ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 90379
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| Date: | Wednesday 2 May 1945 |
| Time: | 02:50 |
| Type: |  Consolidated B-24 Liberator. |
| Owner/operator: | 355 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | KH210 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 11 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bay of Bengal -
 Indian Ocean
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Salbani, Bengal, British India |
The RAF B-24 crashed in the Bay of Bengal when the No1 port engine caught fire, about 2 hours into the flight to bomb gun positions protecting Rangoon. Per Eric Kightley, the fire spread to the second engine and the pilots lost control of the aircraft which forced them to ditch.
All but two of the crew were lost. Co Pilot Mick Pullen and gunner Eric Kightley survived. They were rescued by US Catalinas after 16 hours in the water. Flying as a passenger on the aircraft was Wing Commander James Brindley Nicolson VC DFC. As a Flight Lieutenant with No.249 Squadron Nicolson was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the air over Southampton on 16/8/40. J.B. Nicolson is commemorated on Column 445 of the Singapore Memorial.
Sources:
1. Eric Kightley’s flight log book and diary.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._355_Squadron_RAF#History
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brindley_Nicolson
4. Court of enquiry documentation from Australian War Memorial
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Feb-2011 05:16 | angels one five | Added |
| 26-Jul-2013 16:57 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2019 06:34 | Kightley | Updated [Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Oct-2019 00:02 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Jan-2022 18:02 | Kightley | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 05-Jun-2022 15:59 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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