Roger Freemans Thunderbolt book states that Glenn Bach was the test pilot for Republic. The nose insignia combines national flags of nations that used the P-47 during WW11. The book states that it was acquired from Bob Bean an aircraft dealer in California by Republic. It was crated and shipped to St Nazaire ready for the 1963 Paris Air Salon. Glenn Bach had flown P-47s from East Wretham in the winter of 1943-4 with the 359thFG. Maintenance was in the hands of T. Maclaughlin a Republic engineer who had worked on p-47 production at Farmingdale .

The P-47 was owned by Earl Reinhart and flown at airshows by Glenn Bach in UK,France and Germany in 1963. It was a P-47G-15-Cu model purchased by Republic in 1961,serialled N5087V coded HV:P. Hope this helps.

Helliwells

There is a picture of Jack Hawkins shaking hands with the pilot Charles Helliwell of the crashed B170 G-AIFV on page 66 of the book by Alec Brew “Black Country Transport: Aviation in old photographs”1994 by Alan Sutton publishing. Would Charles Helliwell be something to do with Helliwells of Walsall airfield where they overhauled Bostons during the war and Harvards in the post war years ?

Skegness Air Taxi Services

Yes i remember it well from 1964. We lived at RAF Manby ,as my father was flying Canberras out of Strubby. He used to hire the Auster and take us children to Manby and back. I flew in G-AIBH which seemed to be their flagship and G-AHAL(at one time this was converted back to crop-spraying as it had a large hopper tank at the back). At the back of the dark blister hangar stood the 7 seater Prentice G-APJE of Mell-Air and the wings of Messenger G-ALAW gathering dust. I can remember the Dart Kitten G-AMJP flying alot and the Brantly helicopter of Sutcliffes of Grimsby flying in.
Also can remember the Boxkite and Antoinette turning up on the back of lorries for filming “Those Magnificent Men ” at Gibraltat Point.
The CFI was Rex Larsen and he had a large friendly black labrador,the engineer was “Ginger” who was jack of all trades.
I can remember farmer Brown wiping the tips off his Beagle Terriers propellor and completing a circuit . The vibration was so bad it had to go back to Beagles and i believe he bought a Beagle Pup.
I have a blazer badge of that era,what great memories keep them coming .