William Newell Hammond memorial page

In Memory of

William Newell HAMMOND

RAF 43136

Flying Officer with 269 Sqdn RAF.

Died on Thursday, 30th May 1940, at the age of 26.

Remembered and dedicated at the Runnymede Memorial, London.

Son of William and Violet Hammond of Weymouth, Dorset. Brother of Babs.

He was the Navigator of a Hudson I, N7335 UA-F, on a reconnaissance mission to Norway, which took off from Wick in Scotland at 1115 hrs.
They were shot down at 1430 hrs by Fw R Menge of 5/JG77 near the battery at Hellestø Island, off Stavanger, Norway. P/O A V N (Nobby) Bartlett, the Gunner, was killed in the attack. The aircraft was ditched in the sea and the rest of the crew managed to get out. They became separated in the rough seas.
LAC Samuel (Ian) Mackenzie was picked up by a German sea plane, who/which then searched for F/O Hammond and Sgt A A Townsend, but to no avail.

Will had been promoted to Flying Officer six weeks earlier.


"Room 4 - Block 14 - No.1 Wing" at Aylesbury? c. 1928 Not long after he joined the RAF Will is in centre of front row	Meeting the Duke of Kent beside Hudson bomber, before raid on Germany - from the Dorset Daily Echo

Will's mother received two letters from the Air Ministry in 1940:
letter of 20 July letter of 4 November

Survivor LAC Samuel (Ian) Mackenzie wrote a letter to Will's sister after being repatriated

More details of the crew members who died

It was thought that Will was in 259 Sqdn prior to serving with 269 Sqdn, as his sister had a 259 Sqdn badge.
After checking when the 259 Sqdn was formed, it now appears he would not have been in that Squadron.

Thanks to Bruce Bartlett of Kent, England for additional details, allowing some corrections to be made

April 2006

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