Help wanted with aircraft serials

Yes

Hi again,

Dad says thanks for the info, he’ll be looking further into the numbers provided.

One query though, for Viscount, you quote WJ626 as a Varsity but our book on serials has that as a Canberra. Should it have been WL626?

Regards,

Nige

Hi,

Thanks for the info. Just waiting for Dad to get back to me on the Varsity & Valetta numbers posted.

Regards,

Nige

NigeF-51

The codes you mentioned were allocated to Varsitys on the strength of 201 AFS between March and May 1954 as follows

‘C’ (with a bar) WF 380 from 20.3.54 to 1.6.54. the bar was used to distinguish WF 380 from WF 392 which was also at 201 AFS and coded ‘C’

‘H’ WF 369 from 7.12.51 to 1.6.54. WF 369 is extant at the Newark museum.

‘L’ WF 384 from 6.5.52 to 1.6.54

‘N’ WF 376 from 5.3.52 to 29.6.53

‘T’ WF 335 from 7.12.51 to 1.6.54

‘Y’ WF 394 from 5.3.52 to 1.6.54

Hope that helps

I’ve ‘toothcombed’ through the information in the 1975 Air Britain (Historians) book ‘Viking, Valetta and Varsity’ compiled by Bernard Martin et al. An early ‘in detail’ single aircraft monograph, the unit and code information was partial and before the days when AM file card details were fully released. However there are some possible answers.

I can only find 6, fairly late production Valettas that served with 6 ANS, of which 5 in service 6-9.53. However no codes are quoted for:
WG256 2.53-11.53
WG263 3.52-5.52 & 6.52-11.53
WG264 1.53-11.53
WG265 3.52 until crashed 28.1.53 & SOC
WG266 1.53-11.53
WG267 2.52-6.53 & 8.53-12.53
As my information is only partial, possibly way, way too neat to suggest 6 aircraft, coded A to F, with the missing /E as the aircraft that had earlier crashed.

Moving on to the 201AFS Varsity in the period 3-5.54. They had in excess of 40 aircraft at one time or another in the mid 50s. They include:

WF394/Y del 5.3.52 and to 201AFS, then Y/11FTS. SOC 5.6.70 to Coltishall Fire School.
WF412/H del 6.5.52 and to 201AFS, then 11FTS and /H CNCS. To 8013M 4.68 and SOC 23MU 29.5.69 at Aldergrove.
WJ626/L del 29.4.53, and to 201 AFS, then Z/2ANS, still in service as P/6FTS in 1976.
WF335/T del 7.12.51 and to 201AFS, then 11FTS and B/CNCS. SOC 12.2.71 and finished its days on Leuchars fire dump.

A number of codes were re-used several times, and without the dates that the aircraft left 201 AFS, I cannot state with any absolute certainty that these serials match the aircraft your dad flew in. There are a number of aircraft shown as serving with 201 AFS without quoted codes – and I have thought of another source for Varsity histories to comb through later.

The A-B book states that the main user of the Varsity T.1 came into service with the R.A.F. was No.201 Advanced Flying School at Swinderby, which later became No.11 Flying Training School, before being disbanded 7th June 1955.

Incidently, my source book gives the aircraft that crashed 13.3.54 as WF327/F rather than /T of 201AFS. Shows the problems in research!

Hi,

Sadly WF327 crashed two weeks before my fathers posting to Swinderby, so it could not have been that ‘T’ that he flew on.

Don, you have a PM.

Regards,

Nige

Hi Don,

Thanks for the info and I’ve passed on your request from the PM to my father.

Nige

Hello Nige,

Regarding 201 AFS – I have Varsity ‘T’ as WF327, which was lost on 13:03:1954.
(Details taken from the pilot’s log book.)

You also have a PM. 🙂

Cheers,

Don