HMS Eagle aircraft loss September 1927

[Alex Smart]

Details from naval-history.net
HMS Eagle
18th January 1927
423 Flt. Burton, Chafe and Owens-Jones all killed.
1st February 1927
402 Flt. Lt.Mills killed.
9th June 1927
402 Flt. Lt/Cdr Forbes killed.
No other aircraft event is noted.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

There was no 432Flt. Brewer, Chafe and Burton were all with 423Flt and were killed in Bison N9972 (into rocks at Ghar Hasan)

Mills was killed in Flycatcher S1069 (collision with a Fairey IIID over Marsa Scirocco Bay)

Forbes was killed in Flycatcher N9887 (off Hal Far)

None has seemingly anything to do with Yugoslavia.

B Rgds
Stig

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Details from naval-history.net
HMS Eagle
18th January 1927
432 Flt. Burton, Chafe and Owens-Jones all killed.
1st February 1927
402 Flt. Lt.Mills killed.
9th June 1927
402 Flt. Lt/Cdr Forbes killed.
No other aircraft event is noted.

1/.
18th January 1927
Avro Bison II N9972
423 Flt 'Hermes' in Mediterranean ('26') 6.from 6.26 - 9.26:
421B Flt 'Eagle' ('34') (no date);
423 Flt Hal Far, EF shortly after TO, caught by downdraught, crashed over cliffs on to rocks, Ghar Hasan, Cat W 18.1.27. (Lt GO Owen-Jones RN, F/L CF Brewer DSC RAF,Lt E Chafe RN & Tel GW Burton all killed. (p.121).

2/.
1st February 1927
Fairey Flycatcher S1069
402 Flt 'Eagle' ('2'') by 1 Mock attacks, got to close and collided at 1,200ft with IIID seaplane N9576 of 481 Flt over entrance to Marsa Scirocco Bay, probably sun in pilot's eyes, Cat W 1.2.27 (Lt [F/O RAF] JY Mills RN killed, body not recovered. (p.175).

3/.
9th June 1927
Fairey Flycatcher N9887
402 Flt 'Eagle' by 5.27, crashed in sea Marsa Scirocco on low bombing exercise from Hal Far, Cat W 9.6.27 (L/C [F/O RAF] HMS Forbes DSC RN killed. (p.172).

See:
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units And Ships 1920 To 1939
Sturtivant,Ray & Dick Cronin.
Tunbridge Wells:Air-Britain (Historians),1998.
pp.121, 175 & 172.

Col.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Yep Colin

We have the same book

Cheers
Stig

[Boris Ciglic]

Hi fellows!

Thanks a lot for your answers! The crew of the plane survived, it was salvaged from the water and was aboard the lower deck when the carrier anchored in Split on 28 September. The plane was equipped with "bags filled with air for case of water landing" and that's how it remained afloat, I have no idea what this might be or whether Flycatcher or Bison (or both) had something like that.

Stig, yes please send it to me!

Best regards,
Boris

[Stig Jarlevik]

Roger that Boris

I have been out almost all day, and just got home, so I will fix it tomorrow

Cheers
Stig