FlyPast 2017-02

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SPITFIRE CELEBRATING THE LEGEND

RESTORED SWIFT ON DISPLAY WITH VULCAN NEWS

Spotlight Bristol Beaufort

AT HOME WITH THE FLYING BULLS WARBIRDS

HISTORY

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THE MIGHTY B-36 PEACEMAKER COLD WAR

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Welcome

H

ello, and welcome to the February edition of FlyPast. I was pleased to hear that Supermarine Swift F.4 WK275 has been installed in its new home with the Vulcan To The Sky Trust (VTST) at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. I cannot think of a safer pair of hands to take care of such a hardy survivor, one that battled the Herefordshire elements for many years, and weathered all manner of incidents along the way. Nestling alongside VTST stalwart Avro Vulcan XH558 and English Electric Canberra WK163, it represents a period in British aircraft design when anything and everything seemed possible. Well done to Chris Wilson and the Jet Art Aviation team as well for achieving great things in what has been an epic restoration process. Moving from one Supermarine product to another, you’ll note that this issue celebrates the iconic – and I don’t use that word lightly – Spitfire. To thousands, the Spitfire is the symbol of World War Two, not to mention the Battle of Britain and is the very pinnacle of aviation aesthetics. We’ve sourced some great features for you on the ellipticalwinged marvel, including a history of high-altitude interceptions in Spitfires and how captured examples were tested and altered in Germany. There’s also seven pages of exclusive air-to-air images and the combat history of BR601, the latest of the type to take to the air

Assistant Editor Steve Beebee

Contributing Editor Ken Ellis

EDITORIAL: Editor – Chris Gilson Assistant Editor – Steve Beebee Contributing Editors - Ken Ellis and Dave Unwin Group Editor - Nigel Price General enquiries to: Editor’s Secretary: Tuesday Osborne FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261 E-mail: [email protected] www.flypast.com DESIGN: Art Editor – Mike Carr

Group Editor Nigel Price

Art Editor Mike Carr

Advertising Manager Alison Sanders

PRODUCTION: Production Editor – Sue Blunt Deputy Production Editor – Carol Randall Sub Editor - Norman Wells Production Manager – Janet Watkins ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL: Commercial Director – Ann Saundry Group Advertisement Manager – Brodie Baxter Advertisement Manager – Alison Sanders E-mail: [email protected] Sales Executive - Paige Hayward Ad Production Manager – Debi McGowan Ad Production Controller - Cheryl Thornburn E-mail: [email protected] Marketing Manager – Martin Steele Marketing Executive – Shaun Binnington

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after a comprehensive restoration at Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. I’m sure you’ll find plenty to interest in our special section. Elsewhere inside, you can read about my visit to the legendary Flying Bulls team in Salzburg, Austria, and Seattle-based Grumman Avenger owner Michael Kopp tells us what it’s like to fly his hefty warbird. There’s more Stateside action too, with Warren E Thompson’s profile of the mighty B-36 Peacemaker, nicknamed by some as ‘Aluminium Overcast’. Warren has provided some rare colour images as well, and they are guaranteed not to disappoint. As if that were not enough, this month’s Spotlight section highlights the Bristol Beaufort, a legendary torpedo bomber and attack aircraft that performed hard service at home and in the Far East, where it became a favourite of the Royal Australian Air Force to the detriment of the Axis powers in that sector. As always, we hope you enjoy your magazine and we look forward to seeing you next month, when we celebrate the ‘Wooden Wonder’ – the de Havilland Mosquito.

Chris Gilson Editor

Below Supermarine Spitfire IIA P7297 of 350 (Belgian) Squadron sits with Merlin engine running at what is thought to be RAF Valley in late 1941. 350 Squadron was the first unit in the RAF to be formed of all Belgian pilots. KEY COLLECTION

FlyPast (ISSN: 0262-6950), February, is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854.

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Features 22

Mighty Peacemaker

82

Swarm of Gnats

86

Flying Bulls

Warren E Thompson profiles the multi-engined Convair B-36, a bomber that came to symbolise Strategic Air Command.

News 96

Fortress Down

The circumstances behind a famous image of a doomed B-17 are explained by Roger Soupart.

100 Stalin’s Captives

Vladimir Kotelnikov concludes his twopart examination of the Soviet Union’s aviation ‘war trophies’.

The North Weald-based Gnat Display Team is looking forward to the new season. Richard Paver reports.

• • • • • •

Swift on display in Doncaster Defiant arrives at Cosford Progress on Ashton restoration Wartime Arado being worked on New home for Skyhawk Storch back in the sky

114 Avenger Flight

We go flying with Michael Kopp’s Grumman Avenger – with air-to-air photography by John Dibbs.

Chris Gilson visited the Flying Bulls’ base in Salzburg to find out what the famous warbird operator’s winter programme entails.

Contents February 2017

No.427

Front Cover

An air-to-air view of the Collings Foundation’s magnificently restored Supermarine Spitfire IX BR601. Our special section dedicated to the Spitfire begins on page 35. ©JOHN DIBBS This page, main image: A pair of English Electric Lightnings – XR728 and XS904 – taxying at the Lightning Preservation Group’s Twilight Run at Bruntingthorpe on November 12. Also see ‘Finals’, page 122. NEIL HUTCHINSON

22 Mighty Peacemaker

82 Swarm of Gnats

96 Fortress Down

Regulars A SERIES OF ARTICLES PAYING TRIBUTE TO A GENUINELY ICONIC BRITISH FIGHTER. 36 HIGH FLIGHT

48 IRON CROSS SPITFIRE

Andrew Thomas assesses the Spitfire VI and VII, interceptors designed for combat in the stratosphere.

44 SILVER SCREEN

Chris Goss explains what happened when Germany captured an intact Spitfire – with artwork by Andy Hay.

28

54 NINE ALIVE

A feature-length documentary about the famous fighter is due to reach cinemas in 2018. Steve Beebee investigates.

Gordon Riley looks back at the history and restoration of Spitfire IX BR601, with photography by John Dibbs.

The Way We Were Andrew Thomas reflects on the history of the RAF’s 10 Squadron, a long-term tanker and transport specialist.

93

FlyPost Readers’ letters.

94

Glory Days Photographic memories of the Bristol 170 Freighter.

108 From the Workshop Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 is being restored at the Yorkshire Air Museum. Graham Buckle describes the progress so far, while editor Chris Gilson hunts for a donor aircraft.

108 Museums A visit to an open day held by Canberra’s Australian War Memorial.

122 Finals English Electric Lightning.

Spotlight

Bristol Beaufort

FREE gift when you subscribe! Free gift when you subscribe! Claim your FREE Reunion of Giants DVD or Vulcan Test Pilot book when you take out a two-year or Direct Debit subscription to FlyPast. See pages 42 and 43 for details or visit www.flypast.com to find out more about our digital packages.

66 68

Origin and History

74

In Combat

76

We recount the torpedo-bomber’s history.

Andrew Thomas chronicles the hazardous operations of 42 Squadron against German warships, and also examines the Beaufort’s use in Australian hands.

Bristol in Profile

Andy Hay art of the Beaufort flown by Fg Off Kenneth Campbell VC .

Men Behind the Machine

Graham Pitchfork charts the careers of three Bristol Beaufort pilots, operating in Britain, North Africa and the Pacific.

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6 FLYPAST February 2017

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Top, left to right

Personnel from Jet Art Aviation remove Swift WK275 from its position at Sheppard’s Surplus Store in March 2012. Supermarine Swift F.4 WK275 on display alongside Avro Vulcan B.2 XH558 at Doncaster. Swift WK275 is the only complete surviving F.4. Below

The Swift in its new home after re-assembly on November 24. ALL COURTESY JAA

Supermarine Swift put on display with Vulcan to the Sky Trust After completing the restoration of Supermarine Swift F.4 WK275 (see December issue), Yorkshire-based Jet Art Aviation (JAA) transported the jet to its new home, Doncaster Sheffield Airport in November. The privately owned machine is on long-term loan to the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST), and is now on display alongside Avro Vulcan B.2 XH558. Swift WK275 is the only complete surviving F.4, and one of only four intact Swift airframes. It served as a ‘gate guardian’ for over half a century outside Sheppard’s Surplus Store in Upper Hill, Herefordshire, until purchased by its current owner in 2012. JAA was commissioned to extract the aircraft in March of that year and then began a challenging 41/2-year restoration project.

In November 22, 2016, JAA transported WK275’s wings and engine to Doncaster, with the jet’s fuselage and smaller parts following the next day. Final re-assembly was completed late in the evening of November 24 when WK275 was moved into position under XH558’s wing. “We think it’s a fitting home for her,” JAA boss Chris Wilson told FlyPast. “She’s in a heated hangar, on public display, and in a high profile environment where the hard work and effort the restoration team put in can be enjoyed. There is also the added advantage of an in-house engineering team here who can assist with her onward preservation.” Painted in the colours it wore when it last flew (with the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment

at Boscombe Down, Wilts in the late 1950s), WK275 is accompanied at Doncaster by its original Rolls-Royce Avon engine and afterburning jet pipe.

A proud moment The engine was removed for internal restoration work and is now on display alongside the aircraft. Chris described the unveiling of the Swift at Doncaster as a proud moment for everyone involved in the project. “It’s the result of many hours of hard work and restoration expertise,” he said. “It’s especially satisfying given the widespread speculation on the internet as to whether the aircraft would even come apart or survive being moved, after being exposed to the elements for so

long. Some said the restoration couldn’t be done.” The Swift is on loan to VTST and will not draw financial resources from the Trust’s work. Chief executive Dr Robert Pleming welcomed its arrival. “I’m delighted the Swift’s owner approached us to display this superbly restored aircraft,” he told FlyPast. “It’s another great example of innovation in aviation engineering – it was the first British aircraft to have both swept wings and a swept tail, and a variable incidence tailplane. As such, it is a fitting exhibit to be alongside XH558 and Canberra WK163. I’m sure our visitors will be fascinated by the Swift story.” WITH THANKS TO CHRIS WILSON-JAA

www.jetartaviation.co.uk www.vulcantothesky.org

February 2017 FLYPAST 7

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Defiant, Lysander and Gladiator arrive at Cosford Boulton Paul Defiant I N1671 arriving at Cosford in late November. BOTH COURTESY RAFM

Three more historic aircraft have been delivered from the RAF Museum in London to its sister museum at Cosford, Shropshire, as the Hendon site undergoes significant development (see News, last issue). Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I N1671, Gloster Gladiator Mk.I K8042 and Westland Lysander Mk.III R9125 have all been safely transported by road and are currently being prepared for display at Cosford. They join Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 Black 6 and de Havilland Tiger Moth T-6296, both of which arrived in early November. It is a homecoming of sorts for the Defiant, the last surviving example of its kind, built by Boulton Paul at its Pendeford, Wolverhampton factory in 1938. Flown by 307 (Polish) Squadron,

which became operational in December 1940, it was painted in an all-black nightfighter scheme the following January and carried out 15 patrols before moving to anti-aircraft unit 285 Squadron in June 1942, its last operational user. Gladiator K8042 has been displayed at the RAF Museum London since it opened in 1972. Although this is its first visit to Cosford, it was stationed with 5 Squadron at Ternhill and 61 Squadron at Rednal, both in Shropshire, in the early 1940s. The biplane was also used for armament trials with an additional pair of guns fitted under the top wing, giving a total of six instead of the usual four. The Lysander flew with 225 Squadron in 1940 as a coastal patrol and photoreconnaissance aircraft, covering the south coast of England. It took on a

Westland Lysander III R9125 is another new arrival at Cosford.

Special Duties role with 161 Squadron in 1944 and was operational for a further two years. For a brief period in 1961 the aircraft was in storage at Cosford and ten years later was put on display at Hendon, where it remained until its recent move. The Defiant and Gladiator will both

go on public display in the museum’s War in the Air hangar in January. The Lysander is heading to the museum’s Michael Beetham Conservation Centre for an assessment, before work over the next few years to replace its fragile linen outer skin. www.rafmuseum.org.uk

Wartime Arado restoration in Germany

The substantial remains of Arado Ar 196 A-5 623183 in Nordholz recently. COURTESY CHRISTIAN KOENIG

8 FLYPAST February 2017

The recently formed Arado Ar 196 Friends Association is hoping to restore Arado Ar 196 A-5 623183 to static display condition. Currently stored in Nordholz, near Cuxhaven, Germany, the floatplane is one of just three of the type that remain substantially intact. This aircraft is believed to have operated from the German cruiser Prinz Eugen in World War Two. After the conflict it was displayed at Willow Grove in Pennsylvania until 1995 when it was

transferred to Florida’s National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Due to damage suffered in transit, it remained in storage until December 2012 when it was transported to Marinefliegergeschwader (Naval Air Wing) 3 in Germany for restoration. The Friends Association has now been formed to complete the work, and it is currently seeking volunteers to assist. When finished, the Arado will be displayed at the Aeronauticum museum in Nordholz. WITH THANKS TO CHRISTIAN KOENIG

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Swiss Storch back in European skies Fieseler Storch A-97 made its first postrestoration flight on November 4 from Krosno, Poland, crewed by Krzysztof Galus and Jerzy Piekarz. The Storch had previously been suspended from the ceiling at the Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (Swiss Transport Museum) in Lucerne, and was

removed and brought to Poland for renovation around 12 months ago. Polish restoration specialist Aero-Kros has worked on several of the machines for the Switzerland-based Friends Of The Fieseler Storch organisation, but all previous examples have been based on French-built Morane-Saulnier Criquets.

A-97 is one of two Fieselers that participated in a rescue mission to the Gauli Glacier in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, in November 1946, following the crash of Douglas C-53 Skytrooper 42-68846. All 12 occupants of the latter were rescued and airlifted to safety.

The Storch has now been given the provisional civil registration SP-YRX for the test flight programme, but is expected to fly as HB-EHJ when transferred to its owners. The club now owns four flying examples of the type, with more expected to follow. www.storchenfreunde.ch STEFAN SCHMOLL

Fieseler Storch A-97 (SP-YRX) flying from Krosno, Poland, in November. PAWEL ZAWISZA VIA STEFAN SCHMOLL

Argentina’s Mitchell taking shape in Buenos Aires Work is continuing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Proyecto B-25 Mitchell’s restoration of North American TB-25J Mitchell LV-GXH Huaira Bajo. The fuselage is currently divided into three sections at Ildefonso Durana airfield, with some internal paintwork already complete. Attention is now focusing on the wings, dorsal turret and other elements. This aircraft originally served the USAAF as B-25J 44-31173, before being converted into a TB-25J trainer. After being stored at Davis-Monthan, Arizona, in 1958 and 1959, it was sold to Enrique Decurneux who initially flew it with the temporary Argentine registration 10 FLYPAST February 2017

LV-POP. On June 20, 1961, it became LVGXH and was used for carrying cargo. It had changed hands by the time it was seized by Argentine authorities in August 1969. It had allegedly been used for the smuggling of cigarettes and whisky from Paraguay. In December of that year, the Mitchell was assigned to the Santiago del Estero Aeronautic Directorate for aerial survey work. After five years of service it was retired and stored in a local facility for several years. Acquired by current owner Gustavo Passano, Huaira Bajo was moved to Idelfonso Durana airfield, where restoration work began. ESTEBAN BREA

The forward fuselage of TB-25J Mitchell LV-GXH under restoration in Argentina. ESTEBAN BREA

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Vietnam tribute Huey being returned to flight

Bell UH-1H 66-16823 featuring nose art by Russ Mowry. STEPHEN CHAPIS

Bell UH-1H 66-16823, a ‘Huey’ that served with the 170th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC) in the Vietnam War, is being restored to fly by the Liberty Warbird Association (LWA) at Lancaster Airport, Lititz, Pennsylvania. The aircraft’s last operational flight was with the Oklahoma Army National Guard in the late 1990s. Since being acquired by LWA 18 months ago, the

Opening for Omaka’s World War Two-themed exhibition The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre’s new Dangerous Skies collection opened to the public on November 1. Located on the outskirts of Blenheim, New Zealand, the centre’s new exhibition presents several World War Two aircraft – some of which are airworthy – in dramatic dioramas. The machines on display include Avro Anson Mk.I K6183 and Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV NH799. The latter is a former RAF and Royal Indian Air Force example

which now belongs to the Omaka-based Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection. The attraction features exhibits representing the Battle of Britain and the Battle of Stalingrad, and includes a full-size replica of a Junkers Ju 87 suspended from the ceiling. The centre is also home to the Knights of the Sky exhibition which includes Sir Peter Jackson’s collection of Great War-era machines and artefacts. www.omaka. org.nz WITH THANKS TO KATHY LEE Spitfire XIV NH799 is among the display items at Omaka’s new Dangerous Skies exhibition. KATHY LEE

team – which includes a number of Huey veterans – has completed a full inspection, removed the fuel cells and Lycoming T53 engine and sent them out for further examination and refurbishment. The former were beyond repair, so a new set was supplied by AmFuel. A new upgraded tail boom has been acquired and will be fitted to the aircraft over the winter.

During the Huey’s time with the 170th AHC in Pleiku it was flown by Russ Mowry who also painted its distinctive nose art. During May 2016, Russ visited the project and spent two days repainting the ‘Bikini Blue - The Flying Dragons’ art on the helicopter’s nose, recreating the work he did in Vietnam 50 years previously. STEPHEN CHAPIS

Dassault Mirage 5 Mara C-633 shortly before its recent move to Santa Fe. ESTEBAN BREA

Mirage on display at Argentine flying club In late October, Dassault Mirage 5 Mara C-633 was positioned as a ‘gate guardian’ at the entrance of Sante Fe’s Aero Club Rufino in Argentina. This aircraft made its first flight on May 20, 1969, and was operated by Air Group 6 of the Peruvian Air Force until June 4, 1982, when it was delivered to the Argentine Air Force as C-433. It belonged to the 10th Squadron, nicknamed ‘Ice Warriors’, of the 10th Air Brigade, then based at Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz. In March 1988 it was moved to ARMACUAR (Área Material Río Cuarto)

to receive an upgrade – all such Mirage 5s became known as Maras – and was re-registered C-633. The jet was returned to 10th Squadron and flew with that unit until it was disbanded in 1997. It was then allocated to the VI Air Brigade at Tandil, Buenos Aires. At the end of its operational life it was earmarked for display in Rosario del Tala, Entre Ríos, but the transfer never took place and it remained in storage for several years until being disarmed and transported to Aero Club Rufino. ESTEBAN BREA

French museum works on Nord Noratlas Nord 2501 Noratlas 160 has recently undergone some refurbishment and paintwork at the Morbihan Aéro Musée in Vannes-Meucon, France. Personnel at the attraction, which is mostly based in a World War Two-era hangar, are also restoring a Lockheed T-33 Silver Star and a Fouga CM.170R Magister. www.morbihan-aero-musee.com PHILIPPE JEGOUSSE VIA ERIC JANSSONNE

February 2017 FLYPAST 11

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Newark’s Avro Ashton cockpit project revealed to visitors Visitors to Newark Air Museum on November 19 were among the first to view the interior of its Avro Ashton restoration project. The fuselage of Ashton WB491, which is listed as ‘Significant’ on the National Aviation Heritage Register, was recovered from Woodford, Greater Manchester, and donated to the Nottinghamshire museum in March 2003. Over the past few months a team of volunteers led by restoration manager John Rankin has been rebuilding and refitting the aircraft’s cockpit area. When the fuselage arrived at Newark the original flooring had been removed. In its place sections of Dexion shelving were used to form a crude floor area. With these now gone, a new base has been installed, creating a more genuine looking cockpit platform. A new instrument panel has been built, complete with compatible instruments and fitted into the cockpit. The work has recently focused on refurbishing and installing the crew

seats, which were loose in the fuselage when WB491 arrived at the museum. The project is regarded as a long-term ‘work in progress’, and the team is keen to source any appropriate Ashton-related items that might assist with the rebuild. The Newark exhibit is the only substantial airframe section remaining of the six Ashtons built. Modified with an under-fuselage mounting for testing turbine engines, WB491 was used by Rolls-Royce for trials with the Conway and Avon powerplants in the 1950s. The museum has also recently published a book entitled Preservation Pioneers – Newark Air Museum 19632015. Written by Colin Savill, it charts the attraction’s history since it was founded in 1963. It has been compiled in diary format, illustrating how the site has developed over the years, eventually becoming one of the largest volunteer-managed aviation museums in the UK. www.newarkairmuseum.org

Newark Air Museum’s Avro Ashton WB491 cockpit restoration on November 19.

HOWARD HEELEY

On arrival at the museum the cockpit section’s original flooring had been removed.

An external view of Newark’s Avro Ashton, taken in April 2014. ALL HOWARD HEELEY

12 FLYPAST February 2017

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Night-fighter Meteor project advances at Elvington Graham Buckle and his team at Elvington in Yorkshire have taken considerable steps forward in their restoration of Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 (see From The Workshop, pages 108-113, for the full story). “There has been massive progress with treating the corrosion under the

wings, and work has continued on the nacelles,” Graham reports. “We now have access to most of the equipment bays in the nose section, and have been pleasantly surprised at just how much equipment is still fitted to the aircraft. “Also, the ailerons, while not yet

connected to the control column, have been freed and move happily. Early in 2017 they should be controllable from the cockpit, the first time since 1966 this will have been possible on WS788.” The team will spend the winter months working on smaller items, including the gyro gun sight.

The group still needs other parts and is pursuing several lines of enquiry. They are particularly keen to source any information on the ‘Dixey’ nose art applied to WS788 during its time with the RAF’s 1 Air Navigation School. If you can help, please contact Graham: [email protected] Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 at Elvington in December. VIA GRAHAM BUCKLE

Gate guard Mirage returned to service colours

briefings

Dassault Mirage IIICJ C-715, currently on display as a ‘gate guardian’ at Argentina’s Liceo Aeronáutico Militar (LAM/Military Aviation School) in Funes, Santa Fe, has been repainted into its Argentine service colour scheme. The work was carried out by personnel from the air force’s 4th Air Brigade. The Mirage was originally delivered to the Israeli Air Force in

14 FLYPAST February 2017

1963, and shot down 13 enemy aircraft. It was transferred to Argentina in 1983, and flew with the 4th Air Brigade’s Squadron 55 as C-715 from Mendoza. It later became the only Argentine Mirage IIICJ to be painted in an experimental grey scheme. The jet was withdrawn from use in 1989 and transferred to LAM, where it initially received fictitious colours. ESTEBAN BREA

Two of the Argentine Army’s Cessna T-41D Mescaleros have been given special markings to celebrate the aircraft’s 40 years of service with the Army Aviation School. During the annual Argentine Army Aviation Day on November 25 at Campo de Mayo, near Buenos Aires, T-41Ds AE-051 and AE-055 were displayed with the new insignia. ESTEBAN BREA

Recently painted Dassault Mirage IIICJ C-715 on display at Funes, Sante Fe. ESTEBAN BREA

RAF Woodvale in Merseyside celebrated its 75th anniversary on December 7. A rededication service was held in one of the hangars and featured an address by the station commander Wg Cdr David Hooton. Prayers were led by Woodvale’s chaplain Monsignor John Walsh. The base is currently home to 611 Squadron. COURTESY ALDON FERGUSON

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Children pay tribute to RAF Bomber Command Children with Bomber Command veterans at the IBCC’s Spire Memorial on November 11. VIA IBCC

Fairchild close to flight but tailwheel dilemma remains Jim and Robert’s Fairchild UC-61K (Argus III) could fly later this year. COURTESY JIM CHYBICKI

Aircraft restorers Jim Chybicki and Robert Croon have almost completed work on potentially airworthy Fairchild UC-61K Forwarder 43-14964, an aircraft that flew with the RAF’s Air Transport Auxiliary as Argus III HB690. The 1943-built machine has been returned to the paint scheme it wore in British service, and is described as 90% finished. Engine runs and a first flight are expected this year. Jim and Robert report that they have so far been unable to properly overhaul the tailwheel assembly because it is proving difficult to determine which company originally made it. “Our plane was among a small handful of UC-61/Argus aircraft shipped to

the UK without the standard Fairchild tailwheel assembly,” Jim told FlyPast. “It received a self-centring trailing link (knuckle) assembly unit, which is believed to have been installed in the UK by the RAF. However, there does not appear to be any written Fairchild or RAF documents indicating who the manufacturer was, or how many were installed.” The lack of information on the part has left the duo in a quandary. “Without knowing who the manufacturer is or was, we cannot repair or overhaul the unit to use on HB690,” explained Jim. If anyone can help, please email us and we’ll pass any information on: [email protected]

Sopwith Pup reproduction flying in the US

Sopwith Pup reproduction N6475 taking off from Spokane recently. JOHN BOYLE

Larry Howard’s Sopwith Pup N6475 has recently completed its test flight programme, after making a successful

first flight in the hands of Antique Aero’s Chuck Wentworth in Paso Robles, California, in June.

CASA-built MBB Bolkow Bo-105CB HR15-62/ ET-163 is now on permanent display in the Spanish Army Museum’s gardens in Toledo. It was previously in storage at Seville’s El Copero army base. The helicopter is one of 18 used by Batallón de Helicópteros de Ataque (Attack Helicopter Battalion) BHELA I at Almagro. ROBERTO YAÑEZ

A song has been released by vocal group Youngstars to raise funds for the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincolnshire. The single Tears Of The World was released on November 11 to mark Remembrance Day. Representatives of Youngstars were among 112 children who attended the centre on the day to lay poppies at the Spire Memorial. To hear Tears Of The World, visit the IBCC’s website. The Youngstars also read a poem written for the event by the widow of Len Dorricott, a 576 Squadron navigator. Alongside six veterans, they also participated in a service of Remembrance. Wreaths were laid

Marking the centenary of the type, the Pup is now flying from Larry’s base in Spokane, Washington, following ten years of work. Recent flights have been made by Addison and Jay Pemberton of Pemberton & Sons Aviation of Spokane. “I tried to make it as period correct as I could,” said Larry. “In addition to providing the engine, Ed ‘Skeeter’ Carlson also came up with the correct Irish linen to cover the airframe. He’d been carefully storing it for years and felt this project would be a fitting use for it. Of course, I had it tested for safety before applying it.”

by guests including Wg Cdr Simon Erskine Crum and Tony Worth CVO, Chairman of the Lincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial Trust. Two days later, on Remembrance Sunday, the centre held the first of four planned open days. More than 800 people visited the site to pay their respects, including veterans Les Rutherford and John Bell. Canadian Shere FraserLowe, whose father served on the Dambusters Raid, performed Amazing Grace on the flute. Further open days are scheduled for March 19, April 23 and May 21, from 10.30am until 15.30pm. www.internationalbcc.co.uk

The aluminium cowl was sourced in New Zealand, while cockpit instruments were supplied from the UK. The builder of another Pup provided an original, demilitarised Vickers machine gun complete with a belt of unloaded bullets. Larry’s aircraft is finished in the colours of N6475 ‘9’, which flew with RNAS 11 Squadron from Hondschoote, near France’s border with Belgium, in July 1917. The aircraft is likely to be on static display over the winter at the recently opened Honor Point Military & Aerospace Museum at Spokane’s Felts Field. www.honorpoint.org JOHN BOYLE

Northrop Grumman has begun a sponsor partnership with the RAF Museum to support the latter’s Centenary Programme. As part of plans to transform the museum’s London site by 2018, Northrop will sponsor the new Now and the Future exhibition area, supporting exhibits focusing on air intelligence, surveillance and unmanned aircraft systems. February 2017 FLYPAST 15

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Grumman OV-1D Mohawk N906KM is next in line to be restored. Two of the Spartans at Racine. Nearest the camera is C-27A 90-0174 (N2290J). BOTH NATE LEONG

Six C-27 Spartans on their way to US museum The Russell Military Museum in Zion, Illinois has acquired six Alenia Aeritalia C-27A Spartans from the US State Department. Three of the aircraft recently arrived at John H Batten Airport in

Racine, Wisconsin, with the other three expected to follow when they have received FAA permits for the ferry flight. On receiving the aircraft, the museum plans to maintain one in flying condition, and

use the others for spares. Engineers from the attraction are also working hard to return Grumman OV-1D Mohawk N906KM to airworthiness. The machine was broken into and vandalised a

few years ago, and has now been transferred to Racine for repair and refurbishment. www.russellmilitarymuseum.com NATE LEONG

Hampden AT110 crew relatives sought for dedication ceremony Efforts are being made to trace relatives of the crew of Handley Page Hampden AT110 from 144 Squadron, which crashed at Bognor Regis on the night of April 14/15, 1942. The aircraft was based at North Luffenham in Rutland, and was on a mission to attack the docks at Le Havre, France. The precise cause of the accident is unknown, but one eye witness reported seeing the aircraft with an engine on fire. The crew all died in the crash. They were Sgts Stanley Culmer, R E Nation, J A

briefings

Right: The memorial to the crew of Hampden AT110 at Bognor Regis. COURTESY TONY SHERATON

16 FLYPAST February 2017

Hutchison and D Manning. A memorial plaque was erected close to the point where the aircraft came down, but the RAF Association’s Bognor Regis Branch is leading plans to move it a short distance to a place where it will be more visible in time for the 75th anniversary. The event will be marked by a re-dedication ceremony. The organisers are hoping to invite relatives of the crew who may be unaware of the memorial’s existence. They would also like to hear from any 144 Squadron veterans or relatives. Contact David Hewings: david. [email protected]

Frederick Marsh, the founder of the Royal Aero Club Trust and currently its Vice President, was presented with the Sword Of Honour by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots at a ceremony in London recently. The Trust has provided tens of thousands of pounds in bursaries to support the training and development of aspiring young aviators.

Nord N1203 Norécrin F-BEUS has been acquired by Christian Amman who will base the 1948-built aircraft at Haguenau in Alsace, France. It was owned for many years by French engine manufacturer Snecma, and changed hands several times before undergoing a major restoration. The work was completed by Emmanuel Large in 1998. ERIC JANSSONNE

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NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Rebuilt Yakovlev UT-2 flown in Russia

Yakovlev UT-2B RA-2724G on the grass at Daryino recently. MIKHAIL MASLOV

Yakovlev UT-2B RA-2724G flew for the first time on October 13 following five years of restoration work in Russia. The two-seat trainer lifted off from Daryino airfield, about 60 miles north of Moscow, in the hands of Aleksander Kovalyov. The rebuilding of the UT-2 was completed by Rusavia, which had

previously worked on two Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes. The Yakovlev project was based on original plans and engineering documents received from its manufacturer. Along with various safety upgrades, it has been modified with a more powerful Shvetsov M-11FR engine. On flying the machine, Aleksander

was satisfied with its stability and performance. The following day, it was flown by Yuriy Kabanov from the Russian Certification Centre, which has since granted the UT-2 a Certificate of Airworthiness. Developed by Yakovlev in 1936, the design was based on earlier AIR-6 and AIR-10 trainers. Around 7,200 UT-2s

were built, with many World War Twoera Soviet pilots receiving their initial training on the type. The airframe’s wooden structure was not intended for long service, with all examples retired by the early 1950s. Two new machines were produced in 1978 and allocated to museums for static display. MIKHAIL MASLOV VIA GENNADY SLOUTSKIY

Argentine gate guard restored for display

briefings

Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris ‘E-232’ has been put on display at Morón air base’s Air Crew and Aeronautical Technician’s Training Centre (CIATA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It had previously been on a pedestal at the base where it served as a ‘gate guardian’. The centre held an open day to show off the work carried out by its students on November 10 – those working on the MS.760 took the opportunity to apply new markings to the exhibit, including the military serial number E-232. The jet first served with the Military Aviation School in 1967, before being taken on by the 4th Air Brigade in 1985. Nine years later it was passed to the National Aeronautics Museum in Buenos Aires. After being transferred

18 FLYPAST February 2017

Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris ‘E-232’ on display in Argentina. BOTH ESTEBAN BREA

to the air base, it was placed on a pedestal, painted as E-219. Students at CIATA have also recently transformed the forward fuselage of

Pilots Andrew Love (pictured) and Michael Williams have been granted warbird flying scholarships from New Zealand’s Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust. Manager Ed Taylor said: “There has been concern at the age of many of our top pilots but this exercise has convinced us there is no lack of younger people looking to come through the ranks.”

