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Date: | Monday 17 April 1950 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Fairey Firefly FR Mk 1 |
Owner/operator: | 827 Sqn FAA RN |
Registration: | PP434 |
MSN: | F6163 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Inland Sea, 3 miles south of Hiroshima, off Honshu -
Japan
|
Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
Nature: | Training |
Departure airport: | HMS Triumph, at sea off Honshu |
Destination airport: | RNAS Iwakuni, Japan |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:First recorded 31/1/1946 being delivered to RNAS Machrihanish from HMS Blackcap, RNAS Stretton, Cheshire. After long term storage, prepared for overseas shipment and shipped to RNAS Sembawang in March 1947. Issued for service with 812 Squadron FAA RN in October 1947. Next to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch AHU in January 1949. Shipped back to RNAS Sembawang on board HMS Unicorn, 30/9/1949 (received 2/1/1950). Then issued for service to 827 Squadron FAA RN on board HMS Triumph as "274/P" in March 1950.
Written off (destroyed) 17/4/1950: An unbriefed and impromptu practice dogfight took place when two Fireflies of 827 Squadron, Royal Navy encountered two F-51 Mustangs of No. 77 Squadron RAAF.
One Firefly (PP434) and one of the Mustangs (P-51D-25-NT A78-722, ex-USAAF 44-84721) collided and crashed. The observer in the Firefly, Petty Officer Aircrewman Stanley W. Gibbons did not bail out, and lost his life. The pilot of the Mustang (Flight Lieutenant W.B. "Blue" Rivers, RAAF) sustained slight injuries, and was picked up by a Supermarine Sea Otter aircraft
The Firefly's pilot, Lieutenant A. Baillie, suffered a broken arm and was rescued from the sea by Japanese fishermen. He was then transferred to a launch and thence to a RAAF Hospital at Kure
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004, p.248)
2.
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1950.htm 3.
http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a68c.htm 4.
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_6.html 5.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seto_Inland_Sea .
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
08-Mar-2013 01:19 |
angels one five |
Added |
09-May-2013 06:56 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
13-Jun-2014 04:55 |
angels one five |
Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
16-Nov-2014 00:54 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Registration, Location, Source, Narrative] |
16-Nov-2014 00:55 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |
16-Nov-2014 00:57 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Source] |
16-Nov-2014 01:00 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Aircraft type] |
12-Nov-2018 17:29 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
01-Sep-2020 20:37 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
01-Sep-2020 20:38 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
02-Sep-2020 17:55 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Other fatalities, Source] |