l.gareyTo T-21
You are quite right. Last night I was just reading St-Ex’s account of his crash in the desert.
What a tragedy that Horst was just behind him. C’est la guerre!
At least we can explain what happened now and mourn him properly.
l.gareyTranslation of the St-Ex report
Apologies to avion ancien: I have some spare time today so I thought my translation of the Saint-Ex story in Le Monde posted by Tangmere might be of use to the members over the weekend.
The German who shot down the French writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1944 was a Luftwaffe ace who finished the war with 28 victories to his credit.
“It took place near Toulon,” said Horst Rippert, contacted on Saturday by AFP. “He was flying below me when I was on a reconnaissance mission over the sea. I saw his roundels, so I turned to get behind him and shot him down”, according to M. Rippert, 88 years old, who was flying a Me109 at the time.
64 years after Saint-Exupéry’s disappearance on 31 July 1944 Hors Rippert has come out of the shadows to admit the facts in a book to be published in France on 20 March.
“If I had known it was Saint-Exupéry I would not have shot him down,” he declared to AFP, adding that he was one of his favourite authors.
M. Rippert claimed that he only learned much later that he was responsible for Saint Exupéry’s loss on 31 July 1944.
Horst Rippert who was a journalist for ZDF (the second German TV channel) was found at the end of a long enquiry led by a diver from Marseille, Luc Vanrell, and by the founder of an association for research into wartime aircraft losses, Lino von Gartzen.
The story is told in a book co-authored by M. Vanrell and journalist Jacques Pradel – “Saint-Exupéry, the last secret”- due to be published by Editions du Rocher.
Various hypotheses have appeared about the disappearence of “Saint-Ex” for more than half a centiury until the discovery in 1998 of an identity chain with the name “Saint-Ex”, in a fisherman’s net off Marseille.
Edit: Sorry T-21: I did not see your post until I had done this one!
l.gareyExcuse me for a message to Eric in French to offer to help put his site into English. I think it is great and would get wider publicity.
Super site! Si tu veux que je t’aide à le traduire en anglais… Je suis basé a Besançon-Thise. Envoie-moi un “message personnel”
l.gareyThanks Mark. I feared as much.
l.gareyYes Steve, Bicester was an active place in the 1960s. Not only 71 MU, but OUAS Chipmunks and the Windrushers’ gliders.
I well remember the Spitfire TE356 “8Q-Z”. It was rescued and later became G-SXVI, then N356TE. Two other silver Spitfires were on the dump: TB287 came from Martlesham Heath, but I do not know what became of it. Also TB308 which was on the gate at Norton before being broken up at Bicester, where I saw it 13/3/61. The other Spitfires in my list were preserved via 71MU, as noted.
l.gareyBicester 1960s
As I said earlier I noted the following at Bicester 1961-1963, with the famous Beverleys in 1969. Aircraft types alphabetically. Hope it helps.
17 April 1961 TX177 Anson C19 Maintenance Command Comm & Ferry Sqd
20 March 1961 TX219 Anson C19 Maintenance Command Comm & Ferry Sqd
23 January 1961 TX256 Anson C19 “Maintenance Command Comm Sqd”
24 April 1962 VF548 Auster AOP6 “Army”
24 April 1962 VW985 Auster AOP6 later -G-ASEF
20 March 1961 WZ716 Auster AOP9 Scrap dump
13 March 1961 WE600 Auster T7 Exhibition Flt. Transantarctic Expedition
23 October 1961 XG454 Belvedere HC1 Fus only. “B”
23 May 1969 XL131 Beverley C1
23 May 1969 XM103 Beverley C1 Camouflaged. RAF Middle East
04 April 1963 AX4. CF100/5 Belgian AF. Wreck. Cr Folkestone. (is this AX41, w/o 13/3/61?)
13 March 1961 7601M Chipmunk T10 Exhibition Flt. “A” on inst panel. (ex WB709, later to Kenya, then Sri Lanka) (? cn 156 or 240)
