Peak District Air Accident Research

Chance Vought Corsair Mk.II (F4U-1D) JT461  coded 7C of No.1841 Naval Air Squadron, Royal Navy, crashed close to the cliffs of Enegars on the island of Hoy, Orkney, on the 11th July 1944.

The aircraft above is a Corsair Mk.IV but is still similar in appearance to a Mk.II

The aircraft was being flown from RNAS Hatson near Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney, to the aircraft carrier HMS Formidable when it flew into the cloud covered high ground above Enegars.  It was a week before the weather cleared and the wreckage was located.

Dad stood next to the starboard wing root, the wreckage from the aircraft is spread out through about three gullies.

The port wing root lies nearby in another gully, both still have parts of the under carriage still attached.

Above is the rear most part of the fuselage, underneath it is a rubber block that was there to protect the underside from the arrestor hook as it was pulled sharply upwards during carrier landings.

Edward de Aluton Hewetson was laid to rest in Lyness Naval Cemetery on the island where he lost his life.

On Sub Lt Hewetson's grave it states that he was assigned to HMS Saker, this was the Fleet Air Arm's accounting base in the USA during the war.

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