Here is a transcript of a letter sent by F/O Gleig who was on the aircraft when it crashed.
I’m not too sure about the word Pinnace as it was difficult to make out the letters in his handwritingNov 24th/1945
Dear Mr Dolphin
It is strange indeed that I should hear from you today. Last night I had a dream & in it I was looking over Dougs scrap book & snap album again. I saw his snaps taken at Elementary & Service Flying School. The Middle East & Castle Archdale.
I recall in the dream how much I wished I had kept such a collection of momento’s. The reason I did not was due to the feeling I had throughout my service career that I might not return & would avoid such a collection being received by my wife & son.
Yes mr Dolphin, I was a member of Dougs crew from OTU in Scotland, right up until the night of his death.
I learned to know him as a fine big youngster with the keenest of blue eyes. Good at billiards & snooker & especially good at Push penny, a game I used to play quite often with him in the mess.
I could never beat him!
As a Captain he was superb. Fully confident & capable & one who gained the respect & admiration of all the members of his crew. His flying was perfect & his knowledge of all grades of aircrew trades extraordinary.
Night landings were just as routine as day landings with Doug at the controls. Never a bump or a bounce. We were always waterborne before we knew it.
Just prior to our accident we had been grounded for a week or so due to maintenance on our own aircraft. Then the inevitable circuits & bumps by night program came out with our names on it. It called for F/L Dolphin & skeleton crew of five.
Doug was to give instruction to two junior Captain pilots in take offs & landings.
Doug asked me to be one of the five crewmembers & I was proud that he thought my services were necessary. We were not familiar with the other two pilots – they had just arrived from OTU.
The other crew members besides Doug & myself were Dave Parry – Airgunman, Taffy Ford & Bill Cummings 1st & second engineers, Johnny Green & myself W.A.G.
The lough was glossy calm that night which makes it very difficult to land. Only by watching the instruments can the pilot hope to make a good landing.
Doug did the first couple of circuits and each time his take off & landing was perfect. He then instructed one of the other pilots to take over whilst he sat in the second pilots seat. My position was on the wireless set except before take offs & landings when I would flash the Pinnace in charge of the flare path by aldis lamp to get permission to take of & land.
A blackout curtain separated my position from that of the pilots so I did not see either Doug or the other two pilots after take off. Green & Parry stayed below decks in the ward room after the initial take off.
The other pilot took off OK, & I could hear Doug giving him instruction in landing technique over the intercom during our approach to land. The pilot seemed to be coming in left wing low & I remember I looked out of the astra dome and saw the 1st flare path light disappearing under our wing. Doug told him to gun the throttle & pull her up & once again we made the circuit only to follow the same procedure. The third time we seemed to be coming in nice & level. I could see the visual horizon from the astra dome. When up came the nose and then down with a crash!
It all happened so sudden I don’t think any of us knew just what was happening, except the pilot flying the aircraft. No word was spoken over the intercom.
I found myself flat on my back on the deck being crushed between the wireless and navigators tables. The water came in fast and I could see my way out through the astra dome above my head, if the metal would even release me. I prayed like I’d never prayed before. Then all of a sudden I found myself free and able to fight the astra dome catches off and remove the dome. I slid right into the water followed by the two engineers. The other two pilots escaped through the pilots window just as the aircraft disappeared 45 seconds after the crash.
I looked around for Doug & the other boys Johnny & Dave but could not see them & right up until the dinghy picked us up I kept expecting to see their heads come popping to the surface. Reluctantly we were taken away for the shore leaving the Pinnace & its crew to continue the search. Somehow I think that Doug was either knocked out unconscious or attempted to get back to myself & the other boys. Knowing Doug I know that his own safety would be his last thought.
It was just like losing a brother to lose Doug and my deepest sympathy go out to Mrs Dolphin & yourself as well as his lovely wife. He loved you all so much & was as proud as could be of you all.
Outside of the above I have little to add. I suffered only a fractured nose and badly bruised ribs & arm. I recovered back to flying health within five weeks. I did not write you Mr Dolphin because I just didn’t know where to start & Glen Ferguson our regular 2nd pilot said he would write.
I trust that this will help you in your determined effort to find Dougs body & that you get the satisfaction & peace of mind from out of your trip to Castle Archdale this summer
God Bless you
Yours sincerely
Tommy Gleig
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