Hampden X3005 near Rudston, Driffield.
At 18.42hrs on 23rd March 1941 this 61 Squadron aircraft took off from Hemswell, Lincolnshire and the crew were to undertake an operational flight to Kiel. The aircraft
was struck by flak over Germany which caused the port engine to fail on the return leg of the trip. The aircraft had drifted off course and
when they reached land fall the aircraft was struggling to maintain height. The crew had tried to throw out anything heavy to try and get
that extra height but this prooved in vain. The aircraft was abandoned while over Rudston, to the north of Driffield, at 01.30hrs on Monday
24th March 1940 and the aircraft crashed soon after. The crew of four all landed safely near Rudston. The exact location of where the aircraft
came down is not yet known.
Pilot - P/O Peter Harold Howard Pritchard RAF (44197).
Second Pilot - P/O Frederick Arthur Caunter-Jackson RAFVR (84035).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Patrick Joseph Breene RAF (614088).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Owen William Joseph Pearce RAF (553722).
The first three of those named above were killed on 12th June 1941 when Hampden AD727 was hit by flak while mine-laying and crashed into Kiel Bay, off Kiel.
F/O Pritchard was washed ashore some two months later and is buried in Kappel Churchyard, Denmark. He was aged nineteen. He received a commission on 21st
July 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation and later to F/O though the entry in the London Gazette confirming this has yet to be located. The bodies of
Caunter-Jackson and Breene not found and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Frederick Caunter-Jackson received his commission on 25th August 1940.
owen Pearce was born in Southwark, London in 1922 and married in Oxford in 1942. He was forced to bale out of three aircraft before May 1942. He was later
awarded the DFM, Gazetted 22nd May 1942 and the citation makes mention of these actions, to reads.."Sgt Pearce, a wireless operator/air-gunner, has on three occasions been compelled to abandon his aircraft by parachute on returning from operational duty. He has consistently displayed keenness and devotion to duty, and has contributed materially to the success of the operations in which he has participated." His second bale-out was on 16th January 1942, flying in Manchester L7495 of 61 Squadron, due to running out of fuel on return from Ops to Hamburg and he
landed near Grimoldby, Lincolnshire, his then crew all landed uninjured. His third bale-out is not yet known but probably occurred prior to the one in January 1942.
He received a commission on 21st April 1945 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He probably died in Chichester 1992.
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Hampden X3005 was built to contract B.994449/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection in September 140. It was allocated to 24 MU on 22nd September 1940 and was received by them on 10th October 1940. The aircraft was taken on charge by 61 Squadron at Hemswell on 28th October 1940. On 9th November 1940 on the face of it the aircraft sustained some fairly serious damage. The damage probably initially occurred after it was struck by flak on an operational flight to bomb Nuremburg, it was further damaged on the final approach to land at Hemswell when the pilot lowered the undercarriage and the port wheel fell away (possibly after clipped in the ground
or a building in the bomb dump area). The undercarriage was retracted and a successful belly landing was made though it suffered severe damage to the port wing. It's then crew escaped injury. Strangely the aircraft's AM Form 78 does not list this incident but Cat.R/FB damage was the probable damage assessment. The aircraft was repaired on site with a new wing being fitted. It continued to serve with 61 Squadron until 24th March 1941 when the incident near Driffield occurred and Cat.E2/FB damage was later recorded.