Date:	Monday 2 February 1942
Time:
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	113 Sqn RAF
Registration:	Z7680
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Toungoo airfield, Burma -   Myanmar
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	RAF Mingaladon
Destination airport:	RAF Toungoo airfield

Narrative:
On 2 February 1942 the Blenheim IV Z7680 of 113 Sqn RAF flown by 2nd Lt N M ’Hookey’ Russel, SAAF, crashed when a tyre burst on landing at Toungoo, Central Burma. The aircraft bounced, then swerved to port hitting some barrels and caught fire. Just as Russel was halfway out, the fuel tank exploded. Burned from head to waist by the flames, he managed to drag himself clear of the inferno. Another man of 113 Sqn, Bill Clearihue, who was still in the cockpit of his Blenheim Z7859 after landing earlier, jumped out and ron over to the burning bomber. He jumped onto the wing of the aircraft and pulled out a heavily burnt Russel. The two other crew, Sgt Tom Barry and F/Sgt Allan Albert Tillott, both RAAF, escaped safely.

Not expected to survive, he did in fact recover after many weeks of intensive care. He was flown back to Calcutta where another pilot of 113 Sqn, Sgt ’Chappy" Chapman, saw him a couple of months later. He was down to only 130 lbs weight, still had burn marks on his face and was worried about losing the sight of his left eye.

According to Chapman, the above aircraft was flying from Mingaladon to Toungoo carrying his crews kit as well as that of Sgt J Chapman, who went on ahead taking the (ground?) crews in his aircraft.

"Bloody Shambles, volume two: the defence of Sumatra to the fall of Burma", by CHristopher SHores, Brian Cull & Yasuho Izawa. ISBN 0-948817-67-4
"The Bristol Blenheim: A Complete History", by Graham Warner. ISBN 0-85979-101-7
"Air Battle for Burma: Allied Pilots’ Fight for Supremacy" by Bryn Evans. ISBN 978-1-47385-892-3
http://113squadron.com/113_squadron_personnel.htm
http://113squadron.com/id21.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taungoo
http://www.maplandia.com/burma/bago-pegu/thoungoo/taungoo/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Feb-2017 11:25	Laurent Rizzotti	Added
09-Oct-2018 17:24	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
24-Feb-2022 10:39	Nepa	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]