Operation: Anti- Shipping

Date: 18th September 1941

Unit: No. 88 Squadron (motto: En garde - 'Be on your guard') 2 Group

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: Z7488

Code: RH-F

Base: RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk

Location: North Sea off Belgium

Pilot: P/O. Tancred Eric Cooper NZ/39901 RNZAF Age 25. Missing - believed killed

Obs: Fl/Sgt. Seymour Robert Edward Hammersley 581056 RAF Age 29. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ross Stewart Hambly R/61805 RCAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Attlebridge with 3 others at 09:40 hrs to attack a tanker off the Belgium coast. 2 failed to return.

They located the tanker and despite heavy fire from the nine escorting flak ships they hit and blew up the tanker off Blankenberger.

During their return they were attacked by 20 enemy fighters. Z7488 was claimed by the Luftwaffe ace Lt. Hans Heinrich Koenig of 5/ZG-76. (Shown right) A dingy was seen but it is not known from which aircraft this was from.

The other crew were lost on the same operation:

P/O. Bruce Elwell Hislop flying Blenheim IV V6380 RH-G lost with all 3 crew members.

Fl/Sgt. Seymour Hammersley then a AC.1, survived an earlier incident on Sunday 5th November 1939. Whilst with 35 Squadron during a Cross Country Exercise the Fairey Battle I K9473 suffered an engine failure. The pilot, P/O. Albert Edgar Wickham NZ/36200 RNZAF and his observer, Sgt. James Henshall Ledson all survived a forced landing near Goldington, Bedfordshire. K9473 was written off.

P/O. Wickham lost his life on the 23rd May 1940 whilst with 88 Squadron (see here). Sgt. Ledson survived when he and his fellow crew abandoned Fairey Battle over Chateauneuf, France. He was also killed on the 11th June 1940 whilst with 142 Squadron on Fairey Battle L5200.

Burial details:

P/O. Tancred Eric Cooper. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 63. Born on 03rd March 1916 at Hamilton. A clerk for Wright Shephenson prior to service. Son of Tancred Ashley Cooper and Mabel Cooper (née Thornes), of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand. 448 flying hours logged.

Fl/Sgt. Seymour Robert Edward Hammersley. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 36. Son of Seymour and Hilda Margaret Hammersley, of Sale, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. Ross Stewart Hambly. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 61. Son of Ross Walker Hambly and Della May Hambly, of Royalties, Alberta, Canada.

Other crew:

P/O. Bruce Elwell Hislop. AUS/400589 RAAF. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 62. Born on the 06th September 1915. Son of Arthur McKenzie Hislop and Ellie Elwell Hislop, of St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia. A.C.A.(Aust.), A.I.C.A., Licensed Auditor (Victoria). Age 26.

P.O. Robert Melville Burlinson. J/5076 RCAF. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row C. Grave 4. Born on the 02nd July 1918. Son of Maurice A. and Margaret Burlinson, of 2319E North Second Avenue, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. Recovered from the North Sea a month after the loss. Age 23.

Sgt. Maurice Albert Stratton. 1381648 RAFVR. Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery. 30. A. 8. Son of Albert Edward and Annie Grace Ethel Stratton, of Twickenham, Middlesex, England. A.A.I., A.R.V.A. Age 30.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

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