Beaufort AW244 near Bellasize, Gilberdyke.
On the face of it this minor flying accident sounds like a simple and often too common basic engine failure during a cross country flight. It was actually a very small part of a secret biological warfare plan well before any international agreement to ban such weapons existed. The Biology Department at Porton Down (later Microbiological Experimental Establishment) developed anthrax as part of a study of the possibility of making biological weapons infect the German poplation. Their tests on a Scottish island is reasonably well known but is worthy of mentioning in this account. They developed anthrax spores that were contained in a liquid and then held in containers for transportation. In 1942 the canisters were taken by road to Gruinard Bay, near Ullapool and then onto the requisitioned Gruinard Island where various tests were carried out. Sheep were tethered downwind of the site on the off shore side of the island and the a number of tests was carried out when the wind was in the right direction with leaving the canisters on poles, burying and exploding them and also dropping of a bomb with the anthrax canister inside. Dr Paul Fildes was the head of department at the department and he established a team to carry out the experiments. The team included Major A E Younger, who was responsible for military operations there including the initial explosions, disposing of any dead sheep which were to be thrown off a cliff onto a beach and the cliff would then be collapsed onto the sheep using further explosives. The experiments appears to have worked with the dead sheep being covered on the beach each time. The trials were complete and site shut down. Unfortunately in Spring 1943 a few cases of Anthrax were found in sheep across on the mainland to the west of the island so Dr Fildes decided he and Major Younger must investigate. It was arranged that an aircraft would fly them from Boscombe Down (near Porton) to Inverness and they would then travel by car to Gruinard Bay.
Beaufort AW244 was the aircraft that was offered to be used for the flight north to Inverness on 17th March 1943. Due to a fracture of the oil pressure gauge pipe the oil in the port engine ran out causing the engine to eventually fail. The pilot was able to maintain height for a time using full power on the starboard engine but, with the visibility becoming poor a forced landing was made at 14.40hrs in a field at Gilberdyke, just east of Bellasize landing ground. All four on board escaped serious injury with the most serious being a cut hand to Dr Fildes. All were taken by road to York hospital and after being checked over both the doctor and army major carried on their journey by rail. Checks on the island were made and it was thought some anthrax spores that had settled on heather after the experiments had later blown in land during the winter. Heather was set on fire to try and eliminate any remaining spores. Soil on the island was contaminated and it saw Gruinard Island being declared unsafe to visit. The island was declared safe in 1990.
Pilot - F/O Robert Arthur Haylock RAFVR (120505).
Observer / Navigator - P/O J F Martin (Possibly Justin Francis Martin MB.BCh.LM.DPH (107804)).
Passenger (in W.Op seat) - Dr. Paul Gordon Fildes OBE FRS. Head of the Biology Department, Porton (BDP).
Passenger (in turret) - Major Allan Elton Younger,
Paul Fildes' life is also well documented. He was Knighted in 1946 for his work at Porton Down. He died in 1971.
Allan Younger's life is also well documented. He was later awarded the DSO and the OBE. He died in 2010.
Robert Haylock's life is well documented. He was a former Battle of Britain pilot and his service is well documented. He died in 2006.
Beaufort AW244 was built to contract B.136959/40 by the Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton and was awaiting collection in September 1941. The aircraft was the first Mk.II variant and was retained by the makers before being taken on charge by A. and A.E.E. at Boscombe Down. As a result of the damage sustained on 17th March 1943 repairable Cat.B/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was then dismantled for a repair at a works factory and then repaired. The aircraft next appears on charge with the R.A.E. at Farnborough before moving to 304 F.T.U. at Melton Mowbray. On 5th June 1944 it crashed at Collingham, Berkshire. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was written off.