RAF Hurricane ferry flight - Nigeria - Sept/Oct 1941

[Leendert]

In the (online) book "The Decisive Campaigns of the Desert Air Force 1942-1945" (Bryn Evans) there's an account of Fl/Lt Lewis Bevis who was in a ferry flight from Takoradi to Cairo in (likely) Sept/Oct 1941. Flight was with 6 Hurricanes and a Blenheim guide plane.

Bevis describes that flight encountered thick cloud over Nigeria (between Lagos and Minna) and that a fellow Londoner named Rick had descened thru the clouds, only to be found dead ten days later. His Hurricane had hit a mountain face.

Found no immediate result on CWGC (Nigeria, Ghana...) for full name of this pilot Rick (Richard?) from London.

Any help here welcome, thanks.

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello Leendert,
I could be wrong but I seem to remember reading a similar story in either Fly Past or Air Enthusiast some time back.
Perhaps others can pin point the article.

All the very best
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex,

Did some further CWGC searches.

Name is off, but only RAF pilot casualty buried in Nigeria in presumed time period is Sgt (Pilot) Leslie Luck of 229 Squadron, died 4 Oct 1941.
He was from Hendon, so in greater London area.

In another book while looking for 229 Sqdn I read that some pilots were sent to Takoradi to pick up Hurricanes and fly them to Egypt in Sept 1941...

Perhaps ORB of 229 Squadron can give further insight.

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
April
McVea( Northern Ireland), 216 Sqn.
August
Pettit( New Zealand) served RAF.

Alex

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by Leendert

Alex,

Did some further CWGC searches.

Name is off, but only RAF pilot casualty buried in Nigeria in presumed time period is Sgt (Pilot) Leslie Luck of 229 Squadron, died 4 Oct 1941.
He was from Hendon, so in greater London area.

In another book while looking for 229 Sqdn I read that some pilots were sent to Takoradi to pick up Hurricanes and fly them to Egypt in Sept 1941...

Perhaps ORB of 229 Squadron can give further insight.

Regards,

Leendert

Hello,

A possibility for Sgt Luck:

Hurricane II BD819 - Takoradi - Hit radio mast on low run: crashed and blew up, Oshogbo (Osogbo), Nigeria. 4-10-1941.

See: A-B/RAF A/C BA100 to BZ999/29.

The then, F/Sgt Lewis Stuart BEVIS RAFVR*, was piloting Hurricane II BN157. Bevis force-landed BN157 and overturned. He was rescued, slightly injured, and taken to Luxor where he picked up another Hurricane and continued his flight to Cairo (Kilo 8). He force-landed once again, and after much labour, was able to construct a rudimentary runway and later, take-off again landing at Asyut, in Egypt.

*Lewis Bevis KCVSA, (NYHL,1947), passed away aged 82, in NSW, on 18 April, 1997.

See:
A Prayer Answered.
F/Lt Lewis S. Bevis, RAF., MID.(3)
In - Odd Bods at War 1939-1945.
Kincumber:Odd Bods UK. Association (NSW Branch),1988.
pp.61-5.

See also:
Out of the Blue:The Role of Luck in Air Warfare 1917-1966
Lucas,Laddie (ed.)
Hutchinson:London.1985
pp.108-11

Col.

[Leendert]

Col,

Thanks for info on Sgt Luck. May not been the ferry pilot 'Rick' considering the circumstances of loss.

If details (dates) of BN157 are available, then possible more indication in what time frame the ferry flight was.
Lewis Bevis arrived in Takoradi mid-Sept 1941 and writes that not long after the ferry flight took place, together with all his mishaps in Egypt....

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have sent you a pm
Alex

[Leendert]

Thanks, Alex.

Hurricane BD918 may be of interest, yet write-off/accident must fall before crash BN157 of Lewis Bevis, late Sept or Oct 1941.

Regards,

Leendert