Date & Time:
Aug 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z8778
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane took off at 1000LT from Landing ground 'X' in answer to a request from Flying Control AHQ, Egypt, to search for a missing Wellington aircraft of 104 Squadron which had signaled at about 0500LT that it was force landing in position 30 51 N 29 52 E. The Captain was instructed to carry out a search of the reported position to a depth of 30 miles. It was pointed out that the area traversed the main Cairo-Alexandria road and also contained a large number of aerodromes. At 1245LT a snap D/F bearing by Gianaclis was 135°. At 1300LT a WT signal from Z8778 read "search had up to that time been unsuccessful, but continuing." At 1642LT a further attempt was made to contact Z8778 but was not successful. The aircraft had a safe endurance of 8 hours – perhaps over 10 hours. Extensive searches were made for Z8778 over the next two days but were unsuccessful.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ian Aubrey Baines,
F/Sgt John Campbell Daley,
F/O John Thomson Dick,
Sgt Robert Selwyn Hughes,
F/Sgt Henry Stephen Impett,
P/O Harry Gordon Locke,
P/O Roy Campbell Prince.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ian Aubrey Baines,
F/Sgt John Campbell Daley,
F/O John Thomson Dick,
Sgt Robert Selwyn Hughes,
F/Sgt Henry Stephen Impett,
P/O Harry Gordon Locke,
P/O Roy Campbell Prince.
