Family archives of Mrs E Hamilton, brother of the deceased
George Edward Rayner, 121784 Leading Aircraft’s Man.
Died 3rd July 1943
I have researched the circumstances of his death and the others who lost their lives in the incident. We were concerned that the details of crash might be forgotten with time:
The Aircraft
Fokker F.22 HM159 was one of only four aircraft of this type built in late 1934, early 1935. It was a four-engine airliner with wooden wing and steel tube and fabric fuselage construction.
It had a nominal crew of five. It carried a maximum of 22 people including crew and was powered by four Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines of 500 hp each.
Three were bought into service by KLM in May 1935 and one went into service in Sweden.
One KLM machine crashed in 1935 cause unknown.
The Swedish aircraft crashed in 1936 cause unknown.
In August 1939 the two remaining aircraft were sold by KLM to Scottish Aviation.
PH-AJP (c/n5367) became G-AFZP.
PH-AJR (c/n 5360) became G-AFXR.
In November 1941, both Scottish Aviation F22 were formally impressed in to use by the RAF and were used as communications, freight, material and passenger transports around Britain.
Thus G-AFZP became HM160 and G-AFXR became HM159.
RAF Service
HM160 survived the war and was offered to the Netherlands in 1952, but the offer was not accepted.
HM159 of No 1680 (Western Isles Communication) Flight 44 was based at RAF Abbotsinch, a station in the RAF Coastal Transport Command. It was unofficially named “ The Silvia Scarlet “
The last Flight of the Sylvia Scarlet on 3rd July 1943
Many people popularly knew the aircraft as a Focke Wulf Condor because of its unusual construction. It was a large four engine craft and the local story was that it had been captured and flown to Britain and then used by the RAF. Mid morning on the 3rd July it left Glasgow and flew to the Hebredian Isle of Tiree landing about an hour later. From there it went on north to Benbecula then onward to Stornaway on the Isle of Lewis arriving about 13.30. Probably an ideal opportunity for the crew to have lunch or other refreshments and rest. Then it was time to unload and load any passengers or cargo. The flight took off, on its return journey about mid afternoon, for what should have been a routine flight home via Benbecula and Tiree.
The final flight of the Sylvia Scarlet began at 16.42, when it took off from Tiree. About half an later it fell ablaze in to West Loch Tarbet into shallow water. Fuel from the tanks spread on to the lake on fire. An RAF rescue launch was quickly on the scene, but unable to get close because of the flames. Observers spoke of cries for help being heard. By the time the flames subsided, all twenty men on board had died.
A later investigation could not easily explain the onboard fire and access to the wreckage was difficult. There were eyewitness accounts in Tarbet of the plane engines “ lumbering past “ and “in difficulty and about to pack up “. It was a fine sunny day with little or no wind and it was plotted on its route by
The Observer Corp as it trailed smoke. It had managed to maintain a level flight for while, but then suddenly banked east and plunged downward. Was the Pilot attempting an emergency landing? Sadly we will never know!
The Crew
Pilot. Flight Lieutenant 40923. Ewen Samuel Knox Age 27.
Son of John and Lillian Grace Knox; nephew of Mr. M. C. Knox, of Ashburton, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Joint Grave 620. (With Gillibrand)
Wing Commander. 26140 Benjamin Heywood Jones.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 612.
Wireless Operator /Air Gunner. Flight Sergeant. 935055 Reginald William Ault. Age 27. Husband of Elizabeth B. Ault, of Stranraer, Wigtownshire.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 622.
Corporal. 1111187 Adam Cumming Reid. Age 30
Son of Adam and Mary Reid; Husband of Annie Reid, of Drewhorn, Ayrshire.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 613.
Leading Aircraftsman. 1217848. George Edward Rayner. Age 37.
Son of George Edward and Sarah Frances Rayner; Husband of Freda Mavis Rayner of Ashford, Kent.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 627.
Passengers
Pilot Officer. 141211. Martin Cyril Beaufort Grimaldi. Age 22.
Son of Revd. Ernest Craven Grimaldi and Evelyn Lauder Grimaldi, of Otterton Vicarage. Classical scholar, Pembroke College, Oxford.
Buried: Otterton (St. Michael) churchyard, Devon, United Kingdom. Grave 144.
Corporal.1010467. Thomas Robert Wills. Age 29.
Son of Thomas Andrew and Millicent Maud Wills, of Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, husband of Tamar Wills.
Buried: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Byker & Heaton) cemetery, Northumberland, United Kingdom. Section 20. Grave 145.
Acting Corporal. 645807. James Straughan. Age 22.
Son of James and Ann Isabel Straughan, of Bamburgh, Northumberland.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 616.
Leading Aircraftsman. 1151509. Pryce Oliver Bowen. Age unknown.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 621.
Aircraftsman 1. 1207607. Allan Carter. Age unknown.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 618.
Aircraftsman 1. 1572587. Robert William Stenhouse Combe. Age 20.
Son of William and Katherine Stenhouse Combe; husband of Margaret Wilkie Combe, of Auchtermuchty, Fife.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 617.
Aircraftsman 1.1560330. Allan Boylan Dempster. Age unknown.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. George Dempster, of Aberdeen.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 615.
Aircraftsman 1.1618455. Douglas Jeffery. Age 21.
Son of Charles and Mabel Emma Jeffery, of Chichester, Sussex.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 614.
Aircraftsman 1. 1531081. John Spencer. Age unknown.
Son of John and Kate Spencer, of Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 623.
Aircraftsman 2. 1667229. Christmas Hughes. Age 20.
Foster-son of Margaret Ann Hughes, of Llan-Festiniog, Merionethshire.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Grave 619.
Private (Army) 11411788. Norman Gillibrand. Age 37.
Son of Fred and Nellie Gillibrand, of Bolton, Lancashire.
Buried: Campbeltown (Kilkerran) cemetery, Argyllshire, United Kingdom.
Division 4. Joint Grave 620. (With Knox).
Civilian Passengers
James Alexander Watson Reid. Age 19.
Constable, Police War Reserve; of 13 Calside, Paisley, Renfrewshire.
Son of the late William W and Janetta Duncan Reid.
Buried: Unknown.
Peter Thomson: Age 39.
Son of Euphemia Burns Thomson, of 1 Pirniefield Grove, Edinburgh, and of the late Thomas Thomson; husband of Magdalene Fredericka Thomson, of 38 Restalrig Road, Leith, Edinburgh.
William Abel Tomson. Age 33.
Home Guard. Son of Kenneth and June Thomson, of 39 Upperkirkgate, Aberdeen; husband of Jane Reith Thomson, of 37 Hutcheon Street, Aberdeen.
Inspector Albert John Dillon. Age 36, of Burbank, California, U.S.A.
Buried: Unknown.
Parents: John Summerbell Dillon , Sr
Birth: 1 Oct 1870 Nr Hillsboro, Fleming Co., Kentucky Death: 19 Feb 1959 Davenport, Iowa
Spouse: Daisy Edith Hogsett
Birth: 15 Feb 1872 Mace, Montgomery Co., Indiana Death: 6 Mar 1964 Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kansas
Parents: John Wilson Hogsett Birth: 8 Nov 1835 Monroe Co., Virginia Death: 14 Nov 1914 Lincoln, Lincoln Co., Kansas
Rebecca Ann Pogue
Birth: 12 Jan 1848 Walnut Twp, Montgomery Co., Indiana Death: 13 Dec 1900 Kansas
Marriage: 8 Nov 1867 Mace, Montgomery Co., Indiana
Research by Paul Hamilton. Source Information: MOD, CWGC, FlyPast Magazine, Fokker Corp NE