70 OTU and Habbaniya, 1942
Victor Golf..............
Remember the article in AM. Seem to recall it was John Romaine who visited the site but there was no large scale recovery. Most of the airframe still lies in the forest on Mt Kenya........war grave??
Remember the article in AM. Seem to recall it was John Romaine who visited the site but there was no large scale recovery. Most of the airframe still lies in the forest on Mt Kenya........war grave??
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I note the very impressive list of Blenheims detailed by L9172 and in particular those that were lost, and was wondering if he could offer some assistance.
Last weekend a small group of us went for a yomp on the moorlands of the Aberdare Mountains here in Kenya in a quest to try and find the three Harvard bombers that crashed during the Mau Mau. We had three possible sites, but only made it to the first one which was something significantly larger than a Harvard.
Not much remains but there is the tubular steel framework onto which the undercarriage was mounted. There were two of these, with a pair of 'compressed air rams' about 7cm in diameter and about 1-1.2 meters long. I took various photographs and have sent the details to a friend in teh UK to try and get an ID on the plane itself. However looking at the size, and various photos I have a strong, albeit very amateur, opinion that it could have been a Blenheim.
On L9172's list, were there any Blenheims that were completely lost from 70 OTU, or any record of a plane that crashed at about 10,000ft below the peak at the northern end of the Aberdares not too far from Lesatima peak (aka Satimma/Satima)? And hopefully this might help us narrow down the search using the serial numbers of various bits of the plane.
Just to avoid any confusion, this plane is different to the one positively identified by John Romain (Z 7763) in 2002 -that was on Mt. Kenya and crashed in thick bamboo.
Any info would be most appreciated.
Thank you,
Tom
Last weekend a small group of us went for a yomp on the moorlands of the Aberdare Mountains here in Kenya in a quest to try and find the three Harvard bombers that crashed during the Mau Mau. We had three possible sites, but only made it to the first one which was something significantly larger than a Harvard.
Not much remains but there is the tubular steel framework onto which the undercarriage was mounted. There were two of these, with a pair of 'compressed air rams' about 7cm in diameter and about 1-1.2 meters long. I took various photographs and have sent the details to a friend in teh UK to try and get an ID on the plane itself. However looking at the size, and various photos I have a strong, albeit very amateur, opinion that it could have been a Blenheim.
On L9172's list, were there any Blenheims that were completely lost from 70 OTU, or any record of a plane that crashed at about 10,000ft below the peak at the northern end of the Aberdares not too far from Lesatima peak (aka Satimma/Satima)? And hopefully this might help us narrow down the search using the serial numbers of various bits of the plane.
Just to avoid any confusion, this plane is different to the one positively identified by John Romain (Z 7763) in 2002 -that was on Mt. Kenya and crashed in thick bamboo.
Any info would be most appreciated.
Thank you,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
Just seen your post but am not able right now to look through my lists. Will have a look in a few days although my memory does not suggest anything that might be of value (but my memory is not of much value these days).
Hugh
Just seen your post but am not able right now to look through my lists. Will have a look in a few days although my memory does not suggest anything that might be of value (but my memory is not of much value these days).
Hugh
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Hi Tom,
First I must mention that my knowledge of the geography of Kenya is minimal at best and therefore I may be making a complete hash of my guesses about where a particular location might be. But here is what I can offer about possible Blenheim crashes on or near Mount Satima.
It seems that Mount Satima is about 40 miles almost due east of Nakuru where 70 OTU was based and rises to almost 13,000 feet.
Any of the following Blenheims might be the one you are after:
V6187 31/07/42 with 70 OTU and crashed: details unknown.
Not much help I’m afraid but a possibility.
V6245 23/04/42 with 70 OTU and flew into high ground 36 miles from Naivasha, Kenya while on a Navex in bad weather. Sgt R.Daniel RAAF, Sgt J.Ahern RAAF and Sgt N.Peters RAAF were all killed and are buried in Gilgil War Cemetery, Kenya.
