NOTE: This page will be updated over time however the full story of Gordon Hammond and details of the search for the aircraft, burial, and memorials can be found here. Gordon's story includes many photographs from the set sent to the bereaved families by the Anglican padre who conducted the burial service in the mountains. Lewis N Wood Last updated 25 April 2012

THE AIRCRAFT

KK241 was a Liberator. Although sometimes referred to as VY241, KK241 is the only official RCAF designation for this Liberator. It is the proper RCAF serial number that was assigned to the aircraft, and it replaced the original USAAF serial numbers when the RCAF took possession. Prior to being diverted to the RCAF, it was known by the USAAF as 44-44312.

Delivered to Western Air Command, (WAC) on 23 Nov, 1944 it was placed in storage for almost six months before it was transferred to 5 OTU. The VY code would have only been applied once it reached the training unit. Under normal circumstances this code would have been changed as all the other 5 OTU Liberators had, but KK241 was only on strength at 5 OTU for a total of 14 days. The code VY was only for 5 OTU Unit purposes, and the only time it would have been used officially, most likely on paper, it would follow the serial number ie the correct format would have been KK241 VY241. There are some cases in the unit diary of this mix and match but these are few in number. On the Unit level it would coincide with the "Big Board", or the aircraft serviceability chart. For purposes of simplicity they would have just noted the code rather than the serial number followed by the code.

THE FINAL FLIGHT

At 09:00 Pacific Time on Friday 1st June 1945 the crew of Liberator KK241 were preparing to take off on a navigational training exercise from RCAF Base, Abbotsford, British Columbia. They were part of No.5 Operational Training Unit which was tasked with supplying Commonwealth crews to the existing RAF Liberator Squadrons in S.E. Asia and Burma - mostly Squadrons 99, 159, 355, 356, 357 and 358.

Flying Officer Hill was the Captain and Pilot Officer Gilbert E. E. Long was the second pilot. Sergeant Graham Murray was the navigator; Sergeants William T. Swatton and David R. Langlands were the WAG (Wireless Air Gunners). Air Bomber Sergeant James L. G. Hammond and the aircraft’s air gunners Sergeants William P. Drummond, Stanley Aldridge, John R. Dale, Isaac Gibbons and Albert E Broadbent made up the eleven-man crew.

After take off Sgt William Swatton advised Abbotsford Tower he was setting his course and requested permission to change frequency. This was granted and he was heard contacting the DF operator by RCAF Boundary Bay but another aircraft on the same frequency smeared the message. Nothing further was heard from the crew of Liberator KK241.

Despite intensive efforts to locate the aircraft, not helped by the presense of dense low clouds, it was not until the 16th of June that the wreckage was sighted. The hazardous climb to the wreckage site took until the 20 June when it was confirmed as the missing Liberator.

THE BURIAL SEVICE

On 25th June a burial party returned to the site accompanied by Flight Lieutenant Gilbert, an Anglican Padre. The remains of all eleven crew members were recovered from the wreckage and placed in a common grave beneath a rock cairn, at an altitude of 6,600 feet. A wooden cross was erected bearing the names of the airmen, and wild mountain flowers the group had gathered, were made into a wreath. Flight Lieutenant Gilbert the Anglican Padre conducted a simple but impressive service and later wrote to all the bereaved families enclosing photographs of the grave and the service.

THE INVESTIGATION REPORT

The following is reproduced from the investigating officer's report a copy of which can be found here.

Cause: Cannot be stated definately but three possible causes which appeared as most probable to the Investigating Officer were as follows:

(1) failure of pilot to climb at a rate which would assure adequate clearance over the mountains.

(2) inability of pilot to climb over the mountains due to some mechanical failure in aircraft which cannot be determined at this time.

(3) that the briefing instructions which required the crew to set course at 4000 feet, and climb on track through cloud and over the mountains, did not allow a sufficient safety margin.

THE CREW

Name	Rank	Service No.	Age
Stanley ALDRIDGE	Sergeant	1892574	20
Albert Eric BROADBENT	Sergeant	1591260	19
John Randall DALE	Sergeant	1895153	32
William Peter Watt DRUMMOND	Sergeant	1565226	23 or 24 *
Isaac GIBBONS	Sergeant	1591213	19
James Leonard Gordon HAMMOND	Sergeant	1865865	20
Arthur William David HILL	Flying Officer	164394	21
David Robertson LANGLANDS	Sergeant	1564813
Gilbert Ewart Ellis LONG	Pilot Officer	167802	21
Graham MURRAY	Sergeant	1811515	20
William Thomas SWATTON	Sergeant	1169175	34

*Age 24 indicated by CWGC. Age 23 indicated by BC Vital Stats Index.

