Sgt Harold Clifford "Tony" Tarrant Packer 6 Sqn KiIA Palestine October 11, 1938 S/N

[paulmcmillan]

All

I have found a first hand account of the loss of K4306 Hawker Hardy Mk.I of 6 Sqn lost in Action October 11, 1938 by the surviving Air Gunner LAC Robert Alexander 'Jock' Haxton #520359

The pilot Harold Clifford "Tony" Tarrant Packer (sometimes Tarrant-Packer) was killed by the locals and his body recovered later from a Well

Can anyone provide his service number - I can't see him in Air 78 nor in the ORB

Thanks

Paul

[jimroutledge]

Paul,

His service number was 563366. Awarded Mid for Palestine operations in London Gazette 25 April 1939.

Jim

[Resmoroh]

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 25 APRIL, 1939
The names of the undermentioned have been brought to notice by the General Officer Commanding
the British Forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan in recognition of distinguished services rendered in connection with the operations in Palestine during the period 1st April to 31st October, 1938: —
Royal Air-Force.
Tarrant-Packer, No. 563366 Serjeant H. C. [This would make him (560001-579999) an Aircraft Apprentice?]
HTH
Peter Davies
Jim beat me to it - somebody came to the front door just as I was going to press "send"!!!

[paulmcmillan]

Thanks for that both of you

Paul

[Yakumo381]

HCT Packer was my Uncle "Tony". He was a Halton apprentice (1929 to 1931) before serving with 29, 142 and 6 Squadrons. His body was never recovered and so he has no known grave or memorial. Neither is his service commemorated anywhere. I have his flying log and his collection of photographs from his time in Palestine, including many aircraft photographs, which if anyone is researching this period could potentially be made available for reference.

[Lyffe]

Welcome Yakumo381.

There is quite a bit about your uncle on the Find A Grave website, specifically at https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSiman=1&GScid=2238834&GSfn=Harold&GSln=Packer. It seems his body was recovered and now rests in the Ramleh cemetery in Israel. Details of the cemetery are at https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=89209349&CRid=2238834&.

Brian

[paulmcmillan]

Yakumo381 yes thanks for posting about your uncle.

On another thread

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?21666-Royal-Air-Force-Non-World-War-burials-in-the-care-of-C-W-G-C-RAMLEH-WAR-CEMETERY

You can see a list of Royal Air Force / Non World War burials in the care of C.W.G.C RAMLEH WAR CEMETERY - I have since found this is not 100% complete and other names re missing (as witnessed by the Find A Grave website)


Could you do me a favour and see if a AC1 J Scott is mentioned in your Uncles papers or photos?
he was also with 6 Sqn in Palestine and was involved in a bale-out on Oct 1st 1938 from Hawker Hardy K4064. Trying to ID 100% - His pilot was Sgt John Onions #563359 DFM

He may be #532315 John Irvine Scott but would like to confirmation

Here is more to LAC Robert Alexander 'Jock' Haxton story

Wednesday 15 February 1939 , Fife Herald , Fife, Scotland

GATESIDE MAN’S ESCAPE.
PARACHUTE JUMP—CHASED BY BANDITS.
Former Bell-Baxter School Pupil.
To be forced to make a parachute descent from an aeroplane flying
over enemy territory and then to be pursued by bandits was the
thrilling experience of Robert Alexander Haxton, R.A.F. observer,
who is at present stationed Palestine.
He is a son of Mr and Mrs Alexander Haxton, Jubilee Cottage, Gateside.
Robert has been in the R.A.F. for four and a half years, three of
which have been spent in Palestine, and he has written home concerning h
is thrilling experience and of its sequel.
"I had a nasty experience few days ago is how he modestly begins a
story which would do Justice to any writer of thrilling fiction.
We had an emergency call from the Army, and two of our ’planes answered it.
When we arrived over the area, the natives began shooting us down,
and got one hit in the water system of the other ’plane. Fortunately the pilot
landed safely by the road near the land forces and both occupants escaped.
I was in the other ’plane and took action on the enemy. We saw the
first 'plane crash and sent a message to Aamleh, notifying them of the accident.

OUR ENGINE BEGAN TO FAIL.
“Imagine our surprise, or rather dismay, when our own engine began to fail.
The pilot climbed for height and told me to jump.” The letter conveys the
impression that making a parachute descent is everyday work for an R.A.F. man,
for the writer continues:—“ Well, believe it or not, I bit the deck, and, looking round,
saw the pilot dropping about mile away. I said to myself Two are better than one in this hot country,’
so I ran towards him, but found neither the pilot nor the aircraft.
Whilst hunting round, I came across the bandits, who stoned me. You have heard of records
being broken, but I bet I smashed the lot! “I ran full tilt into the village and came across
some more Arabs. I could not run away, so I greeted them in Arabic. Fortunately they were
friendly, for they disguised me as an Arab, escorted me to their house, and gave me
food. Believe me not, I enjoyed myself sitting smoking Arab cigarettes and drinking Arab coffee.”
Nothing appeared to have been too much trouble for these friendly Arabs, who were probably taking
the risk of unpleasant consequences from their less peaceful brethren in secreting an R.A.F. man.
The fugitive remained with them overnight, while a message was sent to the police, and about
ten cars, laden with soldiers, came to his rescue. Press reports state that the attack made on a band armed bandits on the Hebron road near Attil village, and it appears that Sergeant-Pilot H. C. T. Packer, who was in charge of the ’plane, was not found after the crash.
MADE MEMBER OF CATERPILLAR CLUB. Robert Haxton, however, is now a member of the most exclusive
Club in the world, a Club in which membership cannot be bought by money or birth.
He has received the insignia of the Caterpillar Club -a small gold caterpillar badge.
These badges are awarded only to those who have saved their lives by a forced parachute descent.
Col. Lindberg is one of the few men who have qualified for membership more than once. The
number men who fly is comparatively small, and the number of fliers who make parachute descents
is smaller still; but those who have been forced to make a descent by parachute to save
their lives in an emergency constitute a still smaller band, and it is an honour which
few will wish to acquire. Why pick on a caterpillar as the Club emblem? The answer is
simple. The caterpillar spins the silk, and the silk is made into the parachute
canopy beneath which the pilot descends in safely. So no wonder the pilot is
grateful to the little caterpillar! The Caterpillar Club was founded by Mr
Leslie Irvin, one of the early pioneers of parachuting, and who now manufactures
the parachutes that are supplied to the R.A.F. The total of airmen who saved their
lives by this method is just over one thousand, and the members of the Club are
situated all over the world, and speak varied languages. The caterpillar tie-pin
badge, which is the insignia of membership, is presented by Mr Irvin, Col. Lindberg,
with his record of four forced descents, is chief caterpillar of the Club.
Robert Haxton will be remembered by many his associates at the Bell- Baxter School,
Cupar, which he attended along with his twin brother, Joseph, for six years.
Joseph is now a grocer Perth. Robert expected home on leave at the end this year