This aircraft seems a pretty good candidate as 36 miles north-north-east from Naivasha on my map would place the crash site just north of Mount Satima. However, my notes give no indication of the direction from Naivasha.
V6329 27/12/41 with 70 OTU and DBF when flew into high ground near Kampi ya Moto, Kenya, after an engine cut and it lost height. P/O G.Hanson RAAF and Sgt B.James RAAF were injured while Sgt V.Semler RAAF was unhurt.
A possibility I suppose, but Kampi ya Moto is about 50 miles from Mount Satima which seems a bit far for the location given for the crash. Also the condition of the crew would suggest that the impact was fairly light so I would imagine that recovery of the aircraft was not too difficult.
BA240 08/01/43 with 70 OTU when it collided with AZ926 and crashed 30 miles north-east of base. P/O H.Leach was unhurt.
30 miles north-east of base would have put this crash I think at the northern end of the Aberdare Mountains. We must assume that P/O Leach was flying solo. Another possibility I think. This aircraft was a Blenheim V.
There were other units flying Blenheims around Africa of course, and one of them may have provided the aircraft you discovered so I think it must now be up to you to sort out which of these aircraft might be the one you have found (or perhaps none of them but something else entirely).
Hugh
First I must mention that my knowledge of the geography of Kenya is minimal at best and therefore I may be making a complete hash of my guesses about where a particular location might be. But here is what I can offer about possible Blenheim crashes on or near Mount Satima.
It seems that Mount Satima is about 40 miles almost due east of Nakuru where 70 OTU was based and rises to almost 13,000 feet.
Any of the following Blenheims might be the one you are after:
V6187 31/07/42 with 70 OTU and crashed: details unknown.
Not much help I’m afraid but a possibility.
V6245 23/04/42 with 70 OTU and flew into high ground 36 miles from Naivasha, Kenya while on a Navex in bad weather. Sgt R.Daniel RAAF, Sgt J.Ahern RAAF and Sgt N.Peters RAAF were all killed and are buried in Gilgil War Cemetery, Kenya.
This aircraft seems a pretty good candidate as 36 miles north-north-east from Naivasha on my map would place the crash site just north of Mount Satima. However, my notes give no indication of the direction from Naivasha.
V6329 27/12/41 with 70 OTU and DBF when flew into high ground near Kampi ya Moto, Kenya, after an engine cut and it lost height. P/O G.Hanson RAAF and Sgt B.James RAAF were injured while Sgt V.Semler RAAF was unhurt.
A possibility I suppose, but Kampi ya Moto is about 50 miles from Mount Satima which seems a bit far for the location given for the crash. Also the condition of the crew would suggest that the impact was fairly light so I would imagine that recovery of the aircraft was not too difficult.
BA240 08/01/43 with 70 OTU when it collided with AZ926 and crashed 30 miles north-east of base. P/O H.Leach was unhurt.
30 miles north-east of base would have put this crash I think at the northern end of the Aberdare Mountains. We must assume that P/O Leach was flying solo. Another possibility I think. This aircraft was a Blenheim V.
There were other units flying Blenheims around Africa of course, and one of them may have provided the aircraft you discovered so I think it must now be up to you to sort out which of these aircraft might be the one you have found (or perhaps none of them but something else entirely).
Hugh
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Dear Hugh,
Many thanks for your reply. I have been doing lots of rummaging since I made that first post. Whilst I don't yet have a copy of Graham Warner's book, I am told that it records V6192 crashing near Satima on 4th July 1942 resulting in the deaths of Rusk, Tzamatis & Geyer (all SAAF). The plane was only discovered on 9th Jan 1943. I think this is probably it... however many thanks for your thoughts and no worries about your geography of Kenya.
