Help with A/C ownership please

Kev,
A further thought about G-ACRV – you could contact the D.H. Moth Club. If Stuart McKay cant provide an answer I’m sure they would put a letter/appeal for info in their excellent member’s magazine.
Roger Smith.

Thanks all for your help. I am away on holiday next week but I will pick up this thread again on my return.

Pete Truman.

There is a possibility that someone at Truman may know something, I will be able to speak to them again in a couple of weeks time. They have someone there who has worked for the Company since Pontious was a pilot and knows much of the Company’s history, so fingers crossed there.

The number of books my collection requires has grown by one. Thanks Thunderbird.

Regards,

kev35

Have done a bit of sniffing about and Truman Aviation only set up at Tollerton in 1963, prior to that work was carried out by Field Aircraft Services which I gather was a part of the Hunting group, they must have been the company involved in maintenance on the Connies, would like to have seen those beasties taking off from there. If you put Tollerton into Google there is a short history of the airfield.
Must check my family tree, have a relative whose into that.

Thanks all for your help. I am away on holiday next week but I will pick up this thread again on my return.

Pete Truman.

There is a possibility that someone at Truman may know something, I will be able to speak to them again in a couple of weeks time. They have someone there who has worked for the Company since Pontious was a pilot and knows much of the Company’s history, so fingers crossed there.

The number of books my collection requires has grown by one. Thanks Thunderbird.

Regards,

kev35

Also, the Movements and parent Squadrons of Walrii W3070 and X9482 while they were in RN service. The movement cards only cover their time in the RAF which was 1944 onwards.

kev35

W3070 Crashed on delivery fom Cowes to Donibristle, Cat M(c) 20.02.42 (F/O B Short ATA OK); 765 Sqn Sandbanks 11.42-2.43; 749 Sqn Arbroath 5.43-7.43; To RAF as ASR 2.44

X9482 with 751 Sqn before being sent abroad

Infor fromFleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939-45 by Ray Sturtivan and published by Air Britain.

Company based at Tollerton was called Truman Aviation, apparently no relation but I doubt this. If you look at the hanger wall from the road you can still see the letters.
During the 50’s they repaired Constellations, I remember seeing their tails sticking out of the hanger and belonged to a Brazilian airline, also at that time were converting Lincolns to freighters, my brother has pictures of this that I’m trying to get hold of to publish on this site.
I used to live in Wollaton and at Balloon crossroads was the Merlin test site, which still exists as an industrial area, we used to sneak in there when we were kids.
My mother was strafed by a German a/c attacking this site and had to throw my brother, who was a baby at the time, into a ditch.
One aviation connection with Notts was that my mother used to make parachutes, I believe it was for a company called Cussons, I’ll take a break from this and confirm it from her.
The buildings at Balloon crossroads consist of a T2 hangar and several brick built engine test buildings, with observation rooms, I am reliably informed that the noise used to be unbearable.

It just goes to show, if you want to know something about Nottingham, just ask a man in Australia…..

…or a Scotsman in Norway!

Hi, Kev!

As a former Nottingham/Derby resident and Rolls-Royce employee of 13 years, I’d like to say I know a bit more, but JDK’s given you the same info as I would have given!

I know that DURING the war RR also took over a number of lace/textile mills for Merlin repair work. However, other than the Hucknall site and Mount Sorrell (between Notts and Leicester), I can’t recall any other RR involvement in or around Nottingham prior to the war.

IIRC Dunlop Rubber Company had a place in Nottigham BEFORE the war?? Maybe, they were involved with Aircraft tyres – maybe worth checking?!

Finally, what about asking the guys at Newark Air Museum – it’s not too far away from Nottingham?!

Best of luck 🙂

Graham

Mr. Dee Kay.

Former Nottingham Resident? Is there nowhere you haven’t lived?

I’ll try RR because the guy I’m looking into was a Flight Engineer but pre war was believed to have worked in aviation in the Nottingham area. He is Flight Captain Short’s Flight Engineer, Arthur Bird. I have found a relative so I am getting further sketchy information.

As to the Walrii, Flight Captain Short had minor accidents in both.
I’ll follow up your leads and see where they go. It just goes to show, if you want to know something about Nottingham, just ask a man in Australia…..

Thanks for all the help. I was supposed to be in Jersey with Ian for the airshow but sadly am not well enough. Getting my teeth into this will, I have no doubt, keep me occupied for many an hour.

I can’t get over how deeply one gets involved in things, and it all started just because I saw a grave. Funny how things turn out, focussing on a couple of casualties goes a significant way to helping me to retain my sanity. Just how much more will I find myself grateful to them for?

Regards,

kev35

See RR here

“From 1935 until 1971 Hucknall was the Rolls-Royce flight test establishment. It was here that all the company’s engine types, from the Kestrel to the RB211 were developed, installed in flying testbeds. Full ground-testing facilities was also an important feature of its activities, a feature that continues today.”

RR Heritage will also probably be able to help.

Kev, I’d contact the Derby Industrial museum: http://www.derbycity.com/derby2/indust.html – though Derbyshire focussed, the RR connection will mean they’ll probably know what was going on over the border.

The Nottingham Castle Museum: here isn’t just Maid Marian etc. They should be able to help. And Tollerton: http://www.nottinghamairport.co.uk/ may not be able to answer questions themselves, but they’ll probably know who can.

A Licences. Royal Aero Club, London? Weren’t they the issuing authority?

Hope this helps.
(Ex Nottingham resident.)

Hi Kev,

…weell, there was Rolls Royce at Derby… Not Notts, but very close to Nottingham. And Hucknall (Notts) was RR during W.W.II – dunno when they started there. It was where Franz von Werra tried to steal a Hurricane, IIRC.

‘Fraid I cant answer your question regarding the Walrii I’m afraid. I’ll have a cogitate.

What do you want to know for?

Cheers

Thanks for that Roger.

Particularly interested to know who it belonged to before impressment.

While I’m asking for help again, does anyone know where I can obtain dates when people gained their ‘A’ Licenses please?

Regards,

kev35

From Air Britain’s Impressment Logs

“G-ACRV AV986 12.5.40. Marshall’s Flying Services Ltd. Delivered to No. 110 (AAC) on the 17th and was received by No. 8 A.A.C.U. from Ringway on 27.5.40. After flying a passenger to Ringway on 4.6.40 G-ACRV ground-looped on landing there and was conveyed to D.H. for repair on the 14th. Delivered to No 48 M.U. on 25.8.40 and was released to No 1 F.P.P. as AV986 on December 18th. AV986 crashed at Rushup Edge near Chapel-en-le-Frith while taking off after a F/L there 30.8.41 SOC at D.H. on 21.9.41 as Cat E1.”

Re aircraft firms in Nottingham I would think the relatively recent Vol. 4 of “Brtish Built Aircraft – Central & Eastern England” by Ron Smith would be a good starting point (temporarily mislaid my copy)

Roger Smith.