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Bowler, William Henry (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1942-September-04

Birth Date: 1912-November-04 (age 29)

Son of William and Annie Bowler of Kettleby, Ontario.

Husband of Constance Bowler, of London, England. Brother of David, Timothy, Nellie, Gladys and Margery.

Home: Kettleby, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
144 Sqn- Squadron
Rank
Flying Officer
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Observer
Service Numbers
J/7210
144 Squadron (Who Shall Stop Us) Hampden TB.I AE436 PL-J suffered an overheated engine enroute to Murmansk in northern Russia from the Shetland Islands. The aircraft crashed on a remote mountain on the Sweden/Norway border. Flying Officer WH Bowler (RCAF) was killed. Please see Jewett, JS for complete casualty list and flight detail. Commemorated at Kviberg Cemetary, Sweden.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Home
Google MapKettleby, Ontario
Burial
Google MapRunnymede Memorial Surrey
2 C 1c

Hampden AE436

Handley Page Hampden

(RCAF Photo via Chris Charland)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Handley Page Hampden (Serial No. P5428), of No. 32 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Patricia Bay, British Columbia, in the torpedo-bomber training role between May 1942 and February 1944.

Handley Page developed a modern stressed-skin mid-wing monoplane, powered by Bristol Pegasus radial air cooled engines, with its first flight in 1936. It had the most advanced wings available at the time, giving it a remarkably low landing speed of 73 mph for an aircraft of its size, with a top speed of 265 mph. The Hampden had a short, narrow but tall main fuselage with a very slender tail unit. This configuration led to the nicknames "Flying Panhandle" and "Flying Suitcase". At the end of the war, no complete or partial Hampden aircraft were retained for museum display.

The Hampden served in the early stages of the war, bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and in the first 1000-bomber raid on Cologne. In Canada, Hampdens were built by six companies that formed Associated Aircraft. There were three in Ontario and three in Quebec, hence they were identified as the Ontario Group and Quebec Group. They supplied all the the components to the two assembly plants. The Ontario Group's assembly plant was at the Malton Airport, while the Quebec group's assembly plant was at the St. Hubert Airport. Canadian Museum of Flight and Harold A Skaarup web page

YouTube Handley Page Hampden in Flight

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Hampden Bomber

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Kestrek Publications Hampden - Kestrel Publications

last update: 2022-01-13 21:37:22

Hampden I AE436

Built by English Electric Preston works, part of the seventh production batch TOC 17 Oct 41; To 44 MU, then to 408 Sqn RCAF, RAF Syerston. Suffered undershoot and undercarriage collapse on 15 Nov 41.To 13 MU 20 Novand repaired by 21 Feb 1942. To 44 MU 8 Mar and returned to English Electric for TB.I modifications 8 Apr. Delivered to 144 Sqn at Sumburgh 2 May 42; Reported as missing 5 Sep 42 on a transit mission from Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands to Afrikaner, a Russian airfield located near to the Finnish border. SOC 24 Sep 42.

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