By: David_Kavangh - 18th January 2003 at 10:45
RE: Michael Bentine
It’s true, honest!
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/iranian_embassy_siege/71704…]
By: macky42 - 17th January 2003 at 22:06
RE: Michael Bentine
Slightly o/t but as he was mentioned –
I believe he was a weapons expert and I have a vague memory of seeing a TV program with him in a room of popup targets with an Uzi.
Did anyone else ever see that or did I dream it up?
By: f4 - 17th January 2003 at 20:40
RE: Hemswell
Sad to say last time I was there just before Christmas the museum was closed and empty, except for the aircraft. It very much looked like everything has simply been abandoned – has anyone any news?
By: David_Kavangh - 17th January 2003 at 16:34
RE: Hemswell
Bet you didn’t know that Michael Bentine once told the story that with the bomb loads the Poles used to drop Elsan chemical toilets until the Nazis complained to the International Red Cross in Geneva that the British had started to use chemical weapons against international treaty and the Poles were ordered to stop. I believe that he was an RAF intelligence officer.
It was also his suggestion in the 1960’s to the SAS that they take on an anti-terrorist role against urban terrorists.
Now where can I get his “Potty Time” on video?
By: Albert Sponson - 17th January 2003 at 11:15
RE: Hemswell
Pete
I’m not sure where you live, but go to Hemswell on any Sunday & visit the aircraft & the sunday market. Also, three of the former airmens blocks are now antiques centers, selling all sorts of old stuff, admission is free on weekdays, 50p Sundays. The cafe in one of them had old wartime photo’s on display at one time. Did you know that commedian Michael Bentine served there?, with ‘ The Bleddy Poles’ as they were known. {Polish wellington bomber squadrons} The video that someone mentioned is on sale in the former airmens mess, it’s now a craft center & cafe. There is an RAF Hemswell association, try something like hemswell dot com, it was featured in Aeroplane monthly a couple of issues ago. Me?, I own one of the former officers quarters up the road form the base, but I work in Riyadh, hell of a commute!
Regards
By: SADSACK - 20th November 2002 at 10:22
RE: Hemswell
no way, I only saw that a few weeks ago. Its incredible.
Hemwell opened in 1937/38, was a bomber station, shut in 1963 to flying and closed alltogether in 1969. Sold off in 1985. Am I correct?
By: David_Kavangh - 15th November 2002 at 18:33
RE: Hemswell
No Idea who was based operationally at Hemswell! Shame on you all. Go out a buy the video “Night Bombers” this weekend. The only known WW2 colour film of Bomber Command all shot at Hemswell by Air Commodore Cozens. The best thing you will ever see about Bomber Command. It was No 1 Group 300 & 301 Polish Squadrons amongst others, by the way.
By: philo - 15th November 2002 at 11:27
RE: Hemswell
I don’t really know the history of Hemswell operationally, my visit was actually to the antiques center and I happened across the airframes and as always had camera in hand.
What type of base was it and when was it decomissioned ? is it only the buildings that remain ?
By: David Burke - 14th November 2002 at 18:35
RE: Hemswell
In all fairness not many of them are hugely significant to Hemswell.
It comes as a surprise but in the actual museum building there is precious little to tell the story of Hemswell.
By: SADSACK - 14th November 2002 at 16:28
RE: Hemswell
Well it makes it all the worse, them in that condition in the shadow of a Hangar. Of interest I dont think there are any C type hangars preserved in the country, that have a museum in them. Am I correct?
By: Hatton - 12th November 2002 at 16:59
RE: Hemswell
…and the fact that the hangers are now sealed and full of grain 🙂
By: David Burke - 11th November 2002 at 19:46
RE: Hemswell
Sadsack – they have to pay a commercial ground rent so unfortunately the possibility of hangerage at Hemswell comes down to cost.
By: SADSACK - 11th November 2002 at 16:26
RE: Hemswell
I thought the Canberra had been restored?
What a shame the hangars are only feet away from the museum, and a large building was lying empty 100 feet away when I was there!
They have concentrated on the interior displays, pity about outside!
By: Ant.H - 11th November 2002 at 00:30
RE: Hemswell
Hi Philo,
You’ll be glad to hear that all three of these machines are still at Hemswell in the care of the Bomber County Aviation Museum.
Wrecks and Relics lists the collection as:
Canberra T.19 WJ975
Piston Provost WW388
DH Vampire T.11 XD445
Hunter
Lightning F.1A XM192
Jet Provost T.4 XP557
Lightning F.3 XP706
Dassault Mystere IVa 101/’8-MN’
As your piccy shows,the Hunter is a composite of various bits,the grey-painted nose section coming from PR.11 WT741,and most of the rest coming from XG195,an FGA.9.She’s been rebuilt to FGA.9 standard,but she’s painted up as XG193,an F.6 of the Black Arrows team.
On the down side,all the airframes are displayed outdoors and so a number of them are looking rather faded and worn,with plenty of lichen thrown in for good measure.The recent piccy in Wrecks and Relics shows the Mystere certainly looking very green.
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November 10, 2002 at 10:01 pm
