Operation: Air Test

Date: 18th June 1941 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 50 Squadron

Type: Hampden I

Serial: P4389

Code: VN-?

Base: RAF Lindholme, Yorkshire

Location: Gatewood Farm, Lindholme

Pilot: Sgt. Lawrence Rex Hinde 926469 RAFVR Age 20 Killed (Note)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alexander Campbell 974217 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Others: Cpl. Morris Ernest Balkin 969301 RAFVR Age ? Killed

LAC. Harry Barton 1250704 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

LAC 2. Percy Charles Kemp 1141845 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:50 hrs from RAF Lindholme in South Yorkshire - almost immediately after take off the aircraft stalled and crashed into the ground just beyond the airfield boundary at Gatewood Farm.

It is thought that some of the persons killed who were not aircrew, may have been ground crew who had worked on the Hampden or simply having a pleasure trip. We welcome of course any further details that are available - full credits placed to contributors.

Burial details:

Sgt. Lawrence Rex Hinde. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row DD. Grave 16. Son of Arthur Reginald and Gladys Hinde, of Lymington, Hampshire.

Note: His family were to suffer another loss, his younger brother, 20 year old First Radio Officer, Michael Dounis Hinde was also lost on the 14th January 1942 serving with the Merchant Navy (SS Caledonian Monarch - shown left) and commemorated on the Tower Hill. Memorial Panel 22, no trace of the ship or the 48 crew were recovered. Thought to have been the subject of a U-Boat attack (U-588) - but not confirmed.

Sgt. Alexander Campbell. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row EE. Grave 20. Son of James and Jane Campbell, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Cpl. Morris Ernest Balkin. Glasgow Jewish Cemetery (Glenduffhill). Sec. C. Grave 215. Son of Archibald and Minni Balkin, of Langside, Glasgow, Scotland.

LAC. Harry Barton. Bacup Cemetery (Farewell) Sec. D. Cons. Grave 114. Son of Richard William and Evelyn Barton, husband of Florence Barton, of Bacup, Lancashire, England.

LAC 2. Percy Charles Kemp. Worthing Cemetery (Durrington) Sec II. Row 5. Grave 21. Son of James Nelson Kemp and Edith Kemp, husband of Doris Rosetta Kemp, of Worthing, Sussex, England.

With many thanks to G. Barry Jameson for sending the details and photographs of the graves in September 2016. With thanks to Uboat net for information on the Caledonian Monarch. For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below.