Aircraft Down: Landings, Crash Landings and Rescues

by Alec Brew

  30. Lord Sempill (left) and Harold ‘Timber’ Wood, about to start on their flight to Australia.

  Fred Crocombe flew out to supervise repairs, taking the first available Imperial Airways flight. Unfortunately, the Imperial Airways schedule was badly disrupted when the Short Kent flying boat Scipio landed heavily in Mirabella Bay on 22 August and sank. On 28 August Crocombe boarded the Handley Page HP42 G-AAUC, Horsa at Kisumu to take him on to Karachi, but the captain felt the pressure to make up time. After refuelling at Basra on 28 August, he took off again at 22.30 hrs for Bahrain, without ensuring that Bahrain Station had been informed, perhaps because he had already been on duty for 18 hours. Bahrain did not light up, and with no moon the pilot was unable to find the island and overshot by 100 miles. These days the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia is a flood of light, not least from the many gas flares, but also with wide well-lit dual carriageways and brightly lit towns. In 1936 there were no roads in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, and no electricity. The first oil well was not drilled until the following year. Horsa would have been travelling over dark, featureless desert or sea.

  Finding themselves over barren desert at first light, and running short of fuel, they attempted a landing, but the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed. None of the four crew or nine passengers, who included one woman, the American authoress Jane Smith, were injured, and they settled down under the port wing to wait for possible rescue.

  When it was realised that Horsa was missing the Royal Air Force began to organise a search and rescue operation. Six Vickers Vincents of No. 84 Squadron took off from Shaibah in Iraq before dawn, to operate a search from Bahrain. The Vincent was a general purpose version of the Vildebeest torpedo-bomber. With a large fuel tank where the Vildebeest’s torpedo had been, the Vincent had a range of 1250 miles, and a reliable 635 hp Bristol Pegasus engine, so it was ideal for long searches. At 06.00 hrs a Vickers Valentia, J8921, of No. 70 Squadron followed from Hinaidi. The Valentia was the final development of the Victoria biplane transport, with Bristol Pegasus radials replacing the Victoria’s Napier Lions. It also had a beefed-up structure, which enabled it to carry twenty-two fully equipped troops; though it was rather slow, managing only 120 mph at 5000 ft. The Valentia had a five-man crew: Pilot Officer C Fothergill; Pilot Officer W Locker; AC1 Wyse, the wireless operator; Corporal Tyler and LAC Andrews. They landed at Shaibah and then Basra to pick up Group Captain W Calloway, Wing Commander A Briscoe and two medical orderlies. As they flew south they searched the Arabian coast from Mina Abu Ali to Bahrain, where they landed at 17.30 hrs. The six Vincents had searched but failed to find Horsa, landing back at Bahrain for the night. A second Valentia was ordered to Bahrain, to be equipped for supply dropping.

  The Armament Staff at Hinaidi worked all night to get Valentia K1311 ready, and it took off at 06.00 hrs, piloted by Flying Officer IHD Walker. He landed at Shaibah at 09.00 hrs to pick up further stores and personnel. Then, loaded to the maximum 19,100 lb, he took off for Bahrain at 10.20 hrs.

  Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant HR Bardon, the OC of ‘C’ Flight, No. 84 Squadron had located Horsa at 08.00 hrs. It was about 100 miles south of Bahrain near to a place called Salwah Wells, at the base of what would now be called the Qatar Peninsula. It was very near to the present-day Saudi Arabian border, though in those times borders were ill-defined and largely ignored by the locals. With two other Vincents Bardon located a suitable landing ground about one and a half miles away from Horsa, he landed, and marked out an airstrip for the Valentias.

  Pilot officer Fothergill in his Valentia left Bahrain at 10.45 hrs and reached the landing ground at 12.50 hrs. With members of his crew he then walked to Horsa, where he found the crew and passengers sheltering from the fierce heat of the midday sun under the wing. Jane Smith was reputed to be only wearing her cami-knickers, a garment she later autographed and presented to her rescuers! The passengers were all exhausted and needed considerable persuasion to leave the shade to set off across the featureless desert to walk to the Valentia. However in the end they drank the last of their water, about a cupful each, and set off. The captain and steward insisted on staying.

