Hastings TG579 -- The Royal Air Force

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[> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- Reg Kelly, 5/05/04 12:54:56

I`m an ex Army bod but flew many times in the good old Hastings and Beverleys in Cyprus as an Air Despatcher and loved it!.

I`ll keep an eye on this excellent site and hope you`ve got some pictures somewhere for old times sake.

Good Luck. Reg Kelly.

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[> Re: Hastings TG579 -- John Cooper, 29/02/04 22:23:41

The vessel the Sub Aqua team dived from was the Silvester and they didn't have time to search for the Hastings but hope to go back next year

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[> Re: Hastings TG579 -- John Cooper, 3/03/04 9:08:02

I have had some communication back from the leader of the RAFSAA 'Poseidon Feenun', the dive team did not have time or the resources to check on a wrecked Hastings, there appears to be two wrecks thus:

Thank you for your response, interesting that you mention another wreck in the lagoon near Gan as I was at an Aviation meeting lecture on the diving of aircraft wrecks at home and abroad three weeks ago tonight just as you were sailing north from Addu Lagoon. The speaker had been diving in the Maldives and brought my name up saying that fishermen had snagged their nets on a 'transport aircraft' in the lagoon, I knew this could not possibly be the Hastings that I was on that crashed 1.5 nm east of the runway line. That was TG579. but............

.......... Hastings TG580 same squadron, 48, consecutive index numbers pranged at Gan on July 3rd 1959, 8 months before TG579, making an approach in a crosswind exceeding 23 knots, this was ne'er possible to achieve and 580 ground looped with one oleo leg overtaking the skidding Hastings down the runway, with bods diving for cover! Fortunately all aboard survived this mishap, I have three photos of this prang and an eye witness passenger who was on board.

The aircraft (580) was stripped of all salvageable material, including engines, it is unknown whether the wings were removed but I do know that 580 was put onto barges and sank at sea, where I have no idea, this could well explain the orators response at the aviation meeting re the snagging of fishermens nets. I also know that a factory fishing vessel from Japan or Russia, I am not quite sure which nation, trawls the Addu lagoon frequently, this is an export so presumably earns the Maldivians some hard earned cash but the Addu islanders do not agree with this method of fishing. One assumes that these nets could easily foul on a wreck such as an aircraft fin in relatively shallow waters, I do know that the rudder was removed from 580 as it sat in the 180 crewroom with the section bods signatures on.

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[> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- John Cooper, 21/04/04 21:07:27

I have made contact today with SAC Ginge/Ron Tucker an Airframe Mechanic from RAF Katunayake who was also a survivor of TG579 Hastings that plunged into the sea on March 1st 1960, welcome to terra firma Ginge Oggin' Troggin' was really for the boys on Gan and not us landlubbers!

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[> [> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- Len McNab, 3/08/04 14:31:13

I ran the Transit Lounge Bar on Gan and that night I was also in the cinema when the call out came, we were all told to report to our workplace "in case". I remember the C.O. came into the bar and asked what I was doing?? I said " giving everyone a drink,sir" and he said good I will pay. I then told him The Corporals Club was already doing that, good show he said and left.
I do remember that no one had any of their kit as it had been lost with the aircraft so we had to get all the usual kit for washing and drying.
In all it was a bit of a hectic night and good to find others remember it better than I do.
It is a nice read thank you, Len McNab

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[> Re: Hastings TG579 -- Gladys and Keith Murphy, 27/08/04 19:00:44

I read your story of Splashdown and my blood ran cold just reading about it. You must suffer nightmares even still after such a horrifying experience.
You might be interested in knowing that , after consulting Keith's log book, he flew in TG579 on several flights in 1950 and that in 1951 he made the flight to Castel Benito and Fayid ,Nicosia, Tymbou, Kabrit , back to Fayid and Lyneham.
You might be interested,too, to hear that to celebrate our 50th anniversary we booked on a cruise that was from Athens to Singapore, and as we approached the Maldives our captain decided that we should cruise along the main island as close to shore as possible so that we could have a look even though we were not stopping there. That means that we were right over the grave of TG579. Small world, brought together by a computer.
Take care, Gladys

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[> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- Glyn Ramsden, 9/09/04 16:42:21

I am trying to trace Philip Charles (Percy) Hoyle, who was at Gan waiting to
board TG579 when it landed.

I just wondered if you had heard of his whereabouts since then

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[> [> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- Psychic!, 4/11/04 9:22:24

I wish to remain with a non de plume.

I take it that the plane is still there for divers to dive on it and that it wasn't removed from the scene. Psychic powers inform me that is so.

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[> [> [> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- John Cooper, 4/11/04 14:45:27

What? It is there or not there?

I have wondered whether the aircraft was salvaged, was salvageable or whether it was too deep or not to be salvaged. I suppose if diving teams have been in the area and have managed to dive to depths of 180' then anything is possible.

My own feelings is that 579 is in extremely deep water and will stay undisturbed for ever and a day. A friend and I went to a meeting some 8 months ago re diving on aircraft wrecks and this very subject came up., ie that local fishermen had snagged their nets in the wreckage of a transport aircraft that was in the Gan lagoon, the average depth being about 35 metres.

It is possible that two other Hastings were dumped there one was TG580 which crashed on Gan on 3rd July 1959, was stripped bare and dumped at sea, the other was a firedump Hastings that was on 48 Squadron books up until 1968, was taken to Seletar for scrapping but instead was flown to Gan as a firedump Hastings WJ332??

This aircraft may well have been dumped at sea too as there was no other way of disposing of such aircraft on such a small island.

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[> [> [> [> [> Re: Hastings TG579 -- John Cooper, 4/03/05 7:37:09

I check on the RAF SAA site weekly, they left this one a bit late in putting up because my guess is that they are already on their way to Male and Gan if the Expo starts Mar 6th. I particularly like the last sentence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Expedition Poseidon Feenun - 26 Jan - 12 Feb 04. Tri-Service Expedition to the Maldives, led by Cpl John Parris, consists of fifteen Service personnel of various ranks. The Maldivian NSS (National Security Service) has also seconded a serviceman to provide local knowledge, awareness of local culture and access to previously prohibited dive sites.
The purpose of the Expedition is to carry out and fully document a survey of the British Ship �The British Loyalty� a 2nd World War Tanker; to assess any damage to coral, reef and reef overhangs caused by the recent earthquake which originated underwater on the Carlesburg Ridge on 15 July 2003.
This is the First Interactive Expedition to feature on the RAFS-AA Site with daily updates from the expedition and the ability to ask questions and make comments to expedition members.

Exercise Poseiden Feenun 05 - 6 - 23 March 05 - is a Tri-Service diving expedition to the Maldives from 6 to 23 March 05. It is the second in a series of Service scientific expeditions to this area organised by the Defence Communications Services Agency.
The Expedition will continue the survey started in 2004 and map the wreck of the British Loyalty a British WW2 tanker. The expedition will also continue the survey and report on the condition of the coral in light of the recent earthquake off the Maldives on the Carlsberg Ridge and the recent Tsunami resulting from the earthquake on Boxing Day 2004 off the west coast of Northern Sumatra. The Carlesberg Ridge earthquake was one of the most intense of 2003 measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The scale of the Tsunami damage in the Maldives is well known above water but little has been done below the water to date. It is anticipated that the results gathered from the Reef Survey will be used to base-line the extent of the reef damage during these Earthquakes so that future Expeditions can assess the progress of the regeneration process. This survey is being conducted in co-operation with the Maldivian Marine Research Department and in co-operation with the Director of the Ministry of the Environment. In addition, there may be recovery tasks that may be required if the conditions permit.