Hampden L4167 at Doncaster airfield / racecourse.
On 30th October 1939 the crew on this 144 Squadron aircraft were undertaking a flight from Hemswell to Doncaster when an engine failed while they were landing at 17.00hrs at Doncaster. The pilot attempted to overshoot and climb away but the port wing dropped, the undercarriage leg hit the ground damaging it. The pilot then tried to maintain height on the one good engine but it side slipped into the ground. The aircraft skidded around and run through a hedge broad-side. It was one of eight flown to Doncaster which was being used as scatter airfield to try and protect the aircraft was enemy raids. This Hampden sustained damage deemed enough to write it off.
Hampden L4167 was built to contract 549267/36 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett. It was allotted to 7 Squadron on 20th April 1939 and was taken on charge by them at Finningley on 8th May 1939. It was transferred to 144 Squadron at Hemswell on 1st October 1939. It sustained Cat.W/FA in the incident at Doncaster on 30th October 1939. The aircraft was struck off charge on 8th November 1939.
Pilot - P/O William Frank Tudhope RAF (41224).
? - AC2 E Ross RAF (617233 / 617253 ?).
? - AC2 H MacDougall RAF (620239).
Many of these early bomber aircrew were sadly to loose their lives later in the War. Bill Tudhope was born in March 1919 in Johannesburg but his family moved to Canada when he was young. He joined the RAF in 1938 and was commissioned at the start of the War but his life was sadly cut short, P/O William Tudhope DFC was killed on 10th August 1940 flying Hampden L4368, his three crew were never found. Tudhope was aged 22 and his body was washed ashore on 20th August and was buried on the 27th in Kampen General Cemetery. His DFC was Gazetted on 6th August 1940, although he would have known he was to get it he may not have actually been presented with it in person before his death four days later. The citation for the DFC is shared with that of his navigator Sgt Lewis Belton (who awarded the DFM and was also killed on the same aircraft as Tudhope), their citation reads.. "One night in July 1940, Pilot Officer Tudhope was captain of an aircraft which
delivered an attack on enemy warships in Wilhelmshaven harbour from an altitude of
only 50 feet. The aircraft was subjected to terrific anti-aircraft fire and was badly hit by a high explosive shell. In spite of this,
a second attack was attempted, but owing to the extreme density of the gunfire, one engine
was badly damaged and the navigator's cabin was riddled with holes. In spite of this ordeal, Sergeant Belton, the navigator and bomb aimer,
with great coolness and courage continued his duties, and enabled Pilot
Officer Tudhope to bring the damaged aircraft safely home. This officer and non-commissioned
officer have shown conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on many previous occasions."
For further details about William Tudhope's life and family the following document may be of interest, and was the internet source for the
photograph shown above which I have cleaned on Photoshop "www.isle-of-wight-memorials.org.uk".
