Hampden AD897 near Wroot.
On 19th July 1941 the crew of this 50 Squadron aircraft were about to undertake a daytime formation flying exercise when the pilot lost control and the aircraft turned
onto it's back soon after taking off. It flew for a short period upside down before crashing in an inverted state, said on the RAf records to have been between the airfields of Finningley and
Lindholme at 11.00hrs. All four men on board died with the the latter listed below probably being a member of ground crew. The squadron were preparing to
move to their new base of Swinderby at the time.
Pilot - Sgt Edward Ronald Bousfield RAFVR (971237), of Liverpool. Buried Toxteth Park Cemetery, Liverpool.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Edward Stanley Burke RAFVR (995760), aged 24, of Cupar. Buried Cupar New Cemetery, Fifeshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt James Hopkin Tittley RAFVR (971149), aged 20, of Salford. Buried Weaste Cemetery, Salford, Manchester.
Ground crew? - AC1 Herbert Leslie Reed RAFVR (993639), aged 27, of Darlington. Buried Darlington West Cemetery, Durham.
Historian Eric Barton sought permission from the landowner and located small remains of what he believed was Hampden AD897 in a field in September 2004 just north of Wroot village and inside Lincolnshire. The photograph above shows items he retained following this visit. The deaths of the crew were registered in the Scunthorpe district of Lincolnshire which fits for the location. As such this incident almost certainly did not occur in Yorkshire and requires deletion from this website.
Sgt Burke's grave in Cupar Cemetery (found on the internet and posted by "Delboy"), AC1 Reed's grave in Darlington Cemetery
(photograph by me) and Sgt Bousfield's grave on the large Toxteth Park Cemetery in Liverpool (photograph by me).
Sgt Bousfield had possibly trained at 14 O.T.U. from February to June 1941, a photograph found on the internet shows a man completing his
training here in June 1941 but gives no indication of his initials.
Hampden AD897 was built to contract B.67577/40 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection in early 1941. It was allotted to 20 MU on 27th February 1941 and on 11th March 1941 it was flown to 20 M.U. at Aston Down. The aircraft was then taken on charge by 50 Squadron at Lindholme on 7th April 1941. As a result of the incident on 19th July 1941 near Lindholme Cat.E2/FA(Burnt) damage was recorded on the paperwork. It was struck off charge on 24th July 1941.