Beauchamp - Missions with 49 Sqn
1940
1. 18 Jan (ORB) – Hampden P1177 1740-2220. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe leafleting Bremen.
2. 28 Feb. Hampden L4044 1109-1640. First Op (1st pilot) – North Sea Ops from Kinloss. No 3 of six 49 Sqn ac performing a square search for shipping and submarines.
3. 4 Mar. Hampden L4042 1426-1905. First Pilot – interception of flying boat (ORB says unsuccessful, No6 of six 49 Sqn ac tasked)
4. 6 Apr. Hampden L4095. 1940-0205. 2nd pilot to Sqn Ldr Lowe. One of three 49 Sqn ac to patrol Sylt, Jade & Schilling Roads. Flying at 100’, they approached Wilhelmshaven and sighted a battleship. The battleship fired on them without result; equally, the crew were unable to bomb the ship from 6000’ due to light reflections on the bombsight.
49 Sqn Hampdens over Wellingore, 1940 (IWM)
5. 14/15 Apr Minelaying. Hampden L4043. 1900-. Nav to S/L Lowe. Poor weather in target area; mission abandoned. Very poor weather (thick cloud) during return journey; all cockpit instruments failed with the exception of the turn & bank indicator and the P4 compass. With Wireless Telegraphy fixes proving inaccurate, the crew searched for landmarks. On circling an airfield, the crew signalled SOS and a red very light was fired in reply. A few minutes later, searchlights illuminated to the North and the crew set off towards them. One engine failed, but Sqn Ldr Lowe managed to maintain 5000’ until the second engine started running rough. Lowe instructed his crew to prepare for a ditching and offered them the option of a parachute descent; they all chose to remain in the Aeroplane. During the forced landing at Ryhope, Sunderland, the aircraft hit rocks. The observer, Plt Off Anthony Bryan-Smith was killed instantaneously, with other crew members receiving minor injuries.
6. 1-2 May Minelaying. Hampden L4195. 2243-0605. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe. ‘Nasturtium’ planted accurately; landed Montrose.
7. 6-7 May. Minelaying. Hampden L4195. 1945-0210. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe. ‘Gardening’ in the ‘Hollyhocks’ area. The mission was unsuccessful due to clouds and darkness in the target area; all six 49 Sqn ac returned without ‘planting their vegetables’.
8. 11-12 May. Target Monchengladbach (road & rail communications) (H76). Hampden P1176. 2355-0455. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe. The first raid of the War against a German town. Lowe’s crew were unsuccessful due to darkness in the target area. Of the five 49 Sqn ac on this 37 ac raid, one ditched off the French coast due to engine failure during the return journey.
9. 15-16 May. Target M458 (Bohwinkel, Ruhr?). Hampden P4304. 2235-0428. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe. M458 not located to bombs dropped on illuminated railway sidings to the South of area. The 99 RAF aircraft which attacked a variety of targets on this night carried out the first strategic bombing of German industry of the Second World War.
10. 17-18 May. Target A8 (Hamburg Oil Refinery). Hampden P4304. 2030-0230. Nav to Sqn Ldr Lowe. “Terrific gush of flames after release of bombs and incendiaries”. The 49 Sqn ORB reports that Lowe and Beauchamp’s accurate attack set the target on fire, allowing the remaining aircraft to locate the target easily.
11. 23-24 May. Target Railway between Krefeld & Aachen. Hampden P4304. 2045-0235. Nav / 2nd pilot to Sqn Ldr Lowe. “Bombs dropped on someone’s incendiary bombs in a defended area near the target area. Fired at by a convoy 40 miles east of Skegness”.
12. 25-26 May. Target Railway between Krefeld & Aachen. Hampden P4304. 2135-0250. Captain. Task unsuccessful. Numerous searchlights but no flak observed. One 49 Sqn Hampden did not return.
13. 27-28 May. Target Neves and Cologne. Hampden P4304. 2220-0333. Target not recognized but bombs dropped on Flushing, apparently without success.
14. 1-2 Jun Hampden P4304. 2220-0315. Target Spikeroog airfield. 1st pilot. Cloud prevented identification of the target; bombs returned to base. One of six 49 Sqn ac, only one of which bombed.
15. 4-5 Jun. Target A161 (Germany). Hampden P4304. 2140-0340. One of ten 49 Sqn ac sent; fires seen on target.
16. 8-9 Jun. Target Northern entrance to Amiens. Hampden L4077. 2200-0305. Bombs dropped half a mile N of Bertangles; no results seen. One of twelve 49 Sqn ac, one of which crashed on take off and another returned early due to W/T failure.
