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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 17 February 2019
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.
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Pilot Officer
