Too low following IIRC a stall turn. A/C impacted quite close to some parked KC135s. Pilot had been requested by ATC to “fill in” for a few moments and thus introduced the “only fly your practiced sequence rules” for display flying – no more, no less.. There is a video of the incident on youtube. Being a small aircraft and there being no expolosion, I’m sure many in the crowd had no idea what had happened.

Went to Mildenhall that day and got stuck in the traiffic, hence missed that one. Most people had though at the time that he had landed, until word got around that he had crashed.

This happened in 1979 (re-equipped with the MB339 in 1982) Solo pilot hit a tree whilst re-positioning for a manouvere. It took the USAFE a looong time to allow the Frecce back to their display programmes. I think the next time may have been Ramstein in 1988….

Indeed it was May 1979, my first Mildenhall Air Fate. The first that most people knew about it was when it was noted that one aircraft was missing on landing. If Memory serves there was a break in the program when a C-9 Nightingale came in to pick up the pilots body. Again if memory serves the G-91 came down near the edge of Mildenhall Village.

Hello,

First post and all that.

Probably the only aviation related picture I’ve ever done.

And of an Albemarle as well, not a type I’ve seen done much, though I’ve got to do a profile of one as part of my latest project.

Dick Guthrie was one of the Flight Commanders on 247 Sqn at the time (posted on to the Sqn on 26 July 44, from 181 Sqn), His aircraft was hit by Flak while diving from 4000 feet to attack German forces trying to escape the Falaise Pocket, the Typhoon 1b MP144 ‘ZY-G’ caught fire and the tail unit came off, the aircraft then dived into the ground with Guthrie still on board. The Typhoon was issued to the unit from 51 MU (most likely via 83 GSU during the month it was shot down, the book doesn’t give an exact day).

Source of info, Rise from the East

A bit of topic this..

I remember there was a British K8 boat that was going to do an attempt on the WSR, years back powered by a Viper if memroy serves and named Alton Towers after the sponser. What happened to it?? (Googling don’t get any hits).

Hi Patrick

I work with Mike ‘Radar’ Hayes who told me about Project 65 and I’ve been doing some research on the operations of the night of the 5/6 June 44. This is what I’ve come up with.

The Halifax’s which towed the gliders and crew are as follows:-

Horsa 1 PF800 Chalk 91 (S/Sgt J.H.Wallwork – S/Sgt J.Ainsworth)

Tug

Halifax V LL355 ‘8T-G’ 298 Sqn

Pilot – Wg Cdr D.H. Duder DSO DFC
Navigator – P/O J.W. Mclaren
Air Bomber – Sgt E. Bappin
Wireless Op – Flt Lt G.D. Palmby
Rear Gunner – F/Sgt H.A. Newling
Flight Eng – Sgt A.B. McCullum

Horsa 1 LW943 Chalk 92 (S/Sgt O.F.Boland – Sgt P.Hobbs)

Tug

Halifax V LL335 ‘8T-K’ 298 Sqn

Pilot – W/O A.K. Berry
Navigator – F/Sgt J. Roberts
Air Bomber – P/O A.E. Letts
Wireless Op – F/Sgt E. White (RCAF)
Rear Gunner – Sgt J. Stewart
2nd Gunner – Flt Lt W.D. Reevelt
Flight Eng – Sgt K.W. Austin (RNZAF)

Horsa 1 LH469 Chalk 93 (S/Sgt G.Barkway – Sgt P.Boyle)

Tug

Halifax V LL218 ‘2P-N’ 644 Sqn

Pilot – W/O J.A. Herman
Navigator – F/Sgt W.L. Mills
Air Bomber – Sgt R.L. Duncan
Wireless Op – F/Sgt C.C.Narrison
Rear Gunner – F/Sgt J.P. Walsh
Flight Eng – Sgt F.L. Waterfall

Horsa 1 LJ326 Chalk 94 (S/Sgt A.Lawrence – S/Sgt H.Shorter)

Tug

Halifax V LL344 ‘2P-P’ 644 Sqn

Pilot – F/O G. Clapperton
Navigator – F/O D. Robertson
Air Bomber – Sgt G.J. Fensby
Wireless Op – F/Sgt W.B. Burness
Rear Gunner – F/Sgt J.S. Boreham
Flight Eng – Sgt F.E. Rolt

Horsa 1 LJ326 Chalk 95 (S/Sgt S.Pearson – S/Sgt L.Guthrie)

