Does anyone have an exhibit listing for the aviation content of the Imperial War Museum from when it first opened onwards, and a reason for what has disappeared from the inventory?
I ask after seeing that there were some pictures of exhibits in the June 1920 edition (was it a monthly in those days?) of Flight that included a Friedrichshafen bomber, a Roland D.VI, and the remains of a Junker all-metal biplane, an R.E.8, Sopwith Salamander, Sopwith Triplane and Bristol Fighter, a Norman Thompson flying boat as well as the Short 184 that was severely damaged by bombs in January 1941 and whose remains are now in the FAA Museum, Yeovilton. What else was there?
The R.E.8 and Bristol Fighter are still in existence at Duxford, the Sopwith Triplane is now with the RAFM at Hendon but the others seem to have been discarded; what were their histories?
Also, while we are on the subject, I recall hearing that a preserved Handley Page Hampden was scrapped in the 1950s: were there any other ‘preserved’ aircraft scrapped at the same time? Plus there were (apparently) a large number of preserved airframes, mostly Japanese I believe, stored in America that were scrapped during the Korean war because the space they occupied was needed – anyone know what was there?
By: CeBro - 12th April 2016 at 07:02
Not to mention the Dutch Douglas A8N, The Fokker D21 (well known pic witht he Dornier X in the background). During an earlier visit to the Technikmuseum there was a diorama of the
original museum collection, it was huge.
Then again, if you count all the captured aircraft after the war, a lot more has been lost. Only read the book War prizes by Phil Butler.
Cees
By: snafu - 12th April 2016 at 02:02
As a little aside to this topic I’ve just found out that the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin (destroyed in WWII, but some exhibits survive in Poland) had a Fairey Battle on display. I’m guessing it was acquired in the battle of France, 1940, either from one of the repair trains that were captured or from an airfield; anyone got an idea of which one it was and where it was looted?
I guess that exhibits lost due to bombing in wartime are not strictly part of this threads remit – even though I started it – but were any preserved aeroplanes lost in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, elsewhere in Germany, Poland and eastern Europe, not forgetting Britain (the Jutland Short 184, 8359, was reduced to a forward fuselage when the IWM was bombed in 1940 – anything destroyed?), etc?
By: farnboroughrob - 11th April 2016 at 18:56
Does anybody know what aircraft the RAF earmarked ‘for museum purposes at the end of WW2 as they did with K9942? Given that no Typhoon made through the normal route there can’t have been any joined up thinking on this issue? I would love to know how the aircraft for the Science Museum, IWM Birmingham and Glasgow museums were allocated? Surprising that no other municipal museums received aircraft? I wonder why the IWM preserved a FW190 and not a Hurricane or Typhoon in the late 40’s?
By: Tayha - 11th April 2016 at 12:46
AA.
The problem is they are mostly horrid little contact prints and many require hours of cleaning but there’s some interesting stuff among them. I’ll see what I can do.
John
Also love to see in case new parnall photos
By: nuuumannn - 11th April 2016 at 05:38
I also had a reference (but can’t find at present) that Scottish Museum of Flight had a Parnall Panther that they scrapped off in mid 1940’s, but did keep some parts.
Indeed the Royal Scottish Museum had a Parnall Panther (The Museum of Flight didn’t exist back then, being opened in the mid 1970s); the collection’s Bentley BR.2 rotary is allegedly from the Panther and I think other sundry items.
Regarding the Beverley at Hendon (it was only a matter of time), I was once told that the museum curators actually made enquiries about preserving the aircraft, but two things went against them; the museum had neither the finances nor the facilities at that stage and since the aircraft belonged to the RAF, the museum had no jurisdiction over it – contrary to everyone complaining about “the RAF Museum scrapping the Beverley”, then the RAF decided to scrap it.
By: ericmunk - 10th April 2016 at 19:44
And not to forget the Vulcan B1 and Victor B1 at Cosford – a stain on their reputation.
Surprised nobody mentioned the Beverley yet.
By: John Aeroclub - 10th April 2016 at 19:39
AA.
The problem is they are mostly horrid little contact prints and many require hours of cleaning but there’s some interesting stuff among them. I’ll see what I can do.
John
By: avion ancien - 10th April 2016 at 09:34
The majority of the photos (and why I bought them) are ‘just postwar’ pics of light civil stuff
Then I, for one, hope that you’ll find reason to post the other 198!
By: john_txic - 10th April 2016 at 08:43
And not to forget the Vulcan B1 and Victor B1 at Cosford – a stain on their reputation.
By: John Aeroclub - 9th April 2016 at 11:49
Unfortunately these photos were two of a small number which I couldn’t enhance but thank you for the input. The majority of the photos (and why I bought them) are ‘just postwar’ pics of light civil stuff.
John
By: Arabella-Cox - 8th April 2016 at 20:53
Ref post 50, Photo’s I have just scanned being among about 200 contact prints I bought recently at Cosford, all appear to have been taken circa 1950.
John
*Deploy anorak*
The Hamilcar is RR942. Yes, it had D roundels and the serials under the wing. I have a photo shot from the other side showing the bank beside the hanger your photo was taken from.
Horsa is Mk.II RZ155.
By: Roborough - 8th April 2016 at 14:52
Thanks for the reference on the earlier thread Meddle. Great picture, just as I remember it but obviously in front of a school not a church. That’s the problem with those 50 odd year old memories!
Bill
By: Meddle - 8th April 2016 at 13:55
Apologies, I didn’t get as far back as your post before jumping in.
By: snafu - 8th April 2016 at 13:37
There are photos of it on here in another thread: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?15226-DH-Sea-Hornet-a-survivor/page2
The thread itself is quite interesting as it concerns a shaggy dog tale of a Sea Hornet extant, in some form, in Canada.
Ahem, as already mentioned on post 60…
By: Meddle - 8th April 2016 at 12:44
Quite correct, perhaps I should have re-read the thread before reposting.
By: Bruce - 8th April 2016 at 12:38
Shaggy Dog? No sir, there were Sea Hornet remains in Canada…
By: Meddle - 8th April 2016 at 11:49
Yes, I remember the Sea Hornet at Plymouth.
There are photos of it on here in another thread: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?15226-DH-Sea-Hornet-a-survivor/page2
The thread itself is quite interesting as it concerns a shaggy dog tale of a Sea Hornet extant, in some form, in Canada.
By: john_txic - 8th April 2016 at 07:29
In addition to the Hampden that was burnt, I believe a Do217 met the same fate circa 1956/57.
By: DaveF68 - 8th April 2016 at 01:40
Ref post 50, Photo’s I have just scanned being among about 200 contact prints I bought recently at Cosford all appear to have been taken circa 1950.
Very interesting John – A Hamilcar with ‘D’ roundels!
By: Roborough - 8th April 2016 at 00:51
Yes, I remember the Sea Hornet at Plymouth. I was in front of a bombed out church right opposite Devonport High School and like you I saw it many times from the top of a bus, on the way home to St Budeaux. This would have been 1955-60.
I also recall all the weird things that were catapulted into the river generally from HMS Ark Royal or Eagle as part of Plymouth Navy Days, including an engineless Sea Hornet on at least one occasion.
Happy days!
Bill
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