Danny, you asked what happened to WD491. The answer is, I did, for as Warmtoast rightly implied his picture is of the aftermath of the arrival that I described. As to the hawser like looking rope, it is either the escape rope which has somehow expanded itself more by some trick of the light, or it may indeed be the strop, temporarily tucked into the pax doorway, which was eventually strung around the rear fuselage to lower it to the ground at the end of a crane. I don't know I'm afraid. All the engines were shock loaded when the props bit the dirt and were thus damaged beyond repair as was the entire aircraft, though the imminent arrival of the Hercules no doubt made the decision a bit of a no brainer.
Oh, your query as to why should the tail wheel be retractable as the aircraft didn't go fast enough to warrant it, that may well be. The point of a transport aircraft is to go far enough, and I would suggest to my Noble Friend that every such lump that could be so removed from the airflow would pay back dividends in that respect. At any rate she could outhaul and outrange a DC4!
aa62, I suspect that the words Siggie and Ciggie have got confused in the telling of the tale. The person who emerged clutching the Duty Free Ciggies was in fact the Co-Pilot, who being young and quick witted grabbed that which was most dear to him, being as he was a smoker.