Hampden AD853 at Lindholme airfield.
On 20th June 1941 this 50 Squadron aircraft crashed at 23.55hrs at Lindholme airfield following a night flying training exercise, the aircraft's undercarriage was not properly locked down and then collapsed.
Pilot - P/O Peter Norton Smith RAF (88026).
Hampden AD853 was built to contract B.67577/40 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered to 29 MU at High Ercall on 28th February 1941. On 7th April 1941
it was taken on charge by 50 Squadron at Lindholme where it remained until this mishap on 20th June 1941 at Lindholme, 43 Group D.A. (Damage Assessment) inspected
the damaged Hampden and recorded it as Cat.B/FA. On 30th June 1941 it was dismantled and taken by road to S.A.S. for repair (which was almost certainly back to English Electric,
at Samlesbury). The repair must have been lengthy, or there is a gap in the records, because it is next recorded
almost a year later, on 6th June 1942, as awaiting collection. On 15th June 1942 it was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington. On 14th July 1942 it was taken on charge
by 420 Squadron at Waddington but on 6th August 1942 420 Squadron moved to Skipton on Swale to commence conversion to Halifaxes and AD853 passed into the hands of
408 Squadron at Balderton. On 17th September 1942 it was flown into MU store just before 408 Squadron moved to Leeming for conversion to Halifaxes, it was flown to
8 MU at Little Rissington for storage. On 21st November 194 it was taken on charge by 1 AAS at Manby where it served until 20th December 1943 when it was flown
into storage at 44 MU at Edzell. Initially it was considered for conversion to TB.1 status and it is possible that this conversion was carried out but on 29th April
1944 the airframe was listed as Cat.E probably just clapped out rather than damaged as a result of a flying accident. It was struck off charge on the
same date.