Fairey Battle.

Hi.

The last time I saw a Battle, wasn’t ‘a’ Battle, there were twelve of flying in perfect formation over Grimsby in 1942. I was twelve then and was hoping that the war would last so I could get in it! It was not to be, I was called up for National Service in the Royal Artillery, in 1948, the RAF had got it’s quota. Not to be out done, I was in the Royal Airforce three months after demob. I soon found out, in the Army you are a nobody and in the RAF you matter. I ended up as an electrical mech on 617 Squadron with the Avro Lincoln and then the Canberra. Happy days!

Ken

Fairey Gannet

Hi

We have a Fairey Gannet at the Dumfries Aviation Museum ex HMS Gannet at Prestwick. It is in fairly good condition but there is a fist sized hole in the canopy, some one must have one lying around unloved but available! Also we are in need of Wessex bits and pieces. We’re all born scroungers in this trade!!

Ken

Hi Binbrook 74,

My Grandfather was stationed ther in the mid 60s and my father met mother in Caistor, I grew up in Immingham so it was a local base for me right up till the end of flying.

Dad has lots of pictures from the early 70s till they finished, including some scary moments with Lightnings.

Tim

Hi, Binbrook 01.

Who did your father marry in Caistor, I used to live there, I worked for Cherry Valley Farms and lived down Cromwell View.

Ken

Canberra’s again!

Hi

We have at the Dumfries Aviation Museum, a Canberra nose section PR4 and a failed Indian export, a Complete fuselage with tail feathers. Oh, for a pair of wings, the trouble is, its quite a size to transport.

Ken

He 111.

There was an He 111 at Cosford in the seventies. I was there on an Airframes course for ATC and we were allowed to have a look at the Museum they were at that time building up. One amusing thing we were shown and memory fails a bit here, I think it was a Bristol high speed experimental and they told us that had an original high temperature patina, a rich golden brown. A Flight Sergeant who is best forgotten, came in with a fatigue gang, saw the brown colour, said it was just dirt and set them on it with dura glit and brasso and took it back to its original stainless steel finish. No one was very much amused, I think they said they took him round the back of the hangar and shot him!! Incidently, the HE 111 was in very good condition.

Ken

RAF Binbrook.

Hi Binbrook 74.
I was there from 1951 to 1956 with 617 Squadron. They had Avro Lincolns then and in 1952 we got our first Canberra B2. When all the Squadrons were posted in we had 9, 12, 50, 101, 139 (Jamaica) and 617 Squadrons. When 617 Squadron disbanded to retrain on Vulcans, I was transfered to ASF flight.

Ken

Tiger Moth crash at RAF Binbrook.

Heard stories of the meteor crash at the bob display at coningsby by my late fathers cousin.
He always use tot tell me about how my grandfather jumped on top of my father as he was a small boy incase any parts came flying across.
Told me how he remembered the aircraft breaking up as it flew across the airfield and he cud still see the pilot in the cockpit as it broke off.
A very tragic accident.
Does any body have any detailed information on the tiger moth crash at Raf Binbrook or any photos of this incident at all. ?

I was stationed at Bibrook at time. The Tiger moth took off immediately after a diplay by three Canberra’s. He attempted a low slow roll and hit turbulence from the Canberra’s and spun, it’s going back a long time, but I don’t think he was killed.

Ken

IFF?

‘Target Radar’ and ‘IFF’ (identification friend or foe)…

…just where are Qantas flying to these days? 😀

It is correct. The system is still refered to as IFF by a lot of pilots, it is used to beam back to the regional air traffic control people the airline ident of the particular flights.

Ken