RHODESIAN HELICOPTER LOSSES DURING BUSH WAR

ALOUETTE LOSSES FROM 1970-1980


1/7/70 R5117 Cat 5 New Sarum Sqn Ldr Nettleton and Flt Lt Hill (both killed)
12/10/70 R7506 Cat 2 Rushinga ops Air Lt Cook and Sgt Smithdorff
4/11/70 R5074 Cat 2 Charara Camp Air Lt Roberts, Flt Lt Wrigley, W/O Tapping
17/1/72 R5077 Cat 5 Gwelo Air Lt Munton Jackson Flt Sgt Garden (both killed)
15/2/73 R7500 Cat 5 Rushinga Air Lt Smart and Sgt Smithdorff (both killed)
19/11/73 R5087 Cat 5 Mt Darwin Sqn Ldr Wilkinson and Flt Sgt Woods and Pax
18/7/76 R5076 Tech hit ground fire Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt P Graham (Pat Graham killed)
25/7/76 R7506 Cat 5 Rutenga Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Graydon
1/9/76 R7524 Tech hit by ground fire Boli Flt Lt Harvey and Sgt Belstead (Beef Belstead killed)
19/10/76 R5723 Cat 4 Tail rotor failure Fort Victoria Flt Lt Borlace and Sgt Davel
22/12/76 R7524 Cat 5 Malapati Flt Lt Cook and Sgt Bellringer (Bellringer WIA)
17/3/77 R5172 Cat 5 Mrewa wire strike Flt Lt Mulligan and Cpl B Fletcher (both seriously injured)
18/05/77 R5725 Cat 5 Shot down while trooping Flt Lt Watt and SAC RAG Nelson (Rob killed)
Rob Nelson killed by jumping out of burning helicopter.
23/8/77 R5713 Cat 4 Ground fire damage E of Grand Reef Flt Lt Oborne and Sgt Robinson
10/10/77 R5176 Cat 5 Engine failure Air Lt Peacocke and SAC Watt
12/1/78 R5747 Ground fire Mtoko Flt Lt Maasdorp and Flt Sgt Jarvie (Henry Jarvie killed)
12/1/78 R5701 Ground fire Mtoko Air Lt Goatley and Flt Sgt Fleming (Flame Fleming killed)
28/7/78 R5177 Cat 5 Hit by RPG7 Chioco Flt Lt Du Toidt and Sgt K Nelson (both killed)
22/8/78 R5773 (SAAF 106) Cat 4 Bindura area Flt Lt Oborne and Cpl Brian Booth
20/10/78 R5731 Cat 5 Hit by AAA Zambia Air Sub Lt Dawson and Sgt R Oelofse
4/1/79 R5170 (The sting) Cat 5 Mid air in contact area Flt Lt K Fynn and Cpl B Cutmore (both killed)
4/1/79 R5701 Cat 5 as above Flt Lt R Bolton and Cpl Tony Turner Turner (killed)
26/9/79 R5705 Cat 5 Hit power lines Lake Alexander Flt Lt P Bate Sgt GR Carter with Major B Snelgar (all killed)
19/10/79 R5723 Cat 2 hit by ground fire Air SUB Lt Middleton and Sgt J Dent
25/12/79 R5876 (SAAF 36) Cat 5 Mount Darwin Drunk while flying Flt Lt A Senekal (killed)

BELL 205 LOSSES
10/2/79 R6807 Cat 5 Melsetter area Air Lt B Cocroft and SAC Kieron Meakin (Tail rotor failure while trooping)
3/9/79 R6098 Cat5 Mocambique Flt Lt D Paxton and SAC A Wesson (Alex Wesson killed)killed) Shot down by RPG 7 Rocket. (External operation).
11/12/79 R6805 Cat 4 Flt Lt Skinner Tail rotor failure
17/1/80 R6084 Cat 4 Flt Lt Vernon (Heavy landing while trooping)

ACCIDENT CATEGORIES

Category 1 Damage sustained is repairable on site by first line servicing crew
Category 2 Damage sustained is repairable on site by second line servicing crew
Category 3 Damage sustained is repairable but is beyond unit technical resources. Assistance from a repair and salvage unit or civilian contractors is required.
Category 4 Damage is not repairable on site and the aircraft must be removed to an established repair depot or civilian repair organization
Category 5 Damage is beyond repair or the aircraft is missing