Twenty Four the Magazine of 24 Squadron Association

Twenty Four The Magazine of 24 Squadron Association

Issue 9 Summer 2002

Contents Page No Editorial The 2001 Reunion 1

The months since the 2001 Reunion have been quiet for the Flying Machines 3 Association except for an initial flurry of returned postcards from Memory Banks 1 5 some of our “ghost” members. Very pleased to hear from you and that you are quite definite about wanting to stay on the mailing list. So Keeping in Touch 14 without further ado, another issue of Twenty Four to browse over. It has not been as quiet on the world stage, with our military forces Memory Banks 2 16 pushed to the limits once again. The back up required to keep the Front Line supplied with men and materials is never more evident at Nav’s Diary 17 such times with Lyneham and the Squadrons all at 110%. With such overwhelming evidence, it may come as a surprise to some of you 24 Squadron Update 21 that the very existence of RAF Lyneham is in question and under threat of closure. Late News 24 Huge support for the base by local MP’s, councillors, villages, traders Editor and even Association members in the formidable form of “Sam Wright” have been leading an impressive battle to make such an David Burgin option unthinkable. We would like to add our support also for the Association President only possible decision – KEEP LYNEHAM OPEN. AVM John Tetley Association Committee Keith Chapman - Chairman The Year 2001 Reunion Clive Harley - Dep. Chair Keith Rayner - Treasurer David Burgin - Secretary he Reunion weekend more such evenings. started on the Friday evening as usual, Squadron Liaison Saturday morning did not but instead of the reveal any casualties late on Tinformal get-together at the W/C Rick Hobson parade from the previous F/L Phil Whitworth Hilton, it was straight in, all nights festivities, the welcome booted and suited for the from the Squadron personnel Ladies Guest night at the and refreshments certainly Mess. This change of format helped. came about as a result of a suggestion at last years AGM and seems to have With the AGM safely ticked worked a treat. off as the first item on the days agenda, no mean feat in

Twenty Four is the view of a change of Chairman Newsletter of 24 It was the best ever and other hot topics, it was a Squadron Association and attendance the Association pleasure to settle down for issued once a year to has had for the evening our official briefing from Wing all members. dinner and brought a sense Commander Rick Hobson, of "family" to the night with OC 24. This was a year and Contributions to Assoc. so many past and present Sec at :- a day after the Association members sitting down first met Rick prior to him 15 Birch Grove together. Old and long lost taking over the from Paul CHIPPENHAM friends met up once again, Oborn. Wilts SN15 1DD despite the trials and tribulations of the M4 email motorway. A toast to many We almost believed we were Page 2 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

all pilots with wings as Rick the aircraft are really Route flying. gave a briefing on how to fly impressed and quick to point the new C130J. His team out that larger more recent Charities, mainly Burton Hill consists of 4 Flight leased transports (C17) have House School, still continue Commanders, 23 Captains, been around for 10 years, not to be well supported by the 12 Co-pilots and 14 brand new like the J. The Squadron, £350 being raised Loadmasters working for 2 future looks bright with the J on a recent tombola evening. Group. The Squadrons as software updates start to This and other events have responsibilities also include kick in during early 2002 and placed the School in a healthy acting as the J model will include a Tactical financial position. conversion unit trainers. capability, along with night

vision, defensive aids, secure communications and tanker A new avenue of interest for With the old K model ageing the Squadron is a proposed rapidly, the race was on to capability by 2005. affiliation to the Carmen bring in the new J model, the Livery Company in the City of first arriving in 1999, but it The aircrew training and London. This unusual was not until November 2000 conversion role already request, (in real speak an that the first operational route mentioned being carried out order) came via the AOC to to Gibraltar was flown. The by 24 Squadron has meant encourage organisations to RAF is taking delivery of 25 in that even on Lyneham base, improve relations with other total at around £70M each the crews are working in two local and national societies. and for the spotters amongst locations. The School House you, here's what to look out contains 4 CBT classrooms for:- and 2 dynamic mission A reminder and invitation was simulators with impressive extended to all concerning the commemoration of the Pisa ⇒ External - no external visual graphics showing a variety of world wide accident with a church service fuel tanks, 6 bladed at St. Michael's in Lyneham props, black boot on locations. Loadmasters and th ground crew have also been village on the 9 November base of fin for HF 2001. A similar service was communications and included in the complete training package with the planned to be held in Italy to de-icing, not normally coincide with the UK date. fitted with a refuelling facilities of a Rear Cabin probe. Trainer available within the School House. The Station is The presentation was broadly split into a North and rounded off with the a variety ⇒ Internal - "Glass cockpit South divide due to the of impressive digital photos of instrumentation, NO geography and takes the recent trips being shown to a Engineers position, format old models, Tactical packed audience along with a Head Up Display and a role and the new model, world class radar system. ACCOMMODATION The type of tasking the Squadron being allocated is a A weekend break rate may be available at the Hilton Hotel (Tel 01793 long slip pattern to the Middle 881777) but not a preferential one for the Squadron this year. Try the East which ties up around 5 crews, plus other trips to Internet or Teletext for a special deal. Over the road is the Lydiard Kenya and Australia. The Travel Inn offering Room only rates at under £40 per day, any day of the flight planning process is able week and is the cheaper option for couples or families. They may be to make use of a laptop contacted on 01793 881490 for more details and bookings. Chippenham computer to upload the latest Tourist Information Office (01249 706333) will give you details of other Jetplans, as well as plug in accommodation in the area and arrange booking for you. Mission modules. From the flyers perspective, it is a Don’t forget this year on the Friday evening it’s the new format. We radically different aircraft to shall be having the formal evening dinner in the Sgts Mess at Lyneham, fly and requires changes to which should reduce the overall expenses for the weekend by needing to established operating procedures and thought pay for ONE nights accommodation to enjoy the full weekend agenda. processes. If you fancy staying an extra night, the IBIS Hotel, Swindon on the Delta Business Park ( Tel 01793 514777) is the nominated venue for an informal get-together off base from 7pm onwards on the 5th October All the crews who have flown and become established on 2002. Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 3 lively question and answer session before our lunch. smaller wings of higher as- pect-ratio, and wing area was An afternoon reminiscing in the atmosphere of the crew room, reduced from the DC4E's poring over old photos and flight records proved as popular as 2,155 sq ft (200.6 sq m) to ever. For the more adventurous, a tour over the new J model 1,457 sq ft (135.4 sq m). The was laid on, which also gave a glimpse of what is going on at new wings. with constant ta- Lyneham base to support all these global operations. per on leading and trailing edges, had a centre-section of Suddenly the day was at a close, sad, but another one to look typical Douglas/Northrop con- forward to next year. The overwhelming theme this time was a sense of togetherness. The message to be learnt is to bring as struction with three spars many family and friends to this unique experience. while their outer panels were of single spar construction. The tricycle undercarriage, one of the most successful features of the original Doug- Flying Machines of 24 – Skymaster las four-engined transport- was retained for the new DC- 4, although in a modified form The Douglas engineering as the main units retracted for- I n issue 8 of the Newsletter, team, led by A. E. Raymond ward into the inboard engine we covered the Avro York to and E. F. Burton, was aware nacelles instead of laterally the years when the Hastings that there would be little or into wing wells. The aircraft, took over the VIP role. In look- no benefit in limiting itself to with accommodation for 40 ing back on the aircraft types a redesign and decided to de- passengers by day-ten rows used by 24, the Valetta C 1 sign a completely new aero- with two seats on each side of made a brief appearance in the plane. Confusingly, the new a central aisle-or 28 passen- Operations Record Book be- machine was also designated gers by night, was initially of- tween February 1950 and No- DC-4, thus starting a tradi- fered to the airlines with a vember later the same year. tion according to which a choice of powerplants: either With no disrespect to the mark, DC number became perma- four 1,000 hp Wright SGR- because of this very brief ap- nently assigned to a given 1820-G205A Cyclone nine- pearance, a jump to the Sky- design only when the aircraft cylinder radials or four 1,050 master 1 is pencilled in for this was put into quantity produc- hp Pratt & Whitney Twin issue of the Newsletter. As an tion. To avoid the confusion Wasp S I C3-G fourteen- aside, if any member has a rec- stemming from this practice, cylinder radials. ord of flying in the Valleta, or the original DC-4 with triple can throw some light on its role, fins and rudders became Initial reactions from Ameri- do send it in. It will be given an known as the DC4E, the E can, Eastern and United were airing. standing for Experimental. enthusiastic and, after a change in powerplant to four In mid-1939, American, Eastern As originally conceived, the 1,450 hp Pratt & Whitney and United Air Lines and new DC-4 was some twenty- Twin Wasp (R-2000) 2SD1-G Douglas shared the view that five per cent lighter than the fourteen-cylinder radials had there was a need for an aircraft DC-4E and had a design been agreed upon, orders be- similar in capacity to the ex- gross weight of 50,000 lb gan to come in. For a while, perimental DC-4 but of a lighter (22,680 kg). Its fuselage of however, it appeared that the and somewhat simpler struc- circular cross-section had an DC-4 was doomed before it ture. Agreement was also internal diameter of 118 in (3 ever flew. The war in Europe reached on the need to use less m), 10 in (25.4 em) less than had resulted in increased mili- complex systems and to design that of the DC4E, and car- tary orders for Douglas, from a cheaper aircraft and one easier ried a single fin and rudder the British and French Pur- to maintain and offering sub- of clean design. The charac- chasing Commissions as well stantially improved operating teristic DC wings of the as by the US Armed Forces, economics. DC4E. with marked sweep and the War Department in- on the leading edge, were re- structed Douglas to concen- placed by considerably trate on the design and manu- Page 4 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

facture of combat aircraft and Forces, only the RAF had of the DC-3 and its military Skymasters in squadron serv- Over the North Atlantic route derivatives. Donald Douglas ice and this only during the a converted C-54 of American was, however, intent on pro- last year of the war. The first Overseas Airlines introduced ducing his new four-engined in British service was an ex- commercial landplane service transport for which he had re- C-5411-1-130 (s/n 18326, 43- on 23 October, 1945, by flying ceived commercial orders for 17126) which was intended between New York and Hurn, a total of 61 aircraft. After as- for the Prime Minister. Deliv- near Bournemouth (then serv- suring the War Department ered in the autumn of 1944 ing London)-with technical that the DC-4 programme and assigned the serial num- stops at Gander, During the would not interfere with ber EW999, the aircraft was following years, six other al prompt delivery of military operated by the VIP Flight of France, SAS, Sabena and aircraft on order, the Douglas No.246 Squadron but was re- Swissair. initial services with Aircraft Company prepared it- turned to the United States in DC-4s. Other intercontinental, self for DC-4 production and late 1945. Twenty-two C- included trans-Pacific services went ahead with its construc- 541d-DCs were also delivered by Pan A Airways, the latter tion, albeit at a reduced pace. to the RAF beginning in Feb- flying on behalf o Airlines and The Japanese attack affected ruary 1945 and, with the seri- making a first experiment ini- once again the DC-4 produc- als KL977 to KL986 and tiating a fortnightly service tion plans. However, after KL988 to KL999, served with from Sydney Atlantic route some uncertainty regarding Nos.232 and 246 Squadrons, from South America intro- the eventual disposition of the No.1332 Heavy Conversion duced by Flota Aerea Mer- aircraft already under con- Unit, No. 1 Ferry Unit, and cante Argentina beginning on struction, they were taken over Air Command, South East 17 September, 1946. Before by the US Army Air Forces Asia. Being Lend-Lease air- that time, following a proving and designated C-54-DOs and craft, these Skymasters were flight which left Amsterdam C54A-DOs. returned to the United States on 10 November, 1945. KLM after the war and no other and KNILM re-opened with No DC-4 or C-54 prototype Skymaster was operated by DC-4s their pre-war route was built, and the first produc- the Royal Air Force. linking the Netherlands East tion aircraft, s/n 3050, serial Indies. Later, as more DC-4- 41-20137, was completed as a After VE-Day but before VJ- 1009s were delivered and sur- C-54-DO in February 1942. Day, France became the third plus C-54s were made at an Finished in military markings, nation to fly C-54s when one increasing temp, DC-4s saw it made its first flight from C-54E-20-130 (s/n 27374, 44- worldwide service with a large Clover Field, Santa Monica. 9148) was presented by the number of scheduled carriers. on 14 February with John F. United States as a gift to Gen- Martin in command. The C- eral de Gaulle. This aircraft (extract from McDonnell 54's successful maiden flight was later augmented by a Douglas Aircraft since 1920 and its trouble-free develop- number of surplus C-54s, and Volume 1 by Rene J Francil- ment trials programme pro- Skymasters were operated by lion) vided the USAAF with a long- the Armée de I'Air and the range heavy logistic transport, Aéronavale well into the six- a type urgently needed by the ties. Like France, many other world-wide scale of opera- nations took advantage of the tions into which the United availability of surplus Sky- States had been forced with- masters. Eventually, C-54s/ out proper preparation. The DC-4s were operated by the need to meet a requirement for armed forces of at least fifteen longer range on transatlantic nations other than the United and trans Pacific flights led to States, the United Kingdom the modification of the first and France and, in early 197 twenty-four aircraft. 1, some of these aircraft were still flown by the air forces of Apart from the US Armed fourteen countries. Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 5

Memory Banks 1

It should have been a routine RAF flight but it ended in a terrifying crash. A group of men, including John Gary Cooper from Ipswich, were returning to the UK after a tour of duty in the Far East when disaster struck. The Hastings aircraft of 48 Squadron from Singapore was en route from Ceylon to the Maldive Islands above the Indian Ocean on March 1, 1960.

