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Civilian killed in the crash of Hampden bomber P4399.

Our colleague Andrew Behan has kindly researched this man: Frederick Vickery was born on 7 June 1896 in Battersea, the younger son of Joseph F Vickery and Ellen Vickery née Wheeler. His father was a Decorator. The 1901 census shows the family, including his elder brother William Thomas Vickery, living at 61 Bennerley Road, Battersea, but by the time of the 1911 census both brothers were living with their grandmother, Ellen Wheeler, at Willow Cottage, Cranford Mead, Lowfield Street, Dartford, Kent. His occupation was shown as a Labourer, Basket Works, Lowfield Street. On 4 December 1915 he enlisted into the army, giving his occupation as a Lathe Hand (Metal) and was attached to the 43rd Training Reserve Battalion, with the service number 14881. He was mobilised on 21 March 1917  with the 1st/5th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and his service number became 29036. He saw service in Italy and was wounded on 15 August 1917. Eventually discharged on 30 January 1919 he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-18 and the Victory Medal. By 1937, electoral registers show that he was living at 65 East Hill, Dartford with his sister-in-law, Beatrice Lillian Vickery and her son William Arthur Vickery. A single man, the 1939 Register shows his occupation as 'Erection Refrigeration'.

He died, aged 45 years, on 31 July 1941 at 65 East Hill, Dartford, when a Handley Page Hampden Bomber, serial number P4399, that had taken off from RAF Luffenham in Rutland on Wednesday 30 July 1941 at 23.06 hours on a night bombing raid to Cologne, Germany, flew into an electrical storm on its return and crashed onto houses at 65-69 East Hill, Dartford, Kent, killing three RAF personnel on the aircraft and three civilians on the ground, including his sister-in-law, Beatrice Lillian Vickery. He is buried in the Watling Street Cemetery, Dartford.

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