Bob
May 15, 2014 at 8:18 pm

Vampire question – hope someone can "nail" it down…

Spotted in a 1952/3 film – Vampire with serial WA412 – apparently an FB5 (data from UKserials.com – WA412 DH Vampire FB5 delivery date 30/05/1951, scrapped 29/05/1959 at No.10 MU Hullavington to Eyre Smelting Co).
It carried the squadron letters S-ES. Other aircraft in clip had the letters P-ES, N-ES and L-ES. Anyone throw any light as to what squadron this might have been. Have spent a fair bit of time looking for some snippet with no avail.

Some confusion due to it also being logged on Ukserials.com as a Sea Vampire with same serial.

Cheers.

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By: TempestV - 16th May 2014 at 13:23

Thanks for the quick response!

Need to re-watch the film and see if I can catch any serial on L-ES/ES-L – that would pin it down. I did look at the Wikipedia list of OCUs and 229 OCU but I was working on the basis they were at an overseas station rather than in the UK. Maybe they were detached or just fanciful story telling on behalf of the film producers!

EDIT
Just had a quick search and found this info – http://www.rafweb.org/OCUs1.htm which places 229 at Chivenor in 1951 and confirms the codes as “ES/RS” at the time.

Yes, its 229 OCU.

What was the film? I used to own the cockpit from Vampire FB5 RS-P, VZ193 (now owned by Jon H) – It would be good to see its fellow squadron members.

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By: Bob - 15th May 2014 at 21:05

Thanks for the quick response!

Need to re-watch the film and see if I can catch any serial on L-ES/ES-L – that would pin it down. I did look at the Wikipedia list of OCUs and 229 OCU but I was working on the basis they were at an overseas station rather than in the UK. Maybe they were detached or just fanciful story telling on behalf of the film producers!

EDIT
Just had a quick search and found this info – http://www.rafweb.org/OCUs1.htm which places 229 at Chivenor in 1951 and confirms the codes as “ES/RS” at the time.

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By: Lazy8 - 15th May 2014 at 20:37

‘Combat Codes’ by Flintham & Thomas says that ES was 229 OCU, flying Vampire FB.5s between December 1950 and October 1956. The example they give isVX870 ES*L.