Editors Note:- Apologies for block capitals, but it would have taken ages to retype in normal case and was considered an interesting enough article for those who flew or worked on Hast- ings for inclusion. Read it as told by John himself.

SPLASHDOWN ON THE EQUATOR

ON TUESDAY MARCH 1ST 1960 SEVERAL ROYAL AIR FORCE MEN WERE BEING REPATRIATED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AFTER THEIR TOUR OF DUTY IN THE FAR EAST, THESE MEN WERE MAINLY STATIONED AT ROYAL AIR FORCE STAGING POST KATUNAYAKE (KNOWN BY ALL AS ‘KAT’) IN CEYLON, THERE WERE TWO ROYAL MARINES AND TWO ABLE SEAMEN FROM THE ROYAL NAVY ALSO RETURNING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. TOGETHER WITH THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF KAT, WING COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON D.F.C. AND A FLIGHT LIEUTENANT FROM PAY ACCOUNTS THESE SERVICEMEN MADE UP THE COMPLEMENT OF 14 PASSENGERS WAITING TO BOARD A HANDLEY PAGE HASTINGS TG579 A C1 AIRCRAFT OF 48 SQUADRON CHANGI, SINGAPORE FOR THE 600 MILE TRIP TO ROYAL AIR FORCE GAN IN THE MALDIVE ISLANDS.

THE HASTINGS WAS DELAYED FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME DUE TO TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, ALTHOUGH STEW AND TONY THINK THE CREW MAY HAVE MADE A RETURN TRIP TO GAN THAT DAY AND WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EN ROUTE TO GAN BY MID MORNING, HOWEVER DUE TO THESE DELAYS THE PASSENGERS AND CREW DID NOT EMBARK UNTIL 1700HRS LOCAL TIME AND EVENTUALLY LIFTED OFF FROM RAF KATUNAYAKE AT 1734HRS. THE KNOWN PASSENGERS WERE CORPORALS BILL GRUNDY A FIREMAN, (BILL) MURRAY AN ENGINE FITTER, SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMEN TONY GREEN AIRFRAME MECHANIC, STEWART TUCKER AIR RADAR MECHANIC, TONY MEALING AIR WIRELESS MECHANIC(?), DAVID BLOOMFIELD AN MT DRIVER AND JOHN ‘GARY’ COOPER AN ENGINE ME- CHANIC, LEAVING ONE PASSENGERS NAME WE CAN’T REMEMBER.

THE CREW NUMBERED SIX, THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST PILOT WAS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT R.T.D. SCOTT A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PILOT WITH OVER 3000 FLYING HOURS ON HASTINGS AIRCRAFT ALONE AND WAS A HOLDER OF A MASTER GREEN INSTRUMENT RATING CERTIFICATE, HIS CO-PILOT WAS FLIGHT SERGEANT G.F. APPLEGARTH MUCH LESS EXPERIENCED ON TYPE WITH APPROXIMATELY 500 FLYING HOURS, I AS A PASSENGER UP TO THIS DATE HAD 97 HOURS FLYING EXPERIENCE IN HASTINGS AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE CREW CONSISTED OF A NAVIGATOR, SIGNALLER, FLIGHT ENGINEER AND AIR QUARTERMASTER (LATER KNOWN AS LOADMASTER) WHOSE NAMES ARE UNKNOWN.

THE WEATHER ON LIFT OFF WAS FINE AND STILL DAYLIGHT, THIS AIRCRAFT, APART FROM ITS PASSENGERS, WAS CARRYING SOME AIRCRAFT GROUND EQUIPMENT IN THE FORM OF AIRCRAFT HYDRAULIC JACKS AND THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY TO EQUIP THE DENTAL SECTION AT RAF GAN IN THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE AND ALSO PERSONAL EFFECTS OF THOSE ON BOARD IN THE LUGGAGE HOLD, THE PASSENGERS HAND LUGGAGE WAS SITU- ATED IN RACKS STOWED ABOVE THE PASSENGERS HEADS. I WAS SAT FACING AFT ON THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT ADJACENT TO A PORT HOLE WINDOW AND DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE THE MAIN PASSENGER DOOR, A MATE AND WORK COLLEAGUE TONY GREEN, SAT ALONG SIDE ME, WE WERE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LAST IMAGES OF CEYLON AND THOSE BRILLIANT SUNSETS ENCOUNTERED IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD, CHATTING ABOUT GOING HOME AFTER TWO PLUS YEARS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD OLD ENGLISH PINT OF BEER.

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE IT GOT DARK AND THERE WAS SOME TURBULENCE, WHICH IS USUALLY FOUND ON MOST AIRCRAFT TRIPS, THIS TURBULENCE INCREASED IN INTENSITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, WE WERE IN- FORMED TO FASTEN SEAT BELTS AS RECALLED BY TONY, AND ON APPROACH TO GAN THE TURBULENCE WAS EXTREMELY SEVERE, I MYSELF HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH BUFFETING AS THIS BEFORE, LIGHTNING (Continued on page 6) Page 6 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

TRANSPORT PILOT). COULD EASILY BE SEEN LIGHTING UP THE CLOUDS, ONE WONDERS WHY THE PILOT CANNOT FLY ABOVE THE STORM BUT OFTEN CLOUD BANKS IN INTENSE HASTINGS TG579 FLEW OFF FOR ANOTHER TWENTY TROPICAL STORMS CAN RANGE FROM A FEW HUN- MINUTES AND ACCORDING TO THE ACCIDENT REPORT DRED FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL TO HEIGHTS OF OVER ‘MADE A VERY LONG LOW APPROACH TO LAND IN 30000 FEET, THIS HASTINGS AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS’ IT WAS AT THIS THIS CEILING CAPACITY AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE DID POINT THAT THE WEATHER WAS STILL RAGING, WHEN NOT CARRY OXYGEN OR MASKS FOR SUCH AN EVEN- WITHOUT ANY WARNING THERE WAS A MIGHTY TUALITY ( ALTHOUGH SOME HASTINGS WERE FITTED CRASH AND JUDDERING AND SILENCE FROM THE EN- WITH MASKS AND OXYGEN ESPECIALLY WHEN USED GINES, IT IS KNOWN THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS IN THE CASEVAC ROLE) , NORMAL FLYING HEIGHT DOWN AND ON THIS FIRST IMPACT BECAME DE- WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 8000 FEET FOR A TRIP TACHED FROM THE HASTINGS, BOTH WHEELS STILL OF THIS SORT. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AT INFLATED, WERE RECOVERED THE FOLLOWING MORN- GAN THE AIRFIELD MEASURES JUST OVER ONE MILE ING BY THE MARINE CRAFT SECTION WHEN FOUND TO SQUARE AND THE LENGTH OF THE SINGLE RUNWAY BE AFLOAT DRIFTING IN THE LAGOON, THESE WERE EQUALS THE EXACT LENGTH OF THE ISLAND WITH NO RETRIEVED BY ROD VENNERS USING A DAVID BROWN UNDER OR OVERSHOOT FACILITIES (APART FOR SOFT TRACTOR. IT IS THOUGHT THAT ON THIS FIRST IM- CORAL BELOW THE HIGH AND LOW TIDE WATER PACT AT 125 KNOTS THAT NUMBERS ONE AND TWO LEVEL), THERE ALSO WAS (IN 1960) NO OTHER AIR- HERCULES ENGINES WERE TORN OUT OF THE BEAR- FIELD WITHIN HUNDREDS OF MILES OF GAN TO DI- ERS AND DETACHED FROM THE BULKHEADS, WE VERT TO IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, APART KNOW THAT THESE TWO ENGINES WERE DEFINITELY FROM A RETURN TRIP TO KATUNAYAKE AND THERE MISSING, IT IS ALSO THOUGHT THAT NUMBER THREE WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD THE ENGINE ALSO BECAME DETACHED AS REPORTED BY AIRCRAFT TO MAKE THIS RETURN TRIP IF DEEMED ALL FOUR SURVIVING PASSENGERS. DEFINITELY NUM- NECESSARY. BER FOUR ENGINE WAS STILL ATTACHED. ALSO AT THIS POINT IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG ROUND 180 DEGREES FROM ITS EASTERLY AP- AS PASSENGERS WE WERE ALL GETTING PRETTY ANX- PROACH AND WAS NOW FACING AWAY FROM GAN IOUS, SOMETHING I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE (TG580 CRASHED ON LANDING AT GAN IN JULY 1959 WITH FLYING IN BOTH CIVIL AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT, AND PREVIOUS TO THIS TWO OTHER INCIDENTS IN- WHEN SUDDENLY THE LIGHTS OF GAN AIRFIELD AP- CLUDING ONE ON THE GREENLAND ICECAP INVOLVING PEARED BELOW THE AIRCRAFT, SOME EYE WIT- A HASTINGS, EACH TIME THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG 180 NESSES (CORPORAL ANDY MUTCH AN AIR WIRELESS DEGREES), A FURTHER THEORY IS THAT THE GAN FITTER OF SASF GAN AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHANNEL WHERE THE HASTINGS CAME DOWN IN THE AIRCRAFT) COULD HEAR THE AIRCRAFT BUT NOT SEA, THAT THE CURRENT HERE FLOWS AT A VERY SEE IT DUE TO THE EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS FAST 7-8 KNOTS AND IT IS THOUGHT POSSIBLE THAT PREVAILING, OTHERS INCLUDING MIKE BUTLER COULD THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG ROUND ON THE CURRENT. SEE THE AIRCRAFT AND ESTIMATED ITS HEIGHT AT NEXT THERE WAS ANOTHER CRASH, NOT AS SEVERE 80’, I FELT THE HEIGHT WAS 400’, WE KNOW FROM AS THE FIRST BUT TOO HARD FOR ANY NORMAL THE OFFICIAL ACCIDENT REPORT THAT THE CLOUD LANDING IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT A FIRST AID BASE WAS 420’ AND THAT THE HASTINGS OVERSHOT BOX BECAME DETACHED FROM ITS STOWAGE FLEW THE RUNWAY, STEWART AND TONY THOUGHT THE ACROSS THE CABIN AND HIT GEOFF ATHERTON FULLY AIRCRAFT DID TOUCH THE RUNWAY, DAVID AND I AM IN THE FACE, WE LATER DISCOVERED THIS BROKE HIS CERTAIN IT DID NOT, OTHERS CLAIMED THAT THE NOSE. THERE THEN WAS A THIRD ALMOST GENTLER AIRCRAFT FLEW IN FROM THE WEST (FEDHOO DIREC- CRASH ALMOST AS THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT HAD TION) INCLUDING FIREMAN ROGER ’STEVE’ STEVENS LANDED ON THE RUNWAY. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE FIRE STATION THAT LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW AND SAYING TO TONY NIGHT AND WHO HAD TAKEN UP A POSITION ADJA- GREEN THAT I COULD NOT SEE ANY RUNWAY LIGHTS CENT TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WITH HIS CREW IN (T0NY RECALLS THIS EVENT), IT WAS NOT OBVIOUS THE FIRE ENGINE WHICH IS NORMAL PROCEDURE, IT TO ANY OF THE PASSENGERS AT THAT TIME BUT WE IS KNOWN THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE ONE SINGLE HAD HIT THE SEA AND OUR FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF LOW LEVEL APPROACH, EXACT HEIGHT UNKNOWN, THIS WAS WHEN THE AQM OPENED THE MAIN EN- OVER THE ISLAND FROM THE EAST AND BANKED TO TRANCE/EXIT DOOR WHEN WATER RUSHED IN. HERE PORT. THE ACCIDENT REPORT RECORDS THIS TIME WE WERE HAVING JUST CROSSED THE EQUATOR BY AS BEING 2034 HOURS LOCAL TIME, EXACTLY THREE SOME 41 MILES AND OUR BAPTISM WAS ABOUT TO HOURS AFTER LIFT OFF FROM OUR HOME BASE IN BE REALISED.! CEYLON, (THESE TIMES WERE ORIGINALLY QUOTED ‘ZULU’ TIMES AND HAVE BEEN READJUSTED TO LO- CAL TIMES FROM CORPORAL HARRY HEYWOOD STA- ON THE ACCIDENT REPORT ON THIS FINAL LOW LEVEL TIONED IN GAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THE NIGHT OF APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY THE REPORT READS "ON THE INCIDENT AND EX SQUADRON LEADER NEIL THE SECOND APPROACH THERE WAS A BRILLIANT JONES AN EXPERIENCED EX HASTINGS AND HERCULES (Continued on page 7) Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 7