17. 12-13 Jun. Target Fargnieres or Neufchatel (rail junctions?), France. Hampden L4077. 2208-0255. Target not located due to bad weather; bombs brought back to base.
49 Sqn Hampdens with 250lb bombs, Scampton 1940 (IWM)
18. 13-14 Jun. Target Fargnieres (railway sidings), France. Hampden L4077. 2157-0300. Bombs seen to fall east of sidings; incendiaries across Southern end of town. One of 163 Wellingtons, Hampdens and Whitleys to attack various communications targets, of which one Wellington was lost.
19. 17-18 Jun. Target A3 (Schipol airfield?). Hampden L4077. 2230-0343. Beauchamp attacked what he believed to be Fallerslebend, claiming a successful attack on a large factory.
20. 26-27 Jun. Target Antwerp. Hampden L4106. 2220-0350. Factory N of Antwerp attacked. Direct hits followed by explosions and fires.
21. 30 Jun-1 Jul. Target H49 (Germany?). Hampden L4129. 2310-0400. Unable to locate target; bombs returned to base.
22. 2-3 Jul. Minelaying. Hampden P4304. 2120-0425. Bomb load: one ‘melon’ and two 250lb GP bombs. “’Veg’ successfully planted in ‘Quince’ area.
23. 5-6 Jul. Minelaying (‘Eglatine’ area). Hampden P4304. 2210-0355. Unsuccessful – unable to locate area due to darkness. Twelve 49 sqn ac were ‘gardening’ this night; the standard minelaying force had been increased from 6 to 12 Hampdens.
(9 Jul – Plt Off Beauchamp awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC))
24. 9-10 Jul. Target D197 (Wilhelmshaven - Tirpitz). Hampden P4384. 2205-0340. Tirpitz attacked; results unobserved.
25. 18-19 Jul. Target Dortmund . Hampden. 2150-0340. Fg Off Beauchamp. Bombs dropped on Dortmund and seen to burst.
26. 26-27 Jul. Target Z159 (Ludwigshafen or Hamm?). Hampden P2111. 2130-0325. Observed smoke coming from West end of oil refinery.
27. 6-7 Aug Minelaying. Hampden P2111. 2112-0426. Veg successfully planted.
28. 11-12 Aug. Target A108 (Oil Refinery). Hampden P441?. 2125-0427. Razzling (incendiary bomblets) operation completed successfully. Aerodrome at Metelen (?) showing lights and was attacked.
29. 15-16 Aug. Target A71 (Germany?). Hampden P4321. 2120-0240. A71 area attacked and bombed but results not observed.
30. 22-23 Aug. Minelaying – target ‘Artichokes’ (Lorient). Hampden X2900. 2105-. Veg successfully planted.
31. 25-26 Aug. Target B57(Berlin). Hampden X2900. 2050-0605. Target not identified but target believed Semo bombed. This was the first raid on Berlin, sanctioned by the War Cabinet as a result of Luftwaffe raids on English cities. Berlin was covered by cloud, which prevented accurate bombing, and the Hampdens were at the limit of their range.
32. 31 Aug – 1 Sep. Target A78(?). Hampden X2900. 2055-0510. Blast Furnace attacked 10 miles SE of Celle. Results not observed. One of five 49 sqn ac, one of which crashed on take off, killing the crew.
33. 6-7 Sep. Target A108 (Oil Refinery and storage). Hampden P4304. 2130-0325. A108 not located; SEMO marshalling yard at Emmerich attacked and successfully bombed. While landing at Waddington, machine gunned by enemy aircraft without effect.
34. 8-9 Sep. Target D2 (Dockyard installations). Hampden X2900. 2130-0205. D2 successfully bombed; large fire observed.
35. 13-14 Sep. Target Ostend (Barges and Shipping). Hampden X2900. 2100-0040. Barge positions successfully attacked; Beauchamp reported a large fire observed 1 mile North of entrance to Bain de Chasse.
36. 17-18 Sep. Target Flushing. Hampden X2900. 1945-1110. Barge concentrations successfully attacked; Beauchamp observed his bombs burst across the Verbreed Canal. One of fifteen 49 Sqn ac tasked to 2 Channel port targets.
37. 20 Sep. Target M25A (aqueduct and embankments). Hampden X2900. 0030-0520. M25A successfully attacked; dust and smoke observed from target after bombing. One of fifteen 49 Sqn ac tasked to 2 Channel port targets.
38. 25 Sep. Target CC24 (Barges and Shipping) . Hampden X2900. 0010-0455. CC24 successfully attacked; Beauchamp observed his bombs fall across the target. 3 large fires seen on arrival in the target area.
39. 10-11 Oct. Target D4. Hampden X2900. 1845-0110. D4 successfully located and attacked. Moderate fires started.
