Your favourite era of the RAF (or equivalent)

50’s and 60’s for me – no question.

Joined in 64 and bailed out in 87, FEAF,NEAF, MEAF and RAFG, had great times in them all and loved all the types, with the exception of the Frightner/boneshaker the Bristol Freighter RNZAF 🙂

Undoubtly,my favourite period is battle of Britain.Two reasons 1)it was the end of the beginning for Hitler.
2) I think that never in the past and in the future (?) ,so many pilots of so many nationalities fought together against totalitarism.Perhaps the only exception is Desert storm in the 90th.

Joined Aug 48, left Apr 73. Best time to be in by my reckoning. RAFG (Sylt) mid 50s, and Cyprus (Akrotiri/Episcopi) mid 60s the highlights. Meteors, Vampires, Venoms, Canberras, F86 just, Hunter a little more, rides in Lightning and Phantom, and a lot of QFIing, can’t have been a better time. Then endless desks, so left to find more flying!
Luckily, the nearest I got to firing in anger was on the ground, leading a convoy of cars from Akrotiri to Limassol, when the Cyprus troubles erupted in 65. Given a revolver, a box of bullets tied up so well in cellotape it would have taken a while to open even if I had been told not to on pain of something or other not to. I’d rather be flying!

Interesting picture, Mark 12, of my favourite Spitfire. Looked much better, and more in her element in BofB film, in rather worn camouflage, and in my fairly adventurous delivery flight from Bovingdon to Coltishall, referred to in another thread some time ago.I have a photo of her on that flight, taken from the accompanying JP, over the Wash. Unfortunately I haven’t the wherewithall to enclose it. Must get organised!

Not brave enough to have fought as an individual but perhaps as part of a crew.

Don’t underestimate yourself. I’m sure you’d have been there, old bean, had the call come. But we are greatful it didn’t.

I guess my favourite RAF era would have to be when I joined, in 1986! Back then, the RAF was actually growing, due to the requirement for more fast jet aircrew for the Tornado F3, RAF Germany was still very big indeed and the Lightning was still in service! 😀

I agree as well, 1986 at Henlow, Leeming and on to Bruggen, followed by Cottesmore and Waddington. Bruggen was awesome, 4 Sqns of Tornado’s and a fantastic life in Germany. But it’s not the same anymore.
My choice of eras would be late 50’s, to the early 60’s.

Switzerland / Swiss AF 1948 – 1958

Messerschmitt Bf-109E-3 & G-6 (until 1949)
D-3801 Morane plus derivatives D-3802 / D-3803
C-3603 with derivatives C-3604, plus various TT versions
De-Havilland Mosquito PR Mk-IV
P-51D Mustang
AT-16 Harvard
Dh-100 Vampire Mk. 1
Dh-100 Vampire Mk. 6
Dh-112 Venom FB.50 (Mk. 1), including Recce version
Dh-112 Venom FB.54 (Mk. 4)
Dh-115 Vampire Trainer
Junkers Ju-52
Beech C-45F
Nardi FN-315
Bücker Bü-131 Jungmann and -133 Jungmeister
Bücker Bü-181 Bestmann
Pilatus P-2 Trainer
Nord 1203 “Norecrin”
Hiller 360 UH-12B Helicopter
Piper PA-18-125 Super-Cub
Siebel Si-204D-1
Stinson L-5A Sentinel
Focke-Wulf Fw-44F Stieglitz
Twin Bonanza E-50
Dh-113 Venom NF-10
Dornier Do-27H-2
Hawker Hunter F-58
Pilatus P-3 Trainer
SO.1221 S ‘Djinn’ Helicopter
SE-3130 Alouette-II Helicopter
F+W N-20 Jet
FFA P-16 Jet

Quite a collection, eh ?

Martin / Swiss Mustangs

A great friend of mine did his two years National Service on Station Flight at RAF Gibraltar in the mid 1950s, looking after a pair of Martinets and a pair of Mossie TT.35s (and yes, he got to fly in both types). From the size of his photo collection, he had his camera with him every day. Amazing shots of such gems as US Navy Mercators and Savages, French Dauntlesses, Dutch Harpoons and the like, quite apart from every RAF and FN type of the day. Wonderful, wish I’d been there too!

60’s and early 70’s for me – Hunters, Lightnings, Buccaneers, Phantoms, Victors and Vulcans.

