The Hendon Lancaster

An afterthought on the repair, the IBCC digital archive has the log of repaired Lancasters flown out of the Langar facility. It lists S for Sugar being flown back to 467 at Waddington on the 3rd December 1944. It is my understanding that  efforts were made to keep special airframes together.

Just to add there are two pictures of R5868 at Waddington during the late 1944 RIW rebuild in the latest edition of Norman Frank’s “Ton- up Lancs” One shows the airframe minus engines and nose section, on jacks and trolley, the other shows the nose resting on the ground nearby. The nose was transported to Bracebridge Heath where two images were taken showing the visit of Sir Stafford Cripps, Minister of Aircraft Production with Avro directors on September 11th 1944.

A wonderful update Martin, I never knew about the previous two pieces of artwork applied and how nice to see the recreations on the panels.

I would love to see PA474 in S Sugar colours one day.

Thank you for a great informative  update.

Hi just to continue this old thread on Lancaster PO-S Sugar and specifically her former nose arts I am attaching a photo of two nose arts that I had specially done to recreate Sugars two nose arts that used to be on the aircraft before her final nose art was applied.

The first art added was while she served on 83 Squadron at RAF Scampton this art depicted a Red Devil thumbing his nose and dancing in flames with the motto “devils of the air” underneath, when she transferred to 467 Squadron my late Father Ted Willoughby was the Airman tasked with receiving her from the ferry pilot and she still had the initial nose art on at that time, the second nose art was a naked lady holding and about to drop a bomb this was painted out as her tally built up and she approached the 100 op mark then the new art was a bomb for each op with the famous No enemy plane will fly over the reich territory Herman Goering quote this was applied by my Father he spelt Herman wrong it should have had two N’s (Hermann) the nose arts I recreated were painted on original Lancaster under wing panels and are currently in storage. I have attached a picture of them the artwork was recreated from original wartime photographs.

Regards Martin Willoughby

Always great to see family members pop up and tell the correct history. Thanks for sharing mate.

While building my Sugar cockpit currently on loan to Avro Heritage, I was busily engaged collecting numerous Lancaster related components from all over the world, there are many items amongst which was 4 under wing panels in good condition, I restored two of them and in order to tell Sugars history, I did this by recreating the two former nose arts displayed on R5868 at different times of her career on the panels, I have displayed them before alongside my Sugar Cockpit this way people can see all of her art work in the flesh so to speak, her first nose art was applied while Sugar served on 83Sqn this was a red devil Mestophelise to whom Faust sold his soul in German legend thumbing his nose and dancing in flames with the motto “Devils of the Air” beneath him – the second Nose art was a Naked Lady holding and about to drop a Bomb and her final nose art was applied throughout the rest of her service altered every time she completed a sortie with another bomb, by the way when my Dad stenciled on the “No Enemy Plane Will Fly Over the Reich Territory” Signed Herman Goering he spelt Herman wrong it should have been spelt Hermann with two letter N’s a spelling mistake that remains to this day!

This was my last visit to Hendon (poor old W1048) Cees

????…….

Martin,

Thanks for an update on your fathers involvement with, and efforts to ensure S for Sugar was preserved within the RAF Museum, as someone else pointed out, he is also indirectly responsible for the UK still having a flying Lancaster in the BBMF.

Well done for your own efforts to create a hands on interactive in the form of your S for Sugar replica cockpit.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

I visited Hendon last sunday, very fittingly the 100th birthday of the RAF. Unfortunately it was difficult to get near the Lanc, not only the tail is up in the air but there was a presentation going on beside it where dozens of people where sitting and getting close to it was impossible. Not a very fitting way to display such an historic airframe. The overall feel of the museum was doom and gloom by the way.
This was my last visit to Hendon (poor old W1048):D
Cees

Its sad that the UK had such a hard post war recovery that a few more RAF Heavies including Lancasters, Halifaxes and Stirlings could not be found good homes.

The US also melted down almost all historical wartime aircraft.

Almost as bad as UK.

I think Norway did any effort, but then lost most due to hangar collapse after heavy snow (I was told).

