XV806 is the lead aircraft (coded ‘CH’) in this well known photograph. Can anybody confirm my hunch/recollection that the feature in the background is Colditz castle ?

I rather doubt it, as at the time ‘806 would have been around in that form, Colditz was way behind the Inner German Border. See Wiki for a Lat/Long (usual Wiki caveats apply). Unless, of course, someone from Gutersloh flew a five-ship sortie across the ADIZ and nobody noticed. The castle appears to stand by a lake – possibly Schloss Waldeck?

This Remembrance Day, I will be marching with my comrades from the Army Air Corps at The Cenotaph, before driving up to Aberdeen for work.

At the 11th hour on the 11th of November, I will offer up a silent prayer for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, regardless of their Service, nor of their nationality.

According to this ORBAT a number of Light and Heavy Anti aircraft units, as well as a battery of Field artillery took part in the Norwegian campaign.

Given the fact that the Matador started entering service in 1939 as a Medium Artillery Tractor, it is possible that these units may have operated Matadors at the time of the campaign. I’ll enquire on another forum to see if this was indeed the case.

24/07/1953 aged 14 years and 10 days as an ATC Cadet RAF Lyneham Hastings TG530 2 hours on a Cross Country

Oddly enough, ISTR getting the chance of a x-country in ‘530 about 20 years later, on Summer Camp.

It went ****-up on start.

First flight would have been a Chippy, out of Church Fenton. Later went on to get 40 hrs on Chippies on my aeroplane-drivers course.

How big is a nimrod?

Id imagine victor/comet size??

About Comet-size, roughly. Perhaps a metre or two longer, depending on what the previous user leaves in place.;)

While we’re on the subject of Air Ministry marked items, would anyone know if it possible to obtain one of the old white porcelain AM 1 pint mugs?

I found a box-full a long time ago, but the one I liberated went the same way as Dad’s whistle.:mad:

Interesting item. My father had one of those issued to him as an RAF Policeman in the early 1950s, which he continued to carry when he joined the Hull City Police on demob.

I wore it on my ATC battledress as a cadet in the 70s. Wish I knew what my little brother did with it when I joined the Army.:(