SPITFIRE BL418 - 602 SQ - BASTA VOE, 20.1.1944.
For a while this aircraft was a tricky one to trace for it is is listed as only having crashed at Basta Voe in January 1944, and the name of the pilot was given as Bruce Dumbels, no squadron was known, but through searching various records of which squadrons were based in Shetland and Orkney at that time, and a little luck altering spellings of the pilots name, we finally tracked down some details.
The Spitfire a MK V serial BL418 had been serving with 453 Squadron and had just taken up residence at Sumburgh on detachment from 602 squadron at Skeabrae. Whilst flying north the aircraft suffered an engine failure and the pilot, now known to have been P/O Bruce James Dumbrell RAAF, was forced to crash land on rough ground near Basta Voe,Yell, around 100 yards inshore. He was unhurt in the crash landing, but his aircraft was later deemed a write off.
The Spitfire a MK V serial BL418 had been serving with 453 Squadron and had just taken up residence at Sumburgh on detachment from 602 squadron at Skeabrae. Whilst flying north the aircraft suffered an engine failure and the pilot, now known to have been P/O Bruce James Dumbrell RAAF, was forced to crash land on rough ground near Basta Voe,Yell, around 100 yards inshore. He was unhurt in the crash landing, but his aircraft was later deemed a write off.
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P/O Bruce J.Dumbrell. RAAF. Photo: Australian National Archives.
The Spitfire was closely guarded by members of the Home Guard, that is until a salvage team arrived and proceeded to cut the aircraft up before it was taken away by sea. The compass from the Spitfire was given as a souvenir to Karl Brown and eventually in recent times has found its way into Andy Robertsons collection at the Cabin Museum at Vidlin.
It was first thought that the Spitfire had ditched off-shore, but an e-mail from a Colin Nicholson who`s father and others remembered the crash as schoolboys told another story.
It was first thought that the Spitfire had ditched off-shore, but an e-mail from a Colin Nicholson who`s father and others remembered the crash as schoolboys told another story.
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All rights reserved. Due to the immense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by A.R.G.O.S though photos are credited to their respective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and acknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.