| As a technical man Wally was often involved in retrieval and repair of broken aeroplanes, some of the mishaps were of a serious nature involving complete writeoffs and some of a minor nature. | |
![]() Heacham Crash 1 |
Heacham
Crash 2 |
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Handwritten extract on back of photograph Extrac from The Planesman Heacham Norfolk 5.9.31 On January 5th of
this year two members of the Royal Air
Force saved their lives by parachutes. Sergeant Pilot Hudson and LAC
Molyneux of No. 207 (B) Squadron whilst flying in a Fairey IIIF
aircraft found themselves in an unpleasant situation. It is
reported that during flight one of the wings collapsed and folded back
on the fuselage. The aircraft commenced to spinand owing to
the
fractured wing causing obstruction the observer was unable to leave his
cockpit. Despite the fact that the aircraft had been flying
at a
height of only 4000 feet and was losing altitude rapidly Sgt Hudson is
reported to have refused to jump until he had assisted Molyneux out of
the spinning machine. He spent many precious seconds in this
heroic act and finally the observer was able to jump clear.
Eventually Hudson was seen to jump clear but the aeroplane to
fall in his proximity thus preventing him from releasing his parachute.
To many onlookers it appeared that the pilot was hooked and
that
hislow altitude would preclude his escape by us of his parachute.
then when almost all hope had gone he was seen to release his
parachute, which opened immediately and brought him safely to earth in
a cottage garden. Molyneux who also made a safe landing
without
any personal injury was full of praise for the manner in which Sgt
Hudson risked his life by refusing to leave the aircraft until his
observer was clear. Full official details of the crash are
not
yet to hand and it is not therefore possible to state whether the
reported wing collapse was due structural defect or a direct result of
strain through abnormal aerobatics.
|
![]() F Lt Brookman and Cpl Green Struck the road with wheels on landing |
![]() April 1930 Ground collapsed under starboard wheel whilst aircraft was being wheeled from "B" flight petrol point to hanger. |
![]() May 1931 F Lt Barnett and Cpl Stokes crashed into the hanger doors in a thick fog after a forced landing. |
![]() December 1930 F/O Williams and AO Weeks Near Docking Nov 1932 |