vampiredave43 Squadron
“In 1956, 43 Squadron formed a four-ship aerobatic team called “The Fighting Cocks” when based at Leuchars, which were led by Sqn Ldr Roger Topp, who later went on the lead the “Black Arrows”
This is news to me as I allways thought that the 43 Squadron Hunter team was formed in March 1955 by the CO, Sqn Ldr Roy le Long. He was replaced the following August by Flt Lt Peter Bairsto, who continued to lead the Hunter team until September 1957.
Roger Topp was on the staff of the RAE at Farnborough and joined 111 Squadron in January 1955. He later formed and led the squadron Hunter team until replaced by Sqn Ldr Peter Latham in October 1958.
vampiredaveI thought that the first public display with the team’s new Hawk aircraft was at Episkopi in Cyprus on 10 March 1980 following their winter training and return to Kemble, later that month
vampiredaveTo ‘Gild the Lily’, slightly:
A number of Sea Venom FAW.20s were relegated to instructional airframes for use at various Naval-training establishments. However, the majority were passed to the AHU at Abbotsinch, where they languished in long-term storage until being sold for scrap between 1958 and 1963.
A few redundant airframes were also used for fire practice but several were given a temporary reprieve when they formed the basis of the conversion of the navy’s “top secret, experimental aircraft” – the DH “Vennet” – which was also variously referred to as the “Fairey Nuff” or “Sea Snipe”. Preparing for the 1961 Open Day, the engineers of No.12 Hangar at Abbotsinch, under the direction of the AEO, Lt Ted Cottle decided to build a spoof aircraft. The conversion involved removing the tail booms and tip tanks from a surplus Sea Venom, while the rudders of two Fairey Gannets were fixed to the boom attachment points and connected to the rudder pedals by adapting the control cabling. Dummy missiles were also fitted, together with an extended nose, into which a standard tubular office chair – or “pilot’s” seat – was bolted to the cockpit floor.
The “Vennet” was described as the Fleet Air Arm’s ‘latest rocket-powered, high-altitude fighter, capable of flying over Mach 3’ and would be making its maiden test flight in front of the public during the forthcoming Air Day. As an “experimental aircraft” it was kept at a discreet distance from the crowd line when the pilot, Lt Paul Stevenson taxied to the main runway and accelerated away at 90 knots. With smoke and flames pouring from the condemned Ghost engine, a bemused public was told that the aircraft had developed an “engine failure” and because of repeated trouble with the “super-heat ignition system” the test flight would have to be abandoned!
The following year, the technicians of 10 Hangar produced the “Vennett Mark II” as a successor for the Mark 1 for the 1962 Air Day. With Sea Venom and Gannet airframes again used as the basis for the conversion, the main alterations included the fitting of wing-tip ramjets, modified rudders, a nose-type intake and the addition of two guided weapons. The “aircraft” was painted white indicating the strike role with a yellow “P” on the fuselage. Unfortunately, the “ultrasonic version of the previous supersonic world beater” failed to take off for the planned Air Race and was returned to the hangar for further modifications!
In November 1961, Abbotsinch was asked to investigate the conversion of older aircraft into a modern type for the Fleet Air Arm’s Display in the Royal Tournament, as the Service aircraft would prove too heavy for the floor of the Earl’s Court Stadium. With the technical expertise behind them from their early conversions, it was decided that the simplest method was from Sea Venom to Sea Vixen. Four Sea Venoms were selected, with the work being completed by March 1962 and the airframes being transported to Portsmouth by lighter. Dubbed “Mini-Vixens” or “Vixettes”, three of the replicas were known to have worn the spurious markings “XJ601: 241/H”, “XJ602: 247/H” and “XJ603: 246/H”.
One ‘Vixette’ (‘XJ601:241/H’) was known to have been displayed at the entrance to RNAS Lee-on-Solent to advertise it’s Navy Day. I also asked one or two of chaps involved with the conversions what happened to them and said they were “disposed of locally”. Whatever that means?
vampiredaveThe annual RAF Fighter Command exercise, ‘Pinnacle’, during September / October 1951. The exercise was also the culmination of the three-month mobilization of the reserve and Auxiliary squadrons; both 501 and 614 Squadrons transferred from their Battle Station at Tangmere to Thorney Island on 29 September 1951, before being released and returning to Filton on 8 October. I still can’t fathom out why 213 and 249 Squadrons were included when they were both heavily involved in ground attack operations in the Middle East?
vampiredaveFurther to my previous, forget what I said about 501 Squadron (although it was at TI on Camp in 1948), although its ‘War Station’ was Tangmere. What was 213 & 249 (Vampire) Squadrons doing at Wattisham instead of the Middle East? while 25 Squadron began to re-equip with Vampire 10s in July 1951
vampiredave501 Squadron was at Thorney Island on Summer Camp between 7 Aug – 28 Aug 1948
vampiredave….and an even sadder end for the Chivenor Vampire, VV619, when it crashed on 24 November 1953 after the pilot became lost in cloud and it dived into the ground near Chard, Somerset.
