Some more from my collection.

Back onto the military theme again. This time with some shots at 5 MU as was at RAF Kemble and also a couple of Whirlwinds at Porton Down, Wilts. the two helicopters were on MOD land and not accessible to many people except those of us priveliged enough to have signed the Official Secrets Act. Thus I have not seen much info on these aircraft and certainly never seen photos elsewhere. Does anyone know what trials they were used for?

A couple of Meteors to start off with, T7 VW478 and then a TT20 WM151. Both taken 24 Jan 1974.

Now the Whirlwinds with XJ445 first and then XG573. I believe that were scrapped on site a few days after these pictures were taken. Can anyone confirm? Both were taken 31 March 1974.

In the Comet pictures posted recently, I believe that the nose in the first picture was that of an East African Airways example although I am not sure which one. The only tool used to scrap these magnificent beasts seems to have been an oxy acetylene torch. There were dead cylinders everywhere.

QuePee

Many thanks TB, thats another mystery cleared up.

QP

RAF Catterick

Thanks for the confirmation of 224 Sqn. My memory still seems to be intact after some 38 years.
You are right, Catterick was very heavily populated with aircraft, most of them had a relatively short life. Some were allocated as rescue training frames and they tended to hang around a bit longer but life expectancy was still pretty short. It is interesting to note that I tried to use my contacts to get to the other Fire Rescue School at RAF Manston and they were totally un receptive. Health and Safety issues apparently, yes even in those days.

So here is the next batch from RAF Catterick. Note the “Air Bruce” titles on the Shacks…

1. Shackleton MR2 WL800
2. Shackleton MR2 WL800
3. Shackleton MR2 WR980
4. Shackleton MR2s WG555, WL755 and WL748
5. Sycamore HR14 XJ380
6. Sycamore HR14 XJ380
7. Sycamore HR14 XJ380
8. Vampire T11 XD550
9. Unknown Javelin and Hunter

Hastings

I do not know which Hastings wings were used for the “Halifax” but the one at Catterick is or rather was WJ338, one of Aries aircraft.

QP

Thank you, QuePee, for the picture of G-ANVR. According to my youthful spotter’s notebooks and my ever less reliable memory, it seems that the last time I saw her was parked up against the fence, north of the hangar, adjacent to the access road to Lydd Airfield in the late 1960s. If only I’d had a camera then. The photos would have been a good deal more reliable than my memory!

I bet she had engines in those days too…..

edskarf
Your comments re the Auster being XN441 are very timely. Last night I tried to get a better scan of the serial from the negative. Its difficult to be sure but 440 seems unlikely to me and the only other possibility seems to be 441. I have attached the scan so that you can see.

Also I have found my coppy of the Whirlwind at Hallers, XG593 and should be below as well. Just a small question, when I have used up my available memory for attachments and the green bar has turned completely red (as I suspect it will after this post) how do I go about making attachments then.? Do I have use a photo hosting site and if so what is the maixmum size for a jpeg?

Many thanks

QuePee

PMN
The Varsity was WL678 and was flown in I believe specifically for the use of the Fire Dept at LBA. I think it arrived sometime in late 68 or early 69 and as you can see it attracted some attention very quickly. More than this I do not know except that I do not think it lasted very long. This was just before the mass Varsity scrapping of Varsitys took place at Kemble so it just may have been one of the early arrival there before being allocated to LBA.

pagen01
Unfortunately I arrived in the St Athan area after the scrapping of the Valiants was complete, nothing remained by the early 70s. However as for Shack is concerned what do you want to see, Mk2s, Mk3s spare AEW2 etc etc. I have many from that era as well as a host of the Canberra and Victor aircraft that went to the smelter at this base. I also have dozens of photographs of the contents at RAF Catterick before it was Armyized.Just be patient and I will put some more up when I am not supposed to be working.

Glad you like the pics so far.

QuePee