Date:	Tuesday 4 June 1940
Time:	03:10
Type:	Handley Page Hampden Mk I
Owner/operator:	44 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P1340
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	River Orwell near Shortley (Suffolk), north of Harwich, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Waddington

Narrative:
Hampden P1340. Took off at 23:32 hrs on a raid to Emmerich am Rhein (Germany) on 03/06/1940
On the return the aircraft hit a balloon cable near Harwich at approx 03:05 hrs. on 04/06/1940
Aircraft flown into a balloon barrage and crashed in the River Orwell near Shortley (Suffolk), north of Harwich on return from a night bombing sortie to Emmerich am Rhein in western Germany, near the border with the Netherlands.
Crew:
P/O (36202) Reginald William ROOTS (Obs.) RAF missing believed killed - Runnymede Memorial panel 10
Sgt. (624417) Albert Gross KENDREW (WOp/AG) RAF missing believed killed - Runnymede Memorial panel 16
Sgt. (580913) Samuel Patrick CONNELL (AG) RAF missing believed killed - Runnymede Memorial panel 12
Sgt. Edwin Joseph SPENCER (Pilot) RAF baled out and rescued injured.

Sgt. Spencer fell into the River Orwell and was rescued by Petty Officer B. Driver of the Royal Navy.

National Archives Kew 44 Sqdn ORB Record of Events Doc AIR27/447/18 page 4
ORB 44 Sqdn RAF (AIR 27/447, p. 122 & 132), F.1180,
Bomber Command Loss Card, CWGC website, London Gazette website,
RAF BOMBER COMMAND LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR by W.R. Chorley.
CWGC

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Oct-2024 18:59	Peter194	Added
22-Oct-2024 09:15	Peter194	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
24-Oct-2024 13:31	Nepa	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Operator, ]
26-Jul-2025 16:39	MMR	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]