[Yakumo381]

I have previously contacted the CWGC and they had no records of him being buried at Ramleh and also his sister was not informed of any finding of his remains either later in the 1940's, when she received his effects, or subsequently so I suspect the Ancestor.com references may be speculative based on Jock Haxton's recollections.

[Yakumo381]

In HCTP's log book, a A/C Scott appears as the "passenger" in HCTP's penultimate flight on 11th October 1938 in Hardy K4308 on a "Jericho Convoy Escort".

On 1st October, HCTP made two flights with "different passengers" photographing Bala village and a recce in the Arrama area but no references to any other aircraft.

I cannot find any references to K4064 or Sgt. John Onions in his log so I will go through his photographs for you to see if I can find anything.

[Yakumo381]

I note that the US Library of Congress website has photographs of the RAF in the interwar years in Palestine. Has anyone researched them?

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=ramleh%20aerodrome&st=gallery&sg=true

In particular, have the airmen in this photograph been identified?:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/matpc.14444/

[Yakumo381]

These are the aircraft that I can identify in HCTP's photograph collection, the majority being in the Palestine area as far as I can tell:

K1109 De HAVILLAND MOTH
K3453 AVRO TUTOR
K5236 AUDAX (CRASHED)
K2846 HAWKER HART
SR1178 FAIREY 111F
SR1389 FAIREY 111F
K7509 HAWKER HART
K7516 HAWKER HART
K?592 LARGE FOUR ENGINED FLYING BOAT
K1432 AUDAX
K2214 BRISTOL BULLDOG
K2215 BRISTOL BULLDOG
K2218 BRISTOL BULLDOG
K4907 HAWKER HART
K5050 HAWKER HART
K4917 HAWKER HART
K5232 AUDAX
K3120 AUDAX
K3123 AUDAX
K5233 AUDAX
K4838 HAWKER HART
J9500 WESTLAND WAPITI
J?500 WESTLAND WAPITI
H1458 BRISTOL F2b
K3228 AVRO TUTOR
K1836 D.H. 60M MOTH
J7745 HANDLEY PAGE HYDERABAD

I can provide scanned copies of these photographs if they would be usefull to anyone's research

[paulmcmillan]

Yakumo381

Thanks for info from Log Book . Sgt. John Onions was a fellow pilot, so would not have been flying as passenger/gunner

Paul

[paulmcmillan]

PS from 6 Sqn ORB: "An 'XX' (Emergency) call from Land Forces 4 Kms north of Hebron was answered by two aircraft from Ramleh. Both aircraft were hit by enemy rifle fire. Acting Flt Lt Brown destroyed his aircraft by fire after forced landing (K4063) on the main road and was safely returned to Ramleh with his air gunner. The other crew abandoned their aircraft by parachute. Sgt Tarrant-Packer was not seen again although the air gunner (AC1 Haxton) returned to Ramleh. No news has since been recieved of Sgt Harold Clifford Tarrant "Tony" Packer. Note: Wreckage of Sgt Tarrant-Packer aircraft located next day and he was reported missing belived killed 30th November 1938.

[Lyffe]

The Find A Grave website lists the graves cared for at Ramleh, and Packer's is listed (scroll down https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GSob=c&GSsr=401&GScid=2238834&df=p&).

I think, but am happy to be corrected, the CWGC looks after WW1 and WW2 war graves only, so would probably have no record of any outside these two periods.

Brian

[gedburke3]

Hi Yakumo
Could you please check the logbook and see if there are any entries mentioning John Keatings. I would like e to see copies of the entries, I believe he may have flown as his air gunner on a number of occasions and possibly on one occasion where they shot their propellor through due to a faulty gun harmonising incident.
I also have some photographs from John Keatings relating to 6 squadrons time in Palestine pre war if you wish to see them.
Regards
Gerry

[Yakumo381]

Gerry,

Found only one entry with LAC Keatings from 29th September 1936 as follows (unfortunately I cannot add a scan as no obvious way to upload images on this forum or to add an image to a post...)

Date and Hour: 29th 0820
Aeroplane: K4477
Pilot: Self
Passenger: L.A.C. Keatings
Time: 20
Height: 2000
Course: Lake Tiberias (Sea Marker Dropped) Practice Dive Bombing (4 off 8 x)

[gedburke3]

Hi,
Many thanks for looking this up for me, I appreciate it.
I had thought that they had flown together more often.
Thanks once again
Gerry