Wellington Fuselage Preserved In Stratford

Missed opportunity……

With the tooling and knowledge in the repair and fabrication of geodetic structures within the Brooklands organisation following their rebuild of the Loch Ness Wellington, surely combining the remains of L7775 with the very substantial “spare” fuselage section at Brooklands to produce a third complete example would have been the best option. I know, a very simplistic view. Who knows, perhaps one day it will happen.

G

Is this the Braemar Wellington whose recovery was featured in a 1980’s edition of Flypast ? And subsequently moved to SYAM when at Firbeck ?

.

Matt & XV806, yes it is L7775, the most intact parts recovered to Firbeck were the outer wings, tailplane, 1 Pegasus engine & nacelle plus various smaller pieces of geodetic.

However the “dustbin turret” was not recovered by members of SYAM, it was with the wreckage on the initial surveys, but had gone by the time the other remains were recovered.

Regards Rad

Use the search function to see some interesting topics about this Wellington, IIRC the pics are no longer on this site. Pity.

Cees

Is this the Braemar Wellington whose recovery was featured in a 1980’s edition of Flypast ? And subsequently moved to SYAM when at Firbeck ?

.

The wreck was well broken up when it recovered. Most of it had been buried on the crash site or a little down the slope and was first excavated before recovery. I think the sections of the wings at East Kirkby were the largest single items at the site.

I am fairly sure there are photos at East Kirkby which show the recovery and how broken up it was.

How complete was it when recovered?

Cheers,
Matt

There’s a challenge for you then Ben, Get all the bits in one place and get it together as a complete A/C. Wellington hangar at Sywell would be ideal;)

I cant believe that having recovered the thing, people were actively selling bits of it to all and sundry!

Had the wreck all been kept together, it could be well on the way to becoming a third Wellington.

Madness

Bruce

We stayed in the Caravan park, just opposite the museum a couple of years ago. I went to have a look around and the Curator did not seem in very good health then, so no surprise he has given it up.

Hopefully the tail section will now go undercover as the years of being outside were certainly taking there toll.

I have a 3ft section of Geodetic from this Wellington. Bought at Whitwick Aerojumble several years ago.

I have seen large sections of wing from that ? aircraft at the Evesham based Military Vehicle club museum last summer, is it the same one ?
Jules

Nope, wrong Wellington Don. That tail section is still there, well its moved a bit since that photo was taken and there is less of it but most of it is still there.

Bruce wins with L7775, Bruach Mhor. Yes, the wings are still at East Kirkby or at least they were when I went a couple of years ago and they hadn’t moved since my first visit to EK a few years earlier.

It would be nice if all the Wellington parts could be put together in one place and worked on. I do feel sorry for him having to give up his collection.
Ian

IIRC, an in situ photograph of the tail section appeared on the cover of David J Smith’s High Ground Wrecks & Relics .

Now, where did I put my copy?!

A few years ago you could buy bits of the fuselage at the museum, I’ve got a section about a foot and a half long, cost a fiver IRC.

Title edited

Shame that the rest of the recovered aircraft couldnt join it (or vice versa!). As I recall, it is L7775, which is scattered around a bit – the wings are at East Kirkby.

Bruce

Its gone to Stratford armouries museam near Snitterfield

Oops -thanks Tim, it won’t let me edit the title – sorry!

Ben

Ben

The material has been moved to a site near to Stratford – not Stafford. May be worth amending the threat title?

The news report implies its the only Wellington (remains) in private ownership – not so of course.

Tim