WIX Archives

VA718 of 240 Sqn

Posted by MM on Mon Oct 22, 2001 03:13:25 PM

In reply top Cheers Brad!!! your a great bloke!!! posted by Will Fowler on Mon Oct 22, 2001 06:15:46 AM

There was a small news story in Flypast November 1985, with a pic similar to Brads, but showing that the rear fuselage was virtually gone.

There was then a letter from an Ozzy bloke, Sid Finn, who was there when it happened, in the May 86 issue.
He described the story behind it.

The Hurricane hit the island and 29 Advanced Flying Boat Base at about 03.00 hrs in September 44.....he can't remember the exact date.

There were three Mk IIA Cats moored, with a crew member doing "boat-guard" in each. In case of a storm they were supposed to start the engines to take the strain off the mooring chains. This night the procedure, in one or two cases didn't work, and all three were swept up the inner lagoon like so many toys.

The startled crews, glad to reach land again in terrific gusts of 90+ knot winds which tore the coats off one's back, plus the cold, the temp having dropped to what felt like zero.

After things had quietened down, the section set to refloat the Cats and launches. Most or all of their gear had been swept away, but brute strength and ingenuity prevailed and they soon had Cats back on the buoys. These had come ashore hundreds of yards from the one in the photo.

The unit's marine tender was blown away as well, which they eventually found from the air twelve miles away outside the lagoon !

Their is also a photo which Sid took at the time.
It shows the engines already salvaged, but otherwise in quite good nick.

Solution to Will's idea :-
The RAFM recover VA718, which is a genuine RAF Catalina, and then they sell their ex Danish Cat for the required sum of money, which I am sure could fly again, and then they rebuild VA718 with the proceeds.

Too simple?......
OK try this one :-

They pull up the RAF Cat from Lough Erne in Northern Ireland instead, or one of those from Lake Windermere that Tony is convinced are down there, and then they flog the Danish Cat for rebuild funds.

Still too simple?....
Hows about this then :-

They swap the Danish Cat for that ex RAF "cutaway" FP216, which is being restored in the US right now.

Too simple again?
Well I'm fresh out of ideas now, and I really don't know how the RAFM will ever get a genuine RAF Catalina if the above didn't work.....but do they REALLY care anyway ?


Mick





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