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Hurricane aircraft crashes near Welney in WW2

page created 27th October 2010, amended/updated Thursday, 31 March 2011
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The Hawker Hurricane was an RAF single seater fighter. It was a sturdy but rather slow aircraft, but nevertheless played an enormous role in the Battle of Britain in 1940.

At least three Hurricane aircraft crashed around Welney. The ones we know of were all from 56 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Sutton Bridge. At least one was on a low-flying practice flight.
  4th Jan 1941. L1741 crashed on Hilgay Fen after hitting trees near Wry Neck Mill. The pilot, Sgt KA Worthington, aged 20 from Huyton, near Liverpool, was killed.

  
  6th Nov 1941. V7004 hit a tree & crashed near what was Low Fen Farm (now shown on modern OS maps as Cock Fen Farm) on Cock Fen at 14:30. The pilot, Sgt Jens Ipsen, a Danish pilot, was badly injured. The aircraft was written off.

Ipsen's story is remarkable. Born in Jutland in 1931, he graduated in Business Studies in 1937 but then went to France. There he joined the French Foreign Legion, later deserting to join the RAF in July 1941. After the War he returned to Denmark and served in the Naval Air Service and Air Force, retiring in 1955. For full story see link bottom right.

  
Acknowledgements.
Text based on information from Jeff Carless
(East Anglian Aircraft Research Group) and Danish WW2 Pilots website.
Thanks also for assistance from Michael Harrison.
Photo is of an Airfix 1/48 scale model by Andy Mullen.
25th Nov 1941. P2822 force landed at 15:00 hrs north of Lakes End. The pilot, P/O P Brouwer was uninjured, and the aircraft was repaired.
Related pages on this website
 
 
Related External websites
Danish WW2 Pilots
 
 
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