Hampden L4104 near Coneysthorpe.
On the night of 18th / 19th October 1940 a number of 83 Squadron aircraft set out from Scampton to bomb Hamburg docks, where The Bismark was in dock at the time. At the same time Lunen aluminium works were also targeted by a total of twenty eight aircraft. This specfic 83 Squadron crew had bombed Hamburg
Docks, the target being the German ship, but they had landed at Leuchars on return possibly after becoming lost. Later in the day on 19th
October 1940 they took off again and flew south with intension of returning to Lincolnshire to their base at Scampton but the weather
here was now too bad for them to be allowed to land. 10/10ths cloud cover was reported. They were then diverted to land at Waddington but
the weather here was still too bad, they were then diverted back north to Linton on Ouse in Yorkshire. The crew became lost and made
attempts at working out their position but eventually the fuel ran out and both engines cut out. The aircraft's wireless had also
failed which prevented them from asking for homing assistance. The Hampden was abandoned at 21.30hrs with aircraft crashing near Coneysthorpe,
to the west of Malton. The crew are thought to have landed nearby although the exact where abouts have yet to researched.
Pilot - Sgt James Gwyn Loveluck RAF (566553).
Second Pilot - Sgt James Mitchell Dall RAFVR (749342).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick George Constable RAF (581145).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Keith Thompson RAF (654088).
Sadly only eight days after they baled out over Coneysthorpe two of those names above; Sgt's Loveluck and Dall were in Hampden X2990 and tasked with mine-laying in the Gironde river estuary in France on 26th October 1940. Sgt Loveluck was a pre-war airman who had left Bridgend School to join the RAF technical college. Their aircraft is believed to have crashed into the sea and both are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Dall was twenty two years old, the CWGC database does not record Loveluck's age though he was probably born in the Bridgend area of Glamorganshire in 1916.
The aircraft is believed to have crashed into this field.
Sgt Thompson was killed on 27th April 1941 when 83 Squadron Hampden AD796 he was in crashed in Germany on an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. He is buried at Kiel, Germany and was twenty one years old.
Sgt Frederick Constable was involved in another incident on 8th Novomber 1940, when Hampden P4402 crashed near Hemswell, Lincolnshire after the crew had baled out. He was awarded the DFM with 83 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th January 1941, though no citation has yet been located for his award. He received his Commission on 1st May 1941 (45653) with seniority back dated to 16th April 1941, to the rank of P/O on probation. He rose to F/O (war subs) exactly a year later with the same back dated seniority period and again a year later to F/Lt (war subs). Having survived the War he was granted a permanent commission of F/Lt on 7th May 1946. He rose to S/Ldr on 1st July 1953 and remained in the RAF until retiring on 17th January 1959 after a fine period service to his country.
Hampden L4104 was built to contract 549267/39 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett. It was allotted to 61 Squadron on 16th February 1939 and was taken on charge by them at Hemswell on 16h February 1939 when the unit began converting from Blenheim MkI's to Hampden MkI's. On 27th December 1939 32 M.U. briefly took charge of the aircraft returning it to 61 Squadron on 29th December 1939. On 29th May 1940 it was taken on charge by 83 Squadron at Scampton. On 13th July 1940 a team from Handley Page began repair on unspecified Cat.B damage. It was returned to 83 Squadron once complete only to be destroyed on 19th October 1940 at Coneysthorpe. Cat.W/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 31st December 1940 once the paperwork caught up.