Help Wanted Identiifying "20th April 1965" USAF North Sea Crash, Pilot Rescue "Radio London" (from Pirate Radio ship)

[Hornchurch]

'

As per title, I've chanced upon an event*... which sadly ISN'T mentioned on the 'net

(*whilst listening to the old 'repeats' of Radio London broadcasting back in the 1960's)


All I know is, that the a/c WAS based at Laon (spelling?) in FRANCE, before de-Gaulle made the USAF "pull out"

Apparently, the pilot of the (so called) stricken fighter jet, landed within 100-yds of the 'Pirate Radio' ship, in the North Sea.

Here's an actual radio transcript (MP.3 - please click link), of the "News Broadcast" the following day

http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/audio/tw5.mp3


What I'd like to know is =

1,) Aircraft Type : (obviously, please)

1a,) Reason as to "why" the a/c failed - (sorry, that was post-edit !)

2,) Serial number (if known),

3,) reason for being OVER the North Sea (as he'd be based further South ?)

4,) Possible mission type ?

5,) Is there one of those 'Incident Reports' available on the 'net, in general ?

I've typed in the date "20th April 1965 & USAF" & have so-far come-up with a total blank

Any further details appreciated

Here's the page where I first gleaned ANY (vague) mention, plus the date (it's the lower-middle-column)

http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/spotwind.htm -

https://onlineradiobox.com/uk/wonderful ... p=1#review

[Phil]

56-0121 RF-101C crashed off Harwich 20/04/1965.

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1956.html

[Phil]

RF-101C-75-MC Voodoo/56-0121
1965: USAF 66th TRW.
4/20/1965: Ditched into the Thames River near the “Radio London” radio station, England.

http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegr ... F-101.html

[Fighterfoto]

This event is mentioned in ‘Pop Went the Pirates II’ by Keith Skues. The Voodoo came down between the Caroline and London ships narrowly missing their tender which then rescued the pilot who had cut himself loose from his parachute and being swept by a strong current.

Lt John C Wynn was taken to Radio London and given dry clothes before going to Harwich. Radio Caroline dedicated a song to the Lieutenant, ‘Voodoo Blues’.

Hope this helps. Not ‘arf, allright?

[Hendon Chipmunk]

Wow, even Aviation Safety Network doesn't know about that one:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/182798

[Hornchurch]

RF-101C-75-MC Voodoo/56-0121
1965: USAF 66th TRW.
4/20/1965: Ditched into the Thames River near the “Radio London” radio station, England.

http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegr ... F-101.html

This event is mentioned in ‘Pop Went the Pirates II’ by Keith Skues. The Voodoo came down between the Caroline and London ships narrowly missing their tender which then rescued the pilot who had cut himself loose from his parachute and being swept by a strong current.

Lt John C Wynn was taken to Radio London and given dry clothes before going to Harwich. Radio Caroline dedicated a song to the Lieutenant, ‘Voodoo Blues’.

Hope this helps. Not ‘arf, allright?

Grveetings Pop Pickers !!!!!!! Not 'arf - (You're right there Murray )


Apologies for the most belated 'poptastic' reply

Pretty much blew me away that it was in fact (as you say), an F.101 Voodoo - (I didn't know that hitherto, obviously)

I guess I wuz expecting an F.100, but it sure piqued my interest when you lads wrote back & said F.101 Voodoo

Have LOVED the McDonnell F.101 ever since I saw one lifting-out, many, many moons ago, from Bentwaters as a kid

Interested to see & note that the location seems to conflict each other - Nearer Harwich, or the Thames Estuary ?

I know they're not a million miles away, but, neither are they close - Which one is correct BTW ?

Once again, very many thanks for the (wonderful) replies & the much needed (for me), information - it's appreciated

Fighterfoto - Mate, your reply had me laughing, "Not 'arf"

Took me back to when I wuz a kid - Then this crazy ol' music started rattling round me brain - late '60's, early '70's IIRC ?

The 'Jingle', or music that "Fluff" used was also used in the SUPERB Paul Whitehouse "pi$$-take" & can be heard, here.

Now that damn phrase = "Greetings Pop Pickers" is effing lodged in my brain & won't leave - Meantime, Paul Whitehouse is something else !


This clip here (verbally), probably illustrates the (fine) pi$$-take best https://youtu.be/8RyqB61fxik?t=40

.

[XR221]

I found a copy of the Daily Mirror (UK Newspaper) from 21 April 1965 which has the story:-
'PIRATE DISC JOCKEY SAVES FLIER' by Alan Gordon.. 'An American jet-plane pilot parachuted into the sea 100 yards from the radio London "pirate" ship yesterday. And one of the ship's disc jockeys went into the water and fished him out.
The pilot, 26-year-old Lieutenant John Winn, had been on a flight from a base near Paris, in his single-seat F.101 Voododd jet.
His flight instruments went wrong. So Lieutenant Winn used his ejector-seat and parachute.
He was seen by the crews of Radio London and the rival Radio Caroline, which are moored about a mile apart, four and a half miles from Harwich, Essex.
Radio London - the converted American Minesweeper Galaxy - was nearest.
Disc Jockey Pete Brady, 23-year-old Canadian, is an expert swimmer. A launch which serves the two "pirates" took him out to the drifting airman.
"The pilot was too numb and weak to climb into the boat." Brady told his Mayfair headquarters later. "I had to jump in and fish him out."
Brady added: "He had wrenched an arm, and lost his life-saving equipment. But he didn't appear badly hurt."
Lieutenant Winn was landed at Harwich, and taken to hospital.
An American Air Force spokesman said later:"We don't know what happened to his jet. We're still looking for it."
Radio London managing director Phil Birch said in London: 'This was a great scoop for us. We gave our listeners the news in a bulletin. It was a nice piece of work by Pete Brady."
Rival Radio Caroline put out an eye-witness bulletin about the rescue too. But Caroline's managing director, Ronan O'Rahilly, said in London: "I heard the news over Radio London."

The report includes a black and white photo captioned 'Pilot Winn is helped ashore at Harwich' which shows Lieutenant Winn being assisted by a uniformed Policeman and another man. Possibly a crewman from the boat? There's also a photo of Disc Jockey Brady and the Radio London converted mine-sweeper.

To view the newspaper report you can see it here on the British Newspaper Archive, but you need to register for a free account -
https://www1.britishnewspaperarchive.co ... 1/286/0032

Steve.

[roger4]

Radio London's vessel "Galaxy" was 3.5 miles off Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.

Radio Caroline used several vessels over the years, in the same Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Harwich area, i.e. none were in the Thames estuary.

See:

http://radiolondon.co.uk/rl/scrap60/off ... ition.html

[Vulture 01]

Being a very old person I can actually remember listening to Radio London as this happened.
Mention pirate radio today, and everyone thinks of Johnny Depp......