Gentleman, I can’t thank you enough for your help – those two do indeed seem like the men in question. I will continue my research now – but if anyone can also identify the chap on the far left, that would be much appreciated.

Hello all,

Bumping this thread again in the event anyone out there might have any leads on the status of the surviving two machines. These would be 351 and 353, possibly located at Debre Zeit in Ethiopia. Condition unknown, possibly in pieces now. If anyone can help, I would be really grateful.

Thanks, but it might be the same as the ones I got from BAe. There were several air to air shots, both colour and b/w taken at the time it seems, and one of them showing an unpainted a/c with rocket pods fitted on the ground. I have all these, and a few others from test pilots actually out in Ethiopia. Just trying to see if there are any spotter photos that were never published.

Thread bump – would anyone out there by chance have any photos or information relating to Ethiopian Air Force Canberras? I have managed to gather some stories from former pilots over the last few years, but would love to hear more before I finish this chapter.

Hello all,

This is an appeal to the collective resources of the forum again. I’m approaching the final stages of the book which has gone very well. There are a couple of weak areas however, one being RNZAF usage of the Canberra. If anyone here has contacts within veterans groups for 14 and 75 Sqns (RNZAF) I would be very grateful if you could connect me. I had some marginal success with 14 Sqn a couple of years ago, but would very much like to flesh out this part of the book, as I feel the New Zealand experience is significant. In particular, I would love to talk to anyone that either flew or maintained RNZAF Canberras during the Malayan Emergency.

The other request is a rather specific one, but if you don’t ask you never know. I’m looking for anyone that might have contact details for a Sqn Ldr David E. Dowling, or his family members. I’m not sure if he is alive, but Sqn Ldr Dowling was involved (as a then Flt Lt) in training Peruvian pilots to fly their newly acquired B(I).8s in 1956. Later he went on to fly Lockheed U-2s on covert ops for the CIA via Mi6 but that is another story. If anyone could help with information on him or his family, I would very much like to get in touch.

Thanks all for your time.

Kind regards,

Steve

Hello John,

many thanks for getting in touch. I would certainly like to hear more from your time on Canberras and will PM you with my email address now.

Steve