Originally Posted by
Pavehawk69
10 years ago on the 30 January 2005 at 1330Z the crew and passenger of the Hercules C130K, callsign Hilton 22 (XV179) were flying north-west from Baghdad International Airport. They were en-route to Balad when the aircraft received sustained gunfire from an insurgent team over whom they had unwittingly flown. The aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure following this assault when an explosion caused twenty three feet of the starboard wing to detach, outboard of number 4 engine.
The aircraft crashed killing all ten men on board;
Sqn Ldr Pat “Paddy” Marshall,
Flt Lt David “Steady” Stead,
Flt Lt Andy “Smudge” Smith,
Flt Lt Paul “Pards” Pardoel,
MEng Gary “Gary Nic” Nicholson,
Flt Sgt Mark “Gibbo” Gibson,
Chf Tech Ritchie “Delia” Brown,
Sgt Bob “Logical Bob” O’Connor,
Cpl David Williams,
L/Cpl “Jonah” Jones.
RIP . Gone but never forgotten
I was on almost my last Herc trip after 35 years service and I had the pleasure of being the Nav with Smudge and Captain Ken Mac C doing a flat bed rotation from Monte Pleasante to Lyneham. We routed back through Canoas in Brasil and I introduced Smudge to a bit of down-route relaxation. I have never forgotton that evening. I still cannot believe that he is no longer with us. Smudge was a lovely young bloke and I enjoyed every minute of his company and sitting behind him in the cockpit with lovely Ken McC guiding us back to Lyneham (in every way) will live in my memory for ever. I was leaving the RAF less than 6 months later but I bought a brand new No 1 (with medals) which I wore to Smudge's funeral. I have never worn it since but every time I look at it in my wardrobe I remember our wonderful trip to the South Atlantic. RIP young chap- you had great hands.