Stan Shaw's Experience with Comms. Flight

Stan Shaw's Experience with Comms. Flight

A detailed description of three flights undertaken in 1947 . Stan flew on 53 trips as a flight engineer. He names some of his colleagues and mentions they never had a crash between March 46 and March 47.

One handwritten sheet

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MShawSR3002545-160211-17

[underlined] 6 [/underlined]
JAN. 18th 47. LR122 F/L BIRD F/O HARRISON – AIRTEST? – “SHOT UP” TROOPSHIP IN RED SEA. F/L GOLDSPINK ON BOARD. BOUND FOR BLIGHTY. HOPE HE LIKED DISPLAY
JAN. 20th 47 LR122. F/O JOCK COATES. MAIL AND PASSENGERS – ADEN-JIBUTI. PILOTS ESCAPE HATCHES BLEW OPEN AT 6,000 ft. HELD BY SECOND PILOT BY LEGS, MANAGED TO CLOSE THEM AFTER FOUR ATTEMPTS. SHIRT RIPPED TO RIBBONS IN SLIPSTREAM
MARCH 1ST. 47 LP593. W/O WHITE. PASSENGERS. – MOGADISH-HARGEISA-ADEN. LAST WIMPEY FLIGHT. NO U/C LIGHTS SHOWING ON DOWN SELECTION. 13 BODS ON BOARD. ONLY 6 CHUTES. ADVISED BY GROUP CAPTAIN WILLIE SNAITH, FROM CONTROL TOWER TO TRY CLIMBING AND DOING STEEP DIVES AND CLIMBS TO LOCK U/C DOWN. TRIED ALL THIS. STILL NO LIGHTS. OPENED ALL ESCAPE HATCHES JUST IN CASE. MADE PERFECT LANDING.
During my service on Comm. Flight, I flew on 53 trips, acting as Flight Rigger with the rank of LAC. Helping passengers during flight, and servicing the aircraft on landing. In Aden Command, [deleted] the [/deleted] no extra pay was given for ground staff flying duties, [inserted] and [/inserted] we were separated from our aircrews by rank, and trade, on the ground. We formed a mutual bond of freindship [sic] with all our aircrews, who’s names I would like to thank, SQD/L. BATEMAN. SQDN/L RAWLINGS, SQDN/L WHETTON, F/LT. McWILLIAMS, FLT/LT PEARSON. FLT/LT BIRD FLT/LT PEARSON. FLT/LT GOLDSPINK. FLT/LT PLAISTOW. P/O PARROT. F/O JOCK COATES. F/O POLING. F/O MARTIN F/O ELLISON. F/O HARRISON. W/O WHITE. W/O DRAKE. W/O LANGLEY. W/O McDOWELL. W/O CARROL. F/SGT. OSSIE HARPER.
Under many trying conditions due to climatic conditions, and operating old aircraft [inserted] due to [/inserted] their outstanding airmanship, Comm Flight Wimpeys, never had a ‘prang’ from March 1946 to March 1947.