Operation: Gardening

Date: 16/17th April 1941 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: 144 Squadron

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AD761

Code: PL:?

Base: RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire

Location: Waddingham, near base

Pilot: Sgt. Henry Kirby 745805 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

2nd Pilot: Sgt. William Archibald Tyler 903308 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Victor Godfrey Elliott 743064 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. George Walsh 654021 RAFVR Age 19. Severely injured - survived. (1)

Above: sole survivor of AD761, Sgt. George Walsh (courtesy Kerry Walsh)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Hemswell during the early hours of the 17th April on a Gardening operation with eight other Hampdens from the squadron.

144 Squadron Hampdens over Hemswell, 1939.

Shortly after take off (within some four minutes) they were attacked by a night intruder in a Ju88. The pilot, Fw. Hans Hahn (2) of 3./NJG2 was at this time the top fernnachtjäger (night fighter intruder)

Lt. Hans Hahn born on the 9th February 1919 at Rheydt in Rheinland. Killed with his crew in Ju88C-4 (W.Nr. 0851) R4+NL on the 11th/12th October 1941 after a collision with an Airspeed Oxford over Grantham - at that time he had a total of 13 Abschüsse to his name, 2 of which were unconfirmed.

Left: Fw. Hans Hahn of 3./NJG2 (courtesy Kracker Archive): Right: NJG2 Ju88 circa early 1941 (Courtesy Ian Simpson)

(1) His son recollects the story as told by his father, Sgt. Walsh who survived, severely injured but recovered.

“According to my father, who was manning the Wireless Operator/Rear gunner position in the upper cupola, the aircraft was raked from stem to stern with machine gun and cannon fire and set alight. All the crew members were either wounded or killed and my father had to attach a chute to the under-gunner, who was unresponsive, and roll him out of the side door and pull his rip cord before he could exit himself.

He hit the ground almost immediately after his own parachute opened and the stricken aircraft crashed in the next field.

George Walsh was wounded in the left hand and left knee. He was the sole survivor and was taken to the RAF hospital at Rauceby. It was his 30th Operational mission, he had recently turned 19 years old.”

Flt Sgt. Walsh was promoted to Master Signaller (Aircrew Warrant Officer (WO)) with effect 9th December 1954. He was commissioned between the intervening years before being promoted from Fg Off. to Flt Lt. with effect 9th December 1957. On the 1st July 1969 he was promoted to Sqn Ldr. He retired from the RAF at his own request with effect 31st March 1974.

Burial details:

Sgt. Henry Kirby. Streatham Cemetery. Block 12. Grave 749. Son of Frederick and Florence Kirby, of Streatham, London, England. Note from the CWWG Commission: the grave of this casualty is currently unmarked, however the Commission is in the process of erecting a headstone. His name will be removed from the screen wall in the cemetery as and when the appropriate panel is next replaced.

Sgt. William Archibald Tyler. High Wycombe Cemetery. Sec. C.1. Grave 428. Son of Frederick Montague Tyler and Violet Edith Tyler, husband of May Tyler, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.

Above Grave marker for Flt Sgt. Elliott

Flt Sgt. Victor Godfrey Elliott. Guildford Cemetery. Block F. Grave 385. Son of John and Dorothy Elliott, of Guildford, Surrey, England.

For further details our thanks to Kerry Walsh - son of Sqn Ldr. George 'Ginger' Walsh - further information from the sources shown below. Sqn Ldr. 'Ginger' Walsh also features in the Wellington BK235 story. Thanks to Ian Simpson, who is researching the career of Lt Hans Hahn, for the image of the Ju88. (Oct 2021). Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Oct 2021).

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