“Ahhhh yes (the ACE Connies and DC4s) I remember them well”

Are you sure about the date though? The presence of so many people (and the tents at the rear) suggest the photo was taken during the Coventry Air Pageant. That was held, in 1967, on 12th August.

This was only a few weeks after the formation of the Midland A.P.S. (now MAM) in Coventry and we could only afford the £10 to exhibit at the air pageant by sharing a stand with the Northern A.P.S. The MAPS were loaned one of Tony Tipper’s Ansons to have on static display and we raised funds with both a “Guess the hours flown” (by the Anson) competition (prize for the nearest was a free flight – probably in John Coggin’s Prentice?) and by charging to go in the Anson.

It was very sad to be around and see the ACE fleet languishing – one of the Connies was destroyed by an arson attack – and, mostly, cut up by the scrapman.

Roger Smith.

Sten gun friendly fire?

Enjoyable programme – enthusiastic presenter/archaeologist.

The ‘mighty’ sten gun – do me a favour 😮 😮 😮
Hindsight of many sources I’ve met & read, thought they were crap.
Ain’t that why we dropped them on the French – (jam, jam & jam again). 😀

My 2nd ATC annual camp was to Waddington in 1963 and during the course of the week had a session at the firing butts. Weapons were were able to try included the sten gun.

We were warned that as it fired the sten pulled upwards and to the right. The butts were near the end of the runway which was also to our right. As I took my turn and pulled the trigger I watched, fascinated as the spurts in the bank of the butts moved up and to the right and over the top – just as a Vulcan was passing about to touch down! I often wonder about “friendly fire”

Roger Smith.

JAGx204 posted this on another forum a couple of days ago – hope he doesn’t mind me transferring it.

“Barry, last time I looked WF408 was still at Sabrewatch headquarters East Grinstead, although I believe they are looking to dispose of it, preferably to a good home.”

Roger Smith

…are Magnavon bucking bars???

HP

He was just waiting for someone to ask that 😀

Roger Smith

PS I don’t know either

Somewhat at odds with the thread title I know but I believe the biggest single factor in our winning the Battle of Britain was the English Channel.

Were Britain attached to mainland Europe the Wermacht and Luftwaffe would probably have just kept going and German conquest almost inevitable.

Mention has been made of the range of the Me.109 and the fact that He 111, Ju 88, etc were not good strategic bombers. Radar, as important as it was, would have been less so were it not for the Channel. I rest my case.

Roger Smith.

Have a friend with a similar problem. He has been attending the PFA Rally every year (all three days) for donkeys- It’s the same weekend in July each year. He had already got his foreign holiday in August booked when the PFA announced they were moving dates this year – to August, clashing with his hols.

He’s gutted.

Roger Smith.

Is it hoped to restore the cockpits and, maybe, let visitors in them again? We used to let people in for a while after it first arrived but nowadays there might be H&S issues walking up the wingroot?

Roger Smith.