The Old Grey Ladies of Lossiemouth Shackleton video

What nostalgia – best pictures I’ve seen, Al.

Converted at Lossie before BK – happy memories. Of Lobsters too!

The Pacific Islands are more happy memories. I do 3 pointers!!

= Tim

My only Shackleton flight from Kinloss was in WG527 (MOTU “K”) at ATC camp in 1958. I remember it well, and it compared favourably with my Lincoln trips with 7 Sqd at Upwood. I recently found a couple of newspaper photos from that camp. Me in the left seat, and a cadet march-past!

PS: Jim (post 7, above): are you sure yours was 1957, not 1958?

8 Squadron were a very friendly and obliging bunch, and I flew with them a couple of times in the 1980s.
The memories that stick out are of the tiny briefing room, largely taken up by a large wooden box which lit up if there were any ‘purple’ Royal Flights going on anywhere in the country, droning over the North Sea at night, bored slouched aircrew all reading paperbacks, and bulkhead swing doors all swinging in unison up and down the aircraft, and sitting up in the forward nose glazing, heading for the Dutch coast, bomber’s moon, getting a fleeting insight into what it must have been like for real during WW2. Almost had me looking for fighters!

What a pleasant memory.

We, as the Shackleton Association, had just been formed in Oz for only 18 months. For months, Dave Hencken and myself had been working on BAe for recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the first flight of the Shack in 1949.

Dave, eventually told Bae that 5 Shacks of 8 Squadron would be be overflying their birthplace Woodford: and would they like to join in?

The short answer was that Dave invited 3 members of our foundling group to the Squadron Dining in Night at Lossie and advised me to ” bring your DJ”.

Meanwhile – down in Melbourne – I had to contemplate how to get to Manchester and then Lossiemouth. I was advised to get to Manchester and 8 Squadron would get me to Lossie.

When all came together, there were interviews by various TV stations. None of them had read the the brief about the founding of a Shackleton Association; let alone the presence of three members at Manchester and Lossie.

We were flown north to Lossie on that marvellous flight. It was 25 years since my last time. At Lossie we were dined as Guests of Honour of the Squadron by Dave Hencken and 8 Squadron: and I did end up as Dave’s final guest, sharing that bottle of ‘The MaCallan’ until it became almost too late to get that only flight to London.

I am in there – around 24.10 or so – a couple of times. As they say, memories are made of this: and I have so many lovely memories!

Thanks for the repost.

Mo

Those were the ones I flew in as supernumerary crew! The ones with the mid-upper turret! Where I did my Met Obs (when I wasn’t being Galley Slave!).
On one trip I was instructed by this fearsome Flt Sgt Siggie to get rid of the galley gash down the flare chute. Did so (but didn’t put it in a Sick Bag)!! Result: bacon rinds and tea/coffee bits spread over underside of fuselage. On landing, fearsome Flt Sgt Siggie instructed junior Met Airman to thoroughly clean underside on pain of nasty “extra duties”!!!
Some you win, some you lose, and some you gain experience from!!
Resmoroh

Lovely shot thawes, and very touching in light of its tragic fate.

I think the air and ground crews are all quite house proud. A leak is cause for investigation anyway, to find and stop it at source.

Look at some of the early Shackleton MR1 and MR2 with the stub exhausts and you’ll see they can get very dirty

I think the 42 Sqn ground crew gave up on this one that I photographed at the 1954 ROC “Recognition Day” at Biggin Hill.

Sadly this Shackleton Mk2, serial number WL743, of 42 Sqn, St. Eval (Cornwall) went missing on the night of 11th January 1955 and is assumed to have collided with WG531, also from 42 Sqn, south-west of Ireland. It was declared Cat.5 (Missing) the same day. In total eighteen crew died, nine in each aircraft.

I remember the Fortieth Anniversary formation flight well.

I’d heard about in on local news but was at work with no chance of taking time off to get down to Woodford.

Later that day I was out on one of the Council estates in Audenshaw, chatting to the local caretaker, when the formation flew over.

It was a miserable, cloudy and dull day and they were flying pretty low. In the office, in the car or on another part of my patch and I might have heard them, but I doubt I’d have been able to see them.

A fleeting glimpse but a fond memory. Thanks for finding the vid!

I never got the chance to fly in one (doubt I could have pulled that off anyways), but was lucky enough to crawl around inside WL-790 at the CAF 2005 Airshow in Midland, Texas. Got to she her fly too. What a treat!

Won’t soon forget the sound of those Griffons roaring away…

Those are great pictures. I’m hoping Pima get WL790 a little closer to her former glory in the coming months.

I think the air and ground crews are all quite house proud. A leak is cause for investigation anyway, to find and stop it at source.

Look at some of the early Shackleton MR1 and MR2 with the stub exhausts and you’ll see they can get very dirty.

One thing I have noticed in every photo of the Shackletons, including the clip Al put the Link on here, was that the engine covers, exhaust exit pipes were all free from oil.Was the Griffon engine “Drip” proof, as against the Lancs Merlin?.
Just a thought.

Jim.
Lincoln .7

I never got the chance to fly in one (doubt I could have pulled that off anyways), but was lucky enough to crawl around inside WL-790 at the CAF 2005 Airshow in Midland, Texas. Got to she her fly too. What a treat!

Won’t soon forget the sound of those Griffons roaring away…

😎

This would be amazing. It’s about time we had some kind of flying memorial for RAF Coastal Command.

look forward to watchinf this in its entirity. Never did get to see a Shack in the air which is a real shame. Is there anywhere where one can go inside one?

WR963 at Coventry on most Saturdays. As for seeing one in the air, wish us luck as we’re trying to make it happen in the next few years.

What a great piece of film, will we ever see one in the air again ? The sight and sound of a Shackleton once seen and heard never forgotten. Thanks for posting.

“Rolls Royce engines and leather seats” ! Great video of these beautiful old ladies.

Thanks Al, certainly brought back one particular day, 28/9/1957, when I was fortunate to get a flight in WB 830 out of Kinloss. Once flown in, never forgotten.:)

Certainly a “Blast from the past”.
Cheers.

Jim.
Lincoln .7

look forward to watchinf this in its entirity. Never did get to see a Shack in the air which is a real shame. Is there anywhere where one can go inside one?

Al–Thanks.
That was quite wonderful.
Andy