24 April 1962 WB558 Chipmunk T10
21 March 1961 WB758 Chipmunk T10 Bicester Station Flt
27 February 1961 WD359 Chipmunk T10 OUAS E
25 April 1962 WD372 Chipmunk T10
27 February 1961 WG319 Chipmunk T10 OUAS C
27 April 1962 WG362 Chipmunk T10
25 April 1962 WG363 Chipmunk T10 New for Windrushers
24 April 1962 WG466 Chipmunk T10
04 April 1963 WK516 Chipmunk T10 Wreck. On locker: C1/0553
04 December 1961 WK574 Chipmunk T10 Wreck
20 March 1961 WK575 Chipmunk T10 OUAS X
13 March 1961 WK638 Chipmunk T10 OUAS B
13 March 1961 WP785 Chipmunk T10 OUAS D
23 October 1961 WP803 Chipmunk T10 OUAS. Glider towing
23 May 1969 WP803 Chipmunk T10 OUAS D
08 November 1963 WP804 Chipmunk T10 Wales UAS
06 June 1963 WP811 Chipmunk T10 Visitor
13 February 1961 WP919 Chipmunk T10 OUAS “A”. OUAS colours applied 4/61.
23 October 1961 WZ860 Chipmunk T10 OUAS “C”
24 April 1962 WZ872 Chipmunk T10
01 November 1963 WZ878 Chipmunk T10 New for OUAS
12 December 1961 VP971 Devon C1
06 November 1961 235 Eagle 3 RAFGSA235 “74” (w/n 1136)
13 May 1962 G-APEW EoN 403 RAFGSA 306 (=EON/4/001, BGA278)
17 April 1961 144 EoN 460 Red. EON/S/002. 144 on fin
10 December 1961 G-ARTE EoN 460/1B Silver
13 March 1961 Air Min 75 Fw190 Exhibition Flt. All marks erased; AIR MIN 75 just visible
12 December 1961 XK740 Gnat F1 Exhibition Flt
17 April 1961 220 Grunau Baby RAFGSA
17 April 1961 159 Grunau Baby RAFGSA
17 April 1961 281 Grunau Baby II RAFGSA
12 December 1961 FS890 Harvard IIB Exhibition Flt
08 May 1971 WD490 prob Hastings C2 Fire dump. “490”
17 April 1961 7422M Hunter F1 Exhibition Flt. Now with serial. WT684 still on ejection seat. (at Reading ATC 1970)
04 April 1963 7503M Hunter F1 Fus. Ex WT584
04 April 1963 7505M Hunter F1 Fus. Ex WT593
04 April 1963 7506M Hunter F1 Fus. Ex WT595
04 April 1963 7507M Hunter F1 Fus. Ex WT686
21 March 1961 WT684 Hunter F1 Exhibition Flt. Just resprayed. No serial, but WT684 on ejection seat
04 April 1963 WT692 Hunter F1 Wings, + fus 7509M
04 April 1963 7511M Hunter F2 Fus. Ex WN894
04 April 1963 WN895 Hunter F2 Wings, + fus 7512M
04 April 1963 WN897 Hunter F2 Wings, + fus 7513M
04 April 1963 WT751 Hunter F4 Helicopter lifting
10 December 1961 WV409 Hunter F4 ES 51
04 April 1963 XE708 Hunter F4
20 February 1961 BA282 Hunter F56 Wings taken away on scrap lorry. (Indian AF)
20 March 1961 XE602 Hunter F6 234 Sqd G. On nose: black/red diamonds, black lion rampant. Brought in on lorry for scrap after running off r/w
10 December 1961 XL615 Hunter T7 Packing cases of remains (wo 1.6.60)
13 March 1961 P2617 Hurricane I Exhibition Flt. AF-T
13 March 1961 XA549 Javelin FAW1 Exhibition Flt “M”. Dagger on fin (87 Sqd)
24 January 1963 XA701 Javelin FAW5 Helicopter lifting
24 April 1962 XH704 Javelin FAW7 Wreck
24 April 1962 XH706 Javelin FAW7 Wreck
24 April 1962 XH718 Javelin FAW7 Wreck
24 April 1962 XH748 Javelin FAW7 Wreck
24 April 1962 XH786 Javelin FAW7 Exhibition hangar. “B”
24 April 1962 XH795 Javelin FAW7 Exhibition hangar. “Y”
24 April 1962 XH837 Javelin FAW7 Wreck
04 April 1963 XH746 Javelin FAW9
13 March 1961 7570M Jet Provost T1 Exhibition Flt. presumably XD674
10 December 1961 XM423 Jet Provost T3 CFS R-J. Burned (cr 30/8/61)
06 November 1961 D-3222 Ka6 “175” (-RAFGSA322)
17 April 1961 B-1 Kranich II w/no 635. Damaged
12 December 1961 191660 Me163B1a Exhibition Flt. “3” (ex VF241)
13 March 1961 VK893 Me262A2a Exhibition Flt. German marks. RAF marks just vis on top of these. (Marks removed 4/61)
20 March 1961 WF766 Meteor T7 Scrap dump. Cr Boscombe ?1961
10 December 1961 WL377 Meteor T7 A Fighter Test Sqd, Boscombe. (G/5 444638)
17 April 1961 206 Olympia 1 “26” RAFGSA206. Silver. Pencilled on wingroot: AS/H002 ND C/044. (EON/O/044)
17 April 1961 228 Olympia 2B “112” RAFGSA
17 April 1961 246 Olympia 2B “117” RAFGSA. Silver
13 March 1961 XL557 Pioneer CC1 Scrap dump. Wing. SAL/PP/00922
30 January 1961 XF549 Provost T1 P-E
13 March 1961 XF893 Provost T1 Scrap dump
10 December 1961 XF912 Provost T1 No engine. “SH” on tires
23 May 1969 G-AVHY RF4
17 April 1961 234 Skylark 3B RAFGSA234. BGA844, wn 1134
24 April 1962 N5912 Sopwith Triplane “5”
17 April 1961 PK724 Spitfire F24 Exhibition Flt. Just resprayed
