Hampden AD767 at Catterick airfield.
On 8th March 1942 this Hampden was being flown by an ATA member of No.6 Ferry Pilot Pool between two unknown airfields when it was landed at Catterick airfield. On making the first attempt to land the undercarriage failed to lock down. The pilot applied power to the engines and flew a circuit of the airfield allowing time to correct the problem. The undercarriage then failed to retract but the hand pump managed to pump it down. At 14.00hrs a landing was then made but the undercarriage then collapsed. A broken undercarriage ram was found to have broken and this caused the initial problem. The damage as it was initially assessed as Cat.Ac but then re-assessed as Cat.B damaged. The aircraft was possibly landing at Catterick to re-fuel. It was probably going from Rollason's at Tollerton towards 44 MU.
Pilot - F/O Arthur Edward Henry Coltman ATA (M.214).
Hampden AD767 was built to contract B.67577/40 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection in November 1940. It was received by 8 MU at Little Rissington on 16th January 1941 and after MU preparation it was taken on charge by 44 Squadron at Waddington on 24th March 1941. It served with this unit until it was damaged in a flying accident on 3rd September 1941, Cat.Ac/FA damage was the assessment. A repair in works at Rollasons of Tollerton was required to fix the aircraft and during this time it was selected for conversion to T.B.1 status. In March 1942 6 FPP were given the job of delivering this aircraft between two unknown airfields when the aircraft was damaged at Catterick. It was possibly being flown from Tollerton to 44 MU where it would later arrive once repaired. Cat.Ac/FA damage was the initial damage assessment following what appears to have been a very minor incident at Catterick on 8th March 1942 but the AM Form 1180 then has a Re-Cat.B assessment logged which suggests that the damage was more severe than first thought. It was taken to 44 MU on 10th April 1942 and after receiving some form of modification at English Electric during June 1942 it was taken on charge by 415 Squadron at Thorney Island on 23rd June 1942. On 15th April 1943 it burst a tyre on take off from Docking and swung off the runway with the undercarriage collapsing again, Cat.B/FA was the assessment. It was again taken away by road to be repaired in works. It arrived at Tollerton again on 5th May 1943. Once repaired the aircraft later arrived at No.3 O.A.P.U. at Llandow to be prepared for a ferry flight to Canada. It arrived at Prestwick on 14th September 1943. In the weeks that followed it was flown to Canada and arrived there on 29th September 1943 having being flown out by No.45 ATG (Atlantic Transport Group) and flown via Prestwick to Canada. It was then flown across to the west coast to Patricia Bay, Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia where it was taken on charge by 32 O.T.U.. On 13th January 1944 it was reported missing on a flight from Sidney, British Columbia. The wreckage was found three days later at Dinner Point, Mayne Island, British Columbia with the pilot, Sgt Roland Hayes being killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was struck off charge.