Incident Westland Wapiti Mk IIA K1279 ?,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 173013
 
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Date:Thursday 6 October 1938
Time:afternoon
Type:Silhouette image of generic wapi model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Westland Wapiti Mk IIA
Owner/operator:1 Sqn IAF
Registration: K1279 ?
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:between Shuidar and Datta Khel, North West Frontier Province -   India
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
On 6 October 1938, a Wapiti IIA of 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force had to make a forced landing. Mehar Singh and his air gunner Ghulam Ali had a nasty experience when, during a strafing attack on tribesmen in a particularly wild valley near Shaidar, not visited by the Army since 1890, his Wapiti was hit by bullets and fuel pipe damaged.

With great skill and verve, Mehar Singh force landed the biplane with bombs still attached, up-hill on a semi-flat spur on a mountain ledge. It was late in the afternoon, Mehar Singh and Ghulam Ali extricated the lewis gun, took refuge in a cave even as hostile tribesmen searched for them. At nightfall, the airmen walked back without maps, evading the hostiles and returned safely

%. Aircraft probably K1279 as all details appear to fit although operator given as 27 Sqn RAF.

Sources:

1. http://www.warbirds.in/Crashes/crdetails.php?crno=WW20004
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1_Squadron_IAF
3. http://web.archive.org/web/20130728123414/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Wapiti.html
4. http://web.archive.org/web/20131109220453/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1930s/Training-Days.html
5. Air Britain: "The K Kile - The Royal Air Force in the 1930's"

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
15-Jan-2015 13:04 Dr. John Smith Added
15-Jan-2015 13:06 Dr. John Smith Updated [Source]
06-Jun-2015 09:20 T.Taylor Updated [Operator]
04-Jan-2021 15:33 Castleace Updated [Registration, Source, Narrative]
13-Feb-2024 19:01 Nepa Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]

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