A Hampden similar to one invloved this incident.
The crew of this Hampden took off from Coningsby at 18.10hrs on 26th October 1941, they were one of the 115 aircraft tasked to bomb shipyards in Hamburg at
two aiming points. Returning crews reported that good bombing was possible in the moonlight. This Hampden appears to have flown off track on the return leg
and came in over the Yorshire coast somewhere near Scarborough. The aircraft exploded and broke up in mid-air at 02.15hrs on the 27th October over the eastern
side of the North Yorkshire Moors and wreckage fell to the ground at a steep angle where upon it caught fire. The location of where this occured is still not
known as there are mixed reports which quote widely differing locations; some reports state that it was on the Whitby to Scarborough road, whilst sourced map
references put it in what is now Dalby Forest at Crosscliff Wood, near Bickley. There is also a suggestion that an (as yet unidentified aircraft) crashed
close to the southern boundary of RAF Fylingdales, this could relate to this incident. Wherever the location was the reason for it crashing was never established.
Sadly all four crew were killed.
To this researcher, the location of "Whitby to Scarborough road" possibly suggests that this was the area over which the aircraft broke up. Clearly flying at some speed over 100mph and at a height, not all the aircraft would come down in the same place and create a "crash site" as is generally expected. In this case parts probably fell over a wide area. Upon speaking to the Forestry Commission in Pickering they have notes of aircraft wreckage being in woodland close to the eastern boundary of Fylingdales but dispite searching this area I have yet to locate anything.
Hampden AD785 was built to contract B67577/40 by E.E.C. at Salmesbury aand delivered to the RAF in November 1940.
After acceptance it was issued to 106 Squadron at Finningley in December 1940. The aircraft moved with the unit to Coningsby on 23rd February
1941. It sustained Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage in incicent detailed above on 27th October 1941.
Pilot - Sgt Edward B Smith RAFVR (778398), aged 22, of Southern Rhodesia. Buried Coningsby, Lincolnshire.
Pilot - P/O David R Bowden RAFVR (68167), aged 19, of Torquay, Devon. Buried Torquay, Devon.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Oliver Halward RAFVR (936240), aged 19, of Watford. Buried Watford.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/S Darrel B Stables DFM RAF (526438), aged 24, of Moulton, Northamptonshire. Buried Brigg, Lincolnshire.
Edward Smith's gravestone at Coningsby Cemetery.
The then Corporal Stables gained his DFM in July 1940 when he was serving with 61 Squadron. No citation has yet been located for this other
than "for gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations."
David Bowden was made P/O on 29th May 1941. No further details have been found about his life and career as yet.
As a result of not knowing really where to being looking for the location of where the main part of this aircraft came down I
have not yet located the crash site.
There is a location given in police records which, if correct, puts the site to be on a steep hillside as shown in the photograph above.
However even attempting a search within this undergrowth was very hard and needless to say, I found nothing. There are records of
metal being found in Langdale Forest which could be from this Hampden, as yet I have yet to find this metal to identify it through
part numbers. Having also attempted to search an area of woodland in Dalby and Langdale Forests I have drawn a blank on locating the crash site.
Should anyone reading this be able to assist me in this quest I would be greatful to receive contact from you.