My guess is that they got caught with not enough lift/power, and ended up flying into the valley there, and it got tighter and they couldn't make it out the top of the valley and nor could they turn as there was no space. Whilst the valley is quite wide there (is 500m wide enough for a Blenheim to turn?), typically July in Kenya, the weather is fairly foul and thick low cloud is common so even if they could have turned. they may not even have been able to see it.
If this is the plane, then it was from 72 O.T.U. (RAF Nanyuki)
On Tuesday last week a group of us got down after a hard three-day trek on Mt. Kenya trying to relocate Z7763 with the plan of collecting the mortal remains which were gathered together by John Romain and the British Army team in 2002. This is so that they could be re-interred at Nanyuki War Cemetery. It was the second trip we had made to try and re-find the plane as it had crashed in thick bamboo and with several coordinates it made for a difficult quest to say the least. When we got to the most likely site, we searched the area for about an hour and failed. We concluded that that was that as we had a deadline to get off the mountain -all rather glum we set off on an elephant trail and 50m down it we literally tripped over some pieces of aluminium littered around the place, and there was our plane -so lucky, but a very good indication of how thick the bush is there and why it took 60 years to find the plane.
We re-found it 74 year 3 months and a day after it had crashed!
Hopefully the ceremony for the re-interrment will happen on 16th July 2017 with reprsentatives of all the deceased's families coming from Australia, New Zealand, USA and Botswana, however there are few hurdles to jump before this can happen -one of which is getting the headstones ready in time and through Kenyan customs.
SABC will be producing a documentary of the trip on a programme called Fokus in ten days or so and will be on Youtube... the commentary will be in Afrikaans, but all the interviews are in English, if you are interested.
The crew of Z7763 were very unlucky -the plane had flown full tilt into the side of a very steep valley -not that there was anything for us to see, but apparently one of the rudder pedals was moulded around the pilots foot, such was the level of impact. And the starboard engine was thrown about 30 meters. Had they been 30ft higher they would have skimmed into some thick bamboo and may have survived.
In terms of Blenheims in Kenya -what is interesting, is that thus far I have 155 Blenheims that I know of that came here of which 113 had accidents. And of those 101 were from 70 O.T.U. (RAF Nakuru). The balance were from RAF Nanyuki which was established for a shorter period, but still a significantly better record. Thier combined record was a plane accident every 5-6 days whilst they were in Kenya -which is one hell of a set of stats. My next task is to do an analysis and see what were the reasons (pilot error, mechanical etc) and see where the problem lay... and then when Warner's book arrives hopefully I can get some comparative stats for other O.T.U.s... and then hopefully it will become clearer why there was such a problem here.
The logic of the powers that be was that Kenya was an excellent place as there was no possibility of enemy aircraft to contend with during training.
What would be very interesting indeed is to see if I can find anything more on 70 & 72 O.T.U. -would anyone have any leads there or further information on either of these OTUs?
Returning to V6192 -the crew of this plane were left on the crash site. I am not sure why, and also I do not know what the RAF protocol was either and that might explain why they were not brought off the mountain. In the meanwhile the Ebo Trust (the South African equivalent of the CWGC and the driving force behind the Z7763 project led by Maj. Gen. Gert Opperman) are interested in this as well and there may be an opportunity to do the same for that crew in Nanyuki. I do not want to jump to conclusions at this stage, as Gen. Opperman will have to look into the case and make sure all the ducks are in a row there before we can move. And if so it will mean we have taken off 7 names out of the 3000 or so off the Alamein memorial.
Many thanks,
Tom
Many thanks for your reply. I have been doing lots of rummaging since I made that first post. Whilst I don't yet have a copy of Graham Warner's book, I am told that it records V6192 crashing near Satima on 4th July 1942 resulting in the deaths of Rusk, Tzamatis & Geyer (all SAAF). The plane was only discovered on 9th Jan 1943. I think this is probably it... however many thanks for your thoughts and no worries about your geography of Kenya.
