RAFM Hampden – tail done

Above is a photo from pilot Ez Perry’s collection. I dont know if he is with his original or replacement navigator but it is Perry’s crew and clearly shows a 144 Sqn Hampden of (which he was a member) in Coastal Command colours – ie no overall black to the sides (and presumably the underside).

Another nice pic of a 455Sqn Hampden in Coastal Command colours.

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/gallery/albums/455-Hampden/HampdenTB_UB_A_of_455_Sqn_RAAF_001.jpg

regards

Mark

I tried to enhance the contrast on the fuselage…with only a slight improvement. I don’t know if this will help. Besides, there is no way of knowing if the identification is correct; there is no proof that this is P1344. I have been given numerous photos with erroneous identifications or details.

There’s a lot of glare on the fuselage sides, making it look like the white scheme, but I beleive I can make out the lower demarcation in front of the wing. Certainly not BC Night undersides, however.

P1344 – Coastal Command colours.

Article by Ez Perry’s family and a pic of the crew and P1344 prior to their flight. Note Coastal Command colours.

http://www.road-tests.com/intresting_articles/Long%20Flight%20Home%20pt%202.pdf

Can’t find the second part of the story yet.

Mark

Mark
Agreed.
The ground crew member Shepherd recalls jettisoning the equipment due to icing and loss of height. Flak damage received over Norway and then reaching Petsamo seeing two Bf109’s taking off and who consequntially shot them down. Somewhere (possibly in Eric Mombeek’s book it also mentions about 1/2 Hampdens trying to land though I don’t know if this information is gleaned from a German sources of the above document). The Hampden crash location was 2km SSW of Petamo airfield (in line with the runway).

Just seen your second post – Not Kola Peninsula which is a long way away. The X markes the spot was given to Shepherd from the Soviet recovery team and about 2km from Petsamo (Pechenga)

Still reading through. Perry was called Ez Perry. His normal naviagator was Alex Wilson but he had been stolen by the new C/O McLauchlin. Perry’s navigator was Sgt Wilson and it seems he was a new arrival.

Two Hampdens were shot down in Norway (one flak/one fighter) and two in Finland (fighters). Three crashed in Sweden/Norwegian (mountains). The remaining Hampdens landed at intended location Afrikanda (19), Monchgorsk (2), Murmaschi (1) and Veanga (1). Distance between Afrikanda to Veanga was quite a distance.

Mark

Wiki says:-

Hampden I P1344

Recovered from a crash-site in Russia in 1991, the aircraft is being reconstructed at the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. During the Second World War, it served with No. 144 Squadron RAF, part of Coastal Command. In September 1942, the squadron was transferred to the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia to help protect the Arctic convoys. While in transit over Finland, P1344 accidentally flew close by a German airfield and was shot down by two scrambled Messerschmitt Bf 109s. It crashed in a wooded area of the Kola Peninsula, three crew members were killed and two taken prisoner. After its recovery by another party, the RAF Museum gained ownership of the aircraft in 1992. By April 2013 it was reported that the fuselage restoration was nearing completion.

That is not in accord with the wreckage site, the enemy damage and the death of some of the crew.

Mark

[ATTACH]241291[/ATTACH]

P1344 was one of two Hampdens that tried to land at the Luftwffe base at Petsamo. It is unclear which Hampden was the other one.

Graham,

Got the same book and corresponded with Geoffrey for a number of years and helped out with the book. Going to have a look through my lever arch files as have a lot of correspondence, letters and photos relating to Operation Orator-Ham.

Catanach’s Hampden AT109 was forced down in Norway almost certainly carried the Coastal Command colours and the ID letters seem to be red. Only issue is it belongs to 455Sqn and not 144.

1 or 2 Hampdens actually tried to land at Petsamo (Luftwaffe base) though not sure if P1344 was one of them.

regards

Mark

I’ve been looking at Geoffrey Raebel’s The RAAF In Russia, which is based on his father’s experiences with 455 Sq. Unfortunately there is no reference to the colours of the aircraft, at least that I’ve noted. However photos do show aircraft retaining the high demarcation and hence presumably Dark Green & Dark Earth, but others having a low demarcation and hence presumably Dark Slate Grey (which is greenish) and Extra Dark Sea Grey but still with apparently Night undersides.

One interesting point in the book is that Raebel snr. had a course at Handley Page, whereat he learned that the Hampden’s tailplane could be modified to have zero incidence, and this was adopted on 455 Sq. giving superior range. I think that I’d like to see a proper aerodynamic justification for this, but apparently this setting was used on the Russian flight. I hope this information isn’t too late…

AE436 here at East Kirkby was painted in Bomber Command colours in 1942, we have a photo of her with grey code letters, but must have been given a quick coat of grey before heading for Russia.
We have found very small areas where grey paint has been found, most of which has eroded away through time. I pointed this out to Darren Priday at Cosford but he has looked at P1344 and has not found any grey, but judging from the surviving paint on AE436 ( which is very poor quality ) it wouldn’t surprise me if all the grey paint on P1344 has eroded away.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]241229[/ATTACH]good article here http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/handley-page-hampden-restoration.html

Attached photo of AE436 at East Kirkby September 2015.

The RAFMus let the nose glazing go, never ever imagining the Russian Hampden would turn up.

Mark

No mention of parts from the Uk…..http://www.canadianflight.org/content/handley-page-hampden

Would I be right in thinking that the RAF Museum once had the entire front section area/nose of a Hampden poss ex AN132? or similar that was once at Bicester in the 1950/60’s that ended up being used on the example in Canada?.

Looks like no Bomber Command history, only Coastal Command and a single operation sortie to Norway with no result.

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/handley-page-hampden-restoration/

regards

MS

Saw the Girl in Cosford 2014.

To think that 2 iconic but lesser known twin tailed bombers of the era (Do-17 too of course) where less inches from each other.
Took some snaps.

Great to see progress in restoration of something that was really chewed up quite badly.

Looks like red as well but nothing seems to show if the Coastal Command colours were applied.

I would have thought red serial on black ground was the finish I would expect from BC. It could easily be red over grey? Are the ID letters red or black as well?

http://s1093.photobucket.com/user/nuuumannn/media/Forum%20Images%202/489SqnHampden1_zpsbebbfeaf.jpg.html]

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/hampden.htm

regards

Mark