50 Squadron

[David Layne]

Attached is a photograph of 50 Squadron taken at Swinderby between July and November 1941. If anyone has any further knowledge of 50 Squadron when they were flying Hampdens from Lindholme, Swinderby and Skellingthorpe I would appreciate hearing about it.

[David Layne]

My interest is in my Father's experiances, he is directly under the left hand propellor hub (right side of photo)

[Owen]

This one your Dad, David?

[David Layne]

Sure is!

[Peter Clare]

Hi David,

Don't know much about 50 Squadron, not my area of research but what I can offer is a list of aircraft lost to the Squadron during the time scale you give, might give you some idea what 50 Squadron were doing at that time.

12 - 13 July 1941

Hampden I AE226 VN- Op: Bremen.
Took off Lindholme 2230 hrs. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed 055 hrs at Veendam, Holand.

Hampden I AE230 VN- Op: Bremen.
Took off Lindholme 2220 hrs. Shot down by night-fighter and crashed 0105 hrs Weltrup, Germany.

16 - 17 July 1941

Hampden I AD844 VN- Op: Hamburg.
Took off Lindholme 2250 hrs. two bearings were sent to this aircraft and the IFF plot was obtained at 0114 hrs, after which the Hampden vanished without trace.

19 July 1941

Hampden I AD897 VN- Training.
Crashed 1100 hrs, inverted, between Lindholme and Finningley after getting into difficulties while practicing formation flying.

23 - 24 July 1941

Hampden I AD843 VN- Op: Frankfurt.
Took off Swinderdy 2220 hrs. Last heard on W/T while over the sea and is presumed lost east of Cromer.

25 - 26 July 1941

Hampden I AE234 VN- Op: Hannover.
Took of Swinderby. Believed to have crashed near Thurlby 7 miles SSW of Lincoln.

28 -29 July 1941

Hampden I AE159 VN- Op: Gardening.
Took off Swinderby 2200 hrs to lay mines in Kiel Bay. Lost without trace.

5 - 6 August 1941

Hampden I AE137 VN- Op: Karlsruhe.
Took off Swinderby 2205 hrs. Crashed at Essen.

8 -9 August 1941

Hampden I AE124 VN- Op: Gardening.
Took off Swinderby for mining operation off the Frisian Islands, but the port engine cut and the aircraft crashed near the airfield.

17 - 18 August 1941

Hampden I AE185 VN- Op: Bremen.
Took off Swinderby 2255 hrs. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed 0144 hrs Paterswolde, Holand.

25 - 26 August 1941

Hampden I AE320 VN- Op: Mannheim.
Took off Swinderby. Aircraft lost.

27 - 28 August 1941

Hampden I X2991 VN- Op: Mannheim.
Took off Swinderby 2250 hrs but failed to gain height and crashed near airfield.

29 -30 August 1941

Hampden I AD839 VN- Op: Frankfurt.
Took off Swinderby 2145 hrs. Crashed in the vicinity of Abberville, France.

Hampden I AE229 VN- Op: Frankfurt.
Took off Swinderby 2135 hrs. Crashed 0430 hrs at Bassingham, Lincoln.

2 - 3 September 1941

Hampden I X2919 VN- Op: Berlin.
Took off Swinderby 2035 hrs. Crash landed 0510 hrs between Wansford and Wittering airfield.

Hampden I AE157 VN- Op: Gardening.
Took off Swinderby 1935 hrs. Landed at Waddington in poor visisbility and collided with a Hampden belonging to 44 Squadron.

Hampden I AE305 VN- Op: Berlin.
Took off Swinderby 2035 hrs. Crash-landed 0525 hrs astride the A149 Warham to Stiffkey road, Norfolk.

12 - 13 October 1941

Hampden I AE367 VN- Op: Huls.
Took off Swinderby. Aircraft lost.

13 - 14 October 1941

Hampden I AE251 VN- Op: Koln.
Took off Swinderby. Shot down by flak.

20 - 21 October 1941

Hampden I AE383 VN- Op: Bremen.

Took off Swinderby. Aircraft lost.

23 - 24 October 1941

Hampden I AE256 VN- Op: Kiel.
Took off Swinderby. Hit flak and crashed in target area.

24 - 25 October 1941

Hampden I AE184 VN- Training.
Reported crashed at Ratcliffe near York.

6 -7 November 1941

Hampden I AE427 VN- Op: Gardening.
Took off Swinderby 0115 hrs. Hit by flak and crashed into Oslo Fjord.

30 November 1941

Hampden I P1202 VN- Op: hamburg.
Took off Skellingthorpe 1657 hrs. Ran low on fuel and forced-landed 0120 hrs some 2 miles east of the airfield on return to base.


Hope you find this of some interest

Regards
Peter.

[David Layne]

Many thanks Peter. On consulting my Father's log books I see he was involved in some of those raids.