Back in 1949, my Dad (a lowly LAC) got posted to RAF Khormaskar, then on to Masirah, a small island in the Persian gulf, off the coast of Oman.
Heres a few of his photos. Most are of low quality but interesting all the same. I have used his captions straight out of his album, so hopefully most are correct.
SAAB Safir, from Addis to Bombay. 25 gallons from Salalah to Masirah
Junkers JU-52, French AF
DH Dove
DH Dove G-AICY
Ethiopian Airways Dakota
Maybe this should be in the ‘how low can you go?’ thread. Caption reads ‘Low flying, F/O Millroy. Dad told me that a low pass after take off was compulsory at Masirah!
8 Squadron Brigand at Khormaksah
Lancastrian at Tripoli, the magic carpet to the East
Blenheim (?) wreck, presumably in Libyan desert
Theres a few more like this if anyone is interested, mainly of Dakotas.
By: l.garey - 28th January 2011 at 11:03
I recommend “Masirah. Tales from a Desert Island”, by Colin Richardson, 2003, ISBN 1-904244-30-0
Laurence
By: nigelrob - 28th January 2011 at 09:20
Fascinated by the diagram of Masirah Airfield – used to fly there in the early ’70s.
Thank you for posting all those atmospheric photographs.
MM
I’ll scan the other side of the diagram later, it shows Masirah in more detail.
At the time by Dad was there (1948 – 1949), it was literally a handful of Officers and men, plus a few local helpers. In his album theres a press cutting describing it as one of the loneliest postings in the RAF. My Dad recently died after a long illlness but always wanted to go back to see how things had changed as he enjoyed his time there.
By: Merlinmagic - 28th January 2011 at 08:06
Fascinated by the diagram of Masirah Airfield – used to fly there in the early ’70s.
Thank you for posting all those atmospheric photographs.
MM
By: nigelrob - 28th January 2011 at 06:22
More pics added
By: nigelrob - 27th January 2011 at 15:40
A few more from my Dad’s album:-
Saab Safir, SE-BNO
Loading Dakota KN323
Dakota KN323
HQ, RAF Masirah
One for Narrow Gauge fans, Locomotive used to haul fuel from jetty to the airfield
Curtiss Commando, Missionary Flights Inc
DH Dove, Iranian Oil Company
More low flying, this time P/I Stead beats up Masirah
Indian Overseas Airlines Dakota
C-54, Coastal Airlines
Indian Dakota with local helpers
Lancastrian VM701 at Castel Benito, Libya
Avro York, BOAC, G-AGOA at Castel Benito
Map of RAF Masirah
I hope you enjoy looking at these.
By: Arabella-Cox - 26th January 2011 at 23:19
[QUOTE=nigelrob;1695929]
SAAB Safir, from Addis to Bombay. 25 gallons from Salalah to Masirah
[QUOTE]
Interesting to see a Gipsy powered Safir, not many of that Mk. built. Lycoming powered were much more common.
nigelrob……
Great photos……..please may we have some more !! Thanks !!!!
Planemike
By: TonyT - 26th January 2011 at 22:13
One of the guys I worked with was posted out there and he said they were building two of those big metal legged water towers you used to see at bases, they had got em about 3/4 the way up when one carried on and the other started to get smaller, asking the Army bod in charge of it one day he was told they had had a bit of a **** up and one was supposed to be at another Airfield some distance away so they were taking it down to move it and put it up where it should have been in the first place!!!
Nothing changes :p
By: peppermint_jam - 26th January 2011 at 21:56
Wonderful pics and insight into the RAF back then! More pics would be great to see!
By: yankeepapa - 26th January 2011 at 21:01
the junker 52 is in probably in reallity an AAC1 toucan, the version of the JU52 manufactured after the 2d world war in france. to be true a good number of AAC1 were manufactured from JU52 components.
yp
By: DaveF68 - 26th January 2011 at 20:13
More? – oooo, YES PLEASE
Indeed.
The Blenhiem does make me wonder what lurks beneath the sands of North Africa!
By: Arabella-Cox - 26th January 2011 at 19:06
More? – oooo, YES PLEASE
By: nigelrob - 26th January 2011 at 17:01
The Dove must be G-AICY, c/n 04019
Just corrected it, you’re quite right, thank you for pointing it out 🙂
By: wieesso - 26th January 2011 at 16:58
The Dove must be G-AICY, c/n 04019
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January 26, 2011 at 4:48 pm