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| Date: | Tuesday 18 May 1943 |
| Time: | 11:50 LT |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 7 FPP, Air Transport Auxiliary |
| Registration: | AD857 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield, Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Sherburn-in-Elmet (EGCJ) |
| Tollerton, Nottinghamshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Handley Page Hampden Mk. I AD857, 7 FPP, Air Transport Auxiliary. This aircraft had been having modifications carried out on it in the weeks prior to this incident. On 18th May 1943 the aircraft was on the process of being ferried to its new unit by the ATA when it suffered port engine failure on take-off from Sherburn in Elmet airfield. A close circuit of the airfield was made and was force landed immediately at 11.50hrs. The undercarriage had not fully locked down when the aircraft touched down and it collapsed. It was being ferried between the Rollason's repair factory at Tollerton and 44 MU when the incident happened.
Pilot - Flight Captain John Ervin Martens ATA (M.284).
John Martens was born on 5th May 1909 in Weybridge, Surrey. He gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate (Cert.No.16824) at the Ipswich Aero Club on 3rd January 1939. He was injured ferrying Hampden P2113 on 23rd October 1943 when it crash-landed near Westnewton, Cumbria after suffering engine failure. He fought a fire in the aircraft after it had crashed, entering the burning aircraft to obtain fire extinguishers. Having served in the ATA for some time and while in the rank of Flight Captain he was later awarded the King's Commendation for valuable service in the air with 6 FPP, Gazetted on 1st January 1946.
Sources:
1. https://sherburninelmethistory.co.uk/aviation/aircraft-accidents/
2. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york43/ad857.html
3. https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/unaccounted-airmen-and-airwomen-project/1943/8491-430518-unaccounted-airwomen-and-airmen-18-5-1943?p=100089#post100089
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherburn-in-Elmet_Airfield#Pre-War_and_Wartime_history
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jul-2025 13:58 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Jul-2025 09:58 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, ] |
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