Hampden I AD803 - Sea south of Samsø                                              Updated:  03 NOV 2011

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
o888008.htm Copeman H J Sgt RAF 408 p078.htm HAM AD803 Minelaying Sea S of Samsø d160542 o888 o888.htm POW
a118001.htm Millerd W F F/Sgt RCAF 408 p078.htm HAM AD803 Minelaying Sea S of Samsø d160542 b150942 c118.htm Århus
e777005.htm Smith A A F/S RCAF 408 p078.htm HAM AD803 Minelaying Sea S of Samsø d160542 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
a103002.htm Smith N W Sgt RAF 408 p078.htm HAM AD803 Minelaying Sea S of Samsø d160542 b260243 c103.htm Tranebjerg


HAM AD803 var på en minelægningsoperation mod området Pumpkin (se Minelægningsområder). MACR (blanket om tabt besætning) har 2 udsagn:
"Fly af ukendt type skudt ned 16 MAJ kl. 01.53 syd for Samsø." (Krigsdagbog fra chefen for de tyske flådestyrker i Danmark)
og
øjenvidneudsagn fra hr Einer Buch ved Koldby Kaas, som så 2 fly blive skudt ned. (HAM AD803 og HAM AT224)
"Et fly, der fløj i ca. 1200 fods højde på vestlig kurs passerede over en tysk minestryger for anker 2 sømil vest for Vesborg Fyr på Samsø.
Skibet begyndte at skyde og ramte øjeblikkeligt flyet, som styrtede ned i flammer. (Omkring her.)

Umiddelbart efter blev et andet (HAM AT224) lavtflyvende fly ramt, og dette styrtede også i havet omkring en sømil vest for det tyske skib.
Der blev skudt mod et tredje fly, men intet resultat blev observeret."

Fra HAM AD803 er 1 flyver begravet i Aarhus, 1 i Tranebjerg og 1 har ingen kendt grav. 1 blev krigsfange. 4 flyvere.

HAM AD803 was on a minelaying operation targeting Pumpkin (see Minelaying areas). MACR (Missing Air Crew Report) has 2 statements:
"Aircraft of unknown type shot down on 16 MAY at 0153 hours south of Samsø Island." (Diary of Commander-in-Chief of the German Naval Forces in Denmark)
and
an eye witness account from Mr. Einer Buch at Koldby Kaas who watched two aircraft being shot down. (HAM AD803 and HAM AT224)
"An aircraft flying at 1,200 feet on a westerly course passed over a German minesweeper at anchor two nautical miles west of Vesborg Lighthouse, Samsø Island.
Flak from the ship opened up and instantly hit the aircraft which crashed in flames. (About here.)

Immediately after another (HAM AT224) low flying aircraft was hit, and this too crashed in sea about one nautical mile west of the German vessel.
A third aircraft was shot at but no results observed."

During a minelaying operation in Kattegat together with 49 other aircraft this plane attacked a mine sweeper, which shot back and hit
Hampden I AD803. It crashed, burning, into the sea south of Samsø, about here. 

1 airman from HAM AD803 is buried in Aarhus, 1 in Tranebjerg and 1 has no known grave. 1 became a Prisoner of War.
See Bomber Command No. 408 Squadron RCAF *  No. 408 Squadron of Canadian Wings * 408 Squadron Association. This Hampden took off from RAF Balderton.
4 airmen. Lost Bombers has this.