The Hampden was responsible, along with its twin engined contemporaries the Whitley, the Wellington, the Blenheim, together with the single engined Fairey Battle (which had served with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France), for opening the bombing campaign at the beginning of the Second World War. Like her big sister the Stirling, no complete Hampden was saved for future generations after the end of the Second World War, although this be more easily explained than in the case of the Stirling by virtue of the fact that the RAF dispensed with the services of the Hampden before the war had ended. Two re-build projects are currently in progress, one in Canada, and one at East Kirby, Lincolnshire. More on these two projects will follow when we have found out a little more on the respectice progress that each team has made. In the tables below, are shown the various squadrons and units that operated the Hampden. In the first table are shown the front line squadrons, and in the second, the various training and other units that were equipped. If anyone has any further information that they think may be of some use, please email us (please replace the "AT" with an "@" before sending your email) with further details.
|
SQN NO. |
SQN CODES |
OPERATIONAL DATES |
BASES |
NOTES |
|
7 |
none used? |
4.39 to 5.40 |
Finningley; Upper Heyford 9.39 |
Disbanded 5.40 - reformed 8.40 at Leeming with Stirlings |
|
44 |
JW (pre war), KM (wartime) |
2.39 to 12.41 |
Waddington |
Converted to Lancasters 12.41 when 44 became 1st Sqn to operate this type |
|
49 |
XU (pre war), EA (wartime) |
9.38 to 4.42 |
Scampton |
Converted to Manchesters 4.42 |
|
50 |
QX (pre war), VN (wartime) |
12.38 to 5.42 |
Waddington; Lindholme 7.40; Swinderby 7.41; Skellingthorpe 11.41 |
Converted to Manchesters 4.42 |
|
61 |
LS (pre war) QR (wartime) |
2.39 to 10.41 |
Hemswell |
Converted to Manchesters 7.41 |
|
76 |
none used? |
3.39 to 4.40 |
Finningley; Upper Heyford 9.39 |
Absorbed into 16 OTU 4.40 |
|
83 |
QQ (pre war) OL (wartime) |
11.38 to 1.42 |
Scampton |
Converted to Manchesters 12.41 |
|
97 |
OF |
7.41 to 8.41 |
Coningsby |
Used to supplement the Squadron's Manchesters which were suffering from reliability problems. |
|
106 |
XS (pre war) ZN (wartime) |
5.39 to 3.42 |
Thornaby; Cottesmore 9.39; Finningley 10.39; Coningsby 2.41 |
Converted to Manchesters 2.42 |
|
144 |
NV (pre war) PL (wartime) |
3.39 to 1.43 |
Hemswell; North Luffenham 7.41; Leuchars 4.42; Vaenga 9.42; Leuchars 10.42 |
Incurred the greatest number of operational losses of any of the Hampden squadrons - 109. Converted to Beaufighters 10.42. |
|
185 |
ZM (pre war) GL (wartime) |
6.39 to 4.40 |
Thornaby; Cottesmore 8.39 |
Absorbed into 14 OTU 4.40. |
|
207 |
EM |
7.41 to 8.41 |
Waddington |
Used to supplement the Squadron's Manchesters which were suffering from reliability problems. |
|
408 |
EQ |
7.41 to 10.42 |
Lindholme; Syerston 7.41; Balderton 12.41; North Luffenham 1.42; Balderton 3.42; Leeming 9.42 |
Converted to Halifaxes. |
|
415 |
GX |
1.42 to 11.43 |
Thorney Island; St. Eval 4.42; Thorney Island 5.42; North Coates 6.42; Wick 8.42; Leuchars 9.42; Thorney Island 11.42 |
Converted to Wellingtons. |
|
420 |
PT |
12.41 to 7.42 |
Waddington |
Converted to Wellingtons |
|
455 |
UB |
7.41 to 12.43 |
Swinderby; Wigsley 2.42; Leuchars 4.42; Vaenga 9.42; Leuchars 10.42 |
Converted to Beaufighters |
|
489 |
XA |
3.42 to 11.43 |
Thorney Island; Skitten 8.42; Wick 9.42; Leuchars 10.43 |
Converted to Beaufighters |
|
517 |
none used? |
8.43 to 10.43 |
St. Eval |
Converted to Halifax Met IIIs and moved to St. Davids. |
|
519 |
Z9 |
8.43 to 10.43 |
Wick |
Converted to Venturas. |
|
521 |
5O |
9.43 to 12.43 |
Docking |
Converted to Venturas. |
Aside from the squadrons notated above, there were various training and ancilliary units that flew the Hampden, notated below. Abbreviations used in the "Unit Details" column as follows:-
OTU - Operational Training Unit
TTU - Torpedo Training Unit
AAS - Air Armament School
|
UNIT DETAILS |
UNIT CODE |
OPERATIONAL DATES |
BASES |
NOTES |
|
5 OTU |
none used? |
9.42 to 11.43 |
Turnberry; Long Kesh 1.43 |
Converted to Hudsons and Venturas. |
|
14 OTU |
GL |
4.40 to 12.42 |
Cottesmore |
Converted to Wellingtons. |
|
16 OTU |
JS |
4.40 to 7.42 |
Upper Heyford |
Converted to Wellingtons. |
|
25 OTU |
none used? |
3.41 to 11.41 |
Finningley |
Converted to Manchesters. |
|
32 OTU |
DK, LB, OP, RO |
5.42 to 2.44 |
Patricia Bay (British Colombia) |
|
|
1 TTU |
TU, 9K |
1.43 to 1.44 |
Turnberry |
|
|
1 AAS |
none used? |
4.41 to 11.43 |
Manby |
|
|
1401 Flight |
none used? |
3.43 to 8.43 |
Bircham Newton |
Became 521 Sqn 8.43, using Halifaxes and Fortresses,flying Meteorological Ops from Chivenor. |
|
1402 Flight |
none used? |
2.43 to 9.43 |
Aldergrove and Gibraltar |
Became part of 520 Sqn (see 1403 Flight below) 9.43, equipped with a variety of aircraft. |
|
1403 Flight |
none used? |
3.43 to 8.43 |
Gibraltar |
Became 520 Sqn 8.43 |
|
1404 Flight |
none used? |
1.43 to 8.43 |
St. Eval |
Became 517 Sqn 8.43, and re-equipped with Haifax Mk Vs, Fortresses, and Hudsons. |
|
1406 Flight |
none used? |
2.43 to 8.43 |
Wick |
Became 519 Sqn 8.43, and re-equipped with Fortresses and Spitfires. |
|
1407 Flight |
none used? |
4.43 to 10.43 |
Reykjavik (Iceland) |
Became part of 521 Sqn with 1401 Flight, flying Halifaxes and Fortresses. |