Hector losses

[alex crawford]

Hi Dave,

I found quite a bit on the 'net about Haddenham including mention of the one wheel Hector. Unfortunately there was no mention of any other accidents.

Alex

[Peter Clare]

Alex,

Cummings in his book 'Though Without Anger' does not, in most cases give a crew list but he does list casualties.

18 May 1941
Hector K9751
GTS
Place. Thame

The aircrafts engine cut on take-off and it swung before tipping on its nose. The pilot was alleged to have been careless but there is no evidence as to how he was so implicated.

22 May 1941
Hector K9775
CLE (GTS)
Place. Thame

The aircraft was engaged in a sortie to Hatfield and return. On landing at the conclusion of the sortie the brakes were uneven and it caused a violent swing, leading to the aircraft running into soft ground and tipping on its nose. The pilot of this aircraft was Malcolm Strathdee, who was destined to pilot a Horsa on the first operation with gliders; Operation Freshman in late 1942.


28 May 1941
Hector K9782
GTS
Place. Haddenham

The aircraft was landing but the pilot bounced the aircraft in a heavy touchdown. however, the aircrafts wheels went into a furrow in the surface of a rough landing area and the strain proved too much for the undercarriage, which collapsed.


3 July 1941
Hector K8119
GTS
Place. Sydenham

The pilot made a bad landing and damaged the undercarriage. The aircraft was climbed away and then successfully abandoned by its crew.


6 July 1941
Hector K9723
GTS
Place Sydenham

During take-off the aircrafts undercarriage suffered damage and the pilot elected to abandon the aircraft rather than attempt a forced landing.

I'll post the others during the day.

Regards
Peter

[Peter Clare]

22 September 1941
Hector K9762
GTS
Place. Thame

On take-off the Oleo leg tube failed and this caused one of the undercarriage legs to hang loose. A crash landing was made but with an obsolete aircraft type it was not repaired.

[alex crawford]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the additional info. I've been in touch with Colin Cummings and ordered a copy of the book.

Hopefully the accident cards, F1180 will have the crew details I'm looking for.

Alex

[Henk Welting]

Alex,
Just one more turned up in my files:
K9747 crashlanded at/near Kidlington, Oxfordshire. F/Sgt J. SIMPSON - 844669 killed; death registered at Kidlington.
Regards,
Henk.

[Peter Clare]

A few More.

26 April 1942
Hector K9765
1 GTS
Place. Thame

The aircraft made a normal landing but it then struck a ridge in the grass surface, causing the port wing to drop and the undercarriage to fracture under the strain.


19 May 1942
Hector K9747
102 GOTU
Place. Kidlington

The pilot came in low and misjudged his approach, striking a 2 foot high pile of gravel on the airfield boundary with the left wing and causing the aircraft to overturn.


14 June 1942
Hector K9743
102 GOTU
Place. Kidlington

The aircraft was being landed downwind but it swung at the end of the landing run and the pilot checked this with rudder and brake but a swing developed in the opposite direction and the aircraft tipped onto its nose.


22 June 1942
Hector K8093
101 GOTU
Place. Kidlington

The pilot made a heavy touchdown and the aircraft bounced, he attempted to correct this with use of throttle but the aircraft bounced again several times and the undercarriage collapsed before tipping onto it nose. After comming to rest, the aircraft was damaged further when it fell back onto its tail.


29 June 1942
Hector K9755
1 GTS
Place. Thame

During the take-off run with a Hotspur glider in tow the pilot felt a bump on the undercarriage but he continued the detail and climbed to 2000 feet before releasing the glider. On looking over the side the pilot noticed the port wheel was hanging loose and so made a circuit and crash landed as best he could but the aircraft cartwheeled onto it nose. The pilot Sgt. C M. Ward was praised for his handling of the situation.

[Peter Clare]

The last couple.

30 July 1942
Hector K 8151
4 GTS
Place. Hill House Farm, Somerton, Oxfordshire

The pilot allowed the main tank to run dry before attempting to switch over to the gravity tanks and the engine stopped. The pilot landed in a field of standing Wheat with caused the aircraft to flip onto its back.


16 August 1942
Hector K8145
4 GTS
Place. Kidlington

The pilot, who had little night flying experience was attempting a landing in the dark but held off too high and the aircraft stalled onto the ground, landed heavily and its undercarriage collapsed.

'Though Without Anger' - Cummings.


Nothing listed for K9785.



Regards
Peter

[alex crawford]

Hi Henk, Peter

Many thanks for the additional info.The details on the actual accidents is very interesting and certainly more detailed than the basic info in the K File.

Alex

[G-ASEA]

I've found a list
22/05/41 Hector K9775 GTS crashed on landing Thame.
28/05/41 Hector K9782 GTS crashed on landing Thame.
06/06/41 Hector K9723 GTS crashed taking off Thame.
26/04/42 Hector K9765 GTS crashed on landing Thame.
29/06/42 Hector K9755 GTS wheel came off after take off, crash landed Thame.
13/10/42 Hector K8097 GTS crash landing Thame.
09/12/42 Hector K8142 GTS forced landing Thame.

Dave

[alex crawford]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the list. I'll have a look into these.

Alex