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Tabor, Walter Thomas (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1942-September-04

Birth Date: 1917-February-26 (age 25)

Born: Fort William, Ontario

Son of Wilbert E and Anne I Tobor of Fort William, Ontario.

Home: Fort William, Ontario

Enlistment: Fort William, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1940-01-26

Service
RCAF
Unit
144 Sqn- Squadron
Rank
Flight Sergeant
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
Air Gunner
Service Numbers
R/51583
144 Squadron (Who Shall Stop Us) Hampden TB.I AE356 aircraft was on special detachment transiting to Murmansk and strayed out of the safe "approach corridor" for the Afrikanda airfield (R.C. Nesbit). It was attacked by a Soviet fighter (possibly a Hurricane) in error, which killed FS W.T. Tabor and AC2 R.E. Holmes (RAF). The aircraft went down in the sea near just off shore of the Kola Inlet near the Russian village of Severmorosk. Pilot Sergeant W.H. Hood, 2 RCAF (possibly Sergeant Turnbull and Sergeant O'Neil) and 1 RAF (possibly Cpl Baker) safe (H. Moyle). FS Tabor was buried at Severmorosk by a party from 144 Sqn. In 1993 Russian sailors presented his family in Thunder Bay with a .50 cal. shell filled with earth from the grave. This loss was also the subject of an article in the June/July 1994 Legion magazine. Flight Sergeant Air Gunner Tabor has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey, England. Addendum: - Flight Sergeant Tabor was killed by enemy fighter aircraft fire. Hampden aircraft 356 was forced to ditch near shore and was again straffed by the fighter. The others of the crew, all RCAF, escaped safely. Flight Sergeant Air Gunner Tabor was given a proper military service and burial led by R.A.F. Squadron Leader Foster (144 Sqdn.) and is buried part way up a hill which overlooks Severmorosk in the Vaenga Cemetery, Russia. Detail provided by the pilot of the aircraft ex RCAF Flight Sergeant Walter H. Hood R77067 - Havelock, Ontario. Addendum: Hampden aircraft was on special detachment when it was shot down by Russian Forces and went down in the sea near Kela Inlet. Other crew members were picked up by the Russian Navy and eventually returned to England. Flight Sergeant Air Gunner Tabor is buried in the Vaenga Russian Naval Cemetery, Severomorsk, Russia. Detail provided by W. Hood, Victoria, British Columbia,

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

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

Flight Sergeant Walter Thomas Tabor has no known grave.

Home
Google MapFort William, Ontario

Google MapSeveromorsk (Vaenga) Cemetery
Russian Federation (North)

Hampden AE356

Flight Sergeant Tabor, Walter Thomas (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1942-September-04
Severomorsk (Vaenga) Cemetery, Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast, Russia

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

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (96) RCAF 6 Group (177) RCAF 400 Squadrons (186) Canadian Crewed (326) Canadian Manufactured (160)
last update: 2022-01-13 21:37:22

Hampden I AE356

With 144 Sqn. Shot down by Russian fighters in sea near Murmansk. In transit to Russia

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