ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 235080
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| Date: | Friday 13 April 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Martin Baltimore Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 454 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | FW793 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cesenatico -
 Italy
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Cesenatico |
| Cesenatico |
During the night of 12-13 April 1945 two Baltimores of 454 Sqn RAAF were lost without survivor while attacking targets on the Po River area.
To top matters off, Flt Sgt Islwyn ‘Taffy’ Griffiths landed his Baltimore V FW793 -G ‘Glamorous Greta’ very fast and overshot the runway of Cesenatico (454 Sqn’s base, a small coastal landing ground about fifteen miles north-west of Rimini) after the night’s operations. He applied hard brakes and the aircraft went over on its back on reaching soft ground off the end of runway. His crew were unhurt, but the aircraft was a write-off.
His wireless operator/air gunner, WO David Etheridge recalled what happened:
"We had already flown the previous evening at 1940 hours and we were off again at 0113. This operation was duly completed but trouble ensued when we landed back at base! One develops an instinctive feeling as a back seat passenger for realising that something is not quite as it should be and that night I had that very feeling. I felt - correctly as it turned out - that we were floating much too long before the wheels touched down and on such a short runway - there was little room for error (about 1500 metres only). We must have still been travelling at 60-70 mph when we stopped violently and the last thing I remember was my wireless table coming up rather fast in my direction.
When I woke up I was hanging upside down by my lap strap but apparently still in one piece and I was able to release myself and exit through the back hatch at some speed. Once outside I realised that we were upside down and that petrol was gushing from the wing tanks, Meanwhile Pilot and Navigator were both trapped and with considerable help from several South Africans, near whose camp we had crashed at the end of the runway, we were able to rescue them."
It was not the first crash for Taffy Griffiths. Fortunately for the squadron maintenance crews, his tour of operations was completed the same day and he left the squadron soon afterwards.
Sources:
http://www.454-459squadrons.org.au/downloads/Alamein%20to%20the%20Alps.pdf
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesenatico
http://www.maplandia.com/italy/cesenatico/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Apr-2020 06:04 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
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