Lancaster G-ASXX / NX611 – 50 years since her epic return to the UK from Australia

I took this photo at Coolangatta Airport (which serves Surfers Paradise) on 25th April 1965 after G-ASXX arrived from Sydney. I was a little peeved that the newspaper photographer intruded into my shot but in retrospect I have come to appreciate that a schoolboy would have had no chance of getting the crew into formation so I suppose it was reasonable for him to be there as he arranged the photo.

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Copy of the telex of aircraft movement when she was moved from Changi to Butterworth in May 1965. The designation WSRC & WSRB are RAF Changi & RAF Butterworth.

Biggin Hill 1st June 1965.

I travelled often on the top deck of a bus going to work at Premium Bonds in Lytham and would look at the Lancaster often.On afew almost dark Winter mornings it looked amazing glistening with frost reflecting light from nearby street lamps.It made me ponder the wartime airfield scenes where ground crew struggled in the wet and cold.

thanks for the credit, we all enjoyed out time volunteering at the museum.

I have a cunning plan to visit East Kirkby in September and will certainly buy a copy of that book.

Did you include reference to the filming of Family at War while the Lancaster was at Blackpool? oddly the cover poster for the series dvds shows a B17 however I am certain night filming took place around the Lancaster,or could this have been and intro to the series Airline which also filmed at squires Gate?

NX611 was indeed used in an episode of ‘Family at War’ in February 1971 while at Blackpool. In 1996 I obtained some behind-the-scenes photos of the filming which I late gave to the Panton brothers. The DVD cover does indeed show a B17 and this was one of the French IGN B-17s which were used in a later episode while based at Criel.

as posted She appeared at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in 1965, and the commentator said she had flown all the way back from Australia, with the self destruct device fitted and armed,( don’t know if it was true?,)as the Vulcan at Blackpool had a note in the c/pit saying do not touch or you will hit the tower in so many seconds, as it was centre windscreen…

happy memories of touring her at Blackpool, regards,
jack…

Jack – the story of the ‘detonating unit’ incident has been enlarged upon in “Story of a Lanc” (5th Edition) on Page 11. Briefly, during G-ASXX / NX611’s flight from Australia she was due to fly the leg from Cyprus (Akrotiri) to Malta, but in order to keep to schedule this stop was changed to Istres, France (north of Marseille) – that would save a whole day, but inevitably involved a longer sea crossing, so a set of brand new ‘Mae Wests’ was donated by the RAF for the long flight over the Mediterranean. It was during that sea crossing that the Lancaster’s First Officer, Flt.Lt Douglas Smedley, DFC, spotted that the ‘detonating unit’ situated in the nose of the aircraft had “lost” its safety pin!! That unit was a left-over from WWII, intended to be used to destroy the aircraft in the event of a landing in enemy territory. Luckily for the Lancaster and her crew, Douglas eventually succeeded in locating the ‘missing’ red safety pin and managed to re-insert it – rendering the unit safe – much to the relief of everyone on-board. The Lanc safely landed at Istres after an otherwise uneventful non stop flight totalling some ten hours. England was her next stop………It is certainly not true that she arrived on UK soil with the ‘detonating unit’ still effectively ‘live’ – the Biggin Hill Show commentator would not, I suspect, have had the full story at the time she first arrived home from her epic transit flight from Australia.

Fifty years ago today, 15th May 1965, my school friend Moggy and myself went to the Biggin Hill Airfair. A pair of 14 year old lads mad on aircraft we stood in line to pay 2/6 (12.5 p) to walk through the Lancaster, just arrived from Australia. What a thrill, climbing over the mainspar in the middle of the cabin a standout memory, 2/6 was probably a weeks paper round wages but well worth it.

That day I made my first flight, paying £1for a 5 minute air experiance flight on DH Heron G-AOGO operated by Morton Air Services.

If it hadn’t been for this thread I would have missed this small aniversary……………….thanks for the memories!

thanks for the credit, we all enjoyed out time volunteering at the museum.

I have a cunning plan to visit East Kirkby in September and will certainly buy a copy of that book.

Did you include reference to the filming of Family at War while the Lancaster was at Blackpool? oddly the cover poster for the series dvds shows a B17 however I am certain night filming took place around the Lancaster,or could this have been and intro to the series Airline which also filmed at squires Gate?

