Joseph Walter Connell

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-February-27

Flight Sergeant Joseph Walter Connell RCAF

Birth Date: 1912-March-23

Born: Upper Bartibog, New Brunswick

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. John Albert Connell

Spouse:

Home: Upper Bartibogue, New Brunswick (parents)

Enlistment: Moncton, New Brunswick

Enlistment Date: 1940-July-20

Service

RCAF

Unit

16 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)

Base

RAF Upper Heyford

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Wireless Air Gunner

Service Numbers

R/64825

Home

Upper Bartibogue, New Brunswick (parents)

Final Burial

Upper Heyford Cemetery
Sec B Grave 95

Hampden Mk I P-5319 took off from Upper Heyford on a training flight.

Aircraft had engine failure just before it crashed one mile south of Burton-on-the-Water, Cheltenham, Gloustershire, England.

Killed includes Connell: Sergeant John Gilbert Tallentire RAF KIA St. Cuthbert Church Etherley Grave 383. Sergeant Kenneth Twidale RAF KIA St. Mary Churchyard West Butterwick.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Hampden serial: P5319

(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