Object numberOM-16304
Creator - Webley & Scott
Description7/198042 FIREARM; Webley & Scott revolver.
From: "Hell on High Ground" Vol 2 World War II Air Crash Sites by David W. Earl. (ISBN 1-84037-082-3). The Vought F4U Corsair, a single-seat fighter, first flew as a prototype in May 1940. It was at this time the first US fighter aircraft capable of exceeding a 400mph (644 kph) speed limit. The reason for its speed was its powerful Pratt & Whitney 2,000-hp Double Wasp radial engine and the largest propeller yet envisaged for a fighter type. Armament consisted of six 0.5-in (12.7mm) machine-guns, which were mounted in its gull wings. Despite its assets, the US Nave disliked its carrier landing characteristics, and delivereis were made to land-based US Marine Corps and overseas units such as the British Fleet Air Arm and Royal Navy. Following embarkation via ship from Norfolk, Virginia, on 20th April 1944, a Mk II Corsair, serial JT461, arrived at Liverpool, England on 6 May 1944. Its career would be short lived. In less than 9 weeks it would impale itself on a rugged Scottish hillside, where it would lie undiscovered for almost a week. The events on Tuesday 11 July 1944 are a little vague. It would appear that whilst serving with the 1841 Squadron, HMS Formidable, JT461 had taken off from the Naval Air Station at Hatston on the Orkney Mainland, en route to the ship when a tragic accident occurred. The pilot that day was a 23 year old, Royal new Zeland Navy Volunteer Reserve man Sub/Lt (A) Edward de Aulton Hewetson, a native of Gisborne, Auckland, New Zeland. At that time he was serving with HMS Saker, but presumably was on attachment to 1841 squadron. Sub/Lt Hewetson was greeted that morning by a cold and dismal summers day. Coastal fog and low cloud had blanketed much of the mainland and certainally all the hilltops on the island of Hoy. This taken into account though, the high ground of Hoy should have presented no problems if the correct route was followed flying WSW via the tiny island of Graemsay in Hoy Sound, and out over the N Atlantic. Taking the planned route via Hoy Sound, Sub/Lt Hewetson must have thought he was clear of all the high ground on Hoy, for whilst just North of the Bay of Tongue, on the NW tip of Hoy, he executed a turn to port. This was a deadly mistak, for moments later the mighty Corsair struck the rugged outcrop of Enegars, about 1 mile NNE of Sui Fea trig' point. Sub/Lt was killed by the forceful impact and lay entangled in the wrecked plane for almost a week due to the remoteness of the area, though a vast search was conducted. It was thought the aircraft had gone down in the sea, and although aircraft kept a careful eye out over the following week, low cloud and mists still shrouded much of the high ground on the island, rendering visibility at the scene of the accident practically nil. When eventually found Sub/Lt Hewetson was removed and taken to the Royal Navy base at Lyness on the west coast of Hoy. He was buried in Lyness Royal Navy Cemetry alongside 173 other sailors, both of WW1 and WW2 . His grave is easily recognisable as belonging to the only New Zeland officer in the cemetry. (plot H grave 6 North Border Section) The crash site is a lonely desolote spot, only accessible by either boat to the base of the cliff in the bay of Tongue, or the north coastal B9047 road from Booth Osmondwall to Orgil. Even by the latter rout, and a small unclassified road heading SW, it is still a 2 mile trek to the crash site, which reaches a height of a little under 1,000 feet asl. So far there has been no memorial erected at the scene. However, poignant reminders in the form of aircraft components, such as wings, undercarriage struts and masses of tangles alloy, still lie there as atribute to a young gallant airman. Perhaps because of a slight error of judgement and thwarted by bad weather from reaching his ship, he ended his flying career on a lonely Scottish hillside.
Collection PlaceHoy, "site of a plane crash"
Object namerevolver, service
Object categoryfirearm