RAF Sealand Canberra 1980s

I was at CTTS Sealand as an apprentice from 88-92. The glider hangar behind the school contained lots of Canberra wings either in crates or in stands. They were scrapped c1990. I never saw a cockpit. The hangar also contained many bits of VC-10. There was a few tailplanes (bright British Aiways red). They were almost as big as the Canberra wings.

The vampire in the hangar was Jim Kerr’s. XE920. He rebuilt it before moving it to Hawarden and then Swansea. He was my Apprentice master for a time. He was sadly killed in another vampire as a passenger in Biggin Hill when it got caught on the wake of another aircraft.
The aircraft is now in the US.

Any hint of the school or hangars have long since been demolished .

Steve.

That probably would have been Canberra B15 WH984

I remember a Canberra nose there when we restored the Vampire T11 back in the mid 90’s, think it belonged to someone working there and was something to do with a station museum? No idea when or where it went to though.

It would be interesting to know why the Canberra nose noted went to Woodvale.

The gliding was winch tow. I don’t recall seeing powered aircraft when I flew from there circa probably 86.

I visited RAF Sealand in 2007, Nothing on the gate, the Hunter had moved to Cosford.
The gliding airfield was still there but totally overgrown with the remains of the windsock pole still there.
What was this airfield used for ?, was it just gliders ? Was any powered aircraft here ? or was it just winch tow ?.
When was it last used?

RAF SEALAND

I certainly recall the assembled Sea Hawk FB.3 WM913/A2510 ‘SAH-1’ at Sealand (noted by Ken Ellis in Wreck & Relics 4 (MAS 1974).

Rather seriously, my W&R 5 seems to have ‘gone walkabout’ (Ken Ellis, MAS 1976).

In W&R 6 (Ken Ellis, MAS 1978) the Sea Hawk is noted as having departed for Fleetwood 17.03.76. Relevant to this thread, he briefly notes that “the anonymous Canberra nose from Woodvale returned here, but has not been seen for some time.” Cross-referencing to RAF Woodvale, there he notes: “To tidy up two references made in W&R 5, the Canberra nose section here did indeed return to Sealand.”

W&R 7 to 11 all record just the Spitfire TD248 on the gate, while W&R 12 (Ken Ellis, MCP, 1990) records the removal of the Spitfire and arrival of ‘WT720’ Hunter onto the gate-guard role.

So looks as though the Canberra nose was mid ’70s rather than ’80s, not too far out! I too remember the stacks of huge blue crates of Canberra components and helicopter rotor blades in the ATC glider hangar – but stored, never unpacked (well not in public view).

There werea significant number of canberra wings and tailplanes stored outside the hangers there, many tailplanes came through cosford for airframe repair training

Interesting ! I dont remember the nose but interesting to know!

I remember during that period a canberra Nose section in the hangar but dont remember any serials just being told repeatedly to keep out of it.
That was ignored of course.
Still remember the Canberra ”Smell”.

Tons of Canberra spares large and small I was told ex Sealand were originally war reserve, all this stuff went through Stafford for disposal in around 2003 or possibly earlier most going to a breaker in Coventry for melting down. I was told this after it had all gone through by the disposal staff at Stafford.