Identifying Crash incident
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So, student who crashed on take-off from Oakhampton in a Vampire FB5 after engine failure and was subsequently let go for medical or other reasons. As opposed to:
"“I do remember him telling me a horrific story about his days as an RAF jet pilot well before his days in tv…I believe he was stationed in Germany and on war practice manoeuvres when his jet plane developed a problem and he had to bail out. The jet crashed but he landed by parachute in a farmers field in the middle of nowhere. He landed badly and broke both his legs and he told me that, unnoticed, he had to crawl as best he could some way across the field to a farmhouse where he got help from a concerned but kindly farmer and his family. Fortunately there were no other casualties.”
Still, it would have made a good screenplay.....
"“I do remember him telling me a horrific story about his days as an RAF jet pilot well before his days in tv…I believe he was stationed in Germany and on war practice manoeuvres when his jet plane developed a problem and he had to bail out. The jet crashed but he landed by parachute in a farmers field in the middle of nowhere. He landed badly and broke both his legs and he told me that, unnoticed, he had to crawl as best he could some way across the field to a farmhouse where he got help from a concerned but kindly farmer and his family. Fortunately there were no other casualties.”
Still, it would have made a good screenplay.....
I could swear that I have read somewhere about a pilot crawling to a farmhouse after baling out and being injured, but I'm darned if I can recall where I saw it.
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In fairness, I think that's someone the OP spoke to who might be misremembering what he was told by the Chris Baker in question. I suspect that the short gap between training and a new job might be down either to his being a National Service pilot or thanks to that nice Mr Sandys...
I could swear that I have read somewhere about a pilot crawling to a farmhouse after baling out and being injured, but I'm darned if I can recall where I saw it.
I could swear that I have read somewhere about a pilot crawling to a farmhouse after baling out and being injured, but I'm darned if I can recall where I saw it.
If the bail-out/crawling to a farmhouse story ever comes back to you, do please post it here!
😅 👍Are you thinking of RAFVR Sgt (later WO) Norman Cyril Jackson VC, 106 Sqn?
I felt stabbing pains in my back, the engine exploded into flames and I slipped off the wing. A violent jerk told me I was still attached to the Lancaster by my parachute. I was being pulled downwards in a spiralling arc. The other crew members paid out the rest of my canopy before bailing out themselves. I was unable to control the descent of my slashed and torn parachute, and I landed heavily in a forest. After regaining consciousness I checked my injuries. Both ankles seemed broken, my legs and back ached from shell splinters and shrapnel; both my hands and face were severely burned and my right eye was completed closed up.
At daybreak I managed to crawl to a nearby cottage, but was welcomed by a tirade of insults: ‘Churchill gangster!’ ‘Terror Flieger!’. After being paraded through town for more jeers I was joined by my fellow crew members – happily all intact – for a 12 hour journey to Dulag Laft. Crippled and temporarily blind, I spent 10 months in a German hospital before being moved to a P.O.W. camp, where I saw out the war.
At daybreak I managed to crawl to a nearby cottage, but was welcomed by a tirade of insults: ‘Churchill gangster!’ ‘Terror Flieger!’. After being paraded through town for more jeers I was joined by my fellow crew members – happily all intact – for a 12 hour journey to Dulag Laft. Crippled and temporarily blind, I spent 10 months in a German hospital before being moved to a P.O.W. camp, where I saw out the war.
Thread drift but I think it worth repeating.
Lord Ashcroft bought the resultant VC which is on display at the IWM. The family had intended to give it to the RAFM but his widow's will prevented them.
Archemedes, Chris Baker was a 12 or 22 year commision entrant, not National Service and the Duncan Sandys massacre did not happen until late in 1957 when my Hunter Course was scrubbed.
Brakedwell, thanks - I was posting on my phone, and it has the annoying habit of putting all the posts on a single page and refusing to get back to the top, so I'd misremembered the OP's date for Chris Baker leaving the service to 1958/59, which would've fitted Sandys better. Although I've seen some archival material which points to some effects - notably the disbandment of the RAuxAF squadrons coming about in short order, the full effects took time to work their way through - as you'll know rather better than I do!
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Just an update with the information you kind people have provided, in this thread and subsequently -
There's an article in the Belfast Telegraph on 27th May 1957 which reveals that earlier that day Pilot Officer C.R.Baker (19) made an emergency landing in a field at Lyng, near Dereham, Norfolk, whilst on a training flight from Cambridgeshire in a Vampire jet fighter.
Using that date, I discovered it related to a de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5 jet (number WA259) from Oakington which crashed 27.5.1957 when it lost power due to an engine fire mid flight and was wrecked in a forced landing near Primrose Green, Breckland, 4 miles east of RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, with “No reported injuries to pilot”.
Whether he broke his legs as reported in the anecdote I cannot say, but it wasn't recorded on the paperwork.
You've all been extremely helpful. It all stems from Brakedwell's incredible memory and I am very appreciative.
There's an article in the Belfast Telegraph on 27th May 1957 which reveals that earlier that day Pilot Officer C.R.Baker (19) made an emergency landing in a field at Lyng, near Dereham, Norfolk, whilst on a training flight from Cambridgeshire in a Vampire jet fighter.