Rockwell 690 Turbo Commander LV-LEY into a flight simulator. The 1972-built aircraft first flew in the US as N9219N. It later served in Argentina with the

country’s National Forestry Institute, and ended its flying days in the late 1980s with the National Agricultural and Technology Institute. ESTEBAN BREA

Hiller UH-12E-4 LV-ANG has been restored to airworthy condition at Aero Club Fortín Lobos in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The only one of its type flying in the country, it originally flew in the US as N4031M before being acquired by Argentina’s Provincial Directorate of Aviation. It has since been discharged and sold to a private owner. ESTEBAN BREA

www.flypast.com

Douglas Skyhawk is reassembled at new home Douglas A-4C Skyhawk ‘NP694’ on display at the Yankee Air Museum in December. WITH THANKS TO JULIE OSBORNE-YAM

Douglas A-4C Skyhawk 148543 was reassembled for display at the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan on December 2. It had previously been at the now defunct Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond, Virginia. The move to Michigan was supported by the US Navy and funded by a generous donor. The jet served aboard USS Forrestal in the late 1960s, but has been painted to represent 148442 NP694 of the USN’s VA-216, a unit nicknamed ‘Black Diamonds’. The colour scheme is a tribute to Vietnam War veteran Paul Galanti, who was shot down and captured on June 17, 1966, after completing over 95 missions from USS Hancock. He later worked with Senator John McCain – another former Skyhawk pilot – on the latter’s 2008 presidential campaign. www.yankeeairmuseum.org

Uruguayan museum working to restore rare exhibits Douglas DC-3 CX-BDB will have its rudder refitted after damage has been repaired. ÁLVARO ROMERO

Mustang ‘stars’ at new Swedish aviation hall

The Swedish Air Force’s F 21 Wing has opened a new exhibition hall at its Luleå base. The Lundbergshallen features Pelle Lundberg’s recently restored North American P-51D Mustang (see April 2016 issue), along with a de Havilland Vampire Mk.50, two Saab jets and various other exhibits relevant to the Wing. www.flygmuseetf21.se PHOTO-PÄR ERIXON

Bottisham Airfield Museum has launched a consultation in order to give visitors a say on its future. The Cambridgeshire attraction is applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for money to restore its buildings, conserve its artefacts and increase the accessibility of its archive. It believes that HLF funding is its best hope of purchasing additional land and creating an improved, more modern facility. The museum has already had productive talks with HLF representatives on three occasions and now needs to engage a cross-section of the local community and other stakeholders. The consultation will help it meet this requirement. To take part, visit: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/bottishamairfieldmuseum

A number of historic aircraft – some extremely rare – are currently in various stages of rebuild and refurbishment at Uruguay’s Museo Aeronáutico near Carrasco. Douglas DC-3 CX-BDB, painted in the colours of the now defunct airline Pluna, was damaged recently in a storm, losing its rudder. The item is currently being restored by the museum’s specialists, and will soon be refitted. Also outside, Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante FAU 580 is awaiting its turn for restoration, while alongside sits the fuselage of the museum’s rarest exhibit – Lockheed-Kaiser Argentina LASA-60 LV-GOL. The latter is an Argentine-built version of the Aermacchi AL-60 civil utility aircraft of the late 1950s. Inside the hangar, DHC-1 Chipmunk CX-AVA is currently disassembled and undergoing conservation work, while volunteer group Asociación Amigos del Museo Aeronáutico (informally known as Ratones de Hangar, or Hangar Rats) is slowly rebuilding a de Havilland Tiger Moth. The latter will eventually be finished in Uruguayan Air Force livery. ÁLVARO ROMERO

Financial penalties levied on banks involved in the LIBOR lending rate fixing scandal will benefit the RAF Museum. In November’s Autumn Statement, the Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that the Hendon-based attraction will receive £3m from LIBOR funds for its 2018 RAF Centenary Programme. The money will specifically support the development of a new exhibition and a dedicated learning centre. The former will explore the impact of the RAF on world events, society and technology over the last four decades, from the Cold War until the present. The learning centre will form part of the museum’s Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) programme. www.rafmuseum.org February 2017 FLYPAST 19

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Harvard and Monospar progress at Newark

The rear fuselage of Harvard IIB 42-12417 is receiving attention at Newark. HOWARD HEELEY

F-16 becomes roundabout ‘gate guardian’

Fabric is being applied to the underside of General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH.

Work is continuing over the winter on Newark Air Museum’s restoration of North American Harvard IIB 42-12417. This aircraft formerly flew with the RCAF as FE930. Personnel at the Nottinghamshire attraction are currently focusing on the rear fuselage and cockpit areas of the airframe; with some additional panel repair work being undertaken on one of the wings. Elsewhere on

site, further progress has been made on the museum’s General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH. With much of the internal restoration complete on the cockpit and fuselage areas the aircraft has been taken off its trestles. The team is now beginning to apply fabric to the underside of the fuselage. www.newarkairmuseum.org HOWARD HEELEY

We salute you General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon J-246 was positioned on a roundabout near Völkel, in the Netherlands, on December 2. It is painted in the markings of 312 Squadron, a Völkelbased RNLAF unit, but the 1981-built jet actually flew with 323 Squadron from Leeuwarden. ROGER SOUPART

Huey placed on display in Argentina

briefings

Bell UH-1H Iroquois 68-16531 has been mounted on a pedestal and put on display in the city of José C Paz within Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The work was carried out by the 7th Air Brigade of the Argentine Air Force. The Huey was originally acquired as a source of spare parts and later modified as an engine test-bed. It has been painted to represent H-14 (originally 67-17325) which flew with the Argentine Army. ESTEBAN BREA

20 FLYPAST February 2017

Dassault Mirage F1CZ 204 was sent to a scrapyard in Cape Town, South Africa in October 2016. Formerly at the SAAF Museum, the jet had been on display outside the Young Falcons Academy at Ysterplaat since March 2007. It was decided to scrap the aircraft because several years of exposure to the elements had taken their toll. STEVE McLEAN

Sqn Ldr John Blair DFM – observer with 113 Squadron who, with no previous flying experience, flew his Blenheim back to base in North Africa after his pilot had been killed – died on October 5, aged 98; Fg Off Ronald Victor Clarkson DFC – RAAF gunner on 158 Squadron Halifax LV907 Friday The 13th; he was the last surviving member of the first crew to complete a tour in the famous bomber – on November 9, aged 98; P/O Ken French DFC – Lancaster navigator with 115 Squadron – on November 22, aged 96; Flt Lt Robert Knowlton – flew Spitfires on tactical reconnaissance sorties during the Italian campaign with 208 Squadron – on October 7, aged 94; Sqn Ldr Tony Mottram DFC – flew antishipping ‘ops’ in Hampdens of 489 (NZ) Squadron and Beaufighters with 272 Squadron in Italy – on October 6, aged 96; Wg Cdr Trevor Oakey AFC – Canberra pilot and former chief instructor of 231 OCU at Bassingbourn – on October 6, aged 91; Sqn Ldr Fred Pawsey DFC – flew Hurricanes and Spitfires with 253 Squadron completing many ground attack ‘ops’ over Italy and Yugoslavia – on September 4, aged 96; Sqn Ldr Arthur Poore DFC – Lancaster pilot with 617 Squadron who joined after the Dams Raid – on November 15, aged 96; Air Cdre Mike Swiney OBE – flying instructor at CFS and Cold War fighter pilot who commanded 5 Squadron with Javelins, before becoming Air Commodore Intelligence at the Ministry of Defence – on September 30, aged 90; Flt Sgt Alan Wilkes – flew as a flight engineer on 214 Squadron Boeing B-17s in 1944 and 1945, later posted to Völkenrode, Germany – on November 15, aged 92.

Peter Vacher’s de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth G-ACMA made its first post-restoration flight on October 11. The 1934-built machine has been returned to airworthiness by the Newbury Aeroplane Company of Hungerford, Berks. It is painted in the colours it wore when delivered to National Benzole at Heston, west London.

Sopwith Pup N6161 (also see October 2016 issue) flew again from Duxford in the hands of ‘Dodge’ Bailey on October 17. The Great War fighter was captured intact by the Germans in 1917, and some of its original parts have been incorporated into the rebuild, which was undertaken by the Historic Aircraft Collection’s Retrotec.

HOLIDAY GUIDE

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COLD WAR WARRIORS B-36 PEACEMAKER

SIX TURNIN’

FOU

22 FLYPAST February 2017

N’

OUR BURNIN’ WARREN E THOMPSON PROFILES THE B-36, THE BOMBER THAT CAME TO SYMBOLISE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND

B

ritain had succumbed to invasion by Germany and the US had become the bastion against Nazi ambitions. How would the USAAF hit targets an ocean away? Launching from Gander, Newfoundland, a return run to Berlin was a distance of 5,700 miles (9,200km)… This ‘what if’ notion of April 1941 formed the genesis of what became the incredible Convair B-36 Peacemaker. Fortunately, Hitler never got the upper hand over Britain and the American plans were put on the back burner – including the chosen bomber design, a six-engined monster from the drawing boards of the Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair) of Fort Worth, Texas. On December 7, 1941 everything changed again.

Pearl Harbor lay in ruins and the US faced an enemy on the other side of the Pacific. Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress was already in the design phase, the prototype flying on September 21, 1942, and Convair’s very-long-range bomber was dusted down and given new impetus with an order for 100 placed in July 1943. Powered by six 3,500hp (2,611kW) Pratt & Whitney R-4360-25 Wasp Major 28-cylinder four-row piston engines driving three-bladed pusher propellers, the prototype XB-36 first flew on August 8, 1946. Everything about the Convair bomber was big: with a wing span of 230ft (70m) and a length of 162ft 1in, it’s the largest bomber to have served the USAF, beating even the Boeing B-52 that replaced it. (See the panel

on page 24.) The first and second prototypes were originally fitted with single wheel main undercarriage units which, at just over 9 ft in height, dwarfed the

ground crew.

The wing was 7ft 6in thick where it joined the fuselage, allowing for easy access to the engine bays, even in flight, and the bomb bays were divided into four segments and stretched some 48ft 6in – 13in longer than a complete Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber!

Below

The ultimate incarnation of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker combined radial engines with turbojets.

FLEET BUILDING

Putting the leviathan into service would be a long process. In 1947 no B-36s were operational with Strategic Air Command (SAC), 319 B-29s making up the heavy bombardment element. In 1948, an

improved version of the B-29, the B-50, began to swell the inventory and there were 35 Peacemakers on the books. In 1950 the strategic reconnaissance RB-36 version, two of its bomb bays packed with cameras, was also on active duty. During 1954 SAC’s Peacemaker fleet peaked at 209 B-36s and 133 RB-36s. They provided the heavy clout along with a force of 1,060 six-jet Boeing B-47 Stratojet medium bombers. The B-36s flew with the 6th Bomb Wing (BW) at Walker, New Mexico; 7th BW and 11th BW at Carswell, Texas; 42nd BW at Loring, Maine; 92nd BW at Fairchild, Washington; and 95th BW at Biggs, Texas. The RB-36s flew with the 5th

February 2017 FLYPAST 23

COLD WAR WARRIORS B-36 PEACEMAKER

Above

Convair was all for showing off the size of the B-36. This picture shows the 230ft wingspan XB-36 parked alongside a 99ftspan B-29 Superfortress at Fort Worth, Texas, in mid-1946. CONVAIR

“Everything about the Convair bomber was big: with a wing span of 230ft and a length of 162ft 1in, it’s the largest bomber to have served the USAF, beating even the Boeing B-52 that replaced it” PEACEMAKER VERSUS STRATOFORTRESS – A ROUGH GUIDE Entered service Powerplant Span – ft-in (m) Length – ft-in (m) Height – ft-in (m) Wing area – sq ft (m2) Empty weight – lb (kg) Max weight – lb (kg) Max speed – mph (km/h) Service ceiling – ft (m) Range – miles (km) Max bomb load – lb (kg) A B-36B on the flight line at Carswell AFB, Texas, May 1950. With a wingspan of 230ft, the type was the largest bomber to serve the USAF. WARREN BODIE

24 FLYPAST February 2017

B-36B

B-52H

1947 P&W R-4360 6 x 3,500hp (2,611kW) 230-0 (70) 162-1 (49.4) 46-8 (14.22) 4,772 (443.4) 140,640 (63,794) 328,000 (148,780) 381 (613) 42,500 (12,954) 8,175 (13,156) 72,000 (32,659)

1952 P&W TF33-P-3 8 x 17,000lbst (75.6kN) 185-0 (56.4) 159-4 (48.5) 40-8 (12.4) 4,000 (371.6) 185,000 (83,250) 488,000 (219,600) 650 (1,046) 50,000 (15,151) 8,800 (14,161) 70,000 (31,500)

Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) at Travis, California; the 28th SRW at Ellsworth, South Dakota; the 72nd SRW at Ramsey, Puerto Rico; and the 99th at Fairchild, Washington. The B-36s and B-47s were spread over 30 bases in the continental US and 11 overseas. While the Peacemakers were intended primarily to operate from the US, the huge bombers regularly deployed elsewhere. First flown in August 1947, the B-36A was restricted to the crew training role. The first A-models to come off the line were destined for the 7th BW at Carswell Air Force Base (AFB) just across from the Convair plant. It fell to the second version, the B-36B, which appeared in July 1948, to take on the strategic deterrent role. More developed, it boasted six retractable turrets plus nose and tail stations, each packing

a pair of 20mm remotely controlled cannon. On December 7, 1948 a new B-36B flew from Carswell to Hawaii, dropped a dummy 10,000lb (4,536kg) bomb in the ocean, passed over Honolulu at night and returned to base in a round-trip of 35 hours. The Korean War, which broke out in 1950, seemed likely to involve the B-36s because part of the B-29 force had to be given to the Fifth Air Force for operations in the Far East. There was a possibility that B-36s would be brought into the conflict, but in the end they remained in their bases in the US.

TEN ENGINES

During 1952, a pair of jet bomber

prototypes had flown – Boeing’s YB-52 and Convair’s YB-60 – ready to compete for a contract to replace the B-36, while in November that year the US successfully tested a hydrogen bomb: all looked well for SAC’s continued dominance of the Cold War. Just nine months later the Soviet Union also exploded an H-bomb, although it was another two years before it achieved true ‘megaton status’. Whatever the power of that first weapon, it alarmed officials at the Pentagon, which accelerated moves to replace the Peacemaker fleet. A policy of constant development and upgrading earlier models had been planned for the B-36, and

Above left

A trio of B-36Ds at 47,000ft-plus over North Africa during a regular deployment to Libya. JOHN HOFFMAN

Above

Ground crew de-icing a B-36 at Goose Bay, Newfoundland, in January 1952. WARREN BODIE Left

A B-36 of the 7th BW over the Guadeloupe jungles in April 1949. BEN WHITAKER Below

A B-36D with ‘six turnin’ and four burnin’ high over Texas. BEN WHITAKER

February 2017 FLYPAST 25

COLD WAR WARRIORS B-36 PEACEMAKER

Below

The forward fuselage of a 7th BG B-36 at Carswell, early 1949. The wing’s motto, ‘Mors ab Alto’, translates as ‘Death from Above’. 7TH BOMB GROUP

in July 1949 the first B-36D took to the air. As well as the six pusher engines it featured a pair of podded Allison J35 turbojets mounted on pylons on the outer wings to provide even greater operating weights. They changed the B-36 into a ten-engined colossus, its propulsion system best summed up by a frequent aircrew boast: “Six turnin’, four burnin’.” The jet engines were standardised on 5,200lbst (23.12kN) General Electric J47s, which powered the remainder of the bomber’s subtypes, the B-36F of 1950, the B-36H of 1952 and finally the ultra-long-range B-36J which first appeared in September 1953. Peacemaker production reached 385 units.

PEACEMAKER SURVIVORS Variant RB-36H B-36J B-36J B-36J

Serial 51-13730 52-2220 52-2217 52-2827

Location Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California National Museum of the USAF, Dayton, Ohio Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Omaha, Nebraska Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona

Additionally, sections of YB-36 43-13571 may survive with a private collector in Ohio.

Positioning B-36J 52-2220 ready for installation in its new display hall, Dayton, Ohio, October 2002. COURTESY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE USAF

“This changed the B-36 into a ten-engined colossus, its propulsion system best summed up by a frequent aircrew boast: ‘Six turnin’, four burnin’.” Right

The one-off YB-60, developed from the B-36, lost out to the B-52. DAVE MENARD

NUCLEAR POWER

On September 17, 1955 a radically modified H-model, NB-36H 51-5712, flew for the first time. Externally it was readily recognisable by its reconfigured cockpit – gone was the ‘bug-eye’ glazing and bomb aimer’s forward position, replaced by a streamlined nose and airliner-like flight deck. With a small nuclear reactor on board, 51-5712 was truly a nuclear bomber, although it did not power the aircraft. In fact the NB-36H’s role was to test the effect of a nuclear powerplant on the bomber’s systems and instrumentation and to evaluate shielding methods – paving the way for the X-6, a B-36 variant propelled by nuclear power. The NB-36H last flew in March 1957 and the X-6 remained a pipe dream. To replace the B-36, SAC had placed its faith in Boeing’s B-52 but, as ‘insurance’, Convair won a contract to create a ‘second-generation’ B-36. Like its rival from Seattle, the XB-60 would be powered by eight jet engines in four pods mounted on pylons under a swept wing. The bomber showed its Peacemaker lineage, but was

26 FLYPAST February 2017

essentially a brand new design. It flew for first time on April 18, 1952 from Fort Worth, pipped at the post by the YB-52, which had its maiden flight three days earlier. The Boeing product impressed SAC from the outset and the XB-60 remained a one-off. The decision has never been doubted: the incredible Stratofortress is still serving SAC’s successor, Global Strike Command.

GLOBAL DEPLOYMENT

With its long range, the B-36 had no real need to be deployed any closer to the borders of the Warsaw

DOUBLE DECKER TRANSPORT The design of the B-36 lent itself to the development of an intercontinental range, high-capacity transport. Based around the wing, powerplant, undercarriage and tail ‘feathers’ of the Peacemaker, Convair developed the XC-99. Its massive fuselage had two decks and could carry 400 troops The one-off XC-99 at an airshow. Its length was plus their equipment. A freight door with 182ft 6in and height 57ft 6in. built-in winches under the rear fuselage facilitated loading of bulky freight. The prototype, 43-52436, first flew on November 23, 1947. No production order was made but the XC-99 was used extensively by the USAF, including resupply flights across the Pacific during the Korean War. One sortie carried a record-breaking 104,000lb of cargo. Retired in 1957, the XC-99 is now on charge with the National Museum of the USAF with sections of the mammoth airlifter under restoration at the Dayton, Ohio, workshop. Most of the airframe is stored at the ‘boneyard’ at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Pact countries, but the huge bomber offered a potent means of ‘flag waving’. Peacemakers made highprofile visits to the UK, North Africa, Goose Bay in Newfoundland and many stations in the Pacific and Far East. Although the type had a combat range of about 4,000 miles, it was developed in an era when in-flight refuelling was in its infancy and not a standard requirement. The B-36’s medium-weight stablemate, the B-47, was designed from the beginning to take on fuel in flight, giving the Stratojet considerable flexibility.

While the B-36 graphically projected power and SAC’s global reach, it had operational and performance limitations that hampered its use. Overseas deployments took considerable planning, many forward bases lacking the runway length, ramp space and suitable hangars. Servicing platforms for the big bomber needed to be shipped or flown in specially, or laid up and stored at suitable airfields to await deployments. As Soviet air defences improved, especially in long-range interceptors, the B-36’s slow speed made it vulnerable. Its once formidable defensive firepower, seen as the way of getting through to the target, became increasingly outdated. The first B-52 Stratofortresses became operational at Castle AFB in California in the summer of 1955 and the B-36 fleet began to wind down. A B-36J made the type’s last sortie on February 12, 1959. With all ten engines running, the gigantic Peacemaker was in a class of its own. For more than ten years it exemplified the capabilities of SAC’s famous clenched, mailed fist badge.

Above

A B-36H at Carswell, with SAC’s star-spangled banner and mailed fist badge on the nose. BEN WHITAKER

Below left

A handful of B-36s were converted to GRB-36F status to evaluate carrying their own fighter escort into battle. The project was designated FICON (Fighter-Conveyor). A specially modified Republic YRF-84F Thunderstreak formates onto the trapeze; once captured it would be tucked under the fuselage of the bomber. DICK STARINCHAK

February 2017 FLYPAST 27

THE WAY WE WERE 10 SQUADRON

Hitting The Mark Andy Thomas profiles 10 Squadron,

A

key element in the RAF’s ability to project air power is provided by the capable new dual-role Airbus Voyager tankertransport. The type was introduced to service by 10 Squadron, which flew for many years in the strategic transport role following a long bomber tradition. It was New Year’s Day 1915 when 10 Squadron came into being, formed out of 1 (Reserve) Squadron at Farnborough, Hampshire, originally under Major G S Shepherd. It flew a miscellany

of aircraft and moved several times before settling at Netheravon, Wiltshire, in early April where it worked up under Major U J D Bourke. Gradually a full complement of Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c biplanes arrived and the squadron mobilised for France in the corps reconnaissance role in late July. It settled at Chocques, near Bethune, and prepared for the forthcoming Battle of Loos.

A pair of Tornado GR.4s tanking from 10 Squadron Voyager KC.2 ZZ334 during an antiIslamic State mission to Iraq. MOD

Badge and Battle Honours The badge, approved by HM King George VI in September 1937, shows a winged arrow. Its Latin motto, ‘Rem acu tangere’, translates as ‘To hit the mark’. The squadron’s Battle Honours are: Western Front 1915-1918*, Loos, Somme 1916, Arras*, Somme 1918*, Invasion Ports 1940*, Channel and North Sea 1940-1945, Fortress Europe 1940-1944*, Biscay Ports 1940-1945, Ruhr 1940-1945*, German Ports 1940-1945, Normandy 1944*, Berlin 1940-1945*, France and Germany 1944-1945, Rhine, Gulf 1991, Iraq 2003 (Honours marked with an asterisk are emblazoned on the Squadron Standard.)

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long-term tanker and transport specialist One flight undertook strategic reconnaissance behind the front line while two others provided artillery observation, initially for the Indian Corps. What was known as ‘art-obs’ largely became 10’s ‘bread and butter’ for the next three years.

Fighter ace Coinciding with 10’s arrival in France was the start of the so-called ‘Fokker scourge’. Fokker E.III

monoplanes, with a machine gun that could fire through the propeller arc thanks to a synchronisation mechanism, were playing havoc with Allied aircraft. In the early afternoon of September 15, 2nd Lt Paddy Quinnell and Lt William SugdenWilson were at 9,000ft (2,743m) over Lamain in BE.2c 2671 when they were engaged by a Fokker – but Sugden-Wilson drove it off. A week later he was again in the firing line when 10 Squadron suffered its first loss, with BE.2c

2004 shot down near Willerval, near Vimy Ridge, by Oberleutnant Max Immelmann. Sugden-Wilson, who survived to become a prisoner of war, recalled: “We were attacked by hostile machines and had a great fight lasting 15 minutes during which we expended all our ammunition. My pilot, Lt Caws, was shot dead when we were at 11,000ft up, a bullet

passing through his neck, through the instrument panel and hitting my leg!” At that time there were no scout (fighter) squadrons and the corps units had their own escorts

attached: 10 had a single Bristol Scout, usually flown by Captain Gordon Bell. He forced down an LVG in it on September 19 and in mid-October claimed two more in a single day. The Fokkers continued to take a steady toll, Bell witnessing the loss of a ‘BE’ on November 7: “I saw it doing a steep left-handed spiral, with the Fokker circling round it. The BE 2c apparently hit the ground nose-first near Quiéry-laMotte. The fuselage appeared to be broken.” The predatory Fokkers meant most recces had to be escorted and, on November 30, Bell – in Scout 4675 – attacked another LVG flying at 11,500ft near Lens. After expending two ammunition drums at ranges as close as 20 yards (18m) he noticed that it “was flying in rather an erratic manner and rather nose down”. He watched it fall away in a series of sideslips into a field 4,000ft below. It was his fifth victory, so 10 could claim Britain’s first single-seat fighter ‘ace’, despite never being a fighter squadron.

Behind the lines In early December 1915, a Fokker attacked a 10 Squadron crew over Harbourdain, just west of Lille, before it flew off, and the BE returned from a very eventful sortie. The unit remained at Chocques throughout 1916 and, under its new CO, Major William Mitchell, supported artillery bombardment through the long Battle of the Somme. When the ‘push’ at Arras began on April 9, 1917 the squadron conducted its first bombing sorties, hitting targets behind the lines. During a night attack on the railhead at Hénin, near Douai, 2nd Lt Holmes in BE.2f 2567 was shot down by ground fire. In September, 10 re-equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 and two months later moved north to Abeele. The FK.8s also suffered losses, but on November 29, Oblt Erwin Böhme, the 24-victory commander of Jasta 2, was shot down by Captain John Patten and Lt Philip Leychester Patten said afterwards: “I sent a two-second burst of Vickers fire into him. His aircraft seemed to flutter, I was pretty certain that

I had hit his petrol tank. When I caught sight of the Albatros again, it was side-slipping towards the ground, trailing a streamer of smoke.” The following spring, 10’s FK.8s switched to ground attack during the massive German offensive that began in late March 1918. In February 1919 the unit was reduced to a cadre and disbanded at Ford, Sussex, on December 31.

Night bombers Under Wg Cdr Busteed, 10 Squadron re-formed on January 3, 1928 at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, to begin a long career in the night bombing role. At first equipped with Handley Page Hyderabads, two years later a more developed variant, the Hinaidi, arrived. Based at Boscombe Down from April 1931, the unit took on the lumbering Vickers Virginia X from September 1932. In the following year the prototype of the RAF’s first monoplane bomber, the Fairey Hendon, joined the squadron for trials. Wg Cdr Matthew Frew took command in August 1934 as another HP biplane, the Heyford, was adopted.

Above

Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 B833, showing the unit’s disc symbol. VIA J M BRUCE

February 2017 FLYPAST 29

THE WAY WE WERE 10 SQUADRON Shortly after moving north to Dishforth, Yorkshire, in January 1937 the squadron became Bomber Command’s first Armstrong Whitworth Whitley unit. Wg Cdr Graham kept 10 busy converting to this advanced type, which had power-operated gun turrets and retractable undercarriage. At the time of the Munich Crisis in September 1938 training assumed a new urgency as 10 went onto a war footing. In May 1939 Merlinengined Whitley IVs appeared – and it was with these that 10 stood ready, confident and well trained, when war broke out four months later.

navigation skills and realise the limitations of their equipment. On October 1, on another leaflet raid, the squadron became the first to fly over Berlin, but at the cost of Flt Lt John Allsop’s crew in K9018. ‘Bumph’ raids continued through the harsh winter of 1939-1940. In retaliation for German mining operations, on the night of March 19 the seaplane station at Hörnum in the Frisian Islands became the target. This was the first raid on German soil, 10 Squadron sending eight Whitleys.

in Brest harbour on December 18. Its five aircraft bombed from 15,000ft and returned without loss. In April 1942 a combined detachment of 10 and 35 Squadron Halifaxes transited to Lossiemouth in Scotland and, on the 27th, attacked the battleship

Above

Heyford I K4033 engaging in air-to-air firing against a drogue off the Lincolnshire coast. 10 SQN RECORDS

Left

Seen through a gun camera graticule and identified by a black disc, BE.2c 4381 of 10 Squadron on a training flight during the summer of 1916. M DAVIES

‘Thousand Bomber’ raids In early July the unit moved a short distance up the Great North Road to Leeming from where it

Tirpitz anchored in Aasenfjord, near Trondheim. Flying W1041 was 10’s new CO, Wg Cdr Don Bennett, later head of the Pathfinder Force. On a timed run his aircraft was hit by flak as he descended, and with the starboard wing on fire the crew baled out. Three made it to neutral Sweden but 10 also lost Flt Lt Miller’s crew on the ‘op’. The first of the ‘Thousand Bomber’ raids took place on May 30/31 with Cologne as the objective. For this epic maximum effort, 10 Squadron contributed 22 Halifaxes, a feat it repeated in the ‘1,000’ attack on Essen two nights later when the Krupp works was badly hit, for the loss of two unit aircraft. In late June, Bremen was the next 1,000 bomber raid victim in which 10 also participated.

“Excitement mounted when the skipper reported that he had seen the coast. I thrust the bundles down the chute as fast as we could. Freddie in the tail turret reported that they were scattering behind us” First over Berlin In September 1939 the RAF’s 4 Group, of which 10 Squadron was a part, was the only dedicated and trained night bombing force in the world. At first the group’s crews were employed in dropping nothing more lethal than propaganda leaflets, also known as ‘bumph’. AC Larry Donnelly flew in Whitley IV K9023 on 10’s first such raid, to Keil on September 8. “Excitement mounted when the skipper reported that he had seen the coast,” he recounted. “I thrust the bundles down the chute as fast as we could. Freddie in the tail turret reported that they were scattering behind us.” The sorties gave crews the opportunity to hone their

30 FLYPAST February 2017

By May 10, the unit had converted to Whitley Vs and was swiftly in action as Germany invaded France, hitting targets in the newly occupied areas and transport assets throughout western Germany. During a low-level attack on the oil refineries at Bremen on May 17, the CO, Wg Cdr ‘Kong’ Staton, a World War One ace, flying Whitley V P4952 went in early to identify the objective and start fires to guide in others. This was the first use of what would become known as the ‘pathfinder’ tactic. Staton received a bar to his DSO soon after. Following Italy’s entry into the war on June 10, Genoa and Turin were bombed, the Whitleys refuelling at Guernsey in the Channel Islands en route.

continued to mount night attacks on Germany and Channel ports until the threat of invasion passed. Raids on industrial targets in occupied Europe continued into 1941, though a combination of the Whitley’s lack of performance and increasingly effective night-fighter and flak defences led to a significant rise in losses as the year progressed. Raiding Dunkirk on December 1, Plt Off Max Nelson’s crew in Z9166 became 10’s final Whitley loss, as later in the month four-engined HP Halifax Is began arriving. Creditably, the squadron managed to convert without coming off operations, its first Halifax raid being flown in daylight against the warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau

Immediately after these operations 10 combined with 76 Squadron to send a sizeable detachment to Palestine to hit the North African ports through which Rommel’s Afrika Korps was supplied. Based at Aqir in Palestine, the Halifaxes used Fayid on the Suez Canal for longer raids. After the first attack on Tobruk, on the night July 11, it became a regular target. There were also occasional daylight attacks, such as against Heraklion, Crete, on September 5 which cost two aircraft while W1174 came back heavily damaged by Messerschmitt Bf 109s. It was the detachment’s last action as the next day its constituent units amalgamated as 462 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.