Agree with that John but would include many others now only a dim memory in true working form – Beverlys, Canberras, Haystacks, Shacks, Brits, Belfs, Piston Provosts, Bassetts, Chipmunks, Argosys, Comets, Mossies, Marathons, Neptunes, Varsitys, Valettas, . . . We had a proper Air Force in those days, stacks of kites, and a “proper” enemy! Working conditions were Sierra Hotel One Tango for most of the time and the support equip was generally cr@p, but there was a clarity of purpose with no politically correct baggage and overseas postings that made yer teeth itch. I’d give bits of myself to be back there now – with a decent camera rather than the Zenith 3 I had then. :rolleyes:

I have always had a great interest in the RAF in World War Two. But as you mentioned ‘equivalents’, my greatest interest is in the wartime RNZAF (and that includes Kiwis in the RAF).

I am fascinated at how our tiny 1939 Air Force of 600 men expanded to over 40,000 during the war, 12,000 of whom went to the RAF. I love reading and hearing first-hand stories told by those who were involved. I think the most interesting period for me for both RNZAF at home and abroad is 1939-42. Amazing to think we were training pilots on Tiger Moths then Vildebeests and then sending them straight to Britain to jump into Spitfires, when most had never seen a monoplane fighter till that time! And we were using old airliners fitted and Tiger Moths with bombracks to protect our own shores while the best men went overseas. Amazing times.

60’s and early 70’s for me – Hunters, Lightnings, Buccaneers, Phantoms, Victors and Vulcans.

JC
Looks like I’m into Cold War jets then!

Far East in the fifties. Brigands, Beaus., Sunderlands, Lincolns, Spits and after all that, what a night life!

A difficult choice. I joined in 1973 and had a great time for 22 years. Having said that, I would plump for 1950s and 1960s. Still a big air force, with lots of interesting types which I only ever saw by going to air shows or whatever flew over the house.

In those days I lived in the High wycombe area, in the middle of the “golden triangle” of Booker (still RAF then), Bovingdon (ditto) and Northolt. So the sky always seemed to have an Anson in it, plus sundry other beasts that I won’t bore you with now.

Any XIIs in that line up? Can’t tell from the image but there are clearly some Griffon engined kites

Dan

Dan,

Only the first in line is identifiable.

The Griffon five blade aircraft are of indeterminate Marks.

Mark

To capture and record then all those surplus, derelict and 2nd line unit Spitfires and Seafires that went on to foreign service, gate guardianship and the like and are now our world-wide extant fleet.

So perhaps if you just happen to be sitting on an early shot of a survivor and would like to make an old historian happy. 🙂

First in the line of this derelict bunch at 39MU Colerne, circa June 1948, is P7350 – now BBMF.

Mark

Photo by Norman Parker

Any XIIs in that line up? Can’t tell from the image but there are clearly some Griffon engined kites

Dan

For me it would have to be Bomber Command, 42, 43 or 44. Not brave enough to have fought as an individual but perhaps as part of a crew. Somewhere up the front end though, not mid upper or rear gunner. Preferably with one of the heavies. Moggy once said perhaps I should have been part of P/O Moxey’s crew just so I could have found out exactly what went wrong.

Regards,

kev35

I’m an American, so my view is probably a little skewed on this one, but, I’ll go for, Pre WWII,late 20’s through late 30’s. Just to have the chance to to get a crack at all of the beautiful Supermarine products, especially the Schneider cup birds. All of those planes were some of the most beautiful and powerful, for their type, ever made. I’ll have to go back and look it up, but I think RAF officers flew those planes, or sponsored them, or worked on them, like I said, I’ll have to go back and look it up,,,,,,,,,unless one of our bro’s here already knows (Hint, Hint)

Hi Andy! Yes, he did have a camera but when he died my stepmother threw out all his many mementoes, so I only have memories of his wonderful photos, unfortunately (I was in Sweden and couldn’t get back very quickly).

For me it would have to be the BoF and into the BoB, with 32 Sqd or 610 Sqd. The others would be with the USAAF 5th AF in the SW Pacific or the 15th AF in the Aluetians. Stirring times and soul testing events.

Are you telepathic, Andy in Beds? That is precisely the period when my father served in the RAF aboard HMS Eagle, and his stories encouraged me to join up too, but in 1959, a different era indeed which however I will always consider the best time of my life. He was on the China station, etc., and eventually had to put up with dodging Italian bombers, something I am very glad I missed.

Did he have a camera????
HMS Eagle was sadly lost on the Pedestal convoy to Malta.
I think the Navy had had their money’s worth out of her by then!
Cheers
Andy