Practice bomb demolished pub toilet
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Practice bomb demolished pub toilet
I remember hearing about this - when did it happen, what aircraft was it of which squadron, where was the pub?
I think it was a Cranberry .... in the early '70s
I think it was a Cranberry .... in the early '70s
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Three old ladies locked in the lavatory
Nobody knew they were there.
Three old ladies locked in the lavatory
12 Sqn knew they were there.
The photo caption said Flash in the Pan. I believe someone had a lucky escape having just vacated the toilet.
8
The pub was Prussian Queen near Theddlethorpe and it was a 12 Sqn Canberra from Binbrook in late 50s or 61/62.
I believe low scudding cloud gave the pub car park lights the same appearance as the Theddlethorpe target lights.
Nobody knew they were there.
Three old ladies locked in the lavatory
12 Sqn knew they were there.
The photo caption said Flash in the Pan. I believe someone had a lucky escape having just vacated the toilet.
8
The pub was Prussian Queen near Theddlethorpe and it was a 12 Sqn Canberra from Binbrook in late 50s or 61/62.
I believe low scudding cloud gave the pub car park lights the same appearance as the Theddlethorpe target lights.
I was on the Visual Bomb Aiming Course at Bomber Command Bombing School at RAF Lindholme in April 1963. We were told the story of what had happened there a few weeks before. Their version was : There had been a Staff Contiuation sortie which had an extra pilot on board, who was allowed by the instructor to drop a couple of bombs. The target was an old Tank Landing Craft, but on the night in question the electric lighting on the target was u/s. So, Gooseneck Flares were sited in each corner.
The run in to the target featured an arrow of electric lights pointing to the target. There was broken cloud cover in the area. Unfortunately the "Bomb Aimer" misidentified the lights on a nearby roundabout as the arrow, and when at the right time the "Target"appeared through the broken cloud he duly dropped a 28lb Smoke/Flash Bomb. The pub carpark was illuminated by a light in each corner giving the same visual appearence as the real target. The bomb was "Good" and struck one of two cubicles in the Ladies toilet. Fortunately the unoccupied one.
The letter of apology from OC BCBS included the phrase "It was a Flash in the Pan Occurence"
The run in to the target featured an arrow of electric lights pointing to the target. There was broken cloud cover in the area. Unfortunately the "Bomb Aimer" misidentified the lights on a nearby roundabout as the arrow, and when at the right time the "Target"appeared through the broken cloud he duly dropped a 28lb Smoke/Flash Bomb. The pub carpark was illuminated by a light in each corner giving the same visual appearence as the real target. The bomb was "Good" and struck one of two cubicles in the Ladies toilet. Fortunately the unoccupied one.
The letter of apology from OC BCBS included the phrase "It was a Flash in the Pan Occurence"
Lights to and on the target?
I reckon the Russians would not have been so obliging....would they?
I reckon the Russians would not have been so obliging....would they?
There had been a Staff Contiuation sortie which had an extra pilot on board,
In my experience such sorties have a high probability of ending in disaster (or at the very least an amusing dit) and reading that account I'm tempted to say 'QED'.
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There is some interesting discussion in Hansard about the range and the Prussian Queen:
BOMBING RANGE, SALTFLEET (Hansard, 19 November 1953)
BOMBING RANGE, SALTFLEET (Hansard, 19 November 1953)
Spent many an evening and a fair few lunchtimes in there when stationed at Donna Nook in the 80's as our accommodation was the old Theddlethorpe Range HQ. Always pleased to see RAF there- probably because we spent so much.Was not unknown to go straight there from the range if there was an early stack due to weather, often via the Dun Horse in North Somercotes- all in uniform and in RAF Landrover. Don't think it would happen nowadays somehow!
EOD from Wittering were still clearing Theddlethorpe in 87/88.
EOD from Wittering were still clearing Theddlethorpe in 87/88.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
It may have been IX but I know the pictures and verse were in the Saga of the Shinies, our Sqn history. Both sqns had disbanded in 1961.
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BOMBING RANGE, SALTFLEET (Hansard, 19 November 1953)
Mandator (#9).
