Wings Over Britain

The Wings Over New Zealand Show 296 is online – Wings Over Britain: IWM Duxford. In this episode I visited the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, in Cambridgeshire, and caught up with Rebecca Greenwood Harding, the Head of Technological Objects for the collection there. Following a tour of the museum with Rebecca and mutual friend Mike Shreeve, including some areas that the public does not normally see, I sat down with Rebecca to record this interview.

Duxford is one of the most famous airfields in the world, and the Imperial War Museum’s collection, and the various collections of the IWM’s partners at Duxford, are incredibly impressive. Rebecca talks about her role and how she got into the job there in 2001. She describes the exhibits in the various hangars, and different events that are held at Duxford each year. And she talks about the restoration projects in Hangar 5 at the time, as well as revealing her favourite aircraft in the collection, and her favourite Spitfire.

If nothing else, check out the hundreds of photos. Here is the show page:
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2024/02/wonz-296-iwm-duxford/

WONZ 295 – Wings Over Britain: Hornchurch is now online. In this episode Dave Homewood visits the RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre, on the site of the former RAF Station Hornchurch, and he talks with the museum’s chairman Anthony Philpot.

RAF Hornchurch is synonymous with the Battle of Britain, as one of the most famous and important fighter bases that existed in the defence of London. It was here that some of the Royal Air Force’s best pilots were based, and this included New Zealanders such as Alan Deere and Colin Gray in 1940. Another Kiwi connection is with No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, whose Spitfires were based at Hornchurch for two different stints in 1943 and 1944.

Hornchurch was also the site of a New Zealand Army hospital and convalescence centre in the First World War. And there are other Kiwi connections with the hallowed area too.

Steeped with RAF history, the station no longer exists, but on the 19th of September 2021 the new RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre was officially opened by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE.
The centre is packed with really interesting artefacts, displays and memories of RAF Hornchurch’s amazing history. Close to Romford, Essex, just east of London, the centre is well worth a visit. The volunteer staff on the day that Dave visited, Tony, Paul and Jim, were fantastic fun too with lots of great banter, but also a true dedication to preserving and sharing the history of their now paved over and built on aerodrome. Highly recommended.

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2024/01/wonz-295-wings-over-britain-hornchurch/

I just realised I missed posting here about Episode 294 – Wings Over Britain: Steve Bridgewater

In this episode Dave Homewood talks with well known aviation journalist Steve Bridgewater about his career and his passion for aviation. Steve is a multiple award winning aviation author, journalist and photographer with more than two decades experience in editing aviation and aerospace magazines .

His passions include vintage aeroplanes, warbirds and airshows. He spent many years with Air Atlantique, working with the DC-3’s and other old aeroplanes in that now defunct collection. He is also a Liveryman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, and he explains what this means.

His current role, and dream job, is as Deputy Editor of AEROSPACE Magazine at the Royal Aeronautical Society. His office is at No. 4 Hamilton Place, London, overlooking Hyde Park, and right near the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, and the RAF Club. He and the AEROSPACE team also produce a monthly podcast called AEROSPACE NOTAM.

Here is the link:
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/12/wonz-294-wings-over-b…

WONZ 292 – Wings Over Britain: Andy Saunders is now online. In this episode Dave Homewood caught up with author, journalist and historian Andy Saunders in his ‘War Office’ writing room in Eton, under the flightpath to Heathrow. Andy talks about his childhood discovery of a downed B-25 bomber while on a fishing trip that really sparked his interest in wartime aviation. He talks about finding wrecks of downed aeroplanes, and how he got into the historical research.

He has spent years tracking down and interviewing pilots and aircrew, initially for his own interest, but it eventually led to writing magazine articles and then books. These days he is editor of Iron Cross magazine, and regularly writes articles for various newspapers and magazines.

Andy was also a co-founder of the Tangmere Aviation Museum. And Dave and Andy discuss New Zealanders in the Battle of Britain, and their visit earlier in the day to the Runnymede Memorial.

LINK: https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/12/wonz-292-wings-over-b…

I hope people are still finding these shows of interest…

WONZ 291 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Museum Midlands.

In this episode Dave Homewood visited the terrific Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, at RAF Cosford, with friend Nigel Hitchman, and he met the Manager of the RAF Museum’s Conservation Centre, Darren Priday.

Darren talks about the museum at Cosford, recent restorations such as the Vickers Wellington now on display at Cosford and the Handley Page Hampden that he is still working on and was about to head soon to display at Hendon.

He covers the recovery of the Dornier 17 ten years before, and how they have been conserving it and preparing it for display. And he talks about the techniques they have used and developed to preserve aircraft recovered from the sea. He gives a teaser for another sea recovery project that does not involve the RAF Museum, but he is advising on.

He addresses the problem of having several aircraft outside in the weather, and plans for a new building in the future. And gives a good general overview of the museum.

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/11/wonz-291-wings-over-b…

WONZ 289 is now online. In this episode I visited the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at London Colney, Hertfordshire, and interviewed Ian Thirsk, the Mosquito Team Leader with the museum.

Whilst the museum preserves the history and products of the famous aircraft manufacturer de Havilland and many of its significant products, the episode focuses heavily on the Mosquito. The museum has three Mosquitos on display, including the very first prototype. Also among the collection are many other important aircraft types from biplanes to jets, fighters to airliners.

Hopefully this episode highlights the importance of the company and its aeroplanes to both the British aviation industry and to New Zealand, and also entices listeners to visit this museum that is packed full of incredibly rare treasures.

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/11/wonz-289-wings-over-b…

New Episode Alert!

WONZ 288 – Wings Over Britain: The BBMF is now online. In this episode I visit The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. I was accompanied by Barbara Hunter of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, and we were given a personal guided tour by BBMF Guide Julian Maslin.

