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South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum is a Saturday 17th May 2008 |
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AeroVenture, Dakota Way tel 01302 761616 |
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Falklands War - British Helicopter Losses 21st May 1982 and 28th May 1982 On 21st May 1982 two British Gazelle helicopters were shot down in the first hours of the British landings to recover the Falkland Islands. The aircrew who were killed:- Sgt A. Evans RM On the morning of the San Carlos landings a Sea King helicopter carrying Rapier missiles and escorted by a light Gazelle helicopter, armed with a pintle-mounted machine gun and pod mounted SNEB rockets, flew straight over an Argentine party, which had evacuated Port San Carlos when the landings started. The Argentines opened fire and struck the Gazelle, mortally wounding her pilot Sergeant Andy Evans. Even so, he managed to turn away from the fire and ditch in the water. The two crew men were thrown from the aircraft when it hit the water. As they struggled in the water, the same Argentines who had shot the helicopter down, opened fire on the two crew men in the water, despite their officer ordering them to cease fire. The Argentine troops continued to fire on the two helpless men struggling in the water for 15 minutes. When the shooting stopped Sergeant Ed Candlish, managed to drag Evans ashore where he died in his arms. The Sea King they were escorting had managed to avoid the fire. This incident had marked effect on the British troops in the Task Force. Minutes later a second Gazelle, unaware of the peril ahead, followed the same route and was raked by gunfire from below. The helicopter crashed to the ground in flames. When rescuers dragged the crew, Lt. Ken Francis and Lance Corporal Pat Giffin, from the wreckage they found them dead. Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly arrived at the crash site soon after in a Wessex from Canberra. There was nothing he could do for Francis or Giffin, but he decided to return the bodies of the two men back to the task force, which was against orders, but he did so out of respect. That evening aboard the landing ship Sir Galahad, the Brigade Air Squadron held a memorial service for their three dead colleagues and all three were buried at sea. Sergeant Eddy Candlish recovered form his ordeal aboard HMS Uganda.
Gazelle XX411 was later recovered from the sea and 5 years after being saved from scrapping by AeroVenture is being restored to her former glory as a fitting memory to the aircrew that lost their lives. 28th May 1982 Pilot Lt. R. J. Nunn flying a Scout of B Flt, 3 CBAS and his Air Gunner Sergeant Belcher were operating in Direct Support to 2 Para during the Battle of Darwin and Goose Green. They were flying as a pair with Flight Cdr, Capt J Niblett and Sergeant Glaze in another Scout from B Flt. Casualties from both sides were being flown back to Ajax Bay and small arms and mortar ammunition was flown forward to the Battalion. About 11.55 hrs, Niblett & Nunn, with their crewmen, were tasked to fly forward and pick up Col. "H" Jones, CO 2 Para, who had been wounded. As the pair of Scouts left Camilla Creek House at very low level, heading towards Darwin, they were attacked by two Argentine Pucaras which attacked the Scouts head on. Despite avoidance turns and evasive flying, Nunn's aircraft was hit by a short burst of cannon fire and then he was killed with a burst of machine gun fire during a second attacking pass. The aircraft crashed immediately and burst into flames. Sergeant Belcher survived the crash despite having one leg severed by cannon fire and being thrown clear during impact. Col. "H" Jones died of his injuries within minutes however Capt J Niblett and Sergeant Glaze returned in the second Scout helicopter and located Sergeant Belcher who was returned to Ajax bay for medical treatment just in time to save his life. The cab of the second Scout helicopter, XP902 is now preserved at AeroVenture. |
| Unless other credit given photographs on this site are copyright Jim Keable 2002-2008 |