Conspicuous gallantry Back in Yorkshire the rest of 10’s crews continued the offensive against German industry and had moved to Melbourne in the East Riding of Yorkshire on August 19, 1942. The Merlin-engined Halifax II’s lack of performance was clear from steadily increasing losses but the Mk.II Series 1a, which had begun arriving in 1943, improved the situation somewhat. Through the summer the squadron participated in most Bomber Command operations, including sustained raids on the

Ruhr and Hamburg, when the port city was virtually destroyed over three nights. Attacking it on August 2, the crew of DT792 were subjected to continuous onslaughts from a Junkers Ju 88. The rear gunner, Sgt Hurst, managed to shoot it down in flames, enabling Fg Off Jenkins to fly the crippled Halifax home. Jenkins received a DFC and Hurst the DFM. The unit was engaged in the August 17 attack on the experimental rocket establishment at Peenemunde where V-1 and V-2 weapons were being developed. By this time the defences Germany

Heyford I K4024 of 10 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight in July 1935. VIA R C B ASHWORTH

A page from Flt Lt E B Goodall’s logbook. VIA AUTHOR

Aircraft flown by 10 Squadron Type See notes Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2 and BE.12+ Bristol Scout+ Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 Bristol F.2b+ Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8+ Handley Page Hyderabad Handley Page Hinaidi Vickers Virginia X Fairey Hendon+ Handley Page Heyford I, III Armstrong Whitworth Whitley I, IV, V Handley Page Halifax I, II, III Douglas Dakota III, IV and C.4 English Electric Canberra B.2 Handley Page Victor B.1, B.1A BAC VC-10 C.1, C 1K Airbus Voyager KC.2, K. 3

From Jan 1915 Jan 1915 Aug 1915 Jul 1917 Feb 1918 Sep 1918 Jan 1928 Dec 1930 Sep 1932 May 1933 Aug 1934 Mar 1937 Dec 1941 May 1945 Oct 1948 Jan 1953 Apr 1958 Jul 1966 Jul 2011

To Apr 1915 Jul 1917 May 1916 Feb 1919 Oct 1918 Nov 1918 Nov 1931 Sep 1932 Jan 1935 Sep 1933 Jun 1937 Dec 1941 May 1945 Dec 1947 Feb 1950 Jan 1957 Mar 1964 Oct 2005 date

Notes: From January 1915 to April 1915 small numbers of the following were operated: Maurice Farman Longhorn and Shorthorn, Blériot XI and Martinsyde S.1. Types marked + were partial unit equipment only.

Halifax I L9619 flew on 10 Squadron’s first daylight operation, against Brest, on December 18 1941. RAF LEEMING

had assembled against Bomber Command were formidable. For example, interceptions had increased: on a raid against Leverkusen on the 22nd, a gunner in Flt Lt Goodall’s crew on JD120 shot down a Ju 88. Later that week the same crew was intercepted by three night-fighters, but successfully beat them off.

With losses of Merlin Halifaxes mounting, by late 1943 they were withdrawn from raids on Berlin. Despite the drawbacks of 10’s aircraft, there were many acts of gallantry. Few matched that of Flt Lt Jack Hewson’s crew on an ‘op’ to Düsseldorf on November 3. Attacked on four separate occasions, their Halifax was

Below

Whitley IV K9018 at Biggin Hill before the war. It was 10’s first loss, on a leaflet sortie to Berlin on the night of October 1, 1939. VIA M GOODMAN

February 2017 FLYPAST 31

THE WAY WE WERE 10 SQUADRON

Right

Canberra B.2 WH646 of 10 Squadron lifting off from Honington in September 1955. RAF HONINGTON Below

Resplendent in anti-flash white, Victor B.1 XA936 carrying 10’s winged arrow on the fin. MOD

VC-10 C.1K XV103 refuelling a section of Harriers in the mid-1990s. MOD

VC-10 C.1 Victoria Cross names XR806 XR807 shattered. Despite being badly wounded, wireless operator Sgt Tom Bisby managed to repair his equipment, continue his duties and assist the crew in bringing the badly damaged aircraft home. He received an immediate award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, his pilot a DFC and gunners Flt Sgt Bill Mowatt and Sgt Bob Bridge DFMs. To the relief of both flight and ground crew, in March 1944 the dramatically enhanced Bristol Hercules-engined Halifax III arrived. Its maiden ‘op’ was on March 22 to Frankfurt, the unit losing its first Mk.III over Essen five nights later. On the disastrous Nuremburg raid on the 30th, Flt Sgt Walter Regan’s LV881 was shot down, possibly by the Messerschmitt Bf 110G flown by Knight’s Cross holder Hauptmann Hubert Rauh. After this the might of Bomber Command included more tactical targets in preparation for the invasion of France. Later in the year daylight raids under heavy escort were also staged. The squadron’s final ‘op’, on April 25, 1945, saw 20 Halifaxes hit gun positions on the Frisian Islands. It had flown on the bomber offensive

32 FLYPAST February 2017

from beginning to end and the toll had been heavy, but it had earned more than 500 gallantry awards.

Berlin Airlift After VE Day – May 8, 1945 – the whole of 4 Group was transferred to Transport Command. Losing its gunners and flight engineers, 10 Squadron moved to Broadwell in Oxfordshire to convert to Douglas Dakotas and prepare to move east. By early October, it had settled at Poona in India under Wg Cdr A C Dowden. Trooping flights on routes across India and as far as Singapore began on November 1, initially repatriating former prisoners of war. The unit’s new role was no sinecure, as was brutally brought home during supply drops to starving Burmese on March 29, 1946. Nineteen personnel were lost in Dakota IVs KN643, KN644 and KP270 in bad weather. As independence approached on the Indian sub-continent in midAugust 1947, civil strife broke out between Hindus and Muslims, and 10’s Dakotas moved refugees to their respective territories as the states of East and West Pakistan and India were created. Its task completed,

XR808 XR809 XR810 XV101 XV102

George Thompson VC Donald Garland VC, later Thomas Grey VC Kenneth Campbell VC Hugh Malcolm VC David Lord VC Lanoe Hawker VC Guy Gibson VC

the unit disbanded at Mauripur on December 20. Through the renumbering of 238 Squadron at Oakington, Cambridgeshire, 10 re-formed on November 5, 1948 under Sqn Ldr Tom Churcher, once again flying Dakotas. The Berlin Airlift was in full swing and crews were fully committed to sustaining the beleaguered German city that had once been a regular target. Although the Soviets lifted the blockade in May 1949 the airlift continued for some time to build up stocks. It fell to a 10 Squadron aircraft to fly the last Dakota sortie of the operation on September 23. Dakota IV KN652 carried the inscription: “Psalm 21, Verse 11. For they intended evil against thee. They imagined a mischievous device which they were not able to perform.” The unit disbanded again on February 20, 1950.

XV103 XV104 XV105 XV106 XV107 XV108 XV109

Edward Mannock VC James McCudden VC Albert Ball VC Thomas Mottershead VC James Nicolson VC William RhodesMoorhouse VC Arthur Scarf VC

Jet bombers The squadron returned to the bomber role on January 15, 1953 when it re-formed at Scampton, near Lincoln, with English Electric Canberra B.2s. It moved to Honington, Suffolk, in May 1955 and the following year visited Turkey on a goodwill tour. Its next deployment eastwards took place under more serious circumstances. On October 26, Sqn Ldr Sproats led eight Canberras to Nicosia, Cyprus, for action against Egypt as the Suez crisis deepened. On the night of October 31 a journalist watched the first raid depart: “One after another the Canberras roared down the runway, their twin engines emitting an earpiercing whistle, climbed high into the night sky and set course for the Egyptian coast, only about half an hour’s flying time from Cyprus.” A 10 Squadron crew flying Canberra B.2 WH853 dropped

‘Tens’ for 10

A pair of Typhoons taking fuel from VC-10 C.1K XV107 while a Tornado GR.4 stands off to starboard, 2005. MOD

“...in October 1993 the unit’s transports became C.1K tankers with the addition of underwing hose units. They were soon heavily engaged, supporting UK air defence and aerial policing over the Balkans and Iraq” the first bombs of the campaign, on Kabrit. Soon attacks switched to daylight, including one on November 2 against the Cairo radio station at low level, escorted by French Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks. Hostilities ceased four days later and 10 returned to Honington, disbanding on January 15, 1957. Once again the squadron’s absence was relatively brief as on April 15, 1958 it re-formed – at Cottesmore, Leics – as the first to receive the advanced crescent-winged HP Victor B.1. This was appropriate as it had flown more Handley Page bombers than any other unit. Part of the V-force, and led by

Wg Cdr C B Owen, it worked up to an operational state in both the high-level nuclear strike role and conventional bombing. Maintaining quick reaction alert was 10’s absolute priority, with its capability to scramble four aircraft within four minutes regularly tested. In 1960 the squadron took on the improved Victor B.1A, and during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis went to an enhanced state of readiness. Crews also trained for overseas reinforcement in the conventional role. When tensions with Indonesia rose in 1963, detachments flew to Singapore in a show of force and continued until again 10 disbanded again on March 1, 1964.

The squadron re-formed under Wg Cdr Mike Beavis in the transport role on July 1, 1966 to fly the Vickers VC-10 C.1 as the RAF’s premier strategic transport unit. It was the start of an association with converted civil airliners that continues to this day. Briefly based at Lyneham in Wiltshire, 10 moved to Brize Norton in May 1967 and the Oxfordshire airfield is still its home. As well as long-range trooping tasks on routes to the Far East, 10 also assumed a VIP role and quickly became known as the ‘Shiny Fleet’. At the CO’s suggestion, each aircraft was named after a Victoria Cross recipient – see the panel. As well as routine work, 10 was often involved in flying reinforcements into trouble spots or evacuating civilians, such as in Cyprus in 1974 and Angola the following year when more than 5,000 refugees were flown to Lisbon. During the Falklands conflict of 1982 the VC-10s operated a constant stream of flights to Ascension Island and medical evacuations from the Uruguayan capital Montevideo. The squadron also played a key role in the huge build up of British forces in the Middle East at the time of the 1991 Gulf War. Following the withdrawal of the Victor K.2 fleet in October 1993 the unit’s transports became C.1K tankers with the addition of

underwing hose units. They were soon heavily engaged, supporting UK air defence and aerial policing over the Balkans and Iraq. Coalition air operations during the 2001 assault on Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 also saw 10 Squadron fully engaged. But a rationalisation of the VC-10 force in October 2005 brought about its disbandment, its aircraft transferring to 101 Squadron.

Voyagers To fulfil the long-term tanker role and provide additional transport capacity, the RAF ordered a dualrole variant of the Airbus A330 and, on July 1, 2011, 10 Squadron once again re-formed at Brize Norton. Commanded by Wg Cdr Dan James, it was the first unit to equip with the Voyager KC.2. In the tanker role, 10 is used regularly in support of fighters policing British airspace against intruding Russian bombers and in defending the Falkland Islands. When RAF operations against Daesh militants began in Iraq in September 2014, a Voyager detachment moved to Cyprus to provide refuelling for Panavia Tornado GR.4s. These diverse taskings have since broadened to include Syria. Today, 10 Squadron, currently under Wg Cdr Simon Blackwell, is fully engaged in operations worldwide, a situation that is likely to continue for many years to come.

Right

Voyager KC.2 ZZ331 of 10 Squadron fuelling a Typhoon and a Tornado. RAF BRIZE NORTON

February 2017 FLYPAST 33

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TR I B UTE

SALUTING

A LEGEND U

ndoubtedly the Hawker Hurricane undertook the brunt of aerial combat in the Battle of Britain, but it is the Supermarine Spitfire that has – justifiably – become the more famous of the two RAF fighters. It proved to be a superb platform for development, and a game-changing fighting machine. Earning the respect of its enemies, it won a place in the hearts of those who flew them. It’s a love that continues to endure. We present four articles – reflecting on some of the less well-known aspects of the fighter’s service – and go flying with a recently restored Mk.IX.

Supermarine Spitfire IIa P8131 of 276 Squadron is loaded with a dinghy for dropping to stricken aircrew in the sea. KEY COLLECTION

36 HIGH AND MIGHTY

Further establishing its potential for development, modified Spitfires proved capable at both low and high level. Andrew Thomas presents an assessment of the Mk.VI and VII, interceptors designed for combat at extreme altitude.

44 WINGS ON THE BIG SCREEN

Inspired by the nation’s undying passion for the aircraft, directors David Fairhead and Ant Palmer are creating a feature-length documentary. Including stunning aerial photography by John Dibbs, Spitfire is due to hit cinema screens in 2018. Steve Beebee reports.

48 IRON CROSS SPITFIRE

Capturing an intact Spitfire was a priority for Germany. Chris Goss explains what happened when one of the British fighters force-landed at a Luftwaffe airfield in France. A captured Mk.V was subsequently tested with a Daimler-Benz engine. This distinctive looking machine is illustrated by Andy Hay.

54 LEGEND REBORN

Following a thorough restoration at Biggin Hill, the Collings Foundation’s Spitfire IX BR601 is flying again. Gordon Riley chronicles the machine’s history and describes the process of returning it to the sky. The lens of John Dibbs captures this magnificent aircraft in its element.

February 2017 FLYPAST 35

H I G H A LTITU D E CO M B AT

HIGH

FLYERS ANDREW THOMAS ASSESSES THE SPITFIRE VI AND VII, INTERCEPTORS DESIGNED FOR COMBAT IN THE STRATOSPHERE

Below

Spitfire VI BR579 of 124 Squadron was the highest scoring individual Mk.VI. P HARBISON

A

s early as 1940 Fighter Command’s ACM Sir Hugh Dowding had identified a potential threat to Britain that its air defences could do nothing about: should the Luftwaffe develop bombers capable of attacking from stratospheric heights they would be immune to interception. In the early summer that year, the Air Ministry issued Specification F4/40 for a high-altitude fighter capable of neutralising such a menace. The requirement sought a machine that could fly as high as possible, specifying 45,000ft (13,716m) as the minimum. Westland was awarded a contract and the result, the first Welkin, flew in November 1942 –

36 FLYPAST February 2017

but the type never entered squadron service (see the panel on page 38). Dowding’s perception was well founded as Junkers had developed a variant of the Ju 86 for operation at extreme altitudes. It had a pressurised cabin for a crew of two, wingspan increased by around 10ft to 83ft 11in and two supercharged Jumo 207A-1 diesel engines. The Ju 86P could fly at 39,000ft and occasionally even higher, although payload was limited. The ’P-1 was a bomber with a maximum payload of 2,205lb (1,000kg), while the ’P-2 carried three automatic cameras in the bomb bay for reconnaissance work. During service trials in August 1940 the Ju 86P completed at least one flight

over Britain and 40 were ordered by converting obsolescent Ju 86Ds. The first were delivered to 4/Aufklärungsgruppe 33 (4th Staffel of reconnaissance group 33) in early 1941. The unit conducted operational trials – including unchallenged overflights of Britain – and from May began covert sorties over the Soviet Union in readiness for Operation ‘Barbarossa’, launched the following month.

INTERIM MK.VI

As an interim solution for high-flying interception duties, the Spitfire VI was quickly developed from the Mk V then entering service. Supermarine test pilot Jeffrey Quill flew the first

S Above

Spitfire I X4942 was taken off the assembly line and converted into the prototype high-flying Mk.VI with distinctive pointed wingtip extensions. KEY COLLECTION

Left centre

The bulbous nose of the Ju 86P contained a pressure cabin. VIA ALFRED PRICE Left

Flt Lt Prince Emanuel Galitzine of the Sub Stratosphere Flight at Northolt. VIA ALFRED PRICE Below left

“Up at high altitude, the fighter became very stiff on the ailerons and elevator. The canopy was fixed before take-off to maintain pressurisation and the ground crew literally screwed you into the cockpit” one on June 26, 1941 and it was ordered into production. The Mk.VI had an uprated RollsRoyce Merlin 47, a four-bladed propeller and extended wingtips which increased the span by 3ft 7in. With its primitive pressurisation system, it was 180lb heavier than the Mk.V – not a popular solution. Sqn Ldr Peter Brothers, who flew the variant with 602 Squadron in 1942, recalled: “Up at high altitude, the fighter became very stiff on the ailerons and elevator. The canopy was fixed before take-off to maintain pressurisation and the ground crew literally screwed you into the cockpit.” Luftwaffe high-altitude operations over Britain ceased in May 1942 to concentrate on the Russian front. Some Ju 86Ps were sent to the

Flt Lt Mike Kilburn, the most successful Mk.VI pilot, with 3½ victories. VIA P LISTEMANN

Mediterranean – and how Spitfires countered them in that theatre was described in the August 2009 edition of FlyPast. That spring, the Germans began testing the improved Ju 86R which, with Jumo 207B-3s with nitrous oxide (N20) injection and a wingspan of 104ft 11in (31.9m), could reach 47,000ft. The Spitfire Mk.VI entered service in April when 616 Squadron at King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire, under Sqn Ldr Harry Brown, began re-equipping from Mk.Vs. Sweeps rather than high-altitude interception occupied 616, and during such an operation on July 18 Flt Lt Tony Gaze ‘blooded’ the Mk.VI by shooting down a FockeWulf Fw 190 of 5/Jagdgeschwader 26 from Ligescourt, France, flying a February 2017 FLYPAST 37

H I G H A LTITU D E CO M B AT WESTLAND’S BYPASSED WELKIN

The prototype Welkin, DG558, showing off its 70ft 4in span. KEY COLLECTION

released a single bomb, which hit the Broad Weir area of the city centre. Several buses were damaged and their fuel tanks ignited, resulting in the city’s worst single incident of the war – almost 50 died and many others were horrifically injured. The Junkers were back over England the next day, cruising unmolested

To counter high-flying Luftwaffe bombers, Specification F4/40, issued in mid-1940, called for a single-seat fighter capable of operating at 45,000ft or more. Westland at Yeovil, Somerset, won the contract for a pair of prototypes, which were completed to a revised requirement, Specification F7/41. Designed by W E W Petter – who had conceived the Lysander and the Whirlwind twin-engined fighter and went on to create the Canberra jet bomber for English Electric – the twin-engined fighter was named Welkin. The first of two prototypes took its maiden flight on November 1, 1942 and a production contract for 100 Mk.Is was placed. Up to mid-1944 all the production aircraft were built at Yeovil, the last 25 being completed without Rolls-Royce Merlin 70-series engines. None saw squadron service. As well as a handful of trials aircraft, two others, DX286 and DX289, flew with the Fighter Inception Unit at Wittering in mid1944, later transferring to the co-located Air Fighting Development Unit.

daily recce at low level. The second Spitfire VI unit, 124 Squadron, based at Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, also began operations in July. Both units were heavily engaged in covering the August 19 raid on Dieppe, when again the action was at lower levels, claiming five enemy aircraft destroyed between them for the loss of three Mk.VIs.

REVENGE ATTACKS

Under the command of Ofw Erich Sommer, a small trials unit, Höhenkampfkommando der Versuchsstelle für Höhenflüeg (high-altitude bomber detachment) equipped with two grey-blue Ju 86Rs moved to Beauvais, north of Paris, in July 1942. Although unarmed and not particularly fast, the Luftwaffe believed that, at 40,000ft, the Ju 86Rs could not be intercepted and, while limited to a small bomb load, could have a huge demoralising effect. Operations began on the morning of August 24 with Aldershot and Southampton as the objectives. Flown by Hptm Horst Göetz with Sommer as observer and commander, the first Junkers climbed steadily over France until, having reached 39,000ft, it turned for England. Having misidentified the target, they dropped their single bomb on Camberley, Surrey, and departed unmolested after more than 30 minutes over southern England. 38 FLYPAST February 2017

The second Ju 86R attacked shortly afterwards, again without effect. The defences alerted, 15 Spitfire Vs scrambled, including ‘Black’ section of 308 (Polish) Squadron from Heston, Middlesex. As Sgts Marecki in EN800 and Osoba in P8746 were vectored towards Portsmouth at 20,000ft they spotted anti-aircraft bursts and a vapour trail well above 38,000ft. The pair continued climbing and pursued the unidentified aircraft as it flew towards Dieppe but were turned back by control when well over the Channel. That evening a German propaganda broadcast said the first daylight revenge attacks on Britain had been completed and all aircraft had returned safely.

UNMOLESTED

More confident of their invulnerability, Göetz and Sommer set out again for England the following day, August 25. They flew a lengthy course before releasing their bomb load on Stanstead Abbotts, north of London, before egressing safely despite nine Spitfire Vs being scrambled. Once again, the fighters could not close, despite trying everything to claw extra altitude, with some pilots identifying the intruder as a ‘Do 217’. On the morning of August 28, a Ju 86R, again flown by Göetz and Sommer, climbed over France before heading for Bristol. At 09:20 they

through the stratosphere. This time Fighter Command launched a pair of Spitfire VIs of 124 Squadron from Debden, Essex. They reached 37,000ft but could get no closer than three miles to the intruder flying serenely above them. Over the next ten days the Höhenkampfkommando flew nine more sorties over England, again without interception.

“Although unarmed and not particularly fast, the Luftwaffe believed that, at 40,000ft, the Ju 86Rs could not be intercepted and, while limited to a small bomb load, could have a huge demoralising effect” STRATOSPHERE FLIGHT

With the Spitfire VI unable to reach the Ju 86s, and the definitive Spitfire HF.VII still in development, the then-new Mk.IX offered substantial improvement. Fitted with a Merlin 61 with a two-stage supercharger, it could attain 40,000ft, albeit without cockpit pressurisation. Under Project ‘Windcap’, Mk.V BS273, incorrectly painted as ‘BF273’, was converted to Mk.IX standard and modified for high-altitude work. To lighten it, just two 20mm Hispano cannon were fitted, with cockpit armour removed. The metal propeller was replaced with a lighter wooden type driven by a slightly lower reduction gear optimised for good performance at height. Some 450lb lighter, the modified Spitfire reached 45,000ft. To operate the modified Spitfires against the Ju 86Ps, the High Altitude Flight formed at Northolt in August 1942 under Flt Lt Jim Nelson, an American former ‘Eagle Squadron’ pilot. In September, it was renamed the Sub Stratosphere Flight. The flight also had a handful of Mk.VIs and one of the few highaltitude Mosquito XVs to see operational use, MP469. It also received the first Spitfire VII to be delivered to the RAF, on September 5. Most of the inadequacies of the Mk.VI had been cured when the first Mk.VII, converted Mk.V AB450, appeared in April 1942. Like the Mk.VI, it had extended wingtips but featured the Merlin 61,

which could take it to 43,000ft. The High Altitude Flight’s six pilots had to be specially selected and underwent stringent medical examination and decompression training at Farnborough, Hampshire. They wore electrically heated flying suits to counter the extreme cold at altitude. Among them was Plt Off Prince Emanuel Galitzine who was of Imperial Russian heritage and had previously served with 611 Squadron. He made his first flight in a modified Spitfire IX on September 10, taking it up to 43,000ft and noting that “she had plenty of power and was very lively”.

CHASING CONTRAILS

On September 12, Göetz and Sommer once again left Beauvais and climbed before setting course for Bristol. On standby at Northolt was Galitzine who was scrambled in BS273 just before 09:30. He was vectored southwest on an interception course as Göetz flew towards Portsmouth. After several course corrections, the Spitfire levelled at 40,000ft and Galitzine spotted the intruder contrailing over the Solent off to starboard and slightly higher. At a range of half-a-mile he identified the intruder as a Ju 86. Years later, Göetz recalled: “To my horror I saw the Spitfire, a little above us and still climbing.” He jettisoned the bomb load near Salisbury, turned on the full nitrous oxide injection to increase engine power, partially

depressurised the cabin to avoid a rapid decompression if they were hit and turned for home. Galitzine followed the manoeuvre and, with performance in hand, got just above the bomber before diving slightly, closing to 150 yards (137m) astern and firing a short burst, hitting the starboard wing. But the port cannon jammed, causing the Spitfire to yaw to the right. As BS273 passed through the condensation trail left by the Junkers the canopy misted up – by the time it had cleared, the Junkers was heading south toward the Channel. Putting the Spitfire into a tight right-hand turn, Galitzine closed on his quarry again. Again, yaw was induced when his only cannon fired and the fighter lost height. He made two more attacks on the Ju 86 but after 45 minutes at full throttle, and now about 25 miles from the French coast, shortage of fuel made him break away to land at Tangmere. He noted in his logbook: “Sighted enemy aircraft over Southampton... Levelled with it at 43,000. Attacked and hit it. Port cannon stopped after 2 sec burst. Climbed to 44,000 and dived again three times. Useless with one cannon. Eventually lost it 25 miles from Cherbourg.” The Junkers landed early at Caen to check for damage, a single cannon hole being found in the wing. Göetz and Sommer returned to Beauvais but, no longer invulnerable, the Ju 86s did not venture over England again.

Top left

Believed to be the Ju 86R of the Höhenkampfkommando involved in the combat of September 12, 1942. VIA JOHN WEAL

Far left

Ofw Erich Sommer (left) and Hptm Horst Göetz, Ju 86R crew. VIA ALFRED PRICE Left

Damage to the Sommer and Göetz Ju 86R, September 12, 1942. VIA ALFRED PRICE

Below

Specially modified Spitfire IX BS273 (marked as BF273) of the Sub Stratosphere Flight at Northolt. RAF NORTHOLT

February 2017 FLYPAST 39

H I G H A LTITU D E CO M B AT Right

The Mk.VII’s distinctive wing shape can be seen on MD172 of 131 Squadron at Colerne in March 1944. P V AYERST

Below right

In command of the Sub Stratosphere Flight was former US ‘Eagle Squadron’ pilot Flt Lt Jim Nelson, who went on to lead 124 Squadron in 1943. EAGLE ASSOCIATION

FORTRESS ESCORTS

The two Spitfire VI squadrons, 124 and 616, continued on escort and sweep operations, 124 increasingly covering high-altitude raids by B-17 Fortresses of the US Eighth Air Force. On December 12, 1942 a force of 90 B-17s set out to bomb the rail marshalling yards at Rouen. A dozen more staged a diversion against the

Right centre

Flt Lt Peter Ayerst of 124 Squadron. P V AYERST

airfield at Abbeville-Drucat with 124 Squadron’s Spitfire VIs, led by Sqn Ldr Tommy Balmforth, providing withdrawal cover. Balmforth led his men to 28,000ft to meet the Fortresses. Mid-Channel, between Dieppe and Beachy Head, Fw 190s of II/JG 26 attacked the bombers, damaging several. One was Captain Robert J Nolan’s 41-24539 Jersey Bounce of the 303rd Bomb Group’s 358th Bomb Squadron, which was hit in the nose. The Spitfires swiftly engaged and a series of dogfights began. Plt Off Johnnie Hull in BR598 gained an unusual victory as his chosen Fw 190 dived away to evade and flew into the sea before he could open fire. Flying BR579, Flt Lt ‘Slim’ Kilburn, a 20-year-old Londoner of Irish extraction, described his combat: “The squadron engaged ten-plus Fw 190s which were preparing to attack the Fortresses on their return journey. I fired a four-second burst from 350 yards dead astern at one of the last Fw 190s and the E/A [enemy aircraft] caught fire. I broke away and turned right round in time to see the E/A, still on fire, dive straight into the sea. “In the ensuing dogfight I later engaged another Fw 190 which was on the tail of a Spitfire IX. I fired several short bursts with varying deflection in a quarter attack at 300 yards and then broke as there were other E/A about. “My No.2 (Sgt Saphir) saw both the ’190 and the Spitfire crash in the sea very close together. The E/A were camouflaged grey and green in the 40 FLYPAST February 2017

same manner as our aircraft.” Hull had also noted an Fw 190, with a plume of smoke following it, dive vertically into the sea off to his right. Then a third spiralled in, about 300 yards to port. Balmforth was also credited with an Fw 190 destroyed.

RECCE MESSERSCHMITTS

On January 20, 1943 the Northoltbased Sub Stratosphere Flight was absorbed by 124 Squadron, Jim Nelson becoming its CO soon after. Most operations were conducted at medium levels. Four pilots were lost on February 17, one of whom, Flt Lt Gerry Chalk, a pre-war county cricketer, had won a DFC as an air gunner in 1941. It was March before the unit became fully equipped with Mk.VIIs. The first confirmed victory for a Spitfire VII came on May 15 when Fg Off Oliver Willis and Sgt Wibberley chased a high-level reconnaissance overflight. Willis recalled seeing “two parallel vapour trails climbing fast and approaching from the southwest. When the trails turned south, re-crossing the coast east of Plymouth at approximately 38,000ft, our aircraft, which had reached 39,000ft, turned to cut them off and shortened

the range to six miles. On re-crossing the coast the enemy aircraft began to dive away very fast heading due south.” Willis then “fired two bursts of several seconds from dead astern from 400 yards closing to 300 yards and saw strikes on the fuselage and wing roots. Saw a parachute open several thousand feet below and pieces of aircraft hurtling down to the sea”. Thought to have been flying EN285, he had shot down Bf 109G-4 14906 of Aufklärungsgruppe 123, piloted by Lt Wilhelm Marcks, who was killed. More high-flying reconnaissance Bf 109s of Aufklärungsgruppe 123 fell to 124 Squadron’s Spitfire VIIs. W/O Gareth Nowell shot down Bf 109G4 14910 flown by Fw Heinz Sieker over the English Channel on June 13 and took out an Fw 190 two weeks later. And on August 16, Fg Off Basil Brooks downed Lt Hans Jaschinski’s Bf 109G-4 at 36,000ft off the Isle of Wight.

first Spitfire VII sorties and joined 124 Squadron in high-cover escort of medium bombers raiding airfields in France.

EXHAUSTING SORTIES

Early on September 9, Fg Off Phillips and Plt Off Barritt, patrolling over the Isle of Wight, were vectored to a recce Bf 109 approaching from Cherbourg at 31,000ft. They soon spotted condensation trails and gave chase; Phillips saw hits on the port wing roots and cockpit before the ’109 flipped over and spun down into the sea. Two days later, 616 Squadron, under Sqn Ldr Les Watts, flew its

In February 1944 at Colerne, Wiltshire, 131 Squadron began converting to Spitfire VIIs. Their light grey and azure blue colours contrasted with the more conventional camouflage of 124 and 616 Squadrons. Flt Lt Don Nicholson, a 131 Squadron pilot, remarked: “I liked the Mk.VII, it was a good aeroplane. The highest I ever took one was to 39,000ft; it could have continued climbing, but I had no reason to go any higher. However, by now there was little extreme high-altitude ‘trade’. We chased them on one or two occasions but by the time we reached their level they had gone.” During the spring, 131 and 616 had moved to the South West and 124 to Bradwell Bay in Essex to cover the Thames Estuary. In late April, Flt Lt Peter Ayerst arrived on 124 Squadron to command ‘B’ Flight. He said of the Mk.VII: “I

enjoyed flying at high altitude. We had a new Merlin 64 engine fitted with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger, so enabling a far better performance at height. But the incessant highaltitude sorties over the Channel were exhausting.” In early June, 131 Squadron provided top cover to the mass of shipping assembling in Lyme Bay and off Portland. On the 6th, D-Day, Ayerst noted in his logbook: “Spit VII EN497 patrolled Gravelines-Le Treport for 1 hour 35 mins D-Day – very quiet!” During the evening of June 12, two 124 Squadron Spitfire VIIs, flown by Ayerst and Fg Off ‘Jesse’ Hibbert, scrambled from Bradwell Bay after an intruder had been detected at almost 30,000ft. Ayerst noted: “We were scrambled high over the Channel and I recall the weather was pretty ‘thick’. In the cloud we finally spotted this ‘Jerry’ ’109, probably on a recce as it was just after the invasion. Anyhow we managed to get closer to him, probably helped by the special light grey camouflage our ‘Spits’ had... “Anyhow, I managed to get in several squirts at him that hit all over his wing before he disappeared into the murk. We floundered about for a bit following directions from control before my No.2 spotted him and put in some further bursts and down he went and he baled out.” This sortie was an exception, however, as most were conducted at low level. Owing to the stresses low-level flying placed on the Spitfire VIIs’ wings, on June 17 Flt Lt Cliff Rudland and Fg Off Ken Parry of 131 Squadron flew a comparative trial with two aircraft, one with the pointed ‘high-altitude’ wingtips and the other with the more standard tips. The test showed the latter were better, and over the next few days all the aircraft were changed. Those with the distinctive pointed tips saw little use after that, and the days of specialised high-altitude Spitfires were over.

