Liverpool (Speke) Airport during/after WWII

I believe that the MSFU was based at Speke with it’s catapult launched Hurricanes and Fulmars, 1941 to 1943.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/609photos/Angels%20and%20Gremlins.htm

Interestingly it is hoped that the author of this account will be at Legends next month with the 609 Sqn chaps in the TFC hangar.

Liverpool (Speke) was the home of one of the Shadow factories during the war years. This one was run by Rootes Securities for the Min. of Aircraft Prod. and it manufactured various aircraft but was probably best known for it’s Halifaxes. Halifax NA 337 was a product of Rootes Securities.

Deryck

The first port of call for anyone looking for Liverpool records shoukld surely be Phil Butler’s Liverpool Airport: An Illustrated History.

Thanks – Phil’s book was the first thing I picked up off the shelf. Phil has visited our Jetstream several times and we do have copies of his book for sale on the aircraft (£10 if memory serves) should anyone be stuck for a copy.

I’m still focusing on WWII activities at Speke though. Talking with my father the other night and he came up with a few stories from when Airworks were based at Speke in the early 50’s including the two sabres that came in far too hot and steamed off the far end of the runway and continued outside the airport perimeter onto the public road. Also the sabre that on landing had a mere 50lbs of fuel remaining. The pilot had gotten lost and only found the airport thanks to good luck – apparently he wasn’t at all bothered that he landed with about 10mS of fuel left.

Roy.

Hmmm…must admit my first thought was that the wreck was an Ambassador, but then a voice at my shoulder kept on saying that I couldn’t recall an Ambassador on the Liverpool dump. C-54, Hunter, Viscount yes, but not an Ambassador.
On closer inspection, I reckon it is the Viscount, so badly burnt that the fuselage has dropped down to give the illusion of it being a mid-winged type. Marvellous puzzle pic!
The first port of call for anyone looking for Liverpool records shoukld surely be Phil Butler’s Liverpool Airport: An Illustrated History.
Published by Tempus Publishing in 2004, ISBN 0 7524 3168 4. Everything you ever wanted to know. Given that it’s probably not been reprinted, copies my be tricky to find – my first port of call would be the Liverpool airport (sorry, JLA!) bookstall, or maybe a call to the publishers: www.tempus-publishing.com.

Amendment: whoops, didn’t check the link from an earlier post (PaulR)!

William

I believe the airliner type is a Viscount in 1970s BEA colours – compare with this shot: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0398463/L/ It has clearly suffered on the fire dump to such an extent that it bears little resemblance to its original shape.

The aircraft depicted should be V.802 G-AOHB, wfu Liverpool 04.76 and donated to the fire service there 10.76, remains sold for scrap 01.89. (Source TAHS TurboProp Production List)

here’s one on Peter Randall’s “littlefriends” site:

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=355&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=161&Temp=1619&searchString=

Martin

I keep finding references telling me that RAF Speke played a busy role during WWII, but I can’t seem to find out what it did or who was based there.
If anyone has any info, anecdotes, photo’s or whatever – I’d be delighted to see/hear them.

Check this:
http://www.south-lancs-aviation.bravepages.com/history_of_speke_airport.htm
A number of Polish fighter squadrons were based there during 1940-1941.
308 was formed at Speke in September 1940.
In 1941 Speke was a ‘rest & replenish’ base for Polish units that had their forward combat base at Northolt. 315 on Hurricanes was based at Speke from March till July 1941. In July it went to Northolt, replaced at Speke by 303, which in turn traded places with 306 in October. 306 moved out in December. Throughout their time there, their main role was (apart from operational training) to provide convoy escort for shipping to and from Liverpool.
There are some photos from Speke in the 315 Sqn MMP book that JDK would like me to mention here.

The ‘something’ looks a lot like an Airspeed Ambassador to me.

Moggy

Concur.

Oh, and I found this interesting site on Speke via Google.

I have various photos of P-51’s at Speke taken shortly after VE-Day – will post them soonest.

Martin

Sadly Moggy, it’s not there any more :rolleyes:

I keep finding references telling me that RAF Speke played a busy role during WWII, but I can’t seem to find out what it did or who was based there.

If anyone has any info, anecdotes, photo’s or whatever – I’d be delighted to see/hear them.

Thanks,

Roy.

Although I cannot lay my hands on them at this moment I have a number of photos of Speke in the late 40’s as my dad was a pilot with Aer Lingus and he regularly flew into Speke on DC 3s and was always taking pictures there. I always think that the old Speke Terminal was one of the most distinctive airport terminals in Europe for its time. Just about every new terminal being built now are just giant glass and tin boxes but I suppose its the only way huge numbers of travelllers can be accomodated.
Keith
(OG)

Sadly Moggy, it’s not there any more :rolleyes:

I keep finding references telling me that RAF Speke played a busy role during WWII, but I can’t seem to find out what it did or who was based there.

If anyone has any info, anecdotes, photo’s or whatever – I’d be delighted to see/hear them.

Thanks,

Roy.

The ‘something’ looks a lot like an Airspeed Ambassador to me.

Moggy

Early fifties hey? My late dad worked there for Airwork at that time, he met my mother in Liverpool and they got married in ’58 (Terry Thomas gatecrashed the reception looking for beer). He moved to BAC in Luton shortly afterwards then rejoined Airwork for whom he worked until retirement.

Sadly, I have naff all info on his time at Speke because all his mementoes and documents disappeared on one of our moves around Africa in my young days. All I have left are his passports, security cards and some photos post-Liverpool.