Originally posted by R J A Taylor
I’m still recovering from the news (and the fantastic photos that have been posted) of the wonderful ‘post restoration’ flights of this beautiful aircraft, so I’m finding it difficult to dwell on the past, but for accuracy and completion I have to clarify a few points and dates.
In Mark 12’s previous posting he listed significant dates in the history of VP441, but I have to make a few corrections :-
(1) Arrival at Lavenham Airfield on 20th July 1969:
VP441 arrived at Lavenham Airfield (Alpheton, Suffolk) at 12.30hrs. on Sunday 20th July 1969 (not 1968) in a dismantled state, on a Royal Navy ‘Queen Mary’ low-loader trailer after its long road journey from RNAS Culdrose.
The RN crew remained ‘local’ (literally – “Rose and Crown”, Bridge Street – to those who know the area!) overnight and during Monday 21st July greatly assisted in the reassembly of the aircraft (in the open air) on the site of one of the former WWII (487th Bombardment Group USAAF) airfield’s dispersal hardstands (alongside the Lancaster NX611 (then christened “Guy Gibson” and coded HA-P) and the (still) dismantled Canadair F86 Sabre (G-ATBF / Italian AF 19607 etc.)
(2) Arrival at RAF Hullavington (Hangar Building No. 85) on 25th January 1970:
VP441 (once again in dismantled state) was loaded on to a flat-back lorry at Lavenham Airfield on Saturday 24th January 1970 in readiness for its overnight transportation by road to RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire (some 6 miles north of the town of Chippenham). The aircraft safely arrived at Hangar Building No. 85 , RAF Hullavington, just before midday on Sunday 25th January 1970, and by 22.00hrs that night was once again reassembled, wings attached and standing on her undercarriage.
(3) Arrival at Blackpool Airport (Squires Gate) on Thursday 25th June 1970:
On Wednesday 24th June 1970, with the invaluable assistance of 2 RAF personnel from nearby RAF Lyneham, together with a number of Reflectaire staff (myself included !) and dedicated ‘museum’ volunteers, VP441 was dismantled (again) under extremely difficult conditions as I recall. By late that evening the aircraft had been successfully loaded on to the flat-back lorry that was to transport it by road to Blackpool.
The aircraft (together with the dismantled Sabre jet and other musem items) made its journey northbound during the early hours of Thursday 25th June 1970, finally arriving at Blackpool (Squires Gate) Airport during that morning. This was a full 24 hours prior to the historic arrival of Lancaster NX611 by air at Squires Gate on Friday 26th June 1970.
(4) Reflectaire Limited – In Liquidation (1972) :
The sale of VP441 was conducted by the official liquidator (Messrs. Bernard Phillips & Co. – London), separately from that of the majority of the assets of Reflectaire which eventually featured in the auction on Saturday 29th April 1972. This took place on the airfield (Squires Gate) and was conducted by Messrs. Henry Spencer & Sons of Retford, Nottinghamshire.
THIS IS WHERE MY PERSONAL RECORDS GET SOMEWHAT CONFUSED !
During February and March 1970 the Reflectaire Liquidator received various ‘offers’ for the purchase of VP441, prior to auction. Messrs. Bernard Phillips received at least two (serious) enquiries and a number of bids. One of these was perportedly identified as being from a Mr. Cameron Miller on behalf of the USA based ‘Confederate Air Force’ (as then known). The other enquiry, said to be from a Mr. Morris, lead apparently to a firm bid of £4,500 being made for VP441.
This is where the confusion sets in !! I was later advised by the Liquidator that the offer of £4,500 had been formally accepted, but a short while after this I was told that the ‘purchaser of VP441’ was indeed a Mr. T. O’Farrell (of London). To date I have been unable to get confirmation as to who actually purchased this Seafire and when she actually left Squires Gate and arrived at Booker.
IN LIGHT OF THIS CONFUSION CAN ANYONE ON THIS FORUM SHED ANY LIGHT AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO VP441 WHEN SHE WAS SOLD BY THE LIQUIDATOR OF ‘REFLECTAIRE LTD’.
On a slightly different note, ‘Mark 12’ has commented on an earlier posting that the cockpit canopy which used to be “fitted” to VP441 was purchased from the 1972 Blackpool auction by a Seafire 46 owner and that it has since been renovated and now fits the Mk.46 perfectly. Can anyone (Mark….?) give any more info as to the person who bought it and the identity of the aircraft it now adorns?
QUITE A LENGTHY POSTING THIS, BUT I HOPE I’VE CLEARED UP A FEW POINTS – I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP WITH MY ONGOING QUESTIONS. I’D BE REALLY GRATEFUL………………..
I would like to ask when did it leave the UK and made its way to Texas? I first saw it in San Marcos, Texas around 1973-74 w/John Stokes and later in San Antonio, Texas w/ Ed Messick.
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