Inter-war marine aircraft around Malta

A series of 3 pictures of a Sunderland launch from what I guess you are calling the South Slip, with the first pic identical to the Iris on the slip in front of the hangar.
In the aerial photograph the 2 slips can just be seen to the left of the picture.

I still say N.slip because of the hangar, both slips are fairly shallow (nature of the Med surely?). Both North and South slips had two actual slipways, they were just seperated sites, I think you can see both in that last pic.

Excellent pics either way.

A series of 3 pictures of a Sunderland launch from what I guess you are calling the South Slip, with the first pic identical to the Iris on the slip in front of the hangar.
In the aerial photograph the 2 slips can just be seen to the left of the picture.

I would question that John, in the pic with the Iris on the apron you can see the large A or B (saw tooth style roof gables,trying to remember type!) Seaplane Type hangar in the background, you can make out angled forward piece above the doors. Only North slip had that hangar. Also a pic on the web shows this same slip very nicely and it fits exactly the Fairey IIIF shot above.

The North slip wasn’t open to us in the late 60’s but I do recall that the South slips were very shallow, with no rocks at the sides. The Iris being retrieved is on a much steeper slip so I presume that this is the North slip.

The two badges behind the French boat were still there in 1972.

John

Most of the pictures (of which I have copies of some)were taken on the South Slipway at Kalafrana with the exception of the Iris with the cables attached.
John

I would question that John, in the pic with the Iris on the apron you can see the large A or B (saw tooth style roof gables,trying to remember type!) Seaplane Type hangar in the background, you can make out angled forward piece above the doors. Only North slip had that hangar. Also a pic on the web shows this same slip very nicely and it fits exactly the Fairey IIIF shot above.

This thread stirs very fond memories for me too. I also used to swim off the slips at Kalafrana in 1966, and lived in one of the quarters on top of the hill behind Kalafrana. Between our house and the road to HalFar was the quarry in which the fuselage of (possibly) Faith was dumped.. the photograph showing this site is in the HMSO publication “Air Battle over Malta” published in about 1944 I think, and the Sea Gladiator now languishes in the St Elmo war museum in need of proper conservation…….
My father was the AEO of 728 Squadron, the Fleet Requirements Unit based at HalFar with Meteor TT20’s and T7’s, and he hauled down the White Ensign for the last time at HalFar on May 31 1967.
I was also privileged to know Stanley Hall MBE, the last surviving member of the RAF High Speed Flight who won the Schneider Trophy, and in the interwar years he served at RAF Kalafrana…he told me his favourite duty was being flown in a Fairey seaplane in the early mornings to Comino, to pick up fresh honey for the Officers Mess.
Thanks for posting these wonderful pictures…any other Kalafrana pictures out there?

Happy days.

Great pictures, thanks. One thing is troubling me; why does the IIID S1077 look like it has its floats on backwards …. !

That’s the way the floats were designed – they do look odd though when compared to more recent designs.

Most of the pictures (of which I have copies of some)were taken on the South Slipway at Kalafrana with the exception of the Iris with the cables attached. I used to launch my canoe off that same slip. I think most of those pics are RAF Museum or IWM. This site became the Forces beach club later on (1960’s)

John

The French flying boat is a C.A.M.S.55.1 of Escadrille 4E1 powered by Hispano-Suisa engines. Based at Karouba, Tunisia in 1930.

Richard

I think Fairey Gordon’s where built for the RAF and Seals where used by the Fleet Air Arm.
This is a photo of Fairey Seals.

Well silly me. Thanks!

Edited…

Seems to me that there is a need for a good book on the Fairey IIIF family. Time to start prodding some writers? :dev2::D

Great pictures, thanks. One thing is troubling me; why does the IIID S1077 look like it has its floats on backwards …. !

Fantastic pictures JD, thanks for posting.

They are Fairey IIIFs, Gordons were A.S. Panther Radial powered.
I never do get the III nomenclature, as your pic of the D variant shows the design seems to have changed quite a bit, so why did Fairey keep using the III, instead say going IV, V etc for the different variants?

The Iris shots seem to be taken at Kalafrana North slip, I can’t tell if the IIIFs are there or South slip.

Would a company call a machine of war Iris anymore?
Sometimes I wish I was born 30 or so years earlier, but when I see pics like that I would change that to 100 years!

Here are some pics of a diarama of Kalafrana, it is in the Malta Aviation Museum, I believe it was built by Louis Carabott. Even if you are not into modelling, this diarama is a true labour of love.

My Putnams tome confirms the IIIFs. Didn’t all Gordons have radial engines?

Well silly me. Thanks!

Edited…

My Putnams tome confirms the IIIFs. Didn’t all Gordons have radial engines?

Not my area of expertise (What is?) But great images none the less.

Thanks James

M