The Commonwealth War Grave Commission records indicated that all of these men were commemorated by "the Ottawa Memorial", Ottawa Ontario Canada. This Memorial commemorates those of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth who lost their lives while serving in units operating from bases in Canada, the British West Indies and the United Sates, or while training in Canada and the U.S.A., and who have no known graves.

Sergeant
Air Gunner
1892574
Aged 20

Latest news (18 April 2012): We are now in touch with Stanley's family who will let us have more information in due course.

We would like to thank Mr. G Cross who came across Sgt Aldridge's medals and has now reunited them with Stanley's family. It is believed that they may have been given to Stanley's sweetheart after he was killed.

Panel 4. Column 1.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL

Son of John and Alice Broadbent, of Leeds in Yorkshire, England

Panel 4. Column 2.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL

Panel 4. Column 2.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL

Son of William and Mabel Drummond; husband of Agnes Drummond, of Cupar, Fife, Scotland

Sergeant
1591213
Aged19

Panel 4. Column 2.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL

Son of Isaac and Charlotte Gibbons, of Haswell, Co. Durham, England.

This publication includes thirteen pages on GORDON HAMMOND and the crash of KK241

Sergeant
1865865
Aged 20

Gordon Hammond is listed on the Banstead War Memorial and his full story including details of the crash can be found here and in more detail in the book published by the Banstead History Research Group.

Panel 4. Column 1
OTTAWA MEMORIAL>.

Son of William Bucknell Hill and Frances Irene Hill, of Falmouth, Cornwall, England

The following message was left on an RAF info site some 13 years ago and we are now trying to make contact. LNW 17 April 2012.

UPDATE: the email address supplied has rejected.

LANGLANDS, David Robertson: Sgt: 1564813

Units unknown: died Canada 1st Jun 1945

Message logged 3rd May 1999: Derek Watson of 800 Pacific Wing writes: I wish to contact anyone that served in the same units as Sgt David Langlands. We know that he died in Canada June 1st 1945. His name appears on the Ottawa memorial for those with no known grave. He was a wireless operator and later he was made an Instructor. He was from Aberdeen Scotland, married to Ina Langlands, there were no children.

I would like to know the unit and base he last served with also any former crew members that are perhaps here in Canada and remember David. As we were never privy to any information regarding his death we only can assume that the aircraft went missing and was never located.

Derek Watson

Source: Photo of family grave headstone supplied by Steve Fell who has collated The Shirehampton Book of Remembrance.

Panel 4. Column 2
OTTAWA MEMORIAL.

Son of John George and Doris Murray, of Isleworth, Middlesex, England.

Panel 4. Column 2
OTTAWA MEMORIAL.

Son of Albert Tom and Louise Swatton; husband of Evelyn Beryl Swatton, of Marlborough, Wiltshire, England.

25 April 2012 - we are trying to contact Rob Lawrence, grandson of Sergeant Swatton. Rob left the following comment on a photograph of airplane Creek

October 31, 2010:

Thank you for the photograph. My grandfather Sgt William Thomas Swatton RAF was one of the men killed in the Liberator crash on Mount Welch in May 1945 the remains of which are in this creek. the photo can be viewed here.

The whole crew are commemorated on a plaque added to the Abbotsford Cenotaph in 2011. Michael DesMazes, Official RCAF Historian of Boundary Bay and Abbotsford, organised the addition of the plaque as well as the a CF-18 from Cold Lake Alberta to do a fly over during the two minute silence. An RAF exchange officer, (also from Cold Lake), read out some of the RAF names. The Abbotsford Air Cadets Cenotaph guard attended in WWII RCAF uniforms with Lee Enfield mk IIIs.

SOURCES :

Michael DesMazes, Offical RCAF Historian of Boundary Bay and Abbotsford has kindly provided information on the aircraft and images of the rededication of the Cenotaph.

The summary description of events leading to the crash is,in part, based on an extract from the TWGPP newsletter of Spring 2010.

The investigating Officer's report is included on the website of The University of Fraser Valley

Details of crew members:
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission for summary information.
see sources included in each crew member's section for personal photos and stories.