Left

Spitfire VII EN509 of 124 Squadron at Odiham, 1944. VIA C H THOMAS Below left

Spitfire VII MB935 of 131 Squadron at Harrowbeer in March 1944 in light grey high-altitude colour scheme. C P RUDLAND Below

The first Spitfire VII delivered to the Sub Stratosphere Flight at Northolt was BS142, on 5 September 5, 1942. VIA P ARNOLD

February 2017 FLYPAST 41

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M A K I N G TH E DOC U M E NTA RY

SILVER SCR

LEGE “I

remember looking up at the sky and thinking ‘it’s going to be a lovely day again’, and I offered up a little prayer. It’s going to be a busy day, Lord, so if I forget you, don’t forget me. Give me this day, please...” Speaking in the forthcoming, feature-length documentary Spitfire, Geoffrey Wellum recalls his conflicted emotions as he prepared to dance with danger in a morning

sky as yet untarnished by the writhing contrails of dogfights. The 92 Squadron veteran is one of several interviewed for the film, which combines moving human stories with those of the eponymous machine. The difference between this film and the many other previous documentaries about the Supermarine

44 FLYPAST February 2017

CREEN

GENDS

A FILM CELEBRATING THE LEGENDARY SPITFIRE IS SET TO LIGHT UP CINEMA SCREENS IN 2018. STEVE BEEBEE SPOKE TO DIRECTOR DAVID FAIRHEAD

fighter is that it is intended for the big screen. When it reaches cinemas – most likely in 2018 to coincide with the RAF’s centenary – it aims to illustrate its subject in a more involving manner than ever before. It will scrutinise exactly how the Spitfire rose to become such an icon, not just within aviation, but as an enduring symbol of freedom. The aerial photography has been overseen by John Dibbs, whose still

Lofthouse and Mary Ellis, among many others. Of these, Tony has since passed away, a poignant reminder of the necessary urgency to record such important first-hand memories. “The opportunity to speak to veterans is rapidly slipping away,” says David.

pedigree – but the Spitfire came to represent something much bigger than just an aeroplane. In the film, we want to explore that status, and how it came to be.”

images are already well known to FlyPast readers (see this issue’s cover for an example). Working alongside John are the film’s originators, editor/director David Fairhead and his co-director Ant Palmer. Ant was developing an idea for a possible TV series, but realised the Spitfire story might make a good film for the silver screen. He contacted his friend and colleague David, who had worked on several feature-length documentaries, including the 2007 film In The Shadow Of The Moon, a look at US manned missions to the moon. Conscious of the need to interview veterans, who sadly are diminishing in number, he and Ant began filming before even arranging finance for the project. They ended up interviewing Geoffrey, Paul Farnes, Tom Neil and Tony Pickering, plus ATA pilots Joy

“We wanted to make sure we interviewed as many as we could, as soon as we could. “I’m a big fan of the featurelength format. Unlike TV, you are not bound by conventions or programme length, so you’ve got extra time to make films more interesting. We’ve found elements to draw out the stories and build drama. We know the Spitfire story has been done to death on TV and DVD, but it has never been done like this. “It’s not just about the pilots – without wishing for it to sound like a cliché, the Spitfire was very much the people’s plane. Through things like locally organised Spitfire Funds in World War Two, it virtually inspired a sense of shared ownership. Yes, it overshadowed the Hawker Hurricane because it had the good looks and Supermarine’s racing

to-air photography. Already keen followers of John’s work, the two were excited to discover that he was also moving into aerial filming. “Obviously he gets requests from people wanting to use his work all the time, but once he realised what we were doing we were lucky enough to get him on board as producer and director of aerial photography,” says David. “He really liked the trailer we’d put together because he could see that we were doing something different. We had a core team, at this stage unpaid and without a budget, but that’s the way a passion project like this unfolds.” Ant Palmer adds: “Building this team was absolutely crucial to the success of the film, both on the production side and the aviation side. With a team working together, anything is possible.”

Left

Filming the three Mk.Is on the grass at Bicester.

TAKE-OFF

While David and Ant were no strangers to film-making, and to recording interviews in a cohesive and enlightening manner, neither had any experience in the equally important area of air-

February 2017 FLYPAST 45

M A K I N G TH E DOC U M E NTA RY SPITFIRE SQUADRON A list of historic aircraft used in the aerial filming Bicester Spitfire Mk.I N3200 – flown by Cliff Spink Spitfire Mk.I P9374 – flown by John Romain Spitfire Mk.I X4650 – flown by Paul Bonhomme Hurricane Mk.I R4118 – flown by Stu Goldspink Dunkeswell Spitfire Mk.VIII MT928 – flown by Phill O’Dell Spitfire Mk.IX RR232 – flown by Matt Jones

Top right

Pilots Cliff Spink, Paul Bonhomme and John Romain with Spitfire I X4650. ALL VIA DAVID FAIRHEAD UNLESS NOTED

Above, left to right

Pilots John Romain, Stu Goldspink, Paul Bonhomme and Cliff Spink at the briefing. Rolls-Royce and Boultbee Flight Academy pilot Chris Hadlow details the plan for the aerial shoot at Bicester. Ant Palmer, Phill O’Dell, John Dibbs and David Fairhead with the Ecureuil II camera ship in the foreground.

46 FLYPAST February 2017

On discussing things with John, the agreed goal was to produce a type of aerial footage rarely, if ever, seen before. “We wanted to see how far we could go, how far we could push it, and John would never settle for anything less than perfection. We

put a wishlist together and started to contact aircraft owners. I didn’t know how this worked, but John brought in Rolls-Royce test pilot Phill O’Dell. With his involvement, doors started to open. Bit by bit, we built up a ‘cast’, and began to look

for airfields to shoot from.” John suggested the shoot should happen at the end of the 2016 airshow season, not just because of the availability of the aircraft, but also because of the type of light, backgrounds and the cloud formations typical for the time of year. “This is where Dibbsy differs from a lot of aviation photographers,” opines David. “It’s not just about capturing images of the aircraft; he thinks about how the whole thing will look. We started filming at the end of September,

and having arranged finance, we opted to film from Bicester and Dunkeswell.” The former, in Oxfordshire, was chosen because it remains a grass airfield, not visually dissimilar to the type of aerodromes Spitfires flew from in World War Two. The Devon airfield was selected due to its scenic surroundings. The team was keen to avoid flying over obviously modern installations, such as wind farms, aiming instead for a ‘timeless’ and typically British look.

‘VIC’ FORMATION

For the Bicester footage, they brought in three of the world’s four airworthy Spitfire Mk.Is – a remarkable achievement in itself – along with Hurricane Heritage’s Hurricane Mk.I R4118, the latter flown by Stu Goldspink. Pilots John Romain and Cliff Spink were already signed up, and when Paul Bonhomme became free, the Mk.I shoot was on. David paints a

memorable picture of its conclusion, as the three aircraft returned to the airfield in formation: “Almost two years to the day since we’d come up with the idea, there we were at Bicester and we could hear the sound of three Merlins approaching. It was an extraordinary moment when the trio of Spitfires flew over the airfield in a perfect ‘vic’ formation. Time stood still, and the sound was wonderful. They landed, the pilots all got out and shook hands, and I remember John Romain saying to the others: ‘well, that was pretty special’. “There are four flying Mk.Is around, and I know they all flew together at Duxford one year, but as far as we know this is the first time three have flown together for an airto-air film since the end of the war.” FlyPast has been treated to a preview of the footage taken that day, and can confirm that the results are breathtaking. Following this triumph, the team moved to Dunkeswell and had similar success filming a Mk.VIII and a Mk.IX (see panel for details of all Spitfires involved). With interviews and aerial work complete, the focus has now switched to editing. This complex process is one in which David and Ant are well versed, but given the scale of the project and the need to fit it in around other demands, they know that it will take significant time. “Our aim is to have the film completed by the end of 2017, and we want to tie its release in with the RAF’s centenary in 2018,” says David. “I know it seems a painfully long way away, but it’s a feature-length theatrical release that will involve working with distributors, and we want it to be the ultimate thing people have seen about the Spitfire. You will see it on the big screen. It will look and sound stunning, and it will have a compelling story that will engage people.”

HUMAN INTEREST

An important aspect of this is to interest younger people, especially those who may not know as much

about World War Two, or the evolution of the Spitfire, as their parents and grandparents. Some of the younger members of the production crew had never seen a Spitfire fly, or thought much about it, until working on the project. Now those individuals are as enthused by the subject matter as their elders, especially as most of the interviewees are reflecting on experiences they had as young people. “We’ve been working with a young composer, Chris Roe, who is extremely talented,” says David. “He didn’t know much about Spitfires prior to collaborating on this with us. In the end, he was absolutely blown away by it, as was one of the younger members of our technical crew. “Trying to capture the imagination of a new generation is essential, because this is about emotion, and about fear, and feelings that people can relate to that just so happened to revolve around the most significant conflict in our history. The concept of freedom, and of our having rights, are things we almost take for granted today, but these were hard won.” Getting that story from the people who were there is all important and an ever-pressing priority. David was ever mindful of this but recalls a particularly sad time in June when he flew to the US to interview Col Steve Pisanos only to discover that the Eagle Squadron veteran had passed away earlier that day. Ultimately, the documentary is a tribute to those that served and is another important chapter in keeping the lessons of history alive. Beyond that, it’s also a celebration of a famous machine. While it was a deadly weapon of war, the Spitfire’s grace and handling continue to evoke nothing but pride and delight in those that remember flying them. In the words of Joy Lofthouse in the film: “It was the nearest thing to having wings and flying oneself. You only had to blow on the control stick and it seemed to do what you wanted!” For the latest news on Spitfire, see the production’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ spitfirethefeaturedoc

Left

Hurricane Heritage boss James Brown sitting on the Hurricane with pilot Stu Goldspink. Below

The camera ship – Aerospatiale AS355 Ecureuil II G-OHMS – gets airborne in pursuit of the three Spitfires.

February 2017 FLYPAST 47

G E R M A N S P IT S

IRON CRO SPITFIRES

IN AUGUST 1940 A SPITFIRE FORCE-LANDED AT A LUFTWAFFE AIRFIELD IN FRANCE; AT LAST THE ENE

Above

Spitfire Vb EN830 was fitted with a Daimler-Benz DB605A engine following its capture after a forced landing in November 1942. ANDY HAY-2017

D

uring the ‘Phoney War’ and Battle of France the Hurricane was the RAF’s only fighter in France. This changed in late May 1940 when the RAF was engaged over the Dunkirk beaches and Spitfires started to appear. The Battle of France is regarded as ending on May 20. Operation ‘Dynamo’, the evacuation of Allied troops from France, began on the 26th. Luftwaffe chiefs had been anxious to get their hands on a Spitfire since the war began, if not before. With Spitfires patrolling the French coast, it would only be a matter of time before one would force-land, almost intact. Obtaining one in good enough condition to be repaired and re-flown would be a massive intelligence coup for the Reich.

FIRST TO FALL

One of the first was K9977 ‘ZP-Q’ of 74 Squadron on May 22. Damaged in combat with a Junkers Ju 88, Plt Off Dick Aubert crash-landed at Berck-sur-Mer, south of Le Touquet, where it was abandoned. Aubert got back to England, only to be killed in action three days later. When the Germans reached the coast, they were greeted with the sight of a Spitfire that 48 FLYPAST February 2017

would never fly again. Another, also from 74 Squadron, was K9867 ‘ZP-J’ which came to grief the following day. Hit in the radiator by return fire from a Luftwaffe Henschel Hs 126 observation monoplane, which itself was shot down, Sqn Ldr Francis White carried out a forced landing at Calais and was rescued by a Miles Master flown by Flt Lt James Leathart of 54 Squadron. Again, the Germans obtained another battledamaged Spitfire. The final Spitfire retrieved was P9317 ‘ZD-A’ of 222 Squadron. Damaged in combat on June 1, Plt Off Hugh Falkus (who later became a well-known naturalist and TV personality) force-landed at Le Touquet where he and his aircraft were captured. Any German desires to discover a photo-reconnaissance Spitfire were satisfied when they captured Reims and found an example in a hangar. This was P9331 of 212 Squadron which suffered a glycol leak and landed there on June 6. The French were instructed to destroy it and although it was partially dismantled, they failed to finish the job. A Spitfire had been based in France since July 1939. The Armée de l’Air had requested three examples in

the spring of 1938, but only one was delivered: Mk.Ia F.01, on July 17, 1939. It was at Orleans-Bricy airfield in June 1940 and as the Germans advanced it was burnt, but the hulk was salvaged and taken to Germany.

INCREDIBLE CLAIMS

Despite having captured four RAF examples and the one-off French machine, the Luftwaffe did not have a flyable Spitfire. This changed on the evening of August 15, 1940, well into the Battle of Britain. That day, targets ranging from Northumberland in the north to as far south as Dorset were being attacked. The penultimate raid of the day was heading for Hampshire and Dorset. Records state that 12 Ju 88s of I Gruppe, Lehgeschwader 1 (I/LG 1) took off from France at 16:15 hours (German time) bound for the airfield at Andover while 15 Ju 88s of II/LG 1 followed 30 minutes later en route for Worthy Down airfield. A quarter of an hour later, 27 Ju 87 ‘Stukas’ of I Gruppe, Stukageschwader 1 (I/StG 1) got airborne to attack Portland, together with 20 Stukas of II/StG 2. Part of the massive escort were Messerschmitt Bf 109s of I Gruppe,

OSS

S

THE ENEMY ‘SUPER FIGHTER’ COULD BE EVALUATED. CHRIS GOSS TELLS HOW IT CAME ABOUT Jagdgeschwader 53 (I/JG 53). The unit had moved from its base at Rennes to the forward airfield of Cherbourg Ost, also known as Théville. The rest of JG 53 was also involved that evening as were Bf 110s from Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2) and ZG 76. In the combat that ensued over England, I/JG 53 claimed two RAF fighters: one by

Hauptmann (Hptm) Rolf Pingel of 2/JG 53 at an unknown location, the other by Hptm Hans-Karl Mayer of 1/JG 53, who claimed a Hurricane near Salisbury, probably that flown by Fg Off Gordon Cleaver of 601 Squadron who baled out wounded near Winchester. Six of the 16 barrage balloons claimed by JG 53 fell to the guns of its first Staffel (1/JG 53). These stricken ‘gas bags’ alarmed the men of the Winchester Royal Observer

Corps who thought they were aircraft crashing in flames. Further west, II/JG 53’s 6 Staffel pilots claimed a Spitfire and a Hurricane to Hptm Heinz Bretnütz, a Spitfire to Feldwebel Albrecht Baun and a Hurricane to Leutnant (Lt) Gerhard Michalski. As the German formation headed back for France, RAF fighters including Spitfires of 234 Squadron, pursued them. Scrambled from Middle Wallop,

Below

Spitfire I K9977 of 74 Squadron after being downed on May 21, 1940.

February 2017 FLYPAST 49

G E R M A N S P IT S

“Parker crashed in the sea off Cherbourg where he was quickly picked up by a German motor torpedo boat. He remained a prisoner of war until 1945, finishing up in Colditz Castle” OUT OF FUEL, OUT OF OPTIONS Plt Off Richard Hardy joined the RAF on a Short Service Commission and began training in February 1939, completing it at 6 Service Flying Training School at Little Rissington in Gloucestershire. He was posted to 234 Squadron at Leconfield, Yorkshire, on November 6, 1939. Hardy had just one claim, a Dornier Do 17, damaged on August 8, 1940, seven days before he and N3277 were captured. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. He remained with the RAF until 1950, and died in September 1997.

Plt Off Richard Hardy after capture. Top

Still carrying a letter from its 234 Squadron code ‘AZ-H’, Spitfire Ia N3277 was quickly painted in Luftwaffe markings and was the subject of considerable propaganda. Above right

Spitfire I K9867 of 74 Squadron was abandoned at Calais.

234 was actively involved in the subsequent battles, and returned claiming to have destroyed four Bf 110s and three, or possibly four, Bf 109s. These assertions were optimistic as Luftwaffe records show they lost only four Stukas, seven Ju 88s and six Bf 110s that evening, but no Bf 109s. In addition to 234’s claims, RAF fighters claimed a massive 33 Bf 110s, 10 Ju 88s, eight Stukas, a Heinkel He 111 and a Bf 109 destroyed. The ‘probables’ amounted to 10 Ju 88s, a Bf 109 and a Dornier

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Do 215 with 5 Ju 88s, 2 Bf 110s and a He 111 damaged. German tallies were not much more accurate, claiming no fewer than 54 RAF fighters destroyed.

THREE DOWN

Nevertheless, German records make specific mention of two RAF losses, which cannot be disputed: an RAF pilot being picked up by air-sea rescue and, unusually, a Spitfire landing at Théville, the pilot being taken prisoner. That evening, 234 Squadron lost

three pilots. Having strayed too close to the French coast chasing a Bf 110, it appears that Australian Plt Off Vincent ‘Bush’ Parker fell victim to his intended prey. Unteroffizier (Uffz) Willy Lehner, radio operator/ gunner to Lt Siegfried Hahn of Stab II/ZG 76, reported shooting down a Spitfire off Cherbourg before they crash-landed their damaged Bf 110 at Cherbourg-West. Parker crashed in the sea off Cherbourg where he was quickly picked up by a German motor torpedo boat. He remained a

Centre left

Personnel of 234 Squadron at St Eval, Cornwall, in July 1940 Left

A Churchillian ‘V’ over a Nazi swastika was 234 Squadron’s unofficial emblem. Below left

Hastily camouflaged with branches, N3277 following its capture. Below

prisoner of war (PoW) until 1945, finishing up in Colditz Castle. Sadly, on January 29, 1946 he was killed when his Hawker Tempest V of Millfield-based 56 Operational Training Unit crashed at Felkington, near Berwick-on-Tweed. Meanwhile New Zealander Plt Off Cecil Hight tried to avoid crashing his badly damaged R6988 on houses in Bournemouth; his Spitfire impacted at Walsford Road, Meyrick Park. Hight was killed; his sacrifice led to a road being named after him. The final 234 Squadron loss that day was Spitfire N3277 flown by Plt Off Richard Hardy – see the panel. He was commissioned at the

same time as Hight and had gone through training with the ‘Kiwi’.

GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE

Spitfire. The pilot got out and surrendered to Hptm Rolf Pingel.” It is believed that Hardy had strayed close to the French coast. Low on fuel and ammunition and with his return cut off by German fighters, he was forced to land at Théville; his capture was credited to Oberleutnant (Oblt) Georg Claus of Stab (headquarters flight) III/JG 53, recorded in the diary of Oblt Hans Von Hahn of 8/JG 53 as: “Claus brought a Spitfire to Cherbourg. He caught it in the middle of the Channel, the ‘Tommy’ made off to the south. Claus improved each of his turns with a brief burst of tracer and so it went all the way to Cherbourg. There the ‘Tommy’ lowered his undercarriage and luckily the flak failed to hit him. Then he landed safely and taxied in.”

The pilot who brought down N3277, Oblt Georg Claus of Stab III/JG 53, in a Bf 109. VIA WOUTERS

Uffz Werner Karl of 1/JG 53 was on the ground at Théville and recalled: “Somebody shouted ‘Spitfire!’ and I looked up to see a Spitfire coming over the airfield. The anti-aircraft guns opened fire and [it] banked around and landed. Having got over the shock, we crowded around the

February 2017 FLYPAST 51

G E R M A N S P IT S ROLLS-ROYCE TO DAIMLER-BENZ

Sporting a DB 605A, Spitfire V EN830 at Rechlin. KEY COLLECTION

Perhaps the best known of the captured Spitfires was Mk.Vb EN830. While being flown by Frenchman Plt Off B W M Scheidhauer of 131 Squadron on November 18, 1942 EN830 was hit by flak near Caen. Scheidhauer headed west, force-landing on German-occupied Jersey. The Spitfire was taken to the E-Stelle at Rechlin, given Luftwaffe markings and the code ‘CJ+ZY’ and was flying again just a month after its ‘arrival’ in Jersey. It was then given radical surgery, its RollsRoyce Merlin 45 was removed and a Daimler-Benz DB 605A – the powerplant of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G was installed, along with a new electrical system. In this guise, the Spitfire was flown in performance evaluation trials ‘against’ a Bf 109G, although the merits of such ‘cross-matching’ are doubtful. By April 1944 ‘CJ+ZY’ had been grounded at Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart. It was destroyed there when USAAF B-17 Flying Fortresses targeted Stuttgart and Echterdingen on August 14, 1944. Spitfire EN830 out-lived its pilot. Plt Off Scheidhauer ended up at Stalag Luft III at Sagan. On the night of March 24, 1943, he took part in the ‘Great Escape’. He was captured and was one of the 50 escapees executed by the Gestapo five days after the famous break-out.

before heading off to become a PoW. Spitfire Ia N3277 ‘AZ-H’ was a source of great interest for German soldiers and airmen alike. It had first flown at Eastleigh, Southampton, on January 4, 1940. Twelve days later it was issued to 24 Maintenance Unit at Tern Hill, Shropshire, for pre-service checks and installations. It joined 234 on April 15, 1940 and was assigned to ‘A’ Flight; its operational career lasted exactly four months. Given German markings, N3277 was ferried to Rechlin, northwest of Berlin, the home of the Erprobungsstelle (E-Stelle), the Top right

Apart from damage behind the cockpit, Hardy’s Spitfire was in good shape. Above

Beginning to paint the Balkenkreuz over N3277’s roundel. Right

A German inspecting the hole caused by the cannon shell that wounded Hardy and led to the capture of N3277.

Another witness was Lt Karl Leonhard of 3/JG 53: “The English pilot slid back the hood and immediately raised his hands – he obviously expected to be shot at once otherwise. He was just as surprised when I asked him to lower his hands and instead to climb out and come to the pilot’s mess and have a glass of champagne...” Hardy, who was wounded in the back, probably by a cannon shell which entered the fuselage behind the cockpit on the port side, was quickly treated for his wounds and entertained by the Luftwaffe pilots

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Luftwaffe test and development centre. Given the E-Stelle codes ‘5+2’ it was at Rechlin from late 1941 until at least the summer of 1942. From the summer of 1942 the unexpected ‘windfall’ was back in France, allowing senior Luftwaffe pilots on frontline units to sample the type they were facing in combat daily. The ‘Iron Cross Spitfire’ was at Orleans-Bricy in March 1943 where personnel of JG 26 could become familiar with the Spitfire. What became of N3277 is not known, but it had been of inestimable value to the Luftwaffe.

Retaining its basic RAF colours, N3277 was given a yellow rudder and undersides to help identify it as a captured type. ALL CHRIS GOSS ARCHIVE UNLESS NOTED

February 2017 FLYPAST 53

S PITF I R E I X B R6 01

I

n recent years, news of the maiden flight of a Spitfire following restoration has become commonplace, thanks to the vision and determination of owners and the skills of dedicated engineers. All these resurrected fighters have a story to tell and the latest Spitfire to emerge from Peter Monk’s

TRANSATLANTIC

SPITFIRE GORDON RILEY DETAILS THE CAREER OF SPITFIRE IX BR601 – WHILE JOHN DIBBS CAPTURES IT IN ACTION

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Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar – Mk.IX BR601 – is no exception. It served with many units, flown by military personnel from Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and South Africa, and in its time has been resident in the UK, South Africa, the USA and New Zealand. As if this cosmopolitan history were not enough, it’s also the earliest known survivor of the original batch of 100 Mk.IXs built at Southampton during 1942, BR601 being the sixth production Spitfire IX – preceded down the line only by BR581, BR592, BR594, BR596 and BR600, all of which were also delivered to 64 Squadron. First flown at Eastleigh, Southampton, on June 16, 1942, BR601 was dispatched to 45 Maintenance Unit (MU) at Kinloss,

Scotland, the next day for pre-service preparation before the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) brought it south to join its first unit. The job fell to wellknown Polish pilot Stefania ‘Barbara’ Wojtulanis who picked the Spitfire up at Prestwick, near Ayr. This may indicate BR601 was prepared by contractor Scottish Aviation rather than 45 MU or it may be simply a coincidence. Wojtulanis left Prestwick in BR601 on July 9, 1942, bound for the first operational unit to be equipped with the Mk.IX: 64 Squadron at Hornchurch, Essex. Setting off the next morning after a night-stop at Lindholme, near Doncaster, she landed the Spitfire at Balderton, near Newark, after just 20 minutes, which suggests the weather was bad. On July 11 the fighter arrived at its new base after another stop at Wittering, near Stamford.

With its arrival, 64 Squadron’s complement of Mk.IXs reached 13, of which eight were operational, and BR601 soon adopted the code ‘SHF’, markings it carries once again following its meticulous restoration. The squadron had been taking on the new variant since the end of June and was working up while still flying Mk.Vs on standing patrols and ‘Rodeos’ – offensive sweeps over enemy occupied territory. Its final Mk.V sortie took six aircraft over Dunkirk and Cap Gris Nez on the afternoon of July 8 as part of a Rodeo with 82, 122 and 154 Squadrons of the Hornchurch Wing.

MK.IX DEBUT

At midnight that day, 64 Squadron officially became non-operational to enable conversion to the Spitfire IX to be completed. The first formation practice took place on July 19, the unit flying to Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the following day for a week’s air firing camp, working 24 hours ‘on’ and 24 hours ‘off’ – some of

the ‘off’ time being spent at The Bull and The Crown in nearby Woodbridge! The squadron returned to Hornchurch on the 27th in preparation for going fully operational the following morning. At 12:10 on the 28th, 64 took part in its first operation with the Mk.IXs – a Rodeo – together with the Mk.Vs of 81, 122 and 154 Squadrons. Their rendezvous point was over Pevensey Bay from where they flew to St Valerysur-Somme, jettisoning their drop tanks at ground level before climbing to 31,000ft (9,450m) by the time they were overhead Le Havre. They saw nothing of interest apart from four Focke-Wulf Fw 190s heading back towards France at 11,000ft as the Spitfire formation was returning to England overhead Fecamps – too high to attack, the ’190s were ignored. On this, the Spitfire IX’s first operational sortie with the RAF, BR601 was flown by Plt Off H F Withy who landed back at Hornchurch at 14:00. The squadron commander, Sqn Ldr W G G ‘Smithy’ Duncan Smith DSO DFC, flew the first production Mk.IX, BR581, while the rest of 64 flew virtually all the others of the first batch of Supermarine-built Mk.IXs. Two days later 64 flew top cover for the Hornchurch Wing for a morning ‘Circus’ over Abbeville, St Omer and Le Touquet – a combined bomber

Top left

Polish Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Stefania Wojtulanis straps into BR601 at Prestwick, July 9, 1942. VIA WOJTEK MATUSIAK

Bottom left

Stefania Wojtulanis taxying BR601, July 1942. VIA WOJTEK MATUSIAK

Left

Spitfire IX BR601 on a sortie around the southern Kent coast in September 2016. ALL AIRTO-AIR PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN M DIBBS – PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

Below

Crowded pages for part of July 1942 in ATA ferry pilot Stefania Wojtulanis’ logbook, showing BR601’s delivery. VIA WOJTEK MATUSIAK

February 2017 FLYPAST 55

S PITF I R E I X B R6 01

“...the unit flew to Martlesham Heath for a week’s air firing camp working 24 hours ‘on’ and then 24 hours ‘off’. Some of the ‘off’ time being spent at The Bull and The Crown in nearby Woodbridge!”

Top

Personnel relax at Northolt in August or September 1943. The Spitfire second from left is BR601 ‘SZ-H’ of 316 Squadron. VIA WOJTEK MATUSIAK

Above

The fuselage of BR601 in the yard at South African Metal and Machinery, Salt River, Cape Town. PETER ARNOLD COLLECTION

Above right

Spitfire IX BR601 displayed on its pylon at Salt River, July 1981. PETER ARNOLD COLLECTION

and fighter operation intended to coax Luftwaffe fighters into an engagement. During the morning raid Flt Lt Kingaby bagged a Fw 190 while flying BR600. The other pilots were ‘spooked’ when the attack controller warned that a Typhoon had been brought down by friendly fire. That evening 64 Squadron took part in a ‘Ramrod’ – a bomber escort – over Dunkirk, St Omer and Calais. Duncan Smith flying BR581, Plt Off Stewart in BR977 and Belgian Plt Off ‘Mike’ Donnet in BR624 all downed Fw 190s. Wg Cdr Finlay (BR596) who was 11 Group Engineering Officer and came along on the trip, claimed another as damaged while ‘Smithy’ and, flying BS105, Norwegian Lt Arne Austeen shared another. Another Norwegian, Sgt Thorvald Johnsen, and Withy in BR601 made no claims during the sortie, but the squadron had blooded the Spitfire IX during its first day of real combat. By August 1942, BR601 had become Plt Off Withy’s aircraft of choice, although it was flown by other members of 64, including Flt Sgt G A Mason, who took it up on the 12th alongside Donnet in BR624 when they were scrambled at 17:50 as a German reconnaissance aircraft was reported over Maidstone. The pair

56 FLYPAST February 2017

failed to intercept and returned to Hornchurch at 19:20.

DIEPPE

It may be that BR601 then needed a major service as it appears not to have flown for the next nine days and did not take part in Operation Jubilee, the disastrous Dieppe Raid of the 19th. The Hornchurch Wing played a major role that day, escorting USAAF B-17 Fortresses which attacked Abbeville aerodrome, and later providing aerial cover for Royal Navy vessels escaping back across the English Channel. Sqn Ldr Duncan Smith, shot down in BR581 during the raid, was rescued by an RN ship and made it back to Hornchurch the following day. At 17:05 on August 20, BR601 was back in action, Withy taking it to join ‘Circus 206’ escorting 11 B-17s to the marshalling yards at Amiens – although half of them only managed to bomb the outskirts of the town. The wing returned to Hornchurch, BR601 landing at 18:45, just in

time for the squadron dance that evening! The pattern of Circus bombing raids and scrambled interceptions continued through the rest of the month. By then Duncan Smith had been promoted to wing commander at North Weald and on the 25th he was awarded a DSO to go with his DFC and Bar. His place as 64’s commander was taken by Australian ‘ace’ Sqn Ldr F A O ‘Tony’ Gaze DFC. On August 29, BR601 was engaged in ‘Circus 211’ when Johnsen found he could not jettison his drop tank; so he and three other pilots with the same problem returned to base early. They left the rest of the wing to escort a dozen B-17s on their way to bomb Courtrai aerodrome. The squadron moved to nearby Fairlop on September 8, but bad weather throughout the month plagued many operations. On the 26th they received orders to move to Harrowbeer, Devon, which 64 would use as a forward base to escort B-17s attacking Brest in Brittany.

