By: slicer - 26th January 2015 at 10:41
No, he didn’t recall any such crashes in lochs while he was there. He was at Owl on 714 Sq for a short time and they transferred to HMS Merganser at Crimond subsequently in May 1944.
By: scotavia - 23rd January 2015 at 17:33
Slicer, I wonder if your father recalls an aircraft force landing in to a Loch ? I have heard rumours of one in the area and it was supposed to be FAA.
By: slicer - 23rd January 2015 at 17:01
My father was stationed at RNAS Owl during the war, on one of the Barracuda squadrons based there, as a newly minted Aircraft Artificer.
He started watching the programme but was interrupted by a phone call and missed the veterans chat.
It’s repeated on channel 4Seven at 7pm 23 January (tonight), so he’ll be reliving old memories….mainly of how perishing cold the place was! He tells me that the CO of his Barracuda squadron, a former Swordfish pilot, refused to fly the aircraft because he thought it was too bloody dangerous!
By: TonyT - 22nd January 2015 at 15:52
I just hope the local vandals dont see it on TV and think…ohhhh new windows.
By: austernj673 - 22nd January 2015 at 15:46
At least it has been saved and I’m sure one day will be finished.
By: TonyT - 22nd January 2015 at 15:38
Already been done, this is what they are sort of hoping to achieve, one would imagine
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-20197798.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3341893/All-aboard-the-watchtower.html
By: batsi - 22nd January 2015 at 14:26
classic example of an impulse purchase. no real plan, not enough cash to finish it.
By: Arabella-Cox - 22nd January 2015 at 12:31
Really didn’t like the black paint – but I guess that is just personal taste.
Thought the couple seemed a bit aloof – too much money and not enough common sense maybe, or perhaps it was just the TV editing that made it appear that way?
Still – good to see a tower being saved and put to good use – well hopefully at some point! 😮
By: Carpetbagger - 22nd January 2015 at 12:26
I remember on a visit to Stow Maries they mentioned that they had contacted Crittalls for a quote on their windows and were quoted some fantastic price.
They ended up making their own at a fraction of the price they were quoted…
John
By: Sabrejet - 22nd January 2015 at 11:57
There was a short piece on Crittall windows in Octane magazine a few issues ago: recent mentions on heritage building restoration programmes can’t have done sales any harm either.
My memory of them is of paint-glued hinges and the risk of cracking a window pane every time one tried to open them. That and damp, rickets, polio and blue**** on the milk bottles.
Ha! I just noted that ‘Bluet1ts’ was censored in my post!
By: jeepman - 22nd January 2015 at 11:42
One surprise was that Crittall is still going strong and making windows. Surely a British success story in itself!!!!
Long way away from Historic Aviation I know – but given the cost of the windows, it’s interesting how they’ve gone from “bog standard” fitted to everything from semis to barrack blocks in the 1930s to “top end” costing an arm and a leg in the 2010s
By: Bob - 22nd January 2015 at 10:38
One surprise was that Crittall is still going strong and making windows. Surely a British success story in itself!!!!
By: Moggy C - 22nd January 2015 at 07:55
The ‘restorers’ started well and simply ran out of steam / inspiration / money
At least the shell is now watertight.
To anyone who missed the programme it isn’t worth going to a great deal of trouble to ‘catch-up’
It was RAF Fearn / RNAS HMS Owl
Four veterans featured briefly and never got a caption or credit
Moggy
“Before” images and information here: http://her.highland.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=%27MHG25866%27
“Project and completed exterior”: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-restoration-man/pictures/all/hms-owl
By: Sabrejet - 22nd January 2015 at 06:35
What a disappointing waste of an hour’s viewing!
A 10-minute programme, crammed into an hour!
By: allan125 - 21st January 2015 at 21:24
My late father was at RAF Tain, and its satellite RAF Fearn, between February 1942 and February 1943, before it came under RN control, coming south for Exercise Spartan at “Z” Composite Group HQ, which evolved through Blue Group in to 83 (Composite) Group HQ on 1 April 1943 – so I have found the programme of great personal interest as all I have are some photos of the surrounding area, and now I have seen the scenery for myself.
Allan
By: XL189 - 21st January 2015 at 21:09
What a disappointing waste of an hour’s viewing!
By: TonyT - 21st January 2015 at 17:55
Check out channel 5 too, Russian paras building a base on the icecap, same time 8pm, three parter
By: Peter - 21st January 2015 at 16:40
Didn’t air on BBC Canada here.. gutted 🙁
By: David_Kavangh - 21st January 2015 at 16:00
It’s actually on Channel 4. Lots of celebs patting themselves on the back on ITV tonight.
By: Peter - 20th January 2015 at 21:58
Looking forward to this…
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January 20, 2015 at 9:29 pm