FLASH OF LIGHTNING AT ABOUT 2 MILES, CAUSING HAS CRASHED’. ROGER AND HIS CREW WERE DIS- PILOT TO LOOK INTO COCKPIT TO RECOVER HIS VI- PATCHED TO THE CHANNEL END OF THE ISLAND TO SION. SECOND PILOT THEN CALLED APPROACHING 50’ SEARCH FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND SURVIVORS BUT AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AIRCRAFT HIT THE SEA. FOUND OR HEARD NOTHING. THEY WERE ALSO IN- MINOR INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY ALL MEMBERS STRUCTED TO WADE OUT ON TO THE CORAL REEF OF CREW AND PASSENGERS" (INCIDENTALLY FROM BUT DECIDED AGAINST THIS COURSE OF ACTION DUE BOTH BLOOMFIELD AND COOPER‘S MEDICAL REC- TO THE PRESENCE OF SHARKS AND MORAY EELS IN ORDS THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS). IT ALSO THE VICINITY. HOWEVER THE SASF DUTY CREW WERE SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT A TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT TAKEN BY VEHICLE TO THIS POINT AND DID WADE ON OTHER THAN A FLYING BOAT WOULD BE FLYING AT TO THE REEF TO LISTEN AND SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS THIS LOW ALTITUDE FROM SUCH A DISTANCE FROM BUT AGAIN FOUND AND HEARD NOTHING, THE STA- THE RUNWAY (1.5 NAUTICAL MILES), THE CLOUD TION ADJUTANT STOOD THE DUTY CREW DOWN AND BASE WAS WE KNOW 420’ AND LATER A SHACKLETON GAVE THEM A BOTTLE OF RUM FOR THEIR EFFORTS MR1 DID A SARAH (SEARCH AND RESCUE AND HOM- AS RECALLED BY ANDY MUTCH. ALL EMERGENCY ING), AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE SHACKLETON TEAMS ON STANDBY WERE ‘CALLED OUT’, BY GREAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SEARCHING AT THIS ALTITUDE. FORTUNE A SEARCH AND RESCUE SHACKLETON MR1 AIRCRAFT OF 205 SQUADRON INDEX NUMBER WB834 IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HARRY HEYWOOD RECALLS HAD BEEN DETACHED FROM CHANGI ON A TWO WEEK ‘ THE EVENING THAT THE HASTINGS DITCHED TO THE ATTACHMENT TO GAN AND THIS AS FAR AS WE HAVE EAST OF THE ISLAND, I WAS ON DUTY IN THE ATC BEEN INFORMED WAS AIRBORNE WITHIN 20 MINUTES TOWER. IT WAS A QUIET EVENING WITH LITTLE ACTIV- OF THE ACCIDENT OCCURRING. FLIGHT LIEUTENANT ITY ON THE W/T CIRCUITS AND I WAS CHATTING TO JOHNNY ELIAS WAS THE DUTY CAPTAIN AND FIRST THE DUTY CONTROLLER, FLIGHT LIEUTENANT PILOT. BILL BARKER WAS ON THE PINNACE 1374 (ASR MORGAN-SMITH, WHEN THE HASTINGS MADE HIS LAUNCH) AS A SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMAN MOTOR BOAT FIRST APPROACH THROUGH THE GALE AND LASHING CREWMAN AND WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF RAIN THAT ENVELOPED THE ISLAND. THE AIRCRAFT THE DITCHING, INCIDENTALLY THIS LAUNCH CAN ABORTED ITS INITIAL APPROACH AND ASKED FOR STILL BE SEEN PLYING THE WATERS AROUND THE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS TO BE INCREASED IN INTEN- HOLYHEAD AREA. SITY. THIS WAS DONE, AND WE STROVE TO SEE HIS LANDING LIGHTS THROUGH THE STORM, BUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE-IT WAS LIKE A SCENE FROM A HOLLY- BACK AT THE CRASH SITE, ORGANISED CHAOS WAS WOOD MOVIE. THE DATCO ASKED HIM (THE PILOT) TO BE SEEN, WITH THE SUDDEN SURGE OF WATER TO CONFIRM "THREE GREENS" - UNDERCARRIAGE INTO THE FUSELAGE AREA EVERYONE’S IMMEDIATE DOWN AND LOCKED - AND THE LAST TRANSMISSION REACTION WAS TO VACATE THE SINKING HASTINGS WAS HIS ANSWER, "ROGER, DOWNWIND, THREE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, I CERTAINLY RECALL TAK- GREENS, RUNWAY IN SIGHT". ING MY LAP BELT OFF, REACHING IMMEDIATELY ABOVE MY HEAD TAKING THE MAE WEST (LIFE SUDDENLY THERE WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A JACKET) FROM ITS PLYBOARD STOWAGE, BEING AT FEEDBACK SCREECH, PERHAPS TWO MICROPHONES LEAST ANKLE DEEP IN WATER, BUTTONING UP THE BEING OPENED AT THE SAME TIME, AND THE C/R D/ JACKET BUT NOT TIGHTENING THE STRAPS AND EXIT- F (CATHODE RAY DIRECTION FINDER) REACTED TO IT. ING THE AIRCRAFT BY THE MAIN DOOR (I HAVE SINCE THE TRACE ILLUMINATED ON THE SCREEN, ORIEN- BEEN INFORMED BY FRANK OGDEN AN EX HASTINGS TATED EAST, THE DIRECTION WHERE HE (THE AIR- FLIGHT ENGINEER THAT IF INFLATING A LIFE JACKET CRAFT) WAS EXPECTED TO BE. THE DATCO (DUTY AIR BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER THERE WAS A GOOD TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICER) INITIATED A CALL; NO CHANCE OF BREAKING YOUR NECK WHEN ENTERING REPLY; CALLED AGAIN, NO REPLY, AND EXCLAIMED, THE SEA !), AT THIS POINT THERE WAS NO THOUGHT "CHRIST, I THINK HE’S GONE IN" OR WORDS TO THAT OF SALVAGING ANY OF OUR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS, EFFECT. AT THAT POINT CONTROLLED PANIC TOOK IT WAS A QUESTION OF SAVING LIVES THAT BECAME OVER AS THE SAR (SEARCH AND RESCUE) DRILLS THE PRIORITY. IT IS CLAIMED BY PILOT OFFICER WERE PUT INTO EFFECT, AND I KEPT OUT OF THE COLIN VINCENT WHO WAS POSTED TO HQFEAF FAIRY WAY. I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT ONE OF MY WIRE- POINT, CHANGI SHORTLY AFTER THE CRASH AND LESS OPERATORS SENIOR AIRCRAFTSMAN RUSS TAY- WAS A SERVING NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICER AT- LOR , ON HIS OWN INITIATIVE HAD MADE HIGH FRE- TACHED TO THE LEGAL BRANCH, SEEING THE BOARD QUENCY RADIO TRANSMITTER CONTACT WITH THE OF INQUIRY REPORTS AND RECALLS THAT HE HAD BOATS (AIR SEA RESCUE LAUNCHES). MET WING COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AT FAIRY POINT AND RE- CALLED THAT HE WAS ’A MOST CHARMING AND ROGER STEVENS, IN CHARGE OF THE GAN FIRE STA- COURTEOUS MAN’ AND THAT IT WAS GEOFF THAT TION WAS ALONGSIDE THE CONTROL TOWER WHEN TOOK CHARGE IN HIS CALM AUTHORITATIVE MAN- INSTRUCTED TO ‘ENTER THE ACTIVE AND PROCEED WITH CAUTION, BECAUSE WE THINK THE AIRCRAFT (Continued on page 8) Page 8 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

NER WHICH ENSURED THAT THE PASSENGERS EXITED BOAT. SO TWICE HE ENDED UP IN THE DRINK! THE AIRCRAFT INTO LIFE RAFTS IN AN ORDERLY MANNER, THAT ALL THE CREW WERE ALSO SAFE AND SEVERAL MINUTES HAD PASSED SINCE THE INITIAL THAT RAFTS WERE KEPT TOGETHER UNTIL RESCUED DITCHING AND WE WERE ABLE TO COLLECT OUR BY THE HIGH SPEED LAUNCH’ I WOULD LIKE TO MEN- THOUGHTS AND PUT IN TO BEING A PLAN OF ACTION, TION AT THIS POINT THAT NO INSTRUCTIONS WERE THE FIRST THING NECESSARY WAS TO GET OUR- HEARD BY THE FOUR SURVIVING PASSENGERS ON SELVES AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS QUICKLY AS EVACUATING THE AIRCRAFT, SOME MEMBERS OF POSSIBLE FOR SEVERAL REASONS, WHEN THE HAST- CREW AND SOME PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT INGS WAS GOING TO SINK WOULD THE SUCTION TAKE VIA THE MAINPLANE ESCAPE HATCHES AND STEPPED US DOWN AS WELL, THERE WAS THE ADDED RISK OF INTO THE INFLATED DINGHIES, WHILST AT LEAST ALL HIGH OCTANE AVGAS FUEL AND ENGINE OIL IGNITING FOUR PASSENGERS MENTIONED EARLIER WERE IM- PLUS OTHER HAZARDS OF BATTERY ACIDS AND MERSED IN SEA WATER, FUEL AND OIL WHEN VACAT- OTHER VOLATILE SUBSTANCES IN THE AREA. IT WAS ING THE AIRCRAFT. I ALSO RECALL OTHERS IN THE AT THIS POINT THAT WE HAD FOUND SOME PADDLES WATER, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO HAUL MY- IN THE DINGHIES AND I CERTAINLY WAS USING ONE SELF INTO A DINGHY, AS I HAD INGESTED A LUNG OF THESE FRANTICALLY TRYING TO PADDLE THE DIN- FULL OF WATER, OIL AND FUEL, ONCE IN THE WATER GHIES AWAY FROM THE TWISTED ALUMINIUM OF THE I PULLED MY RED EMERGENCY TOGGLE ON MY LIFE WINGS AND TAILPLANE, STEW RECALLS HOW HE HAD JACKET AND THIS BROUGHT ME TO THE SURFACE, I LEFT THE DINGHY BY STEPPING ON TO A WING TRY- ESTIMATE MY TIME IN THE WATER AT LESS THAN ING TO PUSH THE DINGHIES AWAY FROM THE AIR- FIVE MINUTES, I’M NOT SURE, BUT I WAS PULLED ON CRAFT, WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT THE DIN- A LIFERAFT BY A SAILOR OR MARINE AS I CER- GHIES WERE STILL TETHERED TO THE AIRCRAFT BY TAINLY ENDED UP IN THEIR DINGHY. STEW TUCKER CORD, STEW RECALLS IT WAS ME THAT HAD SPOT- HELD ON TO HIS LIFE JACKET UNTIL HE GOT INTO TED THIS AND ASKED IF ANYONE HAD GOT A KNIFE, THE DINGHY AS HIS BUTTONS WERE ALREADY FAS- WHEN EITHER A SAILOR OR MARINE PULLED A KNIFE TENED UP, TONY ALSO RECALLS THE BUTTONS BEING FROM HIS SOCK AND SEVERED THE CONNECTIONS, FASTENED WHEN TAKEN FROM THE STOWAGE, DAVID THE REMAINDER OF THE CORD WAS THEN USED TO BLOOMFIELD RECALLS HAVING TO FIGHT OFF SOME- TETHER THE DINGHIES TOGETHER, NONE OF US ARE BODY HAMPERING HIS PROGRESS TO GET INTO A SURE HOW MANY DINGHIES WERE IN USE BUT THE DINGHY. CONSENSUS OF OPINION IS THAT THERE WERE THREE, ONE OF WHICH WAS DEFLATING (PROBABLY PUNCTURED BY THE ALUMINIUM), ONE WHICH CON- ONCE WE WERE ALL IN THE DINGHIES A HEAD COUNT TAINED THE CREW NO ONE RECALLS HOW THIS BE- WAS ORDERED BY A FLIGHT LIEUTENANT PAY AC- CAME DETACHED FROM THE OTHER TWO. COUNTS OFFICER FROM KATUNAYAKE AND STEW TUCKER TOOK ON THIS ROLE GIVING EACH PERSON A FORTUNATELY THERE WAS LIGHT FROM THE EMER- NUMBER, HE RECALLS NUMBERING HIMSELF LAST, IT GENCY BATTERIES LIGHTING UP THE INSIDE OF THE WAS AT THIS POINT THAT A MEMBER OF CREW HAD FUSELAGE AND FLASHES OF LIGHTNING STILL RAGING BEEN REPORTED MISSING AND WE COULD CERTAINLY FROM THIS HORRENDOUS STORM, SO WE WERE AT HEAR CRIES OF HELP FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE TIMES ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON APART THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT IS FROM FEELING AROUND THE DINGHIES FOR EMER- THOUGHT BY ALL THAT THIS WAS THE FLIGHT ENGI- GENCY EQUIPMENT. WE HAD CERTAINLY FOUND THE NEER WHO HAD EITHER ESCAPED THROUGH THE PADDLES AND AT LAST WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS EMERGENCY HATCH NEXT TO HIS STATION OR VIA IN GRADUALLY DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE POINT OF THE STARBOARD WING, IT IS KNOWN THAT OF THE 20 DANGER, HOWEVER THE DINGHY THAT WAS DEFLAT- OCCUPANTS ALL ESCAPED THROUGH EXITS ON THE ING WAS CAUSING SOME ANXIETY TO ITS OCCU- PORT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT EXCEPT THE ONE PER- PANTS AS CORPORAL MURRAY, A RATHER ROTUND SON ADRIFT. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT GEOFF CHAP, WAS BEING PHYSICALLY ILL AND SITTING ON ATHERTON DIVED INTO THE WATER FROM A DINGHY THE BELLOWS AS RECALLED BY TONY, DAVID AND AND SWAM AFTER THE PERSON WHO WAS ADRIFT. HE STEW, THEY EACH TOOK IT IN TURNS BY KEEPING STAYED WITH THIS PERSON UNTIL RESCUED DESPITE THE DINGHY INFLATED BY THIS PUMPING ACTION. RECEIVING THE FULL FORCE OF A WOODEN FIRST AID BOTH DAVID, STEW AND I RECALL FINDING ’HATS’, TO BOX FULLY IN HIS FACE SUSTAINING A BROKEN ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES THESE LOOKED LIKE A NOSE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT GEOFF ATHERTON WAS HUGE TEAT END PIECE OF A CONDOM, THIS CON- AWARDED A COMMENDATION FOR HIS DEEDS THAT SISTED OF A PLASTIC TIGHT FITTING HOOD WITH A NIGHT AND JUSTLY DESERVED. IT IS ALSO NOTE- TINY TORCH BULB IN THE TEAT END, TO ACTIVATE WORTHY TO REPORT THAT GEOFF SHOT DOWN 5 THE LIGHT YOU HAD TO IMMERSE A SMALL CIGA- JAPANESE BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS IN WW2 AND RETTE SIZE PACKET BATTERY IN WATER (OBVIOUSLY WAS AWARDED THE DFC AND BAR, HE WAS EVENTU- WE HAD AN OCEAN FULL OF THIS!) WHICH ACTIVATED ALLY SHOT DOWN BY THE JAPANESE INTO THE SEA THE LIGHT BULB ON THE TOP OF THE HEAD, THERE IN 1944 AND WAS RESCUED BY A CATALINA FLYING (Continued on page 9) Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 9

