THE CAPTURED RUSSIAN
​
On December 2nd 1964 a Russian-built Ilyushin IL14 aircraft belonging to the Yemeni Air Force and with an Egyptian crew and passengers landed up-country on the small Riyan (Lodar) airstrip by mistake.
A quick-thinking, Norfolk-born, British Army Officer, Captain John Ricketts of the Welsh Guards, who was on secondment to the Federal Regular Army, recognising the error, drove out in his Landrover and parked in front of the aircraft to prevent it departing. The crew smashed many of the aircraft instruments and radio before being detained.
The reports were that, apart from the crew, there were at least 3 fairly high ranking Russian officers aboard who were taken into custody but later set free.
The Dhow newspaper reported, "Technicians of No. 131 Maintenance Unit at Khormaksar, led by Squadron Leader S. Denyer, were called in to make the aircraft airworthy, a task they completed in only seven days without any experience of this or any other Russian aircraft. The small MU team successfully repaired some of the smashed instruments, translating the markings from Russian and Arabic into English, and recalibrated them. In cases where the Russian equipment was beyond repair, standard RAF instruments were fitted and in other cases smashed instruments were removed and not replaced."
January 1964. Recovery of the Ilyushin 14 at Loder.
Abandoned on the rubbish dump at Khormaksar. 1966
The Dhow continued, " While this work was going on, other craftsmen were overhauling the airframe and engines and had them ground-tested. Sqn. Leader E.V. Mellor, Senior Test Flying Tutor, and Flt Lt R.S.J. Betteridge, a Flight Engineer, traveled especially from the Empire Test Pilot School at Farnborough to fly the IL14 back to Khormaksar. Although he had experienced over thirty types, this was the first Russian machine Sqn Ldr Mellor had flown. Despite that, it was reported that he made one of the most immaculate landings seen at Khormaksar for many months when he arrived after the 100-mile flight. He reported that the aircraft handled well and that the flight posed no special problems; he also commended the men of 131 MU on a first-class job of work."
'Last I saw it was parked behind the swimming pool at RAF Khormaksar. I was working in the calibration room at the time, after leaving 105 Sqn, and we got to look at the strange Russian instruments Johnny Yeo and his helper brought back.'
The captured IL14 shown on the dump had the following graffiti on it:
On the top decking: 48 (F) SQDN & underneath that: Captured this ?
Rear fuselage: INDEPENDANCE FOR 'B' FLIGHT
Under port engine nacelle: HN ------ (the rest of the word is painted over in black paint)
​
"One of the 105 Squadron guys, Johnny Yeo, a good old Devonshire man, took up a new ASI, altimeter, etc, removed the damaged stuff, substituted the RAF equipment." ~ Malcolm Stelfox
Paul Herbert of 105 Squadron recalls, "Yes, we supplied a lot of the replacement instruments from 105 Squadron to put it in a flyable condition, to get it back to Khormaksar."
​
The Ilyushin stood for many months between the station swimming pool and the Hunter servicing hanger (ASF Jets) where it became the target of many a Stim or beer bottle thrown from the pool verandah.
There were stories circulating that the aircraft had gone to the Yemen, gone to Egypt, to the UK, or was scrapped - but these unfounded theories were all produced by the Aden rumour mill.
"By 1966 the aircraft was on the rubbish dump on the far side of Khormaksar airfield. I remember doing a guard on that side of the airfield and being able to give it a quick look-over. Very dilapidated by then. ~ Malcolm Stelfox.
