AIR FORCE TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1931, Page 11

AIR FORCE TRAGEDY

LOSS OF NINE LIVES

CRASH INTO THE SEA.

SPEED OF 70 MILES AN HOUR.

Nine lives were lost when a flyingboat containing 12 men—one of the largest machines of its kind in the Royal Air Force—nose-dived into Plymouth Sound at noon on February 5. A number of the men were trapped in her cabin; four were rescued, but one died later. Two’ bodies were recovered from the -wreckage—those of Wing-Com-mander C. G. Tucker, the officer commanding No. 209 Squadron, one of the pilots, and. Leading Aircraftsman W. S. Rutledge. Salvage vessels with divers were quickly on. the scene, and crowds on Plymouth Hoe watched their efforts in the glow of the westering sun. Eventually the hull of the great machine was secured and dragged slowly toward the Royal Air Force station at Mount Batten. from which the flying-boat had risen earlier in the day. Searchlights played on the scene. It was an eerie and an impressive sight. The task was extrpmely difficult, says the Daily Express, as the 15-ton boat had buckled when she struck the water. When the divers brought her to the surface it was found that she was in half. The forward portion was brought safely up on the slipway, but no bodies were found in it.

SOUND LIKE AN EXPLOSION, z

Large numbers of people on the Hoe had seen tlie disaster happen. They had been watching the graceful craft—an Iris lll.—at gun practice in brilliant sunshine, and were horror-stricken when they saw her disappear beneath the glassy sea. Then a sound of what appeared to bfe an explosion was liehrd. A few minutes afterwards the flying-boat rose to the surface, and four men could be seen struggling in the sea. Meanwhile, the alarm had been given by signal and telephone to Mount Batten air station, 'and very quickly fast motor-boats were speeding to the scene, with tugs from the dockyard, amid wild excitement. Every available boat rushed to the rescue.

Those who. were imprisoned in the machine were: Wing-Commander C. G. Tucker, Leading Aircraftsman W. ,H. Stark, Leading Aircraftsman L. C. Oates, Leading Aircraftsman W. S. Rutledge, Sergeant Pilot E. H. Wilson, Leading Aircraftsman H. C. Ongley and Leading Aircraftsman C. G. Davies. The four men rescued were: FlyingOfficer F. K. Wood (Bulawayo), FlightLieutenant Maurice H. Ely, Flying-Offi-cer C. Ryley and Corporal W. M, Barry.

All of the four rescued men were injured, except Corporal Barry, when brought ashore,' Flying-Officer Wood so critically that he died shortly afterwards.

STORY TOLD BY OFFICER.

Lieut. M. H.Ely arid Wing-Command-er Tucker were the pilots of the machine. An officer said that ‘ Wing-Com-mander Tucker,” the officer said, “must was unable to flatten out, arid hit the sea when the boat was flying at something like 70 miles an hour. “When she hit the water Wing-Com-mander Tuckers,” the officer said, “must have been pinned in, because, when we recovered his body, he was still in the pilot’s seat, . Flying-Officer Ryley, the gunner, was in the bows, and went completely under When, the boat hit the water, but struggled out. He was badly cut across the face. “One of the officers inside was FlyingOfficer Wood, who managed to struggle out, we don’t quite know how. Corporal Barry, was the only one who managed to get out without injuries, and he gallantly went to the rescue pf Flying-Offi-cer Wood. He managed to pull him out of the sinking boat. “Flying-Officer Wood was taken ashore. We applied artificial respiration for about two hours. He was only just alive when we. took him into the station hospital, and he died later in the afternoon. All the crew were wearing their life-saving jackets, and it was to this fact that those who were rescued owed their lives/* Wing-Commander Smith said: “As far as I can tell,.the pilot must have mis-, judged his distance, doubtless owing to an exceedingly calm sea arid a heavy haze.”

AN EYE-WITNESS’ ACCOUNT.

Mr. Harry Hole, who was in a motorboat going out to a ship in the Sound, said that the flying-boat flew low over his craft. “We watched it flying toward Mount Batten,” he said, “when suddenly it struck the water nose first, turned turtle, and then over on its side. We went toward it as fast as we could, and picked up two men who were clinging to the wings. One was seriously injured, apparently with both arms broken and his fingers cut. The other was cut about the eyes; : “We then picked up another man who was standing on the wing uninjured, and holding up a man who was in the water, and appeared to be drowned. By this time an Air Force boat had arrived and picked up the man who was in the water. He was too heavy for us to get into our boat. . “The machine took only a few minutes to sink down to the tanks. It seemed to me that the petrol tank had burst, as there was a lot of petrol running out There was no, explosion, however, and we saw no smoke or flame, only steam. Some people say they heard an explosion, but this was only the sound of the machine striking the water,” The flying-boat; was built last year. She had three engines, developing approximately 2000 horse-power. Her weight was about 15 tons, and she had a radius of 1000 miles, her cruising speed being about', SO knots. Normally she carried a crew, of nine.

PERSONAL PARTICULARS.

Wing-Commander Tucker was married; his wife had been staying at the air station. He was appointed to command No. 209 (Flying-boat) Squadron at Mount Batten in' September last. He had previously been employed for three and a-half ydars on engineering duties

at No. 5 Flying Training School, Sealand, Chester. His flying service began as a second lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps in July, 1915, and his experience during the war included service in France as an equipment officer and at home as chief instructor at the School of Technical Training and park commander. He was granted a permanent commission as a squadron leader (technical) in August, 1919, and had since served in Irak and India.

Leading-Aircraftsman Oates was a well-known Rugby footballer, and recently played for Cornwall against Somerset. He was flying as a substitute for one of the regular crew, who was in hospital. Corporal Barry, who was rescued, was the wireless operator. Ongley was to have left the Air Force next Christmas, having completed eight years’ service. Davies was an electrician, Steven and Rutledge were riggers, and Stark was a fitter.