Aircraft Picture RequestsDiscuss 50 Squadron Hampden's (VN) in the Aircraft Pictures forums; Looking for pictures of 50 Squadron (VN) Hampdens. Thanks in anticipation....
Is it possible to determine aircraft number from the Squadron numbers? I would love to find a picture of one my father flew in. I know he flew in VN N on quite a few trips.
Is it possible to determine aircraft number from the Squadron numbers? I would love to find a picture of one my father flew in. I know he flew in VN N on quite a few trips.
There is a problem in trying to find production serial numbers based on the squadron code letter, as if an aircraft (say B for Bertie for arguments sake), was lost in an accident, or in combat, or even transferred to another squadron, or given another code letter halfway through its flying career, then another aircraft with obviously a different production serial number would be assigned to the squadron and would be assigned the code "B" to replace the lost one, so there could have been 30 different aircraft over the course of the war that had been called B for Bertie in that particular squadron and of that aircraft type.
Before I consult my database to see if I can find any serial numbers for that particular code, are we only talking about Hampdens, or are we talking about lancasters as well?
Last edited by Concorde247; 05-25-2007 at 12:33 PM.
Reason: additional info
Below is a rough work in progress list of the Hampdens lost that served with no 50 squadron during WW2.
Serial No: Date lost Where/How (if known)
L4080 17-10-39 Training
L4096 31-10-39 "
L4063 16/17-3-40 Patrol
L4064 12-4-40 Kristiansund
L4073 " "
L4081 " "
L4083 " "
L4065 13/14-4-40 Gardening
P4289 08-06-40 Training
L4078 26/27-6-40 Hannover
P1329 " "
P4288 09-07-40 Training
P1321 25/26-07-40 Castrop/Rauxel
P1327 31/7-1/8-40 Gardening
P4383 " "
P4382 10/11-08-40 Training
P2070 25/26-08-40 Berlin
P2124 " "
P1317 26/27-08-40 Leipzig
L4079 30/31-08-40 Monchengladbach
P4287 08/09-09-40 Hamburg
L4097 10/11-09-40 Oostende
L4062 26/27-09-40 Calais
X2902 29/30-09-40 Stuttgart
P4411 30/09-01/10-40 Berlin
X2896 02/03-10-40 Hamburg
P4417 05/06-10-40 Koln
X2993 14/15-10-40 Berlin
X3000 29/30-10-40 "
X2907 05/06-11-40 Magdeburg
X2994 07/08-11-40 Essen
L4149 10/11-11-40 Mannheim
X2908 15-11-40 Hamburg
X3125 25/26-11-40 Kiel
X3004 07/08-12-40 Dusseldorf
X3117 10/11-12-40 Mannheim
X3141 28/29-12-40 Lorient
X3143 01/02-01-41 Bremen
X2983 14/15-02-41 Gardening
X2984 01/02-03-41 Koln
AD721 12/13-03-41 Berlin
AD742 20/21-03-41 Gardening
P4409 01-04-41 Training
AD753 05-04-41 Brest
AD830 10-04-41 Training
AD789 10/11-04-41 Dusseldorf
AD828 " "
AD730 17/18-04-41 Berlin
AD728 28/29-04-41 Gardening
AD834 " "
AD867 30-05-41 Air Test
AD797 02/03-06-41 Dusseldorf
P4389 18-06-41 Air Test
X3133 29/30-06-41 Kiel
AE226 12/13-07-41 Bremen
AE230 " "
AD844 16/17-07-41 Hamburg
AD897 19-07-41 Training
AD843 23/24-07-41 Frankfurt
AE234 25/26-07-41 Hannover
AD902 28/29-07-41 Gardening
AE159 " "
AE137 05/06-08-41 Karlsruhe
AE124 08/09-08-41 Gardening
P4408 15-08-41 A.S.R. Lost over N.sea
AE185 17/18-08-41 Bremen
AE320 25/26-08-41 Mannheim
X2991 27/28-08-41 "
AD839 29/30-08-41 Frankfurt
AE229 " "
X2919 02/03-09-41 Berlin
AE157 " Gardening
AE305 " Berlin
AE318 07/08-09-41 Kiel
AD854 08/09-09-41 Kassel
AE367 12/13-10-41 Huls
AE251 13/14-10-41 Koln
AE383 20/21-10-41 Bremen
AE256 23/24-10-41 Kiel
AE184 25-10-41 Training
AE427 06/07-11-41 Gardening
P1152 15/16-11-41 "
P1202 31-11-01-12-41 Hamburg
AE380 15/16-12-41 Oostende
AE369 27-12-41 Combined Ops
AE428 " "
AE250 10/11-01-42 Gardening
AE420 14/15-01-42 Hamburg
AE431 " "
AE381 21-01-42 Training
AT142 22/23-01-42 Munster
AE306 07-02-42 Gardening
AT177 12-02-42 Fuller
AE394 21/22-02-42 Koblenz
AE218 27/28-02-42 Kiel
AE387 07-03-42 Training
AE400 07/08-03-42 Gardening
AT173 10/11-03-42 Essen
AE429 24/25-03-42 Gardening
L7486 25-03-42 Training
AT151 25/26-03-42 Essen
AT158 " Gardening
AT118 26-03-42 A.S.R.
