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Aircraft by type |
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Westland Wyvern
Westland Wyvern S4 WN328 /
J371 830 Sqn HMS Eagle
Can anyone recognise the Wyvern Pilot who has just been rescued plus name any other person in the photograph ?
. . . the second on the left-hand side of the photo is Lt Dennis
McCarthy, RN who was on my flying course, and the person on the
extreme right wearing white shoes, is I believe Surg.Lt or
Surg.LtCdr Rawlings.
Can anyone provide information on
Commander Russell who lost his life when his Scimitar went off
the carrier and he was unable to eject. His photograph was taken
whilst trapped by the press and shown in many newspapers. He
went down with his aircraft and was recovered several weeks
later? |
| Date | Air Force | A'cft | Unit - Serial |
based |
crashed | crew | seat | photo |
| 8th June 1951 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern 2 | VW869 | A&AEE (Graduate no 9 Course )C Sqn | Lt CDR (e) D. K. Hanson ejected at about 1500ft at high speed but caught his left thigh and leg on the control column. He did not operate the manual ejection sequence and was killed | Martin-Baker Mk 1B | ||
| 7th April 1954 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern |
fire in air near Stretton. |
Lt. Newman ejected at 7,000ft., 200kts | [Martin-Baker Mk.1B | |||
| 13th October 1954 |
RN |
Wyvern TF1 | VZ783/X | 813 Sqn H.M.S. Albion, Mediterranean |
into the sea following catapult launch |
Lt. B. D. Macfarlane ejected under the water
suffering slight injuries [personal testimony] |
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Martin-Baker Mk.2B |
| 12th August 1955 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | WL877 | 813 Sqn HMS Eagle | Engine problems. Crashed near Naples | Sub. Lt. Steers ejected | Martin-Baker | |
| 14th November 1955 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | VZ778 | 813 Sqn HMS Eagle | Missed wire on HMS Eagle | Lt. Bushe ejected | Martin-Baker | |
| 17th November 1955 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | VZ791 | 830 Sqn HMS Eagle | Engine problems. Crashed near Winchester while carrying out dummy dives |
Lt. J. P. "Jake" Smith ejected [see notes ejected a second time but killed] |
Martin-Baker | |
| 17th May 1956 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | VZ791 | 830 Sqn | Crashed on approach to Hal Far | Lt. King ejected |
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Martin-Baker |
| 3rd November 1956[Suez Campaign] |
RN |
Westland Wyvern S4 | WN330/J379 | 830 Sqn HMS Eagle |
Hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gamil Bridge, west of Port Said, Egypt. The pilot glided the aircraft for three miles out to sea and ejected safely near the carrier |
Lt. McCarthy ejected |
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Martin-Baker |
| 5th November 1956 [Suez Campaign] |
RN |
Westland Wyvern S4 | WN328/J371 |
![]() 830 Sqn HMS Eagle |
The engine exploded while on air support operations for paratroop landings on Gamil airfield, Egypt |
Lt. Cdr. "Smokey" Cowling ejected safely. [personal testimony] |
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Martin-Baker |
| 14th February 1957 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | ?? | ?? | ?? | Lt. Barry B. Hartwell | Martin-Baker | |
| 17th September 1957 |
RN |
Wyvern | VZ795 | 831 Sqn | Collision with VZ798 near Littlehampton | Sub. Lt. Edward ejected | Martin-Baker | |
| 17th September 1957 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | VZ798 | 831 Sqn | Collision with VZ795 near Littlehampton | Sub. Lt. Smith ejected |
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Martin-Baker |
| 24th September 1957 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | VZ756 | 813 Sqn | Crashed on sortie from HMS Eagle | Lt. Michael J. Doust ejected |
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Martin-Baker |
| ?? September 1957 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern | Lt Robert Sandison |
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Martin-Baker | |||
| date needed - post 17th Sept 1955 |
RN |
Westland Wyvern |
830 Sqn HMS Eagle |
He joined "Eagle's" carrier circuit, and downwind at about 400ft he ejected for some unknown reason; there was no radio call and both he and his fighter were not recovered! | Lt. J. P. "Jake" Smith,RN ejected but not recovered | Martin-Baker |
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Lt. B. D. Macfarlane (RN retd.) Lt. Cdr. "Smokey" Cowling (RN retd.) Surg. Cmdr. RN. John Rawlings Dr. Davidson Michael J. Doust, Commander, RN(Rtd)
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Dear Mike, Have just had reason to view your history on Westland Wyvern ejections. I flew the Wyvern some 50 years ago! Hence my interest. You did not feature , Lt Robert Sandison RN's ejection, which was during September 1957, if my memory serves me correct. He lost control of the aircraft at low altitude not far north of Arundel, Sussex. Unfortunately he ejected too low and sideways I believe, and was killed. You can probably obtain more details from the FAA Flight Safety Centre at RNAS Yeovilton. His father Col. Sandison presented a solid silver trophy of the Wyvern to the FAA, to be presented annually to the FAA officer who made most progress both in officer like qualities and flying ability. It was awarded many times and eventually I would have the honour to be awarded it some ten or so years later. "Bobby" Sandison was trained in the States at Pensacola USNAS. 2. Regarding my ejection from a Wyvern . . . - (see Biographical details of Cdr. Doust by following the name link] Yours sincerely,
Michael
J. Doust, Commander, RN(Rtd)
Lt
Sandison's ejection has now been added - can anyone add further
details [Mike] |
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