MAROONED IN DEVON

The weather forced a return to Fairlop but a second attempt made at 12:20 saw the Spitfires get through. They were off again at 16:00, shepherding the bombers, but again the weather closed in and the ‘op’ was aborted. Sgt W Hilsland, in BR601, was only airborne for 13 minutes before he returned to land. The rest of the Spitfires had been airborne for more than two hours and were almost flying on fuel vapour when they got back to Harrowbeer. Worsening weather marooned 64 Squadron in Devon for three days, but it improved for the Mk.IXs to get airborne on 29th for a dash back to Fairlop. On the 30th, BR601 was taken up at 17:30 by the CO, Sqn Ldr Gaze, who flew a 20-minute patrol with New Zealander Sqn Ldr Colin Gray in BS315. Short patrols by Gaze and Gray became a feature of the following days. Despite early October’s dreadful weather 64 managed to get in some operational flying when it cleared sufficiently. Withy, flying BR601, took part in a Circus over St Omer in the afternoon of the 2nd – followed on the morning of the 9th by a sweep over Lille as target support for 108 B-17s and B-24 Liberators, when Fw 190s were spotted but not engaged. Ten-tenths cloud cover over the target combined with a tailwind caused 64 Squadron to completely overshoot Lille and end up over Manberge instead, where they spotted US Eighth Air Force P-38 Lightnings heading for Paris.

FIRST VICTORY

The following day’s weather was bad but on October 11 it improved considerably. Sgt F R Walker took BR601 up for a morning patrol over the North and South Forelands on the Kent coast, landing back at Fairlop at 11:20. A few hours later Gaze used BR601 to lead a sweep over the French coast, 64 Squadron taking off at 13:40 to rendezvous with three other units at 1,000ft over Felixstowe. Six of the ten Spitfires had to return with tank jettison problems but the remainder pressed on to cross the French coast east of Dunkirk at 27,000ft. About ten miles inland they spotted four Fw 190s, and in the ensuing melee Gaze damaged one – BR601’s first combat victory. Norwegian Lt E

Stromme in BR596 and Plt Off J C Dowler (BR592), however, failed to return. On October 14, a dull day, BR601 flew two convoy patrols, the first in the hands of Walker and the second by Withy who was reacquainting himself with his old favourite. The next day saw Donnet use BR601 as his mount during a Circus to Le Havre, giving target support to a group of 12 Douglas Bostons. On landing at Fairlop at 16:00, squadron personnel were to discover they had to be ready to leave for Bolt Head, southwest of Salcombe, Devon, at dawn. Although ready to leave, the weather once again worsened and the sortie was cancelled. Donnet sprinted to the runway to convey the message to Gaze at 06:45.

February 2017 FLYPAST 57

S PITF I R E I X B R6 01

“BR601, flown by Sqn Ldr Gray, suffered a burst tyre on landing which caused the Spitfire to swing violently, resulting in a collapsed undercarriage and wing damage... so ending its career with 64 Squadron” Right

The fuselage of BR601 at the Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas, in April 2004. KEY COLLECTION

Later that morning the weather brightened enough for Gaze to take some of the ‘new boys’ on a practice sweep across the Channel as far as the mouth of the Seine before returning to base. Another visit to Bolt Head was soon on the cards, and at 07:15 on the 21st the Spitfires left Fairlop. It’s believed that BR601, flown by Sqn Ldr Gray, suffered a burst tyre on landing which caused it to swing violently, resulting in a collapsed undercarriage and wing damage. The squadron had to orbit for 20 minutes because of the difficulties in landing on the narrow grass strip. After inspection BR601 was declared Category B – repairable but not by resident facilities – and dispatched to

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General Aircraft at Hanworth, Surrey, for repairs on November 2, so ending its career with 64 Squadron.

UNIT SHUFFLE

Three-and-a-half months later BR601 was ready for collection on February 19, 1943 and delivered to 39 MU at Colerne, Wiltshire, seven days later. The Spitfire was then stored until April 2 and issued to 453 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, returning to its old base at Hornchurch. The unit was re-equipping with Mk.IXs in place of Mk.Vs, BR601 gaining the codes ‘FU-S’. A few days later it flew to Air Service Training (AST) at Hamble on the Solent for modifications before joining 129 (Mysore) Squadron on July 17,

again at Hornchurch, when its codes became ‘DV-S’. The Spitfire changed both unit and base on August 28 with a transfer to the Polish 316 (City of Warsaw) Squadron at Northolt, west of London, once more changing codes, this time to ‘SZ-H’. The posting lasted only weeks as, on September 28, BR601 was placed on charge with 165 (Ceylon) Squadron at Culmhead, Somerset. Later that month 165 moved to Colerne and BR601 remained with the unit, eventually sustaining damage necessitating a repair by AST on March 19, 1944. Repairs complete, it was ready for collection on June 5, 1944, and on the 8th flew to 8 MU at Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, where it

“The Spitfire ended up relegated to ground instruction use with 7 Squadron for three years. It was disposed of on March 10, 1955, to Harold Barnett.” was apparently repaired yet again on August 29. The Spitfire was next with 3501 Support Unit at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, on February 27, 1945, from where it was dispatched to Vickers-Armstrongs for modifications on March 1. With work completed on the 9th, BR601 had been declared ready to collect, only to be sent to Miles Aircraft, possibly at South Marston, Wiltshire, for yet more repairs on April 25. On August 22 it flew to Lyneham in Wiltshire for storage with 33 MU.

SECOND CAREER

Selected in 1948 for sale to the South African Air Force, BR601 transferred to 47 MU at Sealand, near

Chester, on October 11 before being dismantled and packed for shipping, leaving Birkenhead Docks aboard the SS Clan Mackellar on January 27, 1949. Ready for its second air force career, the Spitfire arrived in South Africa on March 13 and was taken on charge at 15 Air Depot, Snake Valley, Pretoria, with the SAAF serial number 5631. Then, after nearly two years in store, it was issued to the Air Operation School at Langebaanweg on the Western Cape on March 16, 1951 – where it suffered three accidents: on April 6, 1951, 2nd Lt Sherwood swung it on landing; on May 11, 1951, 2nd Lt de Jongh repeated the process; and on May 6, 1952, Lt D R Leathers overshot on landing at Ysterplaat, Cape Town.

Above

Progress is made on BR601 at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in January 2016. DARREN HARBAR

Below

Bringing BR601 down from its perch, Cape Town, 1986. PETER ARNOLD COLLECTION

February 2017 FLYPAST 59

S PITF I R E I X B R6 01 The Spitfire ended up relegated to ground instruction use with 7 Squadron for three years. It was disposed of on March 10, 1955, to Harold Barnett.

DEMOBBED

A former SAAF Spitfire pilot, Barnett was the proprietor of the South African Metal and Machinery company. He moved 5631 from Ysterplaat to his scrap yard at Salt River, Cape Town, where it joined components from several other Spitfires and stood, minus its outer wings, alongside the road for many years. It was later repainted in an overall light blue scheme with Japanese-like ‘meatball’ markings, presumably for TV or film work. When Larry Barnett and Alan Lurie began the rebuild of Mk.IX MA793 in 1967, they borrowed 5631 to use as a pattern on condition that they rebuild it for display at the yard. So the former BR601 was transferred to the Atlas Aircraft Corporation’s apprentice school and rebuilt using a wing from 5620 and another from an unidentified Spitfire. To lighten the airframe so it could be mounted on a plinth, the undercarriage and engine were removed. Initially painted as ‘DB-U’ of 2 Squadron SAAF, it was later repainted to represent PV260 ‘DB-P’ – the identity of one of the Spitfires flown by Harold Barnett which had been written-off in North Africa during the war.

WARBIRD PROJECT

Spitfire BR601 was assessed for possible restoration and removed from the yard in 1986. Auctioned by

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Christies of London on October 31, Doug Arnold of Warbirds of Great Britain bought it for £70,000 and placed it in store at his Biggin Hill facility before it went by road on July 6, 1989 to Thruxton, Wiltshire, where work on the fuselage began in the hands of Aerofab Restorations. The wings, which had few usable parts remaining, were shipped to R G C Aeronautical Engineering of Sandown, Isle of Wight, and subcontracted to Airframe Assemblies before being returned to Thruxton. Work stopped following Doug Arnold’s death in 1992, BR601 then being shipped to the USA and placed in store. Jet Cap Aviation acquired the Spitfire from the Arnold estate in 1994 and it moved to Harry Stenger’s facility at Bartow, Florida, where it remained untouched. With the dispersal of the Jet Cap collection around 1996, BR601’s wings and tail section were used by Stenger in the rebuild of Peter Godfrey’s two-seater Mk.IX, MH367. The sad remains of BR601’s fuselage were transported to the Lone Star Flight Museum at Galveston, Texas, around November 2002. There it kept company with an airworthy stablemate, Mk.XVI TE392, for several years until being acquired by California-based Jeff Thomas in January 2008 and shipped to Avspecs at Ardmore, New Zealand, for restoration to flying condition. It may have been Thomas who reserved the US civil registration N601FF for the aircraft; the identity was cancelled on August 29, 2013.

RESURRECTION

Jeff Thomas sold the project to Peter

Monk on July 29, 2009 and the fuselage was shipped to the UK and delivered to Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight where a complete restoration to modern standards was carried out. The Spitfire was allocated the British civil registration G-CIYF on February 15, 2016. A new tail assembly and a pair of wings were constructed from scratch. As mentioned, the originals had been used in the build of MH367 which, coincidentally, currently flies in New Zealand in the markings of none other than Colin Gray’s Mk.IX. Ending up as a wing commander, Gray became the top-scoring New Zealand pilot of World War Two, with 27 confirmed victories. It was quite possibly he who suffered the landing accident in BR601 at Bolt Head in October 1942. The rebuilt airframe then went to Monk’s Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar for final systems fit, assembly and painting in its original markings as ‘SH-F’ of 64 Squadron – plus a newly restored Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 rebuilt by Retro Track and Air at Dursley, Gloucestershire, Spitfire BR601 took to the air for the first time since the early 1950s at Biggin Hill on August 31, 2016 and made a public appearance at Goodwood, Sussex, the following month. This exceptional restoration is owned by the Collings Foundation, of Stow, Massachusetts, USA, and the Goodwood outing was probably the only chance for British enthusiasts to see BR601 as it will soon be on its way to a new home on the other side of the Atlantic.

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The Collings Foundation’s Supermarine Spitfire IX BR601 flying over the South Devonshire coast in September. ©JOHN DIBBS

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09/12/2016 12:31

Spotlight Bristol

Beaufort

16 Pages in detail

66 Origin and history 68 In combat the Bristol at war 74 Beaufort in profile 76 Men behind the machine

Main picture

RAF Bristol Beauforts are prepared for action during World War Two. KEY COLLECTION

This month, the subject of our Spotlight is one of the relatively unsung warriors of World War Two, the Bristol Beaufort. Overshadowed by the Blenheim, its more famous sister, the Beaufort nevertheless saw considerable action in the Mediterranean, and was also operated extensively in the Pacific with the Royal Australian Air Force. It proved to be a surprisingly versatile machine and was used in several different roles, including mine-laying and as a dual control trainer. With new artwork and images from the archive, we examine this oft-forgotten Bristol.

Spotlight Bristol Beaufort

Scrutinizes the history of...

Beaufort D The Bristol

Above

Bristol Beaufort Mk.I L9878 ‘MW-R’ of 217 Squadron. BOTH KEY

espite being somewhat overshadowed by its ‘stablemates’ – the Blenheim and the Beaufighter – Bristol’s Beaufort was built in large numbers and served in several different theatres during World War Two. A twin-engined torpedo bomber, its design was influenced by that of the earlier Blenheim. The experience gained from building the latter meant that the development of the Beaufort was less protracted and produced fewer ‘teething’ troubles. Nearly 2,000 of the distinctive machines were built, including around 700 manufactured in Australia. Beauforts served with Coastal Command and the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm from 1940, and were extensively used in the Mediterranean, flying from Malta and Egypt. The type also found great favour with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which used them in the Pacific until the end of the war. Although designed as a torpedo

66 FLYPAST February 2017

bomber, the Beaufort proved to be fairly versatile and was more frequently employed as a conventional light bomber, or mine-layer.

Production

Slightly larger and considerably heavier than the Blenheim, the Bristol Type 152 replaced the former’s Bristol Mercury engines with more powerful, sleeve valve Taurus units, after initial trials with the Perseus powerplant proved unsuccessful. The new aircraft was named after the Duke of Beaufort, whose ancestral home was located not far from Bristol’s headquarters in Gloucestershire. The design incorporated several refinements over the Blenheim and was easier to build in various sub-assemblies, meaning the work could be contracted out to other manufacturers. The first prototype was rolled out in mid-1938, but engine problems delayed the first flight until October 15 of that year. Further modifications were needed before

production began in November 1939, the first Beauforts reaching Coastal Command’s 22 Squadron in January 1940. Over 1,000 Taurus-powered Mk.Is were built in Britain – and these aircraft were constantly refined throughout their service. The original curved bomb-aimers’ nose panels were quickly replaced by flat, non-distorting panels from the tenth production aircraft, and several different versions of the Taurus engine were utilised. A total of 165 Mk.IIs were fitted with Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radials which improved both maximum speed and the service ceiling. The Twin Wasps were not available in large numbers, so most subsequent Beauforts were Taurusequipped. The final British-built version was the Pratt & Whitneypowered T.II, on which the turret was removed and the position faired over. Defensive armament also received major upgrades during the type’s service ‘life’.

4

Beaufighter

hu

hter

SPOT FACT The Mk.IV was powered by two Taurus XX radial pistons

Origin & history

Australian-built versions were often known as DAP Beauforts as they were made at the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) in Melbourne alongside those produced by various sub-contractors. The first DAP machine, A9-1, made its debut flight on May 5, 1941. The Australian aircraft featured a larger tailfin, different armament and a new array of aerials including the distinctive, diamond-shaped DF model which was fitted to the cabin roof.

Machine of war

Beauforts took part in several campaigns. Their first torpedo attack in RAF hands came on September 11, 1940, when aircraft targeted merchant ships off Ostend, Belgium. Torpedo strikes were also carried out on the German warships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst while both were at the port of Brest in France. The final major operation to feature Beauforts before they were moved to other theatres was an attack on the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in May 1942. Units performed with some success in the Mediterranean, targeting and often crippling a variety of enemy vessels. The tanker San Andrea was sunk by two 39 Squadron Beauforts on August 30, 1942. Often operating

alongside other types of aircraft, or in conjunction with Royal Navy submarines, Beaufort crews played a significant role in impeding Rommel’s supply lines. The last operational unit was 39 Squadron which exchanged its aircraft for Beaufighters in June 1943. In RAAF hands, the Beaufort excelled. It equipped a total of 19 units, flying in the maritime patrol role as well as carrying out strike and bombing raids. Describing the

machine’s role in defeating Japanese forces in the southwest Pacific, aviation historian William Green wrote that it was “probably of greater importance than any other single aircraft”. The type was very much a machine of war, and was deemed obsolete in peacetime. None remain airworthy today, though the Beaufort Restoration Group in Caboolture, Queensland is working hard to return Beaufort Mk.VII A9-141 (VH-KTW) to Australian skies.

Above

The last Beaufort built in Australia, A9-700, flies over Sydney Harbour Bridge. This aircraft was struck off charge in August 1949.

Bristol Beaufort Mk.I

AT A GLANCE: RANGE (miles) 0

400

800

1,200

1,600 1,600

AT A GLANCE: SPEED (mph) 0

100

200

300

400

272

Construction: First Flight: Powerplant: Dimension: Weight: Performance:

AT A GLANCE: CEILING (feet) 0

5,000

10,000

15,000 16,500

Armament: 20,000

Crew:

A total of 1,180 were built in Britain, and 700 were made in Australia. The prototype first flew on October 15, 1938, with the first Australian aircraft flying on May 5, 1941. Two Bristol Taurus II, III, VI, XII or XVI 14-cylinder sleeve valve radial engines, typically developing 1,130hp (843kW) each. Span 57ft 10in (17.6m). Length 44ft 2in. Height 14ft 3in. Wing area 503 sq ft (46.7m2). Empty 13,107lb (5,945kg). Loaded 21,230lb. Max speed 272mph (420km/h) at 6,500ft (1,981m). Service ceiling 16,500ft. Rate of climb 1,200ft per min. Range 1,600 miles (2,600km). Three 0.303in Vickers machine guns (two in turret, one in port wing). Later models had six guns (two in nose, two in turret, one in port wing and one in entry hatch). Bomb load 2,000lb or one 1,605lb 18in torpedo. Usually four.

Note: performance and weights varied according to role and configuration.

hulks were known to be stored with the late David Talichet at Chino, California February 2017 FLYPAST 67

Spotlight Bristol Beaufort

Above

Torpedo-armed 42 Squadron Beauforts, including W6498 and W6532, heading for Norwegian waters on February 8, 1942. VIA R C B ASHWORTH

Top right

The badge of 42 Squadron features the Greek god Perseus, the slayer of monsters, against a globe. The motto ‘Fortiter in re’ translates as ‘Bravely in action’.

Bravely in A W

hen war broke out in 1939 the RAF had two torpedo bomber squadrons in Britain, both of which were flying antiquated Vickers Vildebeest biplanes. Those of 42 Squadron at Bircham Newton in Norfolk, under Sqn Ldr Alan Waring, were placed on standby for an attack in January 1940. One of 42’s pilots, Sgt Llewellyn-Thomas, recalled the moment with some trepidation: “Torpedoes at the ready – operation cancelled. Thank God!” Three months later 42 Squadron began converting to Beauforts,

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a huge leap in performance and complexity. The unit was still training when the German assault against France and the Low Countries began on May 10. Mining German waters began soon afterwards, the Beauforts of 22 Squadron, based at North Coates on the Lincolnshire coast, taking on the task. The Beaufort’s main role was to attack the warships of the Kriegsmarine, the Germany navy, and 42’s first chance came on June 21. After supporting the invasion of Norway, and helping to sink the carrier HMS Glorious, the battlecruiser Scharnhorst, with an

escort of six destroyers and motor torpedo boats, was sailing off the Norwegian coast. Detached to Wick in northern Scotland, 42 Squadron was not torpedo-trained on its new mounts, so it was to strike at this formidable force in daylight with each of its nine Beauforts apparently carrying two 500lb semi-armour-piercing bombs. Led by Sqn Ldr George Smith, they set off in mid-afternoon unescorted, flying in three ‘vics’ at 1,000ft (304m) on the Beaufort’s first shipping attack. Approaching the Norwegian coast southwest of Bergen, they climbed and soon

SPOT FACT Australia produced Beauforts until August 1944

n Action spotted the Scharnhorst group. At 16:25 hours Smith led his flight into a dive in the face of an intensive anti-aircraft barrage, although none were seriously hit. Several bombs were seen to strike, but appeared to bounce off the vessel’s armour. Later investigation suggests the Beauforts were carrying general-purpose rather than armourpiercing bombs! As the Beauforts departed they were engaged by Messerschmitt Bf 109s of II/JG 77. Smith’s air gunner, LAC Begbie, claimed one shot down – but Fg Off W BarrieSmith’s L9810 was shot down in flames as was Plt Off Alan Rigg’s

19

L4501, and all four on each aircraft were killed. Flt Lt Dermott Wright’s section was also hit by the ’109s as they flew out of their attack and Fg Off Jack Seagrim’s crew in L4486 were lost. The final section, led by Flt Lt Mark Ballion, all survived. It was a terrible blow for the squadron on its first ‘outing’. The next day all Beauforts were grounded for modifications to their gun turrets and troublesome Bristol Taurus engines. Operations did not resume until the end of August, by which time bombing invasion barges in the Channel ports had become the priority.

Beaufort in Combat

Andrew Thomas chronicles the hazardous operations of 42 Squadron against German warships

Return to torpedoes

On the evening of October 10, 1940, 42 Squadron returned to torpedo operations. Flt Lt Hibberd and Fg Off

G Rooney DFC attacked shipping off Boulogne, both successfully dropping their torpedoes, but Hibberd’s exploded short. Both were set upon by four Bf 109s and Rooney’s L4491 had its hydraulics and turret put out of action

RAAF units were equipped with Beauforts February 2017 FLYPAST 69

SPOT FACT Some Australian Beauforts were fitted with ASV radar aerials on the rear fuselage

Right

At one stage 42 Squadron named its aircraft according to the individual letter: ‘AW-C’ was ‘Churchill’. 42 SQN RECORDS

while he was wounded. Hibberd’s aggressive flying drove the fighters off. Rooney’s co-pilot, Fg Off A H ‘Junior’ Simmonds, himself wounded, carried out a wheels-up landing at Thorney Island in Hampshire. Some two weeks later 42 Squadron sank one ship and damaged a second off Norway – but at the cost of two Beauforts (L9813 and N1159), downed by patrolling Messerschmitts of II/JG 77. Bad weather in January and February 1941 severely limited operations but March’s were more successful. In May, 42 Squadron was on a high state of readiness during naval engagements with Bismarck, although it was fog-bound at Abbotsinch for much of the time.

“We came down to a few hundred feet above the sea. I put the nose down and saw the battleship in my sight. I pressed a button on the throttle which released the torpedo and away it went” Above

Beauforts carried the torpedo semirecessed in the bomb bay. HMP Right

Beaufort I N1001 of 42 Squadron, named ‘Eve’, completed 72 operations between November 1940 and April 1942. VIA R C B ASHWORTH

Direct hit

In early June 1941 the heavy cruiser Lützow sailed from Germany for Norway with an escort of destroyers. Following an ‘Enigma’ signals intercept the Admiralty was aware of her movements and, among others, Beauforts of 22 and 42 Squadrons stood standby in Scotland. On the night of June 12 the ship was spotted off Egersund and 13 Beauforts of 42 Squadron left Leuchars along with five from 22 Squadron at Wick. At 02:18 on the 13th, F/Sgt Ray Loviett in L9939, who had become separated from the formation, sighted Lützow and took it by surprise. He recalled: “We came down to a few hundred feet above the sea. I put the nose down and saw the battleship in my sight. I pressed a button on the throttle which released the torpedo and away it went. “I made a sharp turn to port and opened my engines flat out. The rear gunner shouted: ‘You’ve hit it!’ I flew round in a circle and sure enough there was plenty of smoke and a patch of foam on the ship’s track.” The torpedo had hit the port side, sending a violent shock through the

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ship which took on an immediate list. Lützow limped back to Germany for repairs which took six months.

Shipping strikes

Sgt Norman Morison received an immediate DFM for sinking the 370ton Vestkyst off Mandal, Norway, at dawn on July 25, 1941. As the crew turned for home two Bf 109s of JG 77 pounced, but they shot down that flown by Lt Minz. In a remarkably chivalrous gesture the other pilot saluted the Beaufort crew

before turning for home. The squadron sank five small ships during October, all by using bombs. In the mid-afternoon of the 14th, three of its Beauforts (N1163 – W/O Woodward, AW243 – Fg Off Pett and X8929 – Plt Off Sellick) from Leuchars attacked two enemy merchant vessels with torpedoes near Obrestad, Norway. In poor weather and in the face of heavy fire, Sellick’s torpedo hit home. Woodward followed but was shot down. On December 11, AW243, flown

Beaufort in Combat Zealander Sqn Ldr Johnny Dinsdale in AW307 headed up the Beaufort element. At 20:15 F/Sgt Manning, flying AW315, spotted Prinz Eugen and the Beauforts swung into action against heavy fire from the ships and escorting Bf 109s. Manning was the first to drop but the CO’s aircraft along with AW373 flown by Fg Off Birchley and Fg Off Archer’s AW383 were quickly shot down. The second element went in with P/O McKern dropping his torpedo from 1,200 yards (1,100m) at 20:22 at just 70ft, despite being attacked on the run in by a Bf 109, which his gunner drove off. Although nine torpedoes were delivered and two hits claimed, none

Left

Beaufort AW243, the last Mk.I built, was shot down on December 12, 1941 when flown by Plt Off Oliver Philpot of ‘Wooden Horse’ PoW fame. R H LOVIETT VIA ROGER HAYWARD

Below left

Sgt Nichol’s 42 Squadron crew preparing for takeoff on May 20, 1942 from Leuchars in Beaufort W6476 to search for the ‘Lützow’. W H SHEARSMITH Below

A destroyer in the foreground makes smoke as the ‘Prinz Eugen’ opens fire on 42 Squadron’s Beauforts. 42 SQUADRON VIA R C B ASHWORTH

by Plt Off Oliver Philpot DFC, was shot down during a shipping strike off Norway, and he became a prisoner of war (PoW) along with two others of his crew. He made a ‘home run’ back to Britain in the famous ‘Wooden Horse’ escape of October 1943.

Stalking ‘Prinz Eugen’ From early 1941 a powerful naval force comprising the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen had been sheltering in the French port of Brest. A Beaufort of 22 Squadron torpedoed the Gneisenau in April (see pages 74-75) but by the end of the year intelligence believed the ships would attempt to break out back to Germany. Masked by foul weather and under heavy escort, the enemy squadron sailed through the Straits of Dover on February 14, 1942. Led by Sqn Ldr W H Cliff, 42 Squadron’s formation never had the opportunity to attack. Having escaped from Brest, Prinz Eugen sailed for Norway. While searching for her on the 22nd, Cliff’s crew were forced to ditch. Thanks

6

to ‘Winkie’, one of the Beaufort’s carrier pigeons, they were located and rescued. A torpedo from the submarine HMS Trident meanwhile managed to heavily damage the German ship. By early May emergency repairs had been completed and the Prinz Eugen prepared to return to Germany. On the 16th she sailed from Trondheim, setting in train a large British operation. She was sighted off Mandal the following day and among the forces despatched were a dozen torpedo-armed Beauforts of 42 Squadron with an escort of six Blenheim fighters and four Beaufighters. Led by 42’s CO, Wg Cdr Mervyn ‘Willie’ Williams in AW375, New

struck home. The CO, the sole survivor from his crew, became a PoW and later received the DSO for his leadership during the ill-fated raid. Fighters continued to harass the Beauforts as they withdrew and one gunner beat off repeated onslaughts for more than 30 minutes. Following behind, the Beauforts of 86 Squadron lost four aircraft. Three days later 42’s Beauforts set out for Norway again to try to locate their old foe the Lützow. They were not successful and the warship berthed safely in Trondheim. This was the unit’s swansong over the Channel and North Sea. In June its Beauforts headed east, bound for Ceylon and action against a different enemy.

airframes in kit form were supplied to Australia to kickstart production February 2017 FLYPAST 71

SPOT FACT The Australian Mk.IX was an unarmed transport with a redesigned centre fuselage

Jungle Warri Torpedo debut

Right

Off the New Guinea coast near Buna on November 24, 1942, nine Beauforts of 100 Squadron launched the unit’s first torpedo strike on the previously damaged 2,000-ton Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Hayashio, which later sank. Another Beaufort hit and severely wrecked the torpedo boat Hiyodori. Sgt Duncan’s crew had to force-land near Cape Vogel and managed to make their way out to fight again, and

A pair of Beaufort Vs led by A9-177 of 14 Squadron RAAF, mid-1943. VIA DAVID VINCENT

Below right

The victorious 7 Squadron crew of June 18, 1943. Left to right: Fg Off Basil Walters (observer), Fg Off Peter Hopton (pilot), Fg Off Brian Salter (gunner), F/Sgt Ron Stoner (wireless operator). RAAF Below

A 7 Squadron Beaufort resupplying troops in thick jungle at Babieng, New Guinea, on November 20, 1944. The canisters were named ‘storepedoes’. RAAF

O

nly a handful of Australian-built Beauforts had been delivered to the RAAF before the Japanese assault against Malaya in December 1941. An initial order had been placed for 180 Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp-powered versions, 90 of which were destined for the RAF in Singapore, never to be delivered. The first RAAF Beaufort unit, 100 Squadron, formed at Richmond, Victoria, on February 28, 1942 and in March Wg Cdr John Balmer became commanding officer.

The type’s operational debut came on the night of June 25 when Balmer led five aircraft against a Japanese landing ship off Lae in northern New Guinea. Despite having a faulty bomb release, the CO attacked three times in the face of heavy fire and hit the target twice. Beauforts flown by Flt Lt Thompson and Sqn Ldr Bernard also struck the vessel which was left on fire and apparently sinking. While making a diversionary raid on Salamaua – with another flown by Flt Lt Douglas – Sqn Ldr Sage’s T9604 was lost on the return journey, the first RAAF Beaufort to fail to return.

the CO’s Beaufort crash-landed at Jackson’s Strip, Port Moresby. A week later Sgt C R Green’s crew in A9-38 was shadowing a Japanese destroyer force when, two hours into the patrol, three A6M ‘Zeros’ engaged the Beaufort. In what would normally be a one-sided fight the ‘Aussie’ crew turned the tables and Green’s gunners shot at two of the Zeros, probably destroying one and damaging another while the third broke off the fight. In early January 1943 a Japanese convoy made it through to the harbour at Lae and, on the 7th and 8th, RAAF Beauforts attacked the ships, Sqn Ldr Douglas hitting one of the vessels. The next night, in a torpedo strike by six aircraft, Flt Lt C S Hamblin claimed a hit on a light cruiser. Two Beauforts crashed in bad weather on the return to Milne Bay.

Sub-hunters

The RAAF Beaufort force gradually expanded and from September 1942 both 7 and 14 Squadrons began flying long-

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riors range patrols over the Arafura and Coral Seas. Crews occasionally saw enemy aircraft and on June 18, 1943, during a morning anti-submarine patrol 70 miles north of Wessel Island, a 7 Squadron crew spotted an Aichi E13A Jake floatplane through a gap in the clouds. Fg Off Peter Hopton closed beneath its tail and from 200 yards (182m) fired a five-second burst – as did the observer, Fg Off Basil Walters, with the nose guns. The floatplane’s starboard wing root caught fire and it crashed into the sea. More units were slowly equipped, with 32 Squadron receiving Beauforts in April 1943. Anti-submarine patrols flew from Camden near Sydney, from where on June 17 Plt Off Harrison’s crew attacked a Japanese submarine: they may have sunk the Kaidai class I-178. In August, 6 Squadron at Milne Bay became operational on Beauforts; and 8 Squadron began operations from

6

Beaufort in Combat

The Australians used Beauforts extensively against the Japanese. Andy Thomas explains Goodenough Island the following month when it bombed Gasmata on New Britain. Wg Cdr Geoff Nicoll, 8 Squadron’s CO, led a dozen Beauforts in a dawn raid on Rabaul on August 13, torpedoing and sinking the 6,000-ton Keisho Maru. On October 22, a combined operation by Beauforts of 6, 8 and 100 Squadrons hit the light cruiser Kiso off Cape St George. The resulting fires took a day to control before the vessel was towed to Truk for repair. Another torpedo strike led by Flt Lt Quinn in A9-247 on the night of November 5/6 damaged the light cruiser Noshiro. The next day the squadron mounted the RAAF’s final successful torpedo attack when Fg Off Atkins in A9-248 may have sunk a 300-ton minesweeper.