My guess is that they got caught with not enough lift/power, and ended up flying into the valley there, and it got tighter and they couldn't make it out the top of the valley and nor could they turn as there was no space. Whilst the valley is quite wide there (is 500m wide enough for a Blenheim to turn?), typically July in Kenya, the weather is fairly foul and thick low cloud is common so even if they could have turned. they may not even have been able to see it.
If this is the plane, then it was from 72 O.T.U. (RAF Nanyuki)
On Tuesday last week a group of us got down after a hard three-day trek on Mt. Kenya trying to relocate Z7763 with the plan of collecting the mortal remains which were gathered together by John Romain and the British Army team in 2002. This is so that they could be re-interred at Nanyuki War Cemetery. It was the second trip we had made to try and re-find the plane as it had crashed in thick bamboo and with several coordinates it made for a difficult quest to say the least. When we got to the most likely site, we searched the area for about an hour and failed. We concluded that that was that as we had a deadline to get off the mountain -all rather glum we set off on an elephant trail and 50m down it we literally tripped over some pieces of aluminium littered around the place, and there was our plane -so lucky, but a very good indication of how thick the bush is there and why it took 60 years to find the plane.
We re-found it 74 year 3 months and a day after it had crashed!
Hopefully the ceremony for the re-interrment will happen on 16th July 2017 with reprsentatives of all the deceased's families coming from Australia, New Zealand, USA and Botswana, however there are few hurdles to jump before this can happen -one of which is getting the headstones ready in time and through Kenyan customs.
SABC will be producing a documentary of the trip on a programme called Fokus in ten days or so and will be on Youtube... the commentary will be in Afrikaans, but all the interviews are in English, if you are interested.
The crew of Z7763 were very unlucky -the plane had flown full tilt into the side of a very steep valley -not that there was anything for us to see, but apparently one of the rudder pedals was moulded around the pilots foot, such was the level of impact. And the starboard engine was thrown about 30 meters. Had they been 30ft higher they would have skimmed into some thick bamboo and may have survived.
In terms of Blenheims in Kenya -what is interesting, is that thus far I have 155 Blenheims that I know of that came here of which 113 had accidents. And of those 101 were from 70 O.T.U. (RAF Nakuru). The balance were from RAF Nanyuki which was established for a shorter period, but still a significantly better record. Thier combined record was a plane accident every 5-6 days whilst they were in Kenya -which is one hell of a set of stats. My next task is to do an analysis and see what were the reasons (pilot error, mechanical etc) and see where the problem lay... and then when Warner's book arrives hopefully I can get some comparative stats for other O.T.U.s... and then hopefully it will become clearer why there was such a problem here.
The logic of the powers that be was that Kenya was an excellent place as there was no possibility of enemy aircraft to contend with during training.
What would be very interesting indeed is to see if I can find anything more on 70 & 72 O.T.U. -would anyone have any leads there or further information on either of these OTUs?
Returning to V6192 -the crew of this plane were left on the crash site. I am not sure why, and also I do not know what the RAF protocol was either and that might explain why they were not brought off the mountain. In the meanwhile the Ebo Trust (the South African equivalent of the CWGC and the driving force behind the Z7763 project led by Maj. Gen. Gert Opperman) are interested in this as well and there may be an opportunity to do the same for that crew in Nanyuki. I do not want to jump to conclusions at this stage, as Gen. Opperman will have to look into the case and make sure all the ducks are in a row there before we can move. And if so it will mean we have taken off 7 names out of the 3000 or so off the Alamein memorial.
Many thanks,
Tom
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Hi L9172, I came across this forum whilst doing some family research for a very close friend regarding their great uncle, Sgt Fred Barber, a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, who sadly lost his life in a training accident on the 8th May 1943 aged just 20. He is commemorated in the Nakuru North Cemetery. Assuming he died on the same day as the accident I wonder if you have any information on the loss of aircraft BA250 and the circumstances surrounding its demise.
Also I came across this very powerful story whilst scouring the Internet which you may find interesting, albeit rather said.
