Westland Whirlwind XM665

Plymouth (Roborough) (EGHD), UK - England 28TH MAY 1967

WESTLAND WS-55 WHIRLWIND HAS.7, Serial Number XM665. (History)

Built by Westland at Yeovil against Contract 6/Aircraft/15633/CB9 (b). Allocated c/n WA256.

30.12.1958. First flight.

19.01.1959. Delivered to Fleetlands (A.H.U.)

26.03.1959. Transferred to 700 Squadron ‘H’ Flight, Culdrose for Prolonged Hovering trials.

24.04.1959. Transferred to Culdrose Station charge, long term storage.

30.05.1959. Returned to 700 Squadron ‘H’ Flight, Culdrose.

31.07.1959. Returned to Culdrose Station charge, preparation for issue to 737 Squadron.

21.09.1959. Transferred to 737 Squadron, Portland – possibly initially as a reserve aircraft Coded ‘777’

A Wessex helicopter prepares to lift a Mobat (mobile 105 mm anti-tank gun) from HMS BULWARK. cc Whirlwind (front) and Wessex helicopters coming in to support land operations of 3rd Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, in the desert exercise.
Wessex helicopter lifting artillery from H.M.S. Bulwark while six Whirlwinds with Commandos are flying overhead during an exercise.
(Right) Whirlwind in foreground about to disembark Commandos with Wessex helicopters unloading equipment behind.
22.02.1960. Transferred to H.M.S. Bulwark (Commando Carrier) for an exercise (on loan). (Returned to Portland circa 01.04.1960

06.02.1962. Transferred to R.N.A.Y. Fleetlands – for reconditioning.

17.07.1962. Transferred to 846 Squadron, Culdrose. Coded ‘S’ (Uncomfirmed).

10.01.1963. Transferred to 848 Squadron, Culdrose. Possibly coded ‘R’.

06.08.1963. Transferred to 847 Squadron, Culdrose. Possibly coded ‘S’.

03.03.1964. Transferred to ‘B’ Flight, 847 Squadron and embarked on H.M.S. Bulwark.

08.03.1964. Transferred to A.E.U. Far East Station on Bulwark, arrived in the Far East circa 20.03.1964.

Aircrew Remembrance Society Archive184
H.M.S. Bulwark with her Whirlwinds ranged on deck, all spots filled, so XM665 almost certainly one of these, the only other option being the aircraft that took this photo.

03.04.1964. Transferred to A.H.B. H.M.S. Singapore as reserve aircraft.

30.12.1964. Returned to the U.K.- No details known.

01.02.1965. Transferred to R.N.A.Y. Fleetlands for long term storage.

03.01.1967. Transferred to 829 Squadron, Portland to replace XN380. Coded ‘512’.

Plymouth (Roborough) (EGHD), UK - England 28TH MAY 1967

Plymouth (Roborough) (EGHD), UK - England 28TH MAY 1967.

01.06.1967. Transferred to 771 Squadron, Portland,Coded ‘512’.

09.10.1968. Forced-landed in a field near Weymouth.

Accident involving XM665

Date: 09-OCT-1968

Type: Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 (S-55T)

Owner/operator: 771 NAS, FAA RN

Registration: XM665

C/n / msn: WA256

Occupants: 3

Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)

Location: White Horse Hill, Osmington, near Weymouth, Dorset - United Kingdom

Loss details:

Written off 9/10/1968: Took off from RNAS Portland, Dorset. Force landed into a field at White Horse Hill, Osmington, near Weymouth, Dorset after the rotor blades went out of control, rolling over on force landing. Sent to Fleetlands for repair but never flew again. After storage at Culdrose and Wroughton it was Struck off charge on 16/12/1974 and sold.
Displayed at Thrope Park, Egham by 5/1975; to Chelsfield 1983, displayed and preserved at Booker Aircraft Museum in 1984 until being sent to the Royal Australian Naval Air Museum at Nowra, NSW, in April 1994.

08.11.1968. Transferred to Fleetlands for modernisation.

18.08.1969. Transferred to R.N.A.S. Culdrose. Stored in Aircraft Support Unit.

27.01.1971. Returned to Fleetlands.

07.03.1973. Transferred to R.N.A.Y. Wroughton for storage.

16.12.1974.Sold to Leisure Sport Limited, Egham, Surry. Reported as been delivered by road also on the 16th December 1974. This company was to start the now well known Thorp Park Resort in the 1970s on a gravel pit which was partially flooded creating a water-based theme for the park. Numerous aircraft were acquired for the park including XM665. Another of the displays was the construction of a World War 1 front line airfield with a large number of replica aircraft.

September 1st 1975, an early capture at Thorpe Park with this Royal Navy Westland helicopter on show.

September 1st 1975, an early capture at Thorpe Park with Royal Navy Westland helicopter XM665 on show.
Thank’s to Eric Myall, of B.A.R.G. who supplied this Information via Tony Smith of Air Britain.

Please click the above photo for Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 (S-55T) XM665 Photo gallery