Hastings MOGCB at Changi in 1962

Cracking shots Postfade, sounds like you were very lucky, would love to see more – or indeed the rest!

I went to Changi in 1961 and lived in the RAF Quarters directly above the main ‘Western dispersal’ next to the Tower. I was just 14 and this was ‘heaven’ for a teenager mad on planes.
I took 1200 aircraft pics during 31/2 years there-I roamed the pan freely, which I don’t think you will ever be able to do again. They are mainly at Changi and Paya Lebar but some also at Seletar.
48 Sqdn had the Hastings with a couple of VIP ones on the Communicatications flight along with its Valettas and Pembrokes. 205 Sqn changed over its Shackleton 1As to 2Cs during that time. Britannias and Comet 2s and 4s were daily visitors and RAAF Hercs and Dakotas called going to Butterworth where there were Canberras and Sabres. Tengah had Hunters, Canberras and Javelins and Seletar the target Meteors, Beverleys and Pioneers.
The Argosys of 215 Sqn arrived during that time as well.
I’ve been working through scanning the negs and it’s brought back such memories. Interesting you should mention the smell of the foam. I can recall that and others such as the smell when a Britannia started on the pan below and the ‘kerosine’ smell drifted up the hill.
Here’s a night shot of a transport Command Britannia that’ll be familiar to you as well I’m sure.
David Taylor

Postfade

No problem, glad to be of help. I was at Changi myself from 1967 to 69 with my parents; the Hastings had just been retired. There was one at the end of the runway, in use by the fire crews. There being no airfield fence, we used to wander over and sit inside it! That pong of offal-based foam never leaves your memory……..:p

Back in the 60/70s there were a quite few RAF aircraft(various types) – mainly from Boscombe Down, that regularly overflew me (living 10m South of the old IBY (Ibsley) VOR) that used the M-xxxx Radio callsigns on Civil VHF airways frequencies.

Haven’t heard an M-xxxx callsign now though for probably 25 years or more..

Two that I can remember off the top of my head are:

MPDXA was Comet XV814
MPRHA was Britannia XX367

Bograt,

Thanks for the detective work- TG533 it is! Colerne based at the time I believe.
I’ve spotted another pic that show’s the external apu in a matching position to the head on shot.

48 Sqn aircarft had ‘GPx’ codes when I first arrived at Changi and slowly dropped them. Here’s another front-on shot showing TG536 ‘GPJ’ and it also has ‘MOGPJ’ on it’s nose.
This is the same aircraft that donated it’s wings to Halifax ‘Friday the Thirteenth’ of course. A hard working Hasdtings I remember, she appears in a number of my Changi pics.

Right, courtsesy of a good friend of mine, who very kindly sent me a near as complete history of the Hastings as there is to get, ‘MOGCB’ was worn by two aircraft;

TG609 C.1 AWCN 30.6.49 and to Dishforth 4.6.49 and coded ‘M’ @ 9.49. Transferred to Topcliffe 18.5.50 and with 297 Sqdn as ‘Z’ 7.50-9.50. To 24 Sqdn 16.11.50 and then annotated ‘no longer at 24 Sqdn but still Lyneham’ (undated but probably the same as TG607, i.e. circa 31.10.51). So probably remained at Lyneham when 24 Sqdn moved to Topcliffe 9.1.51. To HP 14.1.52 for modifications, completed 4.2.52 and issued to RAF Station Lyneham 4.2.52. Suffered a Flying Accident and Cat3R 1.4.52, which was confirmed the following day at 137MU (Malta). To ‘Transport Command (MEAF)’ 15.10.52 after Cat3R work completed and then to Lyneham 16.10.52 before going to Dishforth 24.10.52. The transfer to MEAF 15.10.52 would be after repairs were completed and to enable the aircraft to be flown back to the UK. The allocation to ‘Dishforth’ would presumably be for 242 OCU but this is not stated on the record card (the Dishforth/242OCU ORB confirms its arrival 24.10.52). Suffered a Cat4R Flying Accident 9.2.53, which was recategorised and confirmed 24.2.53 as Cat3R at 49MU. Allocated to HP for RoS 23.2.53, work completed 13.7.54 and to 242 OCU 17.7.54, coded ‘Y’ in 1954. Allocated to 60MU 23.10.54 for RoS as Cat3R and work completed 11.11.54 and back to 242 OCU 15.11.54 when it was presumably recoded as ‘B’ (certainly by 2.55 when using c/s ‘MOGCB’) until at least 7.56. To 60MU 5.2.57 as Cat4R, transferring to Cat4 stock 1.3.57 and then to Non-Effective stock 28.3.58 and sold for scrap to Alcan Enfield Alloy Ltd 8.2.60.