Also I came across this very powerful story whilst scouring the Internet which you may find interesting, albeit rather said.
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Sorry it's been a late night... That link i referred to earlier: BBC - WW2 People's War - First Solo
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For HappyIV re Blenheim BA250
Reported by Warner in The Bristol Blenheim, confirmed by Bailey/Air Britain RAF Aircraft BA100 BZ99 and by CWGC Nakuru graves register online as
8 May 1943 BA250 70 OTU Mk V
One flap failed on approach, rolled and dived into the ground, Nakuru.
1383923 Sgt WA Tait RAFVR Pilot
1456331 Sgt D Richardson RAFVR Nav/Bmr
1216487 Sgt F Barber RAFVR W.Op/A.G.
killed, buried in Nakuru North cemetery (graves 492,490,491 respectively).
During 1943, two 70 OTU aircraft were lost in the same circumstances, this being the second. The other was two days earlier: a Mark IV Blenheim with the same outcome for the RAFVR crew, all Sgts. These were the only Blenheim Middle East/Africa training losses to this cause in 1943.
Further to Kenya Blenheims above remarks re 70 OTU and 72 OTU Blenheim losses, I sent this summary to him previously:
A quick count from Warner, Appendices, shows that, for the period Nov
41 to May 43 (ie 72 OTU period), 70 OTU accounted for about 53% of
combined 70 & 72 OTU Blenheim losses.
Starting from Jul 41 (adding the period of 211 Sqn in training role at
Wadi Gazouza), the proportion is little different.
Counting from Feb 41 (Warner Appendices dates), the proportion rises
to about 60% - but reflects five months in which 70 OTU was training
(eg at Ismalia) but 211 was not and 72 OTU didn't exist.
70 and 72 OTU:
The 211 Sqn and 72 OTU story is also covered here:
The Middle East
and here
RAAF personnel
Along with my narratives for a number of individuals at both 70 OTU and 72 OTU, and on Blenheim I and IV losses.
Don Clark
No. 211 Squadron RAF
Reported by Warner in The Bristol Blenheim, confirmed by Bailey/Air Britain RAF Aircraft BA100 BZ99 and by CWGC Nakuru graves register online as
8 May 1943 BA250 70 OTU Mk V
One flap failed on approach, rolled and dived into the ground, Nakuru.
1383923 Sgt WA Tait RAFVR Pilot
1456331 Sgt D Richardson RAFVR Nav/Bmr
1216487 Sgt F Barber RAFVR W.Op/A.G.
killed, buried in Nakuru North cemetery (graves 492,490,491 respectively).
During 1943, two 70 OTU aircraft were lost in the same circumstances, this being the second. The other was two days earlier: a Mark IV Blenheim with the same outcome for the RAFVR crew, all Sgts. These were the only Blenheim Middle East/Africa training losses to this cause in 1943.
Further to Kenya Blenheims above remarks re 70 OTU and 72 OTU Blenheim losses, I sent this summary to him previously:
A quick count from Warner, Appendices, shows that, for the period Nov
41 to May 43 (ie 72 OTU period), 70 OTU accounted for about 53% of
combined 70 & 72 OTU Blenheim losses.
Starting from Jul 41 (adding the period of 211 Sqn in training role at
Wadi Gazouza), the proportion is little different.
Counting from Feb 41 (Warner Appendices dates), the proportion rises
to about 60% - but reflects five months in which 70 OTU was training
(eg at Ismalia) but 211 was not and 72 OTU didn't exist.
70 and 72 OTU:
The 211 Sqn and 72 OTU story is also covered here:
The Middle East
and here
RAAF personnel
Along with my narratives for a number of individuals at both 70 OTU and 72 OTU, and on Blenheim I and IV losses.
Don Clark
No. 211 Squadron RAF
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I will look into what I can find on BA250, but doubt I can add anything.
There are some advances on the two Blenheims that we know about and where wreckage still remains.