WERE MANY OF THESE IN THE DINGHIES BUT HOW STUDS OR BLAKEY’S, SOME SHOES WERE THROWN THESE COULD BE SEEN FROM ANY DISTANCE IS BE- OVERBOARD TO STOP CLUTTERING UP THE DINGHIES, YOND ME. WE NEVER CAME ACROSS ANY OTHER THOSE THAT WERE RETAINED WERE KEPT ON THE EQUIPMENT WITHIN THESE DINGHIES, TO MY KNOWL- OWNERS LAP IN CASE WE HAD TO USE THESE FOR EDGE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EMERGENCY RA- BALING OUT WATER FROM THE DINGHIES. THERE WAS TIONS INCLUDING ‘DOG’ BISCUITS, DRIED HORLICKS WATER IN ALL THE DINGHIES BUT IN MINE NOTHING TABLETS AND OTHER TABLETS TO CONVERT SALT TO WORRY ABOUT, IT WAS PROBABLY RESIDUAL WA- WATER IN TO FRESH WATER, IN ADDITION THERE TER FROM THE RAIN OR SEA WATER SPLASHING OVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN A YELLOW BOX KITE (FOR DAY THE HIGH WALLS OF THE LIFE RAFTS. TIME USE) AND FLARES BUT NONE OF THESE WERE FOUND. DAVID RETAINED HIS HELIOGRAPH FROM HIS THE SHACKLETON WAS BY NOW AIRBORNE AND A MAE WEST, THIS IS A SIGNALLING DEVICE EMPLOYING SYSTEMATIC SEARCH WAS STARTED AS RECALLED A QUADRANT MIRROR TO REFLECT THE SUN’S RAYS BY HARRY HEYWOOD “THE FLARES WERE CLEAR FOR PASSING SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT TO SPOT IN SUCH POINTS OF LIGHT, NOT FUZZY AS THEY WOULD HAVE EMERGENCIES. BEEN IF FALLING THROUGH CLOUD. THE SHACKLETON WAS RUNNING IN ON THE RUNWAY LINE FIRING OFF AGAIN ONLY MINUTES HAD PASSED FOR ALL OF THIS SINGLE FLARES ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THEN AS HE TO HAPPEN, WE COULD HEAR THE ENGINES OF THE PASSED OVER THE DITCHED HASTINGS HE WOULD SHACKLETON FIRE INTO LIFE AND TO A TRAINED ME- FIRE OFF A CLUSTER, PULL AWAY THEN REPEAT THE CHANIC THIS SOUND OF 4 ROLLS ROYCE GRIFFON EN- PROCEDURE.” FROM A PASSENGER POINT OF VIEW GINES WAS ALMOST HEAVEN SENT, WE AS SURVIVORS THIS APPEARED TO BE WHAT I RECALLED, BUT THE DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A SHACKLETON BASED AT HASTINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ITS WAY OR ON GAN BUT MIGHTY PLEASED THAT THERE WAS. THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA BED BY THIS TIME. SHACKLETON AIRCRAFT HAD SOPHISTICATED RADAR WE WERE NOW BEGINNING TO SETTLE DOWN INTO ON BOARD AND CARRIED A CREW OF TEN, DESPITE SOME SORT OF ROUTINE WITHIN THE DINGHIES, WE THE FACT THAT NO METAL OBJECT WAS ON THE WERE NOW WELL ADRIFT OF THE CRASHED HASTINGS SURFACE (TG579) THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE WHICH WAS STILL AFLOAT, PERHAPS TWO HUNDRED EASY TO DETECT AS IF THE HASTINGS WERE A SUB- YARDS AWAY FROM ITS TAIL END, THE NOSE POINT- MARINE, I AM NOT AWARE THAT ANY ASDIC OR SO- ING AWAY FROM GAN (AS ALSO REMEMBERED BY NAR BUOYS OR OTHER SIMILAR EQUIPMENT WAS BE- STEW , DAVID AND MYSELF), THE AIRFIELD LIGHTS ING USED BY THE SHACKLETON. AT THIS POINT DON WERE TO OUR RIGHT AND WE COULD ONLY SEE THESE ELLIS THE FIRST NAVIGATOR ON THE OFF DUTY AS WE ROSE ON THE CREST OF EACH GIANT WAVE, SHACKLETON AT GAN FROM 205 SQUADRON CHANGI HANGING ON TO THE GUIDE ROPES FOR DEAR LIFE, RECALLS THE ATROCIOUS TROPICAL STORM AND STILL IN A RAGING THUNDERSTORM. HOW TG579 ASKED THE OPERATIONS OFFICER WHAT THE CREW MANAGED TO RIDE THESE WAVES FOR SO LONG IS A OF THE HASTINGS SHOULD DO , THE OPS OFFICER RE- REMARKABLE TESTAMENT TO ITS DURABILITY AGAIN PLIED ‘IF THEY HAD ANY SENSE THEY WOULD RETURN IT IS A CONSENSUS OF OPINION THAT SHE STAYED TO KATUNAYAKE’.THE C.O. OF GAN, WING COM- AFLOAT FOR SOME TWENTY MINUTES UNTIL SLIP- MANDER EWAN THOMAS WAS IN AIR TRAFFIC CON- PING DOWN STARBOARD WING FIRST (STEW THINKS TROL WITH THE DUTY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFI- PORT WING DOWN) INTO DEEP WATER. THE PORT CER. THE CREW OF THE HASTINGS DID A BLIND AP- WING ROSE INTO THE AIR DEVOID OF BOTH OF ITS PROACH BEACON SYSTEM (BABS) APPROACH AL- HERCULES ENGINES, OTHERS NOTICED THAT NUMBER MOST RELIANT UPON INSTRUMENTS. DON LATER RE- THREE ENGINE WAS ALSO MISSING, IT WAS SAD TO CALLS THE HASTINGS NAVIGATOR CALL "2 MILES" SEE HER DISAPPEAR AS SAILORS WOULD A SINKING AND THE CO-PILOT SAYING "YOU’RE DOWN TO 50’". OR TORPEDOED SHIP. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THEN HEARD NOTHING AND US GOING DOWN WITH IT, I ALSO FIND IT AMAZING WONDERED IF THE AIRCRAFT HAD LOST RADIO CON- THAT IF TWO OR THREE ENGINES WERE RIPPED FROM TACT AND SO THE RESCUE TENDER (FIRE ENGINE) THE BULKHEADS WEIGHING OVER A TON EACH WHY WAS SENT TO TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY THE WINGS WERE NOT TORN OFF ON THE FIRST IM- TO SEE IF THE HASTINGS WAS ON THE GROUND. THE PACT I CANNOT IMAGINE WHY THEY DIDN‘T, PER- SEARCH AND RESCUE SHACKLETON CAPTAINED BY HAPS THE SLOW LANDING SPEED PREVENTED THIS JOHNNY ELIAS WAS DESPATCHED TO THE END OF AND WITH THE THREE CRASHES IT WOULD APPEAR THE RUNWAY TO SHINE ITS LIGHTS LOOKING FOR THE AS IF THE AIRCRAFT SKIPPED THE SEA LIKE A PEB- AIRCRAFT, JOHNNY THOUGHT THAT IF HE WAS TO DO BLE SKIPPING ACROSS THE TOP OF A POND. THIS HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GOT AIRBORNE SO WITHIN 10 MINUTES THEY WERE ON THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND STARTED ONCE TG579 HAD SLID BELOW THE WAVES, IT WAS FIRING FLARES FROM 3 MILES TO 2 MILES OUT FROM TIME TO TAKE STOCK, STEW TUCKER SUGGESTED THE CRASH SCENE ON THE FIRST RUN AND THEN THAT EVERYONE REMOVED THEIR SHOES AND BOOTS RUNNING IN FROM 2 MILES THEY SPOTTED WRECKAGE TO PREVENT ANY MORE DINGHIES BEING DEFLATED FROM SHARP OBJECTS LIKE EXPOSED NAILS OR (Continued on page 10) Page 10 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

AND DINGHIES WHERE THE TWO AIR SEA RESCUE THE SWELL LOOKED EVEN WORSE AS THERE WAS A LAUNCHES WERE DESPATCHED TO THE SCENE. DON’S BACKWASH BETWEEN THE GROUP OF DINGHIES AND AIRCRAFT TOOK TO THE AIR THE NEXT MORNING THE LAUNCH. SCRAMBLING NETS WERE ATTACHED LOOKING FOR WRECKAGE AND SAW A MAIN WHEEL TO THE SIDE OF THE LAUNCH AND IT WAS WITH AFLOAT, THE LAUNCHES LATER COLLECTED THESE. GREAT DIFFICULTY TO HOLD ON TO THE ROPE AND DON ALSO RECALLS THAT HE TOOK GEOFF ATHER- THEN PUT ONES FEET ON THE ROPE, IF YOU’VE EVER TON BACK TO KATUNAYAKE IN HIS SHACKLETON AS CLIMBED A LADDER WITH SOFT SOLED SHOES ON GEOFF REFUSED POINT BLANK TO FLY BACK IN A YOU CAN APPRECIATE OUR PLIGHT, RAGING SEAS, HASTINGS! HUGE SWELL COVERED IN FUEL AND OIL BUT I WAS IN GOOD HANDS AS ONE OF THE MARINE CRAFT GUYS THE MORALE IN THE DINGHIES WAS VERY GOOD, LITERALLY GRABBED THE BACK OF MY MAE WEST THERE WAS PLENTY OF SHOUTING AND SINGING, THE AND HAULED ME UP ON DECK, WHERE DAVID RECALLS USUAL ‘CHESTNUTS’ OF ‘WHY ARE WE WAITING’, BEING PULLED ABOARD BY HIS HAIR! I WAS IMMEDI- ‘SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME’ ETC WERE ALL BE- ATELY TAKEN BELOW DECK AND GIVEN A BLANKET ING SUNG, THE FLARES WERE GETTING EVER CLOSER AND TOWEL AND A MUG OF TEA WHICH I DRANK AND AND THAT WE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT THE CHANCES IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN WITH A OF RESCUE WERE EXTREMELY HIGH, SOME WAG SUG- CONCOCTION OF OTHER FLUIDS IN MY MOUTH. I GESTED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE OF THE STILL REMEMBER THOSE MATTRESSES WITH A TICK- FLARES ENTERED THE DINGHY, HOW HE DIDN’T GET ING STRIPE COVER AND FEELING VERY MUCH THE FED TO THE SHARKS IS ANYONE’S GUESS! IT WAS WORSE FOR WEAR, PERHAPS IT WAS PART EMOTION APPARENT AFTER SOME WHILE THAT THE SHACKLE- THAT BROUGHT THIS ON, I HAD NEVER SUFFERED TON HAD FOUND US AS THE FLARES WERE FALLING FROM TRAVEL SICKNESS BEFORE OR SINCE , THAT IN AN ARC SOME DISTANCE FROM THE DINGHIES AND WAS AN EXCEPTION. STEW RECALLS THE HULL OF THIS WAS TO GUIDE THE TWO RESCUE LAUNCHES TO THE LAUNCH SCRAPING THE CORAL, THIS MUST HAVE THE CRASH SITE. BEEN SOMEWHERE NEAR THE REEF AREA LATER AS OUR IMMEDIATE RESCUE WAS FROM DEEP WATER. IT MUST BE MENTIONED HERE THAT A HEARTFELT WE COULD SEE SOME DISTANCE AWAY BRIGHT THANK YOU MUST GO TO THE OFFICER COMMANDING LIGHTS, THESE WERE A MIXTURE OF THE GAN AIR- THE MARINE CRAFT SECTION FLIGHT LIEUTENANT FIELD LIGHTS AND WE EVENTUALLY SPOTTED SEARCH BERNIE SAUNDERS, HIS COXSWAIN DICKIE DENMAN LIGHTS SEEMINGLY LIKE A VERY LONG WAY AWAY, FOR THE BRAVERY SHOWN THAT NIGHT AND THE THESE WERE ONLY VISIBLE AS WERE THE AIRFIELD CREWS OF THOSE TWO MOTOR LAUNCHES WHO SET LIGHTS WHEN WE WERE APPROACHING THE CREST OF SAIL IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WEATHER CONDITIONS A WAVE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE DID NOT KNOW PREVAILING AT THAT TIME AND IN CURRENTS SO WHERE WE HAD DITCHED, WE KNEW WE WERE TO THE STRONG THAT UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THEY EAST OF GAN AIRFIELD AND WOULD ESTIMATE AS WOULD NOT VENTURE OUT THROUGH THE REEF AREA BEING BETWEEN ONE AND TWO MILES OUT WHAT I EXCEPTING IN DIRE EMERGENCIES, I UNDERSTAND DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL APRIL 2001 WAS THAT THIS THAT A COMMENDATION WAS AWARDED TO BERNIE AREA IS TREACHEROUS IN THAT IT IS KNOWN AS THE SAUNDERS THAT NIGHT AND AGAIN, JUST LIKE GEOFF GAN CHANNEL AND SEPARATES TWO ISLANDS WILL- ATHERTON’S AWARD, RICHLY DESERVED. INGILI TO THE EAST AND GAN ISLAND TO THE WEST THIS STRETCH OF WATER IS WHERE THE CALMER LA- GOON OF THE ADDU ATOLL MEETS THE INDIAN IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY VARIOUS PARTIES THAT WE OCEAN WITH THE TIDAL WATERS RUNNING VERY FAST WERE IN THE DINGHIES FOR 1 1/2 HOURS, I HAVE AL- AS RECALLED BY BRIAN BARKER , AT ABOUT EIGHT WAYS MAINTAINED THAT TO BE CORRECT, OTHERS KNOTS. THINK LONGER, CERTAINLY THE PINNACE ARRIVED AFTER THE LARGE LAUNCH AND THAT IT IS THOUGHT THE CREW AND THOSE OTHER TWO ADRIFT ARRIVED BRIAN WAS ON PINNACE 1374 THE SMALLER OF THE ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. ROGER STEVENS RECALLS HE TWO RESCUE LAUNCHES, I CANNOT RECALL SEEING GAVE ASSISTANCE AT THE JETTY BY LIGHTING UP THIS BOAT BUT BRIAN RECALLS PICKING UP WING THE AREA WITH THE FIRE ENGINE LIGHTS AND RE- COMMANDER GEOFF ATHERTON AND ONE OTHER CALLS THE FIRST PERSON HE HAD HELPED ASHORE (THE FLIGHT ENGINEER?) PLUS ANOTHER DINGHY WAS A CORPORAL BILL GRUNDY WHO HE HAD PREVI- LOAD WHO WE ASSUME TO BE THE OTHER CREW OUSLY SERVED WITH AT RAF BALLYKELLY, IT IS ALSO MEMBERS, WE THINK THIS PINNACE ARRIVED BACK INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT ANOTHER SURVIVOR TO THE GAN JETTY AFTER THE LARGE LAUNCH ROGER HELPED ASHORE WAS A SAILOR WHOSE COM- PICKED UP THE PASSENGERS AND I AM INFORMED BY MENTS WERE "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE FLOWN STEW THAT THE AQM WAS WITH THE PASSENGERS. WITH THE RAF AND THEY TRIED TO DROWN ME, THERE WAS MUCH REJOICING WHEN THE LARGER SOMETHING THAT THE NAVY NEVER DID !" LAUNCH WAS APPROACHING US, SHOUTING BY ALL, THE WAVING OF ARMS ALL HELPED TO KEEP THE MO- RALE HIGH. THIS LAUNCH LOOKED HUGE IN COMPARI- JOHN BAWDEN WHO WORKED IN GAN AIR TRAFFIC RE- SON TO OUR DINGHIES AND AS IT GOT EVER NEARER (Continued on page 11) Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 11