Maple in the book Ton Up Lancs there are the two images of the two previous nose arts applied to her.

Both the nude lady and the devil.

Martin thank you for the information.

Martin, a big thank you for your post and insight into S for Sugars history.
A big hats off to your father for saving S4S as he is now probably responsible that PA474 still delights us all to this day as a fitting memorial.
Be great for S return to the skies and make it 3 in the UK, I can dream,

Has anyone got a photo of Sugar when she had the uncensored nose-art, just for historic research you understand……

Just to add one more point Sugar was always kept in immaculate condition I have many wartime photos that Back this up so her current display condition is not that far off the mark the only exception might be lead staining over the wings from the exhaust gases.

Martin Willoughby

This is an old thread so not sure if anyone will read this but the airman that painted on the “No Enemy Plane Will Fly Over the Reich Territory” Quote was my late Father Ted Willoughby he also came up with the idea for it from a cartoon in a Readers Digest at the time, my Dad was Sugars wartime ground engineer he was also responsible for saving Sugar as he campaigned to have her placed in the RAF Museum and met some resistance as PA474 the BBMF Lanc was earmarked for the museum, my Dad got his way by pointing out its overwealming historical value over PA474 which saw no active service, by contrast Sugar was the first allied bomber to reach 100 ops and completed a staggering 137 ops, my Dad is the airman in the wartime photo chalking 100 not out on the cookie 4000lb Bomb in front of Sugar. He restored Sugar with his own money which for the record was completely gutted inside so none of the instrumentation and equipment inside Sugar is original however the Airframe is my Dad was always frustrated by people trying to say that the airframe was not original it’s was however overhauled the engines where changed, Sugar had three nose arts during her career the Red Devil while on 83sqn followed by the naked lady when she joined 467 Sqn and finally her current nose art which is accurate as per When she completed her service. I was with my dad throughout her restoration from the late 60s to the late 70s. Hope this insight helps clear up some questions. By the way I built another Sugar forward fuselage as a tribute to my fathers work you can see this airframe at AvroHeritage and go onboard it for a small fee which helps to sustain it. That’s all for now!
Martin Willoughby

What would be amusing is if we could go back in time, steal a war weary Lancaster and place it at Hendon.
Then all you would hear as people passed by would be “look at the state of that!”
I’m sure a true war weary aircraft would look a bit of a state.

I went to Hendon many years ago and got a copy of the booklet ‘A Very Special Lancaster’ from memory (as it went missing!) the man that painted the ‘NO ENEMY AIRCRAFT. . .’ on it when it was with 467 helped in it’s restoration before going to Hendon, wonder if he painted the second one on? .

I turned to my right and took my copy from the bookshelf, the airman was LAC E.Willoughby.

It’s an interesting little booklet (I picked mine up for pennies at a jumble sale) – has details of all of her missions (not the detail in the current RAFM History though!), and also reveals that she went for a full overhaul from 3/8/44 to 17/11/44. Also has a pic of her stripped back to the metal in the early 70s. The profile drawings of her as ‘Q’ and ‘S’ acknowledge the fuselage window difference.

Just in case there is any doubt – having an original ton up lancaster – anywhere – especially at Hendon is wonderful! That is not in doubt in any way.

It is very emotive to see a genuine ton up Lanc at Hendon…… I’ve often wondered why Friday 13th was reduced to pots and pans….. For the sake of future generations what a sight it would have been a Ton up Lanc and Halibag side by side. But I guess we’ll never know.

It’s the jewell in Hendons crown IMHO and looks very emotive in the entrance the to Bomber Command hall.

I agree, though it would be even better if one could see it through the gloom and the tail wheel was on the ground! Incidentally, I was reading the other day about how the only way bouncing bombs could be loaded was by jacking up the tail.

Just in case there is any doubt – having an original ton up lancaster – anywhere – especially at Hendon is wonderful! That is not in doubt in any way.

In response to the original request as to whether it was preserved exactly as in service – I only wanted to point out that its nose art was repainted three times in service and at least twice since it is retired.

Sorry for being pedantic!

Attached a pic of the lady herself at Hendon