1950's Archive Part 22:Wethersfield 1959

I little before my time, great pictures though.
I do have some pictures from a show at Wethersfield in the early 60’s.
Including a CAF F-104 that was leaking fuel all over the place

I’ll try to find them.

Yes I remember that.

Love the one where what looks like members of the public going up the ladder at the back of the Beverley… todays H & S would have a field day with that one :D.
Cracking shots.

I remember doing just that at Boscome Down in my ‘yoof’. Must have been back in the mid 60’s. My Aunt and Uncle both worked there and I got to visit every year from 1959 up to 1969.

Christmas is coming soon, and I know what I want in my stocking

An album of all of the late Gerald Lawrance’s pix

Are there any plans to publish it in book form?

The same thought crossed my mind

It would make a marvllous coffee table book that you could dip into anywhere and relive one’s the halcyon days of ones youth.

Christmas is coming soon, and I know what I want in my stocking

Dai Lee

I have just realised that WK574 was the very Chipmunk in which I had my first ever flight in an aeroplane, from Bassingbourn during Easter camp with the CCF in 1960. Blimey!

Love the one where what looks like members of the public going up the ladder at the back of the Beverley… todays H & S would have a field day with that one :D.
Cracking shots.

They were exactly my thoughts when I scrolled through to that picture:D:D

This whole archive is just superb.

Are there any plans to publish it in book form?

Ok, nerdy question, the B-50 seems to have a painted underside which I’ve never noticed on the type before, anyone know what colour it might be?

Not quite, German & Italian Airforce G.91s used to visit the Mawgan shows towards the end of their service. Pretty sure I’ve seen Portuguese ones at Fairford aswel.

I meant Italian AF “R” variants, certainly recall 2x “Y”s at Mawgan ’91 and Lossie in ’88, but thats about it. Very rare little jets…
As said German, and later Portuguese ginas got around a bit.

I’ve only just been able to check the response to this thread, so thanks to all for the positive replies. With very little background information on the negatives, it is heartening to get some stories to add to the images.
At the risk of repeating myself, the credit should go to Tony Clarke for letting us share the archive, and of course to the photographer, Gerald Lawrance. We can’t tell you much about him, he was a much travelled enthusiast who lived and worked in Cambridge. His range of subjects is remarkable and although some early pictures show their age, they make up a very valuable archive.
We have some good coverage of Wethersfield 1962 (B-47/F-105 etc) and other Open Days and Battle of Britain Days from East Anglian bases, I will try and post another set next week.

DCW

Not quite, German & Italian Airforce G.91s used to visit the Mawgan shows towards the end of their service. Pretty sure I’ve seen Portuguese ones at Fairford aswel.

:confused:

Makes you think a little, where we in any danger in those days wandering up close to live aircraft?

Today as you say H & S would have panic attacks with the general public so close to aircraft and the Beverley would have produced an instant litter of kittens.

Why? Its well footed and attached at top end with hand rails on both sides…:confused:

Superb collection, what lovely aeroplanes. As said, those Ginas must have been straight out of the box and making possibly the only visit of non Frecce G91s to a UK show??

Oooooooooh, lovely! By the time I remember it Wethersfield was pretty much out of all but occasional flying use, so it’s great to see it in its heyday.

So “Triple Zilch” was there… Well, well well. When I was a kid, my bedroom was decorated with the proof sheets of the photo pages from an Ian Allen book (no doubt if I ever find a photo, someone here will tell me which one), and I remember “Triple Zilch” from that. Plus Comper Swift, Avro 504… Nothing much to that, except that if I went into my parent’s bedroom I could see thre lights of the three (?) masts at Wethersfield from their window.

Adrian

Revisiting the KB 50 pic I noticed the props were all feathered. Only then did I see the jet dangling under the wing.
Will have to walk round to the stores and get a new pair of eyes.

Oh dear. To fall through an elsan sounds both painful and smelly.

No flush on a Bev.

Yes upper level and boom (only one!) was a seated passenger / paratroop area for 36 bods, the ladder is going into the upper para drop exit.

The above mentioned exit was also used for lowering the two elsan toilets for emptying. The aircraft toilets were automatically locked when the door was open for obvious reasons although some poor erk fell through after climbing the internal ladder from the lower deck!:eek:

Nice to see a shot of WK574 before it went into Navy colours. This was the first Chippy i bought off the ministry, it had a hook and the intention was to use at Hus bos as a tug. However WP809 came along with a much lower FI so we pinched the hook off 574 put it on 809 and i sold 574 to Rob Edginton in Tasmania before we had rigged it!! Happy days, nothing left to buy now.
574 and 809 were both Navy at the end.

Given reg G-BVPC for 574 not taken up

Hear, hear.

These photos bring back so many memories.Actually refuelled same Mach trainer at Gutersloh and it was a frequent visitor. David, have any details about
the excellent photographer, the late Gerald Lawrance, been released? I think we all owe him a tremendous vote of thanks for keeping such a fine photographic record of aircraft of all types when these aircraft were operational and such a consuming interest to most of us geriatrics. Many thanks too to Tony Clarke for scanning and digitising and to your goodself for posting all these wonderful images.

Great collection of photo’s, out of interest Blackburn Beverley XM105 I note that there are window portholes in the aircraft twin booms, what exactly went inside here, passengers?

Yes upper level and boom (only one!) was a seated passenger / paratroop area for 36 bods, the ladder is going into the upper para drop exit.

bloody hell!

” i’m in heaven, i’m in heaven”

a REAL voodoo, that is a single seater with a pointy nose, and a b66 destoyer, not to mention all the other gems:)

And just behind it a single seater with a chisel nose of the 66th TRW!