CALLS THAT WE WERE TAKEN TO THE STATION SICK CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY QUARTERS AND APART FROM ONE OR TWO THAT HAD DIFFERENT. AS AN ENGINE MECHANIC I HAD NO PAR- INGESTED FUEL AND OIL THAT NO OTHER SERIOUS TICULAR LOVE AFFAIR FOR A HASTINGS AIRCRAFT, INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. JOHN TRAVELLED BACK THEY WERE REASONABLY EASY TO SERVICE AND TO LYNEHAM ON ‘THE WHITE KNUCKLE BRITANNIA QUITE RELIABLE AS PISTON ENGINED AIRCRAFT BUT RIDE’ THE NEXT DAY AT KARACHI, I REALLY DO NOT TOOK SOME TIME TO ‘TURN AROUND’. HAVING SAID RECALL COMING OFF THE LAUNCH AND HOW I GOT TO THAT THE DESIGN TEAM OF A HANDLEY PAGE HAST- SICK QUARTERS (WITHOUT ANY SHOES ON), BUT I DO INGS DESIGNED PERHAPS THE BEST AND MOST DU- RECALL BEING MEDICALLY EXAMINED, OTHERS SAY RABLE NON FLYING BOAT AIRCRAFT THE ROYAL AIR THEY WEREN’T AND BEING PASSED FIT TO FLY TO FORCE TOOK DELIVERY OF AS ANOTHER HASTINGS THE UK THE NEXT DAY. I IMAGINE THAT I WAS GIVEN CRASHED IN THE MEDITERRANEAN OFF CASTEL BE- FRESH KD CLOTHING THAT NIGHT AT GAN BUT AGAIN NITO AIRFIELD AND ENDED UP FLOATING FOR SOME I CAN’T REMEMBER, I DO REMEMBER NOT BEING TIME FOR ALL ON BOARD TO MAKE THEIR ESCAPE. ABLE TO SLEEP. IT WAS IN STATION SICK QUARTERS THAT THE CREW WERE BROUGHT IN AND THERE WAS CREDIT MUST GO TO ALL THOSE THAT TOOK PART IN MUCH ANIMOSITY FROM THE PASSENGERS TOWARDS THE RESCUE, THEY WERE ALL HEROES, ON THE NIGHT THE PILOT, IN THE FORM OF VERBAL ABUSE AND FIN- THEY DID THERE DUTY THAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO GER WAGGING, I REALLY CANNOT REMEMBER THIS DO IN APPALLING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NOT HAPPENING BUT I CAN ACCEPT WHY IT DID OCCUR. KNOWING WHETHER THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SURVI- I AM ALSO INFORMED THAT WITH WHAT FEW RUPEES VORS OR BODIES OR EVEN NOTHING IF THE AIRCRAFT WE HAD LEFT BETWEEN US THAT WE CLUBBED TO- HAD SUNK WITHOUT TRACE, AND IT IS TO THESE GETHER AND BOUGHT THE SHACKLETON RESCUE PEOPLE THAT I SAY A MIGHTY BIG THANK YOU! CREW A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY TO SHARE AMONG HIS CREW AND AS A THANK YOU., AGAIN WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE WHO KNOWS WHAT THE OUTCOME THE HISTORY OF TG579 READS THUS: WOULD HAVE BEEN. CONTRACTOR HANDLEY PAGE LTD, CRICKLEWOOD, CONTRACT NUMBER 4186, ENGINES INSTALLED 4 BRISTOL HERCULES 101 AIR COOLED RADIAL EN- THE FOLLOWING MORNING WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH GINES. 1960 I RECALL QUEUING FOR SOME EMERGENCY PAY AS ALL MY LEAVE MONEY WAS IN MY CAMERA BAG, TYPE HASTINGS C1 RAF NUMBER TG579 £35=0=0 PAID IN 10/= NOTES AT RAF KATUNAYAKE, 12/04/1949 CONTRACT COMPLETED A KING’S RANSOM IN THOSE DAYS (ABOUT £700-800 13/04/1949 TO 241 OPERATIONAL CONVERSION UNIT POUNDS TODAY), THE REASON WE WERE ALL PAID IN (OCU) BROWN 10/= NOTES WAS THAT PAY ACCOUNTS HAD 08/10/1949 TO LYNEHAM RUN OUT OF WHITE FIVERS AND BLUE POUND NOTES! 18/10/1951 HANDLEY PAGE FOR MODIFICATIONS UN- ALL OF THAT MONEY AND MY PERSONAL POSSES- TIL 01/11/1951 AND RETURNED TO LYNEHAM ON SIONS WERE LOST IN THAT ACCIDENT, THE ONLY THAT DAY THING THAT I WAS ABLE TO SALVAGE WAS MY 05/02/1953 TRANSFERRED TO RAF TRANSPORT COM- OMEGA SEAMASTER WATCH WHICH WAS ON MY MAND AIR SUPPORT FLIGHT (ASF) WRIST. WHEN I ASKED THE MARINE CRAFT BOYS 02/03(?)/1955 TO 29 MAINTENANCE UNIT WHAT EFFECTS WERE FOUND, THEY SAID NOTHING APART FROM THE WHEELS OF THE HASTINGS, I AM 08/03/1956 TO 242 OCU SURE IT WAS THEY THAT TOLD ME THAT THE AIR- 18/08/1956 TO ROS/60 MU CRAFT HAD SUNK TO A DEPTH OF OVER 1000 FATH- 23/08/1956 EX ROS OMS WHILST DAVID BLOOMFIELD WAS TOLD THIS 03/06/1957 20 MU DEPTH BY A MEMBER OF THE SHACKLETON CREW, IT 06/12/1957 FREE LOAN FOR ONE MONTH DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHAT DEPTH IT ENDED UP IN WE LOST EVERYTHING. ALL FOUR PASSENGERS 07/01/1958 20 MU SAY THEY LOST EVERYTHING INCLUDING LEAVE PAY 20/01/1958 TRANSFERRED TO 48 SQUADRON FEAF AND STEW TUCKERS DEEP SEA BOX WAS ON BOARD (CHANGI) THE HASTINGS GIVING A NEW MEANING TO THE TERM 01/03/1960 FLYING ACCIDENT CATEGORY 5 DEEP SEA BOX! 08/03/1960 STRUCK OFF CHARGE TG579 FINALLY HAD HERCULES 216 ENGINES ADDED I FEEL REMARKABLY LUCKY THAT THE AIRCRAFT SOMETIME IN ITS LIFE A.M. FORM 78 DOES NOT REC- STAYED AFLOAT AND DIDN’T BREAK UP ON IMPACT ORD THE DATE. AND THAT THE INJURIES SUSTAINED WERE OF A MI- THE OFFICIAL ACCIDENT REPORT AS PROVIDED BY NOR NATURE TO ALL. I AM ALSO FORTUNATE THAT THE AIR HISTORIC BRANCH AT RAF BENTLEY PRIORY WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS ABOUT TO UNFOLD WAS HAND WRITTEN AND THIS HAS BEEN DECI- AND THAT THE PILOT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS PHERED BY SQUADRON LEADER NEIL JONES AND ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO HIS AIRCRAFT, IF EITHER OF THE ABOVE WAS KNOWN THEN I AM SURE THAT THE (Continued on page 12) Page 12 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

