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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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Operation: Gardening - Cinnamon

Date: 03/04th April 1941 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 83 Squadron Motto: "Strike To Defend"

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AD748

Code: OL-M

Base: RAF Scampton

Location: Hangingstone Hill, Dartmoor

Pilot: Fl/Lt/ Reginald Perronet Campbell Thompson 74343 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Obs: F/O. Leslie Richard Evans 42702 RAF Age 28. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Leslie Ralph Eden 906009 RAFVR Age ? Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alan Mitchell Murray 970316 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:45 hrs from RAF Scampton on a Gardening operation at La Rochelle (details here).

Operation completed successfully and started to return to base. Sadly at 02:00 the aircraft hit high ground (603 metres) at location shown at, all crew lost.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Reginald Perronet Campbell Thompson. Sunningwell Churchyard (St. Leonard) Near S.E. corner of chancel. Son of Reginald Campbell Thompson and of Barbara Brodrick Thompson (née Robinson) of Boar's Hill. Qualified for degree of B.A. (Oxon). His father (the famous archaeologist, assyriologist, and cuneiformist lost his life whilst serving in the Home Guard on the 23rd May 1941, age 64. Serving on the River Thames during a patrol.

F/O. Leslie Richard Evans. Scampton Churchyard (St. John The Baptist) Old Part. Grave 17. Husband of Phyllis May Evans, née Scarlett. Born on the 20th March 1913 at Portsmouth, England. Only son, Richard Anthony John born 05th April 1941.

Sgt. Leslie Ralph Eden. Camberwell New Cemetery. Square 68. Grave 2094. No further details - are you able to contribute?

Sgt. Alan Mitchell Murray. Exeter Higher Cemetery. Sec. Z.K. Grave 82. Son of William and Olive Murray. Living in Stockport, Cheshire in 1939. Born on the 07th May 1921. Brother of Sgt. William John Murray - killed on 25th July 1943. Further details here.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jennifer Kinnear - relative of Sgt. Murray who contacted us on the 11th November 2020. Other sources as quoted below:

KTY 13.11.2020

Pages of Outstanding Interest
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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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