Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z6501 took off from RAF Limavady, Co. Londonderry at 0315hrs on 27th April 1941. The scheduled flight was to be a 10-hour patrol over the North Atlantic searching for the Bismarck.
The 6 person crew were part of RAF 502 (Ulster) Squadron. Most of the air and ground crew, as well as the officers of the squadron, came from Northern Ireland. Pilot Officer Carmichael departed from the partially complete airfield in Limavady, Co. Londonderry.
Soon after taking off, the starboard engine sheared off. The Mark V plane lost height rapidly and crashed into Loughermore Mountain, Co. Londonderry. A fire broke out immediately, igniting the powerful aviation fuel and setting off the 250lb bombs in the bomb bay. The fuselage split allowing the crew to make their escape.
RAF 502 Squadron crew of Whitley Z6501
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Role | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmichael | Christopher | Pilot Officer | Pilot | Survived. |
| Dickson | John | Flight Lieutenant | Survived. | |
| O'Connell | Desmond | Sergeant | Observer | Survived. |
| Dorney | Stanley William | Sergeant | Survived. | |
| Redhead | Fred | Sergeant | Survived. | |
| Wilson | John | Sergeant | Air Gunner | Survived. |
Sergeant O’Connell became drenched in petrol and engulfed in flames. Sergeant Redhead received severe burns to his hands as he tried to extinguish the flames from his colleague. Flight Lieutenant Dickson sustained a head wound as well as severe burns. The crew members all wore American issue leather flying jackets, trousers, and boots. These offered more protection from the flames and might have saved lives. The cold temperature also helped seal the men’s wounds, which reduced bleeding.
Even though badly injured, Sergeant O’Connell walked around 3 miles to a farmhouse to get help. By 0700hrs on 27th April 1941, all crew members underwent treatment at Roe Valley Hospital, Limavady, Co. Londonderry. Max Rosenheim and Matron Mabel Huddlestone administered essential first aid to the men. A local priest arrived to anoint O’Connell but found it difficult to find any undamaged flesh apart from around the midriff. Rosenheim ordered immediate intravenous resuscitation and 24-hour saline baths for O’Connell and Redhead. Medics places Dickson’s damaged limbs in Bunyan bags. The Roe Valley Hospital staff summoned Dr. Benjamin Rycroft from Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast, Co. Antrim to assess the burn damage to the men’s eyelids.
All 6 crew members from Whitley Z6501 recovered from their injuries, helped by American leather uniforms and amazing advancements in modern medicine. In the years after the incident, O’Connell underwent many pioneering plastic surgery operations under Archibald McIndoe, becoming a founding member of the “Guinea Pig Club”.