As for the Mustang crash, he was there shortely afterwards and the cockpit was in the road at North Hyde Lane. He said it was red inside, but the two Canadians guarding it told him not to worry and said it was Glycol from the compass. One of the first people on the scene was the father of a family friend called Waters.
Very interested to read the stuff on the Gaston Riggs crash, there is quite some interest on this incident on the Heston Airport Forum mentioned in previous postings.
The Glycol covered cockpit makes sense as the Mustang did have a coolant system failure which caused the sudden need to get down. There is an account here, http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/index.php/2002/09/the-airman-from-the-crash/ which makes interesting reading, although the role of the writer appears to have been “bigged up” a bit. Another Heston forum contributor had a relative who was also present and was commended for his actions in extricating the pilot, and is far more credible. However the red Glycol could be the reason for…
[INDENT]After discarding my bike, I ran to the aircraft and then clambered up onto one of the wings. I yelled for the pilot to get out, but he remained still. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and I noticed his forehead was bright red. .[/INDENT]
Interesting also is the fact that the guards were Canadians… and the writer of this account thought the pilot was Canadian? Coincidence, or confusion maybe?
With recent research we have built up quite a dossier on this incident and hope to publish something in the local press along with some sort of permanent reminder of the incident, and maybe submit the full story for publication in Flypast. Now…. I wonder if you might be able to do us a small favour and ask you dad to recall the incident in as much detail as possible and capture this for us in an email?? He clearly has a good memory of the crash… and with a little prompting maybe able to add some more details which although trivial may help to create a fuller picture? Anything would be of interest, from the general scene and what was where, to the conversations with the guards, the damage to the aeroplane, its colours and markings, the disposal of the wreckage (71 MU from Slough came a and took it away, it ended up in Slough) or maybe local views or speculation after the event?
Finally…the Mustang was a P51B and if the hood was seen in the road afterwards, maybe suggests it was a Malcolm hood version?? (I’m trying to make a model of the aircraft in 503rd colours)
Thanks!!
Colin
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