Happy memories of showing people around when I was an air cadet at Blackpool airport, wonderful survival.

Hi Gary
Glad to share your wonderful happy memories of the days when NX611 was resident at Blackpool (Squires Gate) Airport. You and the other Cadets from the local Air Training Corps / Girls’ Venture Corps Squadrons (both boys & girls) in the Fylde played a very important role in the survival story of this iconic aircraft. In recognition of your contribution, Brian Goulding & I (as co-authors of the publication “Story of a Lanc” – 5th Edition) included a fitting complimentary entry on Page 42 of that book (link: http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/store/books/non-fiction/story-of-a-lanc.htm ):

(QUOTE:) One thing is for certain, however, if it hadn’t been for the willing help afforded by a number of enthusiastic boys and girls from the local Air Training Corps and Girls’ Venture Corps, who gave of their time and energy, almost from the time the Lancaster had touched down at Squires Gate, helping to ‘man’ the aircraft and other exhibits whilst the public were on site, many of the historic exhibits may not have survived to this day. In particular, NX611 may have suffered badly from the ‘sticky finger’ brigade if those willing little helpers hadn’t been prepared to sit, often for long hours onboard, showing members of the public through the aircraft and actively preventing damage from potential ‘souvenir hunters’.

I hope you will be able to re-establish your acquaintance with “Just Jane” (or “Guy Gibson” as she was named at that time) at East Kirkby at some time in the future – I’m sure the Panton Family would give you a warm welcome.
Kind Regards

Longer term viewers may recall a thread from 2006:- ‘The way we were – c1970’s colour’ – Ray very generously made his compete slide collection available for scanning and posting, achieving some 13,000 hits to much acclaim. RIP my good friend. ‘Mark’

Here’s the thread link – Enjoy (again) ;). I think this is an appropriate ‘resurrection’ – in tribute to a talented friend.

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=63127&highlight=1970s+colour

‘Dick

Hi Dick, Can you please respond to my PM please?

Cheers

,

Hi James, sorry for delay – ‘pm’ reply should be with you now.

Kind Regards

‘Dick’

Sorry Richard, my memory is playing tricks.

The old book i have is called ‘The Last Lanc’ by Patrick Kilvington circa 1982. A cursory glance shows that it appears to cover the flight from Oz with the last chapter covering the period up to Scamptons gate. But i guess your aware of it anyhow ? Care to comment on it’s accuracy etc… please ?

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XM692 (How I really hate not knowing who I’m talking with on forum sites!! (Could you please ‘pm’ me with who you are ??) – anyway…..

I wouldn’t presume to comment on the accuracy of a publication, especially when the author had actually experienced the events described, and recorded the comments of fellow crew members; I just admire, in this case especially, his abilty to record, and indeed, recall such detail and emotion as was obviously expressed during the epic return journey of this Lancaster.

I have read the book ‘The Last Lanc’ at great length, as has my co-author on the re-write of ‘Story of a Lanc’ (Edition 5), and between us we have noted a very few ‘inaccuracies’ in Sir Patrick’s published version of events on the trip home to the UK in 1965.

It transpires that a Mr. Maurice Cooper had joined the crew of Lancaster G-ASXX (NX611) at Changi for her flight to Butterworth. He was apparently an official photographer working for the MoD / FEAF and had been assigned to fly to Butterworth on the Lanc and then to record her departure on the leg to India. To do this, Maurice had boarded an RAF Valetta of No.52 Sqn. and successfully photographed the Lanc’s departure, accompanied by a number of escort jets (Victor, Vulcan, Sabres, Canberras and Javelins). The results of Maurice’s photographic ‘mission’ are illustrated in the new book, as well as in the September 2009 edition of ‘Flypast’ magazine. Exhaustive attempts have been made by myself & Brian Goulding over the past months to make contact with Maurice, but have proved fruitless I’m afraid. We had wished to invite him to the “NX611’s 65th Anniversary” celebratory event at East Kirkby this August Bank Holiday Monday, but nobody could put us in touch – IF YOU READ THIS, MAURICE, WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Another important person who played a vital role in the safe return of G-ASXX / NX611 to the UK was the BOAC Flight Engineer, on board a Boeing 707, whose timely intervention had prevented the Lanc from almost certain disaster as she struggled to find her way through atrocious weather conditions as she approached India. That BOAC crew member was named, incorrectly, in the Kilvington book as a “Peter Barclay“. During our research for the ‘Story of a Lanc’ re-write Brian Goulding stumbled upon the truth of that particular incident when he was chatting with Peter Scoley (Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre – south of Lincoln). during that chat, Brian was amazed to discover that that very same (former) BOAC Flt/Engineer was himself still alive and well and an active member of the ‘Metheringham Association’ !!! THAT BOAC Flt/Engineer WAS IN FACT “PETER BUTCHER” (NOT “Barclay”!), and his contribution to the continued existance of “Just Jane” at East Kirkby today has been duly recorded in our re-written account if this Lanc’s history, together with a photo of Peter and Peter Scoley on Page 83 of our book, when they attended the “65th Anniversary” event at EK.

Lastly – you will have noticed, I’m sure, that the ‘Conclusion’ chapter of “The Last Lanc” book attempts to describe the events in “Just Jane’s” life, from arrival at Biggin Hill in 1965, through to the early days of her ‘RAF Scampton’ era. Much of that information had been taken from the content of the original 2 versions of “Story of a Lanc” (1974/5), and Brian Goulding gave a good deal of assistance to Sir Patrick Kilvington, both editorial and pictorial, and a number of the B&W photos within Sir Patrick’s book were supplied by Brian (incl. from the Garbett / Goulding Collection) and some of these can also still be viewed in “SoaL”.

With regards to “accuracy” – I can only assure you of one thing as far as I’m concerned – I was personally involved with NX611 from very early on in the 1960s, through to her time at Blackpool, and what you will read in the book “SoaL” actually happened – I was there throughout, and experienced all the emotions you could possibly imagine, from elation through to dark despair, yet I wouldn’t have missed any of it for the World – “JJ’s” in my blood !!!

Hope that gives you some interesting ‘food for thought’.

Regards

‘Dick’