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| Date: | Wednesday 6 August 1941 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 50 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | AE137 |
| MSN: | VN-Q |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire |
5/6 August 1941
Mission: MANNHEIM, KARLSRUHE
Seven aircraft were tasked to bomb Mannheim, six aircraft were tasked to bomb Karlsruhe. All aircraft returned, except for AE137 with the the loss of all four crew:
901845 Sgt Dennis Gold Fothergill, RAFVR (pilot, aged 28)
754017 Sgt Sidney Owen Hirschfield, RAFVR (navigator/bomb aimer, aged 20)
908525 Sgt HerbertSmith, RAFVR (WOp/Air Gunner, aged 20)
626848 Sgt Alan Davies, RAF (WOp/Air Gunner, aged 21)
Took off from RAF Swinderby at 22:05 hours on 5/6/1941. Aircraft was returning from the Karlsruhe raid, all four crew missing presumed killed. This was later confirmed and the crew are believed to have been buried local to the crash site in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia (at approximate co ordinates Coordinates: 51°27′3″N 7°0′47″E) and were later transferred to REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany where they all now rest.
Sources:
1. http://www.no-50-and-no-61-squadrons-association.co.uk/app/download/5802508903/50+SQUADRON+ORB+1939+1943+Revision+1.pdf
2. 50 Squadron RAF ORB (Air Ministry Form 540) for 1941: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503123
3. http://www.bomber-command.info/HampRaidLoss.htm
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/05278.php
5. https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/hampden/25704-AE1371941-08-06.html
6. http://www.bomber-command.info/c50hamloss.htm
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2031419/fothergill,-dennis-gold/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2032227/hirschfield,-sidney-owen/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2042028/smith,-herbert/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2036038/davies,-alan/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Jul-2018 18:32 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 12-Nov-2018 20:37 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
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