Hampden P1220 at Finningley airfield.
During the afternoon of 30th May 1941 the pilot of this 25 Operational Training Unit aircraft was undertaking a training flight. On return to Finningley the weather was very poor, the aircraft overshot the runway at 17.45hrs, burst a tyre after running over a barbed wire fence and it struck a gun
emplacement. The damage sustained was later deemed enough for a repair not to be warranted and it was written off.
Pilot - Sgt K Richardson RAFVR (933275). Injured.
Sgt Richardson was posted to 106 squadron after completing his training (also based at Finningley). On 15th September 1941 flying Hampden AE232 on Ops to
Hamburg he was shot down by a night-fighter close to the target area. He and two of his crew baled out but one other was killed. Sgt Richardson became a PoW.
Hampden P1220 was built to contract 773239/38 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection in September 1939. It was allotted to 24 MU on 20th September 1939 and was received by them seven days later. After a lengthy period of MU storage it was taken on charge by the recently formed 25 O.T.U. at Finningley on 6th April 1941.
As a result of the accident on 31st May 1941 the damage was assessed as being Cat.E/FA and it was written off. The aircraft was struck off charge on 7th June 1941.