Blenheim prang location

The ‘watch office’ in the background looks like Odiham to me; the building is still there I believe. Don’t know how common this style of building was …?

Typhoon JR516

History of this aircraft is almost correct in the ebay listing.
Built by Gloster
51 MU Lichfield 22 Dec 43
137 Sqn 1 Jan 44, coded SF-H
Cat B damage after over-shooting the runway at Lympne, 16 Mar 44
Repaired by Taylorcraft, then to 13 MU for mods (9 Jun 44)
3 TEU, Aston Down, date not known
Crashed at Tainton nr Tiberton, 5 Aug 44, after fire in the air. Sgt N.J.Brightwell killed

Walls icecream Tiffie

Further to my last, I have been told that when the Sabre ran, icey exhaust fumes vented to the exterior caused a minor ‘snow’ storm in the adjoining street – much to the consternation of the driver of a passing horse and cart (it was c.May 1943 I believe). The trials may have been in connection with the plans to divert Typhoon output to Russia.

Reid & Sigrist contracts

Have not come across any docs but it is evident from the RAF Mitchell Form 78 movement cards that R&S had a repair contract for Mitchells.

Cheval’s pen to paper

Cheval Lallemand I’m not personally in touch with. Have met him a few times, a great talker, but not one to put pen to paper I don’t think.

He wrote his wartime biography ‘Rendez-Vous avec la Chance’ (1962)published in UK by MacDonald, 1964 as ‘Rendezvous with Fate’.

WJ643 with ‘laser’ nose

The attached photo was taken at Edinburgh on 19 May 1972 and I believe shows WJ643 fitted with the laser nose. The callsign in use was ‘Soaker 1’.

29 Sqn Lightnings dumped

Reference Salad Fingers’ posts. Attached are two photos of the 60 MU dump at Leconfield taken on 2 December 1975. They are all ex 29 Sqn Lightnings (A XP762, B XP743, E XP755, J XP735, M XP757, S XP758) with the exception of the F.1 XM137 (could that be the donor of the cockpit that accompanied XP757?). Alas wings are not too visible but I see no sign of white (nor made any note at the time – and I would have if I’d spotted it).

Some of the 29 Sqn aircraft had some ‘zaps’ on their fins – E had a French stork, J had a goose, as did B, which also had a red fox’s ‘mask’.

Incidentally, I don’t think Leconfield’s badge was a bell – I believe it was a sheaf of arrows splayed, as marked on the tail of the 60 MU Lightning XM144.