John Stuart Elliott FAWCETT

John Stuart Elliott FAWCETT. Corporal, 4416734, Royal Air Force Police, aged 22 years. On Saturday, 18th February 1956, a four engined Avro York aircraft, G-ANSY, belonging to Scottish Airlines crashed near Zurrieq. It had been chartered by the Royal Air Force and was being used to carry troops from Suez in Egypt, to the U.K., with a stop-over in Malta. Born 14th March 1933 at Church Lawton, Cheshire.William and Admin, Ancestry. His home address was 52 Mersey Road, Ipswich died on date stated at Malta. His effects went to Norman Elliott Fawcett, civil servant. At rest in Plot 3 Row 3. Grave 17. Imtarfa Military Cemetery, Malta

As the plane took off, the air traffic controllers at Luqa airport saw smoke coming from one of the engines, and informed the pilot, Captain Frank Coker, immediately. The plane appeared to climb to around 1,000 feet before going into a dive and crashing into the ground.

As it was loaded with around 2,000 gallons of high octane aviation fuel, the plane exploded on impact and was engulfed by flames. The men on board numbered a crew of five, with 45 passengers, all RAF personnel except one Army Private. When the rescue services arrived at the scene it was clear that there were no survivors. The bodies of the co-pilot, navigator, radio officer and an air hostess were taken to the U.K. for burial. All the others are here in Imtarfa.