This incident took place two years before I arrived at Strubby on my first ATC tour in 1955. We lived in Mablethorpe: it was a subject of much amused remark at the time - although it could've easily had a tragic outcome. I believe that the toilet seat involved was kept on display behind the lounge bar in the "Prussian Queen", although another version had it donated to the Squadron responsible.
But "Hansard" is so scrupulously polite and pedantic, with an underlying streak of humour, that it's a joy to read. Thank you for putting it in !
Danny42C.
Mandator (#9).
This incident took place two years before I arrived at Strubby on my first ATC tour in 1955. We lived in Mablethorpe: it was a subject of much amused remark at the time - although it could've easily had a tragic outcome. I believe that the toilet seat involved was kept on display behind the lounge bar in the "Prussian Queen", although another version had it donated to the Squadron responsible.
But "Hansard" is so scrupulously polite and pedantic, with an underlying streak of humour, that it's a joy to read. Thank you for putting it in !
Danny42C.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I read the range log book at Wainfleet. It reported a bomb dropped from a Lincoln well inland of the range. When it dropped a second it was told to cease bombing. The captain then said they had found out what the problem was. They were allowed to continue and did it again.
Much more recently an F15 got a DH on the quadrant building missing the occupant by 10 feet. A few years later a Tornado did it again but missed the bomb landing only 300 yards from an ignorant bunch of spotters.
Much more recently an F15 got a DH on the quadrant building missing the occupant by 10 feet. A few years later a Tornado did it again but missed the bomb landing only 300 yards from an ignorant bunch of spotters.
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PN: Have you got a date for the Lincoln 'wide' release at Wainfleet? In about 1955 the RAF missed our house by about 50 yards at approx. 6.00 pm one evening. The next morning I remember what seemed to me to be a huge crater in the field opposite our house, and I credit this formative event (as well as all the aircraft visiting the range every day) for my interest in joining the RAF.
If you have any other info on the Wainfleet bombings then I would be most interested to hear.
If you have any other info on the Wainfleet bombings then I would be most interested to hear.
Don't know why they bother with warheads. 
Blunders in Australia - Blunders from Sydney to Darwin to the outback
Darwin has been bombed quite a bit during World War Two but the most recent one happened during Operation Pitch Black exercise at 9.15 Pm on August 3, when a dummy missile fell off an airforce bomber. At the time Tony Travers was preparing a BBQ for himself at his workplace and residence at # 2 Strath Road, Berrimah ( Datto's Rust Repairs), which unfortunately has gone out of business since then due to all this.
This is Tony's eye witness account of the event;
All hell broke loose when a AIM-7-CATM { Captive Air Training Missile } fell off a FA-18 Hornet as it prepared to land at Darwin airport During Operation Pitch Black on 3 August 2000. It landed 20 metres from me and hit a 1974 Toyota Landcruiser directly at the rear of my shed.
The ensuing destruction as the 250 Kg -12 foot Missile hit the Tojo at approximately 500 Kph shook the dust out of the roof of the shed as it sent a shockwave tearing through the shed.
The Boom was like a thunderclap directly overhead ,, Very Very Loud,,, It scared the Crap out of me,,, { And My 2 Red Heeler Dogs } Upon doing a search around the shed I found 1/2 of the Missile protruding out of the ground beside the Now Destroyed Toyota,, Absolute Awesome Damage ,, The Guidance Fin had cut the windscreen like a Bullet going through a playing card and the engine had been Smashed into a thousand pieces ,, You could see the pistons and internals of the motor everywhere,, Totally Destroyed !!! Diff ,, Chassi ,, Cab ,, Gearbox ,, Everything in its path,, {It Probably hit # 5 Cylinder Causing a massive backfire}
Upon Seeing this with my torch I literally **** myself and uttered F#*K many times over, Knowing that another 2 metres further towards where I was standing and I wouldn't have had a chance ,, It would have Creamed Me and the contents of my workshop,,,
The other 1/2 that broke off on impact smashed into another 3 cars before hitting a fence,, and coming to rest next to my Nissan Patrol Mudracer , The Re Occuring Dreams of this incident are still haunting me to this day ,,,therefore being the subject of a Law Suit that is still going on ,, and,, on ,,
Tony is still in a court case with the airforce, it took a long time before they coughed up part of the money for the three cars of Tony's customers that were damaged, and his rust repair business of 14 years has gone bankrupt.
