RAF Station Takoradi ORB under date of 8 January 1941 qoute:
HMS Furious arrived off the coast and “Monsoon” operation – 40 Hurricanes and 9 Fulmar aircraft – to be flown off and landed at Takoradi and then proceed to Middle East in accordance with Air Ministry signal X.43 dated 19th December 1940., commenced. The first aircraft to fly off the carrier were a formation of Skuas which were to land at Takoradi and then carrry out anti-submarine patrols while ”Monsoon” aircraft were being flown off. One Skua crashed on landing at Takoradi and was damaged beyond repair at this unit. Instructions have since been received for its return to the united Kingdom. The pilot and crew were slightly injured and were taken to hospital but not detained. At the close of the day 9 Fulmar and 12 Hurricane aircraft had beeen flown off the carrier. The operation of flying off was continued on the following two days when 18 and 9 Hurricane aircraft were succesfully landed at Takoradi making a total of 39 Hurricanes and 9 Fulmars flown off. Each Hurricane was flown off with six of the eight machine guns fitted, the remainig two guns per aircraft being landed from one of the escorting destroyers for onward despatch to Middle East by transport aircraft. The last Hurricane to leave the carrier crashed during the take-off and the airframe was returned to Freetown on board the carrier HMS Furious and her accompanying escort vessels left the vicinity on the morning of the 11th on conclusion of the operation.
This unlucky Hurricane was probably V7721 or V7723. Unfortunately I did not find the name of the pilot yet.
Additional information, as well as some photographs of the Hurricanes on board you can find in the book “Malta – the Hurricane years” p. 106-108.
I am very interested in in some words writen by your old friend about this operation.
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