Air Crash - Jamaica 1950's

[5haron]

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[galcock]

hello everybody. I have only joined this site for one purpose and it is to let the Royal Welsh have a small piece of information. In the 1950's my father RSM J Alcock of the Coldstream Guards was posted to Jamaica to arrange the Trooping of the Colour for the Queens visit. We lived there for four lovely years. We lived near the airport on an army barracks which was close to the sea. Recently, researching my fathers army life, I came across an article which described an air crash into the sea near the camp where we lived in Jamaica. I now know the plane contained families from the Royal Welsh, as they were due to go home.
I was about five or six years old at the time. I remember being on the beach at the time of the crash and watching black jamaican men stripping off and diving into the strong sea in order to swim out to the plane which to me seemed a very long way out. The surf was rough and very high. We never swam on this side of the coast because the water was too dangerous. I did not see anyone rescued as my father took me away from the beach. It was all very traumatic and confusing to me. I did not know at the time that they were service families. Very sad.

My father was very friendly with the Royal Welch Bandmaster who was called Ted Featherstone. Years later his son, Ian, attended school at Christ College Brecan and I came there with a rugby team from Lucton School in Herefordshire. I would like to make contact with Iain again - can anyone help. Graham Alcock

[ap1]

A warm welcome Graham,

Are you referring to the Skyways crash of 1953, which we have done some research on in the past?

http://rwf-forum.co.uk/vBulletin/sho...t=newfoundland

[ivor43]

hi.
i have a great interest in aircraft and crashes.
a couple of points first it would seem that the Skyways crash was inbound as it refueled in the Azores, while Graham's appears to be outbound. the following link might possibly be the one.Especialy if Skyways lost the trooping contract. I will see what else i can find.
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1953/1953-19.htm



ivor

[ivor43]

Morning all.
just a bit more info re the Jamaica crash. It appears that they used 'Catalina's ' and the Load Star which were X USAAF, presumably War Surplus.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchi...0-%200500.html

scroll down to Caribbean Incident.



ivor

[ivor43]

hi.
Graham just found this. the last para explains your crash.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Roberts_(aviator).


ivor

[jungle1810]

Hello,
The details in Al Poole's thread were correct in regards to the plane that killed many personnel including Wives and children from the first Battalion I also heard that a member of the first battalion changed places with another R W F man to be with his wife and family sooner.and to coin a phrase how lucky can you get. In 1993 a reunion was held in Jamaica for the "Band boys of the first battalion R W F". We held a church service in the garrison Church to remember and honour the victims of this crash.Both the former members of the R W F band and the Jamaica defence force played at this service. As Al stated not a body or piece of wreckage was found in the wide search around Newfoundland over several days. The plane used had a some what chequered history in as much as the wings held the fuel and once the plane was airborne and covered some miles every one sighed a breath of relief. But in point of fact this plane had to have repairs carried out in Iceland, these repairs were supposedly carried out but the plane did take off and circled and landed again and a new engine fixed to the plane. This second take off succeeded but the plane went down off Newfoundland as stated with the sad loss of life as enumerated by Al Poole. The official report could not pin point the cause of the crash, pilot error was ruled out and the and the repairs carried out were not held as being responsible for the crash.In point of fact this crash was quite a mystery to the enquiry that was carried out to try and establish the cause of
this crash. But a reference was made to the abnormal weather conditions prevailing at the time.Regarding Vori's thread a plane did crash of Jamaica at the time he stated.
Regards R B D aka jungle1810

[Keith Jones 989]

hi.
i have a great interest in aircraft and crashes.
a couple of points first it would seem that the Skyways crash was inbound as it refueled in the Azores, while Graham's appears to be outbound. the following link might possibly be the one.Especialy if Skyways lost the trooping contract. I will see what else i can find.
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1953/1953-19.htm

ivor

Never been tempted to try one though, heh, Ivor?

[jungle1810]

Hello,
I have found an e mail from late Bill Horton M B E about the air cash of the families of the 1st Battalion R W F. I quote "At 23-25 hours on the 1st of February 1953 the York air craft G-A H F A whilst engaged on a trooping flight ( R W F ) from Stanstead Essex to Jamaica, terminated abruptly a radio signal at 05-30 hours put their co-ordinates as latitude 46 degrees 15 minutes North Longitude 46 degrees 31 minutes West over the North Atlantic Ocean which is off the east coast of Newfoundland. The last message received was an emergency signal followed by the distress signal " S. O. S. S.O.S. S.O.S. G-A "" abruptly terminated at that point. Further information was not forth coming from the aircraft the weather was dreadful icy conditions and high winds. The rescue centre at Halifax failed to find and survivors or any kind of wreckage." this is a short summary from the report of the public Enquiry held on 22 February
1953. All the crew and 33 passengers (Soldiers, wives and children from the R W F died).The additional info in my thread came from this report.
Bill goes on to mention how awful these York aircraft were, and catastrophic accidents on the ground. I heard that some how or other two Fusiliers agreed to swap places and obtained permission to do so, this was agreed because one of these men wanted to get to Jamaica as early as possible to be with his family.This accident happened in the early days of Air trooping.Also in passing the 1st never done a trooping in Jamaica, we stood the ground for the Jamaica defence force when the Queen visited Jamaica to attend a tattoo.
jungle1810

[ivor43]

Re Avro York G-AHFA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Sk..._disappearance



ivor