On May 3rd 1952, the RAFVR units at Cambridge/Teversham held an ‘At Home Day’. Flight Magazine reported a Chipmunk aerobatic competition, and displays from Beaufighter and Spitfire. I would be grateful for any further unit information on the following aircraft.
Photos by the late Gerald Lawrence, digitised and made available by Tony Clarke.
RD767 Bristol Beaufighter TF.10, 8Q-E of 34 Sq, (Based Horsham St. Faith):
RD807 Bristol Beaufighter TF.10, 34 Sq:
SR911 Bristol Beaufighter TF.10, 34 Sq:
TE248 (?) ‘W’ Photo album identifies this Spitfire (LFXVI?) as TE248. Any suggestions?:
VV313 Anson ’41’ Unknown unit:
WB548 Anson ’42’ Unknown unit:
NJ345 ’53’ Airspeed Oxford Unknown unit:
NM357 Airspeed Oxford Unknown unit:
WB568 ‘G’ DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10, Cambridge UAS, (To VH-REW 1956 and W/O 22-9-57):
WK575 DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10, Unknown unit (W/O 13-7-70):
By: pogno - 18th March 2011 at 18:00
What an awesome machine the Beaufighter was. One of the few WW2 aircraft where the pilot was sat right at the front. Those two mighty Hercules engines either side. Press the firing button and 4 20mm cannons and 6 .303 machine guns let rip, impressive, even by todays standard. If only we had a flyer……..
I am always amazed at the huge amount of view that those mighty Bristols obscured, just look at the pictures posted here to see the whole canopy is obscured by engine. Would love to see and hear one though.
Am I right in thinking the French preserved Noratlas is the only Hercules powered aircraft that is potentially airworthy at the moment.
Richard
By: Sky High - 18th March 2011 at 17:00
Cambridge looks so “rural” in those?:)
By: Mark12 - 18th March 2011 at 16:58
Spitfire W.
Although TE248 was on strength 695 Squadron / 34 Squadron with the ‘4M’/’8Q’ code, in theory it was ‘cat 5’ and SOC on 29 May 1950.
Tantalisingly TD248 followed a similar path ‘4M-E’/’8Q-T’ and then went to 2 CAACU in August 1951. That single ‘W’ code would be very appropriate in style and position for 2 CAACU.
I am wondering if this Spitfire was borrowed back or delayed its departure from/to 34 Squadron. It would be easy to see how with no serial painted on the fuselage TE248 could be ascribed/advised by/to an enthusiast for TD248
This needs a little more research. 🙂
Mark
The Morgan/Shacklady tome is incomplete with its entry for TE248.
With the movement card details to hand, TE248 was TOC 2 CAACU on 17/20 August 1951 and SOC cat 5 on 13 July 1953 comfortably bridging the photo date of 3 May 1952. With Marshalls of Cambridge administering 2 CAACU and with the ‘W’ code size and position being typical of that and the other CAACU units, the balance of probability of the identity swings strongly back to TE248.
We need our CAACU man to dig deeper. 🙂
Mark
By: stendec7 - 15th March 2011 at 19:29
Beaus
What an awesome machine the Beaufighter was. One of the few WW2 aircraft where the pilot was sat right at the front. Those two mighty Hercules engines either side. Press the firing button and 4 20mm cannons and 6 .303 machine guns let rip, impressive, even by todays standard. If only we had a flyer……..
By: Mark12 - 14th March 2011 at 16:59
…and who was looking after and running 2 CAACU at Little Snoring at this time…why Marshalls of Cambridge.
So a real possibility could be a Spitfire in for TOC, maintenance and repaint and part way through, accounting for no serial, on sight and pushed out for this function.
Mark
By: Steve T - 14th March 2011 at 00:58
Oooooo, Beaux…I love Beaux…
If that Spit really is TE248, there’s some symmetry with two of those Beaux: you’ve got RD767 and RD87 in these shots…while RD867 survives, being surveyed now for long-awaited commencement of restoration in Ottawa. Anybody got a period pic of RD867 to share??
S.
By: Mark12 - 13th March 2011 at 23:11
Spitfire W.
Although TE248 was on strength 695 Squadron / 34 Squadron with the ‘4M’/’8Q’ code, in theory it was ‘cat 5’ and SOC on 29 May 1950.
Tantalisingly TD248 followed a similar path ‘4M-E’/’8Q-T’ and then went to 2 CAACU in August 1951. That single ‘W’ code would be very appropriate in style and position for 2 CAACU.
I am wondering if this Spitfire was borrowed back or delayed its departure from/to 34 Squadron. It would be easy to see how with no serial painted on the fuselage TE248 could be ascribed/advised by/to an enthusiast for TD248
This needs a little more research. 🙂
Mark
By: John Aeroclub - 13th March 2011 at 21:11
The Ansons and Oxfords were all on the strength of 22 Reserve flying School which were based at Cambridge (Marshalls).
John
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March 13, 2011 at 6:25 pm