Handley Page Hampden Mk.I L4055 / B of No.83 Squadron, RAF, crashed near to Holmfirth on the 23rd May 1940

 

Stanley William Jenkins	Sergeant	Pilot	Killed
Alan Marsh	Sergeant	Observer	Killed
William Thornton	Sergeant	Wireless Operator / Air gunner	Killed
Peter William Josse	Sergeant	Air Gunner	Killed

 

The crew of L4055 had taken off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire on at 21:00 on the 22nd May to carry out an attack on Munchen Gladbach. They had been tasked along with five other crews from No.83 Sqn to target railway infrastructure. Four of the crews who returned reported completing this, with the fifth having not been able find their target. It was while returning to Scampton that L4055 drifted too far to the west and flew into rising ground above the village of Holme at about 04:00 on the 23rd May. It would seem likely that they had also been unable to locate and targets as there was at least one bomb still onboard which detonated after the crash.