Nor was it’s record in military service if the number of photographs about which show them going into the nets, up on their nose, over the side or any number odf other mishaps on board carriers are anuything to go by.

Hardly fair, considering we’re talking embarked operations here. Have a look at how many Seafires, Barracudas, Sea Furies and Firebrands ended up in a snotty heap on the deck of a carrier. Naval aviation is somewhat different to land-borne operation.

If it was a ‘red painted’ Sea Hawk, then it was on 26 August 1957 when the 738 Squadron’s solo display pilot, Lt D P W Kelly, failed to recover from a loop during a team rehearsal for the SBAC show and was killed when his aircraft (Sea Hawk FGA 6, XE381) crashed into a railway embankment near Arundel Sussex.

There was another accident on 1 September 1958, when Sea Hawk FGA 6 XE462 of 800 Squadron crashed at the diversion airfield at Blackbushe during SBAC display after its saddle tank caught fire; Lt Roger Dimmock ejected and suffered a broken leg.

Take your pick?

DW

Kelly wasn’t actually part of any squadron at the time of his death. He was loaned back to Ford from HMY Britannia especially for the show. This is why his headstone (in Clymping churchyard opposite the air station) has ‘HMY Britannia’ on it.

Production was transferred to Chester after the 300th aircraft had been built (04298/CF-GQQ) in 1951. The first Chester-built aircraft was 04299/LR-M-110 for the Lebanese Air Force.

Both Wessii are still on/in Fortuna Glacier, every now and then being uncovered by the glacier itself. One day, no doubt, they’ll end up getting spat out at the bottom somewhere.

Colour photos of both aircraft are in a certain book…..:eagerness:

Melv

Have you thought about having a look in either Annes Hill Cemetary or Haslar Cemetary? Although there are a small number of military graves (including German ones) in the former, the latter is probably the better bet for any local Naval casualties to have been interred. Those, of course, who weren’t returned to their home towns for burial. That might at least help with confirming the date.

Just a thought.

Lee

Lee,

Thanks for the reply,

All my information is from the pilots service record.
The document in question is regarding the loss of Sub-Lt Black is:- A.F.O 1380A/39
The information being recorded immeditly after the accident.
Definately 781 Sqn.

I used the F1180 quote as I had no idea what to ask for for the FAA losses.
The burial register for Hylton castle Cemetery has him as 55 OTU.

Does anyone have access tot he Navy list for 1941? so as to look up another version of Sub-Lt Blacks unit.

kind regards

Chris

Chris

“AFO 1309A/39″? This, to me, is Admiralty Fleet Order 1309A of 1939 which doesn’t make sense. Can you elaborate as to what this ‘A.F.O 1309A/39” is that you refer to? Without seeing it it’s difficult to say, but it may be the AFO which generated that particular version of the logbook page.

55 Operational Training Unit was a RAF unit based at RAF Aston Down as a fighter training unit. Doesn’t make sense.

FAAM have all Navy Lists but I can’t access them right at this minute. He may well have been a 781 Sqn pilot but, as I said earlier, the Swordfish he was flying would not have been.

Lee

Where’s Paul Macmillan when you need him

.. his base is listed as “RAF Wroughton” of which there was a RAF hospital!

Wroughton at that time was home to 15 Maintenance Unit.

Sea King ZA298 got mentionted “by name” (well, OK, serial number) several times, so I hope that it does eventually get preserved one day – the FAA Historic Flight perhaps?

After being shot down more than once, and still getting up to live and fight another day, ZA298 deserves to be spared, not reduced TO spares…

(Royal Navy Sea King ZA298 at Yeovilton Air Day 2012 – sourced from Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/20998733@N04/7430266716/)

Oh, and the incident referred to in the programme was this one http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084998/Royal-Navy-Sea-King-ZA298-war-downed-Taliban.html

ZA298 is up there with Chinook “Bravo November” as a long serving, long surviving chopper, and has earned a place in a Museum (FAAM perhaps?)

For a start, it’s ROYAL NAVY Historic Flight (I wish people would at least get the name right); secondly, there is very little chance RNHF will take delivery of a Sea King at any point. Let’s be sensible here, it’s tough enough keeping the existing fleet of (relatively simple) historic aircraft flying let alone add to it with a (relatively complex) aircraft like a Sea King.

But I feel sure ZA298 will ultimately find a good and suitable home.