Gateway School 1932-36.
Son of Frank and Margaret Hardy.
Sergeant Hardy was one of the crew of Hampden AT216 that took off from RAF Skellingthorpe at 00:29 hours on the 6th April 1942. The aircraft, on an operation to bomb the city centre of Cologne in Germany, crashed at Thorpe-on-the-Hill five minutes after take-off. All four members of the crew were killed. Sergeant Hardy is buried in Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester, Section U.U., Grave 740.
Other crew members:
- Pilot – 89084, F/O Ronald Seeley-King, buried-Thurlby St. Germain, Swinderby.
- WOP/AG – 115866 Sgt. Gerald Colin Stewart Skelton, buried Nottingham Northern Cemetery.
- Observer – 924588 Sgt Gilber Lewis Quincy, buried at Greenwich.
This would appear to be the Squadron’s last loss of life in the Hampden aircraft. Hampden bomber
