SAROPS Saturday - for Search and Rescue

[P6 Driver]

So far, we've had threads such as Maritime Monday - Tornado Tuesday , WIWOL Wednesday and Phantom Phriday.

Following the established theme, how about...

SAROPS SATURDAY

Anything related to military Search and Rescue Operations, whether it's Helicopter, fixed wing, ship, boat or the support on the ground.

[HEDP]

That won't last long then.......

Hat

Coat

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Avro_Shackleton_with_Saunders-Roe_airborne_lifeboat.jpg
the Saunders Roe Mk3 airborne lifeboat fitted to a Shackleton MR1.

According to Wikipedia, the Mk3 was fitted with 15hp motorcycle engine with a range of 1250 NM:eek:

[Wander00]

I should have thought there would be enough material for it to be "SAROPS Saturday and Sunday"

[Floppy Link]

Wessex week, maritime month, yellow hatter year...

[ACW418]

How about Tin Triangle Thursday?

ACW

[FantomZorbin]

Guernsey Girl II


Wasn't that the Lindholme gear ... boat at one end of a long rope with life jackets etc at intervals along the rope?

[charliegolf]

Lindholme may have started like that, but I recall it as a multi-seat raft (MS12/26?) in the middle with a goody canister on long lanyards either side. Dropped so as to drift onto the survivors- the wide spread minimising it scooting past and being lost.

CG

[Wander00]

What did the a/b lifeboat weigh, kitted and ready to drop? Just that trolley looks well over-engineered for a job a sailing dinghy trolley (eg for a Finn) should cope with, at vastly less cost. Aah, you say, a defence project. that explains it..........hat, coat............

[dragartist]

Wonder00,
The airborne lifeboat was designed by Uffa Fox, there appears to be an example at the Classic Boat Museum in Cowes.


There is quite a lot of gen about it on the web along with pictures showing it under a Hudson and Warwick. I had not seen the picture GGII had posted previously.


I am quite interested in this. Lots of years ago the St Ives (Cambridgeshire) Sea Scouts had one. I am not sure where it went. I know there is an ex military boat of sorts made of steel buried under the foundations of the new hut (New to me in 1974 ex Pathfinder HQ Huntingdon). Under the veranda end closest to the church. We also had another aluminium boat which went to Micky Jones boatyard in St Ives. I think this had been a tug for the pontoon bridge sections we used to float the hut over to the island. It had a very thirsty inboard petrol engine and went like hot snot.


I do recall seeing an old flickering cine film of the Airborne boat on the river in St Ives. I would not be surprised if the mast and sails were amongst those in the lockers in the old hut (town side of the swimming pool [dockyard] ) I know there were lots for boats that had long since gone. Most of the people that were involved have long since gone. I was a teenager at the time.


I believe the Lindholme gear was all containerised. Early versions were even dropped from Lysanders from a rack on the undercarriage legs.

[P6 Driver]

This book might interest anyone keen to read more about Airborne Lifeboats;

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/454/18528943861_55acd17d9b_z.jpg

First published 1994 - HMSO

ISBN: 0 11 772761X


Message for MODS/Admin - Could the thread title be changed to correct case please - sorry for "shouting".

Done: Splot

[Al-bert]

There used to be three A/B L/B's in St Andrews SC circa 1985. One in commission and two being 'worked on'. Had the pleasure of sailing the i/c one with the owner and friends - went like the proverbial and hummed like a cello when she planed!

[StuartP]

that trolley looks well over-engineered for a job a sailing dinghy trolley (eg for a Finn) should cope with, at vastly less cost.

The Uffa Fox weighed 1700lb according to Wikipedia (yes, I know), the Finn weighs about 250 ? No weights given for the Saunders-Roe. If you dropped a 250lb dinghy from an aeroplane would there be anything left apart from floating wreckage ?

[Wander00]

Well there you, all explained, many thanks. Interested in the Wyton/Pathfinder stuff as last tour at Wyton 90/93, and was involved in station sailing at Grafham; also involved in the Pathfinder Reunion in 92. seems an odd bit of kit to use as "foundations" though!

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

the Mk3 was fitted with 15hp motorcycle engine with a range of 1250 NM:eek:


Must have taken a long time to transit to the patrol area. 1250nm isn't a great range for an MPA either ;)

[Guernsey Girl II]

Perhaps that's why they put the Vipers on the Phase 3?:)

[P6 Driver]

Image removed

[Finnpog]

I will be Away tomorrow as well. So...