AT216 05/06-04-42 Koln
It was after this period, that 50 squadron converted briefly onto Avro Manchesters their first loss of this type was R5782 17/18-4-42 on raid to Hamburg.
At this moment in time, i can only confirm a few squadron individual code letters to the above list.
P4289 VN-X
L4079 VN-N
P4287 VN-P
AE394 VN-M
The squadron code was VN as you know, and the individual code letters were re-applied to new aircraft sent to replace losses.
If anyone can fill in the missing blanks - then please do.
sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but just changing my work shifts over from nights to days...
My records are slightly out, re the date & times but the rest of the info seems correct...
The aircraft your father was flying that night was serial no AE116 which force landed in a field near waddington due to fuel shortage on return from operations over copenhagen, but my records show the force landing being timed at 04:00 hours on the morning of the 03/09/1941
The aircraft was given as Cat. R(b) which means that it was beyond repair on site.
Researching information on 50 Squadron and Pilot Officer William Brandwood (would have been my youngest uncle). who was reported missing 28 July 1941 in AE159 Hampden. I know it was Gardening operation flown from Swinderby and the raid was on Kiel Bay. Can anyone help with more information or photographs.
Am also researching my Father, John Burrows with 50 Squadron but I have a lot of information on him as the crew stayed in touch and still are to this day. LL940 Lancaster was the main aircraft he flew in as mid upper gunner.
Also researching Robert Brandwood Burrows with 464 Squadron who was killed aged 33 on Friday 6 October 1944 (would have been my eldest uncle).
Any information or advice as to where I can find information would be appreciated.
My great Uncle Wing Comander N D Crockhart flew 0n P1329 - 27-6-40 Hannover raid
and was shotdown over Holland and went down in the sea.
He is burried in CALLANTSOOG CHURCHYARD. I have found the War graves commission
and a site giving the last messages as "going down 15 miles from the Dutch coast".
Basher82.nl seems to be unavailable to me, and he seems to have quotes from t
he war service record - that I can't see!
David Layne has a scan of a page from the flight log from Waddington Airfield,
I would love to know how to get that sort of information.
The collection of photos of 50 squadrons Hampdens coded VN is brilliant.
I would really be grateful for any pointers.
Thanks
Richard
Last edited by ricbake; 12-22-2007 at 05:53 PM.
Reason: word wrap
My Great Uncle was as Flight Sergeant on this 50 Squadron Hampden shot down on the night of 18 August 1941. 551839 Flight Sergeant Peter Francis Barclay Orwin was 19 years old and is buried in Haren Military Cemetary with Flight Sgt Cowell (W Op) and PO Law (Navigator).
Can anyone tell me any more about his aircraft i.e. AE185 VN ? and crew that night?
I have found a Dutch report on line which mentions P/O E C Maskell (Pilot) as the only survivor and locals discovering the bodies of FLt Sgt Cowell and P/O Law but no mention of my Great Uncle or the other crew member.
The link to the Commonwealth War Grave at Haren is below:
AE185 was shot down by Ludwig Becker at 0144 at Paterswolde, 2 miles south of Groningen at 3200 m. They took off from Swinderby at 2255 on Aug.17. It was one of 39 Hampdens and 20 Whitleys sent to Bremen to bomb the Focke-Wulf factory and railway station. Meanwhile, 41 Wellingtons went to Duisberg to bomb railway targets and another 12 Hampdens were sent minelaying, with no losses. Another Hampden, AD837 ( OL-E ) from 83 squadron ditched, after running out of fuel. The crew were picked up by boat.
There were two Hampdens lost on Sep 2/3 on a minelaying sortie. They were X3144 and AE315, both from 83 squadron. AE116 was in 50 sq, then converted to a torpedo bomber and then with 489 squadron. It was struck off charge June 9, 1944. From that information, I would say no, it was not written off, but rather converted to a torpedo bomber after it suffered damage.
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Originally Posted by david_layne
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