Carmichael, Douglas John (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1941-10-26

Birth Date: 1918

Born:

Archibald Donald & Catherine Isabelle Carmichael

Home: Barrie, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: Unknown

Service

RCAF

Unit

32 (MB) OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

RCAF Patricia Bay BC

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Flight Sergeant

Service Numbers

R/56171

Home

Barrie, Ontario (parents)

Final Burial

Becklingen War Cemetery
grave 26 B 14

Hampden Mk II AE-136 missing during a night bombing operation to Hamburg Germany.

Aircraft shot down (means not found) and crashed near Hamburg.

Killed includes Carmichael:Flight Sergeant Douglas John Carmichael RCAF R/56171 KIA Sergeant Robert Alfred Gladen RAF KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 26. B. 13.Sergeant Eric Haste RAF KIA Becklingen War Cemetery grave 27. H. 1.

POWs:Pilot Officer John Michael Wood RAF POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Hampden AE136

Flight Sergeant Carmichael, Douglas John (RCAF)
Observer
Killed in Action
1941-October-26
Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Germany

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

Wikipedia Hampden Bomber

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Hampden - Kestrel Publications

32 (MB) OTU (32 Operational Training Unit)

The Operational Training Unit (OTU) was the last stop for aircrew trainees. They spent 8 to 14 weeks learning to fly operational aircraft (Hawker Hurricane or Fairey Swordfish, e.g.). The instructors had experience in actual operations, and often were posted to OTUs after their operational tour.