Alan was one of those people who inspired me to get into the model making business. I first met Alan at Farnborough, when I was there with the Harriers in the early 70’s. It was there I showed him my first effort (a Miles Messenger)for a proposed range of kits. From then on he was always extremely supportive.

We in the aircraft modelling world all owe Alan a great deal. He more than anyone else in model journalism set the standards we enjoy today.

He was not always the easiest of people to know but he was a great friend to have. When I spoke with him at the Scale Model world Nationals last year he said to me “this will be my last visit”, how true is that.

Bless you “Balsa Hall”. Happy landings.

In grateful memory

John

Keith, you cannot be serialess (John McInroe).

Pic 41, a Meteor Mk IV and totally devoid of markings. but in pre-1947 roundels. An Auster in the background.

42. is an Army Skeeter

43. Two Beverly’s of either 47 or 53 Sqn, with a Javelin in the background.

44. A Valiant
45 The Vailant and a Vulcan B.Mk.1 XA906 from Waddington.

Now is this an airfield with an Army Air Corp presence. There is a confusing mix of types in some of these pictures which leaves doubt as to what are the visitors and which are the residents. Bevs were at Dishforth and Abingdon. and I think Thorney Island Vulcans at Waddington, Valiants at Gaydon, Honnington and Marham, Unlike the earlier pics there is no real cohesion. Someone may recognise the airfield.

John

Good point about the props, if this is an experimental paint scheme, then it’s a pretty important photo. I think the guy who painted the tyres forgot which way they retracted.

John

The whole thing seems to me to be a contender for the Darwin Awards. 😀

What a Bleep pointless thing to do.IMO. Sorry but my gast is flabberd.

John

Well these are a bit more of a puzzle, the Liberator is very odd. It’s not an LB 30 nor a C.87 and someone has had a great time with the white paint. The guess from me is that it has coastal associations and as the Mosquitos were taken at Aldergrove, its possible that this was too.

With the Meteors and Vampires, if we could see the one serial visible we could probably get the unit. The Auster is a T.7 WE551 but they were used by 11 Sqns and numerous other units so user ident at this time needs some other input.

The lineup shot again might be some where like Boscombe Down unless it’s an air day static before the barriers go up, and again serials would help.

John

Edit. In the first Lib photo there is a tail turret of another Lib sticking out of the Hangar and the white Lib seems to have part of the Yagi aerial array under the wing. The nose and tail fairings are odd coupled with a bomb bay.

After that one ,thats a cheek 😀 That five cylinder mill looked as though it should be there but the wheels and colour didn’t.

Regards

John

ATS, Armament Training Squadron/Station. If you want a precise date for that Fury crash try 22.2.37 as it hit the target during firing practice and the under-carriage collapsed on landing., It was SOC as beyond economic repair in the May of that year.

The side door to that hangar hadn’t changed a bit when I walked through it first in the early 70’s. The billet scene brings back very old memories too, the cloths on the floor are for walking (or rather sliding on) so that your boots didn’t damage the “bulled” floor. The NCOs slept in the end rooms beyond the fire place.

John

Keith, thanks again for the great photos. These are positively from my favorite era. I’m not sure about anyone else but I’m enjoying this window on the past and as I work partly from home in my office/library (wall to wall aviation) it’s handy for a quick memory top-up. Keep them coming please.

John