Gary – your memory of that TV filming is indeed correct.
Yes indeed, we did include this in “Story of a Lanc” (5th Edition) on Page 42, together with a photo of the film crew and some of the actors (credit: Lancashire Evening Gazette). In February 1971 NX611 was taxied and used for interior scenes for the ITV series ‘Family at War’. The taxying was undertaken by Mark Flatman DFC, a former 617 Sqn. pilot, who did two fast runs along Blackpool (Squires Gate) Airport’s main runway, almost at ‘tail up’ speed. This unfortunately turned out to be the last time that NX611 moved under her own power for a period of almost 25 years, when she began her long journey back to life at East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, under the expert hands of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre Team, who successfully brought the Merlin Engines back to ground taxying condition. The rest is now history, but special mention must be made of Ian Hickling and Roy Jarman who were taken on by Fred & Harold Panton at East Kirkby in 1994. Without their expertise and enthusiasm we may have had to wait for a much longer time to enjoy the exhilarating sound of those Merlins at full power again.[ATTACH=CONFIG]237468[/ATTACH]

Fond memories of her 1st public taxi run 20 years ago 🙂

I have walked out to the airfield many times and even got a lift in a Jeep and a Kubelwagen 🙂

as posted She appeared at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in 1965, and the commentator said she had flown all the way back from Australia, with the self destruct device fitted and armed,( don’t know if it was true?,)as the Vulcan at Blackpool had a note in the c/pit saying do not touch or you will hit the tower in so many seconds, as it was centre windscreen…

happy memories of touring her at Blackpool, regards,
jack…

I was in a Boeing 707 with my family as I saw the Lancaster as we taxied to the runway .If I can find that photo I will try and put it on the forum at the moment I cannot remember its location.
Trenchard Brat

thanks for the credit, we all enjoyed out time volunteering at the museum.

I have a cunning plan to visit East Kirkby in September and will certainly buy a copy of that book.

Did you include reference to the filming of Family at War while the Lancaster was at Blackpool? oddly the cover poster for the series dvds shows a B17 however I am certain night filming took place around the Lancaster,or could this have been and intro to the series Airline which also filmed at squires Gate?

I was returning from Australia on 24-4-65 and on leaving Sydney Airport on my way to Singapore and saw NX611 parked up waiting for her turn to make the long journey to the UK> I have a very nice picture of her crossing the main road at RAF Changi into the transit Pan were she was looked after by members from the ASF Hastings and Shackleton

Trenchard Brat

Hi Roger – What a wonderful memory to recall. Any chance you could post that photo on here so that others can share your experience of ‘our beautiful lady’ in her white colour scheme?

Happy memories of showing people around when I was an air cadet at Blackpool airport, wonderful survival.

Hi Gary
Glad to share your wonderful happy memories of the days when NX611 was resident at Blackpool (Squires Gate) Airport. You and the other Cadets from the local Air Training Corps / Girls’ Venture Corps Squadrons (both boys & girls) in the Fylde played a very important role in the survival story of this iconic aircraft. In recognition of your contribution, Brian Goulding & I (as co-authors of the publication “Story of a Lanc” – 5th Edition) included a fitting complimentary entry on Page 42 of that book (link: http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/store/books/non-fiction/story-of-a-lanc.htm ):

(QUOTE:) One thing is for certain, however, if it hadn’t been for the willing help afforded by a number of enthusiastic boys and girls from the local Air Training Corps and Girls’ Venture Corps, who gave of their time and energy, almost from the time the Lancaster had touched down at Squires Gate, helping to ‘man’ the aircraft and other exhibits whilst the public were on site, many of the historic exhibits may not have survived to this day. In particular, NX611 may have suffered badly from the ‘sticky finger’ brigade if those willing little helpers hadn’t been prepared to sit, often for long hours onboard, showing members of the public through the aircraft and actively preventing damage from potential ‘souvenir hunters’.

I hope you will be able to re-establish your acquaintance with “Just Jane” (or “Guy Gibson” as she was named at that time) at East Kirkby at some time in the future – I’m sure the Panton Family would give you a warm welcome.
Kind Regards

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Don’t forget the 24 year old enthusiast (Bill Fisher ) who cheekily wrote to the French Navy asking if he could have one of their retired Lancasters for the Historic Aircraft Preservation Society.

They called his bluff, and wrote back to say it is in Australia, come and take it away 😉

Bil Fisher’s contribution to the recovery of G-ASXX / NX611 to the UK has been fully recognised and respectfully covered in Chapter 2 of the publication “Story of a Lanc” (5th Revised & Enlarged Edition) – If you still haven’t purchased a copy from the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby, then may I recommend it to all Lanc enthusiasts. http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/store/books/non-fiction/story-of-a-lanc.htm

Don’t forget the 24 year old enthusiast (Bill Fisher ) who cheekily wrote to the French Navy asking if he could have one of their retired Lancasters for the Historic Aircraft Preservation Society.

They called his bluff, and wrote back to say it is in Australia, come and take it away 😉

I was returning from Australia on 24-4-65 and on leaving Sydney Airport on my way to Singapore and saw NX611 parked up waiting for her turn to make the long journey to the UK> I have a very nice picture of her crossing the main road at RAF Changi into the transit Pan were she was looked after by members from the ASF Hastings and Shackleton

Trenchard Brat

Happy memories of showing people around when I was an air cadet at Blackpool airport, wonderful survival.