Boston (BZ306) crashed near Estoi

Date

Location

Force

Aircraft

 

From-To

 

Crew

02-04-1943

Murta Place - Serro do Monteiro - Estoi

RAF     OADU - Ferry Command

Douglas Boston IIIA      BZ306

 

Gibraltar → Portreath (GB)

 

Civil    B. Shokett        GB

P/O     R. Chartres      GB

Civil    W. C. Hay        Canada




The crew had brought the airplane from Canada trough the south rout and in the last leg, near Oporto, engine problems started, so the pilot decided to turn aropund in order to reach Gibraltar.

Off Cape St. Vincent the engines cut off completely but they were able to continue the voyage until Tavira, where the pilot gave the order to bale out. Shokett and Chartres landed north of Tavira. The last one injured the right ankle. Hay jumped a little latter and landed near Faro.

The aircraft crashed near Estoi, in Cerro da Murta, exploded and was completely destroyed.

Chartres was send to a civil hospital in Vila Real de Santo António until May 26, when he was sent to Lisbon by train. The next day he arrived in England. Shokett had already had already been repatriated, while Hay would be interned in Elvas for some more time.

The use of civilian airmen in these delivery flights was normal during the War because there was a lack of crewmembers during the war. For the deliveries coming from Canadian factories a special delivery service was created using experienced pilot’s that were not from the armed forces.

Resources:
* “Aviões da Cruz de Cristo” – Mário Canongia Lopes
* Ficha  de saída dos BOMBEIROS MUNICIPAIS DE FARO - Arquivo Distrital de Faro
* Evade & Escape Report - National Archives -  London, Kew