Flying Officer Robert Edward Michael HUGHES-CHAMBERLAIN (42838)
500 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Date of birth: 7th April 1919
Date of death: 23rd September 1941

Killed in action aged 22
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 30
He was born at Marylebone, London on the 7th of April 1919 the eldest son of Major Robert Edward Aylmer Werge Hughes-Chamberlain AFC, a lime and cocoa planter in Dominica, and Muriel (nee Smart) of "Murlingden", Gate End, Northwood, Middlesex.
He was educated at the Junior King's School from September 1927 to July 1929 and at Merchant Taylors School from 1932 to 1935.

He was granted a four-year short service commission as an Acting Pilot Officer on probation in the Royal Air Force on the 23rd of October 1939 and was posted to No. 14 Flying Training Squadron based at RAF Kinloss for pilot training.

On the 26th of February 1940 he took off in Oxford Mk 1 N6290 for solo bombing practice over the Innes Links Range near Lossiemouth. During the exercise the aircraft crashed, and he later filed the following report of the incident: - "On 26/2/40 I was detailed to carry out low level bombing practice on the range near Lossiemouth. I had dropped three bombs and was flying straight and level away from the target to get into a position to turn around and attack the target again, when the aircraft got out of control. I tried to regain control but remember no more."
He was admitted to Dr Gray's Hospital at Elgin later that day with injuries of concussion, an abrasion and bruising to the left temporal region, slight lacerations of the occipital region as well as a bruised left arm and knee. He was released from hospital on the 18th of March 1940. An investigation established that the aircraft had stalled during the maneuver and crashed.

He was confirmed in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 31st of August 1940 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 20th of April 1941.

At 9.36am on the 23rd of September 1941 Robert Hughes-Chamberlain and his crew took off from RAF Harrowbeer in Blenheim Mk IV V5684 MK-S for an anti-shipping patrol along the French coast and into the Bay of Biscay. They were the lead aircraft with two other aircraft from the Squadron and were due to return to base at 3.40pm. Weather conditions were poor as they crossed the coast above 10/10ths low cloud or fog, the top of which was about 1,000 feet above sea level. When they were over the sea and about 50 miles from the coast his pilot, Pilot Officer Nicoll, contacted the other two aircraft and gave them the course to steer as well as instructions to move to open formation and to descend through the cloud. On their return, the other two pilots reported that they had descended to 200 feet and 100 feet respectively and found that the cloud was right down to sea level. When the two aircraft climbed back up above the cloud both pilots reported that they did not see any other aircraft and they continued their missions independently. Robert Hughes-Chamberlain's aircraft failed to return and search operations undertaken later that day and during the following day failed to find any sign of the missing aircraft.

The crew was: -

Pilot Officer Sidney Gibson Nicoll (Pilot)
Flying Officer Robert Edward Michael Hughes-Chamberlain (Navigator)
Sergeant Jack Bertram Crees (Air Gunner)

A report of circumstantial evidence compiled by Wing Commander G. T. Gilbert, Commanding Officer of 500 Squadron, concluded that: - "It is therefore assumed that P/O Nicholl made no allowance for change in barometric pressure over the sea, and crashed into the water before realising his mistake."

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Merchant Taylors School but is not currently commemorated on the memorial at the King's School Canterbury.


Junior King's School

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