Scimitar Crash nr Ben Vorlich 10 Nov 1959
 

Hi all

Does anybody have any information on this? I have a grid reference of
NN620163 and the following from an ejection history website (which appears to have a couple of mistakes - it's nowhere near Aberfoyle, ad as far as I know there's no Loch Cam, but there is a Loch Earn closeby):

10th November 1959http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/W...s/flags/UK.jpg
RN Scimitar XD281
'190/11'807 Sqn
Hydraulic failure.
Crashed in hilly country in Loch Cam/Ben Volich area, nr Aberfoyle, Perthshire

Lt. N. Grier-Rees ejected at 26,OOOft came down safely on the 2,300ft snow‑covered Ben Bhreac, then over several days walked 13 miles before reaching a farmhouse at Callander, Perthshire

I suspect that this might be a "Send three and fourpence" type report.

Those co-ords are very close to Lochan a Chroin on the SW side of Ben Vorlich.

Maybe Lochan got miss reported as Loch Cam?

Incidentally there are numerous Ben (or Beinn) Bhreac's in Scotland, including five in this area alone.

Thanks Flap40. There's also two Ben Vorlich's (at least)! I hopew to tey an check out the area in the coming months.

OS Sheet 57/ 620163.

Several days, 13 miles! Was no one looking for him? Was he injured?

There should be an interesting story here. Does anyone have any details?

I know an ex-Scimitar pilot, now living abroad -he seemed quite fond of the a/c ( as one becomes ) despite the fact that when I briefly researched the types' history my toes curled !

I'll ask him,

DZ

Lochan a' Chroin is near the summit of a separate Munro called Stuc a' Chroin which is a very prominent mountain 2km south-west of Ben Vorlich and 9km North of Callander. From many viewpoints in the Forth Valley, Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorlich are the most prominent mountains. Ben Vorlich is the more pointed mountain whilst Stuc a' Chroin is a more craggy and irregular shape. The grid reference given for the crash site is on the southern slopes of Stuc a' Chroin about 0.5km south-east from Lochan a' Chroin. There is no "Loch Cam" on the OS map in that area.

This web site; http://www.dundeeopenaward.co.uk/leadersresources/crashsites.htm confirms the grid reference of the crash site and states that there are small remains there.

There's a Ben Bhreac about 6km NW of Callander and 3km south of the crash site. If the pilot walked 13 miles to reach Callander he must have taken a detour but that's not surprising given the nature of the terrain in that area and the likely weather conditions.

I'm sure you will have seen/considered this...
Scimtar file

Well, I've just answered my own question. I had forgotten that I had signed up for the (currently) free Times Online Archive.

The story was in The Times on 12 Nov 1959 "Pilot walked 13 miles after baling out" "Sheltered in hut during blizzard" http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol...rykeywordText=

You will have to sign up to view the article, but here is the picture of the pilot:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...Grier-Rees.jpg

It wasn't several days, just overnight, but I'm sure that was bad enough in the Grampians in November.

He baled out in the afternoon, landed on a ridge in a snowstorm, walked for several hours, sheltered in a hut and then walked out to a farm the next morning. He was wearing an immersion suit, which helped keep him warm. A great stiff-upper-lip quote in the article An interesting point at the end of the article is that he reported ejecting near Kingussi, but landed 70 miles further south.

The Times Archive is an amazing resource - every article from every issue going back to 1785!

I42

India Four Two
 

As I've long suspected, you were on the mailing list way back then..:D

Well done sir - yes a 70 mile float from 26000 seems a 'little' optimistic -any takers?

PS interested as I've either climbed them or waterskied in the low bits - my first involuntary intake of salt tablets as a result of a collapse (age 11 guys) was on said Ben Vorlich. Then trials biked round most of it in the 70's

PS edited to add - doesn't he look (with obviously loaned check jkt) like one of the many 39 Steps Richard Hannay shots?? - and Callander was v close to the fictional/film locations...
"it's a one-horse dorp"....:E

With all due respect to Lt. N. Grier-Rees (I believe he achieved a much higher rank than that), and his family, naturally..
Mike

Mustpost said;
I agree. The problems started at 26,000 ft but the ejection was at 20,000ft according to the Times report. The weather forecast in the Times for the day of the accident predicted a westerly wind, and a strength of fresh to strong. It therefore seems highly unlikely that an ejection over Kingussie at 20,000ft would result in a parachute landing 70 miles south near Callander. Also, the pilotless Scimitar with hydraulic failure would have to have covered almost the same distance southwards, then manage to crash on a steep south-facing slope. I think it's more likely that the pilot ejected somewhere north-west of Callander.

Viking 1948 said;

Quote:

---

Lt. N. Grier-Rees ejected at 26,OOOft came down safely on the 2,300ft snow‑covered Ben Bhreac, then over several days walked 13 miles before reaching a farmhouse at Callander, Perthshire

---

My best guess based on the article in the Times, the report referenced above and my experience walking the mountains in that area would be that the pilot landed on Beinn Bhreac, then descended south or south west to the Allt Brhreac-Nic and followed this stream eastwards until he spotted the small reservoir near Arivurichardich where he sheltered in a hut. When the snow eased, he would then have followed track next to the Keltie Water southwards until he reached one of the farms 2 miles north Callander (perhaps Braeleny or Thomasgreen?). The distance is a lot less than 13 miles (more like 5 or 6), but I expect that the terrain and weather conditions would have made it seem like a much greater distance.

Even if he ejected at 23,000, the seat barometrics would not trigger seat separation and parachute deployment until 12,000, then subtract the 2,300ft of the mountain...

I found this info about the pilot via Google;
(source; Re: James Grier 1753 -1814 - Llanarthney, Wales )

There are some photos of him on HMS Eagle in 1966 on this site; On the flight deck (you'll need to scroll through the photos (scroll right about 20 times), but it's a good site with lots of interesting photos and information).

Also;
RootsWeb: GRIERSON-L Grier-Rees, marriage of 1980, widow of (Commander) Nigel Grier-Rees
807 Naval Air Squadron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2005

And indeed when comparing photgraphs, this appears to be him standing to the right of Prince Phillip...
http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/33305...5A1E4F32AD3138
Remarkable thing the web - I recently discovered I had an RAF uncle I knew absolutely nothing about.. (no jokes please, Dad's Army and all that:O)

I also found this site;
Atlas F1 Bulletin Board - Personal photos from the track
which mentions a "N Grier-Rees" winning a 1,172 formula race in 1957 in a Buckler 90. I'm not certain whether or not it's the same chap.

If you're wondering what a Buckler 90 is;
Ford sidevalve Specials Ashley, Buckler, Falcon, Tornado ++
Buckler Cars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Knew the gentleman concerned. The reason for the ejection was a double hydraulic failure (out of two), hence zero flying controls. The aircraft wouldn't have gone far in this condition.

There's another photo of him on HMS Eagle during the period 1970-72 here; http://www.axfordsabode.org.uk/pdf-docs/eagle08.pdf . He's in the photo entitled "Air Department".

He had another claim to fame as this 1959 press cutting shows:


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/Image1-1.jpg

So that's two (well, three) hydraulic failures in one year. He must have been thinking "Oh no, not again" the second time around.

India Four Two
 

Couldn't agree more - my understanding is that the Scimitar was more prone to this sort of problem (or any) than the Hawk - but I look forward to be corrected by someone who flew either of them.
Fascinating little thread - well done viking1948:ok:

Ps lovely to see the Hawk displaying again.

PPS
the word 'little' is not appropriate.....