A friend of mine worked for the M.O.D. for 25 years and told me that more than once the future of the B.B.M.F. was in question some years. If the rumours have some truth, I would have to question why another Spitfire (TE311) is being rebuilt by them when they already have five, against two Hurricanes and one Lanc’. While it is wonderful to see another aircraft rebuilt to fly, especially a Spitfire which will always draw a crowd, would a slightly slimmed down B.B.M.F. with maybe P7350, AB910, PM631 staying alongside the rest of the flight because of their individual historical statuses and to represent Spitfire development, and MK356 or PS915 or TE311 sold off to appease the bean counters, with a small reduction in flying hours? They had to sell PS853 to defray the costs of rebuilding LF363 a few years ago. . .
None of this is good for us enthusiasts and I have been to Conningsby more than once to see them come back and taxi in so I would hate to see any reduction, but if it means our men in Afganistan have all the equipment they need it would make sense. As for whether they should have to be there, that’s somebody elses argument, not mine.

Here is a picture of the Blenheim prop in the Manston museum, looks pretty similar, and to the prop on the recovered engine from T9044, the Pembroke Dock Sunderland.

Remember seeing the newly recovered wreckage in a tent at what was probably the last Great Warbirds at West Malling around 1991, they charged a small fee to go in and see it and the man in front of me gave all the ‘I’m unemployed, I shouldn’t be paying’ excuses and the the man taking the money politely told him to go and get a job!:D

Also a great article and photos in the report.
Local to me so went and stood along the A225 to watch and take one or 2 discreet photos of the aircraft over the cross, what was particuarly welcome was that the Hurricane and one of the Spitfires made several passes when I only expected two at most.

He was born in Lincolnshire and named after Guy Gibson, so he has had an interest in aviation and WW2 from a young age. Guy specialises in real road racing and has had numerous top tens and podiums at the TT and won the Scarborough Gold Cup several times to name but 2. His Merlin on a trailer is an XX from a Lancaster.

I have compared the nose art from one of the original wartime photos (the nose section on the ground) – with the Scampton and the Hendon repaints of the nose art. I have photoshopped them all to a side view and overlaid them.

They are close – but both of them were hand painted versions of the original artwork and are not in the correct place/bomb angle etc.

The current Hendon artwork is the least original. But I guess they did not have the capabilities/needs or desires to 100% accurately represent it c.f. looking like it should do.

Besides the aircraft spent most of its operational life with a nude/bomb on it.. Not forgetting the gremlin before it.

I went to Hendon many years ago and got a copy of the booklet ‘A Very Special Lancaster’ from memory (as it went missing!) the man that painted the ‘NO ENEMY AIRCRAFT. . .’ on it when it was with 467 helped in it’s restoration before going to Hendon, wonder if he painted the second one on? There is a photo of R5868 in ‘Claims to Fame The Lancaster showing it’s original artwork as Queenie, sadly many of the photos in the book didn’t reproduce very well.

Excellent programme, well done BBC!

Having read and enjoyed ‘Wings On My Sleeve’ he is critical of all the armed services and political manouvering that led to TSR-2 and the carrier CVA-01 being cancelled. I expect he has declined any honours since in protest at these decisions regardless of who was in goverment.

In Garbett and Goulding’s ‘Lancaster At War 2’ there is a fine photo of 2 9 Squadron Air Gunners at Bardney before a raid, Canadian Sgt Jack Dickinson with Sgt ‘Darky’ Gilkes from Trinidad. Sgt Dickinson survived and returned home sadly Sgt Gilkes paid the ultimate sacrifice. In Jon Lake’s ‘Halifax Squadrons of World War 2’ one of the colour profiles is of a 76 Squadron Halifax LW648 MP-A, it’s crew had a Nigerian Wireless Operator so the aircraft was named ‘Achtung The Black Prince’ which later failed to return from Bochum on 4th November 1944.