  31. The HP42 Horsa after it’s forced landing in the desert, with the passengers and crew sheltering from the fierce heat under a wing.

  32. The collapsed starboard undercarriage of Horsa.

  Even after a few yards, walking in the midday sun in the Gulf leaves one drenched in sweat, yet the sun burns all exposed skin. The temperature in the shade can reach 140°F in August, and away from the broad wings of the HP42 there was no shade. An even worse ordeal is the humidity experienced near to the Gulf coast. Further inland, in conditions of almost zero humidity, even 140°F is tolerable, but in high humidity, the body dehydrates rapidly, and rivulets of sweat pour constantly down. The summer heat and humidity of the Gulf is among the fiercest climates in the world.

  Before leaving, Fothergill sent 4 gallons of water back to Horsa. After a total of 6 miles walking in those conditions, one of the crew collapsed on the way back and had to be assisted. Fothergill took off at 15.30 hrs. local time and reached Bahrain at 17.35 hrs.

  Meanwhile, Flying Officer Walker had taken off from Bahrain in K1311 at 14.35 hrs, arriving at the landing ground at 16.35 hrs. The crew walked to Horsa, where they found the captain and steward, who were still adamant they wished to remain. The Valentia crew carried 150 lb of mail back to the landing ground, and after take-off dropped one container of water and one of food by the stricken airliner. Fothergill landed back at Bahrain at 20.10 hrs, after a total of 10 hours 25 minutes of flying, without a proper break or food.

  On 31 August both Valentias left for Salwah Wells at 08.30 hrs, and on arrival set up a ground WT Station at the landing ground. They fetched two loads of mail from Horsa, and then the medical officer forbade any further such work. This time they had taken a political officer, and he insisted on the captain and steward leaving. On arrival in Bahrain, the steward had to be admitted to hospital.

  On 1 September the two Valentias flew back to the landing ground, taking an engineering officer of No. 203 Squadron, a Singapore III unit, and a sergeant rigger and AC fitter of No. 55 Squadron, a Wapiti unit. They also took fourteen ‘coolies’ who carried all the remaining mail, the baggage and personal effects. During this operation AC Wyse collapsed and was sent back to Basra to be hospitalised.

  On 2 September the two Valentias returned to Iraq, J8921 arriving at Basra after a total of 25 hours 35 minutes flying and K1311 at Shaibah after 26 hours 50 minutes flying. Horsa was eventually repaired and flown out from a prepared runway. It continued to serve the Middle East run, until impressed into RAF service during the War. It survived until 7 August 1940, when en route from Ringway to Stornoway it force-landed at Moresby Park, Cumberland, caught fire and burnt out.

  Fred Crocombe, meanwhile, continued his ill-fated journey to Karachi, where with the help of the Imperial Airways ground staff he undertook repairs to the ST-10 Croydon. Lord Sempill had been forced to return to England on pressing business, and so Crocombe decided to take his place on the resumed flight to Australia, taking off on 11 September, with ‘Timber’ Wood as the sole pilot.

  They flew via Jodhpur and Allahabad to Calcutta, cruising at 75 per cent power, and yet managing a respectable average speed of 191.6 mph with a following wind. They then set off for Rangoon but flew into a frightening monsoon storm over the Bay of Bengal. The weather report had been promising, and they were cruising comfortably at 4000 feet through light cloud when suddenly they flew into a cloud front, which became a solid wall of water. The Croydon was flung about the sky like a toy, and Gilroy and Davies both hit the roof before they managed to strap themselves in. Crocombe, sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, was horrified as he watched the altimeter recording huge changes of altitude as the aircraft was flung up and then down. Rarely has an aircraft’s designer had to rely so heavily on his own calculations. Wood was often unable to say which way up the aircraft was pointing, as the instruments con
tradicted one another, and the seat of his pants told him something else entirely. A glance back into the cabin revealed the ashen faces of Davies and Gilroy praying for an end to it. After 45 minutes of this ordeal they emerged with much relief in calm air, glad to be in one piece. Fred Crocombe was to observe that, ‘Anyway we learnt that the cockpit and cabin were waterproof, that the wing tips did not advertise the severe bumps unduly, and that it was not difficult to keep dead on course in bad conditions.’ He added, ‘Naturally the longitudinal and lateral disturbances took some looking after !’

