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| Date: | Saturday 16 May 1942 |
| Time: | 01:53 |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | AD803 |
| MSN: | EQ-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | sea south of Samsø island, Midtjylland -
 Denmark
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Balderton - takeoff at 22:35 hrs |
| operation - Gardening (mine-laying) - Pumkin (Samsø Belt) |
An eyewitness stated "An aircraft flying at 1,200 feet on a western course passed over a German minesweeper at anchor two nautical miles west of the Vesborg Lighthouse, Samsø Island. Flak from the ship opened up and immediately hit the aircraft which crashed into flames. The aircraft floated for a while, and this allowed Pilot Sgt H J Copeman to get out of the wreck. He became a prisoner of war. He was badly injured and was picked up by the ship they had shot at and taken to Aarhus. Sgt Copeman. In September 1944 he was repatriated back to England onboard the ship “Gripsholm” due to his wounds. In October 1944 he returned to Canada on board “Lady Nielson”.
Crew
Pilot: R/66356 Sgt H J Copeman RCAF PoW Stalag Luft t 6 Heydekrug. PoW Number 42897 (
R/73007 Flt Sgt Albert Alexander Smith RCAF - Runnymede Memorial Panel 106.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:1305085 Sgt Norman William Smith - Tranebjerg Churchyard
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: R/58166 Sgt William Francis Millerd RCAF - Aarhus West Cemetery Row G, Grave 308.
Sources:
www.airmen.dk/all-HAM.htm
CWGC
Bomber Command Losses 1942
RAF Prisoners of War
http://www.flensted.eu.com/194222.shtml
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Dec-2017 22:40 | Red Dragon | Added |
| 06-Oct-2018 18:04 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator, ] |
| 06-May-2022 12:04 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, ] |
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