BASIL EDWARD REDGROVE (grave 30)

I was the son of Edward Robert and May Redgrove, on my gravestone, they left the following epitaph:

WE HAVE DONE THAT WHICH WAS OUR DUTY TO DO

LUKE XV11.10

On this day, I was flying Hampden X2978 of 83 Squadron, this aircraft would have carried the squadron code OL on its fuselage and the individual aircraft code X.

The Hampden was a medium bomber with a crew of 4. Pilot, Navigator, Wireless Operator/gunner and a further gunner. Although it was a vast improvement on the biplanes 83 Squadron had been flying just before the war opened, in reality it was already obsolete. Early daylight raids had been a disaster, the bomber was too slow to evade German fighters and its guns were no match for the Germans either. The distinctive fuselage, designed to give the aircraft a sleek, aerodynamic profile, led to the Hampden earning its nickname of “The Flying suitcase”.

Crew: 4
Span: 21.09 m
Length: 16.32 m
Height: 4.37 m
Wing area: 63.90 m²
Empty weight: 5,344 kg
Loaded weight: 8,508 kg
Engine: 2 x Bristol Pegasus XVIII 9-cylinder radial engines
Engine power: 980hp each
Maximum speed: 410 km/h
Rate of climb: 5.00 m/s
Range normal: 1,095 km
4 or 6 x 7.7mm Vickers K machine guns (1 flexible, 1 nose, 1 or 2 dorsal, 1 or 2 ventral)
1,814kg of bombs/mines or 1 x 18in torpedo

I was the pilot and captain of this aircraft, part of this role was trying to ensure the safety of my crew.

83 Squadron was formed at Montrose on 7th January 1917 as a night bomber squadron. Moving to France in March 1918, the squadron saw action on the western Front and took part in operations to counter the German’s Spring Offensive. Following the end of the war, the Squadron was disbanded on 31 December 1919.

With the threat of war once again looming over Europe, 83 squadron was reformed at RAF Turnhouse on 4th August 1936, flying the Hawker Hind biplane. In March 1938, the squadron re-equipped with Handley Page Hampdens at RAF Scampton.

In the summer of 1940, the Squadron received one of Scampton’s three Victoria Crosses due to the heroic actions of Flight Sergeant John Hannah in putting out the fire on a battle damaged Hampden.

As well as sending 6 aircraft to attack the dockyards in Kiel, Germany, 83 Squadron sent up two training flights which were to crash within minutes of each other. The first to crash was Sergeant Garwell’s Hampden, which clipped some trees and crashed near Lincoln. Luckily, all the crew survived.

Just 30 minutes later, my aircraft Hampden X2978 crashed at Laneham near Retford. As well as a training flight, this was an air-test for the aircraft. Following routine servicing, an aircraft would be tested in the air by a pilot, to confirm all the maintenance was satisfactory and the aircraft fit for operations.

It is not known why my aircraft crashed.