Julian describes each of the aircraft in this amazing collection, which remain on the RAF’s Order of Battle, and he talks about the day to day running of the BBMF.

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/11/wonz-288-wings-over-b…

A new Wings Over Britain episode:

WONZ 287 – Wings Over Britain: Dave Gledhill is now online. In this episode Dave Homewood visits former RAF navigator and author Dave Gledhill at Thorpe Camp, Lincolnshire. Dave owns and runs a genuine ex-RAF Tornado simulator which is based within the Thorpe Camp museum, which has been adapted to simulate other types as well as the Tornado, including the Hawk, Vulcan, Spitfire and Lancaster.

Here is the link.
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/10/wonz-287-wings-over-britain-dave-gledhill/ 

The newest episode is also in Lincolnshire, this time I visited the International Bomber Command Centre at Lincoln. I met Dr. Dan Ellin, of the University of Lincoln, who is the archivist for the International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive. Dan is responsible for the digitisation of letters, diaries, and photographs that come into the centre from veterans or families, and he also records oral histories with veterans. Since 2015 the archive has recorded over 1,000 oral history interviews and over 100,000 digital files. 

As curator of the exhibition for the IBCC visitor centre, Dan was also responsible for the content of three galleries that tell the stories of the bomber crews, the stories of those on the ground and how Bomber Command has been remembered since WWII.

I also met Peter Jones, who also works in the archive, digitising content. Peter’s father served with RAF Bomber Command during WWII. 

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/10/wonz-286-wings-over-b…

Thanks so much for the encouraging comments Mothminor and powerandpassion. Feedback like this is always appreciated, and is what motivates me to continue. There are lots more episodes to come yet from Wings Over Britain, interspersed with regular WONZ Show episodes that are also in the pipeline. And in case you are not aware, I have recently returned to the Warbird Radio network where cohost Grant McHerron and i have a new show, Warbird Radio Downunder.

https://www.warbirdradio.com/

WONZ Podcasts have kept me company on many long country, night drives, very grateful for this remarkable body of work. Need to go to Italy or Poland or Russia next ! Keep up the huge effort and thank you. 

Excellent episode, Dave. We were very lucky to visit East Kirkby recently on a day when “Just Jane” was doing taxy runs. A beautiful sight and sound. The work they are doing at LAHC is quite amazing and it is interesting to hear more about the plans for the future. I really enjoyed listening to your show. Thank you 🙂

New Episode Alert!

WONZ 285 – Wings Over Britain: East Kirkby is now online. In this episode I visited the former RAF Station at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire, home of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. This museum is famous for its taxiing Avro Lancaster NX611 Just Jane, and the also taxiing de Havilland Mosquito HJ711, but it is in fact dedicated to all things RAF Bomber Command.

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre was created on the former WWII RAF Bomber Command station by brothers Fred and Harold Panton as a place to house their Lancaster bomber, which they’d purchased as a tribute to their brother Christopher, who lost his life while flying operations on Handley Page Halifax bombers with Bomber Command.

I spoke with the deputy chief engineer John Marshal-East while he was on site about the efforts of keeping the centre’s aircraft maintained and running, whilst also working on restoring the Lancaster to flying condition at the same time.

At the time of my visit the centre’s manager Andrew Panton was away, but we caught up later on Zoom to record the second half of this episode. The grandson of the late co-founder Fred Panton, Andrew talks about the museum’s history and his family’s connection, as well as current projects and future plans. Andrew is also one of the pilots rated to give taxi rides in both the Lancaster and the Mosquito to the paying public, both very popular attractions at the LAHC.
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/09/wonz-285-wings-over-britain-east-kirkby/

WONZ 283 – Wings Over Britain: Conversations from Shuttleworth is now online. In this episode I met with several friends at the hallowed ground that is Old Warden aerodrome, the home of the world famous Shuttleworth Collection.

I interviewed a few people, the first being well known and respected aviation photographer Darren Harbar. Darren had shown Dave around the collection and museum, and sat down to talk about the Shuttleworth Collection and his special connection with it. He also discussed his work as an aviation photographer.

Next I talked with aviation historian, writer and documentary maker Steve Darlow, and WWII bomber pilot and author George Dunn DFC, Ld’H. Steve discusses his involvement in writing books about Bomber Command, and his involvement with helping to make the film Lancaster, and the current project, Mosquito. George talks about his wartime experiences, training in Canada, and flying Halifax heavy bombers, then Mosquitoes, and then Spitfires.

And finally I speak with David Bremner, who with his brother Richard and friend Theo Willford reconstructed the WWI Bristol Scout C, 1264, as flown by David and Richard’s grandfather Francis Bremner over Gallipoli during 1915 while in the Royal Naval Air Service. This wonderful aeroplane lives at and flies from Old Warden.
https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/09/wonz-283-wings-over-britain-conversations-from-shuttleworth/

Not a Wings Over Britain episode, but maybe one that people here will enjoy listening to. I interviewed 99-year-old David Barnston a few days back. He was in the RAF and he flew Hurricanes in training, and then Thunderbolts in action in Burma during the war, and Indonesia after the war in another small war that is long forgotten by most. Then he flew Spitfires and Vengeances, before he left the RAF and moved to New Zealand, where he spent five years flying Mustangs with the RNZAF Territorial Air Force.

https://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2023/09/wonz-282-david-barnst…

More Wings Over Britain coming soon.

Thanks Denis. I am looking forward to eventually getting to release the episode I recorded with you and Jim, that was a great day and I enjoyed hearing the history of RAF Hundson and the various squadrons that were based there.

Well Done Dave!

Denis.(Hunsdon)

Thank you. 🙂 

Well done Dave , loo forward to listening to them