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Tom_W

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March 23, 2008 at 2:55 pm in reply to: Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged) #1237771

Tom_W
Participant

Thanks guys, for those of you who will be in the UK this year she will be paired with R4118 for a number of shows we hope.

Tom

March 22, 2008 at 10:29 pm in reply to: Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged) #1238240

Tom_W
Participant

Roxeth, from reading the 57 O.T.U. ORB it seems that the whole period from September 1941 to April ’42 was terrible for weather, none more so than on ‘Black Friday’ early December ’41 when they lost seven aircraft after a sudden snowstorm hit the area before the controller could get everybody down.

Andy, unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of another set of cowls though even if we did she’s in the earlier scheme which would require replacement of the Dark Earth with Ocean Grey, needless to say the painter wouldn’t be chuffed if we started messing with ‘his paint’ 😉

As for parts replacement – original spars, we found doodles on them when we removed the skins on one, seems that the factory/repair unit workers had some time on their hands!

Skins, while some were replaced we still retained more than 50% all round I should think.

Parts-wise what was missing from ‘factory-fresh’ condition was acquired/fabricated and incorporated, very few original parts had to be replaced though apart from the canopy and screen which were the main items.

Tom

March 22, 2008 at 7:07 pm in reply to: Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged) #1238325

Tom_W
Participant

Herself and sister-ship AR212 were both used to simulate enemy aircraft as ‘jump planes’, hence their gaudily painted noses.

Tom

P.S. Roxeth, nice representation, and you got the weather right too, grey skies!

March 21, 2008 at 5:58 pm in reply to: Battle of Britain Surviving Aircraft #1239070

Tom_W
Participant

I wouldn’t say so. The general consensus is that the Battle went from 10th July to 31st October 1940. OK, she did sit out quite a large chunk of it, but she did a wee bit….

Seconded Daz, even if she did sit out all of August 1940 at the repair unit she was in Squadron service in July and September so YES she is a B of B survivor, ok R4118 saw more fighting than most but be it one mission patrolling a convoy off the North Sea or on the other hand battling with the Luftwaffe over Southern England they both ‘did their bit’ for the cause. Put it on the list!

Tom

P.S. Smudge, very interested to hear of the MKI nose section’s past, thanks for sharing 🙂

March 19, 2008 at 8:13 pm in reply to: Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged) #1239813

Tom_W
Participant

Hello folks,

She flew a sortie yesterday and today for air-to-airs for a forthcoming book to be launched at Legends, we hope. All went well and you should be seeing her on the ‘circuit’ this season in her new/old colours.

Tom

March 16, 2008 at 8:42 pm in reply to: WW2 bombs found at Kesgrave #1241277

Tom_W
Participant

My Sis was talking to one of the farmers near Old Buckenham recently and he was saying that lots of unfused bombs went awol from the lorries into roadside ditches etc on the way from the railway station to the airfield. They reported each one to the authorities but most of the time they were forgotten about until re-discovered years later so don’t go jumping in any roadside ditches 😉

Tom

March 9, 2008 at 2:45 pm in reply to: Info required on L Philpott – RAF #1244672

Tom_W
Participant

Hello Martin,

That was one of the refs I’d found too thanks but I can’t see it as being ‘our man’ as I doubt that Bader spent much time at either Wick or Bircham Newton though I suppose the latter isn’t far from Coltishall but it’s a bit of a stretch to say that he served with Bader methinks.

Tom

March 8, 2008 at 11:26 pm in reply to: Top scoring Battle-of-Britain aces #1244989

Tom_W
Participant

Excellent, thanks Firebird, another ‘problem area’ cleared up for me 🙂

Regards Tom

March 5, 2008 at 2:00 pm in reply to: TFC's Spit XVIII #1248031

Tom_W
Participant

For further info see this issue of WD:

http://www.warbirddigest.com/backissues/1707.htm

Tom

March 4, 2008 at 10:18 pm in reply to: Yak 11 (C.11) colour schemes #1248483

Tom_W
Participant

There’s a few interesting East-German schemes on the Wings Palette site here:

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/o/8/5/0

…particularly the all red scheme

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/o/8/5/0/2

:diablo:

Tom

March 1, 2008 at 10:42 pm in reply to: Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged) #1251508

Tom_W
Participant

Hello everyone

Thought a couple of pics of the old girl in her ‘new’ colours might be of interest.

Tom

February 28, 2008 at 11:29 pm in reply to: USAAF C-47 Crash Near Brighton #1253677

Tom_W
Participant

Hello AA,

It was flying back to Chateaudun from Greenham Common with mostly 92nd Sqn personnel returning from leave though there were two French passengers and a Staff member of IX AF Troop Carrier Command (TCC).

TCC procedures called for low altitude flying sometimes and as Andy said, in the report there was a theory that updraughts/downdraughts may have attributed to the crash as they were an experienced crew.

I have read more on this somewhere, it’s just a matter of remembering where and hopefully I can tell you more.

Tom

February 28, 2008 at 8:59 pm in reply to: USAAF C-47 Crash Near Brighton #1253797

Tom_W
Participant

Hello AA,

Included below is a copy of text from the 92nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th TCG Unit History, I hope it helps somewhat.

