Didn’t T.7 Metes have the original tail unit??.

Great pics DCK.

I remember reading that Ezer was due to appear at a political function some years ago whilst he was President and the question was asked”Will the President be arriving in his black Spitfire?”:D 😀 😀

Miggers

Unless someone has solid evidence that has unaccountably not been reported elsewhere – no, it’s not remotely believeable. Lovely idea, great fun, but when I read Ward’s book some years ago I just took that reference as a broad RN joke. He certainly did not “state” the Polaris thing as Mrs T’s intention…
Sure, Ward’s book is packed with evidence of bitter personality struggles plus inter-service rivalry, but it’s damn good, and (making certain allowances) authoritative too, from an author with a solid background in fixed-wing naval aviation as well as being the RN’s “Mr SHAR” expert. His arguments about the futility of the Vulcan raids – one bomb on the runway itself, one confirmed Shrike hit on Argentine AA radar – ring true. However, I’ve never been able to decide how far to accept the counter view that the raids put the wind up the Junta and made them fear a possible strike on the mainland. As Ward, says, V-bombers attempting to drop free-fall bombs on Argentina wouldn’t last a minute against the Mirage IIIEAs based near BA, and even the crap Matra R530 might have worked against a Vulcan… Which tends to detract from the “Vulcan raids as psy-war” argument, because surely the Junta wouldn’t have been so stupid (though they were deeply stupid in other ways) as to take the Vulcan “threat” seriously. Nevertheless…
That first Blackbuck raid especially was a striking achievement of navigation and accuracy, given the 1950s technology of the aircraft. But I do incline toward Ward’s dismissal of the Vulcan raids as little more than grandstanding. We should have gone down there with an ARM capability on the SHARs, and I’ve always wondered why our special forces couldn’t have done something about the Argies’ very good radar – especially the isolated units on W.Falkland that monitored SHAR threats to incoming raids.
hps

We should have gone down there with a “proper” flat top full of Buccs and’Tooms.

Miggers

Superb Dave.

I’d almost forgotten how good the old soul was.

Many thanks.

Miggers:D

They say that in the Bible there is a passage about the sound of Moses’ Triumph being heard throughout the hills and valleys.

The Lord is a very lucky man having Alex Henshaw,Geoff Quill and Ray Hanna
to help Him get the best out of his Spitfires.

Miggers

Great pics

Grand photos there Fw.

The one of the Rapide taxiing with Carolyn’s Spit landing in the background is a corker.

Very many thanks.

Miggers:D

I think you have to look at the period. My father had just left 42 Sqn when the accident happened and the attitude as I recall was very much one of acceptance. Wartime personnel and to a degree a wartime outlook tended to still be in the Service. In addition the military accident rate was far higher then than would be acceptable these days and attitudes were somewhat different. On the balance of probabilities it was accepted by the majority of those concerned on the board as having most likely have been a collision and that was that.

25deg I would say you’re spot on there.

We only have to look at the “mysterious” dissapearance of the Glenn Miller Norseman.
It was just accepted that a person of his fame and celetbrity status had beome a victim of the conflict.
Over the past few years the facts have largely come to light I know,but at that time it was just simply “accepted”.

Miggers

Good spot NC.

I’ve just clicked on the link and watched the first few minutes.I’t look a very interesting film.

Miggers