Ian Milne Hossack Obituary

On July11 - 1940, the English 144 Squadron was ordered to bomb targets in Mönchengladbach. The squadron was equipped with the twin-engine Handley Page Hampden bombers. Their aircraft departed from Helmswell Air Base in Lincolnshire. One of the aircraft was the Hampden 1 with registration no. P4366 with P / O Ian M. Hossack as a pilot. After a safe crossing over the North Sea and the Netherlands, they flew on their way to their target at about 2.am at night over Venlo, unaware of the German night fighter who was on their heels. Suddenly shots rattled through the night. Light trail flashed in the dark. Bullets ripped up the narrow hull of the Hampden. A fire could not be extinguished and Hossack was no longer able to steer the aircraft properly due to the fire. After a steep dive, the lives of all passengers ended on the Steegbergheide in the neighborhood of Evertsoord Sevenumat 1.50 am on 12 July. Because the aircraft ended up in a large heather field, the damage to the environment was small. A day later, German soldiers, by order of the burial officer of the Luftwaffe from Eindhoven, gathered the dead bodies and brought them to Ehrenfriedhof Venlo, where they were buried the same day. In April 1947 the bodies were transferred to Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen. Staff of the Lufwaffebase Eindhoven, which in the meantime was also used by the Germans, took over the surveillance. The team did find any unexploded bombs between the wreckage. These were made harmless a day later. Source: Book Mayday Mayday Hub Groeneveld Crew: Pilot Ofiicer Ian Milne Hossack, from Otford (Kent) UK Reg.nr. 33568 Son of James Davidson Hossack and Eileen Inez Hossack. Age 19 (Jonkerbos Nijmegen 12 G 5) Sgt Air Observer Eric Basil Hartley France, from Isle of Sheppey (Kent) UK Reg.nr. 580739 Age 24 (Jonkerbos Nijmegen 12 G 6) Sgt Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Edward Dennis Leamy, from Canterbury (Kent) UK Reg.nr. 569067 Son of Michael Edward Leamy of Bradford Yorkshire and Annie Louise Croucher of Frittenden Kent, Age 20 (Jonkerbos Nijmegen 12 G 7) Sgt Wireless Operetaor/Air Gunner Clarence Rose, from Swallownest (South Yorkshire) UK Reg.nr. 631369 Age 20 (Jonkerbos Nijmegen 12 G 8