TG533 C.1 AWCN 26.10.48 but allocated the same day to CS(A) Handley Page. On CS(A) return 30.10.48 was allocated to AFEE Beaulieu 8.12.48 from HP for gravity roller conveyor trials. At CS(A) Census 31.12.48 assessed as on Free Loan. Paratechnicon fitted but trials of this were abandoned after the loss of TG499. Despatched to Radlett for modifications and instrumentation in preparation for tropical glider towing trials and to Beaulieu 27.5.59 for tropical trials towing a Hamilcar glider. Suffered Cat A damage at Shaibah and returned to Radlett 23.9.49 for removal of torque meters. From 21.10.49 used as a mock up and for TI of Met. Role equipment. To 20MU 30.3.50 and issued to 202 Sqdn 29.9.50 (presumably to test the Met. role equipment). Transferred to 242 OCU Dishforth 25.6.51 coded ‘T’ (c/s ‘MOGCT’) 1951-11.53. Provisionally assessed as Cat3R after Flying Accident 18.12.51 later confirmed by 60MU 13.2.52 but had been allocated for Cat3R/RoS/HP 1.2.52. Work completed 13.5.53 and to 242 OCU 20.5.53. To ‘TA’ (?) 6.9.55 as Cat3R (presumably ‘TA’ is not a unit but a bookkeeping term as the aircraft is transferred off the strength of a unit). To Disposal Account 16.9.55 having been allocated for RoS/60MU 8.9.55. Resited to contractor’s 4.11.55 and allocated for rework with HP 10.11.55. Work completed 13.9.56 but then shown as RoS/HP Cat3R 10.10.56. Work completed 15.5.57 and to 242 OCU 20.5.57, coded ‘T’ (photo) @ 8.4.58. Allocated to HP for rework 8.2.61 but placed into storage pending rework (by 8.3.61 when noted coded ‘B’ and using c/s ‘MOGCB’), removed from storage 31.7.61 and rework completed 29.3.62 and to 27MU 30.3.62. To 242 OCU Thorney Island 1.5.62, coded ‘B’ @ 14.9.63 but reported as ‘P’ @ 7.6.64 and 25.7.64. To Disposal Account 29.11.65 as Cat3R and RoS/71MU 20.12.65. To 242 OCU again 29.12.65. Transferred to 24/36 Sqdn 26.1.67 and issued to NEAF 26.7.67 and allocated the same day to 70 Sqdn and named ‘Himalaya’. Assessed as Cat5(comp) 4.12.67 and allocated to Finningley for fire/crash training, delivered 18.12.67 (and SOC the same day). Reported as being on Bassingbourn Fire Dump in 1968.

So there you have it! By 1962 ‘MOGCB’ would have been TG533.

Transport Command “M” codes

Slightly off the Hastings thread, but relevant to the meaning of the “M” code:

Beverleys in the late 1950s – early 1960s used the M callsigns too. The last letter was the aircraft’s code, as displayed on the fuselage:
eg XL148 of 242OCU was MOBCY, coded Y
XB268 of 53 Sqd was MOBXD, coded D
XB284, also of the Abingdon group (53 or 47 Sqd), was MOBXH, coded H.

