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Date: | Sunday 14 February 1943 |
Time: | |
Type: | Vickers Wellington Mk IC |
Owner/operator: | ADU RAF |
Registration: | HX748 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Rul Dhadnah, 10 km SE Diba Al Fujairah -
United Arab Emirates
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Sharjah (OMSJ) |
Destination airport: | RAF Karachi (OPKC) |
Narrative:IWellington HX748 of the Aircraft Delivery Unit, 4 Ferry Control Unit, Middle East Command. On 13.2.1943, it landed at the Staging Post, RAF Sharjah, and on 14.2.1943, took off for Karachi. Some 30 minutes later, when over the sea, the pilot noticed oil on the reduction gear casing of the port engine. This coupled with a visibility of only 2 miles made him decide to return to Sharjah. After about 7 minutes the port propeller flew off . The pilot was forced to land on a rocky strip of coast at Rul Dhadnah, now in the UAE: the aircraft was badly damaged and the navigator killed. On 17 February, an aircraft (I presume a Bisley) from 244 Squadron Sharjah took off to drop supplies. This aircraft reported that four members of the crew were apparently uninjured. On 22 February three of the crew, rescued by the Royal Navy, reached Sharjah, the fourth survivor, the passenger, remaining on board HMS Capetown in order to continue his journey to Karachi. The crew and passenger were as follows: Sgt. G. Chadwick (pilot); Sgt. W.H (Billy) Donnelly (navigator); Sgt. G.A. Wharton (wireless operator); Sgt. W.J. Brown (wireless operator);
Lt.-Col. De Watteville (passenger). Billy Donnelly was buried by the crew near the aircraft.
Sources:
Personal and family research, local witnesses.
Air Britain: RAF Aircraft HA100 - HZ999, published 1989
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
14-Feb-2011 12:10 |
l.garey |
Added |
03-Jan-2012 05:19 |
Uli Elch |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
04-Jan-2021 17:38 |
Giggs |
Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator] |