Some pictures my Grandfather gave me (warning large pics).

At last I can see them all. Fantastic stuff. The Armstrong Whitworth Atlas wreckage is rather interesting.

Anne

^I reposted them on a different host server.

Paul Rix original photos – The hand of God

Looks like your PC is editing what you can see again Mark!

JDK,

Today the first batch have mysteriously appeared. 🙂

Mark

Thanks also to Arm Waver and JDK… fascinating info indeed.

RAF Bicester has quite a lot of meaning to my family. It is where my Grandfather met my Grandmother. She worked in the NAAFI at Bicester.

The only thing I can make out on the tail is the letter J.

Thanks for the info. I guess the fact that they are part of the first production batch makes this photo rather unique. I wonder if there are any others out there?

These Harts are part of the first production batch of 15 (J9933-J9947), of which nearly all served with 33Sqn; the exceptions being J9933, which served with the manufacturers in several different trials, and J9947, which went out to 39Sqn at Raisalpur for tropical trials against its Wapiti IIAs.
J9939 – 33Sqn 5/3/30 – 10/31; to 51Sqn
J9936 – 33Sqn 27/2/30 – 10/31; to 57Sqn
J9934 – 33Sqn 15/3/30; with 18Sqn 9/11/31;
J9946 – 33Sqn 8/5/30 (was fitted with a DC conversion set for trials, authorised 13/3/30); to MKRS 19/6/30 for Brussels meeting, then to 33Sqn 13/9/30; MKRS for demonstration purposes 19/9/30; eventually to 18Sqn 29/10/31

Info (again!) from Air Britains The J File.

I have lightened up your Vimy picture but, although I can see that there is a number on the rudder, it is still unidentifiable.

Flood.™

Lets try the ImageBucket server.

The pictures are reduced in size on this server, so some quality is lost I am afraid.

The registration numbers on the Hinds are (from the front):
J9939
J9936
J9934
J9946
J994?

the far two are unreadable I am afraid.

hmm seems like the image host server is down. I can’t see them either. Maybe they will come back online later.

Just got this in re-Bicester…

“WINDRUSHERS GLIDING CLUB

PRESS RELEASE

2nd Jun 2004

Dear Sir or Madam,

Windrushers Gliding Club is pleased to announce that terms have been agreed with ATIS REAL Weatheralls, agents acting for Defence Estates, for a 3 year lease of Bicester Airfield, which remains Ministry of Defence property.

Windrushers Gliding Club was originally formed in 1958 at RAF Little Rissington and then moved to RAF Bicester before co-locating with the Royal Air Force Gliding and Soaring Association Centre that was created at Bicester in 1963.

After 41 years at Bicester the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association is moving its operation to RAF Halton near Aylesbury in June 2004.

RAF Bicester is deemed to be of historical importance by English Heritage as it comprises the best-preserved and most strongly representative of the bomber stations built as part of Sir Hugh Trenchard`s 1920s Home Defence Expansion Scheme. The late Lord Trenchard was one of the founders of the Royal Air Force.

Windrushers Gliding Club has been re-formed as a civilian club and will be open at Bicester Airfield from 1 July 2004.

Our aim is to continue a gliding operation at Bicester and to promote the sport of gliding within the Cherwell District community.

Further information via [email]enquiries@windrushers.org.uk[/email] or call in at Bicester airfield just off the Buckingham Road at any time after 1 July and follow the written instructions that will be displayed at the gate off Skimmingdish Lane.

Ron Smith
Communications Officer
Windrushers Gliding Club”

Nice to see our history saved for a bit longer…
OAW

JDK you can just make out the line of the railway on the new map.
The road along the southern edge has been altered again since the photo was taken cutting into the edge of the airfield boundary a bit more…
The airfield I think is initially to be leased out and some VERY concertive efforts are being made to keep some sort of flying there.
I used to work in the H shaped building in the middle of the left hand side (not airfield).
OAW

Sorry Paul, my computer just tells me the I have typed the address in incorrectly or the page has been deleted.

Flood.™

Hi Paul,
It’s amazing what can be found out. Here’s a shot (from www.multimap.com) of Bicester today. As you can see, it’s changed a bit, but the pattern in your photos is still discernable. It’s worth noting that as well as all the new houses (Bicester is the UK’s fastest growing town) the road on the South side of the airfield has been moved and enlarged, and the railway in the original pics is no longer there.

I had a tour of the Domestic quarters last SAeptember – very interesting. Bicester airfield (not the domestic area) is for sale…

Mark – I can’t see the pics either now – think Paul’s taken them down, or ‘dun a Robbo’!

Cheers

Great pictures!

I love seeing rare photos, and stuff you don’t normally get to see.

Thanks for the pic Flood. I have to say I have never seen a picture of a Hawsly other than the wrecked one above.

I rescanned the Vimy (if that is what it is) at a much higher resolution and it came out much better. I also put the image through a couple of filters in Paintshop Pro and the results were pretty good.

http://www.uploadimages.net/images/818305vimy2.jpg

I also found another picture that I overlooked. More Hinds I think.

http://www.uploadimages.net/images/783603hawkerhinds.jpg

The pictures are rather large so I just posted the links to prevent the thread from getting too bogged down.

Incidentally, this is a Horsley –

(Just so you know what it would have looked like when not nose-down…)

Flood.™

No problem – would be interested if any other registrations are visible on the other pix; if they can be made out on the originals then just put them up. It would help to be able to pin the prints down to an approximate date. Plus (of course) if there are any markings visible on the original print of that Vimy (I am not sure that it is – it does look like one – but I would be happier saying it is with the registration known!).
Just like to know things, thats all!

Flood.™

Many thanks Flood! You are quite a detective! I didn’t expect to learn so much about the photo’s when I posted them (I just thought people here would find them interesting). I wish I had some more but unfortunately those above are all I have. Thanks for taking the time to do the research.

I gladly admit to being a boring bookworm – with only Ryanair 4 flights a day visible in the far distance from my balcony, what else can I do to get my aviation fixes?! Apart of course from devouring the Forum!

I took a closer look at the 1st photograph. My grandfater has written on the back “Hawker Hawsly Weston Zoyland Somerset” Tail number is K(I think)8004.

K8004 was a Gladiator delivered to 72Sqn 6/8/37 – a bit late given the info you’ve told us about your grandfather.
J8004 was a Horsley MkII, and was with HAD (Home Aircraft Depot – a storage unit or something?) 3/27, possibly at RAF Henlow, then 100Sqn 4-5/27, HAD 6/27, 100Sqn 5/28, and NFF (Night Flying Flight – probably at RAF Biggin Hill, which looks like it was a unit assisting anti-aircraft batterys with their training, amongst other things) 4/29. Then nothing else in Air Britains The J File.
BUT…The NFF held practise camps at Weston Zoyland – Air Britains RAF Flying Training and Support Units gives the dates for the summer camp as being between 25/5/29 and 8/9/29 – so maybe this was an incident that occured there?
Interesting.

Of course all this info sounds so anal and probably makes me appear to be a boring bookworm PLEASE DON’T ANSWER THAT!

Flood.™

Mark,
I’d guess your ISP is short changing you on service…

But that’s a guess!