WARRANT OFFICER (THEN CORPORAL AT GAN) HARRY BUT DID PROVIDE ME WITH MY SERVICE RECORD AND HEYWOOD, THE OFFICIAL BOARD OF INQUIRY WAS THIS INFORMATION WAS SCANT TO SAY THE LEAST, I HELD AT HQ FEAF FAIRY POINT CHANGI, SINGAPORE, THEREFORE WENT BACK TO THE MoD IN WHITEHALL DATE UNKNOWN BUT HELD BEFORE MAY 1960. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ALSO FOR A COPY OF MY MEDICAL RECORDS. I AGAIN HAD A REPLY IT IS WITH MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE PAINS- FROM THE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AGENCY (ON TAKINGLY SHOWN AN INTEREST FOR MY SEARCH FOR BEHALF OF THE RAF) AT INNSWORTH AND THEIR THE TRUTH, YOU HAVE PROVIDED, IN MANY CASES, CHIEF SECRETARY INFORMS ME THAT ALL AIRMENS THE MISSING PARTS OF THE JIGSAW. DETAILED RECORD OF SERVICE IS DESTROYED AFTER 6 YEARS OF END OF ENGAGEMENT (IN MY CASE 14/07/75) AND THAT BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORTS SINCE THE NIGHT OF THIS ACCIDENT I’VE ALWAYS ARE DESTROYED AFTER 20 YEARS AFTER THE INQUIRY WANTED TO KNOW WHY OUR LIVES WERE IN SUCH WAS HELD (IN THIS CASE SOMETIME IN 1980) . CER- DANGER, I ALWAYS HAD A SNEAKING SUSPICION TAIN CONFIDENTIAL MILITARY DOCUMENTS ARE RE- THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS AND I COULDN’T GET LEASED TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE AT KEW AF- TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, I (AND DAVID BLOOMFIELD TER 30 YEARS (THIS IS GENERALLY KNOWN AS THE 30 TOO )HAD STROVE TO ASK QUESTIONS TO THE VARI- YEAR RULE), HARRY HEYWOOD’S COUSIN DOREEN DID OUS AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE THEN AIR MINISTRY SOME RESEARCH HERE AND AGAIN THE INFORMATION AND LATER MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND NOTHING WAS VERY SCANT. SO TO SUMMARISE IF ANYONE WAS FORTHCOMING. I BASICALLY KEPT THIS ‘LITTLE TRIES TO GET TO THE TRUTH ON ANY GOVERNMENT EPISODE’ TO MYSELF AND ONLY MY WIFE AND CLOS- CONFIDENTIAL MATTER VIA ’OPEN GOVERNMENT’ EST FRIENDS KNEW THE ‘BARE BONES’ OF THAT POLICY THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES PUT IN YOUR NIGHT, I KEPT THESE THOUGHTS TO MYSELF FOR WAY AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE ABOUT TO OVER 40 YEARS, HAVING MANY FLASHBACKS AND CLEAR THE FINAL HURDLE, YOU FIND THAT MOST OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, SWEATS AND NERVOUS TENSION. THAT INFORMATION HAS GONE MISSING OR IS NONE (I NOW KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE!) I HAD EXISTENT . CURRENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NO AMBITION OF FURTHERING MY CAREER IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE THE RIGHT WAY OF PROMOTION TO THE NON COMMISSIONED HONOURABLE GEOFFREY HOON MP HAS HAD A LET- RANKING SYSTEM I STAYED A JUNIOR TECHNICIAN TER FROM ME ON THIS VERY SUBJECT AND I AM ENGINE FITTER UNTIL MY DISCHARGE. MY DIARIES AWAITING HIS REPLY! I SUPPOSE THAT WAITING 30 FROM 1962 TO 1969 SHOW MY INTENSE HATRED FOR YEARS, MEANS THAT EVERYONE’S MEMORY RECEDES THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AND RECORD ON NUMEROUS WITH TIME , I CAN ASSURE YOU IT DOESN’T, IF YOU OCCASIONS REQUESTS ON GENERAL APPLICATION ARE DETERMINED THEN THE ’TRUTH IS OUT THERE’ FORMS TO OBTAIN A DISCHARGE, BUT THE ONLY GO AND GET IT. I NOW HAVE OVER 200 DOCUMENTS WAY OUT WAS BY PURCHASING MY CONTRACT OF RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT AS AT 30/06/2001 BE- EMPLOYMENT BACK FROM THE AIR MINISTRY AND FORE 12/01/2001 I HAD NONE, I WAS MERELY A PAS- ON EACH OCCASION AMOUNTED TO £200 WHICH I SENGER ON A TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL COULD NOT AFFORD, SO I ’RODE OUT’ MY TWELVE AIR FORCE THAT CRASHED INTO THE SEA FOR REA- YEARS BEGRUDGINGLY. I ENJOYED MY WORK AT ’THE SONS NOT KNOWN. SHARP END’ ENORMOUSLY, THE COMRADESHIP OF THE LOWER RANKS APPEALED TO ME MORE THAN THE HIGHER RANKS, APART FROM SOME EXCEPTIONS I HAVE SINCE FOUND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS THERE WAS ALWAYS AN AIR OF ALOOFNESS PREVA- FROM THAT AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT VIA A PLEA BY THE LENT, HOWEVER I MET THIS LESS WHEN IN FIGHTER DAILY MAIL ’MISSING AND FOUND’ COLUMN AND COMMAND. THEIR STORIES ARE ALSO VERY INTERESTING AND THAT THERE IS SOME BITTERNESS RELATING TO THIS ACCIDENT FROM THESE GUYS. THE AUTHORITIES MY QUEST WAS ANSWERED IN MARCH 2001, ALMOST FOUND THAT THIS COULD BE A RATHER EMBARRASS- EXACTLY 41 YEARS ON, TO GET TO THE TRUTH, I ING INCIDENT TO THE SQUEAKY CLEAN IMAGE OF FIRSTLY BOUGHT MYSELF A COMPUTER IN JANUARY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE, GET RID OF THESE GUYS, TELL 2001 AND SURPRISINGLY IT DID NOT TAKE ME LONG THEM NOTHING AND THEY WILL FORGET ALL ABOUT TO GET USED TO IT. I ‘SURFED THE NET’ DAY AND IT! THEY DIDN’T BARGAIN FOR MYSELF DID THEY? TO NIGHT FOR ADDRESSES AND EYE WITNESSES AND NOT COMPENSATE US THAT NIGHT FOR THE LOSS OF ALL OF THIS WAS READILY AVAILABLE, I PLACED TWO OUR PAY (AN ENTITLEMENT), TO ANY RECOMPENSE SEARCHES ON CHANNEL 4’S ‘SERVICE PALS’ PAGES IN FOR THE LOSS OF THEIR PERSONAL POSSESSIONS JANUARY AND MARCH FOR EYE WITNESSES AND WAS (NO ONE TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO BE INSURED WELL PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE AND EVEN PEO- FOR SUCH AN ACCIDENT AND WAS WILLING TO CARRY PLE WHO WEREN’T INVOLVED KNEW SOMEONE THAT MY PERSONAL POSSESSIONS AT NO CHARGE). KD WAS! THE INFORMATION I ASKED FROM OFFICIAL DRESS WAS WORN THAT NIGHT BY ALL ON BOARD SOURCES WAS SLOW IN COMING AND IN SOME IN- AND ‘WHITES’ BY THE SAILORS NOW IF WE WERE GO- STANCES NON EXISTENT, THE RECORDS OFFICE OF ING TO HAVE TOA SWIM THE LAST TWO MILES THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AT RAF INNSWORTH WERE APOLOGETIC REGARDING THE LACK OF INFORMATION (Continued on page 13) Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 13

SHOULD NOT SWIMMING TRUNKS BE THE DRESS OF THE DAY? WHY WERE ILL FITTING UNIFORMS ISSUED AT NICOSIA, AND WHY WERE THE SURVIVORS PUT UP IN TENTS IN FREEZING CONDITIONS, WHY WERE WE ALL WEARING TOWELS AROUND OUR NECKS (BECAUSE THE RAF DID NOT SUPPLY FRONT AND BACK COLLAR STUDS) AND WHEN A SAILOR AS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS SPORTING A BEARD IN RAF UNIFORM WITH NO HAT WAS ASKED BY A ‘REDCAP’ ARMY POLICEMAN AT SWINDON STATION ’AND WHOSE F*****G ARMY ARE YOU IN?’ (AS RECALLED BY S.A.C. BRIAN WILMER A PASSENGER WITH US ON THE BRITANNIA),THE WHOLE EPISODE BEGGARS BELIEF, OUR QUICK EXIT THROUGH CUSTOMS AND IN DAVID BLOOMFIELD’S CASE WHEN HE ARRIVED AT RAF WADDINGTON GUARDROOM TO REPORT TO HIS NEW UNIT WAS CONFRONTED BY A SENIOR N.C.O. AS TO WHY HE WAS WEARING CIVILIAN CLOTHING AND NOT UNIFORM, AND LATER HAD TO BUY HIS FULL UNI- FORM FOR £35 FOR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WHICH WAS NOT HIS FAULT! THIS IS THE SQUEAKY CLEAN IMAGE OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE.

THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS STILL TO BE ANSWERED, THE ‘NITTY GRITTY’ QUESTION WHY DID IT HAPPEN HAS BEEN ANSWERED AND WE KNOW THAT NEGLIGENCE BY PILOT ERROR WAS THE CAUSE AND AS YET STILL TO BE ADDRESSED.

MY INTENTIONS TO FLY AGAIN AFTER I LEFT THE SERVICE OF THE R..A.F. HAS NEVER BEEN FULFILLED, I DO NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO TAKE TO THE AIR AGAIN, TWICE BITTEN IS ENOUGH BECAUSE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF HASTINGS TG579 CRASHING INTO THE SEA AT GAN WE TOOK THE ‘WHITE KNUCKLE RIDE’ ON THE 2ND MARCH 1960 AT KARACHI VIA A BRITANNIA XL638 ’SIRIUS’, WE LANDED AT KARACHI, REFUELLED, TOOK OFF WHEN WE HAD ANOTHER EMERGENCY IN AS MUCH THAT A NOSE WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILED TO OPERATE RESULTING IN ’A NOSE WHEEL RED’, AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT NO PASSENGERS WERE INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS SAT BY A WINDOW AND COULD SEE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SMOKE COMING FROM NUMBER THREE ENGINE, I STOOD UP IN PANIC AND CALLED THE CABIN STAFF OVER (A SERGEANT) WHEN ALMOST IM- MEDIATELY A MEMBER OF THE CREW (CAPTAIN?) CAME OVER THE TANNOY SYSTEM TO SAY THAT WHAT WE WERE SEEING WAS FUEL BEING JETTISONED AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE SMOKE WAS IN FACT ATOMISED FUEL. TERROR WENT THROUGH MY BODY FOR ONE HOUR AND TEN MINUTES WHILST WE CIRCLED DUMPING FUEL AND AIR TRAFFIC CHECKING THE UNDERCARRIAGE NOSE WHEEL WAS DOWN, I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THE FEAR THAT I AND OTHER SURVIVORS ENCOUNTERED, THIS SPREAD TO OTHER PASSENGERS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE HASTINGS INCIDENT. TWO OTHERS ON THE BRITANNIA WERE JOHN BAWDEN AND BRIAN WILMER WHO HAVE MADE CONTACT AND RECALL THE WHITE FACES AND KNUCKLES OF THOSE SURVIVORS AND HOW THE EMERGENCY FIRE CREWS AND AMBULANCES LINED THE RUNWAY AND CHASED AFTER US WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN SAFELY! I SWEAR THAT IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN A PARACHUTE AT THAT TIME I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THIS EASIER ROUTE OF ESCAPE......

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Mum, when he then became Precht, the pilot on the General Field Officer for both the Royal Sikorsky Liberator which British Legion and SSAFA. crashed at Gibraltar. Keeping in Touch He was a highly intelligent man Raimund was with 24 Squadron with an acerbic wit which he at Hendon from 1943 to 1945 retained until the end. He will and held the Croix de Guerre. RECENT LOSSES certainly be a difficult act to follow“. Regards Wendy Anwyl Notification of his death was Arthur Mitchell died on 11th Dec Hughes sent in by his dearest and closest 2001 of stomach cancer at Bath ———————————— friend Edith Thomas who nursed Hospital. The burial took place at Peter McCann was a Sqn Ldr him to the end. He was also St Mary's Church, Calne on 21st pilot on 24 before retiring to known to Jock Hannah of the Dec. He was previous Secretary work as Citizens Advice Association. to 24 Sqn Association, treasurer of Bureau Advisor i n ————————————— the Britannia Association, Chief Hampshire. Peter was on the Flt Eng for Monach Airlines. A Squadron from 1959 to 1961 good story teller and ex Halton stationed at Colerne and flew Pilot who flew 15 types brat. Hastings before being of aircraft leaves RAF discharged in Feb 79, We were Arthur Mitchell's funeral was informed he died in November attended by the Standards from the 2000 by his wife Christine who RAF pilot Raymond Evans RAFA and the Royal British visited 24 Squadron and asked has left Lyneham after more Legion. Many local retired aircrew the padre at RAF Lyneham to than four decades of dedicated were present, including reps from conduct the Service of service. In his time, Flt Lt 24 Sqn ,The Aircrew Assn, Thanksgiving. Evans has flown 15 different Halton, Lyneham, Calne ———————————— aircraft during 12,000 hours of Businesses, Monarch Airways. Frank Dewell was a pilot with flying time. There was a memorial service in the Squadron from 1944 to the New Year. 1947 flying Yorks out of ————————————— Bassingbourn and Lyneham He has served in both the R W A Hughes Sqn Ldr RAF before eventually retiring with Falklands and Gulf Wars, as Retired (Hughie) RAF No. 577955 the rank of Wing Commander. well as the Bosnia conflict. He His son Len informed us that It is with considerable regret that I joined the RAF a& an aircraft Frank passed away on 15th apprentice in 1959 and applied have to inform you that Hughie March 2002. died on 20 December 2001 from for aircrew 1 training -after stomach cancer. ———————————— five years of engineering He bore his illness with great Flt Lt Raimund Puda passed work. Later he applied for a fortitude and dignity and is really away on 17th March 2002. commission as an engineering missed by Jo, Robert, Wendy and Raimund was a Brigadier officer, but was offered, and David. General in the Czech Air Force jumped at, the chance to and was a remarkable and His daughter, Wendy, wrote to say unique aviator. His career become a pilot. As the oldest “Dad was a Navigator with 24 included being involved with trainee pilot at the time, Flt Lt Squadron at RAF Colerne from the Battle of Britain, flying in Evans completed his course in either 1961 or '62 to 1967, first the French air Force and a record time. He arrived at flying Hastings, then Hercules. Captain on Czech Airlines, a Lyneham in 1975, having We lived at 6 Beech Road, North career that spanned 24 years trained to fly the Hercules and Colerne. and included over 80 aircraft the second half of his career types. proved just as eventful as the For those friends of Dad who may first. be interested Mum, Jo, has early A military service and stages of dementia and is at St. interment took place on May Stephen's Care Home in 5th at the Brookwood Military He helped rescue British Worcester where she seems very Cemetery attended by the personnel from Iran after the happy, although still asks after Czech Ambassador and Air collapse of the Shah's regime Dad at times. Dad retired from the Chief Marshall Sir Foxley to Nepal, took part in the air RAF in 1977, and had a very Norriss, Chairman of the Battle bridge during the Falklands successful career after that, finally of Britain Association. war in 1982, and completed retiring at age 74 to look after Raimund will lie next to Eddie (Continued on page 15) Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 15 two tours of duty away from the wings to be completed in Tel: 01375 407740 Lyneham. due course. It is expected that ————————————— it will take another four years Sqn. Leader J.R. Ramsden 24 On his return to Lyneham he to finish the work. The job Squadron (54430) R.A.F. became the station's unit test done so far has resulted in a pilot, carrying out trials on pristine finish which former I wonder if you would please new pieces of equipment, production line workers have help me with any information including the chaff and flare described as: "Better than regarding Ramsden. Normal defensive aids. Finally he when it left the factory". research is impossible as returned to fly with 24 WW2 records are not yet Squadron, before being Fly Past 11 June 2001 available at the P.R.O. discharged from the RAF after Ramsden's group includes an 42 years. ———————————— A.F.C. (L.G. 9/6/1949) and this, plus surprisingly his other Lyneham spokesman Flt Lt I am looking for information on medals are all individually Tom Draper said: We wish the usage of the Grumman Goose named. The L.G. listing him a long and healthy with No. 24 Squadron. I believe doesn't give any details of why retirement and all the best for a Goose called MV993 was the decoration was awarded the future." operated by No. 24, but beyond and any information you may that don't know a whole lot. Do be able to provide would be you have any other information? gratefully received. From Wiltshire Gazette and Herald, Jan 2002 If you have any information, ————————————— So writes in Alun Mummery, contact Derek Linder at once again any leads via the GRUMMANGOOSE.COM or Editor. reply to the Editor. DUXFORD'S YORK ———————————— FUSELAGE COMPLETED ————————————— Snippets Duxford Aviation Society's York is well on the way to If anyone has any information A few books that may be of completion of its surrounding the crash of No24 interest to readers spotted during Squadron Wellington on the the year. mammoth restoration. afternoon of 3 December 1943 at Standon, Herts, I would be very Aircraft Illustrated have done THE RESTORATION of the grateful to hear from them. what they call an "Extra" on fuselage of Avro York G-AM The pilot of the aircraft was F/O "Hawker - Pioner of Air fighting at Duxford, Cambs, has R G Warmington, who was by Charles Bowyer, phone # recently been completed after killed along with the rest of the 01932 26622 for details or some 14 years of work and crew, with the exception of two contact Aircraft Illustrated by e- has been outshopped into the ground crew, who were on board mail at [email protected] colours of Dan-Air. The at the time. I understand that the aircraft was on a flight test, when They say all of us have one book aircraft is due to move into it suffered engine trouble, and Hangar during May and is in us and our new Chairman, crashed into a wood near the Keith Chapman is no exception. promised a secure future village of Standon. Keith's book is titled "Military inside, as the awarding of its I am about to investigate the air transport Operations" and is Lottery Grant was on crash site, and any further published by Brassey in the Air condition that the airframe background information would Power Series ISBN is 0-08- must remain under cover. be very welcome. 034749-5.

