222 Meteor

Tom,

No Unit badge.

Repeat code on nose gear door and the intakes trimmed in red.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for all the info and photos, I can make a start now. It should look good on the new Xtrakit F.8.

Yours aye

Tom

222 Sqn ZD-D

Tom,

This Meteor is the Squadron commanders machine.

The serial is VZ495 which I think is an F.8.

Under some pressure, 222 Squadron steadfastly fought to stick with the WWII codes.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the additional info. The CO’s aircraft often had colourful tails on the Meteor. Any idea what this one looked like? Do you have any more photos of same aircraft? Would love to see them.

Yours aye

Tom

Been there too

11 Flt & 13 Flt Jan – Mar 78. Caught pneumonia and bronchitis at the same time between flights – too many fags and too much rain camping in Sherwood Forest! I remember the PT runs along the runway in winter in the teeth of a force 10 headwind wondering if I would be blown away before frostbite set in!

Wessex at Shawbury

Here are a list of those which went to NZ:

WA136 XR511 Wessex HC2 L Private
WA121 XR588 Wessex HC2 Heart Private
WA178 XS509 Wessex HU5 to New Zealand as ZK-HVK 05/1998, w/o 12/02/2001
WA194 XS675 Wessex HC2 Spade Private
WA196 XS677 Wessex HC2 WK, ZK-HBE Private
WA533 XT606 Wessex HC2 WL, ZK-HBF Private
WA548 XT680 Wessex HC2 Diamond Private
WA625 XV730 Wessex HC2 Club Private

The WA number is the Con number of the frame, so if its one of those it should be traceable from this.

Others were purchased with the intention of being shipped but only ever got as far as Hixon in the UK when the helilogging company using them was grounded due to ‘irregularities’ in operating the Wessex in the role, unearthed after the incident with XS509/ZK-HVK.

The S-58’s used in ‘Full Metal jacket were ex Bristows Helicopters turbine S-58’s I believe and were civil registered and never operated by the UK services.

Wessexboy might remember XS677 – I flew in it numerous times between Jul & Dec 87 when it was on the strength of 2 Sqn ,2 FTS at Shawbury coded ‘WK’ – brings back memories of my introduction to the mighty Wessex! Ah!:D

72 Sqn Gladiators

Hi Flood,

Nice Gladiator photos. Two cuaght my eye – K6131 and K6132 – both served with 72 Sqn. I am writing a history of the squadron and wondered if you would be kind enough to let me have copies of these two photos for the book. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours

Tom:)

Thanks Mate!
XT672 appears in my Log Book 11 times, and in fact was the last one I Operated, sadly.
It did not have ‘Aires’ scrawled on the side in my recollection though!

Thanks for posting, I had good fun at Shawbury, it was a nice camp, Shrewsbury was a reasonable place to go on a night out, and the 8 mile walk back to camp wasn’t too bad when you ran out of cash for the cab home!
The only real issue was the WAAF block was over the road, so you got counted out of the main gate, and then they sent a search party out if you didn’t come back within 30 mins :diablo:

I spent 2 weeks in the guardroom after being chopped (first female SWO at Shawbury!) not only did I have to measure how much White and Yellow paint was needed to repaint all groundside road markings, I had to build the same pill box 3 times as the SWO and OC GD could not agree on it’s location ( I have the cartoon in the Shawbury Mag somewhere!)

Hi Wessex Boy,

I can add seven trips to the list in 1987. Nice to see someone cared enough to save her from the scrapheap! 😀