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g247/MDE_2006/Wessex-9aXS880ArkRoyal9-70.jpg

Image credit: Mad Dan on UKAR at this weblink http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=2152

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://www.22squadronassociation.org.uk/wwjgougy.jpgfrom the 22 Sqn Association Web Site
One of the early Whirlwind Mk 10 rescues resulted in the second award of a George Medal to a 22 Squadron Winchman. On 3 November 1962 Sergeant Eric Smith volunteered to be lowered to the grounded and stricken French fishing vessel, "Jeanne Gougy", to rescue a trawlermen from inside the wheel house. The wheel house was continually being submerged by breaking waves. Having been ordered to remain attached to the winch wire, he entered the vessel's wheel house, continually having to take a deep breath of air and hold his breath while the wheel house was submerged before the waves receded again. Once inside the wheel house he found two survivors, which he rescued separately. A report of a possible third survivor required Eric Smith to enter the wheel house yet again and crawl along a passageway towards the radio room to look for the survivor. None was found, but before being able to return to the helicopter he had to disentangle the winch wire from the hub of the ship's wheel.

I'm sure this photo was the basis of a Ladybird Book picture that I can still almost see nearly 50 years later.

[Oldlae]

P6 Driver.
What is the tail number of the WW Mk 10? I must have worked on it at St Mawgan in the sixties.

[dhp41]

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/IMGP0453_zpsf3ynd3dh.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/IMGP0453_zpsf3ynd3dh.jpg.html)

ZH543 from Wattisham on exercise with an RNLI lifeboat in the Thames Estuary January 2007

[circle kay]

Oldlea,

XP299 according to this:

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/collections/1987-0012-A-Whirlwind-HAR-10-XP299.pdf

[Guernsey Girl II]

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/9/media-9438/standard.jpg
© IWM (C 3691) Available to share and reuse non commercially.



An airborne lifeboat is parachuted by a Lockheed Hudson of No. 279 Squadron RAF to the crew of a USAAF Boeing B-17 which ditched in the North Sea, 25 July 1943.

[P6 Driver]

Image removed

[pr00ne]

circle kay

That RAFM record sheet really makes one question their accuracy and validity!
Transferred in 1971 to 22 Sqn at RAF Finningley??
I really don't think so...

If they can have that so wrong, what price the rest of the info?

[CoffmanStarter]

Bristow Helicopters RAF Manston in the 70's, prior to the return of 22 Squadron RAF.

Rescue 41

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll24/SARowl/G-AYTK_zpse854c197.jpg

Image Credit : Unknown

Also found some cracking colour film (silent) footage of Rescue 41 ...

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/cliff-rescue-by-helicopter/query/Rescue

If memory serves me correctly one of the pilots was Captain Tim Carbis (ex RAF).

[FantomZorbin]

Transferred in 1971 to 22 Sqn at RAF Finningley??I seem to remember 22 Sqn coming to Finningley, just as I was posted, in about 1971, the why's and wherefore's I've no idea.

According to Wikipedia the SAR wing was formed in 1976; maybe the a/c I saw was a vanguard element.

[Oldlae]

XP299 didn't ring any bells with me, I now see why, I left 22 and RAF in 1969.

[dhp41]

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/IMGP0454_zpsslbvymb2.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/IMGP0454_zpsslbvymb2.jpg.html)

[dhp41]

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/IMGP0455_zpsp8rdpqdu.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/IMGP0455_zpsp8rdpqdu.jpg.html)

A Wattisham cab again, mid 2000s at a guess.

[Shackman]

A bit earlier (and just to show yellow birds didn't do it all!):

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/559/18362558194_f1cce59d27_c.jpg" width="800" height="563"

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/489/18988127911_3cf6a855e4_c.jpg" width="800" height="565"

https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3718/18797435760_92d193844e_c.jpg" width="800" height="566"

Incident was rescue of approx 80 pax from the Kyrenia - Turkish mainland ferry that had had an engine fire. Initially UN assistance requested but Akrotiri cabs called in as well.

[P6 Driver]

Nice to see the photos of Whirlwinds in action!

[dhp41]

In that case, here's a couple more

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/whirlwind2_zpscetbz8p3.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/whirlwind2_zpscetbz8p3.jpg.html)

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/whirlwind_zpsmij9ttjz.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/whirlwind_zpsmij9ttjz.jpg.html)

They seemed to winch from a much lower height in those days.

And no bone domes on the lifeboat crew either :ooh:

[Oldlae]

IIRC the winch cable was only 60 feet long.

[P6 Driver]

Something rings a bell with me that the Whirlwind could be fitted with one of two winch types - one of them called the "Packet Winch".

