An immediate signal received early this morning from No. 70 O.T.U., NAKURU brought the tragic news of the crash of one of our aircraft being ferried to the Middle East - Baltimore A.H.138 – resulting in the death of the pilot Capt. D. JACOBS, D.F.C., and three other members of the crew. The accident occurred on September 5th near NAIVASHA.
Capt. JACOBS was coming to join the squadron in the Middle East. Two members of the crew who were killed were old members of the Squadron – Lieut. S. DAVIS and F/Sgt. R. B. JENNINGS – who had proceeded to the Union to assist in the ferrying of the squadron's aircraft to the Middle East. Lieut. DAVIS, who joined the squadron at SHANDUR in August, 1941, was one of the most popular of our observers. He had had considerable operational experience and the squadron could ill-afford to lose him. F/Sgt JENNINGS who joined the squadron in the days of a hectic push had also done a fair share of operational work and held his own particular niche in popular esteem in the squadron as an Air Gunner. The fourth member of the party killed in the crash was A/M W. WEEKES who was coming to join this unit as an Electrician. A fifth member of the crew F/Sgt. METCALF sustained slight injuries. Full details of the accident are not available.
The Officer Commanding, LT. COL. IRVINE, left by Baltimore for L, G. 98, to discuss the projected move of the squadron into operations with O.C. 3 S. A. Wing. Questions of transport, dispersal etc. were discussed. It was expected that a flight would move up in a week's time with the remainder of the squadron to follow shortly after, the move depending on the aircraft position. Lt. Col. IRVINE returned to SHANDUR in the afternoon.