Ansons at RAF Andover

Following Anson XIX were with Western Communications Squadron in 1968.
PH843,TX160,TX192,TX209,VL351,VL352,VM325.VM334. VL352 went to storage at Thruxton as a spares aircraft for Kemps Aerial Surveys along with VL337 from Southern Comms Squadron.

Devons in use with 21 Squadron in the seventies VP952,961,973 & 976.

WCS Pembrokes used WV701,733,740,741,746,747,749. XF796,798. XK862 & 885.

Beagle Bassett XS766 was with WCS but use at Andover was stopped due to propellors making contact with the grass surface.

Twin Pioneer XL968 was delivered to the dump 1968 along with Varsity WL691 1969.

Yes.

WL 691 was allocated to the Andover fire dump on 7 Aug 69 where, I presume, it was burned.

Ansons at RAF Andover

There also used to be a burnt-out Varsity in the NW corner in the early seventies. Possibly WL691

🙁
Unfortunately, they would have a bit of a bumpy landing if they ever tried returning. The former RAF Andover airfield has been built on and now looks like this:- Co-Op Andover.

Most of the original buildings are gone to make way for HQ Land Forces (formerly DLO). Also, the hangars were demolished not long after I moved here, but I never saw them.

John

Thanks Dave, that must have been the one.
I’ts always a relief to hear that my memory is not completely shot!

Bill

I remember driving past RAF Andover a number of times in the early ’70’s and there always seemed to be a Pembroke on the airfield.

Bill

There was a “dead” one parked in the NW corner of field for some years…if I can get at my notebooks which are somewhere in the loft I could identify that.

I remember driving past RAF Andover a number of times in the early ’70’s and there always seemed to be a Pembroke on the airfield.

Bill

I was posted to the Upavon met office during the summer of 1966 and remember Ansons from the Western Comms Squadron landing there at the time (it provided a taxi service). I was fortunate to fly in one of the Ansons in, I think, 1967. If (fragile) memory serves correctly, the unit was flying Ansons, Doves and Pembrokes at the time.

RAFWeb has the Anson being withdrawn from service in June 1968, which is consistent with Steve’s thoughts (http://www.rafweb.org/Timeline4.htm).

The RAF-operated Ansons all finished in 1968, hence my guess. There were one or two civilian operated examples around for a short time after that.

Thanks, Steve. That suggests that my memory is worse than I thought it was! I was assuming that it would have been about 1973. So either I’m wrong about the date or the type of aeroplane that I recollect.

My guess would be 1968.