Date:	Tuesday 11 June 1940
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Lockheed Hudson Mk I
Owner/operator:	269 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N7361
MSN:	UA-G
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Gulosen Fjord, 400 m outside Steinshylla, near Trondheim -   Norway
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Lockheed Hudson Mk.I N7361 (UA-G) 269 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations on 11 June 1940. Of the crew of four, one was killed, the other three were captured and taken PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry File into the incident (File AIR 81/850): " Hudson N7361 crashed at Trondheim Fjord, Norway, 11 June 1940. Leading Aircraftman J G Hepburn, Sergeant E B Lascelles and Sergeant A M S Brodie: prisoners of war. Leading Aircraftman E T D Machell: report of death"

Airborne at 11:30 from RAF Sumburgh, Shetland Islands as one of 12 Hudsons led by Wing Commander Pearce on an operation to Trondheim, Norway. Their mission was to attack the enemy battleships "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau", and "Admiral Hipper" in Trondheim harbour. The English planes, released 36 x 250 kilos bombs from high altitude above the harbor in Trondheim. Two of the ships were hit, but the damage was minor. Over the city of Trondheim they were met by heavy flak/AAA, as well as 4 x Bf.109E from 11/JG.77 and a Bf.110 (M8+NH) from 3/ZG.76. These had took off from Værnes to intercept.

269 Squadron lost two Hudsons in this air battle above Gulosen Fjord (N7361/UA-G and P5131/UA-P). Hptm.Hans-Karl Hamp of 3./ZG.76 claimed to have shot down Hudson N7361/UA-G. He was flying a Bf 110 with code M8+HH.

Hudson N7361/UA-G made a forced landing in the Gulsen Fjord, 400 m outside Steinshylla. All four on board managed to jump into the dinghy before the aircraft sank. Of the four crew, all survived, and were captured and taken as PoWs. However Sgt Machell was badly wounded and died at the Red Cross Hospital in Trondheim the next day.

Crew of Hudson N7361:
Sgt (Pilot) E.B. Laschelles, RAF 580224; survived, captured, taken as PoW
Sgt A.M.S. Brodie, RAF 565699; survived, captured, taken as PoW
Sergeant (Air Gunner) Eric T.D. Machell, RAF 524148, age 23, died of wounds/injuries sustained 12/06/1940, buried at Trondheim (Stavne) Cemetery, Norway
Sgt J.G. Hepburn, RAF 551354; survived, captured, taken as PoW

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/850: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502656
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2186289/machell,-eric-thomas-dods/
4. Ross McNeill, Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 (1939-1941)
5. https://tihlde.org/~ktsorens/flyvrak/steinshylla.html
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/269_squadron.html#1106
7. http://www.oca.269squadron.btinternet.co.uk/history/squadron_history/chronology/1936-1940.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Sep-2019 23:05	Dr. John Smith	Added
24-Sep-2019 13:11	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]