‘Avro Anson Mk 1
Built at the Avro factory at Newton Heath, Manchester and taken on charge by the Royal Air Force on Nov 17, 1938. It was delivered to 26 M.U. Lowley on December 2nd for ferry work, and transferred to No. 2 Ferry Pilots’ Pool at Filton on February 4, 1939. With the formation of the Air Transport Auxiliary, it was transferred to their No.3 F.P.P. at White Waltham on May 2, 1940 and remained there when the unit was renumbered as No. 1 F.P.P. in November. A flying accident on March 19, 1941 necessitated repairs by Marshall’s Flying School, Cambridge, and the Anson returned to White Waltham on Jan 4, 1942, where it remained for the rest of the war with the A.T.A. In Sept 1945 it was given a major inspection by Western Airways at Weston, and then delivered to the Station Flight at Watchfield on April 5, 1946. Another accident on May 8, 1947 caused its transfer to 48 M.U. Hawarden, whence it was removed for repair by the manufacturers in Feb 1948. On Oct 13, it was delivered to 23 M.U. Aldergrove, and on March 16, 1949 it returned to Watchfield again. On March 14, 1950 it was flown to 5 M.U. at Kemble for disposal, and the Air Navigation & Trading Co. Ltd bought it in July 1950. They registered the aircraft as G-AMDA and flew it to Squires Gate. It was issued a Certificate of Airworthiness on Oct 14, 1953. In Aug 1955, it was sold to Derby Aviation Ltd for magnetic survey work under contract to the Nuffield Foundation, in association with Canadian Aero Service Ltd. After conversion at Burnaston, it was used for towing an aerial magnetometer ‘bird’, with special recording gear installed in the cabin. This work continued at intervals until the end of 1961, when it was transferred to the London School of Flying at Elstree for general pilot training and twin conversion work, which continued until the C. of A. expired in Dec 1962. On August 31, 1963 it was flown to Skyfame Ltd Staverton on a special permit. There it was repainted in R.A.F. markings of the early war period, with the code letters VX-F. This code group was issued in 1940 to No. 206 (G.R.) Squadron of Coastal Command.’
http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=GET_RECORD&XC=/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll&BU=&TN=uncat&SN=AUTO19680&SE=955&RN=49&MR=1000&TR=0&TX=1000&ES=0&CS=0&XP=&RF=ThemedResults&EF=&DF=ThemedDetailed&RL=0&EL=0&DL=0&NP=1&ID=&MF=&MQ=&TI=0&DT=&ST=0&IR=195578&NR=0&NB=0&SV=0&BG=0&FG=0&QS=
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1062978/
Sign In
