Hampden X3143 at Lindholme airfield.
On the night of 1st / 2nd January 1941 this aircraft was one of a number of 50 Squadron aircraft undertaking an operational flight to Bremen and had set out from Lindholme at 16.59hrs.
The weather on their return was worse than was forecast and at 00.27hrs this aircraft was landing at Lindholme in bad visibility but crashed into the snow-covered
undershoot area. The aircraft ran across a ditch and also struck a heap of stones. The crew escaped injury. The pilot is reported to have raised the undercarriage in order to halt the aircraft though this is not recorded on the AM Form 1180.
Pilot - P/O Thomas Noel Challoner Burrough RAFVR (84274), of Sneyd Park, Gloucestershire.
Second Pilot - P/O Phillip Booth Hodgson RAFVR (83725), of Hartford, Cheshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Hobson. (possibly Sgt Stuart Melbourne Hobson RAF (551619), of Sheffield, Yorkshire.)
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alfred Bryan Brooks RAF (638755), of Didsbury, Manchester.
Sgt Brooks was awarded the DFM for service with 50 Squadron with the notification of his award being printed in the London Gazette on 23rd September
1941. F/Sgt Brooks had was sadly killed while flying with 49 Squadron on 17th September 1942 flying in Lancaster R5890 which crashed in the Essen area.
He was aged twenty and is buried in Reichswald War Cemetery with the rest of the crew of R5890. I thank Graham Sharpe for the photograph of his gravestone.
Nothing is 100% confirmed about the true identity of the Sgt Hobson listed above, however it is possible that one Stuart Melbourne Hobson is he. F/O
Hobson was later posted to 9 Squadron and lost on 5th April 1943 on Ops to Kiel.
On 21st March 1941 Burrough, Hodgson and Brooks (along with a Sgt Russell) crashed near Armthorpe while coming into land at Lindholme, Brooks was
slightly injured but all recovered and continued flying.
Thomas Burrough was born in December 1906 in Oxford, in the 1911 census he was living in Headington, Oxford. He was granted a commission in the
Special Reserve of the RAF on 31st May 1930 to the rank of P/O on probation, he was promoted to F/O on 28th January 1931. Although not yet fully
researched it seems likely that he left the RAF at the end of the period of his commission or resigned his Commission but he then rejoined on the
outbreak of war and was made a P/O on Probation on 2nd March 1940, he was made to F/O on 2nd March 1941 and to a F/Lt on 30th July 1941. He was
awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 18th July 1941 and his rank was Acting S/Ldr at the time. He was killed on 31st January 1942 flying as an official
observer with 61 Squadron in Manchester L7396 which is believed to have crashed into the sea in the region of the Scillies.
His body was not found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede memorial. He was a qualified barrister prior to enlisting, and was thirty five years
old when he was listed as missing.
Phillip Hodgson received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 10th August 1940 (with seniority of 4th August 1940). P/O Hodgson was
killed on 3rd June 1941 flying in Hampden AD797, with 50 Squadron, while on Ops to Dusseldorf. He was twenty four years old and is buried in Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Belgium.
Hampden X3143 was built to contract B.994449/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection in November 1940. It was allotted to 24 MU on 19th November 1940 and was received by them on 25th November 1940. The aircraft was then swiftly turned around and was taken on charge by 50 Squadron on 29th November 1940. Cat.E1/FB damage was recorded as a result of the accident at Lindholme on 2nd January 1941 and it was struck off charge.