03:04	JINX	Updated [Date, Registration, Operator, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Narrative, ]
05-Jul-2013 03:05	JINX	Updated [Date, Registration, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Narrative, ]
05-Jul-2013 03:09	JINX	Updated [Date, Registration, Operator, Narrative, ]
05-Jul-2013 03:17	JINX	Updated [Date, Registration, Operator, Location, Country, Source, Narrative, ]
14-Jan-2014 13:37	gerard57	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
27-Nov-2014 16:07	Comet123	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, ]
25-Jun-2018 19:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Location, Source, Narrative, ]
25-Jun-2018 20:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
30-Oct-2018 04:21	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
07-Jun-2019 20:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
21-Oct-2024 18:12	Peter194	Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Source, ]