On the night of 28th / 29th July 1941 the crew this aircraft was one of twelve 83 Squadron Hampdens detailed with flying an operational flight. The 83 Squadron orb is very poor detailing this incident, it states that this aircraft took off from Scampton at 22.16hrs. Part of the squadron records state the flight was to Cologne and part states it was Kiel. What actually happened was the crews of nine aircraft were detailed with dropping mines in Kiel Bay and the remaining three dropping in the "Radish" area (which was the code for Kiel Bay). The crew of Hampden AE156 were one of the three detailed to release in the "Radish" but could not pinpoint the position so did not release it. Whether they then jettisoned it later is not recorded. Owing to poor weather over Lincolnshire on their return at least five of the 83 Squadron aircraft appear to received the order to divert north to land. Leconfield, Leeming, Montrose, Driffield, Catfoss being the recorded landing places. On their return this crew became lost and owing to the weather the aircraft's wireless set failed, but probably after they had received the order to divert north. This aircraft eventually ran out of fuel so the pilot force landed in a field near Barton le Street, a few miles west of Malton at 07.20hrs. Given the time of the landing the crew must have been lost while flying over the North Sea and must have been making for an airfield in land when they ran out of fuel. Had they been over land at sunrise then they would have had ample time to find an airfield before running out of fuel. I suspect that they were flying in the area off Whitby and were making towards Linton on Ouse when they ran out of fuel over the Vale of Pickering.
Pilot - Sgt Edwin Lyndon Tiley RAFVR (742642).
Second Pilot - P/O Michael Arthur Sproule RAF (62338).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Gauld (Possibly Sgt Albert Alexander Gauld RAFVR (982054)).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Williams (Possibly Sgt William Glyn Williams RAF (627048)).
This incident was "witnessed" by a few local people; one of which Mr Ray Magson I spoke to in 2001 who told me that he saw and visited the aircraft. He believed that it landed wheels down and out of fuel, in a ploughed field between the villages of Barton le Street, Slingsby and Butterwick. Unfortunately he did not recall or record the exact date of the landing. The aircraft flew in from the north and landed in a field, he zig-zagged up the small field to apparently slow down, this worked and the aircraft came to a stop in the same field with no damage, the zig-zags were clear visible across the field the following day by local people who came to see the aircraft. The crew must have been collected and returned to their base by road but during the week an RAF tanker came and fuel was put in the aircraft with the hope that it could take off from nearby fields. The Hampden was also towed out of the original ploughed field it had landed in, through a gate and into a grass field next to the field from were it had landed. It was then towed back as far as it could be taken to give it as much room for take-off as possible. A hedge at the far end of the field was taken up to increase the take-off area and the space was made flat. Some large ash trees at the end of the next field which it now was facing may have posed a hazard although they were left. During the whole time the aircraft was in the field a guard was placed on the aircraft but even so local boys managed to get inside the plane and have a look around it. I have been given a piece of the aircraft which was liberated by Ray Magson while it was in the ploughed field and he has also given me the small piece of paper he wrote the aircraft's squadron code. (see below for a scan of it). Sunday, 10th August 1941 came and an Avro Anson landing was attempted bringing aircrew to the field to fly in the Hampden out, this was either on the morning of the flight out or the previous day with the crew staying locally overnight, the Squadron's Anson was landed on this newly created strip successfully. Just after lunch on the Sunday the Hampden's engines were fired up and the aircraft attempted take-off along this runway. A large crowd of locals had gathered to watch, this included many young boys from the area. It was thought that the Hampden would not be able to clear the ash trees at the far end of the strip but it managed with feet to spare. The aircraft then circled around and the crew waved to those on the ground and then flew off. The Anson then took off and also flew away.
Ray Magson's piece of paper containing the aircraft's squadron codes and the date of the incident / taking off from the field. I express my thanks to (the now late) Mr Ray Magson of Appleton-le-Street for recounting his memories of this incident and other aircraft crashes he recalls around the Appleton area. I would like to thank him for the collection of pieces of these aircraft, which he liberated at the time and has also given to me. Ray died a few months after I met him.