All-out offensive

RAAF Beauforts then concentrated on bombing raids. During

December 1943 and January 1944, 71 Wing’s aircraft raided the Japanese garrison at Rabaul, setting the tone for the following year – with, for example, an allout offensive against Wewak on the north coast of New Guinea in September. Other Beauforts continued anti-submarine patrols around the Australian coast, including 14 Squadron’s, commanded by Wg Cdr Charles Learmonth. Sadly, during an exercise off Rottnest Island near Perth on January 6, 1944, his Beaufort crashed; today’s RAAF base on the Exmouth Gulf is named after him. Australian Beauforts played a major role against the Japanese in the South West Pacific and no fewer than 19 squadrons flew the type; some only as partial equipment. One commentator wrote that its contribution was “probably of greater importance than that of any other single aircraft type”.

Below

Refuelling Beaufort VIII A9-296 of 7 Squadron RAAF at Horn Island after its crew had shot down a ‘Jake’ on June 18, 1943. RAAF

versions of the Beaufort were produced in Australia February 2017 FLYPAST 73

Spotlight Bristol Beaufort

Low-level

Raider

Andy Hay artwork of a Beaufort flown by a Victoria Cross recipient

Artwork

Bristol Beaufort Mk.I N1016 OA-X of 22 Squadron, based at St Eval, Cornwall, flown by Fg Off Kenneth Campbell VC on April 6, 1941. ANDY HAY-2017

I

n the early years of World War Two, Bristol Beauforts and Blenheims were often tasked with engaging enemy shipping. Crews undertook numerous extremely hazardous sorties, sometimes flying at low level against well-defended convoys and harbours. Casualty rates among air crews were high, and acts of notable valour frequent. One such act occurred on April 6, 1941, when Fg Off Kenneth Campbell and his 22 Squadron crew pressed home an attack on the German battleship Gneisenau

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in northern France’s Brest harbour. Needing to launch his torpedo from a height of just 50ft, Campbell’s aircraft – Beaufort N1016 – was picked out by concentrated antiaircraft fire. Much of this was coming from the mole (a defensive structure) at which his target was moored. Campbell nevertheless persevered, his torpedo striking the enemy vessel below the waterline and causing enough damage to put it out of action for around six months. Due to the rising ground surrounding the harbour, Campbell

was then obliged to attempt a steep banking turn, making his Beaufort a slow and vulnerable target in the sky. Hit by flak, the machine was brought down. Campbell and his crew – Sgts James Scott DFM (navigator), Ralph Hillman (wireless operator) and William Mulliss (air gunner) – were killed. News of the raid was relayed to the British by the French Resistance, leading to the pilot being posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. All four aboard N1016 were buried by the Germans with full military honours.

SPOT FACT Beauforts first served with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in 1940

1,103

Beaufort in profile

Taurus-powered Mk.Is were built February 2017 FLYPAST 75

Spotlight Bristol Beaufort

Bombs, Mines and

Torpedoes C

roydon-born Lloyd Morgan enlisted in March 1940. After completing his training as a pilot, he attended a course at 2 School of General Reconnaissance at Squires Gate, near Blackpool, where he flew Avro Ansons and Blackburn Bothas. A posting to St Eval in Cornwall to join 217 Squadron and convert to the Beaufort followed. Morgan joined the unit just as a concentrated period of attacks

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against the German battlecruisers Sharnhorst and Gneisenau came to an end. His first operations were patrols in the Bay of Biscay in case the warships attempted to break out of the French port of Brest and make for Germany. A number of ‘Bust Patrols’ were also flown by Morgan and his crew. These were daylight sorties along the French coast to Ushant flying at 500ft (152m) with a full load of bombs, looking for enemy coastal shipping. Over the next few weeks 217’s Beauforts were heavily engaged in ‘Gardening’; dropping mines in the entrances to the Biscay ports. The 1,500lb Mk.I mine was dropped from heights that varied from around 100 to 1,500ft. Throughout June and much of July 1941, most of Morgan’s flying was Gardening from low-level at night in the approaches to Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire and La Rochelle. Towards the end of July, there was a diversion when intelligence reports indicated that Scharnhorst appeared to be preparing to sail from

s

SPOT FACT Canada, New Zealand, Turkey and South Africa also operated Beauforts

Men Behind the Beaufort listened to the BBC and were telling the RAF crews that they were giving them hope. The signal was widely reported by the national press. In addition to the mine-laying against the Biscay ports, bombing continued with more ordnance dropped on the docks. These sorties and attacks against shipping caused heavy casualties and Morgan lost many of his friends.

Beaufort teacher

In October 1941 the squadron started to receive the Beaufort II powered by 1,200hp (895kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasps, a significant improvement on the earlier Mk.I. There was also a move to Thorney Island on the Hampshire coast. On October 29, eight Beauforts attacked Nantes with bombs and dropped leaflets. This followed the execution of 42 hostages with the threat to shoot a further 50 in German retaliation for the assassination of Lt Col Karl Holz, the military governor of Nantes. Morgan later learnt that the other hostages had been spared. It was the pilot's last operation on 217

Graham Pitchfork charts the careers of three Beaufort pilots operating in Britain, North Africa and the Pacific La Pallice. On July 24 Morgan flew one of the eight Beauforts, each carrying a 2,000lb ‘Magnum’ mine. During the attack they met heavy anti-aircraft fire, dropping their payload in the dock area. The following day Scharnhorst sailed and Morgan was in a formation of six sent to attack but poor weather thwarted their attempts and the battlecruiser made Brest safely.

Low-level raids

Morgan was piloting one of three Beauforts tasked with bombing docks and shipping at St Nazaire on the night of September 28, 1941. Poor weather thwarted the raid so Morgan and his crew headed for the alternate target, the oil refinery at nearby Donge. On the approach a night-fighter attacked the Beaufort. Morgan dived to 100ft, while his gunner opened fire and the enemy veered away. The gunner then destroyed a threatening searchlight. Pressing on from 700ft, the observer, Plt Off Roy Nesbit (who later became

320

a highly-respected aviation historian and author) was able to obtain a direct hit with the two 500lb and three 250lb bombs, and one 25lb canister of incendiaries. The resulting explosion shook the low-flying ‘Beau’. The second Beaufort added to the conflagration but the third failed to return. Two nights later, Morgan and his crew were detailed to carry out a night raid on the Kuhlmann chemical works in Nantes. On the approaches to the Loire estuary, a night-fighter attacked from ahead. Morgan dived to 150ft and headed out to sea before he made a second attempt. Intense light flak was encountered but Nesbit fixed their position in the hazy conditions and released the bombs from 700ft; the explosion rocking the aircraft violently. The crew observed the collapse of a tall chimney followed by a large fire, which could still be seen 20 miles away on the homeward journey. As the crew headed for the French coast, winking lights were flashed in Morse, dit-dit-dit-dah 'V-for-Victory'. The oppressed French people had

Squadron. It was announced on November 8 that he had been awarded an immediate DFM. In March 1942 King George VI presented it to him at an investiture at Buckingham Palace. After training as a flying instructor, he was commissioned and spent a year teaching pilots to fly the Beaufort. In June 1943 he joined the newly formed 684 Squadron flying Mosquitos on long-range photographic reconnaissance operations from airfields near Calcutta, India. After almost a year of continuous missions, Morgan was rested and instructed at a flying school at Poona before returning to the UK. He was released from the service in May 1946. He enjoyed a long career in civil aviation and retired as a senior training captain with British Airways when he was 55. He then flew BAC OneEleven twin-jets with Air Malawi for a further five years. He was a stalwart of the Beaufort Aircrew Association and was its treasurer for several years until it disbanded in 2011. Lloyd Morgan died in 2013.

Above left

A Beaufort of 217 Squadron. Far left

Lloyd Morgan, 217 Squadron Beaufort pilot. Left

One of the newspaper articles reporting the V-for-Victory sign displayed after the raid on St Nazaire of September 28, 1941.

Beauforts were initially ordered by the RAF February 2017 FLYPAST 77

SPOT FACT Designer Roy Fedden created the low drag cowlings to accommodate the Taurus engines early morning brief when their charismatic leader, Sqn Ldr Pat Gibbs, simply said: “You will see cruisers and destroyers on the way in. Ignore them and go for the battlewagons, follow me.” With that, the Beauforts, each carrying a torpedo, took off at 06:15 hours and headed for the target. They flew at very low level off

This page, clockwise from right

Ground crew of 217 Squadron having a well-earned tea break at St Eval. Daffurn (standing left) and his crew. Lionel Daffurn in desert ‘rig’. A Beaufort of 39 Squadron off the coast near Benghazi.

“The crew observed the collapse of a tall chimney followed by a large fire, which could still be seen 20 miles away on the homeward journey” Taranto fleet

A student at London University, Lionel Daffurn enlisted in the RAF Volunteer Reserve in October 1939 and trained as a pilot. After flying Ansons and Blenheim IVs on convoy patrols over the North Sea he was sent to Egypt in November 1941. Converting to the Beaufort, he joined 39 Squadron at Shandur which was

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conducting torpedo training and practising formation attacks. The unit later moved to Sidi Barrani. On the evening of June 14, 1942 reconnaissance aircraft spotted the Italian fleet near Taranto and heading south. They were likely to come within range of the Sidi Barrani-based Beauforts by the following morning. Twelve crews gathered for a very

Men Behind the Beaufort

the north coast of Libya, fearful that enemy fighters on the landing grounds would be alerted and engage the Beauforts. Two hours in, disaster struck when a force of Messerschmitt Bf 109s, en route to Crete, spotted the formation and attacked. Two Beauforts were shot down and the formation was soon scattered. The more powerful Mk.IIs pulled ahead but Daffurn and his crew, in a Mk.I, found themselves at the rear of the force. Three Bf 109s closed in and the gunner opened fire only for his guns to jam. The wireless operator left his position to man the single gun on the port side but, after a few bursts; he was badly injured by shrapnel. Daffurn maintained a violent weave when the aircraft suddenly lurched and the rudder bar became virtually useless. As he struggled to maintain

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some degree of control, the fighters closed in and the fuselage and engines were repeatedly hit. Suddenly, the fighters broke off and Daffurn turned the badly damaged Beaufort and headed for home – a two-hour flight. Unable to jettison the torpedo, Daffurn struggled to keep control but they eventually reached base, making a successful belly landing. The crew had survived to fight another day. Four others from the formation were forced to turn back and only five made the attack. Despite being badly damaged, they all survived and managed to reach Malta. The Italian fleet suffered no damage but it sailed back to Taranto and was rarely seen in the Mediterranean again.

'Rommel’s Last Tanker'

It was soon apparent that the Beauforts flying from airfields in Egypt were having to operate at extreme range, so regular detachments were sent to Malta where they joined forces with 86 and 217 Squadrons. The three units would attack in wing strength on what became known as ‘Armed Rovers’ under the dynamic leadership of Pat Gibbs, who later became the film critic of the Independent newspaper. Daffurn flew on daylight torpedo raids when nine Beauforts were escorted by up to 16 Beaufighters. Enemy shipping was engaged off the Greek coast and others on passage from Brindisi to Benghazi or Tobruk carrying supplies to Rommel’s panzer divisions in North Africa.

Back in Egypt, Daffurn was commissioned and flew antishipping patrols. In late September, the majority of 39 Squadron’s Egypt-based crews were transferred to 47 Squadron, which was just re-equipping with the Beaufort. Daffurn took part in 47’s first major success. In October 1942 Beauforts took off to search for the Prosperina carrying urgently needed fuel for Rommel on the eve of the Battle of El Alamein. The vessel was found, and it sank after a direct hit from a torpedo. Dubbed ‘Rommel’s Last Tanker’, its loss was a major blow to the operational capability of the Axis at a crucial time. Daffurn remained on 47 Squadron for a further six months, flying from Misurata in Libya on anti-submarine and anti-shipping patrols as the Allied armies advanced towards Tunisia. Finally, the unit converted to Beaufighters. This heralded a long career for Daffurn on the type in the Middle East and then with the Dallachy Wing in Scotland. Lionel Daffurn was awarded the DFC. He left the RAF at the end of the war to take up holy orders.

Above

A 39 Squadron Beaufort in a makeshift blast pen at Luqa, Malta. Left

A torpedo dropped from a Beaufort scoring a hit in the Mediterranean.

Coral Sea strikes

Charles ‘Chas’ Walsh, who came from a small town near Perth in Western Australia, enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on June 20, 1940 as an airman pilot. After completing his training, he spent two years flying Ansons and Hudsons. With a considerable amount of experience in twin-engined types,

Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp-powered Mk.IIs were made February 2017 FLYPAST 79

SPOT FACT Though larger, the type's overall structural weight was less than that of the Blenheim Below

A Beaufort of 100 Squadron RAAF at a jungle strip.

Walsh completed torpedo-dropping training in May 1943. He went on to join 100 Squadron operating the Australian-built Beaufort VII. Based at Gurney at the head of Milne Bay in New Guinea, 100 Squadron was part of Allied Air Forces, South-West Pacific Area. It was one of nine units forming 9 (Operational) Group commanded by Air Cdre J E Hewitt RAAF when General Douglas MacArthur, the commander of South-West Pacific Command, began his advance in the southwest Pacific. The Japanese relied on shipping to re-supply the many islands they occupied, while the Allied advance was heavily dependent on amphibious and naval support. Consequently, a great deal of 100’s activities was geared towards attacking enemy shipping and supporting Allied operations. Walsh flew his first ‘op’ on June 18 when he completed a six-hour anti-submarine patrol over the Coral Sea. Convoy patrols, shipping reconnaissance and air sea rescues followed. By mid-July, it had become apparent that the Japanese were reinforcing Rabaul and other key positions in the south of New Britain. Reconnaissance had identified increased activity on the Japanese-held airfield at Gasmata

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and on July 21 ten Beauforts of 100 Squadron deployed to the advance airfield at Vivigani on Goodenough Island. The following morning, in poor weather, Walsh and nine other crews took off to attack Gasmata. Two squadrons of Curtiss Kittyhawks provided top cover. The Beauforts were the third force over the target, by which time the cloud base had lowered significantly. However, the ten crews dropped 15,000lb of bombs on the runway in a series of low-level attacks before strafing buildings and enemy gun positions. Five of the ten Beauforts were hit by anti-aircraft fire but managed to return. At the time, it was the largest single RAAF strike that had been undertaken.

Assault on Lae

As a prelude to an advance on Rabaul, MacArthur’s troops had seized islands in the Solomon Sea and these provided good advanced landing grounds, including one on Kiriwina. This enabled air operations against New Britain, and raids on the Japanese strongholds in northern New Guinea were intensified. Walsh and his fellow crews staged many anti-submarine and convoyprotection patrols in support of the large-scale movements at sea by Allied forces. With the amphibious landings at Lae, which was close to the previously

attacked Gasmata, planned for September 4, 1943, the patrols became even more vital. The assault on Lae began with a naval bombardment and Walsh flew an armed reconnaissance sortie. Ten aircraft of 100, together with Douglas Bostons of 22 Squadron, mounted a major raid on Gasmata in an attempt to prevent the Japanese Naval Air Service from interfering with the landings. A dawn recce revealed that the enemy had made repairs to the runway overnight. It was vital that the airfield should be kept out of action because Allied transport aircraft were to drop an American and Australian parachute force at Nadzab, near Lae. At 07:00 on September 5, ten 100 Squadron Beauforts, led by Flt Lt Woollacott, and with a top cover provided by eight Kittyhawks of 76 Squadron, set out for Gasmata. An earlier visit from Bostons had alerted the enemy air defences and they were at a high state of readiness. The Beauforts planned to approach in a shallow dive from 3,000ft and release the bombs at 1,500ft. This tactic had worked well on earlier attacks when the opposition was light.

Men Behind the Beaufort This time the enemy gunners were waiting. Woollacott dived first but his aircraft was soon hit and set on fire. Nevertheless, he pressed on and dropped his bombs on the runway before his blazing Beaufort crashed, killing him and his crew. A second Beaufort was hit and crashed into the sea, and a third was seen leaving the area on fire and this failed to return. Walsh dived on the target and his machine was hit and badly damaged. With one engine out of commission, he managed to coax it back to Vivigani where he made a crash

Beauforts to the forward airfield at Vivigani on September 21. Later that night he led five aircraft to the enemy airfield. The Australian aircraft dropped 12 tons of bombs with delayed action fuses ranging from 12 seconds to 36 hours. The Japanese air units on Rabaul had to be neutralised as MacArthur was mounting a campaign towards the Caroline Islands where adequate anchorages – needed for the eventual recapture of the Philippines – would become available. Late on October 12, Walsh led a small force of Beauforts to attack an ammo dump at Cape Hoskins on

Harbour. On the night of November 14, it was 100 Squadron’s turn to attack the shipping in company with the Beauforts of 6 and 8 squadrons.

Outstanding example Rabaul continued to be a serious threat to the US-led Allied landings and it came under constant attack by the Beaufort units. However, Walsh was coming to the end of his tour, during which the squadron had sustained heavy casualties. On the night of November 17, 1943, he flew his last operation when he carried out a night attack against dispersals on the outskirts of Rabaul.

Centre left

Chas Walsh RAAF. Left

RAAF Beauforts head out over the Solomon Islands. ALL VIA AUTHOR

landing. Walsh and his crew escaped unhurt but the aircraft was wrecked and could only be used for spares. The raid on Gasmata proved very expensive for 100 Squadron. Four aircraft and three crews were lost and most of the remaining six Beauforts had been damaged. However, the strikes had been successful and the aircraft based at Gasmata were reduced to just a minor role in support of Japanese ground forces. By September 15, Lae and Salamaua were in Australian hands. With this rapid success, MacArthur brought forward the date to take the important port of nearby Finschhaven.

Rabaul action

The Australian landings were planned for September 22, 1943 and the Beauforts of 100 Squadron, together with a small force of Bostons, were tasked to re-attack Gasmata to suppress any enemy air activity. Walsh, who had just been made a flight commander, took a force of five

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New Britain, dropping a mixture of 500lb and 250lb bombs. On the 20th, Allied intelligence learned that an enemy convoy, which included two cruisers, was heading for Rabaul from Truk. Three RAAF Beaufort squadrons were tasked to attack the convoy and Walsh flew one of the nine aircraft of 100 Squadron. Taking off just after midnight on the 21st from Kiriwina, the Beauforts found the ships at 04:15. Beauforts of 6 and 8 Squadrons dropped torpedoes and those of 100 Squadron attacked with bombs against very heavy antiaircraft fire. Three large flashes were seen on the port side of one of the cruisers with men seen jumping into the water. Walsh led four night strikes against the enemy airfield at Vunakanau and dumps around Rabaul. On November 9, with seven other crews of 100 Squadron, he again dropped bombs on the area but this time as a diversion for a torpedo attack against Japanese naval targets in nearby Simpson

Shortly afterwards, the Bismarck Barrier was broken and the Allied advance towards the re-occupation of the Philippines gathered momentum. In six months, Walsh had accumulated 220 operational hours and had flown 46 missions, including 12 strikes against very heavily defended targets. It was later announced that he had been awarded the DFC. The citation concluded: “He has been an outstanding example to all other members of his squadron”. For 18 months, Walsh was an instructor on 1 Operational Training Unit at East Sale training Beaufort crews. He later left for Canberra where he converted to the US-built North American B-25 Mitchell before joining 2 Squadron to fly operations over Borneo. Walsh was released from the RAAF in January 1947. The rigours of war in New Guinea and Borneo had left its mark on Chas Walsh – he suffered from ill health later in his life and died in 1980.

mph (446km/h) was the top speed of the Mk.II February 2017 FLYPAST 81

WARBIRDS FOLLAND GNAT

y a l p s i D

d e n i m r e t De

to

No e h t s it is v r e v a P Richard

‘C

hallenging’ is a good word to describe the times that British historic jet operators have experienced since the summer of 2015. For the North Weald-based Gnat Display Team the past year has been one of consolidation and building for the future. Last year, the team’s Folland Gnat T.1 trainers made a few UK airshow appearances, both as ‘singleton’ and a pair – see panel on page 84. Regular display pilots were Chris Heames, Mark Fitzgerald, Peter ‘Willy’ Hackett and Edwin ‘Shorty’ Brenninkmeyer while team chief Oliver Wheeldon continued to practise to achieve a display authorisation on the diminutive jet. The tragic death of Kevin Whyman while displaying Gnat T.1 XS111 (G-TIMM) at an event in

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Cheshire in August 2015 was a huge setback. Since then the team has worked very closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to continue to safely operate the Gnat. The Heritage Aircraft Trust (HAT), a registered charity, supports the Gnat Display Team. Among its aims is to “preserve and protect Gnat and other historic aircraft for the benefit of the public and to demonstrate and display such aircraft at events and to conserve them as heritage assets”.

SABRE SLAYER

One of the HAT trustees, Oliver Wheeldon, outlined plans for the future: “In 2013 the trust acquired a single-seat Gnat F.1 fighter and since then our engineering team has been hard at work carrying out a very comprehensive overhaul

with the objective to return it to airworthy condition. These days the F.1 variant is extremely rare and ours will be the only airworthy example in the world.” Initially, 25 F.1s were manufactured by Folland for the Indian Air Force and subsequently further examples were produced locally in India by Hindustan Aeronautics. Oliver continues: “We bought ours from George Perez in Seattle, USA, who had acquired it from the estate of the late David Tallichet. It was dismantled and packed for shipping to the UK by George’s team, arriving here at North Weald at the end of 2013.” The electrics, hydraulics and fuel systems had essentially been

the

m a e T y la p is D t a n dG North Weald-base

completed last August with engine runs and a roll out planned before the end of 2016. He added: “The first flight will depend on the successful completion of all the required CAA paperwork and associated approvals and our objective is to fly the F.1 as the lead in a new three-ship Gnat display hopefully sometime in the next year or two. “The F.1 is UK-registered as G-SLYR, from its Indian Air Force nickname as the ‘Sabre Slayer’. This is as a result of the Gnat’s incredible ‘kill’ ratio in dogfights versus the Pakistani F-86 Sabres it fought against during the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971.”

FILM ‘STAR’

The team has also acquired another T.1 to replace XS111 and it was delivered to North Weald last August. This new addition to the Gnat Display team fleet is 1963-built XP513, which was also sourced in the USA from Theodore Wright III. It had flown with the Spirit of Flight Museum at Erie, Colorado and appeared in the popular Top Gun film spoof, Hot Shots!, starring Charlie Sheen, released in 1991. Oliver explained: “We had to ship the wing separately from the rest of the airframe because there was no

way the complete aircraft could be moved around the USA by road and so we had to produce a madeto-measure wing crate to do this. We did consider leaving the wing in the United States and looking for a replacement in the UK but as the rest of the aircraft was in such good condition we decided to press ahead. “The aircraft is in lovely condition and was well looked after in the US. As soon as we have the F.1 airworthy we will turn our attention to XP513 as we aim to have it flying as soon as possible.

Above

‘Yellowjack’ G-MOUR, flown by Chris Heames and XR538 piloted by Oliver Wheeldon. ALL RICHARD PAVER

February 2017 FLYPAST 83

WARBIRDS FOLLAND GNAT

Right

The cockpit of the Gnat F.1. Far right

Former Indian Air Force single-seater F.1 E-296 is at an advanced stage of overhaul. Below

Gnat T.1 XR538 served with 4 Flying Training School at Valley, Wales, from 1963 to 1978.

“Prior to export to the States in the mid-1980s, this particular Gnat was flown by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford as a crew currency trainer. When operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment, between 1978 and 1981, XP513 was the sister aircraft to the ‘Snoopy Nose’ Gnat XP505 held by the Science Museum at Wroughton, Wiltshire. “Despite the fact that it is in lovely condition, it will be a major project to place this Gnat onto the UK register and acquire CAA approval to fly it. We anticipate this will probably be a further one to two years after we have got the F.1 flying.”

COMMITMENT

During the last five years, the UK historic military jet movement

has seen a significant reduction in the numbers regularly flown. The author is hugely encouraged to see the Heritage Aircraft Trust is so committed to continuing to fly the Gnat for public display. It is evident that there are realistic and deliverable plans to expand the operation – the addition of the F.1 being significant among them. The charity is actively looking

for like-minded individuals to help run and fund these wonderful machines. Any reader interested in becoming a trustee or supporting these ambitious projects should go to www.gnatdisplayteam.org Sincere thanks to Oliver Wheeldon and Chris Heames of the Heritage Aircraft Trust and to Richard Verrall, pilot of the camera-ship.

HERITAGE AIRCRAFT TRUST GNATS Variant Indian F.1 RAF T.1 RAF T.1 RAF T.1

Built 1967 1963 1963 1964

Serial E-296 XP513 XR538 XS102

Civil Regn G-SYLR N513X G-RORI G-MOUR

Status Under restoration Arrived North Weald Aug 2016 Airworthy, 4 Flying Training School colours Airworthy, in ‘Yellowjacks’ colours as ‘XR992’

“The author is hugely encouraged to see the Heritage Aircraft Trust is so committed to continuing to fly the Gnat for public display”

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p085_FP_feb17_ad.indd 1

12/12/2016 11:07

WARBIRDS FLYING BULLS

T

o any self-respecting airshow attendee in the UK and Europe, the Flying Bulls collection, with its immaculate classic warbirds and high-octane displays, is an instantly familiar sight. FlyPast was lucky enough to visit the display team during its winter maintenance for a closer look at what happens behind the scenes. “For us, it’s all about making sure the crowd is happy,” muses display pilot Eric Goujon as he opens the door to Hangar 7 at Salzburg Airport, Austria. “It’s what we look forward to, and why we enjoy doing this so much.” Eric flies the ’Bulls ChanceVought F4U-4 Corsair, which is a very popular performer. Currently, it’s awaiting full reassembly, along with the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and North

American B-25J Mitchell N6123C, all of which are the staple ingredients of the flying displays. Everywhere you turn in the stylish and bespoke hangar, there are warbirds and aerobatic types of one kind or another, all proudly sporting the Flying Bulls branding. The brightly lit space is a hive of activity, as mechanics and support crew swarm over the aircraft. Outside in the bright and warm Austrian sunshine, the team’s Bell TAH-1F Cobra helicopter is being used for training flights following a stint of working with the BBC television show Top Gear, while a newly acquired Beech T-34 Mentor is also regularly getting airborne. At the centre of the action is Warren Varney, the licensed aircraft

technician for the vintage fleet. As we look around the workshop floor, he’s studying schematics for the gleaming B-25, which is being drained of fluids in preparation for its annual overhaul. Today will see the Mitchell’s fluid systems being pressure tested. The cowlings are being removed and will be followed by spark plugs. Time is not on Warren’s side, as the B-25 needs to be completed and moved within six weeks. A team of mechanics is busily attending to the thousand and one tasks needed to ensure the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S6C-3 radial engines are disassembled correctly. Of all the Flying Bulls’ fleet, the B-25 is Warren’s favourite, and he proudly shows me round.

Austria Made in

The Flying Bulls display team is a regular sight at UK airshows. Chris Gilson visited its Salzburg base to find out what the winter programme entails. Images by Darren Harbar

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“All of our cockpits are modified for continuous use,” says Warren. “They need to be fit to do the job. Essentially, the outside is appealing, but the inside has to be functional. Some warbird owners want to have a cockpit that looks like it did on a certain day in 1945 or something, but that wouldn’t work for us.” A scan of the instrument panel shows this is very much the case, with many modern navigation aids having been installed and most of the dials replaced with more readable modern equivalents. Despite this, the ethos of the aircraft remains the same, and with one glance outside at the menacing Hamilton Standard propellers just a few feet from the window, there’s no doubt what you’re sitting in. The interior of the Mitchell is a surprise however, having been turned into a

comfortable crew transport, complete with carpeting and seats. It’s used by pilots and support staff alike to fly between airshows, making it functional as well as a popular attraction. It’s a far cry from its beginnings as 44-86893A in 1945. “It’s worth mentioning that our warbirds fly a lot of hours a year at various shows and other events,” Warren adds. “Keeping them in this kind of condition takes devotion and hard work. We see ourselves as proactive here, and not reactive. It’s common to move from job to job on the different projects we manage.” One thing that is immediately apparent is the high level of cleanliness on all of the Flying Bulls warbirds. Despite their heavy use, there is no hint of staining or corrosion of any kind. Both interiors and exteriors are immaculate, with even such compartments as wheel cells – traditional attractors

of dust and dirt – appearing spotless. It’s an indicator of the pride the workforce has in its fleet.

Considerably more complex

Moving away from the Mitchell, Warren takes me over to the distinctive Lockheed P-38 Lightning, which is in an advanced stage of disassembly. The Flying Bulls example is an ‘L’ variant. It became famous as a racing machine, finishing its sporty career as the famous ‘White Lightning’ because of its striking white colour scheme. Following a serious accident, the Lightning passed to the Flying Bulls and after a comprehensive rebuild, took to the skies again as ‘N25Y’ in 2009. Ever since then it has become a sought after display performer. “The P-38 is also having an annual check,” says Warren, “But with something as complex as this, that’s a very different experience from overhauling the Mitchell or Corsair.”

Below left

The stylish Hangar 8, with the Flying Bulls’ Douglas DC-6B to the foreground. Bottom

A busy scene in Hangar 7, with various aircraft being serviced.

February 2017 FLYPAST 87

WARBIRDS FLYING BULLS

The Red Bull Fleet Beech T-34 Mentor Bell TAH-1F Cobra Bell 47G-3B-1 Boeing PT-17 Stearman Bristol Sycamore Cessna Caravan Amphibian Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair Dornier Alpha Jet Douglas DC-6B Eurocopter EC-135 Extra 300L Fairchild PT-19 MBB Bölkow 105 Lockheed P-38L Lightning North American B-25J Mitchell North American T-28B Trojan Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter Cessna 172 Skyhawk Cessna 337 Skymaster Piper Cub Piper Super Cub Sukhoi Su-29

55200 OE-ADM N11FX OE-XDM 75-5032 OE-AMM ‘WG545’ OE-XSY OE-EDM 96995 OE-FAS / OE-FDM / OE-FRB / D-ICDM OE-LDM OE-XFB OE-CRB 43-5205 N50429 D-HSDM / D-HTDM / D-HUDM 44-53254 N25Y 44-86893A N6123C 138179 OE-ESA OE-EMD OE-KFB N911DM OE-CDM OE-AFK N69KL

gesturing towards the Mitchell, “It’s the turn of the DC-6, which will be heading inside in January.” With that and a cheery wave, he heads back to his paperwork and the vital task at hand on the B-25. As we look around the hangar, it’s good to see Sigi Angerer walking about and noting the progress being made on the warbirds. Despite retiring in 2012, Sigi is a familiar presence, and upon hearing of our visit, welcomes us warmly to the collection. Upon his retirement, Sigi’s role on Above right

One of the Flying Bulls signature aircraft is Lockheed P-38L Lightning 44-53254, which is receiving its annual overhaul. Above

Balancing one of the rudders on the Lightning. Right

The complex electrical systems of the P-38 can easily be seen here.

One look at the nose section of the P-38 backs up Warren’s comment, as the mass of wiring inside the exposed recesses in the fuselage is clearly visible. The veteran type is also having both its Allison engines changed and as we walk over, the rudders are being balanced. The ground crew steps aside and shows us the component on the test rig. Mounted on pivots, it’s moveable with one finger, and it will be fitted back in due course. Adjacent to the Lightning sits the F4U-4 Corsair, which is nearing the end of its annual inspection but is awaiting vital undercarriage components. One of the founding items of the Flying Bulls collection, it had a chequered history, seeing service with the Honduran Air Force before finishing its military career as late as 1965. It was added to the collection in 1990 by Sigi Angerer, the Bulls’ former chief pilot after he acquired it from a Texan oil millionaire. “After this is finished,” says Warren,

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the Flying Bulls team was taken by Raimund Riedmann, who is both Flight Operations Manager and Chief Pilot Fixed Wing. From his first experience in a glider, aged 15, Innsbruck-born Raimund became involved with the Bulls’ through working with Sigi, who was chief pilot with Tyrolean Jet Services, where Raimund was flying business jets, including the Falcon 10. Seeing Raimund’s expertise as a pilot, Sigi asked if he’d be interested in helping out with the Corsair.

