Watts, Philip Guy

Date of birth:: November 5th, 1920
Date of death:: August 9th, 1961 (Stavanger, Norway)
Nationality:: British

Biography

Philip Guy Watts was born as P.G.Karginoff and was a pilot in the RAF who flew on the Spitfire, Mosquito and Gloster Meteor.

Rosalind Jones has written 2 books about the Stavanger air crash in August 1961 in which Watts died in the second book. She details some material about his flying record in WWII. Also he is mentioned in Graham Pitchfork's book on The First Jet Squadron & also in Mike Cooper's book on 616 Squadron.

News flashes from the past
Evening 9th August.

Pips …… "This is the BBC Light Programme – Here is the news. A Cunard Eagle airliner with 36 passengers on a charter flight from London to Stavanger in Norway is missing. Another Pan-American jet airliner has been forced to land in Havana. An East German Supreme Court Judge and his family of nine have taken refuge in West Berlin. Mr Khrushchev has said yet again that no threats will prevent Russia from signing a peace treaty with East Germany. And first with news of the missing British airliner here is John Timpson."

"When I came to the studio a few moments ago there was still no news of the missing plane. It’s been overdue now for five hours and although the Norwegian Radio has appealed for news of anyone hearing an unusual noise of aircraft engines or an explosion. So far as we know there has been no response. The Ministry of Civil Aviation told me that shipping has been alerted and aircraft are searching the area. At London Airport I was told that the plane took off from there at 2.30 this afternoon, several hours late. I gather it should have left this morning but it was delayed. The flight was scheduled to take two and a half hours and it was due to arrive in Norway at 5.00pm. A report I’ve had from Stavanger says that it was in radio contact with the control tower of the airport until 5 minutes before it was due to land. Then they heard nothing more. The weather at the time was bad with driving rain and a high wind. I understand that the plane was chartered by a holiday tour agency and there are 36 holiday-makers on board and a crew of three. But so far the Company haven’t released a passenger list or the names of the crew."

Morning 10th August.

"The British Viking airliner which disappeared near the Norwegian coast yesterday with a party of school boys on board was found wrecked this morning in the mountains north east of Stavanger. It’s said that the plane caught fire on crashing. It is not yet known if there are any survivors. The first report of the wreck was given by a local man and was confirmed soon afterwards by a Norwegian Air Force helicopter. The helicopter was, however, forced by engine trouble to land on low ground about two miles from the wreck. A party of Red Cross men and troops has since set out on foot but was expected to take some hours to reach the spot. When it left London Airport yesterday the airliner had on board 34 school boys and two masters, Mr. J. Beacham and Mr. George Budd, all from the Lanfranc Secondary Modern School in Croydon. Most of the boys were about 14. They were going to Norway on an educational tour. The crew of three included a stewardess Miss Susan Endicott of Paignton in Devon. All the relatives were informed last night that the plane was missing. Owned by the Cunard Eagle line it was on charter and should have taken off at half past nine yesterday morning but it was delayed by technical trouble until half past two. It was expected at Sola airport, near Stavanger, at five. At five minutes to five, the pilot Captain Philip Watts radioed that he was coming in to land. Then the Norwegian authorities in the Control Tower lost touch with him. The weather was bad with driving rain and a high wind. Ships and aircraft searched the area yesterday evening but without success. The search was resumed early this morning in rather better weather. An RAF Shackleton of Coastal Command taking part. The wreckage was sighted soon after dawn. At London Airport a special operations room was set up last night to deal with the scores of telephone inquiries about the missing plane. Next of kin of those on board were traced one by one and warned of the situation."

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