If correct - and I'm not sure if it is - could each winch type have had a different cable length, so affecting winching heights?

[Shackman]

Normal wet winching height for the Whirlwind was 15ft (interesting in a heavy swell!), whilst for the Wessex 25ft, although that crept up a bit in later years, whilst for the Sea King I think they needed oxygen. Fot the Chinook we started at 50ft, but even then the downwash on the water was quite horrendous so we ended up higher still.

In FEAF they developed a type of double cable (I can't remember the name but I'm sure someone else will) to extend the usable cable length so as to get survivors out from under the jungle canopy. If you can find the original (c 1970) RAF Jungle Survival film it can be seen in use with yours truly being 'rescued' - which I believe was one of the very few times it was used for live winching.

[dhp41]

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/P7090767_zpsnypd241o.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/P7090767_zpsnypd241o.jpg.html)

[P6 Driver]

202 Sqn - Long gone, but not forgotten in the South East.

[P6 Driver]

Image removed

[dhp41]

http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/o577/Bob_Uppendown/125_zpsmeurjq50.jpg (http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Uppendown/media/125_zpsmeurjq50.jpg.html)

[P6 Driver]

Image removed

[Engineerboy07]

I've just come across the thread on the mk3 airborne lifeboat and to all those posting I actually have a mk3 and it's sat on my front garden. It was converted into a small cruiser back in the 60s after it was decommissioned with the addition of a cabin but the hull is intact. I found it in a local scrapyard where it had been sat for 30yrs. My hope is to put it back on the water either late summer or early next year although it will only be inland waterways.

Although I have done a lot of research on the Mk3s I would always welcome more information any member could give me.

Thank you

[Guernsey Girl II]

Engineerboy07
I assume you've seen the book P6 Driver recommended earlier on in the thread; I got mine from a famous South American River for about £5 I think (one on at the moment for a tad under £7).
In Appendix III it says Saunders Roe only built 35 (numbered between 803 and 836) ? and lists all the delivery stations.

[AnglianAV8R]

Zambezi.com ?

[Guernsey Girl II]

Sorry AnglianAV8R

Trying to multi task will leave it to better half. :-(

P.S. Eddie Calvert' s second hand book site is rubbish!

[Cornish Jack]

Eric Smith's exploits were current topics when I did my conversion course. He was being looked after by one of the best WinchOps I ever worked with - Jack Canham. Taking care of the cable and 'pattering' to hold position, under those conditions, was quite something! Jack was tragically killed while serving in Borneo -fondly remembered. The photo below was in happier times.
Demo for H M at Thorney

http://www.pprune.org/<a href=http://s647.photobucket.com/user/CornishJack/media/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg.html target=_blank>[IMG]http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpgttp://s647.photobucket.com/user/CornishJack/media/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg.html]http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg

http://www.pprune.org/<a href=http://s647.photobucket.com/user/CornishJack/media/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg.html target=_blank>[IMG]http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpghttp://www.pprune.org/<a href=http://s647.photobucket.com/user/CornishJack/media/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg.html target=_blank>[IMG]http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/DemoHM_zpsalz42hgg.jpg

Self, 'Sandy' Sanders and Jack at Thorney - waiting for the next errant grockle!!

http://i647.photobucket.com/albums/uu193/CornishJack/News4_zps4jptp6nc.jpg

Great Days!!

[Guernsey Girl II]

CJ

It may be my set up, but I can't see the pics in your last post.

Regards

GG II

[Rigga]

The Whirlwind "Winch Pack" was a self-contained hydraulic winch assy that could be fitted or removed in a short time - perhaps 2 hrs with functional checks.
Obviously several mods were required to install a new hyd pump, some pipes and wiring and structural changes.
The pack was mounted in the same place as the standard winch but connected to two (Avery) Hyd couplings and two electrical sockets (one for the Squib) above the cabin door and in front of the top platform/step
There were no internal wire runs or pulleys and no winch in the baggage compartment in the back.
I never worked on the standard packs - Training Command didn't have them!

[Cornish Jack]

GGII - apologies!!! Didn't check that all was well, having used the same technique as previously successful piccy inserts:( Have just battled with the software for 20 minutes and it now seems to work - the inexplicable joys of noughts and ones!!

[Dan Gerous]

A couple of the Prestwick cab last year, at Dunbar and South Queensferry, before they were withdrawn from service.


http://i60.tinypic.com/2m2ujqt.jpg


http://i57.tinypic.com/24biwqw.jpg