This is Tony's eye witness account of the event;
All hell broke loose when a AIM-7-CATM { Captive Air Training Missile } fell off a FA-18 Hornet as it prepared to land at Darwin airport During Operation Pitch Black on 3 August 2000. It landed 20 metres from me and hit a 1974 Toyota Landcruiser directly at the rear of my shed.
The ensuing destruction as the 250 Kg -12 foot Missile hit the Tojo at approximately 500 Kph shook the dust out of the roof of the shed as it sent a shockwave tearing through the shed.
The Boom was like a thunderclap directly overhead ,, Very Very Loud,,, It scared the Crap out of me,,, { And My 2 Red Heeler Dogs } Upon doing a search around the shed I found 1/2 of the Missile protruding out of the ground beside the Now Destroyed Toyota,, Absolute Awesome Damage ,, The Guidance Fin had cut the windscreen like a Bullet going through a playing card and the engine had been Smashed into a thousand pieces ,, You could see the pistons and internals of the motor everywhere,, Totally Destroyed !!! Diff ,, Chassi ,, Cab ,, Gearbox ,, Everything in its path,, {It Probably hit # 5 Cylinder Causing a massive backfire}
Upon Seeing this with my torch I literally **** myself and uttered F#*K many times over, Knowing that another 2 metres further towards where I was standing and I wouldn't have had a chance ,, It would have Creamed Me and the contents of my workshop,,,
The other 1/2 that broke off on impact smashed into another 3 cars before hitting a fence,, and coming to rest next to my Nissan Patrol Mudracer , The Re Occuring Dreams of this incident are still haunting me to this day ,,,therefore being the subject of a Law Suit that is still going on ,, and,, on ,,
Tony is still in a court case with the airforce, it took a long time before they coughed up part of the money for the three cars of Tony's customers that were damaged, and his rust repair business of 14 years has gone bankrupt.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Mandator, it would have been around that time, a Lincoln IIRC, The topography has changed a lot so the description of the event is hard to tie in to today's landscape.
The camp was about 2 north of its last location at Eaudyke. The target may also have been further north as we had a couple of defunct targets there. It was certainly inland but the only feature I recall as the impact was close to a right angle bend in the road.
The camp was about 2 north of its last location at Eaudyke. The target may also have been further north as we had a couple of defunct targets there. It was certainly inland but the only feature I recall as the impact was close to a right angle bend in the road.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
chevron, not to forget the Jaguar that bombed the wrong island off Scotland with 1000 lb HE. The bird watchers were not amused.
The most spectacular long bomb I ever heard about involved the aged navigator who was standing in for our regular plotter whilst the latter was away on an anti-honking course.
Some years earlier, this worthy had been on Lincolns. Whilst conducting a night practice bombing attack on some range on the German coast, he'd misidentified the target and as a result took out an entire wildlife sanctuary....
Wild duck featured on the local menus for quite a while, I imagine... Although perhaps some rather unusual cuts?
Some years earlier, this worthy had been on Lincolns. Whilst conducting a night practice bombing attack on some range on the German coast, he'd misidentified the target and as a result took out an entire wildlife sanctuary....
Wild duck featured on the local menus for quite a while, I imagine... Although perhaps some rather unusual cuts?
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My version of the story has it as a 9 Sqdn.Canberra piloted by a certain Ted Flavel who wrote the ditty which should be sung to the tune of 'Three old ladies locked in the lavatory'..........
" Oh dear what can the matter be
three old ladies locked in the lavatory
hiding from bombs from Monday to Saturday
Nine squadron knew they were there"
.... and so on.
" Oh dear what can the matter be
three old ladies locked in the lavatory
hiding from bombs from Monday to Saturday
Nine squadron knew they were there"
.... and so on.