Hampden AE156 was built by English Electric to contract 67577/40 and was allotted to 8 MU on 23rd April 1941 but was not received by 8 MU until 18th May 1941. It was taken on charge by 83 Squadron at Scampton on 26th June 1941. No or very little damage appears to have occurred in the landing at Barton le Street on 29th July 1941. Having landed with the wheels down the engines were also unaffected. On 3rd September 1941 it was force landed at Welton Waterworks, near Lincoln on 3rd September 1941 on return from an operational flight, out of fuel and with it's then crew lost in fog. After this incident it received a Cat.B/FB damage assessment. For both incidents the AM Form 1180 has been located and this gives the engine numbers being the same, suggesting that the engines were indeed undamaged following the landing at Barton le Street. Following the forced landing on 3rd September 1941 it was taken away by road and transported to Brush Electrical Service Aircraft Section at Loughborough for repair. Brush carried out repair and service to Hampden fuselages. The aircraft was then sent to Tollerton on 28th January 1942 for completion of the repair and it was listed as repaired and awaiting allocation on 14th February 1942. On 22nd February 1942 it was flown to 20 MU and was then taken on charge by 455 Squadron on 24th March 1942. It was returned to English Electric on 19th May 1942 for modifications (probably for conversion to a torpedo bomber if this was not carried out during the earlier repair). It was returned to 455 Squadron on 17th July 1942. On 4th / 5th September 1942 it was flown from Sumburgh to Afrikanda and Vaenja to be used in conjunction with the Russian Navy as part of Operation Orator. It appears to have been then gifted to the Russian Navy instead of flying it back to the UK. It is believed to have ended it's days with the Third Squadron of the 24th Mine and Torpedo Aviation Regiment, Northern Fleet. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that on 13th January 1943 it was transferred to 489 Squadron at Wick though this appears to be an error and should be recorded on the AM Form 78 for Hampden AN156.
Edwin Tiley was posted to 83 Squadron from SHQ sick on 2nd April 1941 but what this relates to is not yet clear, it may be a result of illness rather than injury. He was attached to a training course at Finningley on 18th May 1941 and was then posted briefly to 14 OTU from 25th May 1941, returning to Finningley once training at 14 OTU was complete. He returned to 83 Squadron on 27th June 1941. On 28th March 1942 WO Tiley was flying Lysander T1687 with 1485 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight when it hit a tree and crashed near Cold Hanworth, Market Rasen. He was twenty four years old and is buried at Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium.
Michael Sproule survived came through a number of serious incidents in 1942. On 12th February 1942 Sproule was flying 83 Squadron Manchester K7525 on an operational flight to attack the German battleships Prinz Eugen, Scharnhorst and Gneisnau when they were attacked and damaged. He sustained injuries. On 8th April 1942 he was flying Manchester R5837 on Ops to Paris when the aircraft was hit by flak and badly damaged. He was forced to ditch in the English Channel. Unfortunately all his crew died leaving him as the sole survivor. On 25th April 1942 he was flying Manchester L7289 and made a heavy landing at Scampton, the aircraft bounced and then a wing touched the ground receiving minor damage. On 11th June 1942 he was flying 83 Squadron Lancaster R5621 on a mine laying operational flight to the Baltic. The aircraft was badly damaged by flak from a flak ship and was badly damaged. Four members of the crew were killed but he survived and became a PoW.
Sgt Gauld was killed on 10th March 1942 while flying in Hampden AT174 with 49 Squadron on Ops to Essen. He is buried in Reichwald Forest War Cemetery.
William Williams was serving with 83 Squadron as early as April 1941 when he is listed as being admitted to Station Sick Quarters on 11th April 1941. He later received a commission and was awarded the DFC for service with 83 Squadron in October 1943 (which must have been for flying a second Tour with them).