Ran N1 Fairy Firefly.

1956. A carrier-borne fighter anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft was forced to land on Callala Beach.

These photo’s are from my families collection, it shows the Firefly on the beach and during recovery.

The story as reported at the time in the Argus Thurs 16th Feb 1956. A pilot of the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm was rescued by a Navy Helicopter from Nowra (N.S.W) air station five minutes after he had made a forced landing at Callala Beach, Jervis Bay, yesterday morning. The rescued pilot, Sub Lieut. N. D. Curtis. R.A.N, of 723 Squadron was taking part in flying exercises in a Firefly two-seater anti submarine aircraft when engine failure forced him to land on the beach. He was the sole occupant of the aircraft at the time of the forced landing.

The firefly made the landing with it’s wheels up and you can clearly see the bent propeller blades.

The helicopter is the one they put the pilot in and took him back to base, they put him in another plane and sent him up again. The house in the background was my aunties mother and fathers place, the only house built at Callala at the time.

The information accompanying the photo’s are from my uncle Alan Slater.