Meteor Allocations

Hi all.
I am looking for RAF Sqn allocations and service histories for the following FR.MK.9 Meteors:
WL259
WX963
WX967
WX975
WX980
WB123
WB140

Thank you.

avinoam549 – this might help,

WL259 – No RAF History – delivered straight from Gloster Aircraft to Israel and coded No. 212
WX963 – No RAF History – delivered straight from Gloster Aircraft to Israel as No. 216
WX967 – 187 Sqn, Gloster Aircraft (03/09/54), to Israel as No. 211
WX975 – 187 Sqn, Gloster Aircraft (23/08/54), to Israel as No. 215
WX980 – No RAF History – delivered straight from Gloster’s to Israel as No. 217
WB123 – 92 Sqn, 2 Sqn, then to Gloster’s (09/08/54) and to Israel as No. 213
WB140 – 79 Sqn, 208 Sqn, then to Gloster’s (09/08/54) and to Israel as No. 214

As you’ve probably worked out, they are all Gloster-built FR.9’s and some more information can be found here: http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/israel/types/meteor.htm

Steve may be able to help with further, more detailed information than the Air Britain list I’ve referred to.

Lancaster Legend etc

I was watching my copy of Lancaster Legend last night, have to say I was not aware of the other two, are they commercially available?

Lion Rock, as far as I’m aware they’re not commercially available but I do somewhere have all three on VHS. As I’ve only just acquired another working video recorder, I’m going through tapes trying to find them. They were all half-hour documentaries hosted by Currienand broadcast in the mid ’80’s. As I said in an earlier post, I don’t remember the order in which they went out but the titles were: ‘Lancaster Legend’ (obviously, that appears to be reason for this thread!), ‘The Augsburg Raid’ (which I unearthed yesterday) and lastly, ‘The Watch Tower’, which is a look at the legends and folklore which has built up around disused airfields. Some good very early footage of East Kirkby on this one IIRC. I’m still looking for tow of these vids.

Cheers
Chris

Jack Currie Items

With reference to Lancman’s obviously frustrated remark, I have a copy of this somewhere! However, it’s a while since I’ve seen it myself and I’ve moved house since and actually not watched any videos in ages. Currie actually did three half hour documentaries. The titles elude me at the moment but one was of the Augsburge Raid, Led by Jon Nettleton and flown by 44 Sqn; the other is indeed the ‘Lancaster Legend’ (or someting along thise lines!) which is, from memory, a personal account by Currie of joining and flying the Lancaster and the third, which I think was a BBC Look North programme, focusses on the ‘ghosts’ of airfields. Interestingly, this also includes a brief interview with Fred Panton and a look at the Ghost of East Kirkby. Iy also includes shots of the tower long before it reached its now superb state. I MUST look these vids out.

Chris

How often do they haul it out and run it up?

Quite regularly throughout the ‘season’ which is between Easter and November, although the Museum is open throughout the year. On the taxi-run days, there are normally two runs. Sqn Ldr Paul Day, ex-BBMF, pilot’s their Spitfire T.9. Check the web site: http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/information.cfm

I was out with 1Group last Saturday and despite the evening being, er, ‘crisp’ (NX611 had a healthy coat of frost by 19:30 and there was much frantic defrosting of the perspex!) that was easily forgotten when it started up. I don’t know whether it was the cold or not but the loud crack when the engines ignited was awe-inspiring 😀 . Very much an eveing for letting the imagination run riot, especially as she was in her natural element – a genuine WW2 airfield, at night. Since my last visit a few years ago, there have since been added discreet green decals to engine nascelles, on the radiator scoops simply stating: ‘Powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin’. What more can you say! 🙂