Beverleys

[Amos Keeto]

Yes,the RAF Museum at Hendon had XH124 outside for a few years, until corrosion made it unsafe to keep any longer and sadly she got scrapped on site.

[Herod]

Sorted out how to post pictures, and found these two. The Beverley ran over a mine buried in the runway, which destroyed the starboard undercarriage. The result was a broken main spar and a written-off aircraft. I believe that within a day it had been booby-trapped by the dizzies, so salvage of anything became a problem.

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/r...ckHabilayn.jpg

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/r...edBeverley.jpg

[JW411]

I seem to remember that it was a mine with a 105 mm shell packed alongside that caused the damage.

I also remember Captain Pat telling us that he was still trying to nosewheel steer as the wing sank gracefully to the ground whilst he tried to figure out what was going on.

They were headed back to Khormaksar when it happened. They apparently missed the mine by a few feet on the inbound flight when they were full of freight - some of it no doubt expolsive and flamable - so it could have been much worse.

[Herod]

A few days later the tanker which was being used to oil the sand on the runway ran over a mine in almost the same place. (A trailer, so no injuries) Two of us shot down there in a Landrover, from which I took the attached pictures. Then the thought struck us: "The Beverley ran over a mine here, the oiler has just run over a mine here....err?" You'd be surprised how accurately it is possible to reverse a Landrover along its outbound tracks!

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/r...Oilerfire2.jpg

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/r...nOilerfire.jpg