Helicopter Westland Wessex HAS.31 Serial wa211 Register N7-211 used by Fleet Air Arm (RAN) RAN (Royal Australian Navy). Built 1963. Aircraft history and location
Westland Wessex Mk.31A f/f 14jan63 RAN d/d 02dec63 as N7-211 /821 w/o 13nov69 Ditched with 725 Sqdn Lt(P) M. Buckett RAN, SBLT(P) Rieck RAN, Lt(O) Priest-Cook RN, POACM Barnes RAN and Commander(E) Phillmore RN. Aircraft carrying out a transfer from HMAS Vampire, when winch cable possibly snagged on the ship and the ship rolled in the swell. Winch wire snapped and entered rotor head. Aircraft ditched and sank 8 NM East of Point Perpendicular. Crew picked up by HMAS Vampire
1969 ditching, if my memory serves me correct, there was an naval exercise on and we (The Post Office) had sent out approx 27 bags of mail to be delivered by helo and apparently they were on their last delivery and pick up of mail when it happened... the mail bags were later pickup and brought back to us at Naval Post Office HMAS Albatross, we dried the mail what was wet and they caught the next mail out...Staff at 1969) the Post Office was Peter MacBeth (Postmaster), Warren Job (Postal Clerk), Jane Bennett (Postwoman)
