207455 Sgt. Claud Hamilton Royal Air Force 82 Squadron from:Bricket Wood, Garston, Herts (d.10th Aug 1940) Having recovered the only known photograph of my uncle Claud Hamilton on my 71st birthday, I thought it relevant to make an entry of his active service as an air observer with 82 Squadron, at Watton, Norfolk. Claud was killed in action on Sat. 10th August 1940 along with his fellow crew members, Sgt N.H. Smith and J.K. Blazier They were shot down over Cherbourg by Luftwaffe air ace Karl-Heinz Metz, of J2/8, Le Havre, Mess. B109e. His 8th kill. The others were in the Spanish Civil War flying with the Condor Legion. Claud was a/o in a Blenheim Mark iv. His family for whatever reasons chose not to recover his war medals. I retrieved them, along with those of my father Robert \'Pidge\' Hamilton, Claud\'s older brother.\r\n I can trace no ORB for 82 Squadron and only two photographs of the airfield which I visited on 28th of April 2011. Claud\'s medals were placed on the old runway and photographed for closure. Claud was only 22 and died in a bomber which I consider was not fit for purpose at the time, as it could not match Luftwaffe\'s fighter credentials, as the bomber was not fully protected or carrying proper machine guns for the purpose of combat. It was a mere token. I have read the bomber\'s technical specifications during extensive research I conducted for one year in the Imperial War Museum, 2010. With Claud\'s medals, his service record, and now his photograph I have brought closure to this brave young man\'s career, but his memory will go on within our family, and on this web site.
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