Bomber Command losses records two 408 Sqn Lancaster Mk.IIs for the night of the 25th/26th Feb 44. One of them was abandoned over France so it must be the other. That aircraft was Lancaster Mk.II DS791 coded EQ-F six of the crew were killed and one survived and was taken prisoner.
The crew who were killed are:
Flt Lt W. R. Smith DFC, RCAF
Sgt F. Crofts, RAF
F/O C. F. Ridgers DFC, RCAF
Flt Sgt L. S. Beer, RCAF
Flt Sgt R. E. Bowler, RAF
Flt Sgt C. O. Draper, RCAF
The sole survivor was Flt Sgt D. G. Mullock, RCAF
The various groups are all quitely getting on digging up aircraft. I guess many will end up on the net sooner or later.
DH### was never used to apparently to save confusion with Dehavilland using DH. It is like not using I and O as it could be confused with 1 and 0.
That airframe looks like a T.7 converted from an F.4. The tail on it is an early mark tail (fairly short and rounded) and the cannon ports have had a panel put over where they would be on a single seat aircraft.
There are the remains of three Battles there two of which are 142 Sqn.
I think the one nearst the camera is K9366, it was abandoned at Berry-au-Bec along with K7700 and L5540 during the Squadron’s withdrawl to Faux Villecerf on the 17th may 1940.
Other than being a scrappy, how mad would you have to be to by that wreck, as that is what the years have turned it to.
The problem with CGI is despite all the advances with it, you can still largely see where it has been used, the footage produced looks too clean and set piece when compared to the real thing.
That mosquito CGI video for example, there isn’t any dirt on the aircraft (aircraft once they have been used for a while accumulate dirt and slight damage, look at a real aircraft and find a panel that is straight or hasn’t been scrathced) and when it is about to touch down the background has no depth to it and the sky just looks wrong. Take a walk out to an area of fields as the sun is setting on an average day (ie rain) and you’ll see what I am on about.
Also in a re-make the actual event will take second place to some other plot, yes there is a human side to everything but recent films just take it too far.
I have also seen blue anodising on pneumatic parts, mainly couplers, they too had retained their colour despite spending a long time in the ground.
Its a Supermarine Southampton.
According to the Office of Public Sector Information document on copyright (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/crown-copyright/copyright-guidance/copyright-in-public-records.htm) unpublished public records have had copyright claims waived allowing free reproduction, however “The reproduction of images, including copies of documents, is not covered by the waiver”
“14. The waiver of Crown copyright does not apply to Public Records which fall within the scope of Tradeable Information, which will be subject of a separate Guidance Note to be issued by HMSO. The following material falls within the scope of Tradeable Information:
unpublished records of the Ordnance Survey, the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, which form the basis of maps, charts, mapping data and other related publications.
Microfilm, microfiche, digital form and photographic copies of Public Records created by Public Record Repositories but not the data which they contain.
15. The reproduction of such material may be subject to formal licensing and payment of fees.”
I would strongly recommend reading the document in full, then if you haven’t fallen asleep you could see what the National Archives have on copyright at (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/legal/pdf/copyright_full.pdf).
See page 15 for the Crown Copyright flowchart of status (taking a photo created in 1944 as an example). Q.1 Was the work created before 1 August 1989 (Yes), Q.2 Is the work a photograph or engraving (Yes), Q.3 Is the work a photograph (Yes), Was the work created before 1 June 1957 (Yes), Copyright expires 50 years after creation.
The National Archive guideline seem to go again OPSI guidlines so it is anyones guess.
According to Broken Wings there were no Canberra accidents in that area in 1955, though there was one in 1954.
24/06/54, Canberra B.2 WD981, 231 OCU, crashed 1/2 mile W of Six Mile Bottom, 5 miles E of Cambridge.
The aircrafts canopy blew off and control was lost, shortly after the aircraft dived into the ground killing the three crew.
No, in 1940 30 Mk.IB cannon armed aircraft were delivered for testing but were not used operationally.
Here is what is in the Oxford File for PK257, AS.10 Oxford c/n 4321 PK257 – No R.A.F. Service, sold to Airspeed 16.9.46; Became Consul G-AIOL; To Steiner Air Services, Speke, “Liverpool Hawk”, 11.11.46, CofA 5.12.46; Thomas Barclay t/a International Airways, Croydon, 25.11.47; regn. Cancelled 7.11.49; Elsham Ltd.; to Isreal as 4X-ACR 11.49 Ferry regn.; to IDFAF as 2808.
Some Lancasters did have wooden props, and not just Mk.IIs.
After the war when outstanding contracts for Lancasters were cancelled the props which had been already been delivered to Avro were sold off to local farms as fence posts, I know this as a friend has three in his shed that were removed from a field (in exchange for some new fence posts) about 10 years ago not too far from Woodford and the farmer said they had originally bought from Avro.
As you have the type, serial, date etc you could get the 1180 from the RAFM, that would have the pilot’s name on it.
Though with a name sounding like that you could bet on the person who wrote the card out to get it wrong.