Having done two tours in the RAF at Lyneham preceded by numerous visits as an ATC cadet, I like to think I have the definitive collection of RAF Hercules slides depicting every colour scheme and marking that they have ever worn from delivery to retirement.
However,there is one RAF Herk marking that I am unsure of – 70 Squadron’s aircraft wore a squadron badge on the tail and Greek mythological name on the nose. Now did these aircraft ever wore “ROYAL AIR FORCE NEAR EAST” titles on the nose? They re-equipped from Argosies in November 1970 and I was posted to Lyneham in October 1971. At that time, all the RAF’s transport aircraft had their command titles removed and wore just “ROYAL AIR FORCE” titles afterwards. Here is the first 70 Sqn. Herk I got to shoot, XV294 in March 1972. It appears to have the “ROYAL AIR FORCE” titles repositioned on the nose, but was that because it had “NEAR EAST” painted out, or did it have “AIR SUPPORT COMMAND” painted out? Anyone seen a photo of one with RAFNE titles?
By: AMB - 24th January 2014 at 23:33
Here you go
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1274818/
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1124453/
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1070523/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/6896776689/
Corgi did some of the one you want, can’t find a good picture, look for
See
Corgi Lockheed 382 Hercules C1 XV294 70 RAF SQN in Near East Airforce Camoflage
Thanks Tony, but none of those links answer my query, which was did any 70 Squadron Herks ever wear “ROYAL AIR FORCE NEAR EAST” titles?
By: Wokka Bob - 22nd January 2014 at 20:42
From what I remember, ‘Royal Air Force Air Support Command’ titles lasted from 1967 until 1972 when Strike Command was formed. About this time the Herc started to lose its white cockpit roof replaced by brown as well as reverting to just ‘Royal Air Force’ titles. I cannot recall the camouflage scheme being titled NEAF as 48 Sqn were in Changi Singapore FEAF, (but I hope someone on here will correct me if I’m wrong)!:)
From my at hand records (the rest is somewhere in the loft) & Lars Olausson’s epic Herc production list (my latest is the 29th Edition), some of 70 Sqn aircraft carried the following:
XV 182 – 70 Sqn `Hector’ Nov 70
XV 192 – 70 Sqn `Horatius’ Nov 70
XV 211 – 70 Sqn `Homer’ Nov 70
XV 294 – 70 Sqn `Hephaestos’
XV 299 – 70 Sqn `Homer’ Apr 72
XV 305 – 70 Sqn `Hyperion’ 11/70
Bob
By: TonyT - 22nd January 2014 at 02:02
Here you go
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1274818/
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1124453/
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1070523/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/6896776689/
Corgi did some of the one you want, can’t find a good picture, look for
See
Corgi Lockheed 382 Hercules C1 XV294 70 RAF SQN in Near East Airforce Camoflage
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January 22, 2014 at 12:07 am