14 Operational Training Group Hampden I aircraft P 1185 GL-B likely shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Dr Horst Patuschka of the 7/NJG 2, who was flying a Ju 88 C-6 from Gilze-Rijen airfield in the Netherlands, crashing near Leffinge, Middelkerke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Addendum: Hampden aircraft P 1185 (GL-B2) went down near Leffinghem, Holland whilst on Ops. to Dusseldorf, Germany. FS. G.T. Bloomer and Sgt. S.A. Shailer (RAAF) were also killed. Sgt. N.E. McGowan (RCAF) was taken Prisoner Of War.
Pilot Officer DG McLean (RCAF), FS GT Bloomer (RCAF) and Sergeant SA Shailer (RAAF) were killed. Sergeant NE McGowan (RCAF) was taken Prisoner of War.
McLean, David Gerald (Pilot Officer)
Killed in Action 1942-August-01
Birth Date: 1911-March-07
Born:
Parents:
Spouse:
Home: Ladysmith, British Columbia
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RCAF
Unit
14 OTU- Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Base
RAF Cottesmore
Rank
Pilot Officer
Position
Observer
Service Numbers
J/9506
Target
Dusseldorf Germany
Temporary Burial
Cemetery At Leffinghe, Belgium
Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.findagrave.comCrew or Other Personnel
Hampden P1185
Hampden serial: P1185
(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 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
Handley Page Hampden in Flight
Wikipedia Hampden Bomber
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Hampden - Kestrel Publications