Hereford historics

Originally posted by Growler

Would said middle rank collector also own a Buchon?

Growler

An unconfirmed report.

You may think that – I could not possibly say. 😉

Mark

Again, the powers of the forum amaze me!!

Mark12, the photo of G-AIDN is exactly how I remember the ‘mystery’ Spitfire, and John Fairey’s Skyfame connection seems to confirm it. Thanks, you’ve solved a 30 year querie!

Cestrian, outstanding shots of the ‘extra’ Herefordian airframes. The shot of the Vampire, particularly, highlights the well intentioned but poorly executed ‘restoration’ by the ATC, presumably with a spray job courtesy of Halfords spray cans.

Ant, the Swift looks dreadful, much worse than when I last saw it in the 1990s. Good luck in your crusade for its saving!

TD135, converted to high back, ex Genesio environs, briefly in the UK a few weeks back and now in Belgium with a well known middle rank collector – not Karel Bos.

Would said middle rank collector also own a Buchon?

Your responses, guys have been above and beyond my expectations, thanks a million.:D

And the other Hunter F1 WT651

And the first of 2 Hunter F1s that replaced the Spitfire on display at Credenhill.WT612(incorrectly painted as WT216) also 1979

A rather poor shot of VampireT11 XE982 on display outside the ATC hut,Hereford in 1979

G-AIDN – The Dark Blue Scheme

Originally posted by Growler
Mark12, many thanks!

Changing the subject slightly, another memory of a similar vintage is of a display at Staverton (now Gloucester/Cheltenham) which featured a blue Spitfire. I seem to remember the commentator describing it as having been painted in the railway workshops at Swindon (in BR’s corporate blue). Could this have been the two-seater G-AIDN?

At this time G-AIDN was post light blue and pre yellow.

Here is a Stuart Howe shot taken at Andover on 1st November 1971.

John Fairey the owner of ‘IDN was very closely associated with the Staverton museum.

Mark

…she’s slightly cleaner on the other side,but still pretty tatty and faded…

Here’s a photo of the Swift on the plinth taken by Plazz last year.The owner simply isn’t willing to let go of it,so she continues to deteriorate.Although her condition isn’t great,I had a close look at her last year and her condition isn’t as bad as you might think.Having said that,she still needs saving ASAP.
It pains me to post this photo…:(

Mark12, many thanks!

Amazing how a photo can jog your memory (I was about six or seven at the time!). I must have seen TE135 in about 1973, and remember it looking exactly as in the photo. I also seem to remember it with a squarish home-made canopy, which may tie in looking at the picture of it at Tynemouth. The Swift (which my Dad then assumed to be a Hunter!) was, and still is, on a similar plinth to the left out of camera shot.

Changing the subject slightly, another memory of a similar vintage is of a display at Staverton (now Gloucester/Cheltenham) which featured a blue Spitfire. I seem to remember the commentator describing it as having been painted in the railway workshops at Swindon (in BR’s corporate blue). Could this have been the two-seater G-AIDN?

Re: Re: Re: Hereford Spitfires. – TD135

Originally posted by Mark12
Moondance

Here is a shot of TD135 at Tynemouth on 25 July 1960. Although on arrival it had been in silver finish with its original 604 Sqd. codes NG-U, by this time it had been camouflaged by the cadets.

Superb! – never seen a shot of TD135 in-situ at Tynemouth. Many thanks.

TE392

Mark 12, nice photo, many thanks for that. 🙂

Steve

Dunkeswell Vampire

As listed in WR18 which I know is two years old now is the Dunkeswell Memorial Museum. When I visited on 23rd March all I could see was the Vampire. I didn’t find any evidence of the Gannet cockpit or Spitfire fuselage replica or was I not looking in the right place.

Any ideas or has it now closed ???

TE392 – Hereford – RAF Credenhill

Originally posted by SteveYoung
Growler, welcome to the forums from a fellow Floydie. Although the ‘earthbound misfit’ tag’s mine, all mine… 😀

Can’t help on any of the airframes you’re after, but I recall having our ATC camp photo taken in front of a lowback Spitfire gate guardian at RAF Hereford in 1984. Believe she was TD248, now airworthy at Duxford, can anyone confirm she was the one?

Steve Young

TE392 at Hereford in this 1984 shot taken by Roy Hodge.

The aircraft is now airworthy at the Lone Star museum in Texas.

Mark

…and

Re: Re: Hereford Spitfires. – TD135

Originally posted by Moondance
Mark, got any ancient pics of TD135, the very first Spitfire I can ever recall seeing, when an Air Training Corps machine in Tynemouth? Thanks

Moondance

Here is a shot of TD135 at Tynemouth on 25 July 1960. Although on arrival it had been in silver finish with its original 604 Sqd. codes NG-U, by this time it had been camouflaged by the cadets.

The photograph is from a original negative with apologies to an unknown source.

The second shot is at the pub at Upperhill on 24 Feb 1971 and was taken by good friend Stuart Howe who sadly passed from us just a few days ago.

Mark

🙂 Thanks for thw welcome! Glad the Floyd has gone down well (A quote that I’m sure applies to any number of us…..). Moggy, when you move out here you really do start to realise what a small world it is! (and when I return to the Motherland, the Redback’s yours….!)

Fantastic to see that the Vampire looks a lot healthier than it did as I remember it, though it does indeed look a little lost.

Now I have serials I have found a picture of TD135 here:

[URL=http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/registry/spitregistry/spitfire-td1…]

(Hope the link works, Still learning….)

And TE392 here:

[URL=http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/registry/spitregistry/spitfire-te3…]

What I can’t find, though, are any picture of the aircraft at either The Spitfire Inn or RAF Hereford. Any takers??:confused:

Is it just me, though, that finds it a shame that owners feel that they have to convert low back Spitfires to the more ‘public-friendly’ high back configuration? I always thought that the Mark XVI (when did the Roman titles change to Arabic?) was one of the most elegant of all Spitfires.

Originally posted by SteveYoung
I recall having our ATC camp photo taken in front of a lowback Spitfire gate guardian at RAF Hereford in 1984. Believe she was TD248, now airworthy at Duxford, can anyone confirm she was the one?

TD248 was the Sealand gate guardian (there is a current thread about her).

unloved vampire??

Blimey that vamp looks a bit lost eh? Who owns it and is she looked after at all??

Growler, welcome to the forums from a fellow Floydie. Although the ‘earthbound misfit’ tag’s mine, all mine… 😀

Can’t help on any of the airframes you’re after, but I recall having our ATC camp photo taken in front of a lowback Spitfire gate guardian at RAF Hereford in 1984. Believe she was TD248, now airworthy at Duxford, can anyone confirm she was the one?

Dunkeswell Vampire

The Vampire XE982 is indeed still at Dunkeswell. Picture taken by myself 23rd Mar 2004.