RAF Colerne

I was there at ATC camp in the mid 60s.
The Hastings were all grounded, due to there having been a fatal accident shortly before we went.

I recall visiting Colerne in the mid fifties…Hastings,Brigands and my first ever flight..in an old Anson.(VM341) in 1956.also visited in Nov 1957 and flew in even older PH624 when I also noted Canberra WH874, various Chipmunks ,Meteors,Hastings,Shackleton and a Lincoln. Years later I photod some of the Colerne museum collection out to grass…especially recall the Avro 707 dismantled near the fence. At least they were later saved.

I have a programme of battle of Britain week for September 1959

Albert,

May I ask if you captured the Spitfire(s) in colour?

Mark

For some reason, I don’t seem to have a colour shot of P7350 at Colerne before it was made airworthy. However, here is X4590 in 609 Sqn. marks at Colerne in July 1970 and BL614 in 222 Sqn. marks there in July 1975. Both are now at Hendon.

I had the pleasure of 2.5 yrs at Colerne, between 62 and 64. Worked in the ASF, running the Hydraulic Servicing Bay. Had ample opportunity to explore the camp and fawn lovingly over the A/C collection in one of the South side Blister hangars. Most of which are now better preserved or flying. Thank goodness.
Frustrating memories of the ‘Instant Alert’ times, when you basically had 15 minutes to grab what kit you could, jump on a Hastings and roar off into the sky for God knows where, or for how long!! Ah well, those were the days of the, Cold War and you never what was going to happen. Unfortunately, what piccies I had have disappeared somewhere. Ho hum.

I’m not actually covinced there’s an airfield down there…

Thanks, every little bit helps!!!
Ive got to teach the younger ranks about airfield design and that’ll come in VERY useful!

Very poor aerial photo at http://forum.airforces.info/showpost.php?p=382430&postcount=70

Correct, it is now primarily used as a signals unit of the British Army.
does anyone have any piccies of it in around 1946?

now, besides the UAS and attached AEF, it is an army camp I believe. A signals unit.

coanda

Colour?

I think my father and I did a pretty good job of recording the event in colour and b/w prints,

Albert,

May I ask if you captured the Spitfire(s) in colour?

Mark

This was my very first visit to Colerne for the “Battle of Britain” Air Day on 19th September 1964. Considering the lack of quality cameras and lenses then, I think my father and I did a pretty good job of recording the event in colour and b/w prints, as well as logging everything. The variety of aircraft there was incredible and here are some of the highlights:

R.Netherlands AF “Whisky Four” aerobatic team of Lockheed T-33As landed after their display for refuelling. Their support aircraft was a Fokker F.27M Troopship and there was also a brand-new polished silver USAF TAC C-130E Hercules(both just visible behind).

XM961 Twin Pioneer taxiiing out with Canberra U-10 and CFS Whirlwind behind.

XP165 ETPS Scout in grey/duck egg green scheme starting up to depart
with RAF Signals Command Varsity behind.

Also remember a camouflaged Valiant in the flying display.
Wonderful show 40 years ago and remember it like yesterday. Oh,and all the museum aircraft were lined up on the grass as well.

Notes concerning VV106 from my personal database:
Attacker fuselage, tailwheel u/c, first British aircraft with both swept wings and tail. Engine failure caused forced landing at A&AEE on March 17, 1949. Flew at SBAC Show Farnborough September 6-11, 1949. Converted into Type 517. November 8, 1950 became 1st swept-wing aircraft to operate from an aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, first landing made by pilot Lt J. Elliott, RAE Farnborough. After further development flying was grounded, last flew on January 14, 1955, used as instructional airframe at Halton, in 1964 at Cardington, then on display at Cosford Aerospace Museum, now on indefinite loan to Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton but held in storage at Lee-on-Solent pending display. Serial 7175M. Total flying hours 230 hrs 40 min. Reassembled for display at Yeovilton FAA Museum in 2004.

Happy days.

My first visit to RAF Colerne – BoB day September 1959.

My first sighting of P7350. Apart from the He162 there was an Me163 on display in one of the hangars.

A long and circuitous stroll (read skulk) around the inside of the peri-fence was rewarded by finding a further lone Spitfire in one of blister hangers, off limits to BoB visitors, – RW388. At that time it still carried the Control and Reporting School code 3L-R. Oh happy days for a schoolboy Spitfire spotter.

Even by 1959, P7350 had been at Colerne some 13/14 years. Would anybody have an earlier shot?

Mark

Photo of P7350 via Ron Cranham, as his image is better than mine.

Thought you might like to see some of the museum aircraft I shot there in June 1968 –

Supermarine 510 (or 517?) VV106 – now in Cobham Hall, Yeovilton
Sea Fury VR930 now being restored to fly with RNHF#
Hawker P1052 now stored in Cobham Hall, Yeovilton.

Iwas there for an ATC camp in the 70s when they had Hercs. The RAF gliding ass were practising there all week for a big comp and a Chief Tech Dawson crashed in a new glider and was unfortunately killed.
We were the first on scene and as it was in a field next to the main back road aa the cars stopped to let the GHOOLS have a look.After that we adjourned to a lovely pub at the rear of the then new control tower and this pub was owned by BEN WARRIS of Jewel and Warris fame (does anyone remember this pub?? if so what was the name of it. The Sgts Mess wes extremely quiet that night.
I do remember the collection in the hangar at the far side of the field and also there were a few ANDOVERS in Cammy Paint there??

This is probably the sight that Colerne is most remembered for, well at least by me! This is the last line up of 24 Squdron’s Hastings just before disbandment there in November 1967 and reformation at Lyneham with Hercules…..ah those were the days! Although it was a wet and windy day I just had to make a special trip there to take this photo.

Hi,

I was based there in winter 89 / 90 when it was an army camp and I know the runways very well as I do the 3 hangars that were there.

We lived on the H block closest to the tennis courts and the runways.

We used to have to run the strips to keep up our fitness and for our BFT tests.

The only aircraft that operated here then was the jump school training wagon cant remember the type though. We all wanted to learn to parachute as you needed you wings to get into the air despatch section of the RCT.

When I was there it was RCT and RAOC.

our squadron was 57 squadron Gale troop.

Does any one else on here recognise the period or squadron.

Any more question please just ask.

I paid a visit there in 1969 as an ATC Cadet whilst on Summer Camp at Lyneham, the Collection was the only part of the visit that stuck in the mind.
How much of the camp is currently in use and for what purpose?

Paul

I never served there Flight Sergeant, but I used to visit during its days as a Hastings station. Later on Hercules majors were carried out there and I went to one or two air shows, when the museum collection was dragged out into the open.

“Ditto” I reckon between Steve and I, we could produce photos taken at Colerne from the early-60s and throughout the ’70s. I went to many of their Battle of Britain air shows during that period and very good they were too!