View Full Version : Egg Packing Anson
Wander00
29th Jun 2009, 17:51
When I was a kid, about '52 or '53 I guess, an Anson taking off from Northolt had double engine failure, and landed on the roof of an egg-packing station in South Ruislip. I persuaded my dad to take me down and I took a photo with a box Brownie. Over the years I have lost the photo. Anyone else remember the incident or, even better, have a photo
Wander00
XH175
29th Jun 2009, 18:13
Add 7 years or so.
This was Anson T.21, VV298 on 1st June 1960.
Regards
Ross
robmack
29th Jun 2009, 20:49
remember this...pretty sure it landed on a dairy, but pictures were in national press and would be in local as well...suggest newspaper library-believe it is in Colindale/Hendon.This is not a yoke.
Wander00
29th Jun 2009, 21:56
Thanks Ross and Robmack
Revised date figures (many thanks), as I now recall we had just acquired a (b&w) TV and that is how I knew the Annie was on the roof. I'll try the Harrow Observer.
Funny, another Annie, TX219 I think, was the first aircraft in which I ever flew, as a 13 year old CCF cadet.
Wander00
QuePee
7th Jul 2009, 00:00
Attached is a photo of the incident to which you refer. The Anson belonged to the Met Comm Sqn and I always had it recorded as a dairy rather than an egg packing plant but anyway it was somewhere in Ruislip and occurred shortly after take off from RAF Northolt..
http://i28.tinypic.com/2eoboki.jpg
I lifted thjis image from the internet many years ago and sadly I did not record the owner or photographer. I hope I am not infringing copyright!!!!!
QP
Wander00
7th Jul 2009, 11:37
Wow - thanks for that - drew a blank with local papers. Any one got pics of the Anson being lifted off the roof?
Wander00
tornadoken
7th Jul 2009, 20:52
Croydon closed to flying 9/59, but before moving to RAE the AAIB remained there awhile, next to Rollason's, and VV298 was (one of) its last cadavers.
From the photograph, the Annie looks in pretty good shape, considering the damage it had done to the structure of the building!
If it was lifted down by crane, is it even possible that it was repaired rather than struck off charge, and flew again? (Despite the "cadavers" comment above)
Warmtoast
7th Jul 2009, 21:39
As reported in the press at the time.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image2-6.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image1-8.jpg
QuePee
8th Jul 2009, 02:02
Warmtoast,
Thanks for providing the newspaper cutting. It answers the question about whether it was an egg packing station or a dairy, rather well I think.
Also I can assure the forum that the Anson was considered Cat 5 and never flew again.
QP
Warmtoast
8th Jul 2009, 22:16
A separate press cutting reports it was the Express Dairy's Main Warehouse
nacluv
9th Jul 2009, 17:18
I think the quote
"I thought it was an American bomber carrying an H-bomb"is a jewel of a comment.
"The Sun" has been around longer than I had realised, or maybe the qualifications required for egg-packing aren't that stringent...
:rolleyes:
Anson VV298 was actually from the Bomber Command Communications Squadron base at RAF Booker (between Marlow and High Wycombe). The aircraft was piloted by Flying Officer Bert Gray and was en-route to Marham to film the arrival of a Valiant which had flown non-stop from ( I think) Butterworth. I know this as I was a Nav. on that Sqd. at the time of the accident, and in fact flew to Marham in lieu of Bert and his Nav. where Flt.Lt. Sullivan and I picked up the orchids destined for the Malaysian HC's wife. As I recall, the flowers were shown on the evening news, which was a bit of a let down considering that the object of the exercise was to film the Valiant's triumphant arrival! That was somewhat upstaged by Bert's untimely arrival at the Dairy!
Nickctaylor
9th Dec 2013, 15:33
My late dad was the wrongly named D Taylor. He hitched a lift back to Northolt in the ambulance for a spare camera and filmed it for the news. We still have some glossies and when I visit Mum at Christmas I will scan them and post. He always said no one was seriously hurt, though he did take up with the RAF the emergency door would not open!
Wander00
9th Dec 2013, 17:19
Thanks for all the info that has appeared on this thread. Could not believe it would run so long!
joy ride
10th Dec 2013, 12:33
This thread reminded me of this classic double Anson landing:
Two Avro Ansons landed together after mid-air 1940 - YouTube
kerryjh
3rd Nov 2015, 17:40
My father was flying the plane. Anyone got photos?