The first is Z7763 (crew Allen, Lemmer, Lloyd and Eliastam). Thanks to the efforts of the Ebo Trust, who got all the ducks in a row, and satisfied the CWGC requirements so that Memorial Stones could be placed in the Nanyuki War Cemetery, and their names to be erased from the Alamein Memorial for those missing in action. The Ebo Trust got family members there and there was a very moving ceremony organised by the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). What became very apparent was the effect of having your loved ones 'missing in action'. The plane simply vanished -believe to have crashed in thick cloud, but they had no idea where -the Aberdares? Mt. Kenya? The families really did not know whether, one day their son might just walk through the door or they were genuinely killed.
Tropic Air (based out of Nanyuki Airstrip) kindly gave a flight at cost for the family members. It flew along the track that Z7763 was last known to have flown on, before getting lost. We then retraced the various sitings cited in the Court of Inquiry to the final crash site. The weather was vaguely similar to what it is believed it was like on the 23rd July 1942, albeit not as thick -just representative.
There are various bits of footage from SABC -all in Afrikaans with some interviews in English (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0paVSiF3VvQ). There is some good footage of the crash site itself, and makes it very apparent why the plane was never found. The Ebo Trust produced a small booklet for the occasion (see https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%...216657&o=OneUp) which gives a fairly full account of the whole saga.
The second plane is another Blenheim high on the Aberdare Mountains. This we 'found' when hunting for some Harvards that crashed up there during the 1950s. We were shown this site by some honey hunters, and with my limited experience, determined fairly quickly that this was a twin engined plane. It is confirmed by John Romain as a Blenheim. The next step is to get the ID on the crashed plane so that we can confirm the crew. Whilst it is not good for the moorland, there was a big fire up there in January which has exposed much of the wreckage which is scattered over an area about 500m x 200m.
Any help on anything on Blenheims in Kenya would be gratefully received. Bits and pieces are coming out of the woodwork, for example some kids (now old men!) who post war who raced go-carts and had a Blenheim seat for their go-cart. It came from one that crashed on their farm. Another crashed on a ranch called Suguroi, when the owner tried to rescue the crew, but could not get anywhere near the plane because of the flames. The fire then went on to burn a vast area of Laikipia and fences had to be cut to allow cattle to escape the advancing flames.
Another crash documented in a diary happened close to Ol Kalau and the crew were rescued by the formidable Daisy Griffin and her daughter Mrs. Rooken-Smith. The pilot was a fellow called Frank Brindlay.
Tom
There are some advances on the two Blenheims that we know about and where wreckage still remains.
The first is Z7763 (crew Allen, Lemmer, Lloyd and Eliastam). Thanks to the efforts of the Ebo Trust, who got all the ducks in a row, and satisfied the CWGC requirements so that Memorial Stones could be placed in the Nanyuki War Cemetery, and their names to be erased from the Alamein Memorial for those missing in action. The Ebo Trust got family members there and there was a very moving ceremony organised by the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). What became very apparent was the effect of having your loved ones 'missing in action'. The plane simply vanished -believe to have crashed in thick cloud, but they had no idea where -the Aberdares? Mt. Kenya? The families really did not know whether, one day their son might just walk through the door or they were genuinely killed.
Tropic Air (based out of Nanyuki Airstrip) kindly gave a flight at cost for the family members. It flew along the track that Z7763 was last known to have flown on, before getting lost. We then retraced the various sitings cited in the Court of Inquiry to the final crash site. The weather was vaguely similar to what it is believed it was like on the 23rd July 1942, albeit not as thick -just representative.
There are various bits of footage from SABC -all in Afrikaans with some interviews in English (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0paVSiF3VvQ). There is some good footage of the crash site itself, and makes it very apparent why the plane was never found. The Ebo Trust produced a small booklet for the occasion (see https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%...216657&o=OneUp) which gives a fairly full account of the whole saga.
