Through my childhood we had our Summer holiday at Porth in Cornwall. Just a few miles across the fields lay RAF St Mawgan.
My early memories are of Shackletons and Vulcans. IIRC the Canberras came later followed by the mighty Nimrods.
In the sixties St Mawgan held airshows. A few photos follow. The French and Americans used to bring a nice selection of a/c. Does anyone know how many or how frequent the air shows were?
I am not entirely certain that the V bombers in anti-flash were at St Mawgan or elsewhere but they too were pictured in the Sixties. Credit for these shots goes to my late Father.
I hope you enjoy the pics and for some the memories that they bring.
By: merlin70 - 8th March 2009 at 13:56
Thanks for your comments.
Thanks chaps. I have a large collection of photos taken by my late Father. Alas
no additional slides from St Mawgan.
The V Bombers at Biggin Hill fits in with other photos and also comments that he made a number of years back, so I would say that is a positive identification.
Dx between 75 and 82 is likely to be my next articulation.
regards
Tim
By: Lima1 - 8th March 2009 at 13:22
RAF St Mawgan held a Battle of Britain Display every September until 1972. From 1973 the show became ‘International Air Day’ and was held on the first or second Wednesday in August except for 1977 (July) and 1988 (no show due to Runway work). The final show was 1998.
Excellent photos, pity the weather wasn’t always that good!
By: Firebird - 8th March 2009 at 13:06
I’m not sure where the white V-Bombers are at though – it’s not St. Mawgan and looking at the background I’d be inclined to say it was the west side of Biggin Hill, but as far as I know the public/static were/are always on the other side of the runway?
Good call on Biggin Hill…….could be.
And they weren’t always on the other side. When I used to go to the RAF Battle of Britain Air Show at Biggin in September, back in the early 1970’s, the static and public was on the RAF complex side of the runway by the hangers.
By: Chox - 7th March 2009 at 23:57
Wow! Some brilliant photos there! I’ve seen b&w shots of the F-101’s and F-100F at that show before but never in stunning colour – brilliant!
I’m not sure where the white V-Bombers are at though – it’s not St. Mawgan and looking at the background I’d be inclined to say it was the west side of Biggin Hill, but as far as I know the public/static were/are always on the other side of the runway?
The blue dye under the Hunters is fascinating too, and as for that JP… awesome!
By: Dr Strangelove - 7th March 2009 at 23:20
Outstanding:cool: Still at STM, but alas, no more airfield for us:(
By: Bob - 7th March 2009 at 22:23
Got to hope that 558 gets a coat of whitewash sometime…
Nice to see pics of two tone Nimrods – as I remember them at Kinloss…
By: Discendo Duces - 7th March 2009 at 21:39
Merlin 70, some superb photos there, thank you so much for posting.
In the sixties the St Mawgan show was a Battle of Britain Day, held every September, along with a lot of other stations…those really were the good old days.
The 229 OCU Hunter with the white spine and the all DAYGLO Red Pelicans JP4 are my particular favourites, but they’re all nice.
I would guess that the RN Hunter team were the Rough Diamonds from Brawdy ; it looks like they overdid the blue dye in the smoke mixture!
Thanks again
DD
By: Postfade - 7th March 2009 at 21:21
Merlin70:
Wonderful….I like a nice theme or ‘story’ to posting!
I loved to see the F-100 Super Sabres and Voodoo, as I spent far too many hours at Lakenheath and Mildenhall in 1959 and 60. Often gazing in awe at the F-100’s ‘blasting off’ into the sky. US jets always seemed ‘faster and racer’ than ours then.
There was even a refuelling demo (from a KB-50?). Would you get that now I wonder, a real ‘tankering’ going on at low level for a display?
thanks for finding them.
David Taylor.
By: wingcomandrflap - 7th March 2009 at 21:17
Excellent pics Merlin !!
I was based at St Mawgan for most of the 80’s and the last air show I was involved with was 1990. In the 80’s the airshow would be held on the first Wednesday of August (once every year), timed for the holiday season. I think it was the same in the 70’s. The last “International Air Day” show was sometime in the mid 90’s I believe. I for one miss them…… alot!
I think some of the white V jets might have been photographed at Mawgan going by the backround details, but not sure about all of them. I’m still looking at them. I’m sure some other Ex St Mawgan staff that I know are on this forum can tell us.
Thanks for sharing them and credit to your late father.
By: EGTC - 7th March 2009 at 21:15
Love the photos.
I think the airshows stopped in the 90’s? I could be wrong.
Sadly I only moved to Cornwall in 2000 and I believe the airshows had stopped by then. During my 7yrs in Cornwall I did make a visit with my flying club at the time to meet the Air traffic controllers there in 2004. They were a nice bunch.. I may also add the ATC who was on during my Qualifying Cross Country was a nice, helpful guy too. 😎
By: peppermint_jam - 7th March 2009 at 21:10
Thanks for sharing your collection with us! Good to see colour shots of all 3 V’s in white!
Please feel free to post more if you have them!!!
By: merlin70 - 7th March 2009 at 20:50
And the mighty Nimrod
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March 7, 2009 at 8:44 pm