H.P. Hampden P2118

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Aircraft Type Photo

BELOW: A Handley Page Hampden bomber in flight..

handley page hampden bomber in flight

Photo: [pre-1950] Taken by an employee of the UK government. Photo now in the public domain.

Aircraft Type and Background

RAF Handley Page HP52 Met I Hampden/ P2118

(Click hyperlink above for RAF history of this type)

(Former bomber / torpedo bomber)

Aircraft Type Nickname: "The Flying Suitcase"

The Handley Page Hampden was a five-seat medium bomber which first entered service with No. 5 Group RAF in 1938. The aircraft had a fixed forward-facing gun in addition to three manually operated Lewis guns. However, crew positions in the narrow fuselage were cramped: hence the nickname, 'the flying suitcase.'

Initially, Hampdens were used in daylight bombing raids over Germany. However, due to heavy losses at the hands of the faster Luftwaffe fighters, Hampdens were withdrawn from this role in 1942.

Hampdens were used also by RAF Coastal Command as torpedo bombers. This role ceased, however, in 1943.

BELOW: A restored Handley Page Hampden bomber on display at the Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley, British Columbia.

See other views of this aircraft from inside the wire fence at the Canadian Museum of Flight.

restored hampden bomber on display at Canadian Museum of Flight Langley BC

Photo: 2006 'Bzuk'. Released by the author to the public domain under Wikimedia Commons licensing arrangement.

Aircraft Accident Details

When the aircraft featured here crashed, it was attached to RAF Coastal Command 519 Squadron—the successor to 1406 Meteorological Flight.

Another Hampden (P5443) had taken off from RAF Wick on the morning of 25 August 1943 to assess and report on weather conditions. It's flight path would have taken it over Iceland, Norway and then back via the Faeroes to Scotland. In the early afternoon, however, while over Sullom Voe in the Shetlands, the aircraft issued a distress call. Apparently, it had experienced engine problems.

In response to the distress call, the Hampden featured here (P2118) set out to search for the missing aircraft. However, after a prolonged search, they could find no trace of the missing Hampden. Ultimately, they set course for their base at Wick.

While over the Scottish mainland, however, they encountered a severe thunderstorm. As the weather conditions worsened, the aircraft began to fly off-course. Very soon, it impacted Ben Loyal, just a few miles from Tongue, but about 80km (c.50 miles) short of its base in Wick.

Aircraft Crew Casualties

Of the four crew on board, only one survived. Those who died were:

Flt/Lt Henry Robert (Mick) Puplett (22) (RAFVR), 519 Squadron Commander
P/O George William Ritchie (age unknown) (RCAF), Navigator
Flt/Sgt Thomas Reginald Trevor Hudson-Bell (20) (RCAF), Observer

Flt/Lt Puplett & P/O Ritchie were laid to rest in Wick Cemetery. Sgt Hudson-Bell was laid to rest in Chislehurst Cemetery.

(Please click on hyperlinked names above for further details)

The one surviving, but very seriously injured, crew member was:

F/O Faulks, Observer (further details here)

Aircrew Graves

BELOW: The graves of P/O G. W. Ritchie (Navigator) and Flt/Sgt T. R. T. Hudson-Bell (W/O A/G) at Wick cemetery. These were two of the three airmen who died in this accident.

headstone and grave of P/O G W Ritchie and Wick Cemetery