Interesting? I don’t actually know but it was definitely a demonstration for the Hendon Air Display. The squadron was commanded between 1933 and 1935 by Sqn Ldr A L Paxton DFC, a former wartime pilot and a keen exponent of aerobatics. It was Paxton who devised the formation of nine ‘linked-together’ Furies for the 1935 Hendon show (the routine was actually ‘borrowed’ from 43 Squadron’s Siskin team at the 1930 event) by not only attaching the three flights of Furies by elastic ropes but to also include a roll by a Vic of three aircraft.

For the 1935 Hendon Display the squadron team was reduced to three aircraft flown by Flt Lt C R Hancock DFC, Fg Off E A Douglas-Jones and Sgt C M Pearson. The team had made its debut at the Cinque Ports’ Empire Air Day in May and was subsequently voted one of the best events of the day by the experts at Hendon; the three Furies of 25 Squadron were “flown together as one machine”, with loops, rolls and climbs in V formation, all performed smoothly and precisely. The trio repeated their routine at the Castle Bromwich Display in July and were applauded for the high standard of flying, which became a fitting finale to the squadron’s pre-war formation aerobatic demonstrations

The Central Flying School at East Sale, Victoria, formed an aerobatic team in 1962, comprising four Vampire T 35s and called The Red Sales and gave its first public performance at the Royal Hobart Regatta in February 1962. Its existence was tragically cut short on 15 August 1962 when all four aircraft (A79-607, -628, -629 and -650) plunged into the ground near East Sale following a mid-air collision during a practice formation roll, killing six crew members (Crew names deliberately omitted)

Bruce: In February 2013, the last four of Don Wood’s Venoms (WR360/G-DHSS, WR410/G-DHUU, VV612/G-VENI and J-1573/G-VICI) were dismantled and transferred to the Atlantic Air Venture Museum at Shannon. Their civilian registrations being cancelled on 5 March 2013.

Alan Allen provided me with an update a little while ago: G-VICI (camouflaged, ex-HB-RVB), G-DHTT (red, ‘20 – 23 August’ on nose), G-DHSS (white) and G-VENI (silver) noted in store (fuselage pods) at Portlartington, Co.Laois, in Aug 2013; WR410 on display at Atlantic Air Venture Museum at Shannon)

I hope that this helps?

DW

The Vampires are from the Central Gunnery School at Leconfield

No.111 Squadron re-equipped with Hunter F.4s in June 1955 and the following August, Roger Topp established a new Edinburgh – London speed record when he flew Hunter WT739:R from Turnhouse to Farnborough in 27 minutes and 52 seconds at an average speed of 717.5 mph. An earlier squadron record had been achieved by the former CO, Sqn Ldr John Gillan in February 1938. Roger Topp formed the squadron’s first Hunter team in 1956.

Laurie: while I would agree that the squadron ORB and Flight magazine records the arrival date of the Vampires as 2 December 1950, the date comes from the log book of one of the ferry pilots. He makes no mention as to why he arrived some time after the main party and I acknowledged “18 December 1950” in the list as being the completion of the first ferry convoy from the UK.

I used “Haldon Moor” as a contemporary name for the landing place. I think that I read somewhere it was actually “Haldon Heath”.