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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 2222.PDF
73O FLIGHT DECEMBER 25TH, iq47 SERVICE AVIATION »» a »»•» w • t« ' IN THE BLEAK MID-WINTER—" : A B.A.F.O. Mosquito fighter-bomber in a seasonable setting at Gutershh, Germany. The buildings- are airmen's barrack blocks, in which good cheer is not likely to be lacking at this time. Royal Occasion WHEN the Duchess of Kent, Presidentof the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund, attended a meeting of the WeeklyOrants Committee at Portland Place on December '9th, she was received byLady Cordingley, A.V-M. Sir John Cordingley, Controller of the Fund, andAir Marshal Sir Philip Babington, Chairman of the Committee. Award '"THE KING has been graciously pleased•»- to approve the following award: — GEORGE CROSS. SERGEANT JOHN ARCHIBALD BECKETT,Royal Air__ Force, R.A.F. Station, Ein Shemer, A.H.Q., Levant. (Deceased.)On the night of March. 28th, 19-17, during refuelling operations on a Lan-caster aircraft of No. 38 Squadron, a violent fire broke out suddenly in thepumping compartment of the refuelling vehicle of which Sgt. Beckett was thedriver. The flames enveloped Sgt. Beckett and set alight the front of the Lancas-ter's fuselage. Another airman beat out the flames on Sgt. Beckett but not beforethe latter had sustained very severe burns on the hands and face. At thismoment there was grave danger that the main tank of the refuelling vehicle, con-taining over two thousand gallons of fuel, would explode, in which case it ispractically certain that most, if not all, of the twenty or more aircraft in thepark would have been destroyed. In spite of his serious injuries and the painhe was suffering, Sgt. Beckett got into the driver's seat of the blazing vehicleand drove it a distance of about four hundred yards to a- point outside the air-craft park, where it could do no further damage. After this he collapsed amiwas taken in the ambulance to tlu Station Sick Quarters dangerously ill.He died on April 12th, 1947. The fire? in the Lancaster aircraft and in thevehicle were eventually brought under Royal Air Force and Naval Aviation News and Announcements control, and extinguished with no furtherdamage to persons or property. There is no doubt that, by his prompt and gallantaction, Sgt. Beckett saved a number of valuable aircraft from, almost certain de-struction and his comrades who were working in the vicinity from injury. New D.O.R.A IR COMMODORE G. W. TUTTLE,C.B., who has been attending the 1947 course at the Imperial Defence Col-lege, has been appointed to succeed A. Cdre. C. P. Brown as Director ofOperational Requirements (E) at the Air Ministry. Radio Team for AustralasiaA N Empire Radio School liaison teamat R.A.F. Debden, Essex, is to visit Australia and New Zealand early in thenew year. Led by G/C. C. M. Stewart, it will fly in a Lincoln Mark II, fitted 1 ANTARCTIC AMPHIBIAN : A Sipermarine Walrus is taken aboard LST 3501 in Sydney Harbour prior to sailing AflZO miles south-west for Heard Island as port of Australia's National Antarctic Research Expedition.
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