vampiredaveThe Vampires depicted in the film was Cranwell’s own aerobatic team led by Flt Lt Colin Bidie. The Hunters were from No.43 Squadron’s ‘Fighting Cocks’ aerobatic team led by ‘A’ Flt Commander, Flt Lt Pete Bairsto, while the ‘ground accident’ was at RAF Chivenor. Btw, the Hunter flying sequences were made in October 1956 with a modified aircraft fitted with forward-facing Cinemascope camera in the nose, and also a two-seat Hunter
vampiredaveVampire trainers were operated by No.s 502 (Ulster), 602 (City of Glasgow), 603 (City of Edinburgh), 608 (North Riding) and 613 (City of Manchester) R Aux AF Squadrons, between April 1956 and January 1957
vampiredaveNo.92 Squadron departed Leconfield for its Middle East tour on 12 October 1961, with its first display at Akrotiri on 14 October, followed by another show at Nicosia, two days later, and at Episkopi on 17 October. The twelve Hunters then flew on to Iran, in time for the Iranian Air Force Day celebrations at Mehrabad on 20 October. Turning out in their thousands, the people of Tehran watched a two hour show that also included displays by the Iranian Golden Crown team (F-86 Sabres), the USAF Skyblazers (F-100 Super Sabres), the French Patrouille de France (Dassault Mysteres). The final show of the tour was at Athens, when the squadron performed a nine-ship display on behalf of the Crown Prince of Greece at Elefsis on 23 October.
vampiredaveI have just found my ‘notes’ for the period. Viscount, you are quite correct about the CAW team: Four Jet Provost T Mk.4s of the RAF College of Air Warfare, Manby, “The RAF College of Air Warfare Formation Aerobatic Team”. Flt Lts W R Shrubsole, A J Sheppard, T H Bliss and A W Vine AFM. Solo pilot: Flt Sgt D Soames-Waring. It didn’t become ‘The Macaws’ until the 1968 season. I agree it was a long time ago but I still have this vague recollection that the CFS team went to Warton for a ‘show’ later in the year?
vampiredaveIf it was four aircraft it could only have been the CFS team, led by Wg Cdr D L Edmonds AFC. The CFS team made frequent visits to Warton over the years to demonstrate to the BAC employees and I have a vague memory of the appearance in August (?) of that year?
vampiredaveJohn Aldington was not replaced following his serious accident and to fulfill its display commitment, the team decided to continue with three aircraft (Mick Marriott becoming No.2) and a modified display sequence, beginning on 19 June with a show at Manby for the Royal College of Defence Studies.
vampiredaveGoldilocks: you are correct with the take-off time as being 1730hrs. My mistake – Fat Fingers!
I am almost certain that the six Vampires were refuelled at Martlesham; Sqn Ldr Beddow’s regular aircraft went u/s “at Martlesham” and he borrowed another to complete the sortie. I would also agree that the “white smoke” was a vapour trail as the aircraft was seen to carry out a series of “violent turns” as Beddow engaged the Hornets
Information compiled from the Aircraft Record Card, the Accident Record Card and my sister-in-law, who is a former Sub-Editor at the Eastern Daily Press. The first two cards are readily available at Kew, together with details of the accident and subsequent investigation contained within a file (I can’t think of the name of the document?) which is also kept at Kew – or was, as I no longer have the material to hand
vampiredaveJust a little more:
Vampire F Mk.3, VF347.
Built at EECo, Preston, and awcn 1 Aug 1947; to No.33 MU Lyneham 6 Aug 1947 and transferred to No.27 MU Shawbury 6 Aug 1948; del No.247 Sqn, Odiham 9 Nov 1948 as /becoming ‘ZY-Y’; FA Cat E2 29 June 1949.
Temporarily operating from Martlesham Heath as part of the ‘friendly’ force in Ex ‘Foil’, six squadron Vampires were scrambled at about 17.30hrs to intercept an incoming raid of Hornet fighters. A low-level dog-fight developed in the Ipswich area. Sqn Ldr Beddow was heard to radio for assistance as he attacked two Hornets and was seen to make a steep left-hand turn in front of two of the ‘attackers’. The Vampire was last seen trailing white smoke as the Sqn Ldr Beddow appeared to lose control and dive vertically towards the centre of Ipswich and was killed as the aircraft hit the top storey of a house in Myrtle Road, crashing through a brick wall and exploding in trees on the edge of Holywells Park. Two children living in Myrtle Road were injured and rushed to hospital where one later died of her injuries.
The accident was ‘confirmed’ on 30 June 1949 and the aircraft was SOC as scrap on 13 July 1949
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