G-ANTWs paintwork has David Ashley John Mitchell who is the taken two years to complete, 30 Lenmore Avenue author of Nav’s Diary needing six coats which were Grays, Essex informs us that “Hendon all applied by hand. Two of RM17 5NZ Aerodrome – A history” by David Oliver contains a the engines have been email: davidashley@blueyonder. wealth of information on restored, with the others and co.uk Squadron history and Page 16 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

training. It was in September He was not an Association 1941 or there about that the member but sonic may Memory Banks 2 servicing personnel moved remember him as Cpl. into workshops and Meredith who was with the alongside the railway squadron from Sept 41 to late Dear Editor embankment and W.O. 43 I think having earlier Stride and Sgt Sharp (both ex served as a wireless mechanic apprentices) took us over. I servicing Hurricanes at sea on 24 Squadron Association had left the Squadron before freighters in the early Battles Magazine. Bill Lavers misfortune but I of the Atlantic. remember him as a very nice I have enjoyed greatly the quietly spoken chap, very We had kept in touch and in Summer Issue No 8 of the much liked. fact my wife and I looked him above and correspondents up in May last year and he articles. That of Jock Hannah Jock also mentions Robbie was somewhat ailing then. particularly grabbed my Robson who was one of the Unfortunately I shall be attention as I was on the Sqn straight wireless ops with the unable to attend the reunion from 6 June 1941 until posted squadron when I arrived. We activities again this year but non-effective in early October met by chance at Prestwick in wish you all a successful and 1942 so have a personal October 1944. By this time I happy occasion and hope this interest in sonic of its was also flying having taken trip down memory lane will be contents. His reference to W.0 an air gunnery course a few of some interest. Bill Laver was particularly of months after returning from interest as I new he had been my internment in Spanish Stanley A Wheeler killed in a crash but did not Morocco. We were in the know the circumstances. Terminal at Prestwick having When I joined the Squadron, just delivered a Liberator from Bill was a F/Sgt and in charge Dorval via Goose Bay prior to of both the ground servicing picking up another and flying wireless mechanics and the on to S.E.A.C. Regarding the flying wireless ops. Flamingo aircraft there were five on Squadron in June '41 At this tune we had a motley and as I recall it the reg nos. of aircraft including DH were R2763, R2764, R2765 Dominie's DH Flamingos and R2766 and R731? of these Lockheed Electras these R2766 was fitted out for V.I.P being the operational Pipes use with luxurious swivel am amongst a number of others chairs. The odd one out R731? that never left a hangar. never flew to my knowledge. Expansion took place at this tune and Lockheed Hudsons This brings me to the began to arrive and the photograph on page 23, this of strength of the ground wirless course is not a DH Flamingo mechanics was increased from but a DH Dragonfly, a larger 2-Aircraftsman Benson and version of the Dominie. As I myself to 4 initially with the remember one of these arrived arrival of A/C's Eric Meredith early in 1942. Some members and Tom Weekes but by may also remember the four October the strength was up to engined Fokker 111 airliner 6 actual wireless- operator which arrived around this time mechanics and wireless and of course the Airspeed mechanics, Benson and I Oxford Ambulances.' I being the former. We were mentioned Eric Meredith also strengthened by-the above and have to tell you that arrival of wireless. operators he passed away early this year. awaiting their fluffier aircrew Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 17

the NAAFI could supply whisky and gin but more In technical respects we were Diary of a Navigator exotic drinks and favourite very fortunate to find two wines had to be found from friends, experts in their Pt 5 No 10's resources. particular field of civil aviation who had hitherto The galley of the York when been ignored by the Ministry ohn Mitchell’s account of she was first delivered had a of Aircraft Production and the his VIP flying with the 'hay box', a keep-warm bomber design teams in Prime Minister, Winston apparatus, which assumed that Manchester. They were Churchill in 1943 we would always load GEC's Aviation Division continues in this fifth pre-cooked meals at base. Manager, Frank Buckle, who instalment. Whilst the design genius who came up trumps with galley installed this device might equipment made from SOME LESSONS LEARNED have foreseen of modem day RAF-provided raw material tourist class airline catering, (eg sheet aluminium), and Mr It quickly became clear to us that Lew Rumbold of apart from getting from A to B the RAF had no means to provide such rations, and we Cricklewood who seemed to on time and in comfort, the be the only manufacturer who Prime Minister expected a high quickly saw that the PM would never have accepted could make lightweight standard of catering wherever we aircraft furnishings. (Both were. Once out of the UK we such restricted catering, even if it had worked on the maiden were to play a big part in the should have to rely on a local furnishing of the interior of Commander-in-Chief s voyage. the Skymaster for Mr Residence for top-class Churchill's later use in the re-victualling. Fresh, clean water Thus as soon as the aircraft autumn of 1944.) was of course a must: we could returned to base after HM's only carry a limited quantity. The flight, urgent modifications emptying and cleaning of three were needed to the galley. A Another good friend was the lavatory cans (of basic Bomber grill of some sort was Senior Rolls Royce Liaison Command standard, I might say, essential: fast heaters were Officer to the RAF (Mr Bill except for the PM's to which the needed for hot drinks: a Lappin) who was on hand to inventor of the Elsan had fitted a toaster was a'must'. learn of the behaviour of the flushing pump which could only Alterations were needed to Merlin engines in their re-circulate the contents but little improve the crew transport role for the first else) was a problem - easy accommodation in the forward time. Information was needed enough on an RAF staging post, cabin and more stowage was by the firm for the post-war but elsewhere ...... needed for my navigation sale of Rolls Royce engines in gear, for the wireless civil aircraft and, of course, to operator's requirements and maintain the reputation of the The RAF even at home base was firm in the eyes of the Prime ill-equipped to store the cutlery for the flight engineer's tools and spares. Another big Minister. From then on we and china, the linen and blankets were to have a permanent clean and dry - in a Spitfire modification needed was the removal of a heavy wooden Rolls Royce representative hangar. So, we resorted to the available at Northolt. airing cupboards etc of the conference table from the Northolt Officers' Mess. In these main saloon and its early days, too, a 2,000 gallon replacement by a much lighter At the front end of the aircraft petrol bowser had to be specially tubular aluminium folding it was soon obvious that the despatched from Hendon for our table. This would make a big two bunks on the starboard use, for Spitfires did not need weight saving in furnishings. side in the forward cabin fuel in that quantity. Gradually would have to be sacrificed to these problems were overcome So it came about in mid July provide accommodation for and their solution became 1943 that the aircraft was the flight engineer, Jack routine. But the provision of returned to Messrs A V Roe at Payne. Further space was food, in rationed UK, was to Woodford (Manchester) for a needed for the crew's remain a problem and its solution month while essential accoutrements, for we were overseas was often unorthodox, modifications were carried likely to be 'en route' for but our provisions usually out. several days at a time satisfied the Owner. Drink - well, between major bases. For Page 18 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

navigation alone, 1 needed to and most likely cranked into the gyro-stabilised drift and carry a quantity of maps and steering mechanism, so that there groundspeed meter was charts as well as ephemeral is no need even to guide the provided. US-made, it was a data in various Navigation vessel himself. considerable improvement on, Tables, etc. Thus the forward and vastly more expensive than, cabin was to be used for the However, 50 years ago in my the rather primitive RAF optical crew, except when we were own earliest experience of drift-sights then available. Of obliged to provide a seat for the navigation, the RAF was still course, such an instrument was detective. The aircraft was ingeniously adapting the again dependent on flying within flown back to us at Northolt in time-honoured methods of the sight of the land or sea. It all the first week of August, with marine navigator to the speed seems so primitive these days and environment of an aircraft. when such airliners as the its galley re-designed and other Boeing 747-400 series will be modifications incorporated. We When out of sight of land these methods were basically flown over very long distances now included a Sergeant Chef with a flight-deck crew of just in the crew and a Steward, both position-fixing by astronomical observations and/or by primitive two, with not a chart-table or a found from the RAF Officers' star in sight, and capable of an Mess at Hendon. Corporal and scarce radio bearings, plotted against the accurate landing approach in Shepherd, the first steward who dead-reckoning of the aircraft's almost blind conditions. was really the CO's batman, progress. The 'run' between such was retired to his normal position fixes gave a somewhat Learned papers have been duties. With the assistance of inaccurate measurement of the written about the accuracy of the PM's valet, Sawyers, we track-made-good and speed, as astro-navigation in an aircraft. now had a formidable 'cabin well as a measure of the wind Even with a post-war periscopic staff. vector over a past period or sextant it would be difficult to distance. Such out of date claim a position fix by such So much for the general information was then applied to methods of better than ± 10 problems of operating an the next sector of the flight to miles, and this after some 10-15 airborne private yacht in modify the forecast wind vector. minutes of post observational wartime on overseas journeys These methods may seem calculations - or 'sight reduction involving absences from home extraordinary to the modern by spherical trigonometry' - as practitioner, but this was all we the Admiralty Manual of base of up to three to four had - not exactly accurate, nor Navigation quaintly puts it. So weeks at a time. These had timely enough to make good a navigation was a laborious task never been encountered on the landing approach in adverse and not very precise except pre-war Empire air routes. weather conditions! One was within sight of the ground, or They landed their slow but dependent on sight of the with radio navigation help luxurious aircraft each night, ground, both en route and on towards the end of a flight, when the passengers slept in hotels or arrival, except at very few the accuracy could be rest houses, and the aircraft was sophisticated bases, where radar progressively improved until the re-victualled from pre stocked approach control or early airfield was in sight. stores. Neither had they been versions of beam approach met by the King's Flight whose systems existed. We were thus dependent very aircraft had never travelled much on a view of the stars, or outside Western Europe. We All these navigation processes sometimes the sun and moon in had to learn as we went along, involved manual observation of certain daylight periods; ergo, and try and forecast what the stars (measurement of night flying was preferred, which would be needed. altitude) with a bubble sextant, in any case was essential for the manual manipulation of an safety, at least on entering or NAVIGATION AND ALLIED airborne radio direction-finder, leaving the UK. In the later years PROBLEMS IN WARTIME and the plotting of the resultant of the war, when we had position lines on the chart: little installed both 'Gee' and wonder that a full-time navigator 'Loran' - hyperbolic radio In these days of automatic was carried in a long-range navigation systems displayed on navigation (whether by inertial aircraft and that he needed space a CRT - navigation became very or satellite systems), even the on the flight deck for his chart much easier. The former was most hardened single- handed table and equipment, with access highly accurate over short sailor need only press the right to the 'astro dome' from which he ranges, the latter gave enormous button and look at his watch: hey could observe the heavens. To help over trans-oceanic presto! And the course to steer to complete the navigation 'fit' of distances. But these systems a pre-set destination is produced the York, an accurate, could only help in the areas they Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 19 covered - no such thing in the knowledge of the wind hours ahead, is really asking the Middle East or Russia! component over each section of impossible. The best that could the route, even today. Modem be done would be to suggest So we spent long night hours, forecasting methods provide alternatives, if Northolt were preferably flying above cloud fairly accurate information for fogged-out, but this was but seldom above 8-10,000 feet the flight-planners of the air something the PM hated - the when the Owner was travelling, routes, enabling them to feed the idea of being diverted to with oxygen masks almost glued automatic systems. Even so, Prestwick or Leuchars with the to our faces. Jock Gallacher, our aircraft do not always keep to prospect of 12 hours in the train, Wireless Operator, was of great time and Captains may address when he could have another day assistance to me, extracting their passengers with the in the sunshine! But it was the radio bearings from neutral, and welcome news that a more Captain (sometimes with the sometimes enemy radio beacons favourable wind has speeded up Navigator) who received the when they could be exploited. their arrival, only to lose that blast when unwelcome news had time waiting for a landing turn. to be explained. Whilst the In wartime there were few Captain's decision was deeply Our routing was designed to weather reporting stations probed, there was no question of keep us out of range of the overseas, although the coverage attempting to pressurise him. Luftwaffe JU 88's based in improved as the Mediterranean Senior RAF officers kept well Brittany, when departing from or area was cleared of Axis Forces. away when such decisions were re-entering the UK. In the early For long-range flying out of the being made! days also, we kept away from UK, these observations had to the Iberian coastline: long-range be sent home, in code, and then 26 This depressing statement of Focke- Wolf Condors were digested and plotted on a known to prey on unarmed the forecaster's problem was weather chart before being partly overcome by self-help. transport aircraft if they had any re-issued as a route forecast. inkling of the victims' passage. That is, from in-flight calculation Delays and gaps were inevitable; of past wind components and Less fortunate aircraft in transit in these latitudes the prevailing to and from the UK with limited visual observation of the weather weather tends to come from the around us cloud formations, fuel reserves necessarily had to West, across the Atlantic where skirt the coast and some fell foul turbulence, outside air weather observations were temperatures, etc. These taken of AA fire from armed fishing limited to reports from a few boats. together could often give us ships and the occasional some idea of the movement of in-flight report. Theoretically, weather systems as they affected With the primitive nature of our for flights to the East, it should our route, perhaps meeting a navigation, it will not seem have been easier to provide weather front sooner than surprising that timing of an accurate forecasting, but forecasted or finding that a front arrival was something of a Bomber Command was all too that looked threatening on the problem. I have already related often the victim of failure. To met chart had, in fact, died away. how, on the occasion of the first the South West and South it was It was said that the 'winds and Royal Flight in 1943, our early very difficult to get it right. the tides are on the side of the arrival caused some able navigator' - perhaps it embarrassment to the 'Meeters Imagine the problem of the RAF applies in the air, too. and Greeters' at Northolt on our war-time weather forecaster in return from North Africa. Whilst Cairo, being asked to provide a To the joint problem of we were aware that we were route forecast for a non-stop ahead of time in sufficient time navigational accuracy and flight to the UK taking some 15 weather forecasting is the closely to make some adjustment to our hours, for the VIP passengers schedule, we were specifically related factor of the aircraft's and crew to make a decision on range. With full tanks the York forbidden by the Air Equerry to whether to go or not, some 24 slow down or otherwise had an approximate endurance of hours ahead of the start of the some 13 hours to 'dry tanks', lengthen the time HM need flight. Naturally, Mediterranean endure the noise and discomfort operating at a take-off weight of weather itself was relatively easy 63,000 Ibs. I say 'approximately' of the flight. Due to enforced to handle, but the local man radio silence we were unable to for inevitably fuel consumption would have to rely on signalled is affected by the air temperature inform our base operations in information from the UK for sufficient time and we arrived and flight altitude chosen or estimates of the northern half of compelled by circumstances, to very much before we were the flight and for UK landing expected. fly. Because of the extraordinary conditions. Guessing whether design of furnishings with which there would be morning fog at we were originally encumbered, All air navigation relies on Northolt, in the winter some 36 including a solid conference Page 20 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

