Wing Commander Joe Northrop

Joe – The Autobiography Of A Trenchard Brat

Square One 1993 ISBN 1-872017-69-X

It may have been One Bell Antiques at Lavenham – I never knew the name of the place. It was a small shop which you entered by going up three steps, at the Northern end of the High Street. Asw ell as general antiques, it used to sell odds and ends of militaria.

Sadly, the owner retired and the shop closed about seven or eight years ago……

Despite the fact that Hamish Mahaddie was involved with the production, perhaps the kindest thing to be said about the series is that it hasn’t stood the test of time.

It was low-budget, and it shows.

So sorry to hear of the passing of Tom.
He unveiled the Hunsdon airfield memorial back in 2005,

I remember it well Denis ; Sqn Ldr Bennett very graciously sat down afterwards with my Dad and I for a chat ( even though we were totally unknown to him ). When we commented that the BBMF Lanc flyover looked rather low, he gave us a huge grin and exclaimed ‘They did it especially for us !’.

He also supported several events at the Mosquito Museum; despite the fact that he lived to a fine age I felt very sorry to hear of his passing, and I’ll always treasure the copy of his 617 Squadron book that he inscribed for me.

Did 617 practice with normal Lancs?

Yes – the first flights over the Derwent Dam were undertaken toward the end of March 1943 and the first of the Type 464 Provisioning Lancs didn’t arrive on the Squadron until April 8th.

Having visited the DH Heritage Centre very recently it seems that far from contracting, the scope of the Museum is expanding. I believe that the remains of the Otter left the site ( where they were stored outside ) some time ago but certainly the Rapide was still there. From what I have been told, the focus is now on upgrading the buildings (several of which have suffered from wear and tear over many years) with the aim of getting as many of the significant airframes as possible under cover. Obviously it is a rather cramped site and the challenges are considerable, but it seems that the Museum is working hard toward a more ‘professional’ look for visitors in 2013.

Well done to you and your colleagues, Denis – you’ve done a remarkable job.

I’ve received my copy and very good it is, too. Utterly absorbing, very well laid-out, and personally I think that the always controversial ‘what is original?’ point is covered very candidly.

I really hope to be able to see the Spitfire at Legends…..