“The P-38 is also having an annual check, but with something as complex as this, that’s a very different experience from overhauling the Mitchell or Corsair”

Left

Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair 96995 rests on jacks awaiting undercarriage components. Below left

The Corsair’s Pratt & Whitney R2800 radial engine. Note the cleanliness of all components.

“He said, ‘don’t give me anything, just help me polish the Corsair’,” recalls Raimund with a smile, “and after a nice cleaning job, we got up there and it was roll, roll, roll all the way.” He swiftly became acquainted with the team’s North American T-28 Trojan and Grumman Widgeon, before starting as a co-pilot on the B-25J. Before long, Raimund’s Tyrolean Jet Services days were over and, following in Sigi’s footsteps, he was inducted as a full-time member of the Flying Bulls. Since then, as the collection has expanded, the number of types he has flown has increased, along with his flying hours. While Raimund looks after the

fixed wing side of the business, the rotary wing element is run by former search and rescue pilot, Siegfried ‘Blacky’ Schwarz, who has charge of a spectacular array of helicopters, including the last flying Bristol Sycamore, ‘XG545’ – itself designed by an Austrian, Raoul Hafner. “I’m lucky to spend lots of hours piloting those old planes,” says Raimund. “We performed at over 50 airshows last year, and we’re doing something unique as well with our combined display using the Dornier Alpha Jets [the Flying Bulls owns four of the type]. It’s very challenging, but very popular, and people love seeing the P-38 and the

Corsair with the jets.” For Raimund, the highlight of 2016 was performing at the Austrian Air Show in front of 300,000 spectators. “We wanted them to feel pleased about what is being done here, and I think we achieved that.” His preferred mount is the P-38, although he is also “very fond” of the B-25, which he also loves to fly. Raimund is also proud of his team and is at pains to give them credit for all their sterling efforts. “We have really good mechanics,” he says, gesturing towards the hangar, “Initially we used contractors, but we now have our own carefully selected maintenance staff, and it’s also very important to give younger mechanics a go as well.” It’s a key point for Raimund, who sees the maintenance schedule as a vital task. “The aim is to get more young people on the team,” he stresses. “Although it’s paramount to get the right staff in general – those who join us must love old technology. With people who have that kind of interest and knowledge, everything is possible. We’re also glad to have such a good investor in Red Bull too, and without them, we wouldn’t have all of this.” The Red Bull connection is an interesting one. A local company, the drinks firm adopted the team after Sigi was approached by its founder Dietrich Mateschitz who liked the idea of giving February 2017 FLYPAST 89

WARBIRDS FLYING BULLS

Above

Work begins on the engines of North American B-25J Mitchell 44-86893A . Below

Aircraft technican Warren Varney studies the schematics of the Mitchell. Below right

The functional cockpit of the B-25J. Many original instruments have been replaced with modern systems.

credence to the company slogan ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. The concept became an instant success, and so the Flying Bulls were born. In Salzburg, where the Red Bull company is a prime employer, the Flying Bulls is seen as a symbol of Austria and one that the people of the city have taken to heart. The biggest task Raimund faces is keeping the training programme ongoing. “We’ve got two Extras and a Sukhoi Su-29 for display training and use them for local airshow acts,” he notes, “and it’s really necessary that our

90 FLYPAST February 2017

pilots stay fresh. For this, the Extra is ideal, it’s cheap to fly and gives the display performers what they need to mentally feel free.” All training is undertaken in-house at the base or on some selected airfields like Budweis or Maribor, with multi-engine work centred on the B-25J. There are also such purpose-built trainers as the T-28, T-34 and a Cessna 172 Skyhawk to assist if necessary. After six years off the circuit, the T-28 – the founding aircraft of the Flying Bulls team – has recently re-emerged wearing a striking gold

and black colour scheme. As Raimund speaks, the engine of the T-34 starts up, and the smart little trainer taxies out across the apron towards the runway. It is reflected in the strikingly shaped window design of Hangar 8, which is opposite Hangar 7. If the latter is the functional maintenance heart of the Flying Bulls, then its counterpart is the public face, boasting not only two exclusive restaurants, but a TV studio which is in regular use, and the rest of the Flying Bulls collection, including the Alpha Jets and truly magnificent Douglas DC-6B.

Stately and beautiful

The focal point of Hangar 8, the ‘Big Six’ is the jewel in the crown of the Bulls collection, and has been fitted out with a stunning and luxurious interior, including a bar and carpeted floor. Like all the historic machines owned by the Flying Bulls, it’s immaculate inside and out, and makes regular excursions on private charters and demonstration flights for VIPs. Its history is also worth mentioning – it was delivered in 1958 as the penultimate DC-6 built, to JAT, the Yugoslav state airline, as a private transport for Marshal Tito, the country’s president. It then

passed to Zambia’s head of state, Kenneth Kaunda, before being stored outside Lusaka Airport. Rediscovered by Namibian tour operator Chris Schutte, it flew pleasure flights and charters until 1999 when, because of the war with Angola, it was sold to the Flying Bulls. Since then it has been based at Salzburg, and is a distinctive and beautiful member of the Flying Bulls. Before photographer Darren Harbar and I leave, we are treated to a flight in the collection’s Cessna 337 Skymaster, affectionately known by all (including the airport’s air traffic control tower) as the ‘push-pull’ by account of its

propellers – one in front, and one behind. An ex-Chilean example built in 1969, today it is required to make a delivery flight of Red Bull drink to the nearby St Johann in Tirol airfield while assisting with a training flight at the same time. Strapped in the comfortable cabin with both Raimund and Eric Goujon up front, the breathtaking Tyrolean scenery unfolds in front of us as the Cessna wends its way between the snowy peaks and glacier-cut valleys. Raimund points out things of interest to us, while shepherding the training flight to its destination on the small airstrip. This region is the ‘playground’ of the Flying Bulls, and after taking off on our return journey we fly over the lights of Salzburg as dusk sets in, a beautiful sight. It’s been a great visit to the Flying Bulls and as we perform one last circuit over Hangar 7 with the B-25J being stripped for its annual overhaul it’s great to know that we’ll be seeing her in the skies, hopefully next year.

Above

The flagship of the Flying Bulls collection is former presidential transport Douglas DC-6B OE-LDM. Left

The complexity of the DC-6s cockpit instrumentation is readily apparent, with few concessions to modernity.

FlyPast thanks Raimund Riedmann, Sigi Angerer, Siegfried Schwarz, Eric Goujon and the Flying Bulls staff for their kindness and help with this feature. February 2017 FLYPAST 91

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FLYPOST

FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK email: [email protected]

Cenotaph Spitfire

Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX PS854 on display near the Cenotaph in Victoria, Hong Kong. ALEX ITENSON

Chinese sorties I had a real sense of déjà vu when I saw the article about the return to flight of Spitfire PR.XIX PS915 following its overhaul and subsequent repaint as sister photo reconnaissance machine PS852 (FlyPast, December 2016). I joined the RAF in 1952 and arrived in Hong Kong that December just in time for Christmas. Flt Lt Ted Powles’ exploits were already the stuff of legend at that time - his arrival back with empty fuel tanks could hardly go unnoticed! I was a member of Station Flight in Kai Tak, next door to 80 Squadron. The flight was equipped with Beaufighter TT.10s, Harvards,

When a Mitchell dropped in I was very interested to read the article in the January issue about the Dutch veterans of 320 Squadron who visited Dunsfold Aerodrome in August last year. In 1944 I was a ten-year-old living in Dunsfold, the end of runway 25 was not far from the cricket field and sometimes when

I happened to glance through the December issue of FlyPast and read the article about the restoration of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Spitfire PR.XIX PS915, and the Cold War high-altitude reconnaissance flights over China out of Hong Kong. The article brought back memories of the sound of Merlin engines over Hong Kong. Our flat overlooked Victoria Harbour, and as a teenager I’d run to the windows to catch a glimpse of Spitfires or [de Havilland]

and the two Spitfire PR.XIXs on detachment from 81 Squadron. The serial numbers of the Spitfires were PS852 and PS854, and when I knew them, they had been repainted a deep blue colour. They were still being flown along the Chinese coast taking pictures of the goings-on along the Hong Kong border [there was an escalated military presence in the area due to the Korean war]. On one occasion in 1954, PS852 returned from a mission of this type with a cannon shell hole through its aileron. Fortunately, there was no damage elsewhere, so the aileron was replaced and the machine was then flight tested by

Flt Lt Harper, who completed the most perfect three-point landing I have ever seen. Unfortunately, serviceability was a problem, the windscreen on PS854 was crazed so badly, that when looking through it towards the sun it was virtually opaque. So, a Gloster Meteor FR.10 with a camera in the nose was brought in. I recall they also tried using a Vickers Valetta transport with the door removed and a camera with a lens the size of a dinner plate on rails inside. I don’t think this was completely successful, hence the Meteor.

the Mitchells were taking off the crew would throw sweets out to us. Most Sundays my family and I would walk from Dunsfold to Alfold past the aerodrome to visit my grandparents, and at one stage the Dutch airmen were camped out by the side of the road – I believe their CO was getting them used to ‘roughing it’ before

they moved to Europe after D-Day. One night a Mitchell crashlanded in a field behind our house. The next morning I was allowed to sit in the cockpit. As far as I can remember it was not too badly damaged, and I assume the crew must have been uninjured.

TONY HAWKEN SOMERSET

Hornets streaking low over the harbour below, whenever I heard the distinctive sound of them approaching. I knew I had a couple of shots of a photo reconnaissance machine taken when it was on display alongside a de Havilland Venom at the Cenotaph in Victoria, Hong Kong, so I searched for them as soon as I got home. Here are a few photos of PS854, which I believe were taken in September 1955. ALEX ITENSON TORONTO, ONTARIO

Meteor memories Reading the article about the Martin-Baker Meteors (FlyPast January), I suddenly realised that I must have seen WA634 in action previously. The occasion was an air display at RAF Lichfield, sometime in the mid-1950s (perhaps 1955 or 1956). As an ATC cadet I had been roped in, together with a few others, to sell programmes at the event. My pitch was a bit removed from the front of the crowd line but I still got a good view of a Meteor as it barrelled down the runway and fired the ejector seat containing a dummy. I think it must have been a rocket seat because the parachute had time to deploy and lower the dummy gently to the ground. Or did I dream it? Perhaps there is a reader out there who could confirm my recollection. TIM FOSTER

DERYCK HAMPSHIRE

BURTON UPON STATHER

BLANDFORD FORUM

SCUNTHORPE

DORSET

February 2017 FLYPAST 93

GLORY DAYS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES

Above

The prototype Bristol 170 was first flown at Filton, Bristol, on December 2, 1945. The type became an instant success: 214 were built up to 1957. An all-passenger version, known as the Wayfarer, was available, but the most numerous was simply called the Freighter and its 6ft 8in (2m) square fuselage section and 31ft 8in long cargo floor permitted the carriage of bulky items. Built in 1947 Freighter G-AIFF served as the Mk.XI prototype with a longer wing, before being remodelled the following year to become the first of the more powerful Mk.21s and finally in 1949 as the initial, much-improved Mk.31.

From 1952 the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 137 Transport Flight operated six Mk.31 Freighters from Langar, Nottinghamshire, as part of the nation’s commitment to NATO in Europe. Many sorties were staged in support of the RCAF’s Canadair-built Sabre units: Mk.2 19215 is unloaded above, circa 1953.

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With its wide freight doors, the Bristol 170 Freighter could carry outsize loads Left

Canadian-registered Bell 47G-2 CF-HER, built in 1953, arriving or departing, care of an anonymous Bristol Freighter. This helicopter is still extant with an owner in Georgia, USA. Below

On July 14, 1948, Silver City Airways, based at Lympne in Kent, carried out the world’s first scheduled car ferry service, across the English Channel to Le Touquet in France. Two cars in the forward fuselage, plus up to 18 passengers in the rear section, could be accommodated for each 25-minute flight. Lined up at Lympne, three Silver City Freighters and vans from the airline’s own fleet pose for press cameras. Left

As well as aircraft, Bristol also built luxury cars and the publicity tie-in was too good to miss. On January 16, 1953 the prototype stretched Type 170, the Mk.32 Superfreighter, was first flown. The following month this machine, G-AMWA, was posed with an early production Bristol 403 sports saloon. Nearly 300 Bristol 403s were built between 1953 and 1955. ALL KEN ELLIS COLLECTION

February 2017 FLYPAST 95

WORLD WAR TWO EIGHTH AIR FORCE

‘WEE WILLIE’ ROGER SOUPART SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON A HARROWING IMAGE OF A DOOMED B-17

Above

The propaganda image taken to celebrate ‘Wee Willie’s’ 100th mission. Right

Horrific images as ‘Wee Willie’ disintegrates during the raid of April 8, 1945.

O

ne of the most dramatic photos of the air war over Europe depicts a USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress caught in a fireball. A wing folds away from the fuselage and the stricken bomber falls to earth like a leaf in autumn. Entombed within is its crew. This image has been used hundreds, if not thousands, of times in books and magazines. Some captions declare that the B-17 fell to the guns of a Luftwaffe fighter, or that it was hit by bombs dropped from a friendly formation flying above it. Then there is the location to consider. Dozens of German cites have been alleged. Berlin and Hamburg crop up, but Schweinfurt is the most popular. Most of what has been written about this spine-chilling photo is wrong. The real story of this Fortress is different.

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LUCKY SHIP

Like most Fortresses of its time, B-17G-15-BO 42-3133 was painted in dull olive drab and grey livery. It was built at Boeing’s Plant 2 at Seattle, Washington State, and tested in the autumn of 1943. On October 22 it was delivered to the USAAF at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and made ready for deployment in Europe. It was issued to the 91st Bomb Group at USAAF Station 121 at Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, on December 20. The 91st was part of the 1st Air Division, itself an element of the ‘Mighty Eighth’ Air Force. Like most bomb groups, the 91st was composed of four squadrons, in this case the 322nd, the 323rd, the 324th and the 401st. Allocated to the 322nd Bomb Squadron, 42-3133 received the code letters ‘LG-W’ on its fuselage, and a white triangle with a black letter ‘A’ on the top on its right wing and both sides of its fin.

When the B-17 was assigned to its first crew, they gave it the name Wee Willie. A young boy in nappies, wearing a flight cap, and sitting on a falling bomb was painted on the nose. The bomber became a ‘lucky ship’. Unlike other bombers that were shot down or written off within the first 15 or so flights in that mid-war period, Wee Willie seemed to have a charmed life. It survived well over 100 operations. At that time crews were stood down after completing 25 missions. During its operational life, Wee Willie had been ‘home’ to many aircrew. After the ‘centenary’ mission, a propaganda photo was taken, showing the crew under the nose of Wee Willie in faded olive drab, sporting numerous battle scars and looking ‘tired’. In spite of its looks, 42-3133 flew on, soon exceeding 125 missions.

THE CREW OF B-17 WEE WILLIE, APRIL 8, 1945 Rank and name 1st Lt Robert E Fuller 2nd Lt Woodrow A Lien Tech Sgt Francis J McCarthy Staff Sgt Richard D Proudfit Staff Sgt Wylie McNatt Jr Staff Sgt William H Cassiday Staff Sgt Ralph J Leffelman Staff Sgt James D Houtchens Sgt Le Moyne Miller

Position Commander Co-pilot Navigator Bomb aimer Engineer/Top gunner Ball turret gunner Radio op/Top gunner Waist gunner Tail gunner

From California Montana Tennessee Mississippi Texas New York Washington Nebraska Pennsylvania

Possibly taken in the USA, an informal photograph of B-17 aircrew. The men who took part in the last mission of ‘Wee Willie’ are part of this group. Other than 1st Lt Robert E Fuller, who survived the crash, the other crew members are buried in the American war cemetery at Margraten in the Netherlands.

2nd Lt Woodrow A Lien

1st Lt Robert E Fuller

Staff Sgt William H Cassiday

Sgt Le Moyne Miller

Tech Sgt Francis J McCarthy

Staff Sgt Wylie McNatt Jr

Staff Sgt James D Houtchens

Staff Sgt Ralph J Leffelman

Staff Sgt Richard D Proudfit

February 2017 FLYPAST 97

WORLD WAR TWO EIGHTH AIR FORCE

EYE WITNESS

“The fuselage was on fire and when it had dropped approximately 5,000ft the left wing fell off. I saw no crew member leave the aircraft or parachutes open”

Right

‘Wee Willie’ with its first crew, 1944. Far right

A detail of the ‘Wee Willie’ nose art. The B-17 is in its early days, with just four bomb tallies. ALL IMAGES AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

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On April 8, 1945, the bomber climbed out of Bassingbourn on its 129th combat mission; its commander was 1st Lt Robert E Fuller. The 322nd was part of an attack against the locomotive repair facilities at the railroad marshalling yards in Stendal, near Berlin. The squadron was to bomb through clouds using H2S ground search radar to identify the target area. Anti-aircraft gunfire was moderate, causing major damage to four B-17s and minor damage to 13 others. Two bombers from the 91st were lost, including Wee Willie. The Missing Air Crew Report (MACR 13881), included a statement from a witness, a crew member in a nearby B-17: “We were flying over the target at 20,500ft altitude when I observed B-17G 42-31333 to receive a direct flak hit approximately between the bomb bay and No.2 engine. “The aircraft immediately started into a vertical dive. The fuselage was on fire and when it had dropped approximately 5,000ft the left wing fell off. It continued down and when the fuselage was about 3,000ft from the ground it exploded and then exploded again when it hit the ground. I saw no crew member leave the aircraft or parachutes open.” Miraculously Lt Fuller managed to bale out of the stricken bomber. He was captured and spent the remainder of the European war - a few weeks - in a prison camp. The eight other crew members were killed - see the panel on page 97. Wee Willie was the oldest B-17G still in service with the 91st Bomb Group, and the penultimate B-17 lost to enemy action by the Bassingbourn-based group before the end of hostilities. The famous images of the last moments of Wee Willie made the bomber well known, even if the circumstances have for so long been somewhat inaccurate.

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StaliN's Captives

CONCLUDING VLADIMIR KOTELNIKOV’S REVIEW OF AIRCRAFT CAPTURED BY THE SOVIET UNION

Above

Me 262A-2 werk nummer 110426 during testing at NII VVS, autumn 1945. Top right

A Siebel Si 204D, borrowed from Polar Aviation, at Khorog in the Pamir Mountains. Right centre

An Me 262A-2 jet fighter at NII VVS, summer 1945. GENNADY PETROV ARCHIVE

Bottom right

Some of the aircraft at the Gorky Park exhibition – with the River Moskva in the background – in Moscow, June 1943. Among them are Bf 109s, a Do 215, an Fi 156, an Fw 58, an Fw 200, He llls (both conventional and all-glazed cockpits), an Hs 129, Ju 52s, a Ju 87 and a Ju 88. GENNADY PETROV ARCHIVE

R

elentlessly heading west, the Red Army swept decaying German resistance away as it rushed towards Berlin. In the wake of the ground and air forces, special teams of technicians were bent on salvage, not destruction. The technological future of the Soviet Union lay with equipment and personnel that could be captured and moved east for examination, and high on Stalin’s shopping list were examples of the Luftwaffe’s jets. Probably the greatest trophy was the Messerschmitt Me 262 twinjet fighter and fighter-bomber. On March 30, 1945, the Scientific Test Institute for the Soviet Air Force (NII VVS - also see last issue) received its first one. It had forcelanded near Schneidemühl – now called Pila – in Poland. Restored and first tested by A G Kochetkov, the jet’s evaluation ended when Kochetkov experienced severe difficulties pulling out of a dive. On September 17, F F Demida perished in a crash in another Me 262. By the end of 1945, seven Heinkel He 162 jets, ten Me 163 rocketpropelled interceptors, three Me 262s and two Arado Ar 234 twinjet bombers had been found. One of the latter, a ’B-2 version, was repaired by German technicians at the factory at Ribnitz, near Rostock on the Baltic coast, and tested at Putnitz by a team from NII VVS in

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January and February 1946, A Kubyshkin making five flights. Two Junkers Jumo 004 turbojets were replaced during testing Of two He 162s put together at Rostock from sub-assemblies, parts and components, one was tested at NII VVS by G M Shiyanov on May 8. The other went into the Central Aero-hydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) wind tunnel. The Me 163 never flew in the USSR with its rocket operative but was tested as a glider, towed by a Tupolev Tu-2 bomber. In May 1946 the prototype Junkers EF 126 interceptor, powered by an Argus pulse-jet as fitted to the V-1 flying-bombs, underwent testing in Germany, towed into the air by a Ju 88 – but it crashed on landing, killing its pilot, Flugkapitän Matthias. The greatest interest was devoted to the Me 262, and there were discussions about copying the twinjet and putting it into production in the USSR. But designers persuaded Soviet leader Joseph Stalin they could create a better aircraft, given their acquired experience. German turbojets were manufactured in the Soviet Union. The RD-10 and RD-20 engines were essentially facsimiles of Junkers Jumo 004s and BMW 003As. The RD-10 powered the Yakovlev Yak-15 and -17 Feather while the RD-20

equipped the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 Fargo. The first of these engines types were assembled from parts brought from Germany.

COASTAL PATROL

Luftwaffe aircraft were almost never used in the USSR in their intended roles as there were sufficient Soviet-made types, as well as others supplied by the Allies, in production or service. Arado Ar 196 reconnaissance floatplanes were the only significant exception. The first of these were captured on the Polish coast in the spring of 1945, with many more taken in Germany. At Dassow, on the Baltic, no fewer than 20 intact Ar 196s and a spare parts depot were discovered. It was decided they should be used as replenishments for the aviation element of the border troops. Repairs were carried out by German personnel at Damgarten, under the supervision of Soviet officers, as well as in various repair shops, leading to a total of 37 serviceable Arados – which were fitted with Soviet-made instruments, radios, direction finders and machine guns. Those destined for service on the Baltic and Black Seas were ferried by air. A long rail journey lay ahead for the Ar 196s that were to patrol the Pacific coast from bases around Vladivostok. Spare nine-cylinder BMW 132

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

radials were expected to be in short supply, so experimental design bureau OKB-30 modified the Ar 196 to fly with a Shvetsov ASh62IR. The prototype appeared in late 1949 and underwent testing for operational service from June to July 1951, but it later transpired that captured BMW 132s were so numerous there was no need for the conversion.

“The greatest interest was devoted to the Me 262, and there were discussions about copying the twin-jet and putting it into production in the USSR. But designers persuaded Soviet leader Joseph Stalin they could create a better aircraft, given their acquired experience”

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lines. He was later decorated with the Order of Lenin. At the end of the war many Storchs were discovered in Germany and Czechoslovakia and in the summer of 1945 Sweden handed over four interned Fi 156s to the Soviet Union.

Most of them remained in service with the VVS, with only six issued to civil operators. When one crashed in late June 1946, flying was suspended and

Top

An He 162 jet fighter during testing. GENNADY PETROV ARCHIVE

Above

An Me 163B-1a rocketpowered fighter at NII VVS. The type was only tested in glider form. GENNADY PETROV ARCHIVE

Right

Two-seat Me 163A trainer during testing at NII VVS.

The last Ar 196s were withdrawn in 1955. The Baltic Fleet operated a Ju 52/3m tri-motor as an ambulance and three Junkers Ju 52MS minesweepers, nicknamed ‘Mausi’, were used to clear the Crimean coast of mines – see the October 2016 FlyPast.

VERSATILE STORCH

As early as 1942, the USSR adopted Fieseler Fi 156 Storch liaison aircraft for frontline operation. One was used by General A Y Savitsky, who toured his corps’ airfields in it and once even flew to Moscow and back. Storchs were typically assigned to regiment or division headquarters: the 812th Regiment had one at its disposal, for example. On October 4, 1943, pilot A Kovyazin escaped from a prisoner of war camp, stole a Storch from Spilve airfield near Riga in Latvia and succeeded in crossing the Soviet 102 FLYPAST February 2017

TRIPLE HERO Soviet fighter pilots visiting an exhibition of captured enemy aircraft. On the right is fighter ace and triple Hero of Soviet Union, Major I N Kozhedub. To the left is the tail of an Avia B.534 fighter with Slovenian markings and an RWD-14 Polish reconnaissance type flown by the Romanians. N BODRIKHIN ARCHIVE

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

within a year all had been decommissioned. Polar Aviation had one in service but it never flew in the frozen north.

GULAG WORKHORSES

During the post-war period, the Civil Air Fleet operated some 37 Ju 52s as well as Siebel Si 204Ds light twins. The Junkers were typically used to carry cargo, in particular sulphur from the Karakum Desert. From late 1944 both types had been gradually ousted to the remote territories of the Soviet Union – Siberia and Central Asia. Two Ju 52s, one fitted with floats, served with Polar Aviation. The Ministry of Air Industry operated ten and the Ministry of Fisheries had three at its disposal. Several more belonged to the so-called ‘utility aviation’ of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, its trimotors servicing the infamous gulag camps. The gulags took their name form a shortened version of their administrator, Glavnoye Upravleniye Lagerey (Chief Directorate of Labour Camps). Two Ju 52s were based in

Norilsk and assigned to the aviation detachment serving the camps of the Chief Administration of Mining and Smelting Industry. Although the Ju 52s were reliable, the Chief Civil Air Fleet Administration issued an order in June 1947 for their thorough examination and to gradually write them off – and all had been scrapped by late 1948. Polar Aviation and the Ministry of Fisheries ceased operating the type in early 1949 but the gulag aircraft were not withdrawn until the following year. Among captured German aircraft were more than 20 Junkers W34s – obsolete single-engined transports and trainers – the first of which was captured on the southern front in 1943. At the end of the year, the Civil Air Fleet management persuaded the VVS to hand it over but it remained grounded in Vnukovo near Moscow before undergoing repairs in Tashkent. It was not operational until 1945. In 1946 the Civil Air Fleet took on two more W34s. Each of the trio flew for a short period in Latvia, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine and made non-regular flights with passengers and small cargos up to the end of 1947.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs had four W34s in operation with the gulag, while four more were with Dalstroi, the so-called Far North Construction Trust, another forced-labour organisation. They flew in the ‘backwoods’, where camps were situated in Mordovia, Komi and remote regions of Siberia and the Far East, and air detachments assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs were partially manned by gulag prisoners. All the W34s were written off before the end of 1949.

Above

Single-engined W34 transport in Soviet service. Below

Unloading blocks of sulphur from a Ju 52/3m from the Turkestan Administration of the Civil Air Fleet, Ashkhabad, 1947.

POLAR CALAMITY

The VVS began operating Siebel Si 204Ds at the end of the war, mostly for headquarters communications. Between June and August 1945, Polar Aviation crews ferried nine from Germany – two were left in Moscow and the rest sent to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. Those in Siberia were equipped with heaters and skis. But their Argus As 410 engines proved unsuitable for use in sub-zero conditions. Crashes frequently occurred, prompting pilots to dub the Siebel ‘Giebel’ (calamity). After losing four, Polar Aviation handed the rest over to other agencies.

“The internal affairs Junkers serviced the infamous gulag camps... Air detachments assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs were partially manned by gulag prisoners”

February 2017 FLYPAST 103

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An Arado Ar 196A floatplane in service with Aviation of Soviet Border Guard, on the Baltic Sea.

Evaluation

The Civil Air Fleet began to operate Siebels in autumn 1945 in Tajikistan, Central Asia, where they proved reliable in the highlands. Later the type flew in Armenia, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The final Si 204D arrived from Czechoslovakia in 1948, but gradual decommissioning had begun by then and the last was scrapped in late 1949. Five Siebels served with the Ministry of Air Industry but were retired in early 1950. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also flew its last one that year. Meanwhile the Hydrometeorological Service had nine scattered around different cities up to mid-1950 and the Agricultural Aerial Survey Group based a single Si 204D at Orsha until early 1951.

SURVIVING TROPHIES Aircraft captured from the Axis powers remained in Soviet service only into the mid-1950s, after which they were not needed. Only a few have survived in present day Russia. On display in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War at Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow A Ju 52/3m, operated by the Civil Air Fleet but abandoned in Siberia, has been brought to is a Messerschmitt Bf 109G, a Nakajima Novosibirsk. B OSETINSKY Ki-43 and a Kawasaki Ki-48. Among exhibits at the Armed Forces Museum in Moscow is the tail portion of a He 111H, which was downed as a result of being rammed in mid-air near the city in August 1941. The fin of a W34, which belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is stored in the Ukhta Museum of Local History and a crashed Ju 52 was found in Eastern Siberia and brought to Novosibirsk for restoration.

REICH ASSORTMENT

Other German types were available in small numbers, including two Dornier Do 24T flying-boats. One was ferried to the USSR in the summer of 1945 by S Verebryusov’s crew for Polar Aviation. It was repaired in Krasnoyarsk before flying to Zakharkovo near Moscow. In October 1948 it suffered a gashed hull while being heaved on shore. Never flown again, it was scrapped in 1950. The second Do 24 served the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After an accident at Igarka in the Russian Arctic in 1950, the ministry attempted to transfer it to Polar

104 FLYPAST February 2017

Restored Ki-48 bomber at Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

Aviation or to border troops, but both rejected the ‘offer’ and it was written off at the end of the year. Of the many captured He 111s, only one remained postwar – flown by the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a cargo carrier until it was destroyed in Siberia in 1947. In 1945 four incomplete FockeWulf Fw 200Cs were discovered at the factory in Halle, Germany. Three were completed, under Polar Aviation’s supervision, with BMWBramo 232 radials supplied by Czechoslovakia. The first arrived in the USSR in April 1946 after being ferried by M A Titlov. That summer, he and his crew spent a season in the Far North but the German engines had trouble starting up in sub-zero temperatures and tended to over-cool in flight. A decision was made to substitute Soviet-made ASh-62IRs. Departing to Moscow for

“Four incomplete Focke-Wulf Fw 200Cs were discovered at the factory in Halle, Germany. Three were completed, under Polar Aviation supervision, with BMW-Bramo 232 radials supplied by Czechoslovakia” modification on December 13, 1946, an engine failed in flight, shortly joined by another. Titlov just about managed to land the Condor on drifting ice in Baydaratskaya Bay. The crew were evacuated with difficulty by two Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes and the Fw 200 abandoned. Two more Condors arrived from Germany in 1947 and, fitted with ASh-62IRs the following year, were designated MK-200s. One was written off after a crash in Yakutsk in April 1950 and the second came to grief at the end of the year. Other German types brought to the Soviet Union included singleengined Arado Ar 96s, Bücker Bü 131s, Bücker Bü 181s, Klemm Kl 35s, Messerschmitt Bf 108s and Focke-Wulf Fw 58s twins.

Top

An unarmed Do 24T flying-boat at Igarka, 1947. GENNADY PETROV ARCHIVE

Above

Fi 156C-2 Storch in VVS service.

AXIS ODDITIES

During the war, Soviet troops also captured non-German types. In the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in August/September 1941, several biplanes found in Mashad and recorded as Hawker Harts were actually Audaxes fitted with Pratt & Whitney Hornet S2B radials. Two were handed over to the Armenian Detachment of the Civil Air Fleet before being withdrawn from service in April 1945. Occasionally Italian aircraft encountered on the Eastern Front became Soviet Army trophies. Macchi C.200 Saetta fighters were discovered near Stalingrad and a Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 threeengined bomber-transport captured near Lvov. February 2017 FLYPAST 105

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were used only for propaganda purposes.