1. Organisation … No changes
2. Strength ……… As of November 30th 1944
Officers … 125
E.M …….. 261 and 3 E.M. attached.

3. On November 6th the 92nd Troop Carrier Squadron left A45 and moved to A-39. The move which took about a week was accomplished by air and by motor convoy.
4. On the 19th of November 1944, Aircraft 43-15046 crashed on a hillside in England. The ship was coming back to A39carrying military personnel back from leaves. In the accident twenty-three (23) of our own squadron personnel perished and four (4) were injured. One Frenchman was killed and one injured and a Group Headquarters man was also killed in the crash. The disaster was investigated and it appears that the aircraft was flying at a minimum altitude with minimum visibility and that in attempting to descend after clearing a 645ft hill the aircraft was probably forced into the ground by the turbulent weather. The clearance showed that the aircraft had 30 personnel aboard including crew, 13 type B-4 bags and all personal equipment. Aircraft was not believed overloaded. List of men killed is included in history. Men of the squadron who were hospitalised:

Walter J. James, T/Sgt, 14163559 Severe burns
Bryce D. Hacking, Sgt, 39910905 Burns, Other injuries
Orazio R. Toglia, Sgt, 32864198 “ “ “
Eric Ackerman, Cpl, 32997325 “ “ “

5. Awards and Decorations:
The Purple Heart to:
F/O Robert E. Spivey – T674
* * * * *
Awards of the Bronze Star Medal:
Max F. Alters, 1st Lt., 0-864273
Herbert B. Bailey, Jr., 2nd Lt., 0-402350
William K.Bulmer, Ex-1st/Sgt – 32472843
William A. Heinz, M/Sgt, 32141718
Leo M. Thielmier, T/Sgt, 18165916
Bernard Danker, S/Sgt, 33064393
Frank M. Klunder, S/Sgt, 32316141
* * * * *
Bronze Battle Star for the ETO Ribbon
(Not mentioned in previous histories)

92nd Squadron Personnel
Killed in Air Crash of ship 43-15046, 19th Nov, 1944.

1st Lt., Roy L. Gritz Pilot
1st Lt., Donald O. Reid Pilot
1st Lt., Stanley E. Lis Navigator
2nd Lt., Russell W. Barron Pilot

T/Sgt. John H. Young Crew Chief
T/Sgt. Howard F. White Crew Chief

S/Sgt. Donald S. Horstick Glider Mechanic
S/Sgt. James H. Holley Instrument Specialist
S/Sgt. Arthur M. Hackett Crew Chief

Sgt. Barbato C. D’Andrea Cook
Sgt. Joseph H. Alba Engineer
Sgt. Jake E. Hesser Glider Mechanic
Sgt. Felix R. Sobkowiak Baker
Sgt. William Hickson Engineer
Sgt. Sherman W. Miller Glider Mechanic
Sgt. Harold F. Mills Glider Mechanic

Cpl. Richard M. Jones Transportation Dispatcher
Cpl. Paul A. Kokko Engineer

Pfc. Charles W. Evanick Engineer
Pfc. Byron G. Peacock Refuelling Unit
Pvt. Roland P. LaRiviere Transportation
Pvt. Frank R. Mixner Engineer

HISTORY OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

The month of November 1944 was a tragic one for the 439th Troop Carrier Squadron. On the 19th of the month the airplane piloted by Lt. Reid and Barron crashed near Brighton, England, while returning to A-39 with 27 members of the involved and 3 other passengers. Twenty-three of the twenty-five killed were of our personnel and also four of the five injured, it was the worst disaster in the history of the organisation.

Russ Barron was the pilot of ‘our’ C-47 43-15211 (N1944A) when she was ferried across the Atlantic in March 1944, before it became the mount of 92nd Sqn C.O. Maj. Cecil Petty.

I have some further details if you like.

Regards Tom

February 23, 2008 at 2:16 pm in reply to: YAK 3 FOR SALE #1259498

Tom_W
Participant

This is one of the Jean Garric machines built in Texas:

http://francewarbirds.free.fr/en/yak3s.html

Therefore it rules out the examples that were at Duxford, OFMC’s went to New Zealand some time ago and is now based at Wanaka IIRC, TFC’s went to the US, I recall, as part of the Razorback P-47 deal.

From the ‘location’ given in the ad it seems as if this machine is still located in the US.

Tom

February 21, 2008 at 12:05 am in reply to: Trying to find details about ? F/O Phil Leckrone #1262474

Tom_W
Participant

Hope this helps. Taken from the Tony Holmes ‘American Eagles’ publication by Classic Publications:

‘Leckrone missed out on seeing combat with 616 sqn by a matter of days although he participated in a number of ‘Big Wing’ sorties during late september’.

also…

‘During formation practice on the 5th Jan 1941, ‘Zeke’ Leckrone Hurricane was struck by Edwin ‘Bud’ Orbison’s fighter at an altitude of 20000ft, and although the latter pilot managed to land back at Kirton, Leckrone failed to bail out of his stricken fighter.

I highly recommend this publication as it is a superb reference for this subject.

Regards Tom
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