New Service Demonstrated

Already a familiar sight along the North Devon coast, RAF Chivenor’s rescue helicopter was the subject of many inquiring glances as it sped across Bideford Bay but this time she was on no mercy mission.

In the Yellary at Clovelly, the site of the parish’s proposed new hall and playing fields, a landing strip had been marked out with long streamers of paper in the shape of a letter H ready for the helicopter to drop in and exchange greetings with members of Clovelly lifeboat crew with which the RAF rescue section may one day find itself working.

Right on time the helicopter came in from the sea, over the landing strip and then, circling out over the car park to lose height, came dropping in over the trees for all the world like some huge yellow duck, side-slipping in to land.

There to guide the helicopter in was Junior Technician Carey, who had travelled from RAF Chivenor by car, and under his guidance the pilot, Flight-Lieut. Carroll, brought his craft gently to earth. While the skipper stayed in his machine to keep the engine running, the navigator, Flight-Sergeant Naylor, hurried over to the waiting life-boatmen, including Coxswain W Braund, to whom he was introduced by the President and secretary of the local branch, Mr J C Hilton. With the aid of sketches, the Flight-Sergeant explained just how casualties were winched aboard and showed them the equipment used and how it was operated.

Primary role of RAF Chivenor’s helicopter – a second craft is expected in the next few weeks – is, of course, the rescue of aircrew who have ‘ditched’ in the sea or forced or crash landed in some remote spot on land. But, in addition, the aircraft are on call to give assistance to civilian authorities and to civilians in trouble.

Gazette article dated 5 July 1957