Scrapyard at Kirkby in 1956, Martinet TT 1

The IAC machine was scrapped

see here

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200028.html

Yet another of the 1960s missed opportunities. But hindsight is a wonderful thing!

All,

Many thanks for the information so far. Very sad to learn that the IAC Martinet was broken up as late as 1964.

Incidentally, I’ve opened a new thread, ‘Scrapyard at Kirkby’ if anyone has more information on the various other aircraft present at Kirkby during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Regards,

Jan

The IAC machine was scrapped

see here

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%200028.html

There was a letter in Air Pictorial in, I think, 1956 relating to this scrapyard and its Hurricanes. I can’t remember if the Martinet was mentioned or not,
Jim

Yes, I wondered if Martin Hearn’s had something to do with it.

I still have a pile of inspection reports, prepared for damaged Mossies sent to M.H. for repair. They list every component to be renewed or repaired, right down to washers and split pins.

There are some very interesting machines among the reports, including W4072 and W4053.

W4053 was the prototype turret fighter, and still had some of the trial installation when it arrived at M.H.’s in January 1944, although I think it had become the T.III prototype by then.

W4072 was an early B.IV which was one of the four from 105 Sq. which made the first Mosquito bombing raid in May, 1942.

Fascinating documents, and interestingly, they turned up on a book stall at one of the first Hooton Park aerojumbles.

Ooops, more drift!

No need to apologise. Thread drift often turns out to be at least as interesting as the original topic! There probably is a connection between your ASIs and the Kirkby yard. Strange that they ended up there as the scrap content in a Mossie must be minimal. And where did they come from? Possibly Martin Hearn’s at Hooton or, somewhat nearer, their outstation at Hesketh Park, Southport. A friend of mine still has the bit of fuselage with serial DZ410 on it from a Mossie hulk at Hooton in the 1950s.

There was however a fence made from Mossie wing sections in the KA and KB serial ranges!

“KA” and “KB” Mossies…argh…those were Downsview-built B.25/FB.26/T.27s.

Yes, I know and they flew all that way to end up as a fence! Unfortunately, there were only bits of serials visible, no complete ones, but I assume most had been operational at some time.

An interesting aside this, because I used to buy Air Speed Indicators from Canadian built Mossies, from a junk shop in St. Helens, circa 1980. St. Helens isn’t far away from Kirkby, and I wonder if there is any connection?

The ASIs all had stores tags with the serial numbers written on them. They were all in the KB range and were from B.XX bombers. I was able to trace some of their histories and they had mostly served with the L.N.S.F. Still got one or two somewhere!

Apologies for taking the thread off topic.

Incidentally, the last airworthy Martinet was s/n 145 of the Irish Air Corps, which was wfu on 23 December 1958, and then becoming a ground instructional airframe.

What was the fate of this Martinet?

Yes, I know and they flew all that way to end up as a fence! Unfortunately, there were only bits of serials visible, no complete ones, but I assume most had been operational at some time.

“KA” and “KB” Mossies…argh…those were Downsview-built B.25/FB.26/T.27s.

AT,

Many thanks. Will look up the article/s in question.

Regards,

Jan

Sorry Jan, don’t have the serial but it is known, I believe. Might be in Roy Bonser’s articles in Flypast about five years ago but I don’t have copies to hand.

Moggy,

Sorry to hear about you memories of the scrapyard at Kirkby.

There’s nothing in the Scrapyard Thread, apart from Post 723, which partly concerns Blackburn B.2 G-ACBH, which for a time was on show at East Kirkby. I didn’t post in that thread, as it is a specific request.

Atcham Tower,

Thanks. Do you have any further details about the ATC Squadron Martinet?

Incidentally, the last airworthy Martinet was s/n 145 of the Irish Air Corps, which was wfu on 23 December 1958, and then becoming a ground instructional airframe.

Regards,

Jan

Could have been the one from the ATC squadron on the SW edge of Chester. This survived until the at least 1954ish when my Dad took me to see it. I cycled out to Kirkby from the Wirral (helped by the ferry boat) on 29 Oct 1960. There were 9 Vampire FB5/9s, but all the good stuff had gone by then. There was however a fence made from Mossie wing sections in the KA and KB serial ranges!

It was so frustrating, I grew up in Liverpool, and round about 1960 I was deeply interested in aircraft and was talking to a relative. They said “Yes, there’s a scrapyard full of Spitfires quite near us”. This was Kirkby.

On a family visit I persuaded him to take me, but he was only about 8 and somehow we never found it.

How I wish we had.

Anybody have any more info on the yard and its history. And you can all berate me, but I haven’t checked the lengthy ‘scrapyard’ thread. (At work, pushed for time, my excuse)

Moggy