Hampden AE200 at Linton on Ouse airfield.

On the night of 9th / 10th November 1941 this 144 Squadron aircraft was used to fly an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. The aircraft took off from North Luffenham at 17.50hrs and proceeded towards Hamburg. Outbound the aircraft's internal navigator's lighting failed and meant all navigation was done by torchlight from then on. Inbound to the target area the aircraft was held in search lights for numerous times in a ten minute period with the pilot continually taking evasive action once held in the beams. Owing to the period of evasive action taken the crew became unsure of their position and initially failed to locate the target area at Hamburg. The crew then attempted to further search for the target and again were held in searchlight beams and eventually dropped their bombs onto an area of searchlights and flak batteries. Further searchlight evasive action had to be taken on the way out of the target area. There is no indication from the squadron records that the aircraft was ever damaged by flak during this night. That said, the pilot later gave a written statement to say that it was damaged by flak, with a hole in the leading edge of the starboard wing, one in the port undercarriage door and another hole in the starboard engine cowling that slightly damaged the engine. Owing to the long period of time spent over Germany the torch batteries that were being used by the navigator to see by gave out and the moon was used to navigate by thereafter. The crew managed to head roughly north-west but believed that they crossed the English coastline somewhere over Norfolk when it was actually much further north. Believing they were over Norfolk and were trying to head towards Lincolnshire they headed north along the coast. As they were actually over Lincolnshire already they found themselves heading towards Yorkshire. After flying up the coast for fifteen minutes they turned inland to try and locate a flying beacon. Catfoss airfield transmitted a signal to state they were over Catfoss but the crew did not know where Catfoss was so did not land. They headed inland at what must have been fairly low level as the pilot stated that the aircraft narrowly missed the top of a hill but that the trailing aerial struck it. The pilot then climbed the aircraft to 3,000 feet as the fuel was running low, this would enable them to bale out should they have needed to. The wireless operator managed to get a fix on another airfield beacon (that turned out to be Linton on Ouse). An engine then cut out so the pilot ordered the crew to put on their parachutes and "to prepare to abandon aircraft" should the need arise but unfortunately the air gunner and wireless operator were not plugged into the intercom and mis-understood so baled out. There was a problem with the harness of the air gunner, he clipped the parachute onto the harness with only one hook and the harness broke at the hook attachment resulting in him falling to his death. The wireless operator landed safely. Soon after the two left the engine started again and the pilot noticed the lighting from an airfield so requested permission to make an immediate landing. The pilot and navigator in the aircraft managed to land at Linton on Ouse at 01.05hrs without incident. After landing a slit in the port flap was later found, this was assumed to have been caused when the rear gunner opened and jettisoned the escape hatch. Exactly where the air gunner landed is not yet known other than it was near Tholthorpe and as his death was registered in the Bulmer district it must have been in that district.

Pilot - P/O Anthony William Raw RAF (67624).

Observer - Sgt Harry Cobb RAFVR (1163462).

Air Gunner - Sgt William Gordon Carrie RAFVR (1053141), aged 25. Buried Inverkeilor Cemetery, Angus.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cladius Frederick Guest RAFVR (911572).