Tug

Halifax V LL406 ‘8A-T’ 298 Sqn

Pilot – W/O G.P. Bain
Navigator – Flt Lt L.J. Rowell
Air Bomber – Sgt A. Holder
Wireless Op – F/Sgt C. Mansell
Rear Gunner – Sgt I.A. Weeks
Flight Eng – Sgt R. Bensley

Horsa 1 PF791 Chalk 96 (S/Sgt R.A.Howard – S/Sgt F.Baacke)

Tug

Halifax V LL350 ‘9U-Z’ 644 Sqn

Pilot – F/O W.W. Archibald
Navigator – F/Sgt A.J. Shea
Air Bomber – Sgt C.O. Howes
Wireless Op – F/Sgt F.L. Chidley
Rear Gunner – F/Sgt F.G. Brown
Flight Eng – Sgt J.T. Orford

One problem I’ve found is that due to the number of aircraft on the two Halifax squadrons, they had a squadron code of each flight on the unit. Hence 298 Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight aircraft were coded ‘8A’ and ‘B’ Flt ‘8T’ while 644 Squadrons aircraft were coded ‘2P’ and ‘9U’. To add even more confusion on aircraft coding, before 298 Squadron got its Squadron codes (and its ‘C’ Flight became 644 Squadron), it’s Halifaxs just had an aircraft letter, and seeing that they had more aircraft than letter’s in the alphabet, when they ran out of single letter, they coded aircraft with two, hence aircraft were coded ‘AA’ ‘BB’ ‘CC’ etc. Some of these coded aircraft still had those codes on D-Day. the big problem I’ve had is the F541’s (Sqn operational flying logs) that I’ve looked at don’t have the Flight Code (8A/8T/2P/9U) against the aircraft log entry, or two letters of aircraft that were so marked. I do have a French contact is is trying to tie the aircraft seriels and squadron (flight) codes for me. (However thanks to the Project 65 site galley having what looks like a picture from the Tarrent Rushton tower log, I’ve been able to tie the Squadron codes and serials for the six tug aircraft)

The Tarrant Rushton photos at IWM show the Halifaxs and gliders lined up for Operation Mallard, the glider operation done on the evening of D-Day. On the airborne photo that has the two Horsa’s and Hamilcars on the runway with a Halifax on the runway and Hailfaxs either side, the 7th Halifax from the front of the line parked off the runway on the right hand side of the photo is LL355 8T-G, the tug that towed John Howards Horsa (91). The 9th Halifax on that line is 8T-K which towed Horsa (92).

Regards

Richard

There was huge exercises in the UK during the 80s in regards to countering Spetsnaz forces. The threat was taken very seriously indeed. You can just imagine the amount of effort the Russians/Warsaw Pact put into finding out every piece of detail. MI5 must have been seriously busy tracking and monitoring individuals who showed interest in attempting to follow/monitor the exercises.

Brave Defender in 1985 was the last national one I can remember (and took part in), it was the most boring one I ever took part in as well, the camp i was at got attacked on the ground once in the four days the exercise lasted, by what could best be described as a ‘Drive by shooting’ along back road that ran alongside the airfield by a landrover with a rear mounted GPMG firing blanks .

Hi MigMan,

AFAIK Argentine Dagger’s carried only naval strike missions with 2 x classic iron bombs, 2 x Shafir IR AAM’s and a centreline fuel tank.

According to Sandy Woodward’s famous book, “100 Days”, the bombs Daggr’s used were of “parachute delayed, 1000 pound” ones.

He also describes a dogfight between Arg. Dagger’s and 801 Sq Sea Harrier’s took place on May 1.. During the encounter a Dagger fires a Shafir which runs out of fuel and then goes ballistic.

Edit: After checking my archieve deeper, I’ve seen various combinations of loadouts for Dagger’s: 3 x fuel tanks, 3 x drop tanks + 2 x Mk82, so on

I think the Shafir was only carried on the 1st of May, after that the Arg. AF decided that they were useless. On a couple of occations the pilots of Groupo 6 de Caza did air to air with guns, Somebody missed Sharky Ward on 21 May 82 with 30mm fire, and a Sea king was engaged by a Dagger later in the war with the result of a cannon round damaging one of the main rotor blades (sea king managed to land safely). No details as I lent my copy of Falklands the Air War to somebody a while back and haven’t got it back.