Old RAF Swinderby airframes…where are they now?

Swinderby Memories

I remember having a look inside the Canberra, when it was opened up, not sure for what reason, in 1976.

Incidently, my father was the CSFC Chaplain at Swinderby, 1976-1977, and retired from the RAF the same day as I passed out from recruit training at Swinderby (in April 1977). Not sure but I think it was quite a unique occasion.

Cabbage

From the Swinderby entry in W&R 14 – “Gnat T1 XM706 / 8572M on the dump was offered for tender during September 1993 and left the following month for an undisclosed scrappy in Nottingham.”

In W&R 13 “XM706 – ex Halton arrived 08/11/89”

As I now recall, at the time of the 1993 disposal I’d just snared a Draken in Denmark and was feverishly trying to process the import paperwork! 🙂

I recall crash and smash dismantling one for road transport mid summer 1989 from the workshop hanger. I am reasonably certain it was the Swinderby example but I havnt got W&R to hand.

Sure the Gnats were not taken apart about 4 years earlier than that? I was one of the bods that took the ones in the prop section apart, the fuses were dumped down on the airfield and the wings stacked up and tied down upside down “to prevent them taking off” I kid you not… The noses on them were full of angle iron in the school to prevent them sitting on their arses.

AIR – the Gnat was one that sadly escaped NAM’s clutches! 😉

Still they eventually got the post box!! :rolleyes:

The Gnat was a former Halton machine taken apart there in 1989. Needless to say no more went to fire dumps once they realised how much money they fetched at auction!

Something flew over during ours but we were indoors due to bad weather June 76 lol…. Canberra was outside, we got double bubbled and had extra marching training due to doing AOC’s parade as well as our passing out one. Ahhhh weapons we had for parades were old .303 guns modified with grips added and cut down bits and bobs to resemble SLR’s

Last Lightning,

That was the same year I was there, 06 August-02 October 1991 (which included a fortnight block leave). I remember the aero run along the peri track past the Canberra (which was chopped up whilst I was there, the nose having a reprieve). The Lightning was looking fantastic in the hangar where we were due to pass out if the weather didn’t play the game.
The Vampire had Nestle coffee jar lids as blanks to its gun ports, which like the rest of the aircraft was painted with many coats of silver paint.
Pass out flypasts (in no particular order) from those weeks were:
Gulf marked Tornado with UK temporate GR1.
Gulf Buccaneer
Vulcan and Red Arrows (!)
Phantom
A rainey pass out day and then ours:
4 Chipmunks from the resident FTS. (Although I’d later go on to work on them with BBMF, I was much more thrusting at the time and wanted noise and power!)

Happy (and much simpler) days.

C6

This is some coincidence. I visited Swinderby 3 hours ago after 40? years.
I think it was 1972 as part of a Police support squad we were billeted at Swinderby for a few days to support the local force who were having problems with i think dockers at Gunness wharf.
Whilst there one evening i wandered across the airfield to XM 170 a Lightning that was dumped near to the A46. It was stripped and on its belly and i was told it had some of its systems contaminated with mercury.
With regard to Swinderby this afternoon the lane off the A46 (now a dual carriageway) is now a service road to the housing estate that covers the old accomodation blocks. It appears from the limited views through young trees/folliage that the runways have been lifted, but i am not sure.
One thing is for certain i wish i had not gone back.

Did you call and see the new bench and interpretation board at Witham St Hughs Village Hall or the tree and plaque at the Network 46 development?

The RAF Swinderby Association held their annual reunion at NAM last weekend!

Plus there’re still lots of interesting wartime features around the site – if you know where to look!!

The tailor had obviously improved, my uniform fitted like a bag of poo

Swinderby 1972?

This is some coincidence. I visited Swinderby 3 hours ago after 40? years.
I think it was 1972 as part of a Police support squad we were billeted at Swinderby for a few days to support the local force who were having problems with i think dockers at Gunness wharf.
Whilst there one evening i wandered across the airfield to XM 170 a Lightning that was dumped near to the A46. It was stripped and on its belly and i was told it had some of its systems contaminated with mercury.
With regard to Swinderby this afternoon the lane off the A46 (now a dual carriageway) is now a service road to the housing estate that covers the old accomodation blocks. It appears from the limited views through young trees/folliage that the runways have been lifted, but i am not sure.
One thing is for certain i wish i had not gone back.

Lightning P1B/F1 XG329 was there then and is now at Norfolk and Suffolk Aircraft Museum

From Smoggieboy on AIX:
Canberra cockpit with ATC Warton
Vampire to Staverton
Mosquito to RAF Museum (long gone from Swinders by the 1990’s though!)

Devon, WB530(8825M) recorded as at Swinderby as late as 1984, but most likely perished on the dump there later