The second plane is another Blenheim high on the Aberdare Mountains. This we 'found' when hunting for some Harvards that crashed up there during the 1950s. We were shown this site by some honey hunters, and with my limited experience, determined fairly quickly that this was a twin engined plane. It is confirmed by John Romain as a Blenheim. The next step is to get the ID on the crashed plane so that we can confirm the crew. Whilst it is not good for the moorland, there was a big fire up there in January which has exposed much of the wreckage which is scattered over an area about 500m x 200m.
Any help on anything on Blenheims in Kenya would be gratefully received. Bits and pieces are coming out of the woodwork, for example some kids (now old men!) who post war who raced go-carts and had a Blenheim seat for their go-cart. It came from one that crashed on their farm. Another crashed on a ranch called Suguroi, when the owner tried to rescue the crew, but could not get anywhere near the plane because of the flames. The fire then went on to burn a vast area of Laikipia and fences had to be cut to allow cattle to escape the advancing flames.
Another crash documented in a diary happened close to Ol Kalau and the crew were rescued by the formidable Daisy Griffin and her daughter Mrs. Rooken-Smith. The pilot was a fellow called Frank Brindlay.
Tom
Kenya Blenheims........... Have tried to PM you, without success. PM
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Recent post on CWGC site re Z7763
CWGC hosts memorial for four WW2 SAAF airmen lost when their plane crashed on Mt Kenya in 1942
PZU = Out of Africa (Retired)
CWGC hosts memorial for four WW2 SAAF airmen lost when their plane crashed on Mt Kenya in 1942
PZU = Out of Africa (Retired)
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Dear Happy IV,
In the end did you find out anything over and above about Blenheim BA250? I would be very interested in anything you have found out about it?
PZU -it was an incredibly moving ceremony for all in Nanyuki Cemetery, in particular for the next of kin. We had a great dinner after courtesy of Dr. Michael Eliastam, nephew to one of the deceased, and some very moving tales from each family. What was most remarkable was the 'Missing in Action'' bit and that nobody knew what had happened to the plane. There was always that half expectation that one day they might just walk through the door. Whilst I do not want to diminish the loss of the families whose loved ones killed the additional emotional burden of simply just not knowing was immense.
That chapter is now closed, and we continue to work on the next plane which we believe to be V6192, flown by Rusk, Geyer and Tzamatzis which crashed on 4th July 1942. If the crash we have is correct, it appears the plane went into the Aberdare ountains at speed. In January this year there was a large fire on the moorlands which exposed much of the wreckage. The crash site is about 500m long x 200m wide, with the engines having been thrown furthest. We are trying to get engine numbers, which in turn will lead to a confirmation of the identity of the plane and subsequently the crew.
PM -I am a bit of a Luddite when it comes to matters of IT. I will try to see if I can contact you... somehow.
In the end did you find out anything over and above about Blenheim BA250? I would be very interested in anything you have found out about it?
PZU -it was an incredibly moving ceremony for all in Nanyuki Cemetery, in particular for the next of kin. We had a great dinner after courtesy of Dr. Michael Eliastam, nephew to one of the deceased, and some very moving tales from each family. What was most remarkable was the 'Missing in Action'' bit and that nobody knew what had happened to the plane. There was always that half expectation that one day they might just walk through the door. Whilst I do not want to diminish the loss of the families whose loved ones killed the additional emotional burden of simply just not knowing was immense.
That chapter is now closed, and we continue to work on the next plane which we believe to be V6192, flown by Rusk, Geyer and Tzamatzis which crashed on 4th July 1942. If the crash we have is correct, it appears the plane went into the Aberdare ountains at speed. In January this year there was a large fire on the moorlands which exposed much of the wreckage. The crash site is about 500m long x 200m wide, with the engines having been thrown furthest. We are trying to get engine numbers, which in turn will lead to a confirmation of the identity of the plane and subsequently the crew.
PM -I am a bit of a Luddite when it comes to matters of IT. I will try to see if I can contact you... somehow.