room table in veneered pear wood (provided , we were told by a well-known Manchester departmental store), we found on re-weighing the aircraft at Northolt in a 'ready-to-go' condition, that we had virtually no pay-load to speak of when fuel tanks were full! The Captain applied immediately for technical permission to raise the take-off weight to 65,000 Ibs, as for operational Lancaster of the time, which had the same engines. This was quickly granted with the proviso that we too fitted the Lancaster's strengthened undercarriage (the Mk IV) which came with the new treaded tyres and improved brakes, modifications we were glad to see incorporated. But this concession gave us but 2,000 Ibs in payload which was not much when divided between the eight passengers we expected to carry at night! About 250 lbs per head - just add the PM's estimate body weight to his baggage! For short daytime flights we were often to carry more than eight passengers. Fortunately, the York, like a Lancaster, could take it.

However, one does not fly an aircraft to dry tank limits, even if the destination is perfect in every respect.., though we once did fly 'Ascalon' for more than twelve hours when the PM was not on board. The longest flight with the PM was ten hours and fifteen minutes when we had landed, in Algiers sunshine, with some two hours' fuel in hand. Safe enough when flying into good weather and a reliable landing forecast, not so funny if there was a risk of diversion and/or the need to make more than one 'stab' through the overcast to find the runway. Such was the occasion of the first flight that I made to Moscow, when we had had a very indifferent brief as to the exact locality of the Central airfield (Khodinka), no local maps provided by our Russian hosts and had to land in low cloud and rain.

Thus the York was perfectly adequate for flights from the UK to the Mediterranean theatre, provided we staged in North Africa and used the 'Atlantic Route'. After the liberation of France, routing to and from the Middle East became shorter and easier. But the PM had wider ideas of where he might fly to in his comfortable aerial yacht, perhaps to visit the troops in India and the Far East, or more important in the shorter term, to cross the Atlantic to meet the President - at the drop of a hat! The York, however enhanced, was quite incapable of this. We the crew already had cast our covetous eyes on the President's Douglas C54 (Skymaster to the RAF and likely to be available under leaselend). We briefed the ADC with a certain amount of sales talk and, in October 1943, there was the first mention of such an acquisition in minutes exchanged between No 10 and CAS's office.

The real photo of a DH Flamingo sent in by W K Knight of Bromsgrove. Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 21

24 Sqn – Report for Honorary Air Commodore – 2001

ANNUAL REPORT - XXIV SQN agencies.

The past 12 months have been the busiest for In addition to the extremely busy tasking, the Sqn XXIV Sqn since the Gulf War. The year said farewell to the final K crews in March. The commenced with 8 C130-J crews carrying out occasion was celebrated with a large beercall and approximately 30% of RAF Lyneham's Strategic pig roast. Later in the year the Sqn assumed Tasking (ST). This workload increased throughout responsibility for all the Conversion Training for the year until by the end of December the Sqn was the C130-J when JCF was placed under OC carrying out over 50% of Lyneham's ST with 16 XXIV's command. At the same time the Sqn also Main Sqn crews and 8 conversion crews. In commenced Line Training, which also resulted in addition to introducing the C 130-J model into much flexibility and change. Both of these events front line service, the Sqn has been involved in all were a first for RAF Lyneham and showed that the major Operations and Exercises throughout the XXIV Sqn is the spearhead for innovation and the year. new 'modus operandi' of the C130-J. Finally, in November the Sqn moved to new accommodation The majority of the Sqn's tasking was for OP that had been vacated by 57(R)Sqn. The Sqn is RESINATE/WARDEN in support of the conjointly housed with 3 0 Sqn, who will reinforcement of units in the Gulf and reform into a C130-J Sqn in April 02, and presently Mediterranean. This has resulted in up to 3 crews benefits from much improved accommodation, being in theatre at all times supporting the Slip services and communications. pattern. In addition, our crews have supported OP PALATINE, OP AGRICOLA and OP The Sqn's affiliation with HMS CAMPBELTOWN, BESSAMER, the support and resupply of NATO our informal twin from the RN, and 12 Air Support troops in the former Yugoslavia. Regular tasks to Eng Brigade, our informal twin from the Army, Northern Ireland in support of OP BANNER the continued throughout the year; however, as a result continued support of troops in Sierra Leonne on of the high tasking we were unable to host, or be OP SILKMAN and 0Ps FINBAR, to Minsk, and hosted by, our twin units. In July, OC XXIV, Wg MARCO POLO, to the USA, have allowed crews Cdr Rick Hobson and Flt Lt Dan Thomas hosted to broaden their experiences and ease the children from Lyneham Infants School. OC XXIV monotony of the Gulf Schedule. Sqn had the pleasure of formalising the adoption of aircraft ZH881 by the School. Later in the year, the Towards the end of the year, Sqn crews flew many Sqn was invited to be affiliated to the Carmen sorties in support of OP VERITAS, operations to Livery company, a Guild Company from London; rout the Taliban and their terrorist supporters from the formal affiliation should occur in Spring 02. Afghanistan. Furthermore, our crews have recently returned from a very successful detachment to The affiliation between the Sqn and Burton Hill Thumrait where the serviceability and flexibility of House School for Disabled Children, our the C 13 0 J was highlighted in the completion of nominated Sqn charity, has continued to flourish. over 140% of the required tasking and gave the Early June saw Sgt Tracey Butler and helpers crews the chance to really explore the capabilities support the School Summer Fete, bringing and of the aircraft. setting up tents for stall holders, providing all the equipment and running a can and bottle stall. The Although Operational flying has provided the Fete raised over £4000, with the XXIV Sqn stall majority of the Sqn's tasking throughout the year, contributing £385 to the overall figure. In addition, crews have had a chance to travel the world in the XXIV Association of 'Old Boys' raised an support of EX SAIF SAREEA H, in Oman, EX additional £65 at their Annual Dinner in RED FLAG to the USA and EX DISTANT September. In November, Sqn Ldr David Manning FRONTIER to the USA and Canada. The Sqn has hosted children and helpers at the Stn Firework also been fortunate to receive Red Arrows tasking. display, which was a great hit with the children. In Lucky crews have visited the Middle East, December, Sgt Tracey Butler and helpers helped to Malaysia, Far East and Australia promoting the run, and provide food for, the annual Christmas Red Arrows, the RAF, UK industry and the C130- party for the children. As usual it was an immense J. Furthermore, our crews have displayed the C success and the headmaster, staff and pupils were 130-J on the ground at major airshows throughout all grateful for the continued support that we give. the UK and Europe and had the opportunity to We in return, are proud to help a very deserving carry out promotional photo shoots for the RAF PR cause. (Continued on page 22) Page 22 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

Socially, the Sqn started the year with the Ladies Dining Society (LADS) which was a great hit with the girls. The Sqn members who served the girls will have long lasting memories of the night. Apart from a few beer calls and the odd pig roast most of spring was quiet as the tasking took most of the Sqn away from Lyneham. However, the Families Day in June proved to be a great success thanks to Flt Lt Andy Ellson who conjointly organised the event with his 30 Sqn counterpart. In July and August there were modest outings to the Classics on the Wing Concert at RAF Lyneham and the Firework and Classical Concert at Bowood House. Bowood is always a firm calendar favourite with much Champagne, fine food and wine consumed whilst listening to excellent Classical Music.

Tasking started to ease towards the end of the year as we received more trained crews. This allowed us to let our hair down with a few beercalls, the Annual Oktoberfest, the Squadron Officers Dining Society (SODS) luncheon and the Sqn Christmas Revue. Overall, it has been a challenging year for the Sqn that has explored and taxed the resources of all Sqn personnel. However, throughout the highs and lows of a difficult and constantly changing year the spirit and motto of XXIV Sqn has shone through: 'In Omnia Parati' in all things prepared.

The Photo Album - a selection sent in by John White

Mess Party at Hendon circa 1944 – W/C John Collins, John Mitchell and Jock Fraser all in fine voice Twenty Four Issue 9 Summer 2002 Page 23

The Photo Album – continued

Taken at Hendon on 10th Dec 43 on his crews return from a tour of Italy and Sicily with Canadian De- fence Minister, Col. Ralston. John White and crew on extreme right and Malta Shuttle symbols on air-

On the Malta shuttle – taken late afternoon outbound from Gibraltar – Jan Rijkhof and John White. Page 24 Issue 9 Summer 2002 Twenty Four

vividly back to mind the world of a dedicated task force that was sworn to secrecy for over LATE NEWS 30 years. Churchill described them as " The geese that laid the golden eggs but did not cackle". SUMMER SOCIAL 8th June @ Station X Bletchley Park lays credit to a number of firsts, Bletchley Park the most significant being that of inventing the modern day computer. The Enigma trail starts With the flags still flying along the where the guide finishes and is a very Buckinghamshire lanes for England's 1-0 win comprehensive collection of exhibits and hands over Argentina, what better time for the on areas for young and old. We only had time Association to meet up to learn a bit more to glance over only a small part of what was on about another great victory. show, so allow plenty of time if you decide to go. The long planned date for the Summer Social proved to be a fair one out of so many grey and All the volunteer staff at Station X obviously dour days that have been an excuse for summer enjoy their job, as it rubbed off and made our so far. day out a memorable one as well. It was a thumbs up vote as we all agreed the final score Our party of 14, plus a double agent in the should remain Code Breakers 1 Germany 0. guise of Richard Bates, shadowing the Association squad with his BRIXMIS party on a similar mission, assembled in the library for our pre tour briefing. The guide for the day was one from around 40 volunteers that take parties round the site every 30 minutes.

This 1.25 hour tour is packed full of facts, sights and long gone landmarks that bring

A snap of the Association Members at Bletchley, 8th June 2002 by John Martin