13 March 1961 K9942 Spitfire I Exhibition Flt. EB-T
13 March 1961 X4590 Spitfire I Exhibition Flt. PR-F
03 May 1961 RR263 Spitfire LFXVI “LZ-B”. To French AF 1967 as TB597
20 March 1961 TB287 Spitfire LFXVIe Scrap dump. Silver
30 January 1961 TE356 Spitfire LFXVIe Silver. 8Q-Z. (-G-SXVI, -N356TE)
13 March 1961 TB308 Spitfire XVI Scrap dump. Silver
01 August 1963 XJ919 Sycamore HR14 Wreck
17 April 1961 212 T21B RAFGSA. (presumably cn588 WB925 RAFGSA212 BGA2964)
17 April 1961 238 T21B RAFGSA238. BGA846, w/no 1131
13 May 1962 242 T21B
17 April 1961 XN152 T21B Sedburgh TX1 Wreck. “AIR CADETS”
06 November 1961 G-APRX Tiger Moth On trailer
31 October 1962 G-APTI Tiger Moth Lt blue. Enforced landing
10 December 1961 WG262 Valetta T3 Wing on lorry
24 April 1962 XD379 Vampire T11 Wreck. Cr 1/3/62
13 March 1961 XE982 Vampire T11 Exhibition Flt. (at Hereford ATC 1970)
13 March 1961 XH617 Victor B1 Scrap dump. Small pieces, one with “XH…”. Cr Diss 19/7/60
23 January 1961 MF628 Wellington T10 Fuselage. Camouflaged. Taken away 3/61
01 August 1963 XP395 Whirlwind HAR10 Wreck. Cr Chivenor 3/1/63
10 December 1961 XJ725 Whirlwind HAR2 cr 12/10/61
l.gareyBicester memories
I unfortunately do not have pictures, but I noted what was going on in terms of movements through 71 MU and the scrap dump at Bicester between 1961 and 1963 when I flew with Oxford UAS. If my notes can be of any help, let me know.
l.gareyRob, I was last at Luxor in 2002, but the Cairo sightings were 1994. However, the Citadel display is still there I believe.
See http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/Museums/EgyptianNationalMilitaryMuseum/index.html
l.gareyThe last things I saw in Egypt were at the Citadel in Cairo: Mig 17 and 21, Su7, Wilga, Yak 18 and Zlinn 226 on display.
Near CAI airport 707 SU-BBA “The Plane” café, ex VH-EBP.
At Luxor airport Mig 15 and 2 Mig 21s.
Let me know what you discover!
l.gareyChipmunk 7601M
I have been following this thread the last day or two.
I checked DGH’s great site to see what happened to 7601M that used to sit in the Bicester Exhibition MU hangar. It was coded (on the instrument panel) “A”. According to UK Serials
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WB
it was cn 0240 ex WB709, then to Sri Lanka as CT-103.
But http://www.daveharmsworth.co.uk/pages/chipmunksurvivors.html
says CT-103 is cn 0156.
What is the truth?
l.gareyCrash of G-ALWE
G-ALWE crashed 14 March 1957 on the approach to Ringway. It was 5 years old with almost 7000 hours. 20 killed plus 2 killed on ground. Probable cause: broken flap.
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19570314-0&lang=en
l.gareyThanks Mark for the excellent photos. What about the second one I saw at Cambridge, N9870F ex RG233? Do you know their fate?
l.gareyThanks Scorpion. I read about the Amman Mosquitos that went to Canada. No mention of my two though! Do you know “The Jack Amman Mosquitoes” by Norman Malayney (1994)? I have not seen it, but maybe my answers are in there.
l.gareyI just found this on
http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avmoss2.html
A number of Mosquitos were operated by civilian organizations after the war. A company from Los Angeles, Jack Amman Photographic Engineers, bought a number of PR.34s. These machines were converted by DH at Hatfield for survey work in Libya.
Does it help?
l.gareyThanks Brian. I had seen those 2 FAA entries and it was where I got the “Texas” lead.
Funny name the “Dehavilland MARK 34A”!
They state both “revoked” with last entry 1977.
But 5 seats? Does this suggest that they had a “passenger” conversion like the wartime BOAC Mosquitos?
I shall try to check with Marshalls to see what they were doing with them in 1958.
Scorpion: I do not see reference in WIX to the Cambridge Mosquitos, RG233 and PF678.
RS709 was at various times G-ASKA, N9797 and G-MOSI. Anyway it is a Mk 35. I used to see it at Booker, parked near our Cherokee. In September 1970 it was SKA, and a year later N9797,
So the cambridge aircraft are still a mystery to me.
Pity I did not take any photos.
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