• Handley Page HP.52 Hampden

Date of birth:

August 16th, 1920 (Redcar/North Yorkshire, Great Britain)

Date of death:

July 27th, 1941

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Graves West Road Cemetery
Plot: R. Grave: 281.

Service number:

548102

Nationality:

British

George Appleton of Newcastle on Tyne enlisted in the Royal Air Force in January 1938 aged 18. His first mission was on December 21st, 1939 when he was detailed to locate the battleship Deutschland in a Handley Page Hampden.
On April 14th, 1940 when returning from an operation in very bad weather on one engine his Hampden crashed into cliffs on their return with of the four man crew only one fatality.
Completing his tour of ops by late 1940 he was posted at Castle Kennedy, and Air Gunnery School, where in July 1941 the Hampden he was flying in stalled shortly after take off and crashed killing the entire crew. Appleton was 21.
Sergeant Appleton’s portrait was drawn by the official war artist Sir William Rothenstein and appeared in a volume of his R.A.F. portraits.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Acting Sergeant

Unit:

No. 49 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

July 9th, 1940

Recommendation:
"This NCO Wireless Operator/Air Gunner has undertaken 13 long operational flights over enemy territory, many of them in very bad weather and under conditions of considerable difficulty. As ther senior Wireless Operator/Air Gunner in his squadron, he has invariably displayed resourcefulness, coolness and determination in the face of the enemy."

• Photo 1: Barry Elkin
• - The London Gazette Issue 34892 published on the 9 July 1940
  - Liverpool Medals
  - Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  

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Handley Page HP.52 Hampden