Last changed 1 August 2010
Dear Don,
You can use my submission by all means, reading your web-page brought those memoried flooding back.
My memories of the crash are still vivid; I was a Senior Aircraftsman with 50 Tactical Signals Unit based at RAF Tangmere and we were on exercise having spent a few days in Malta before flying in at night on an Argosy, (I don't know which one) and setting up a communications centre.
I was stood outside the telephone exchange tent, (on duty!) watching as it did a low pass down the line of the sand runway. I saw the starboard wingtip clip the tower with the 45 gallon drum on top, it couldn't have been more than 12 to 15 foot high altogether, (it was part of the airfield fire section).
The aircraft pitched nose down and then cartwheeled, exploded and disintegrated... I can still see the remains of the nosewheel section bouncing along the sand for about 400 yards. There was very little or no post crash fire but the fireball as it cartwheel was considerable. I was operating the exchange at the time, I remember my boss in the Comcen telling me to put him through to the air movements section and saying to them "have you got a list of those on board".
The exercise had finished and we were using a small field telephone expecting to wrap everything up in the next day or two, our communications aerials had also been taken down and we had to quickly erect a temporary mast in order to contact El Adem for medical assistance. A Wessex helicopter arrived some time later.
A day or two later we packed our comms equipment and were transported back to El Adem by a 10 tonner, the journey was long and very uncomfortable but in the circumstances we didn't complain.
One other point, I remember we had stopped the 10 tonner for a break by the side of the road some distance from El Adem when three or four large, black mercs came speeding by, someone said they thought it may have been King Idris but I can't confirm that. A very sad end to an exercise.
Barry Finch
Dear Don,
In May 1968 an Argosy crashed at a desert Air Strip called Gott el Affraq.
There were 5 aircrew and 6 paras on board and all were killed instantly.
It was near the end of a large exercise and the paras were returning to El Adem for onward passage back to the Uk.
The wing tip of the aircraft hit a low water pipe and cartwheeled down the runway.
I can vouch for the truth of this as I was Flight Sergeant in charge of the El Adem Medical Centre at the time
and my staff and I had to deal with it. The bodies were flown back to Lyneham by Hercules the next day.
Best wishes
Don Jones
I was in the 1st Bn Loyal Regt Intelligence Section at a makeshift desert camp named "Camp Barbara", alongside the airstrip where the Argosy crashed on 7th May 1968, killing all 11 on board including members of the Parachute Regt.
We flew in just after the crash; in fact our flight was delayed because of it. The devastation along the airstrip was horrific and we were told that it was the custom of the RAF pilots to fly low over the airstrip and apparently this plane's wing hit a water tower in doing so.
Our exercise was to be marred by accidents and incidents after that, and a small convoy of us drove hundreds of miles to Bomba Bay for some much needed R&R.
Chris Kelly
Hi Don.
Unfortunately the Service Police confiscated my camera immediately after the crash.
I got the camera back with pictures I had taken less ones of the aircraft approaching the crash site.
I do remember seeing a distraught Army SNCO who kept repeating 'I have killed them' because he talked the captain
of the aircraft into giving a lift back to El Adem to some of his soldiers.
I have seen a photograph of the aircraft approaching the site and you can see me standing behind the pole
with the 45 gallon drum on it.
Although the ground was hard and stony an unopened undamaged bottle of whisky was found about 100 yards in front
to the aircraft, I still cannot work out how it survived.
[Ian Horner]
I attended the official enquiry regarding the above crash as I was one of the nearest, if not the nearest person to the accident.
I was standing about 15 feet behind a post which had a 45 gallon drum mounted on top of it (possibly a shower).
I understand the pilot had been requested to make a low pass for a Squadron records photograph.
The aircraft took off and did a wide circuit, approaching the runway to my right at a very low height, contouring the terrain.
Opposite where I was standing on the other side of the runway was a Coles Crane, the aircraft appeared to attempt to lift its Port wing over the crane at the last second and in doing so the stbd wing hit the 45 gallon drum, the stbd wing hit the ground losing 10-15 feet of its outer portion, the aircraft then proceeded to roll over into the ground.
Ian (Jack) Horner
I have just read a report on the crash which said the aircraft burnt on impact, it did not burn.
Ian
Donald
I would be grateful if you would publish the information I supplied. I have looked on the internet a few times in the past and today is the first time I have found the correct keywords to type in.
My several stints in Cyrenaica were an eye opening experience, and I recall the first time I flew in an Argosy and some old hand told me the aircraft wings were so flexible, they flapped like a bird in flight.
Some of our guys were tasked with the job of recovering parts of the wreckage, presumably to keep the airstrip in operation.
All the best
Chris
Hi,
I was at Benson when the Argosy crashed at Got el afraq on 7/5/68. The Argosy was on detachment from Benson.
I attended the funeral of the flight engineer at the church at RAF Benson.
Shortly after there was a series of photos of the crash in Air Clues or the RAF News or similar.
It was a long time ago but as I remember, the Argosy wing hit an oil drum mounted on two telegraph poles that was being used as a make-shift shower. The Argosy then cart-wheeled down the airstrip.
I hope this is some help.
Harry Crick.
I was standing on a hill at the end of the runway when the aircraft crashed.
The wings appeared to split on impact as the Argosy cartwheeled on the runway resulting in a
huge fireball.
The Parachute Brigade personnel who were killed came from 7 RHA and 216 Para Signals Squadron.
I was serving with 3 PARA at the time and almost been on the flight myself as I was rushing to get
back to UK in order to attend the birth of my daughter.
Luckily for me I did not manage to get a seat on the flight though I did get home in time for
the arrival of my daughter.
We understood the low pass was made as the pilot was keen to get an action photograph.
We were required to cordon off the crash site until such time as the RAF could conduct the
necessary examination of what remained of the aircraft. A sad day for all.
Nick Galbraith
