Hawker Sea Fury T.20 WG655

WG655 was the 59th Sea Fury built out of a batch of 60 for the Royal Navy. Delivered to RNAS Anthorn in October 1951, the aircraft was immediately placed in store.
In March 1954 it was issued to RNAS Eglinton, where the Station Maintenance Unit used it, coded '246/GN'. It later saw service with the Eglinton Station Flight as '910/GN'. In December 1955 the aircraft was retired from service, its service flying life only lasting 18 months. It was struck off Navy charge a year later in December 1956.

During 1957 Hawkers bought the aircraft for refurbishment and probable re-sale. It was converted to a target tug and sold to the Federal West German Government, arriving at Bonn in August 1963. The aircraft served with the Deutsche Luftfahrt Beratungsdienst (DLB). It was painted in an all-red colour scheme, and registered D-CACU for this role. It also had the serial ES.3616. Aside from target towing, its other duties included gun laying work for the West German Air Force and Army. The aircraft was retired in 1975.

In 1976 it was presented to the Royal Navy by the West German government, and it arrived at RNAS Yeovilton in June. It was re-united with its Eglinton Station Flight colours and formerly accepted into the RNHF on June 29th 1976.
WG655 was used as a trainer by the RNHF and also was a regular participant at air-shows across the UK during the summer months, usually sharing the Sea Fury displays with TF956.

Unfortunately WG655, like TF956, was lost in a flying accident, thankfully without any fatalities.
On 14th July 1990, WG655 was outbound from Yeovilton to a display at Silverstone. When flying over Bruton, Somerset, the engine suddenly failed. The power-plant was then a dead piece of metal after this event, and the aircraft began to lose height rapidly. The pilot, 'the luckless' Lt. Cdr. John Beattie spotted a large field and he prepared for a forced wheels-up emergency landing.

Initially WG655 ran along the ground successfully, and all was going to plan...

Unfortunately however, the field had a slight slope and the aircraft began to turn. Naturally, in the middle of 150 acres of open countryside, there were two large meaty oak trees, and the aircraft and crew found themselves heading straight towards them.

The port wing of the aircraft struck the first tree, which resulted in the fuselage swinging between the two trees. Consequently the starboard wing and cockpit side struck the second tree, severed the port wing and split the fuselage in two. John Beattie was virtually unhurt, but his air-crewman, Chief-Engineer Eric Young was not so lucky. He suffered broken ribs and a dis-located shoulder.
The accident investigation proved that it was engine failure, and it was thought to be unlikely that WG655 would ever fly again.

In 1993 an American enthusiast purchased the hulk of the wreckage and exported it to the USA for a complex restoration project using parts and components from several Sea Furies, and it is steadily progressing.

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