Bristol Blenheim MK1V L9261 - Sandness Hill, Shetland 3/9/41
Having taken off from 235 Sq base at Sumburgh at 22.00 hrs for a night reconnaissance flight off Faeroe Islands, at 02.45 a radio message was picked up from the pilot saying that some of the instruments had failed and they were unsure of their position, a short while later at approx 03.05 hrs the Blenheim crashed into a small hill and burst into flames killing all 3 crew members, it is assumed that the crew had dropped below cloud trying to locate their position.
A visit to the crash site in May 2007 revealed some small pieces of wreckage, in the main alloy and some exploded rounds of .303 ammo. All the 3 crew were buried with full military honours in Lerwick Cemetery,Shetland. F/Lt Hammond was a New Zealander from Wellington, serving with the RAF.Crew: Photo: Dave Earl.
Pilot. F/Lt Howard M.Hammond. RAF. NZ.
Obs. P/O William J.Mason. RAFVR
W/AG Sgt George R.Simpson. RAFVR
Sparse remains of the Blenheim in 2007. Photos: Dave Earl.
The headstones of the 3 airmen in Lerwick Cemetery. Photos: Dave Earl.
MOSQUITO DZ642 - 627 Sq ROYL FIELD HILL. 22/11/1944
The Mosquito was one of 3 sent to lay target markers for a squadron of Lancasters that were to bomb U-boat pens at Trondheim, the Mossies had flown from Woodhall Spa to Lossiemouth then after re-fueling they were off to Norway, however for reasons unclear DZ642 did not have its tanks topped up and this would be a contributory factor in its eventual loss later on.
The flight to Norway went without episode but on arrival at Trondheim the target was obscured by smoke screen and so had to be aborted and the aircraft turned for home. By this time DZ642 was having problems with radio transmissions and the two other Mossies had to relay messages, also fuel was now noticed to be very low and so a diversion was made to Shetland with hope of landing at Sumburgh, the Air Sea Rescue were notified at Lerwick just in case they had to ditch, when the other aircraft turned for Peterhead, DZ642 tried to make contact with Sumburgh but reception was very poor and last message was that they were on a heading of 230 degrees, the other two Mossie pilots had heard Sumburgh warning DZ642 that there was high ground in the area of up to 1,000 feet, but this was not acknowledged.
The airwaves eventually went dead and no trace was seen of the Mosquito at Sumburgh or at sea, It was not until 15 days later that 3 shepherds working on Royl Field Hill spotted the wreckage of the aircraft and the two bodies of the Pilot and Navigator, at an investigation by the RAF later it was established that fuel tanks had expired and that the pilot was trying to crashland on the nearest piece of what looked to be flat ground and the aircraft broke up.
Pilot: F/Lt John Alexander Reid. RAF.
Nav: F/O Wesley Douglas Irwin. RCAF.
(Main undercarriage leg in 2006 - Photo Dave Earl)
Above: A half buried merlin engine from the Mosquito in May 2006. Photo: Dave Earl.
(c) Copyright 2010. Aviation Research Group of Orkney & Shetland.
All rights reserved. Due to the imense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by A.R.G.O.S though photos are credited to their repective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and aknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.