Lincoln, but where and when?

I don’t have it, but might the Air-Britain book ‘Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100 to RZ999’ shed light on the careers of RE340/1/5/6/7/8? If so, no doubt someone on this forum will have a copy.

Thanks bazv.

Just to recapitulate what I said in my (unnumbered) post above (25 November) I can say that RE347 was based at Upwood in May 1955. I flew in it and I think it was 7 Squadron (but I’m not sure of the last point).

PS: I see that if you are composing a post and leave it to check a post on a previous page, you lose it.  

Laurence

As to the Lincoln A/C in the RE34_ range…

We can ignore…

RE342 – written off at Upwood 1951

RE344 – written off at Binbrook 1950

RE343 + RE349 – to Argentina as B-001 + B- 002 circa 1948

Which just leaves the possibility of the A/C in the background being…

RE340,RE341,RE345,RE346,RE347,RE348.

I have not as yet found an online source for individual A/C histories in the ‘RE’ range.

Thank you, gentlemen, for that helpful information. I’m much obliged.

RAF Lindholme were about the last station operating the Lincoln in the late 50’s early 60’s.

John

I also forgot to put Debach on the Suffolk Airfield list – unlikely but just possible.

Could not find an edit option for the above post LOL

But I had meant to add that it was not unusual for sqns or a/c to be detached to other Airfields during mauntenance work on the Home Airfield/Normal Base which could possibly explain using (say) a ‘Satellite’ Airfield or an airfield on  Care and Maintenance or normally by then being a non flying station.

@ Avion Ancien

Quite a tricky one 🙂

Perhaps the most LIKELY place to see a Lincoln or 2 in 56/57 would have been Watton/Hemswell (527sqn/199sqn/230 OCU/Lincoln Conversion Flight) but I have not seen a pic of that particular design of control tower at either Watton or Hemswell,that doesn’t mean there was not that type at these airfields but just I have not found a pic yet 🙂

The Tower is a good match for Upwood,but I note that in 1955 it was then painted White – whether it was subsequently  repainted green/dark I do not know.

If it is absolutely certain that the pic was taken in Suffolk then looking at Airfields with a Watch Office for All Commands (with rooftop VCR – visual control room) type control Tower and with reference to Control Towers UK (I have included a couple of norfolk a/f’s as well).

http://www.controltowers.co.uk

The most likely airfields might be Honington,Eye,Framlingham,North Pickenham,Horham,Knettishall,Wormingford,Great Ashfield.Obviously not all these listed were still operational RAF airfields but afik were still useable and MOD owned.

There may be other possibilities due to lack of pictures ( and possibly Boundary changes) 

Thank you, cometguy and Laurence. Still no-one with any idea where the initial photograph might have been taken?

Avion and Comet: the bulge is for the H2S ground scanning radar. There is a big rotatory dish in there. Indeed, used in Lancasters and, of course, Lincolns.

Laurence

As with Lancaster there was a bench seat for the flight engineer behind the co-pilot, thats where I sat for my flight.

Radar bulge i believe as the Lancs did in the war

As bombers are outside my comfort zone, will someone for whom they are not please tell me what is the ventral bulge apparent on the Lincoln in the background of the photograph in my original post on this thread?

I don’t recall any extra seats, except a jump seat next to the pilot. My recollection is that the first seats behind the pilot were nav and radio, then the spar to scrape your shins on, then rather empty until the rear gunner. The Upwood Lincolns I flew in didn’t have a mid-upper turret.

Laurence

It’s a very posed group photo, why would you want all those Cadets tramping through the cockpit and then over the wing spar. It was bad enough without a parachute pack.

I’m trying to think if there were any Rumbold seats in the fuselage.  I remember attaching a Megger to the wrong cable braiding in a Lincoln and  (electrically) shocking a few colleagues.

John

No apologies for thread drift: 115 Squadron ATC queuing up for a trip in a C-119 at Thornaby in 1954. I am there but won’t say which one. There is also another long-time poster on Key.

Laurence

I’m not sure how reliable this is, but I just noticed:

Mosquito target towing squadron was transferred from RAF Stradishall to Pembrey to replace Tempests in 1955

http://www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/2013/11/19/mind-boggling-mossie-mysteries-no-3-answer/

Laurence

PS: those horrible uniforms look very familiar

Judging by all those stripes on the arms of those posing on the steps, Laurence, it looks rather as if it was principally a day trip for NCOs!

Whilst I know that there’s no Lincoln in it, here’s another photograph from the same source (a member of No. 328 (Kingston-upon-Thames) Squadron ATC in the 1950s) taken at Stradishall about the same time as the original photograph. Am I correct in believing that TT Mosquitos were operated from there at about that time? If so, by which squadron?

You may well be right, Beaufighter.

AA: your photo is of direct interest to me as it shows a very sophisticated ladder for crew entry. In fact it was usually a simple unsupported ladder to a hatch in the nose. Famous for me getting near the top before falling off into the arms of the next one climbing up.

I’ll bet not all those cadets were about to fly in that aircraft. Although the Lincoln was large it was not an Airbus. In fact, I was usually the only cadet aboard. Lucky me. Eternal gratitude to 7 Squadron and our liaison officer, Flt Lt JB Stephens.

Laurence

Possibly a typo re RF569 crash as RF560 crashed at Boscombe.

See posts from web.

Bacon, 11.11.2014

My grandfather was also killed in Lincoln RF560 on 2nd July 1948 at Boscombe Down A&AEE.

Day, 20.10.2014

My father was killed in R.F.Lincoln 560 on 2nd July 1948 at Boscombe Down A&AEE.