Coldron, George Edward Cragg (Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1942-September-14

Sergeant George Edward Cragg Coldron RCAF

Birth Date: 1920

Born:

Parents: Percy & Grace M. Coldron

Spouse:

Home: Penticton, BC (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

14 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

RAF Cottesmore

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Observer

Service Numbers

R/106892

Home

Penticton, BC (parents)

Target

Bremen Germany

Final Burial

General Cemetery
Plot 1 Row K Grave 3

Took off from Cottesmore at 23:54 in Hampden Mk I (Sqn code GL-S Bomber Command) on an operation to Bremen Germany.

Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Molenwijk, Stadskanaal, Groningen Holland.

Killed: Sergeant George Edward Cragg Coldron RCAF R/106892 KIA Stadskanaal General Cemetery Onstwedde Plot 1. Row K. Grave 3. Flight Sergeant Roman Stadskanaal General Cemetery Plot 1. Row K. Grave 2.

POWs: Sergeant Roland Carlson RCAF R/106007 POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf. Sergeant Thomas Francis Needham RCAF R/87182 POW Stalag 344 Lamsdorf.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Hampden L4109

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Roland Carlson RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Carlson, Roland (RCAF)

Prisoner of War
1942-September-14
cemetery unknown

Sergeant George Edward Cragg Coldron RCAF

Sergeant Coldron, George Edward Cragg (RCAF)
Observer
Killed in Action
1942-September-14
General Cemetery, Stradskanaal, Onstwedde, Gronigen, Netherlands

Flight Sergeant Roman Grabek RCAF

Flight Sergeant Grabek, Roman (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1942-September-14
General Cemetery, Stadskanaal, Onstwedde, Gronigen, Netherlands

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Thomas Francis Needham RCAF

Warrant Officer 2nd Class Needham, Thomas Francis (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Prisoner of War
1942-September-14
cemetery unknown

Hampden serial: L4109

(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