Complete guess – 35 Squadron South African Air Force has a pelican standing on a globe as its badge. There were close connections between RAF Coastal Command & 35 (Sunderlands & Shackletons). A badge presented by Avro for the SAAF Shack crews perhaps?

Malta Story – 1952. Spitfires were filmed at Takali & Safi.The two Wellingtons (NB113 & HF626, both T10s from 3 Overseas Ferry Unit, Abingdon) flew from Luqa & Takali. My father was one of the Wimpey pilots – he also appears as an extra with an unpaid & unexplained “promotion” to Flying Officer from his real rank of Flight Sergeant!

How about Conflict of Wings, an Ealing film made around 1954. Mainly shot around the Norfolk Broads it has good shots of Vampires zipping about (in colour). An RAF airfield features – West Raynham, Leconfield possibly.

Varsity WF408

‘408 is an old friend of mine from the mid-1960’s. With WL641 they were from No 1 Radio School RAF Locking but based down the road at Weston super Mare. Both were heavily modified and had many of the electronic goodies found on front line aircraft e.g. ASV21 radar in the nose. The aircraft used to take radio apprentices & show them what all the electronic kit did in the air.I have about 50 hours in ‘408 – my dad was one of the pilots – so it was don the ATC uniform & fly with my old man in the summer holidays! The Varsity Flight moved to Cosford in about 1967 where they acquired pale blue spinners.
The flight was something of a private flying club and I’m banned from repeating all the stories – but ‘408 did once carry a goat as a passenger. Happy days – can’t imagine fun and games in todays cash strapped air force. 😀