RAF Halton – late 1950's – Images for Steve Bond.

Hi Prop Strike,

Thank you for your advice, I know of Peter and should be able to track him down via a friend.  As you say, timing is everything!

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Nev

To be fair, this thread pre-dates some other issues apart from the recent Key.aero meltdown, so the photos may have disappeared due to other circumstances. I’m thinking of the Photobucket shenanigans for example.

This is an obvious example of a thread that used to be full of photographic evidence of the utmost importance to us sincere historians. Where have all the pictures gone, to misquote Pete Seeger? And even the numbers of the posts?

Please do something.

Laurence

Nev,

Sadly, your timing is unfortunate. You come at a time when Key Publishing have very effectively (perhaps accidentally  ) driven away  most of the long-standing contributors to the once-respected forum. 

Peter Arnold is the individual you need to track down. He is a well known figure, especially in the Spitfire world. 

Hello,

I am researching 63 Squadron Meteor histories, I wondered if it would be possible to re-post or PM me a copy of Photo 6 which I believe was VZ464 /7214M, formerly H of 63 Squadron please?

Many thanks

Great pictures, what a shame all those aeroplanes went waste:( I shudder to think how much they’d be worth today, especially when you think that the airframes that did escaped the axeman, were bought for next to nothing.

Cheers,
Neilly

Thanks for that info, Ant. It just makes these wonderful photos all the more important since, amongst other delights, it includes extinct beasts such as the Buckmaster. May I add my thanks Mark for posting these superb photos.

Nope,not a single Buckmaster anywhere,and I don’t think there are even any substantial bits,so it’s one of those types that’s almost certain to remain ‘extinct’.
The closest thing we have to it is the Bristol Brigand fuselage with the Bristol Aero Collection at Kemble,and it’s hard to see even this valuable relic becoming a complete aircraft again. The Brigand was an important type,and I hope that something will come of this project,but as far as I know there are no wings in existance,so would be one hell of a job to restore fully.

There aren’t any Buckmasters preserved anywhere, in any shape or form, are there?

You can still jump your horse across the rear fuselage of a Jet Provost on one of the horseriding trails at the airfield. Well each to his/her own thing!!!!! That’s Mrs Slicers horse, of course.

All I can say is WOW, wish I was about in those days! Some more info on those shown that I have(only have 7XXXm info onwards).
photo 6 7214M Meteor F8 VZ464
photo 7 7165M Meteor F3 EE278
photo 13 7148M Bristol Buckmaster RP151, the only Buckmaster in the 7 series, so may bee the same one in both photos?

My earliest copy of Wrecks and Relics(issue 3,1968) lists
Vulcan B1 X3
Comet C2 x2
Sycamore X3
Provest X2
Belvedere X1
Twin Pioneer X1
Canberra x7
Hunter F4 X7
Spit RW386
and the Beaufighter front, I am sure there would have been more in the workshops?

Personally I remmeber the Argosys,Hunters,JP’s and Gnats.

Wow,wow and wow again! Interesting to see that row of Swift fuselages,looks like they never flew.I know a number of Swift orders were cancelled when a substantial number were on production lines in various places (even Shorts in Belfast were building a few), so I’m guessing these are some of those??
Oh if only they’d saved that Buckmaster!:(

Excellent stuff Mark, thanks. Yes indeed, Halton had two Comets in fact, an ex.Hatfield 1X and a former 216 Squadron C.3, both of which were flown in during the ’60s. As for Javelins, they had the 4th prototype for many years from around 56/57 onwards, and in the 60s got three more ex.87 Squadron machines.

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