LAGray
3rd Nov 2015, 19:33
Bert Gray was my father and my mum told me that after it happened the local primary school children wrote about it and gave him the stories. Sadly they have long gone together with all the photographs he had. Would love to hear from anyone who knew him.
Nickctaylor
12th Aug 2018, 21:49
My Dad was the miss named Soundman. He was J D Taylor. He hitched a lift back to Northolt to get a spare camera as all their gear fell out the ripped back of the aircraft. Interestingly rear seated which actually collapsed backwards during the crash. Emergency exit would not work either. Anyway whatever a very lucky escape. The good picture above was posted by me some time ago. The family has glossies from the Telegraph I think. None of it being lifted off!
Wander00
13th Aug 2018, 09:36
Thanks for rekindling a distant memory
ian16th
13th Aug 2018, 10:16
The name of the Captain of the Valiant was Sqdn. Ldr J H Garstin,
See my recent post on another thread.
: https://www.pprune.org/showthread.php?p=10219495
I never knew about the Anson, I was in Karachi with some of the Valiant tankers.
Nickctaylor
7th Apr 2024, 06:47
When I was a kid, about '52 or '53 I guess, an Anson taking off from Northolt had double engine failure, and landed on the roof of an egg-packing station in South Ruislip. I persuaded my dad to take me down and I took a photo with a box Brownie. Over the years I have lost the photo. Anyone else remember the incident or, even better, have a photo
Wander00
My dad was one of the two passengers in 1960. I posted the pictures elsewhere. We ended up with glossy masters from the newspaper!
Senior Pilot
7th Apr 2024, 07:17
My dad was one of the two passengers in 1960. I posted the pictures elsewhere. We ended up with glossy masters from the newspaper!
Since Nickctaylor posted these on BookFace, I shall do the honours! 👍
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x960/img_1689_f783fc0bfee64eecc17899db26ec6368f55eb63f.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x960/img_1690_ca67a6ec8be8e6466131bc6145e151238601d3a5.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x680/img_1691_f558e4e017c207e3a68b92a2f561e11c1f86d5cf.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/680x960/img_1692_b2846ae8f305b471bda0bc6e622b287ef95be63a.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/751x960/img_1693_f49bcdc10f9496d94d3d9bef40c3ab2096291303.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1694_80671df66deeaa1dc9c20efe991c691501ef29f8.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1695_754541fc2ee0a851bfb0a5a098f7e4aec36109cd.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1696_3dee9e01a3d08e1606afb9ab9b7ae9bbb18b22c3.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/751x960/img_1697_7ffbdedc26ab0cce2375d1704edd569fe8ba8398.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/751x960/img_1698_103300b6135b29b5f9052d3827f308ebfa3ef948.jpeg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1699_ad7eb979d72b6cf741228384e10dacc17f879923.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1700_28766bfda4a7e7d54ad67e18a8de94fe952de350.jpeg
OUAQUKGF Ops
7th Apr 2024, 09:28
Splendid - Scrambled Eggs !
Sue Vêtements
7th Apr 2024, 19:57
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x751/img_1696_3dee9e01a3d08e1606afb9ab9b7ae9bbb18b22c3.jpeg
Put it down right on the numbers!
treadigraph
7th Apr 2024, 20:21
Northolt seemed to be a bit of a Mecca for roof-top landings...
ShyTorque
8th Apr 2024, 07:51
That’s certainly one for the albumen.
treadigraph
8th Apr 2024, 08:42
He was pulling back on the yolk at the time of impact...
And to embellish the old Duxford pilots' r/t joke...
"I'm over ova over..."
l.garey
8th Apr 2024, 09:20
In several of the fantastic photos posted by Senior Pilot, above, it says clearly TURN LEFT. He obviously didn't.
Cheers, Laurence
Jhieminga
8th Apr 2024, 11:04
it says clearly TURN LEFT. He obviously didn't.
You beat me to it.... he certainly appears to have scrambled his instructions.
Planemike
8th Apr 2024, 12:46
Just a couple of comments/thoughts:-
1). It is remarkable that this thread has run for 15 years before these excellent clear images have come to light.
2). Also surprised at how little damage the aircraft has suffered. Must have come down with very little forward speed.
Engines stopped: as the port propeller blade does not appear to be damaged ?? It almost looks as though it could have
been lifted off the roof and reflown after some repairs and a check over....!!