The Whirling Stirling
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The Whirling Stirling
My dad was a Flight Engineer with 158 Sqn (Halifaxes) from June '44 to the end of the war. After the war finished they traded in their Halibags for Stirling V's to fly stuff to Karachi for onward shipment to the Burma front.
Dad's last flight in the Stirling was when they landed at Stoney Cross, Dorset having struggled against headwinds across France from Tripoli. After three go-arounds in torrential rain and cloud down to the deck the Wingco at Stoney Cross talked them down on the fourth attempt. As the tail came down the engines cut due to lack of fuel and the poor Stirling ended up at the end of the runway where her considerable mass (even when empty) caused the adjacent drainage ditch to collapse and she slipped one main wheel into it. The crew didn't fly her home! The captain in question was one Stewart Sloane who later went on to greater things in the RAF post war.
I have often flown over Stoney Cross and remembered Dad's storey. Now here's the long shot:
Did anyone out there in Pprune land take a picture of this incident or any of 158's Stirlings? Although Dad refers to it as 158 I understand the number was changed to 1158 when they moved to Tranpsort Command???? The squadron had moved from Lisset to Stradishall when they swopped to the Stirlings.
Dad's last flight in the Stirling was when they landed at Stoney Cross, Dorset having struggled against headwinds across France from Tripoli. After three go-arounds in torrential rain and cloud down to the deck the Wingco at Stoney Cross talked them down on the fourth attempt. As the tail came down the engines cut due to lack of fuel and the poor Stirling ended up at the end of the runway where her considerable mass (even when empty) caused the adjacent drainage ditch to collapse and she slipped one main wheel into it. The crew didn't fly her home! The captain in question was one Stewart Sloane who later went on to greater things in the RAF post war.
I have often flown over Stoney Cross and remembered Dad's storey. Now here's the long shot:
Did anyone out there in Pprune land take a picture of this incident or any of 158's Stirlings? Although Dad refers to it as 158 I understand the number was changed to 1158 when they moved to Tranpsort Command???? The squadron had moved from Lisset to Stradishall when they swopped to the Stirlings.
