Hampden Mk I
Handley Page Hampden Mk I P4403 EA-M
'Pinnochio'
Flt. Lt. R A B 'Babe' Learoyd VC, 49 Squadron, August 12th 1940.
On the night of August 12th, 1940, a force of eleven Hampdens from Scampton,
six from 49 Squadron and five from 83 Squadron were detailed for a raid
on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, the specific target being an aqueduct carrying
the canal over the Ems, just north of Munster. The canal had been raided
on several previous occasions without great success, and was known to
be well-defended by flak guns situated each side of the waterway, thus
providing a veritable lane of fire through which any attacker would
have to fly. Take-off was set for 20.00hrs with an ETA of 2315hrs, and
the Hampdens were loaded with delayed action HE canisters which were
to be dropped at precisely two-minute intervals between aircraft to
ensure safety for following raiders. Four Hampdens of the force were
briefed to act as diversion bombers, raiding other targets in the vicinity,
and in the event two other Hampdens failed to locate the primary target
and bombed Texel Island instead. The remaining five Hampdens arrived
over the canal slightly ahead of ETA, Flt Lt R A B Learoyd, piloting
P4403, EA-M was to be the last to bomb and circled the area for the
next ten minutes.
The first to bomb was P4402 of 83 Squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant
'Jamie' Pitcairn-Hill, DFC, who swept in at just over a 100ft height
and received the first attention of the flak guns. Releasing his bomb
load, Pitcairn-Hill banked swiftly out of the flak zone and limped home,
his aircraft badly damaged by dozens of flak strikes. The second Hampden,
P4410 piloted by the Australian, Pilot Officer Ross, received a direct
hit on his run-in and crashed in flames alongside the canal. Third to
run the gauntlet of shellfire was another Australian from 83 Squadron,
Flying Officer A. R. Mulligan, DFC in Hampden P4340. As he plunged through
the curtain of tracers and shells his port engine was hit and exploded
into flames. Jettisoning his bomb load quickly, Mulligan climbed swiftly
to 2,000ft and then ordered his crew to bale out. As the last man left
the stricken bomber, Mulligan followed and saw his aircraft dive into
the ground and explode. All four crew members survived and were taken
prisoner. Fourth in line came Pilot Officer Matthews who bombed successfully
and then struggled back to base with only one good engine. It was now
Learoyd's turn. Flattening out at 150feet height, some three miles north
of the objective, Learoyd flew straight and level along the canal approach
into the teeth of an inferno of flak and blinding searchlights. His
Hampden was hit repeatedly, with chunks of the starboard wing being
punched out; while the intensity of glare from the searchlights forced
Learoyd to keep his head down and fly solely on instruments, relying
on his bomb aimer/navigator Pilot Officer John Lewis, to give him the
signal to release his bomb load. The signal came at 2323hrs and Learoyd
immediately jettisoned the whole load and turned out of the fire zone.
Once clear of immediate danger 'Babe' took inventory of the flak damage
to his Hampden. Most serious was a ruptured hydraulic system, which
leaked fluid everywhere, resulting in drooping flaps and a useless undercarriage
indicator. Nursing the shattered bomber carefully, Learoyd finally arrived
over Scampton in the pre-dawn blackness of the early morning. Rather
than risk any further injury to his crew in view of his lack of hydraulic
pressure for the undercarriage and flaps, he continued to circle the
aerodrome vicinity until first light. He then set the damaged aircraft
down smoothly at Scampton and 'arrived' safely. Intelligence reports
later confirmed that the target had been destroyed, and 'Jamie' Pitcairn-Hill,
the force leader was awarded a DSO; while Mulligan, then a prisoner
of war, was given a Bar to his DFC. On August 20th, 1940 the London
Gazette announced the award of a Victoria Cross to 'Babe' Learoyd, and
part of the citation read, '. . . had repeatedly shown the highest conception
of his duty and complete indifference to personal danger in making attacks
at the lowest altitudes regardless of opposition.'
Scale 1:144 Wingspan 5.76" (146 mm) Base
size 6.37" (162 mm) square (No. 4)
Weight not including base 5 ozs (137 grams)
Price £72.50 plus delivery