  33. The ST-10 Croydon after resuming its journey, at one of the stops in India.

  They reached Rangoon having averaged 186.5 mph, despite the storm. The flight continued via Penang, Batavia, Sourabaya and Koepang, and then over the Timor Sea to Darwin. Most of the flight in the tropics was carried out at 10,000 feet, which was sometimes quite cold after the extreme heat they found on the ground.

  ‘Timber’ Wood was often able to fly the plane with just a touch of the rudder bias now and then to keep on course. If the others did not move around in the cabin, he was also often able to fly hands-off as well. To keep him awake, and to relieve the boredom, Wood was kept going with a constant supply of coffee and cigarettes. Over the Timor Sea they had a problem with the compass, which appeared to be reading 10 degrees out, a problem that was to have drastic consequences later.

  They then crossed Australia via Daly Waters, Brunette Downs, Cloncurry and Charleville to Melbourne. Over Australia the air was very bumpy, and Wood was not able to relax quite so much, especially as navigation was very difficult over the unmapped expanses of the outback.

  Unfortunately, because they had not broken the record, Major Anson would not buy the Croydon, but they undertook a number of demonstrations, including flying from Melbourne to Sydney in only 2.5 hours. In contrast, Crocombe took 15 hours on the train in returning. They also took part in the Victoria Air Pageant on 26 September and won the Herald Cup with the fastest time.

  They decided to attempt to break the record for the homeward flight, because they knew the aircraft was capable of it, even at 75 per cent power. They flew from Melbourne to Darwin on 6 October, taking off from Essendon well before dawn and arriving just as the sun set, having averaged 188.4 mph. Although their agents in Melbourne, Robert Bryce & Co., had arranged with the authorities to telegraph Darwin with news of their flight, they only did this when it was too late to contact Koepang, which had gone off the air. They intended to take-off for Koepang early in the morning, but as they knew that there was a Qantas flight due in from Ranbang just after dawn, they assumed the Koepang W/T operator would be on duty in time to give them bearings. This was important because they had only been able to contact Darwin W/T when just 80 miles away, and they were still unsure of their compass.

  On the outward journey there had been an increased deviation the further east they flew, rising to a maximum 10 degrees over the Timor Sea. The compass had been found correct at Melbourne, and had not deviated as they approached Darwin, but they were still worried, and did not wish to rely on it. They hoped to take back bearings from Darwin, until Koepang came on the air to give them bearings.

  They took off for Koepang at 04.47 hrs the following morning using a flare path, and flew out to sea in the darkness on a compass course of 282 degrees, allowing for drift and magnetic variation; the true course for Koepang being 287 degrees. After 25 minutes they received their first back bearing from Darwin of 288 degrees, indicating that they were 1 degree north of track. Wood changed course to 280 degrees for 20 minutes, hoping to come back on line, but to their surprise the next back bearing still showed them north of their intended track.

  They suspected the compass was playing up again, as the weather seemed to indicate that their drift was negligible. To get back on track, Wood turned 5 degrees south, the compass course being 275 degrees. Twenty minutes later they received another bearing from Darwin and were perplexed when it was given as 289 degrees, indicating that they were still north of the intended track. For the first time, they suspected the bearings and Wood asked Gilroy to make a further check. He was told by Darwin that the bearing was ‘first class’, or plus or minus 1 degree. They were further puzzled that the compass error seemed to be opposite to the one they had experienced on the outward journey. They decided that they had to trust the back bearings from Darwin, as the W/T operator there was so confident of them, and Wood turned to a course of 270 degrees and flew for another 30 minutes, only to be told their bearing was still one degree north of track.

  It was now 06.33 hrs, and their ETA at Koepang was 07.15 hrs, so Wood decided not to make any more course changes, as a 1 degree change so near their destination would not make much difference. In any case, with Koepang situated at the western end of the island of Timor, if they were north of track they would be sure to strike land, and could then fly down the coast to find the landing ground.

  By 06.40 hrs their signal was so weak Darwin was unable to give bearings, and they could not contact Koepang. Wood descended through the haze to 3000 feet in the hope of sighting land. At 08.00 hrs, already 45 minutes overdue, they sighted a circular reef. They thought this indicated the nearness of land and began searching mainly to the north of the reef, but saw only two more reefs. Gilroy was trying to contact anyone on the wireless, hoping to check the location of the reefs, but could no longer even raise Darwin.

