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Re: Kenya: Blenhiem Crash Update . 1of 2 possibilties

Posted by andy saunders on Fri Sep 06, 2002 02:38:18 PM

In reply top Kenya: Blenhiem Crash Update . 1of 2 possibilties posted by Paul McMillan on Fri Sep 06, 2002 05:11:14 AM

: The SAAF HQ have been told of a Blenheim wreck being found
: in Kenya recently and the aircaft has been identified and
: from the papers found etc (60 yrs later !!!) indicate a S
: AAF crew of 4.
:
: There is such a crew of 4 "missing death presumed" for the
: 23.7.42 that are not accounted for. This was A7763 which
: flew into high ground at Fort Halloran, near Nyeri.
:
: Another possibilty is one of the SAAF's highest ranks kill
: ed in WW2 who was a Colonel "Tommy" Ross Theron died in a
: Blenheim crash from at Nanyuki on 1.6.42 is L8391 of 72 OT
: U.
:
: We will have to wait Graham Warner's magnum opus on the Bl
: enhiem to be publsihed soon from Ciery for a definate answ
: er which is supposed to contain full history of all aircra
: ft and casualties..
:
: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0947554920/qid=10
: 31303376/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/026-2754986-5777246
:
:
: Paul

I was in Kenya last year and heard a story about a wartime RAF bomber being found "somewhere between Mombassa and Mt Kilimanjaro" - which does not exactly narrow it down much. I tried to find out more when travelling around and got quite excited when told where to look - but it turned out to be a SA registered Cessna 172 c.1970's crash which had been pulled apart by locals and elephants. I found out later that the locals would not go near the bomber because bones of the airmen were still there. Plenty of people offered to tell/show where it was for money but thats a sure way of ending up robbed, hacked to bits with machettes and left to the lions! (Or will that comment offend Tony as politically incorrect Kenyan-bashing, I wonder??! Unfortunately, Tony, its not a racist comment but a fact!) More exciting than the Blenheim (perhaps) is a Bristol Bombay which I have now seen pictures of and I was shown substantial bits of it (wings) in use as a roof for the roof of a village school. Amazing whats still out there. Andy Saunders.

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