Edward Lees Shea

Killed in Action 1941-November-05

Flying Officer Edward Lees Shea RCAF

Birth Date: 1915-April-13

Born: Talmage, Saskatchewan

Son of George Hetherington and Mina Elizabeth Shea of Netherhill, Saskatchewan.

Home: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Enlistment: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Enlistment Date: 1940-06-28

Service

RCAF

Unit

144 Sqn- Squadron

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Flying Officer

Service Numbers

J/4521

Home

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Memorial Location

Runnymede Memorial Surrey
Panel 59

144 Squadron (Who Shall Stop Us). Hampden aircraft AD 846 was carrying 4 x 250 lb. general purpose bombs when it went missing, presumed over the target, presumed to be enemy action. Three other members of the crew, not Canadians, missing believed killed. Addendum: The crew were on an anti-shipping strike. Sgt. R.L. Frank (RAF) was also killed. Two other RAF members of the crew were taken Prisoners Of War.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Hampden serial: AD846

(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