Censoring of information about accidents was standard practice unless it was so obvious that not publishing would have made the situation worse. For example if a crash happened in a town centre (which did happen) it would be mentioned, but they tended never to name the town rather a general region would be used. Crashes out in the countryside were easy to make disappear.

The ones I’ve used are in two different series within AIR. The AI(K) interrogation and intel gleaned from crashed aircraft reports are in AIR 40, the first ones start at AIR 40/2394. The Fighter Command summaires were from memory in AIR 16, I’ll need to check through my notes to find those as I didn’t keep a copy of the printed sheet I took to the NA with the file references on.

I don’t have anything that would help with that aircraft, I know of the dig, it was mentioned in one of the early BAAC magazines but without details of the aircraft. Apparently the dig was in 1975.

The information I have came from various sources. The Barracuda and Walrus were both mentioned in High Ground Wrecks and Relics, the Albacore was brought up in a thread, possibly on here, about the Walrus. I can’t remember whether i’d already got the crew details before that thread or not. Either way I cross referenced all the names against the GRO Scotland database (Scotland’s People) when I visited their family history centre in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. The crew from the Albacore were from one of the Arbroath based squadrons and the Walrus from another, I also checked the names against the FAA Roll of Honour (http://www.fleetairarm.com/en-GB/rollofhonour.aspx) to get trade and squadron information.

The one name I don’t have is the survivor, I know from the Operations Record Book of No.9 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit at Errol (their medical officer attended the scene) that he was a rating.

I’ve got the following for the Albacore & Walrus accidents:

N4167
Herbert Mercer Pollock, Lieutenant, RN, 42, Pilot, Killed, Arbroath Western Cemetery, Compt D, North Border, Grave 20

Leading Airman Thomas David De Cunha, RN, FX95601, 22, Observer, Killed, Arbroath Western Cemetery, Compt D, North Border, Grave 35

Leading Airman, Cecil Herbert Grubb, RN, JX344902, 22, Air Gunner, Killed, Arbroath Western Cemetery, Compt D, North Border, Grave 37

W3023
Sub-Lieutenant (A), Douglas VernonLunn, RNZNVR, 23, Pilot, Killed, Strensall (St Mary) Churchyard, Grave 48

Leading Airman, Geoffrey Charles George Cuny, RN, FX89297, 29, Observer, Killed, Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery, Sec V.10, Grave 12770

I eventually found reference to the crash in an Australian paper called “The Age” from the 2nd November 1965.

“Johannesburg – The two man crew of a South African air force Buccaneer bomber being ferried here from Britain were rescued by the 13,694-ton Dutch liner Randfontein yesterday after crasing into the Atlantic the previous night. They kept afloat in rubber lifeboats – AAP – Reuters”

Sounds like they had good luck in being sighted, unless the vessel was aided by the crews’ SARBEs.

While not much it does at least answer the question.

Also there is mention in this link, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rsa/sqn-28.htm

Which bit of sea did it come from, if it was local to you I’d be going for a Hudson.

It has the look of a Hamilton prop, not overly different to some DH props though, but propellers isn’t a subject I know too much about.

Moggy, the Ju88 at Banks was the 7th April. The aircraft which was abandoned on the same night was http://laituk.org/Defiant%20N1694.htm, it was abandoned about half an hour before the Ju88 was shot down. Like you say, not far from the later interception but the aircraft involved in that shoot down was N3445 being flown by Flight Lieutenant West and Sergeant Adams.

The night of the 7th/8th May was also a busy one for the North West with a number of Luftwaffe aircraft being intercepted by Defiants from No.256 and No.96 Sqns. No.256 lost one of theirs to return fire from a Ju88.

Ozplane, do you have the airman’s name? There were only two survivors from the Ju88, the pilot and observer. The other two went in with the aircraft, though may already have been killed during the interception.