Biafran Anson

It’s still with us. Fabulous.

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Ken Elliot’s image via NEAM

Moggy

If Tx213 is your favourite go and see it at Usworth

On Ansons…

Anyone have an image of my favourite, a regular at Speke in my spotter days?

TX213

How the ‘reggies‘ stick with you.

Moggy

They’re the pages detailing Aggie Paggie – Ekco’s radar testbed Anson which entered so-called preservation at Southend as an airworthy machine and ended up, remarkably, having survived so long, forty years later being parted for spares by Retro Aviation. It must have been the worst Anson ever to have survived for such a protracted period of time but thankfully it did no-doubt due only to those who recognised its humble significance. The two pictures in the brochure indicate the aircraft’s decline in just ten years at the HAM. It was to suffer a further thirty of decline and neglect.

The cockpit still survives and is coming to the end of a 2 1/2-year restoration back to its old Ekco configuration. It’ll be at Cockpit Fest this year before going to the Roe Heritage museum at Woodford. This cockpit survived by the skin of its teeth though its future is now assured.

Anon.

Southend aviation museum sales brochure from 1983

I flew as an ATC Cadet in VV306 from Cottesmore in August 1961…:o

Love those colour shots.

VVO seems to have that sinking feeling !

At the risk of hijacking the thread, I’ve dug out some more Anson photos:

G-AGPG seen at the Hatfield Families’ Day, 4 July 1970

WD413/G-BFIR seen at Old Warden in August 1983. Now with Air Atlantique as G-VROE

I’ll see if I have any more …

Love those colour shots.

VVO seems to have that sinking feeling !

I can’t confirm the rumours about the Anson scrapped at Weston but I do have the fabric with registration on stored and almost forgotten in my loft !
I’ll have to get it out now and check the reggie!!

Does anyone have any images of these aircraft that they would care to post?

Here’s a few:

G-AWML – with “Biafra – Save the Children” titles – at Baginton, 31 August 1968

G-AVVO, Halfpenny Green, 21 April 1968

G-AVVR, Halfpenny Green, 21 April 1968

and another one just for fun! This was taken at Strathallan, it is ex G-APHV and now under restoration at East Fortune.
http://www.apss.org.uk/projects/NMS_projects/anson/index.htm

Thanks for the link to the photos at Weston. It looks as if she may have been parked there for some time and the open door suggests someone has had a poke around inside. It also looks like the Biafra Save The Children logo above the cheat line has been scrubbed out.

Biafran Anson

G-AVGR at Staverton April 1967.

The link has gone missing! Here it is again http://www.flickr.com/photos/egbj/5606689051/in/set-72157626449872004

However, according to the caption it was 31 March 1968 (not April 1967)

Biafran Anson

There are couple of photos of G AWML at Weston Super Mare dated Aug 69which may be of interest.

Links here: http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1097424/ and here http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1098328/

The Air Britain website carries a couple of photos of G-AWML at Weston Super Mare that may be of interest

They are on – Air Britain Photo Image Collection ID 6098328 and 1097424

There are couple of photos of G AWML at Weston Super Mare dated Aug 69which may be of interest.

I don’t think G-AWML ever left the UK. I always understood it went to Weston Super Mare for the fitting of long range tanks and was scrapped there allegedly after customs investigated flights made outside of airfield opening hours although I have never been able to confirm this. You can see the BHAM logo superimposed on the fin flash in the photo I posted.
Although I never met Tony Osborne I was involved with the later Historic Aircraft Museum together with several volunteers from the original BHAM including Stan and David Brett and Bill Gent and I heard many stories. The incident involving the Meteors is fairly well documented and a web search will even throw up reports of the court case and other court cases as well so there is no doubt that he was a colourful character. Several of the museum aircraft were registered to his wife Lesley Anne Osborne described to me by one person as being very pretty and having money. He also said that she bought some of the aircraft for the museum so that would make sense.
My museum newsletters say that the original BHAM never progressed because the aircraft were held by the council in lieu of unpaid rent and some of the original volunteers were close to a deal with the council for a museum site when the business consortium came along that finally built the museum.
I also read that Proctor G-ANZJ was used as a hack by Tippers Air Transport. It was impounded at Southend along with Anson G-AVVO for non payment of landing and/or parking fees. Ironically both aircraft landed up with the Historic Aircraft Museum (Southend) Ltd. I believe both were donated by the airport authorities most likely because they were unsaleable and had little scrap value.
There is no doubt that he did save several aircraft for preservation but, as you say some have sadly been lost in the intervening years.

Tony Osbourne actually founded the British Historic Aircraft Museum (BHAM), but this title was changed to the Historic Aircraft Museum, as the powers that be at Companies House, deemed the title British to be inappropriate! Tony personally funded the purchase of the aircraft, but being unable to display them at Southend at the time, was unable to realise any income from them.
He then became involved in the Biafra relief effort and acquired the Anson for relief flights. The Anson had the HAM’s logo painted on the tail. I’m pretty sure it never left these shores, but I was aware of its visit to Coventry at some time.
Tony allegedly had other dealings with the Biafrans around this time, involving several Piston Provosts and 2 Meteors. He also, allegedly, spent some time in a government facility for his involvement with arms sales…
Regardless of some of his dubious deals, Tony saved Lincoln G-APRJ, the B-25, Proctors, Hawk Trainer, 2 Sea Furies, The DHA Drover and other aircraft from scrapping at the time, when aircraft preservation was in its infancy, though several did eventually pass away at later dates.

Battledamaged ,Would love to hear about your time with Hank Wharton ?

Anson G-AWMH forcelanded at Port Etienne 17.8.68 in a sand-storm. G-AWMG crashed in the Methodist Leprosy Settlement at Uzuakoli,Biafra 3.9.68.

Best book is “Shadows” by Michael Draper.

G-AVGR at Staverton April 1967.

I am still digging around on the web to try to find out more but I did come across a website devoted to the history of Baginton. The site had titles for several pictures including one of G-AWML at Baginton which said that the Baifra titles were applied there but unfortunately the links to the photos were missing.
I had always assumed that G-AWML was part repainted at Southend. I do remember it spent some time parked at Southend after delivery as TX166 and then suddenly appeared with the Biafran titles but I was only 13 years old then so maybe my memory is playing tricks.
The site also mentioned Tippers Air Transport which advertised Ansons configured with executive interiors. Tippers owned many of the aircraft mentioned in earlier posts which were broken up. Apparently the more valuable parts (in terms of scrap value) were removed to Tippers Farm. With the possible exception of G-AVVO which I believe came from Halfpenny Green to Southend where it was abandoned it seems unlikely that any of the Tippers aircraft flew again after their delivery flights from the RAF. The same site also stated that Tippers Air Transport, Mercy Mission and LA Osborne were all linked but doesn’t give details.