Emergency & Survival Kits HELP!

Used to have a light alloy box with lid out of a Vulcan PSP kit. It had a wire handle that clipped on top so you could use it as a food cooking / eating container as well as cup/collect berries in, etc, etc. Box measured 9″x 5″x 2+” approx. Might still be kicking around in attic. probably full of old RAF bric-a-brac. Got it from a time ex-kit during my stint at Goose Bay in early 1970’s.

Bill T.

As I said previously, try contacting twinotter or the Newark Air Museum directly, as I’m sure they have the contents of a Vulcan pack on display.

Thanks everyone.

It is the Vulcan’s PSP in particular (B2 Vulcan to be exact)

Once the Victors Changed from Bombers to Tankers both Mk 1 and 2 They did not have a big Dinghy fitted
Each crew seat had a Parachute fitted into their seat and a dinghy pack to sit on. Survival Packs were not carried..

If you were going Via Goose Bay in the Winter Bunny suits were worn and Arctic Coat were issued for that Flight

Depends what date you’re looking at. The first PSP fitted to the Vulcan was, as far as I’m aware, the Type R. This was made of canvas and replaced by a hard shell PSP but I can’t remember the designation or when. Gokone should be able to help with Vulcan/Victor fit. There was quite a lot in the PSPs, I have a copy of a photo from an AP, if I can find it I’ll scan it in.

Best place to find items from PSPs is evilbay and those boxes under the tables at aerojumbles.

This whole area, including life jackets, is one that needs a lot more attention, both what went with which aircraft and what went in the pockets/pouches/packs.

In addition to a pack of I think 6 miniflares + firing pen

We used to fire those off on bonfire night when they were life ex.

Wasn’t there condoms as well for carrying water. Also I folding penknife, I have one out of a Jag seat.

There was a small hand axe in the winter pack.

Exmpa

Try contacting “twinotter” on this web site.
If I remember rightly, there is a display of the contents of the survival / dingy pack on display in one of Newark Air Museum’s buildings.

I’m sure that you’re correct about the sweets, miniflares and water pouches, it’s coming back, slowly! I think that there were also first aid kits in both life rafts because they contained sea sickness tablets. I also seem to recall that there was a copy of the sea survival booklet in the MS5. Printed on non waterproof paper, naturally. The other item that may have been in the MS5 pack is a few tins of water and a water desalination kit. There may also have been a desalination kit in the ss life raft. Not sure whether there was a solar still in the MS5.

I suppose I should know all this as I was a CSRO!

exmpa

There was also a tin of glucose type sweets included in the packs fitted in the bang-seats. There used to be a queue forming, outside the Safety Equipment Section, when ever any “life-ex” sweeties were disposed of.

In addition to a pack of I think 6 miniflares + firing pen, there was also a “Day / Night” flare contained in the packs.

There was also foil packs of drinking water.

Just to complicate matters, when we went to Goose Bay in winter the psp in the seat was changed on arrival to special winter land pack. The SS life raft came out and in its place went a combined quilted parka/sleeping bag. There were a few other “goodies” including a flint and steel and in the early 1970s a pair of collapsible snow shoes. I seem to recall that here was also a copy of the RCAF survival manual, a paperback, “Down But Not Out”. I think I still have a copy of that somewhere, but haven’t seen it for years.

The aircraft life raft was a MS5 that had a few bits an pieces including a couple of daynight flares unlike the SS life rafts in the psp that contained very little other than the bailer and maybe a sponge. The lifejacket held the SARBE plb, a heliograph a copy of the GroundAir Emergency Code and a pack of miniflares. In addition we all carried a small personal first aid kit. On top of that there was an aircraft first aid kit (behind the copilots seat?) and asbestos gloves and fire axe in the visual bomb aimers position.

When we went to Goose Bay in winter we spent the first day there doing winter survival training. I’ve got a couple of photos of our crew doing that.

I can’t recall whether or not aircraft transitting the Goose in winter en-route Offut to fly the SAC Oilburner routes had their seat packs replaced or not. I only did Offut in the summer.

exmpa