Charles "Crash" Evans

[Brian]

Hi guys

FAA again, Charles Evans again, but ............

Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Evans DSO DSC, the legendary Fleet Air Arm ace, was known as "Crash" - but why? Presumably he had suffered a number of incidents pre-war. Has anyone any record of these?

Apparently he had flown Fairey Flycatchers in the early 1930s, and was with 803 Squadron when war broke out, before taking command of 806 Squadron 1940-1941.

Cheers
Brian

[Col Bruggy]

Hi Brian,

Evans Lt CLG. 19 P Course. No.19 Naval Pilots Course. (RAF Base Leuchars 19.1.31 to 23.12.31) - Lieuts AF Black, JC Cockburn, JO Mansell, CP Wade, Sub-Lts JHT Boteler, CLG Evans, VD Gask, PLHD Irven. (p.305)

29/1/1932 - Fairey Flycatcher S1409 - Delivered FAA Pool 8.4.30; Tested after erection by Gosport workshops 20.6.30; 402 Flt "Courageous" by 10.31; At Netheravon, mid-air collision with N9611 in formation at 400ft over hangars, port wingtip and aileron fractured, unable to keep port wing up, slow spiral to ground, struck ground nose first, slight damage to tailplane. (S/L [FO RAF] CLG Evans RN slightly injured). (p.176).

22/5/1936 - Hawker Osprey III K3641 - Delivered 2 ASU Cardington 27.4.34; to PD Sealand 26.11.34; To Malta 22.1.35; To ME 14.11.35; 447 Flt for 1st Cruiser Sqn in "Sussex" (07'), fast deck landing, bounced, missed wires, drifted to starboard wing struck funnel, swung into island, "Glorious", Cat R (Lt [FO RAF] CLG Evans RN unhurt)... (p.229).

26.9.1939 - Blackburn Skua - Unidentified - 803 Sqn "Ark Royal" Do 18 shot down onto sea (Lt BS McEwen RN & PO BM Seymour RN picked up by "Somali" [a/c piloted by Lt CLG Evans RN & Lt WA Robertson RN also participated]. (p.156).

See:
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships 1920 to 1939.
Sturtivant,Ray with Dick Cronin,
Tunbridge Wells:Air-Britain (Historians),1998,
pp.156, 176, 229 & 305.

Col.

[Brian]

Many thanks once again, Col

Most useful

Cheers
Brian