While stationed at RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland I had quite a few flights in 202 Squadron Hastings aircraft. They were Meterological Reconnaissance "Bismuth" at that time, the met. squadron was disbanded in 1964 a couple of years after I left Aldergrove.
On December 27th 1961 during Christmas break, I was duty Signals in the Air Traffic Control Tower when the Bismuth (TG624) crashed on the runway on take-off. There were no casualties thank goodness but I spent most of that day sending out Signals re the crash. I actually got to the crash site at the same time as the fire crew, I had flagged down an RAF police landrover which was passing the WRAF block just as I was leaving for duty. The fire crew were about to foam everything down and flagged us off and the snowdrop drove me up to the tower. Considering it was early morning and during the Christmas break the tower became unusually busy within a short space of time - brass rushing around like blue-bottomed bluebottles and signals being handed to me from all quarters - not at all the quiet Christmas break we all expected.
A couple of days later I was due to fly in another Hastings from RAF Aldergrove to RAF Leuchars in Fife on the annual New Years airlift for those Scots who had held the fort over Christmas but that was cancelled due to the Bismuth crash! There was also a regular maintenance flight to Gib. which lasted a few days and of which those of us who got the time off (mostly watch-workers) could take advantage.
