Hampden L4139 at Finningley airfield.
On 26th July 1940 while landing at Finningley at 23.00hrs following a solo training flight this 50 Squadron aircraft's undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - P/O Kenneth Richard Killey Smettem RAF (41877).
Of interest is that he invented a system of preventing the formation of ice on leading edges of aircraft wings of aircraft with water cooled engines.
His idea was to circulate the coolant through the leading edge. He applied for the patent on 14th January 1939 and on 23rd July 1940 he was granted the patent. It would appear not to have caught on.
Kenneth Smettem was born in Barrow in Furness in 1916. He received a commission on 1st April 1939 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was
graded as P/O on probation on 21st October 1939. He was confirmed in his appointment of P/O on 23rd January 1940. He completed his training but was killed
only weeks later on 31st August 1940. He was pilot of 50 Squadron Hampden L4079 which was shot down crashed in Holland on Ops. He and his crew are buried in Nijmegen at Groesbeek War Cemetery.
Hampden L4139 was built to contract 549267/36 by Handley Page Ltd at Cricklewood / Radlett and was awaiting collection in February 1939. It was allotted to 76 Squadron on 23rd March 1939 and then taken on charge by them at Finningley on 31st March 1939 when the unit converted from Wellesleys. On 6th December 1939 76 Squadron gave up the aircraft and it was taken on charge by RAF Finningley (probably as an interim measure) On 22nd December 1939 it was taken on charge by 106 Squadron also based at Finningley. On 20th January 1949 it passed to 32 M.U. and was then taken on charge by 7 Squadron at Upper Heyford on 22nd January 1940 but this unit disbanded on 4th April 1940, however, the aircraft remained at Upper Heyford and on 18th April 1940 it was absorbed into the newly formed 16 O.T.U.. The aircraft's AM Form 78 does not state the aircraft was ever transferred to 50 Squadron but it appears to have been transferred to them on or around 10th July 1940 when they moved from Waddington to Lindholme. The named pilot, P/O Smettem, who was at the controls when it crashed at Lindholme on 26th July 1940 was a 50 Squadron pilot so that perhaps lends weight to it being with 50 Squadron. There is also no mention of the incident in the 16 O.T.U. orb which is otherwise very good at mentioning other mishaps the unit sustained. It sustained Cat.W/FA damage as a result of the crash, after inspection it was considered suitable for use as a ground instructional airframe. No.12 School of Technical Training took the aircraft on charge on 2nd August 1940 which then saw it taken on charge by struck off charge on 3rd August 1940. The aircraft was given the serial 2170M. It's AM Form 78 states it was "converted to group assemblies" on 8th October 1940.