N.I. Beaver

[Beaufort121]

On the Dix Noonan Webb medals auction house website I came across a mention of an attack on a Beaver, piloted by a Captain S.P. Long, that was hit by small arms fire over Northern Ireland on January 31st 1976. Does anyone know anything more about this incident, such as whereabouts in N. Ireland the Beaver was attacked and the extent of the damage? Thanks.

[Haraka]

That would be Patrick Long, who died fairly recently.
Around that time a Beaver took a round through an aileron, which was then put on display in Beaver det. I can't trust my memory as to where the incident exactly took place -possibly near Londonderry.
There was also a series of images of a guy taking a pot shot at a Beaver with a shotgun out of a farmhouse window, but I don't think it was the same incident.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

ISTR an incident at a border IVCP, with images from the Beaver showing the firing party including a well-known M1 Garand user, lying on his back, who almost certainly achieved the hit which cut the pigtail between the crew-person's helmet and the airframe.

[BEagle]

Sorry to learn that Pat passed away recently.

Back in 1975 he came over from Wildenrath to Valley in his Beaver, to take back some wedding presents! I was about to go to Wildenrath on a holding posting between Gnat and Hunter courses, so Pat gave me a lift back (with a couple of lovely ladies...) via Manston.

The AAC seemed to have a great time in Germany - we also took an empty beer barrel and some empty crates (from the previous year's AAC Oktoberfest) back to Munich (Neubiberg), stopping off for a cuppa at Kempten-Durach on the way there and back the following day. A most civilised way to see Bavaria 40 years ago!

RIP, Pat - thanks for the fun flying!

[Raincheck]

T & B

I recall the cutting of a pigtail which happened in NI. Was it not the pilot who lost comms due to groundfire ? The pilot being I believe one JK.

[LowObservable]

I thought this was going to be about a certain Private Eye cover from 1969, featuring a then-famous M.P.

[Thud_and_Blunder]

Raincheck,

Your memory will be far better than mine; I only used to go on detachments from Odiham after SHDNI became SHFNI.