Cathay Pacific VR-HEU - Aftermath

Aftermath

The shooting down of VR-HEU raised tension between the People's Republic of China and Britain and the US. The British Foreign Office, through its Chargé d'affaires in Peking, Mr Humphrey Trevelyan delivered Britain's protest to Communist China two days later. The US Secretary of State, Mr John Foster Dulles issued a sharp statement condemning the attack, saying the United States took the gravest view of the act of further barbarity and that the Chinese Communist regime must be held responsible.

On the political front, the shooting down probably harmed the PRC's chances of admission into the United Nations. Republican Senator H. Alexander Smith interrupted a marathon debate over atomic legislation to read Mr Dulles' statement before calling the situation "critical". Republican Representative Walter Judd, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed the view that the incident was another reason why Communist China must not be admitted to the United Nations.

The People's Republic of China admitted responsibility three days later by apologising and making compensations to Cathay Pacific and the victims.

The two La-11 pilots were rumoured to have been executed by the PR Chinese government.

Blown, who had been in command of VR-HEU at the time it was shot down, was hailed as a hero. He continued flying for Cathay Pacific for a further three to four years after the incident, and then retired to New South Wales, Australia, where he died in a nursing home in September 2009, aged 96. Cathay Pacific Director Flight Operations, Nick Rhodes, has commented on the bravery shown by Captain Blown on that day, and commended him for the dedication he had shown to ensuring the survival of his passengers.