JAPANESE TROPHIES

Top

A Mitsubishi A6M5 ‘Zeke’ in Soviet markings, Sakhalin Island, 1945. Above

A Ki-46 ‘Dinah’ during testing at NII VVS, 1946. Below

Japanese aircraft at Mukden in August 1945.

On October 13, 1943 Italy left the Axis and declared war on the Nazis, whose forces captured and operated at least one SM.82 bomber-transport, later discovered in Germany by the Red Army. All these Italian types were deemed obsolete and not subjected to significant study. Some were displayed at captured materiel exhibitions – for example, in Kiev. Hitler’s other allies had non-German aircraft at their disposal. Polish-made RWD14 reconnaissance and Lublin R-XIII army co-operation parasol monoplanes were found in Romania and Avia B-534 biplane fighters, of Czechoslovakian manufacture, in Slovakia. In autumn 1944, a Fokker C.VM/33 was discovered in Tallinn, Estonia – a two-seat reconnaissance biplane built under licence in Denmark and captured there by the Germans. Of no value, these aircraft

The war ended with an onslaught in the Far East. The USSR declared war on Japan on August 9, 1945, just 24 days before its surrender, and many Japanese aircraft were captured at airfields around Mukden, Harbin and Anshan. Among them there were Nakajima Ki-27 Nate, Ki-43 Oscar and Ki-84 Frank fighters; Mitsubishi A6M Zeke fighters; Kawasaki Ki-48 Lily and Nakajima Ki-49 Helen bombers; Mitsubishi Ki-51 Sonia and Tachikawa Ki-36 Ida ground-attack aircraft; and various transports and trainers. Most of the Japanese machines were deemed useless and, contrary to belief, were never handed over to Mao Tse Tung’s troops, but scrapped. Only a few types were found worthy of study. The most serviceable of the Ki-84s at Anshan was tested in situ by B Vinnitsky, who opined that it was inferior to new Soviet fighters. In October 1946, two Mitsubishi Ki-46-III Dinah high-speed reconnaissance twins were brought to NII VVS. The following April one airframe was created using parts from both Ki-46s, but due to the poor condition of its engines nobody took the risk of flying it. A Mitsubishi Ki-57 Topsy transport

put into operation with the 51st Transport Regiment of the Transbaikal Front Air Force was later handed over to the Ministry of Fisheries. During a flight from Khabarovsk to Nikolayevsk on November 26, 1946, the pilot lost his way and stalled the Ki-57 in a turn. It crashed into the ice on the River Amur, killing all on board. Three Nakajima AT-2 Thora transports served with the squadron attached to the Pacific Fleet Air Force Headquarters, while the Dalstroi forced-labour organisation had two Kawasaki Ki-56 Thalia transports (licence-built Lockheed 14s) on strength. Both were written off in 1946. Unlike the German types, Japanese aircraft saw very little service in the USSR because of a lack of documentation, spare parts and the language barrier. Many Soviet citizens spoke and wrote German, but few could translate Japanese. The Soviet invasion of Japaneseoccupied China produced little in the way of useful booty. The real aeronautical bounty for the Soviet Union lay around 6,800 miles away to the west beyond its borders with eastern Europe: like the other Allies, German technology was the ultimate prize of war. All photos from the author’s archive unless noted. Colour profiles by Andrey Yurgenson.

“Most of the Japanese machines were deemed useless and, contrary to belief, were never handed over to Mao Tse Tung’s troops, but scrapped”

106 FLYPAST February 2017

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FROM THE WORKSHOP ELVINGTON

Meteoric Rise After standing outside at Yorkshire Air Museum for many years, Meteor WS788 is being restored. Graham Buckle describes the project

A

t 14:30 hours a jet fighter departed Leeming in Yorkshire, arriving at its destination at 16:15 amid much jubilation. It had been a longduration sortie, conducted at very low level at carefully monitored speed and traversing, as the crow flies, around 40 miles. It was March 16, 1992 and the latest exhibit at the Yorkshire Air Museum (YAM) at Elvington, near York, had arrived on a convoy of trucks, just in time for the venue’s new season. For the previous 18 years, Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 had been a display airframe at the fighter base at Leeming. During that time it witnessed the base morphing

in 1988 from training with Hunting Jet Provosts and DHC Chipmunks into ‘Screamin’ Leeming’ with three Panavia Tornado F.3 squadrons. Since its delivery to YAM, WS788 had been permanently on display – indoors in the early days, but outdoors in all weathers for most of a near quarter-of-a-century. Time had really taken its toll on the jet, with fading paint, water seepage in the cockpit and corrosion on the undersides. Early in 2015 the Meteor’s outer wings and nose were removed to facilitate its move into YAM’s Handley Page building for restoration. Other projects took priority and, after little further

work, the indoor space was needed: so WS788 was wrapped in a tarpaulin and pushed outside into a corner of the museum’s backlot, its future looking uncertain.

Long-nosed predator With the Mk.14, the long-nosed, twoseat, radar-equipped night-fighter Meteor reached its zenith. Design and production was the responsibility of Armstrong Whitworth, like Gloster a member of the Hawker Siddeley Group since 1935. The NF.11 entered service in 1951, followed by the

Gloster Meteor NF(T).14 WS788 Feb 13, 1954 Mar 3, 1954 Jul 6, 1954 Aug 15, 1957 May 11, 1959 Jan 17, 1962 Feb 17, 1964 Jan 6, 1966

Moving WS788 at Leeming, 1991. RAF LEEMING-KEC

108 FLYPAST February 2017

Sep 5, 1967 1974 Jun 1989 Mar 16, 1992

Completed as an NF.14 and first flown at Bitteswell, Leics. Issued to 8 Maintenance Unit (MU), Little Rissington, Glos, for service preparation. Taken on charge by 152 Squadron at Wattisham, Suffolk. Individual code ‘Z’. To 12 MU, Kirkbride, Cumberland, and conversion to NF(T).14 status. To 2 Air Navigation School (ANS), Thorney Island, Sussex. Coded ‘C’. Taken on charge by 1 ANS, Stradishall, Suffolk. Still coded ‘C’. Heavy landing at Stradishall. Repaired on site by a working party from 71 MU, Bicester, Oxon. Work completed Mar 25, 1964. Retired to 5 MU Kemble, Glos. Declared a non-effective airframe on Mar 8, 1966. Issued to Patrington, Yorks, as display airframe 7967M. Move to Leeming, Yorks, for display. Acquired by the Yorkshire Air Museum. Moved by road to YAM, Elvington, York.

NF.12 with improved radar, and the tropicalised NF.13. With the advent of the NF.14, the ‘glasshouse’ cockpit top was replaced by a clear, rearward sliding canopy and a series of refinements. For the first time, the nocturnal predator Meteor really looked like a fighter. The first Mk.14s became operational with 25 Squadron at West Malling, Kent, in 1954. As the Gloster Javelin all-weather delta entered service, the NF.14 units were wound down, the last of the type being withdrawn in the summer of 1961. But the RAF was not finished with the variant.

Above

Meteor WS788 at the start of the project. Problem areas facing the team include the flaps and undercarriage doors. ALL AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED Below

Meteor NF.14 WS788 on test at Bitteswell, March 1954. ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH-KEY COLLECTION

“...the ‘glasshouse’ cockpit top was replaced by a clear, rearward sliding canopy and a series of refinements. For the first time, the nocturnal predator Meteor really looked like a fighter”

February 2017 FLYPAST 109

FROM THE WORKSHOP ELVINGTON Meteor NF.14s of 152 Squadron; WS788 is in the middle. RAF LEEMING-KEC

“WS788 suffered a heavy landing, necessitating the attentions of a working party. The repairs can still be clearly seen in both main undercarriage bays”

From 1956, a number became navigator trainers with the designation NF(T).14. Their armament was removed and the radar replaced with slabs of ballast. In this role they served on until 1966, by which time the HS Dominie T.1 crew trainer had taken over.

Survival story One of the retirees was WS788. It had been built at Armstrong Whitworth’s Coventry plant and first flew at Bitteswell, Leicestershire, in February 1954. That July it was issued to its first and only operational unit, 152 Squadron at Wattisham, Suffolk. After only 37 months’ frontline service, WS788 retired in August 1957 (see the panel on page 108).

110 FLYPAST February 2017

Above

Work being carried out on WS788 in Leeming’s Hangar 3, summer 1991, in the company of a Tornado F.3 of the resident 23 Squadron. RAF LEEMING-KEC Right

Repainted in the colours it wore with 152 Squadron in 1954, WS788 was rolled out on to the ramp at Leeming, September 1991. Behind is a visiting Tornado GR.1 of 31 Squadron. RAF LEEMING-KEC

The Meteor after initial stripping down at Elvington in January 2016.

After a period in storage at Kirkbride, Cumberland, WS788 was converted to NF(T)14 status and transferred to 2 Air Navigation School (ANS) at Thorney Island, Sussex. The school closed in January 1962 and, on the 17th, WS788, crewed by Flt Lt O’Sullivan and navigator Keith Saunders, led a diamond formation of the last nine Meteors to depart Thorney Island. For Keith, it was a doubly significant day – the last of his more than 700 Meteor sorties. Wasting no time, that same day WS788 was taken on charge by 1 ANS at Stradishall, Suffolk. On February 17, 1964 the Meteor suffered a heavy landing, necessitating the attentions of a working party from Bicester, Oxfordshire-based 71 Maintenance Unit (MU). The repairs can still be clearly seen in both main undercarriage bays. That August, the Meteor had a brush with fame when, along with

WS842, it was detached to Valley in Anglesey for use as a ‘camera ship’ for the Folland Gnat T.1-equipped Yellowjacks display team – the precursors of the Red Arrows. On January 6, 1966, WS788 made its last powered flight, going into storage at 5 MU, Kemble, Gloucestershire, to await its fate. Fortunately this did not involve a scrap merchant as, in September 1967, it was issued to Patrington, an RAF radar station in Yorkshire, for display. From early 1969 it wore the codes ‘JHW’, the initials of Patrington’s commanding officer from 1969 to 1971, Gp Capt J H Walton AFC .

Yorkshire base In 1974 the radar base closed and again WS788 avoided the scrapman. It was dismantled and moved within the county to a former Meteor night-fighter base, Leeming. After reassembly and a repaint, it emerged in the colours of 68

Squadron and went on display. During refurbishment in 1982 it had another identity change, this time emerging with the serial WS844 and 264 Squadron markings. It again wore personalised codes, this time ‘JCF’ for 264’s CO 1956 to 1957, Wg Cdr J C Forbes. As a logistics exercise, WS788 took to the air again on January 20, 1989 when, in readiness for being disposed of, it was lifted by an RAF Boeing Chinook HC.1 twin-rotor helicopter to the non-operational side of Leeming – and in July it was acquired by YAM. In September 1990, resident Tornado F.3 unit 25 Squadron was due to celebrate its 75th anniversary at Leeming, and the CO asked YAM if WS788 could delay its move to Elvington. The squadron flew NF.14s from 1954 to 1959 and it would be an ideal addition to the festivities. But all plans had to be shelved as the Gulf War altered 25’s priorities. With the conflict over, in late

March 1991 YAM member and FlyPast pioneer W/O Paddy Porter galvanised all at Leeming to set to and refurbish WS788, ready for its departure to Elvington. Work began the following month in Hangar 3, with personnel volunteering their time. Among the tasks carried out was an extensive restoration of the otherwise gutted cockpit. To complete the work, in August WS788 took on its 152 Squadron colours of 1954, and the following March the jet made its third (and thankfully final) road journey to YAM.

In at the deep end After six mostly happy years at YAM as part of the team looking after André Tempest’s wonderful HP Victor K.2 XL231 Lusty Lindy, I decided it was time to spread my wings and take on a project of my own. Our then aircraft manager agreed, and one of the aircraft he offered in late November 2015 was WS788.

February 2017 FLYPAST 111

FROM THE WORKSHOP ELVINGTON Looking at the candidates, poor WS788 stood out as being the one most in need. Partially dismantled, wrapped in tarpaulin, with faded and flaking paint and on nearly flat tyres, it sat in a deep puddle. Like a mad fool I agreed to take it on. I located the two outer wings hiding behind a Buccaneer, and the nose cone sat on a pallet in the Handley Page building, gathering dust. The next big job was to get WS788 out of the puddle, unwrapped, and to start to make a plan. I originally intended to keep the jet wrapped up until the worst of the Yorkshire winter weather had passed, but discovered there was a serious damp problem – partially caused by condensation – under the cocoon. Fearing this could be potentially more harmful to the Meteor’s future, I removed and discarded the tarpaulin. There was a canopy cover fitted anyway and, while it’s not a correct version, it doesn’t do a bad job. If anyone does have a proper NF.14 cover, please contact the editor. It was about this time that the project’s manpower went from one individual of questionable sanity to three individuals of similar ilk. My far better half, Alison, came to see just what I’d got myself into and ended up falling for WS788’s faded charm. And a good friend and former leading light on Coventry-based Shackleton AEW.2 WR963, Rich Woods, found himself able to fit the comparatively relaxed demands of WS788 in around fatherhood, so he also came aboard.

Health check We made a start, thoroughly assessing the jet from nose to tail. The front cockpit is missing only the gunsight which is, I’m told, in storage on site. In the rear cockpit, the frame the radar would have been mounted on is still present, complete with repeater airspeed indicator and altimeter. Information about what, if anything, was fitted in place of the radar after WS788 had been converted into a nav trainer is sketchy to say the least. Sadly, the canopy is beyond saving – decades of ultra-violet exposure have seen to that. Unless by some miracle someone has a shiny new one hidden in the garage, this is something we’re probably going to have to look at having remanufactured. We’ll need to get together with other NF.14 keepers and try to arrange a batch,

112 FLYPAST February 2017

as it’s an issue blighting most surviving examples. The fuselage is in very good condition, both internally and externally. The exterior skin has been protected by many thick layers of paint. In the radio bay some black boxes and all the equipment racks are still present, as is all the cabling – the plugs on which are still in the protective wrapping used to preserve them after WS788’s withdrawal from service. Elevator and rudder controls from the cockpit rear bulkhead backwards are, however, missing. The wings have fared less well. The undersides have patchy corrosion, particularly around the lower airbrakes. Significant elements of these are made of steel, so dissimilar metal corrosion has taken hold. That said, we’ve so far only found one panel that’s beyond saving! A legacy of WS788’s road-bound travels is that all the wiring looms and hydraulic piping have been cut at the transport joints. In addition, all the aileron control rods are missing from the wing leading edges. No engines – 3,700lb st (2,760kW) RollsRoyce Derwent 8 turbojets – are fitted.

Back to life From the start it’s been our intention to bring WS788 back to life. Our philosophy is: there are many shiny but dead Meteors in museums across the country; we want WS788 to be different. Our intent is to reinstate as many live systems as possible. Already we’ve returned several electrical systems to serviceability. In parallel, we’ve begun a programme to remove and treat the corrosion to keep WS788 solid for years to come. Once this phase is complete we’ll then strip and repaint the jet in one of her service schemes. What we need for all this to happen is spare parts. We’ve had a couple of very generous donations of spares. Recently the team, along with Andy Abbott and FlyPast editor Chris Gilson as reinforcements, embarked on a road trip to an army range in Wales (see opposite page). We’ve made a lot of progress and the achievement list grows: the wings are back on, the belly tank is off for refurbishment, the nose cone has been fitted, two new intake rings are under construction and one of the cockpit footsteps has been restored and refitted. There’s a long way to go, and a lot of hard work ahead, but WS788’s future is brightening by the day

The front cockpit is largely intact.

“Our philosophy is: there are many shiny but dead Meteors in museums across the country; we want WS788 to be different. Our intent is to reinstate as many live systems as possible”

Refitting the outer wings following refurbishment of the spars.

With its restored nose and wings, WS788 in June 2016, already looking better.

Battered, but Unbeaten Chris Gilson puts the Yorkshire Air Museum team on the trail of a donor Meteor letter ‘C’. Its flying career was brief, retiring to 8 Maintenance Unit at Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, just five months later. In October 1955 it became instructional airframe 7261M at 4 School of Technical Training at St Athan, South Wales. By 1965, the airframe had outlived its usefulness and it was sent to the firing range at Sennybridge in the Brecon Beacons for use as a non-destructive marker. There it lay, exposed to the elements, before its role switched recently to that of small arms target, when it began to resemble a colander.

Against the odds Enquiries were tentatively made and, on a miserable August day this year, the WS788 team travelled the long distance to Sennybridge. They were told they had limited time to

The inside of the fuselage showing the effect of small arms fire. ALL GRAHAM BUCKLE UNLESS NOTED

W

hile it looks relatively intact, the Yorkshire Air Museum’s Meteor NF.14 has a long list of missing items that are in short supply. What was needed was a donor that no longer required those vital components. Luck fell on the side of the WS788 team, when FlyPast editor Chris Gilson told them a long-‘lost’ Meteor F.8 might be able to help. The aircraft in question is

VZ568 which, like WS788, was built by Armstrong Whitworth. It was issued to 63 Squadron at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, on December 7, 1950 and wore the unit’s black and yellow chequers and the individual code

remove spares before VZ568 became history. On inspection, it became apparent that the fuel tank – the main reason for the visit – was full of holes and unfit for purpose. Some components such as the airbrakes, aileron control rods and elevator controls were in excellent condition and could be salvaged. Amazingly, despite 50-odd years outside, the cockpit still retained its ejection seat and stick, while controls such as throttles, fuel cocks and gunsight selector moved perfectly. They were damaged through the attentions of smoke grenades and thunderflashes, and all that could be removed was a flap indicator gauge, intact against all the odds. Elsewhere on the airframe, the blast tubes for the cannon and titanium shock cones for the two Derwent turbojets remained extant, but immovable. Battered, but strangely unbeaten, VZ568 still wore the faded remnants of its roundels and 63 Squadron chequers. By the time this is read, it will have been disposed of as a full target, accomplishing what the weather could not. Many thanks to the Officer Commanding and staff at Sennybridge for permitting the retrieval of otherwise unobtainable components.

“Battered, but strangely unbeaten, VZ568 still wore the faded remnants of its roundels and 63 Squadron chequers”

Above

The flap indicator was recovered and, after cleaning and externally repainting, it worked perfectly and has been fitted to WS788. Left

Despite 50-odd years on a firing range, VZ568 is still recognisably a Meteor.

February 2017 FLYPAST 113

WARBIRDS GRUMMAN AVENGER

Right and below

Michael Kopp flying TBM-3E ‘Ida Red’ on a sortie out of Paine Field, Seattle in September 2016.

“I was struck by the number of people gawking at the Avenger versus the few milling about the Wildcat. Hmm… I left that airshow sold on acquiring an Avenger”

114 FLYPAST February 2017

Smiles

MICHAEL KOPP DESCRIBES HOW HE CAME TO OWN AN AVENGER AND WHY HE’S BEEN GRINNING EVER SINCE. PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN DIBBS

I

became the proud owner of Ida Red, a 1945 Grumman TBM3E Avenger, on December 5, 2015. Back in time, almost 75 years to the day, on December 7, 1941 Grumman test flew the second prototype, XTBF-1 2540 at Bethpage, New York State. “Why an Avenger?” with a hint of derision, was a question asked by friends, fellow pilots and quite a few volunteers at the Historic Flight Foundation, Everett, Washington State, where Ida now resides. First, I wanted to own a World War Two combat aircraft. Second, it had to be powered by a radial engine. Third, my preference was for a Navy carrier type. For months, I was considering a Grumman Wildcat. Then, attending an airshow where a Wildcat and Avenger were parked side-by-side, I was struck by the number of people gawking at the Avenger versus the few milling about the Wildcat. Hmm… I really do enjoy being able to take passengers flying in these historic aircraft. I repeatedly came to verify that the crowds around the Avenger were not a fluke. I left that airshow sold on acquiring an Avenger.

STOCK MILITARY

Built by the Eastern Aircraft Division of the General Motors Corporation at Trenton, New Jersey, as 85882, my TBM-3E was accepted by the US Navy in late March 1945 and assigned

to the Naval Aviation Radar Training Unit at Sandpoint, Seattle. After the war, she served with several torpedo squadrons and a carrier aircraft service unit before shuttling around various land-based naval air stations. Ida was struck off charge in 1956. Civil registered as N9584Z, she was shuffled between various owners all with a mind to operate her as a fire-bomber or bug sprayer. It appears none of them won a coveted contract as Eight-Four-Zulu was never converted, keeping much of her military equipment. Instead she wound up in the back of a Texas hangar waiting for the right group to rescue her. In stepped the Michigan-based brothers, Dave and Larry Tinker. Along with a dedicated bunch of friends, Dave and Larry made numerous trips to Texas to refurbish and restore the TBM to flying status. Along the way, she picked up the name Ida Red and a paint scheme commemorating the use of Avengers as part of escort carrier U-boat ‘hunter-killer’ groups in the Battle of the Atlantic. After 20 years of ownership, the Tinker brothers decided I would be a worthy next custodian.

Below

The TBM’s Wright Cyclone R-2600. ALL JOHN M DIBBS - PLANE PICTURE COMPANY

February 2017 FLYPAST 115

WARBIRDS GRUMMAN AVENGER

“The Wright Cyclone R-2600 develops 1,900hp, giving the big girl surprisingly sprightly take-off acceleration. She is rock solid once the pitch, power and trim are set”

116 FLYPAST February 2017

ROCK SOLID

How does an Avenger fly? During ground school other Avenger pilots had joked that on the first take-off I would think I had left the control lock on! Well, I survived that debut and now, with a whopping 50 hours in the logbook, I can verify that my right arm has got considerably stronger. I frequently need to use both hands and some help from a leg to move that massive wing into a quicker airshow wing bank. The Wright Cyclone R-2600 develops 1,900hp (1,417kW), giving the big girl surprisingly sprightly take-off acceleration. She is rock solid once the pitch, power and trim are set. After a year of ownership and my first year of an Avenger airshow season I have a smile that matches Ida’s size.

The cockpit of Avenger N9584Z. The panel on the right includes armament selection switches, complete with hinged guards.

Far left

The complex wing fold turns the wings through 90° and back to run parallel with the fuselage. Left

The wing root bomb racks hold replica 500-pounders. Right

The weapons bay, capable of taking a single torpedo, or up to 2,000lb of bombs.

February 2017 FLYPAST 117

MUSEUMS AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

Beaufort VIII A9-557 is one of only two substantially complete Beaufort airframes on display in Australia.

T

his year’s event, held on September 10, was given the title ‘Big Things In Store’, and not without reason. Some impressive and well known historic aircraft, all at various stages of preservation or restoration, were on display at the Campbell, Canberra attraction. For enthusiasts, this was a rare opportunity to see these significant machines at close quarters. The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is the country’s national memorial to members of its

armed forces who have died in service, and also includes a large military museum. Its annex stores thousands of items not on permanent display, including equipment withdrawn from operational military use, plus captured artefacts and relics. The policy is to rotate exhibits from storage into the main halls every year. The open days have been running since the 1990s, with this year’s event attracting almost 3,000. The aviation items include everything

Canberra B.20 A84-247 flew with the RAAF’s 2 Squadron in Vietnam.

from entire airframes to fuselage sections, wings and bombs. One of the most popular machines on display is Lockheed Hudson Mk.IVa A16-105. Received by the RAAF in 1942, it was used by various training and operational groups during World War Two in Australia and Papua New Guinea. After the war it flew with several civil operators before being bought by Malcolm Long who sold it to AWM in 2001. It has been undergoing a thorough restoration since 2010 and is now almost finished.

Rare bomber Also included is DAP-built Bristol Beaufort Mk.VIII A9-557, one of only two substantially complete Beaufort airframes on public display in Australia. It served with 100 Squadron in mid-1944, spending its entire operational life in Papua New Guinea. The damaged airframe was recovered in the mid-1970s and exported to the US. It was brought back to Australia in the 1990s by a private buyer, who then transferred it to AWM in 1992. A six-year restoration process began in 1997,

Treasures Australian

Once a year, the Canberra-based Australian War Memorial museum offers the public access to its rarely seen storage annex. Phil Buckley attended the 2016 opening

Lockheed Hudson IVa A16-105 within the Australian War Memorial storage annex. ALL PHIL BUCKLEY

118 FLYPAST February 2017

Douglas C-47B Skytrain A65-71 entered storage in 1997.

DHC-4 Caribou A4-140 is another Vietnam veteran.

The wings and centre section of Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar 5465.

supported by private organisations and sponsors. Another war veteran on show is Douglas C-47B Skytrain A65-71, originally built for the USAAF as 43-49870. It later served with the RAAF’s 37 Squadron, and in 1945 was used to carry the body of Prime Minister John Curtin from Canberra to Perth for his funeral. The veteran machine was maintained in airworthy condition until 1997 when it was placed in storage. Many visitors are understandably fascinated by the AWM’s Japanese Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory bomber fuselage. Only three of these airframes are extant – this one was used by a Japanese delegation who flew in it to Labuan, Malaysia, in

1945, to surrender their forces in South East Asia.

Jet Power This aircraft is believed to have been installed at a playground in the 1970s, but was thankfully placed in storage at Point Cook in the early 1980s, and later taken in by AWM. Another Japanese exhibit is World War Two-era Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar 5465. The airframe is preserved in an unrestored condition and has been split in two – the nose and tail sections are on public display, while the wings and centre section can only be seen by those visiting ‘Big Things In Store’. A few classic jets are also to be found in the annex.

GAF-built Canberra B.20 A84-247 is prominent among them. It first flew in 1958, and served with the RAAF’s 2 Squadron in Vietnam from 1967 to 1971. Gloster Meteor F.8 A77-368 was originally built for the RAF as WA952, and was passed onto the RAAF in July 1951. It served in combat with 77 Squadron in the Korean War until mid-1953. Post-war it served with 75 and 22 Squadrons until being withdrawn from use in 1960. The Meteor was restored in the early 1980s, but has since been partitioned, with the jet’s forward fuselage and cockpit section now on display in AWM’s ‘Post-1945 Conflict’ gallery. The aircraft’s rear fuselage and wings remain in

the storage annex, along with the wings of 1957-built CAC Sabre A94954, which are painted in a USAF Korean War scheme. Numerous other rarely seen exhibits are also visible during the open day events. These include Pilatus PC-6 Porter A14-690, DHC-4 Caribou A4-140 – a Vietnam veteran later used in peacekeeping missions – and former USAF OV-10 Bronco 67-14639, which also saw service in Vietnam before ending its ‘life’ with the Philippine Air Force in the early 1990s. The annual event provides a must-see opportunity for enthusiasts to go behind the scenes at AWM. The next one will be in September 2017. www.awm.gov.au

February 2017 FLYPAST 119

MARKETPLACE ACCOMMODATION

ACCESSORIES

The Forge & Smithy Holiday Cottages ANTIQUES

ASSOCIATIONS

Lincolnshire Taste Highly Commended Award 2012 XV Sqn Association Reunion

Chapel Road, Tumby Woodside, Boston PE22 7SP 01526 342943 • www.the4ge.co.uk

RAF Wittering 12 May 2017 [email protected] www.xvsqnassociation.co.uk

ART Bosleys 60x42mm.indd 1

09/01/2015 16:28

Planes, Trains & Automobiles David Lea Marshall Aviation and machinary artist

All commissions accepted Please get in touch to discuss requirments.

Prices start from £300 07547538480 | [email protected]

AVIATION BOOKS

AVIATION BOOKS AND MAGAZINES - Brian Cocks, 18 Woodgate, Helpston, Peterborough, PE6 7ED 01733 252791. Email: [email protected]

Catalogues Spring and Autumn £1 (Europe £3 Other £5 overseas airmail).

ART PRINTS ROBERT TAYLOR PRINTS For sale Beach Head strike force remarqed bridge at Remagen artists proof Air Apathes on the Warpath Return from Schweinfurt Professionally framed, mounted Sensible offers only Buyer collect Call Dave 0777 591 3457

CLOTHING PECARD LEATHER DRESSING. Ideal for conservation of leather flight clothing. Online ordering. www.antiqueleatherdressing. co.uk Tel: 01458 241816

Visitor by appointment. Website:

www.aviationbookhouse.co.uk

120 FLYPAST February 2017

- www.flypast.com -

Four star detached cottages set in rural Lincolnshire, sleeps 5 or 2 (respectively), fully equipped with enclosed garden and parking area. Close to RAF Coningsby, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and East Kirkby Air Museum.

FOR SALE AERO ENGINES including WWII Merlin/Jumo/Allison plus RR jet engines. Aero parts also available. Same items always wanted. Contact Martin on 07515 937 154 or 01332 793105 or visit www. ashbyaero.co.uk AVIATION BOOKS collection, also prints & flight jackets. Offers welcome. Call me Peter on 07783 884923.

MILITARY

AVIATION ART

WANTED

MACHLOOP TOUR • Info • Guide • Lodging • Transport

www.machloop.wales

07511 013132

PHOTO

GIFTS WANTED COLOUR SLIDE AND B&W PHOTO/NEG COLLECTIONS WANTED - TOP PRICES PAID - all other aviation related items considered, will collect. Contact Chris Tel: 0208 422 5899 Email:[email protected] AIRCRAFT-MILITARY PLASTIC KITS WANTED unmade, especially large collections, individually priced, cash paid, will collect. Tel: 02476 542196

MODEL

 WEB DIRECTORY



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PLASTIC RESIN & METAL KIT RETAILERS HOBBY & PASTIME MATERIALS Tel/Fax: (020) 8298 7177

www.kitkrazy.com

1,000’s NEW & DELETED KITS BOUGHT & SOLD PLEASE SEND SAE & 70P WORTH OF STAMPS FOR LIST

TOP QUALITY

PHOTO

- www.flypast.com -

303 The Broadway. Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8DT

OLD WOODEN PROPELLERS in any condition. Tel: 07808 727939 ALL MAKES OF UNMADE PLASTIC KITS PURCHASED Courier collections arranged for large quantities. Unit 8 Cedar Court, Halesfield 17, Telford, TF74PF Telephone: 01952 586457 Email: [email protected]

ALL PLASTIC MODEL KITS WANTED Unmade or already built, any quantity, especially large collections, also diecast models & books. Will collect nationwide and pay best cash price. Please call 01202 976974 or 07901-890461. Thankyou.

MODELS

Colour Slides/Colour Photos/ B&W Photos Check out our website

TOURS

www.airphotographicinternational.com

February 2017 FLYPAST 121

FINALS ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING

The Lightning Preservation Group’s English Electric Lightning F.3 XR713 is pictured in its shelter during a Double Twilight Run event at Bruntingthorpe on November 12. That evening, the LPG’s other two Lightnings – F.6 XR728 and XS904 – each performed a fast taxi run down the runway at the Leicestershire airfield. The twilight runs are always popular events – for the latest see: www.lightnings.org.uk PHOTO-JAMIE EWAN

next

In next month’s issue, we salute one of Britain’s finest wartime aircraft, the de Havilland Mosquito. In a series of features we reflect on the service of this storied machine. We also focus our Spotlight on another World War Two warrior, the robust and reliable Grumman Wildcat. The March issue will be in UK shops on February 1, or see page 42 for our latest money-saving subscription offers. * Overseas deliveries are likely to be after this date.

122 FLYPAST February 2017

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