  By 09.00 hrs their fuel was getting critically low. They had started with 235 gal, and had a normal consumption of 45 gal/hr, which gave them a duration of 5.22 hours. At the northernmost reef they saw a fishing boat. After dropping a can near to it asking for directions, and getting no response, they decided to attempt a landing. With only about one hour’s fuel left, and no indication in which direction land lay, except their instinct that it was to the north, they did not wish to take the risk of landing in the sea, even though they did carry a collapsible boat.

  At 09.15 hrs. after winding in the aerial,Wood made an approach with the wheels down, just touching the surface, which seemed solid but covered with a layer of sea water. They strapped in tightly, Gilroy and Davies in the cabin, and Wood came in once more. Crocombe put the flaps half down and Wood came smoothly in executing a fine three-point landing and pulling up quickly to avoid some scattered groups of boulders, apparently avoiding damage. Seeing what seemed to be slightly higher ground further on, he began to taxi forward. However, then the tailwheel fell through the coral and there was a loud crack, and the tail dipped, the elevator control going soggy.

  Switching off, they clambered out and examined the aircraft. The tailwheel had fallen through the surface crust of coral and the yoke was broken. Wood had hoped they might get fuel to the reef and take off again, but now there seemed no possibility of that. They were about 10 yards from the west side of the reef, where the coral dropped steeply away and large waves were breaking. Fred Crocombe was once more stranded by an airliner with a broken undercarriage in inhospitable surroundings, as he had been seven weeks before. Apart from the heat, however, his situation could hardly be more different.

  They wound out the aerial using the oars of their collapsible boat to hold it aloft, but though they could hear Darwin and Koepang, they could not contact them. As they were overdue, all shipping in the area had been alerted, but they had force-landed on Seringapatam Reef well to the west of their intended track and so immediate rescue was unlikely.

  In an attempt to improve transmission and to recharge the battery, which was running down, Wood started the port engine, which was equipped with a generator. By 11.15 hrs they were resigned to the fact that they were out of range of all W/T stations. It was now abundantly clear that the tide was coming in, so they contacted the fishing boat and were taken off. The only word the fishermen understood was ‘Koepang’ and when SS Nimoda came across them, and took them on board, that is just where the fishermen had been heading – without the dubious aid of compasses or back bearings !

  They had landed on the
reef on one of the three days per month when it was uncovered. At high tide the same day it was covered to a depth of 3 feet. Later in the month it was covered by 14 feet, so that was the end of the Croydon, which had had a brief but adventurous existence. Crocombe had to admit, ‘One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was to leave the aircraft stranded, through no fault of its own, standing up like a monument in the clear atmosphere until the sea eventually claimed it’.

  34. The ST-10 Croydon after its forced landing on the reef.

  35. The crew of the Croydon examining their supplies shortly after landing.

  Seringapatam Reef was 600 miles from Darwin on a bearing of 262 degrees, which indicated a compass error of 15 degrees. Koepang was 267 miles away, so they would not have been able to reach it even on a direct route from the reef, and the nearest W/T station was Broome on the Australian coast, 300 miles away.

  An investigation into the affair by the Australian authorities placed most of the blame on the shoulders of the Darwin W/T personnel. Owing to the error known as ‘Night Effect’ they should not have allowed Wood to rely on bearings given during darkness, and especially around sunrise, something the pilot should have known as well. In particular, the W/T operator should not have stated that his bearings were ‘first class’, as the report states ‘. . .when they were most certainly not of any class at all’.

  Fred Crocombe had been rescued unharmed twice from forced landings in the space of seven weeks, once from the desert and once from the sea, surviving a monsoon storm in between. He went back to General Aircraft where his designs included the Hamilcar glider and the Universal Freighter, which became the Blackburn Beverley when the company was taken over by Blackburn. ‘Timber’ Wood became General Aircraft’s chief test pilot, and made the first flight of the Universal Freighter. Having seen the Beverley into production, Crocombe left Blackburn & General Aircraft and joined Boulton Paul Aircraft as chief designer. He was later to give talks on his many adventures back in 1936, when he flew to Australia and back, the hard way.