Hampden L4181 near Finningley airfield.
On 6th July 1940 this 106 Squadron aircraft made a fast landing at Finningley airfield at 23.25hrs following a night flying exercise and ran into the overshoot area. Around Finningley airfield at this time were a number of tented camps, so dispersed because of the fear of air-raids and sadly the aircraft crashed through one of these groups of tents and struck a number of people in the process. The tent the aircraft struck held members of a defence gun crew; three men were killed and two others were injured. The aircraft was initially believed repairable but later deemed beyond repair while the Hampden's crew escaped injury.
Hampden L4181 was built to contract 549267/36 by Handley Page Ltd. at the Radlett factory and was awaiting collection in May 1939. It was allotted to 106 Squadron on 4th May 1939 and was delivered to them at Thornaby on 22nd May 1939 when the unit began converting to Hampdens from Battles. It then moved with this unit to Evanton on 19th August 1939, then to Cottesmore on 1st September 1939 and to Finningley on 6th October 1939. It was slightly damaged on 25th November 1939 in an incident near Weedon Beck, Daventry and it's crew on this date with three of the crew sustained injuries. While the flight is listed in the 106 Squadron ORB any incident is not. It must have been repaired on site. After it later crashed at Finningley on 6th July 1940 Cat.W/FA damage was recorded after assessment on 13th July 1940 and it was written off. It was struck off charge on 31st July 1940. It had clocked up 160 hours total flying time by the time it was written off at Thornaby.
Pilot - P/O George Alfred Campfield Potts RAF (43943).
Wireless Operator - Sgt K N Farrow RAF (755001).
AC2 Patrick Joseph Curry RAF (573507), aged 19, of Cloonlee, Knock, Co.Mayo, Irish Republic. Buried Finningley Churchyard, Yorkshire.
AC2 Granville John Higgs RAF (649099), aged 19, of Pentwynmawr, Newbridge, Wales. Buried Mynyddislwyn Churchyard, Monmouthshire, Wales.
AC2 Matthew Cook RAF (620895), aged 20, of Newtown, Cramlington. Buried Cramlington New Cemetery, Seaton Valley, Northumberland.
AC1 Frederick Burrow RAF (610911). Injured.
Cpl William Charlton Dobson RAF (567521). Injured.
AC2 Curry's grave in Finningley churchyard.
Sgt Farrow was later made a PoW on 16th / 17th August 1940 when 49 Squadron Hampden P1333 failed to return from an operational flight on Merseburg. National Archives file AIR81 / 1483 should fully identify him where AIR78 / 54 does not.
George Potts was probably born in Cheshire in 1915. At the time of this accident on 6th July 1940 he was attached to 106 Squadron from 59 Squadron for night flying training. He received a commission to P/O on probation on 21st June 1940 (with seniority back dated to 25th April 1941). He rose to F/O on 21st June 1941 (with seniority again back dated to 25th April 1941) but he was awarded the DFC later in 1940 with 106 Squadron (Gazetted on 22nd October 1940). He rose to F/Lt on 24th September 1941 and after posting to 50 Squadron, as Acting S/Lt he was awarded the Bar to the DFC (Gazetted on 24th October 1941). He was Mentioned in Despatched with a huge number of air personnel on 2nd June 1943 and rose to S/Ldr on 29th June 1943. He later served at 34 OTU at Pennfield Ridge, almost certainly as an instructor and having survived the War he remained in the RAF rising to W/Co on 1st November 1947.