I’m currently uncovering numbers on the Napier Sabre for the Canadian Typhoon project, and have discovered that it is an early Sabre IIA (Serial number and engine mounts confirm this). On the side of the intake there is a stencil “228” which I believe was added during maintenance to identify it as belonging to a specific aircraft; understanding that this engine was dragged up from the channel off Hawkinge (by fishing nets), I believe it may have come from Typhoon EK228 which lost it’s tail on the 15th of July 1943 resulting in the loss of F/O (J/16675) Joseph Maurice CHALIFOUR-RCAF.
From my understanding EK228 lost its tail in flight over Hawkinge (in a dive) destroying the aircraft and killing F/O Chalifour, what I cannot find record of are the specifics of the crash location. If this engine was in fact fitted to EK228 during the incident, I am looking for any records or information that show this aircraft crashed into the channel not on land.
Another interesting note is that EK228 lost it’s tail in July of 1943, new Typhoons were fitted with the modified balance weight starting in March of 1943, and the older airframes were all being modified. If this is the case EK228 must have been one of the last aircraft not fitted with this crucial modification.
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By: Alloy - 5th July 2015 at 05:16
So far a good deal of conflicting reports on this one, most saying that the aircraft lost it’s tail and crashed into the ground; but one that mentions the pilot may have run out of oxygen at 10,000 ft before crashing into the ocean. Given the information on this engine I am inclined to believe it crashed into the channel. Does anyone have the ORB for No 1 Squadron in July 1943? I would imagine that either oxygen or tail problems would be mentioned as the cause along with more accurate details regarding the crash location.
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July 4, 2015 at 5:34 am