Using that date, I discovered it related to a de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5 jet (number WA259) from Oakington which crashed 27.5.1957 when it lost power due to an engine fire mid flight and was wrecked in a forced landing near Primrose Green, Breckland, 4 miles east of RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, with “No reported injuries to pilot”.
Whether he broke his legs as reported in the anecdote I cannot say, but it wasn't recorded on the paperwork.
You've all been extremely helpful. It all stems from Brakedwell's incredible memory and I am very appreciative.
BC. We heard Chris did not break his legs as he had is feet on the instrument panel when the aircraft hit the ground and he climbed out of the wrecked Vampire through the hole in the nose, which was made partly of laminated balsa wood, We were good friends during IOT at RAF Kirton Lindsey and at Ternhill. I was surprised when he left the RAF from Oakington and interested to hear about his future career in TV.
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He directed the soap 'The Brothers', as well as shows like 'The Gentle Touch', 'Emmerdale Farm', 'One by One', 'Boon', 'Squadron', 'Star Cops' and many others. in 1976 his face even appeared in Doctor Who as one of the title character's old iterations. He retired from TV in 1991.
Thank you for the covering fire Jack but the major thread drift was my fault.
Anyway by penance I have been doing some digging in the Gazette - Brakedwell do these dates seem right?
Appointment to a direct commission (scheme B). As Acting Pilot Officer from Cadet Pilot (twelve years on the active list and four years on the reserve)
18th Jan. 1956. period of service to count from 19th Oct. 1955
3521732 Christopher Robin BAKER
Acting Pilot Officer to Pilot Officer 18 Jan 1957
Assuming it is him, I can find no further references using his number including any to relinquishing his commission/retiring.
Anyway by penance I have been doing some digging in the Gazette - Brakedwell do these dates seem right?
Appointment to a direct commission (scheme B). As Acting Pilot Officer from Cadet Pilot (twelve years on the active list and four years on the reserve)
18th Jan. 1956. period of service to count from 19th Oct. 1955
3521732 Christopher Robin BAKER
Acting Pilot Officer to Pilot Officer 18 Jan 1957
Assuming it is him, I can find no further references using his number including any to relinquishing his commission/retiring.
Those dates and details look exactly right as does his service number. We also heard he was leaving the RAF when news about his accident reached RAF Swinderby.
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Hello brakedwell - I've been pondering your original answer and just wanted to clarify something, if I may? You were wondering whether the Vampire crash may have been his second accident; but why would you be considering that? Do you have a distant memory of some other incident, or is/was there a rule within the RAF that if you are involved in two accidents you have to leave service? I'm just curious why you speculated.
BC - I remember we were all discussing Chris leaving the RAF in the crew room after his accident and how keen he had been to fly. There were quite a lot of Vampirw FB V accidents in those days, mostly fatal, and I seem to remember we thought he may have had another near miss/incident to make him decide to leave. It was a long time ago, but I remember feeling it strange that he was packing it in.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Close brushes with death can have that effect on some people. Nothing wrong with that - they just realise that there are are more important things in life.
On a much less sombre note, I knew several very experienced and able Met forecasters, always attached to the RAF, who could not stand being badly wrong. This crept up on them ..... they had obviously passed the "thick skin test" in training, but became so identified with their customers' needs and disappointments that they asked to be taken off the job, with consequent loss of salary. This was to the surprise of their colleagues, who were, I suppose, equally prone to error but accepted it as an inbuilt hazard.
There were plenty of challenging back room jobs to do. One became a vital member of the team that took Weather Radar from a concept to an everyday wonder. Others became excellent lecturers in our College.
There must be many roles in a major organisation that bring on the "not for me" after a period of expertise and contentment.
A couple of crashes or accidents would do the business for me, for sure.
There were plenty of challenging back room jobs to do. One became a vital member of the team that took Weather Radar from a concept to an everyday wonder. Others became excellent lecturers in our College.
There must be many roles in a major organisation that bring on the "not for me" after a period of expertise and contentment.
A couple of crashes or accidents would do the business for me, for sure.
BabelColour
You mention you’re potentially doing a program regarding the story. If you wanted to film a piece involving an aircraft to illustrate the fortune of escaping serious injuries, the De Havilland Museum at Salisbury Hall Hertfordshire have an FB6 variant on display, and an FB5 under restoration. Whilst not exactly the same, I think the major change was an updated Goblin engine, the FB6 could certainly add visual impact to the story.
DH museum are I believe quite pro active in helping these sorts of projects. May be worth dropping an email to them.
https://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/...-vampire-fb-6/
You mention you’re potentially doing a program regarding the story. If you wanted to film a piece involving an aircraft to illustrate the fortune of escaping serious injuries, the De Havilland Museum at Salisbury Hall Hertfordshire have an FB6 variant on display, and an FB5 under restoration. Whilst not exactly the same, I think the major change was an updated Goblin engine, the FB6 could certainly add visual impact to the story.
DH museum are I believe quite pro active in helping these sorts of projects. May be worth dropping an email to them.
https://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/...-vampire-fb-6/
