Hampden I AT224 - Sea south west of Samsø                                    Updated: 04 MAR 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
e777336.htm Cresswell C P/O RAF 408 p077.htm HAM AT224 Minelaying Sea SW of Samsø d150542 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
a110001.htm Dillon R J F/Sgt RCAF 408 p077.htm HAM AT224 Minelaying Sea SW of Samsø d150542 b190542 c110.htm Kirke Værløse
e777337.htm Dreyer R W Sgt RCAF 408 p077.htm HAM AT224 Minelaying Sea SW of Samsø d150542 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
a103001.htm Palmer W D Sgt RAF 408 p077.htm HAM AT224 Minelaying Sea SW of Samsø d150542 b140642 c103.htm Tranebjerg
         
Natten 15.-16. maj 1942 kl. 02.00 styrtede HAM AT224 i havet sydvest for Samsø, måske omkring  her. Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Hampden mk. 1. AT224 (EQ-). 408 BS, 5 BG, Balderton, Notts. (Minering: »Pumpkin« i Store Bælt). 2 MIA og 2 KIA. Se Minelægningsområder.

Denne nat var en forholdsvis rolig nat for RAF. Den eneste operation var 50 fly, der foretog minering i den vestlige del af Østersøen. Operationen var et led i
englændernes forsøg på at forhindre de store tyske krigsskibe »Lutzow« og »Prinz Eugen« i gennemsejling til og fra Norge. To Hampdens og to Wellingtons
gik tabt. På hjemturen blev AT224 ramt af flak fra en tysk minestryger, der befandt sig sydvest for Samsø. Flyet eksploderede i luften og styrtede derefter
brændende ned i farvandet Ø-NØ for Endelave (måske omkring her). Den 16. maj blev liget af piloten, F/Sgt. Raymond James Dillon, fundet på havet 5 km SV
for Samsø af en dansk fisker. Den 18. maj blev vragdele fundet i farvandet Ø for Endelave, og næste dag skyllede vragdele i land på østkysten af øen.
Telegrafisten, Sgt. William Dudley Palmer, drev i land ved Samsø den 14. juni 1942, og han blev begravet på Tranebjerg kirkegård den efterfølgende dag under
militære æresbevisninger fra værnemagten og den lokale marineforening." (FT 90-46-4) 4 flyvere.  Se p077MACR.

In the night 15.-16. May 1942 at 02.00 hours HAM AT224 crashed into the sea south west of Samsø, maybe about here. (Danish) Aviation Historical Review
writes: "Hampden I. AT224 (EQ-). 408 BS, 5 BG, Balderton, Notts. (Minelaying: »Pumpkin« in the Store Bælt). 2 MIA and 2 KIA. See Minelaying areas.

This was a rather quiet night for the RAF. The only operation was 50 planes that carried out a minelaying operation in the western part of the Baltic Sea.
The operation was a part of the British attempt to prevent the big German naval ships "Lutzow" and "Prinz Eugen" from sailing to and from Norway. 2 Hampdens
and 2 Wellingtons were lost. On the return flight AT224 was hit by flak from a German mine sweeper on a position south west of Samsø. The plane exploded in
the air and crashed, burning, into the waters E-NE of Endelave (maybe about here). The body of F/Sgt (Pilot) Raymond James Dillon was found at sea 5 km SW
of Samsø by a Danish fisherman on 16 May 1942. On 18 May debris was found in the waters east of Endelave, and next day pieces of wreckage drifted ashore
on the east coast of the island. On 14 June 1942 Sgt (Wireless Operator) William Dudley Palmer was washed ashore on Samsø, and he was buried in Tranebjerg Churchyard on the following day with full military honours from the Wehrmacht and the local association of Mariners."  (FT 90-46-4)  See p077MACR.

See No. 6 Group and the Canadian Squadrons * No. 408 (Goose) Squadron RCAF * 408 "Goose" Squadron Association.
Hampden I AT224 EQ- took off from RAF Balderton on 15 MAY 1942    (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.)
4 airmen.