60 years ago today, Hastings WD492 was on a supply mission to the British North Greenland Expedition at Northice Camp. During a very low level free drop a sudden white-out caused pilot disorientation, and the aircraft crash landed, skidding along for a considerable distance. Luckily nobody was badly hurt, three people sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
Rescue was finally effected after a week by the USAF Rescue Service from Thule AFB, utilising an Albatros amphibian landing on its keel in the deep snow. The crew members then trampled out a rudimentary runway, allowing the Albatross to take off on its undercarrige with the injured. The remaining eight crew were picked up two days later by a ski-equipped Dakota, which made a spectacular take off with the assistance of JATO bottles attached to the fuselage.
The Hastings remains there to this day, waiting for global warming to release it from the snow and ice. As there are other examples extant, I doubt that anybody will bother to retrieve it.
By: Arabella-Cox - 18th September 2012 at 10:20
Since I dn’t do them, it really doersn’t matter.
I call the local lottery “taxes for optimists”. 🙂
I don’t do them either but they are still there although much reduced in importance since the advent of the lottery.
Like your defintion of the lottery, brought a smile to my face !!!
Planemike
By: J Boyle - 18th September 2012 at 09:53
Incorrect, you can still do the “pools” if you wish. Not sure if they are only on line. Wonder how many people do them.
Planemike
Since I dn’t do them, it really doersn’t matter.
I call the local lottery “taxes for optimists”. 🙂
By: thawes - 17th September 2012 at 23:50
Pathe covered the return of the crew to the UK plus some footage of the USAF rescue aircraft here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/ice-cap-men-home-aka-ice-cap-men-return-from-green
Frankie Burke the signaller is shown in some of the film. He and I were in the same crew when we flew with 99 Sqn in the early 1960’s, sadly he died a couple of years ago.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th September 2012 at 19:53
No…they have a national lottery.
Incorrect, you can still do the “pools” if you wish. Not sure if they are only on line. Wonder how many people do them.
Planemike
By: HP111 - 17th September 2012 at 18:33
a Movietone newsreel of the times ,
http://www.movietone.com/N_POPUP_Player.cfm?action=playVideo&assetno=96969
This is what I get when I try the link:
“The web site you are accessing has experienced an unexpected error”
By: groundhugger - 17th September 2012 at 17:55
movietone of the rescue
a Movietone newsreel of the times ,
http://www.movietone.com/N_POPUP_Player.cfm?action=playVideo&assetno=96969
By: Blue_2 - 17th September 2012 at 16:48
999 of them make no sense though! :diablo:
Shame it’ll likely never be recovered. Another one of those remarkable survival stories that will no doubt eventually fade away…
By: HP111 - 17th September 2012 at 14:12
Possibly still there. It pops up on a list of Greenland aircraft wrecks –
“Sep 1952 Handley Page Hastings 7807N3810W North Ice L-510 RAF. Tail visible. Fuselage used as depot.”
Congratulations on reaching 1,000 posts. 🙂
By: richw_82 - 17th September 2012 at 11:59
Possibly still there. It pops up on a list of Greenland aircraft wrecks –
“Sep 1952 Handley Page Hastings 7807N3810W North Ice L-510 RAF. Tail visible. Fuselage used as depot.”
By: HP111 - 17th September 2012 at 09:08
The question is, has it now been crushed by the weight of snow accumulated on top of it?
mmh, that attempt at a sensible discussion failed miserably!
By: J Boyle - 17th September 2012 at 00:43
JBoyle do they still do the football pools in the UK?
No…they have a national lottery.
By: thawes - 16th September 2012 at 23:25
Speaking of the Albatross and the USAF Air Rescue Service
I took this picture at the September 1954 Biggin Hill Battle of Britain display. It shows a Manston based USAF SA-16 Grumman Albatross doing a Rocket Assisted Take-off in front of the crowd. Very noisy ISTR.
By: David Layne - 16th September 2012 at 20:29
JBoyle do they still do the football pools in the UK?
By: David Burke - 16th September 2012 at 20:12
Greenland is defrosting at a fair rate of knots to the delight of the locals who want a slice of the oil underneath!! You won’t have to wait too long to see the Hastings!
By: J Boyle - 16th September 2012 at 19:52
Speaking of the Albatross and the USAF Air Rescue Service, here’s one of my favorite ads from the 1950s.
The members of that organization did splendid work around the world, often at high cost to themselves.
If I ever will the pools, I’d love to have an Albatross painted in period USAF markings…and a Sikorsky H-19 (S-55) to go along with it.
By: HP81 - 16th September 2012 at 13:02
As there are other examples extant, I doubt that anybody will bother to retrieve it.
Well I might, when I win the Euro Millions, then use the wings and tail surfaces to reconstruct the Hermes at Duxford:rolleyes::D
I have to go now, nurse has arrived with my medication.:)
By: HP111 - 16th September 2012 at 12:55
The question is, has it now been crushed by the weight of snow accumulated on top of it?
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September 16, 2012 at 12:45 pm