Actress Kristin Scott Thomas & Sea Vixen crash 17 March 1966

[NickB]

Bit of a long shot this, but... The actress Kristin Scott Thomas's father was tragically killed along with his Observer on the 17th Mar 1966 in a Sea Vixen crash off Portland - serial number XS 581. Details are below:

Thursday, 17 March 1966
Heron, air crash at Portland Bill, Dorset
CATON, David H, Naval Airman 1c, F 945065, died
HARVEY, John W, Lieutenant
THOMAS, Simon Scott, Lieutenant Commander

The thing is, the Sea Vixen as you know in only a twin-seater, therefore I'm intrigued as to why a Naval airman (Rating) was also a casualty of this crash? Perhaps the crew ejected and he went to their rescue only to drown himself?

Sadly, Kristin's mother later married Lt Cdr Simon Idiens (of Simon's Sircus fame) who was later killed after ejecting from a Phantom in Jan 1972.

Thanks in advance...

N.

[harbourm]

NickB
I'm a little confused by your post regarding Sea Vixen crash. The dates you give for the crash are nine months apart and two different A/C.:confused:

[NickB]

Apologies - my error. Original entry should have said 17 Mar 1966 - now corrected. :O

[NickB]

Thanks Speechless Two.

I've come to the same conclusion as you. The way David Caton's death was listed on the Naval Casualties web site suggested he was in some way connected to the 'Vixen crash.

[blartinoz]

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.

[allyn]

As an aside,

Not being familiar with the procedure, I looked it up:

Sea Vixen. Royal Navy. Carrier Jet. - Sea Vixen Operational Roles > Night Glow Worm Attack (http://www.seavixen.org/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.ahecdwrddykjxcae&pageId=78730)


Yikes!!! :ooh:

Even to a non-flyer that looks damned complicated and dangerous...

[david parry]

Looks like it is a small typing error Re CATON, David H, Naval Airman 1c, F 945065, died . I suspect he could have been killed in a RTA whilst stationed at HMS Osprey or HMS Heron ?? and the Sea Vixen crew are of course from HMS Heron. We also lost a couple of lads at Hms Fulmar to RTAs on weekend leaves, Travelling to and from home claimed many lives at other airstations too in the 60/70s

[David Currie]

i am married to Katy John's daughter. I would be grateful for any more information picture's etc that you may have. We have some photo's passed on to us when katy's mum died but we dont know who the people are in them.
I take it the number (382) on the nose of the plane is the call sign? i have been getting this muddled with the registration XS581. The other problem i have is that every thing we have seems to relate to John being in 890 sqn but from what i can gather when the plane was lost he was in 893 sqn.

[Old-Duffer]

David Currie,

I think you will find there is no direct connection between the serial number of the aircraft (XS581) and the number painted on the nose (382).

The serial number is allocated at the time of the aircraft being ordered and it remains with it throughout its life.

The 'fleet number' (382), for want of a better title, is related to the unit and location and can be changed if - say - an aircraft on 'X' Sqn operating off carrier 'Y' is subsequently sent somewhere else, perhaps one of the training sqns.

I'm sure a jolly Tar will explain it better than a 'Crab' but that's the essence.

Old Duffer

[spekesoftly]

The other problem i have is that every thing we have seems to relate to John being in 890 sqn but from what i can gather when the plane was lost he was in 893 sqn.


There's a lot of detail about Sea Vixen squadrons in Tony Buttler's book*. It shows Lt JW Harvey on 890 Sqn from 17/12/1961 to 20/10/1963. He subsequently appears to have joined 893 Sqn when it reformed on 4 November 1965. XS581 arrived on 893 Sqn on the 10 November 1965, but is stated as having a nose number (or side number in naval parlance) of "241", and not 382. Hope this helps.


* The de Havilland SEA VIXEN (ISBN 0 85130 364 1)

[CharlieOneSix]

We have some photo's passed on to us when katy's mum died but we dont know who the people are in them.


David - may I suggest you contact the Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association at [email protected] or phone them on 020-7930-7722 as many of the members are former Sea Vixen aircrew. If your photos are of aircrew the webmaster (an ex-Sea Vixen Observer himself) may be able to post them on the Association's website so that the people in them could be identified.

[Hipper]

There's a Sea Vixen on display at the Mosquito Museum:

Mosquito Aircraft Museum - de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre (http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/index.html)

I was surprised how big it was.

[Lordflasheart]

David Currie -

I did the Sea Venom AWF Course with John at Yeovilton in the first part of 1960. We had the same birthday. If you pm me, me and my then Looker (who remembers more than I do) should be able to muster some help with the details you seek. 382 should be an 831 Squadron "side number." LFH

[algorlex]

Hi,
Hopefully I am speaking to Bill Hart who ejected along with Chris Hunneyball from there Vixen on the 5th Aug 1966 of the Vic.
The fact is I was your Safety Equipment killick and packed your chutes which thankfully opened.
I have the video of the ejection.
Yours aye,

L/A SE2 Gordon"Pixie"Parkes(well retired and living in Cornwall

[blartinoz]

Correction to earlier post - wrt Sea Vixen loss in Lyme Bay, 17th March 1966. The crew was lt Cdr Simon Thomas, not Lt Cdr Idiens as posted, with John Harvey. John and I had previously served together on 890 Squadron so were now on our second Sea Vixen Squadron, this time in the Mk 2 version.

[clivewatson]

It is true that Kristen Scott Thomas did lose two family members in airplane accidents. She related the details, which I have since forgotten, before we embarked on a 30 min session of aeros over salt flats of the north Sahara in a Tiger Moth.

[India Four Two]

Clive,


Was that during the making of The English Patient?


PS or alternatively Salmon Fishing in The Yemen?

[clivewatson]

Yes, English Patient, shot in Tunisa. Salmon fishing in Yemen was much more recent, after my time in that line of work.

[India Four Two]

Please tell me that wasn't an airworthy Stearman that was crashed in the movie.