Vixen Survivor
Also puzzled by the reference to NAM Caton. I was the Observer in another Vixen in company with Lt Cdr Idiens and Lt Harvey. We were practicing Night Attacks over Lyme Bay as part of the Operational Work Up for 893 Squadron, which was due to embark in Victorious for a spell of Far East and Pacific duty. Sadly XS581 did not recover from one manoeuvre so we returned to Yeovilto unaccompanied. I was flyng with my regular pilot,Lt Chris Hunneyball, as we had been a crew on a previous Vixen Outfit earlier. Some six months later Chris and I had to eject from the aircraft we flew that night over Lyme Bay, XS586, when we lost an engine on take off from the Victorious - we were operating about 50 miles south of the Island of Gan in the Indian Ocean. To this day we both struggle with back aches and pains but we survived a very close all.