On the 14th February 1957 Westland Wyvern S.4 VW885 ‘689/FD’ of 763 sqdn took off from RNAS Ford on what was presumably a routine training flight *. Sometime later at 10,000ft over East Sussex and during a tight turn it flicked to port and entered an uncontrollable spin.
*764 squadron was at the time using two Wyvern aircraft for type conversion. In March 1957 this role was handed over to the Wyvern Conversion Unit until its disbanding in December of the same year.
A gentleman called Mr Kelly (not the landowner) was still a schoolboy at the time and he told me “I can remember it like only yesterday. Even though i was some two miles away i could hear this tremendous noise above. And although i couldnt see it, i soon realised it was an aeroplane obviously coming down and in some difficulty. The noise just got louder and louder, before finally there was a ‘boom’ as it hit the ground. After school i got on my bike and pedalled like mad to go and have a look at the crash site”.
Luckily it had come down in an empty field but very close to a locals house, so close in fact to be at the end of the garden.
Fortunately at around 3500ft the pilot Lt B. Hartwell RN had already decided that he could do no more and ejected using the Martin Baker Mk2.B seat. This he did successfully and was unhurt (although some locals rumoured that he had parachuted into a tree and had to be helped free, but i cannot confirm this).
The wreckage was subsequently collected by the RN and transported to the Accident Investigation Unit at RNAS Lee On Solent.
I don’t have a pic of VW885, but have included one of its sister aircraft VW886 ‘361/FD’ of the Wyvern Conversion Unit.
Having previously tracked down the the landowner last year i decided to drive down yesterday on my day off and have a look around. As previously mentioned the wreckage is listed as being removed by the navy, but i did find a bucket full of bits and pieces, some of which will take a lot of cleaning up.
For example pictured from top left clockwise are part of the port outer wing possibly from the wingtip, the top of possibly a mechanical pump, Dinky car and a Burgess microswitch.
Finding the childs period Dinky Toy Alfa Romeo racing car in amongst so much destruction was a reminder of how close to the house the aircraft had come down.
Rob
NB. Some of the above detail was gleaned from the pages of ‘Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft since 1946’.
By: Wyvernfan - 16th February 2013 at 15:28
Wow a Lanc, that must of been a lovely find Jim. How much did you recover apart from the engine?
As i said i hope to return to the site for another closer look when it warms up abit :).
Rob
By: Lincoln 7 - 16th February 2013 at 09:18
Hi Rob.
That’s how I found a Lanc, 27 ft down, it all started by using a metal detector and finding small parts. I then found out, that due to ploughing, most of these small parts were found around the outer edges of the field. I then sort of thought where the centre of the field was, and concentrated there, with a 3ft search head, with the discrimination turned “Off” that did the trick, and eventually found the wreck, It would have been about 20 miles away from the Sea, however 27ft down we came across the original Sea bed!! with sand cockles, and other sea shells.
So, two good finds in one, I understand one of the engines is in a small museum at Woodhall Spa.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Wyvernfan - 16th February 2013 at 08:58
Right, but which one are you referring to Andy – VW885 or VZ779? :confused:
Rob
By: Arabella-Cox - 15th February 2013 at 21:24
If its the site I think it is, then I am quite familiar with it!
By: Wyvernfan - 15th February 2013 at 21:00
PM sent 🙂
Rob
By: N.Wotherspoon - 15th February 2013 at 20:36
Yep – That’s the one – been on our list for ages & then finally got a lead from a local MD club – the WWII crash site in the next field was a bit of a surprise, but think we have identified it now – it was also one on our list but with no clues as to exact location. Hoping to return in the next couple of weeks with a few more detectors – Witness says the engine did not penetrate, but shot across the field through a couple of hedgerows before ending up in a bog – must have been pretty intact as doesn’t seem to have shed any bits along its path – Hoping there will be something at the initial impact site 🙂
By: Wyvernfan - 15th February 2013 at 13:57
Thanks Nick. Yes i’ve got the chance to borrow a Forster so thats the plan when the weather improves (it was bitter on Wednesday).
I’m intrigued by your Wyvern search though. Would that be VZ779 by any chance?
Rob
By: N.Wotherspoon - 15th February 2013 at 10:01
Thanks Mike.
An interesting point about the site is that i was told it made a crater in the field on impact, but although hilly there’s no dent or deviation other than natural lay of the land. They must of made a good job of filling it in.
It may warrant a closer look when the weathers warmer.
Rob
Rob – Get a Forster or two-box on it – Even if it didn’t go in, if there was any hole it would have been a good place to dispose of parts when they were “clearing” the site.
Incidentally we are also on the trail of a Wyvern – only witnesses traced so far were only young boys at the time and only allowed close enough to see scattered parts – only found a couple of tiny bits so far and we reckon they have indicated the wrong field + now found out a single engined aircraft came down hard in another field close by during WWII – so now the weathers picking up……….;)
By: Wyvernfan - 15th February 2013 at 08:45
Thanks Mike.
An interesting point about the site is that i was told it made a crater in the field on impact, but although hilly there’s no dent or deviation other than natural lay of the land. They must of made a good job of filling it in.
It may warrant a closer look when the weathers warmer.
Rob
By: Versuch - 14th February 2013 at 21:02
Interesting story and some wonderful finds.The car is a cracker.
Cheers Mike
Sign In
February 14, 2013 at 1:28 pm