If I remember correctly the M code was on the instrument panel in front of the pilot, for RT use.

Laurence

MOGCB would have been an H/F W/T callsign (and, possibly, used on the Flight Plan).

Back in the 60/70s there were a quite few RAF aircraft(various types) – mainly from Boscombe Down, that regularly overflew me (living 10m South of the old IBY (Ibsley) VOR) that used the M-xxxx Radio callsigns on Civil VHF airways frequencies.

Haven’t heard an M-xxxx callsign now though for probably 25 years or more..

I do know I logged a couple of Hastings using such callsigns – but – books are now in the loft – so can’t track down easily.

The two aircraft below are from memory…
M-PMAW/TX160 Anson C19s
M-PMAG /VM351 Anson C19

I remember a radio or TV announcer referring to the Hastings on a visit to Eagle Farm (now Brisbane International) as an ‘RAF Bomber’. Probably because of those DV panels under the nose!

Bri 😀

Just a thought, but weren’t the IRIS aircraft operated by CSE, which was part of Signals Command?

[ATTACH]167565[/ATTACH]

Hastings could drop other things. The horrible thought looking at that photo is that a Jeep is more aerodynamic in reverse! :rolleyes:

As for the drop (bomb?) aimers position, AvP 970 (the MoD’s bible for desiging aeroplanes) called for all tactical transports to have a visual aiming position.

I used the position to have a break, on an airframe afterflight inspection at RAF Nicosia in the early sixties. This position was used for dropping life saving equipment mounted beneath the wings just like a bomb aimer would have done in a Lanc etc.
Ray

Hastings MOGCB at Changi in 1962

I’d bet a fair amount of your pay/pension on that Unit Badge being Transport Command. MOGCB would have been an H/F W/T callsign (and, possibly, used on the Flight Plan). Might we just(?!!) be looking here at an IRIS a/c? I think IRIS was the acronym for the RAF “Inspectorate of Radio Installation Services”. Nothing more would cause the Air Traffickers at some far distant Outposts of Empire to worry about their sphincter muscles than to hear the vhf call “X – this is IRIS”. Fags were stubbed, coffee was spluttered all over desks, and – in general, upstairs in ATC – chaos reigned. Nay, even panic!! Been there – watched it. Ho ho.
Resmoroh

Would say you’re spot on Resmoroh : Lancaster PA477, based at RAF Watton was an original IRIS aircraft, with duties as you suggest : the Lanc was replaced in May 1950 by Hastings TG560 (IRIS II). Whether she was still soldiering on in 1962 I cannot say, maybe replaced by another later aircraft,(would 12 years be a long time in service considering the far-flung RAF outposts there were?).. but perhaps someone with better knowledge will confirm.

I’d bet a fair amount of your pay/pension on that Unit Badge being Transport Command. MOGCB would have been an H/F W/T callsign (and, possibly, used on the Flight Plan). Might we just(?!!) be looking here at an IRIS a/c? I think IRIS was the acronym for the RAF “Inspectorate of Radio Installation Services”. Nothing more would cause the Air Traffickers at some far distant Outposts of Empire to worry about their sphincter muscles than to hear the vhf call “X – this is IRIS”. Fags were stubbed, coffee was spluttered all over desks, and – in general, upstairs in ATC – chaos reigned. Nay, even panic!! Been there – watched it. Ho ho.
Resmoroh

Is it a Transport Command Crest?

MOGCB

= RAF Radio Call sign(not RNZAF)

any Hastings experts?

Why did the Hastings have the clear panels below the nose as you can see here? My son asked me when we were at Duxford a few weeks back, been meaning to ask if anybody knew?

Could it be an RNZAF Hastings? They flew all over that area then. I saw them many times in Darwin. Refuelled them too.

Bri 🙂