lauriebeSINCE POSTING THIS REQUEST I’VE BEEN SEARCHING MY PERSONAL RECORDS OF THE TIME (1969) AGAIN (MORE CLOSELY !!) AND IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE RN CREW WHO TRANSPORTED AND RE-ASSEMBLED THE SEAFIRE AT LAVENHAM, SUFFOLK IN JULY 1969 MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FROM RNAS CULDROSE BUT ACTUALLY FROM:
ROYAL NAVY’s “MATSU”, BASED AT LEE ON SOLENT, HAMPSHIRE (AT THAT TIME)
CAN ANYONE WITH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE INFORMATION ON THAT ‘UNIT’ PLEASE HELP ME OUT.
What exactly was a ‘MATSU’ ? Was it ‘Maintenance and Transport Support Unit’, or what? (I’m purely guessing here!!!!!). :confused: 😀
Can’t seem to find any ‘historical’ information on this unit on searching the Royal Navy / Fleet Air Arm websites
ANY INFORMATION ON THIS WILL BE OF GREAT HELP IN TRYING TO TRACE THESE PEOPLE. (I’M ALSO TRYING TO GET HELP VIA ANOTHER FORUM THREAD http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=40075 )
MANY THANKS 🙂
Richard
Hi Richard,
The unit concerned was MARTSU, Mobile Aircraft Repair, Transport and Salvage Unit. Lee sounds about right for the base.
I believe that this was the same unit that collected ‘441 from my old ATC Sqn in Plymouth during January 1964.
Don’t have any other info I’m afraid.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeAlways nice to see a correctly proportioned RAF roundel Stateside!
Mark,
Everything else appears nicely proportioned as well! 😉
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeHeres a pic of TF956 in service,while visiting RNAS St Merryn (HMS Vulture)
circa 1950
HMS Vulture,
Interesting photo. Does the ‘K’ tail code refer to HMAS Sydney and was the aircraft with 805 NAS at the time?
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeThat picture’s on Ray Hanna’s office wall. There was a thread here about it a while back.
I tried to find the thread but wasn’t successful. IIRC, there was some debate over whether or not the photo was genuine. I remember some of the story behind it but not all.
BR,
Laurie.
lauriebeFour views of Howard Pardue’s aircraft, this time wearing “13”.
All taken on 23 May 2001 in HP’s hangar at Stevens County Airport, Breckenridge, Texas.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebePhantom flyby, St Athan!
BR,
Laurie.
lauriebeI wonder if any of you aircraft buffs can throw any light on a Meteor F8 crash in August 1952 at Linton on Ouse, the pilot was Sqdn/ldr Jack Jagger of 92 squadron. I am interested because he was my flight cmdr when I served with 80 squadron. He was a great guy and a brilliant pilot,he once, when doing a loop in a spitfire had a nut from the cockpit floor lock the control column and was forced to land the aircraft using just the trimming tabs. That is only one of the stories I could tell you of him. Are there any ex 80 sqdn bods out there who remembers Jack?
Last Take Off by Colin Cummings shows this as happening on 14 August 1952 and involving Meteor F8, WK657. It places the accident as near RAF Coningsby and says that the pilot was practicing aerobatics culminating in a bunt to the inverted straight and level. He rolled out of the bunt before it was complete and began to lose height before striking the ground, killing some cattle and then disintegrating against a river bank.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeThis is the best I can come up with I’m afraid. It’s taken from “Warpaint Series No.27, de Havilland Vampire” by W.A.Harrison.
Confuses the issue even more though because the markings are different (no stripe) and this book shows the crest with the King’s crown but the wording “Squadron” instead of “Fighter Squadron”. :confused:
And here’s the same Vampire but from the other side! 🙂
Just had a look through Warpaint 27 as well. Have also done several searches on the net but drawn a blank each time.
Perhaps the badge painted on the aircraft in the photo was an “unofficial” one. I believe this sometimes happened. Still no clue as to the stripe though. Might it have been part of a larger marking/decoration on the aircraft’s nose? Tbirdman, do you by any chance have any other photos of that occassion?
Perhaps the good folks at the RAF Heraldry site could help with advice on the official style badge. I see that one has been produced. Or, maybe the Sqn’s association can help. There are contact details on this link:
http://www.associations.rafinfo.org.uk/squadron.htm
I’ll keep looking but there doesn’t seem to be to much on 32 Sqn Vampires around.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeThat is a great shame, Laurie !!
It would have been good to see you.
Make sure you get plenty of good shots of “our old friend” (VP441) in Montana (ground – air and air – air) and post as many as possible on the ‘Forum’.
Look forward to hearing from you when you get back to Penang, if not before.
Cheers for now,
Richard
Hi Richard,
Unfortunate but I will be in contact when I get back. I’ll also email you.
By the way, I have no problems accessing Peter’s site through the link he posted. Could your Norton settings be blocking it for some reason?
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeThat’s interesting. Is that something that is likely to have changed when the crown changed from the King’s to Queen’s crown? The RAF Marham site shows the wording just as “Squadron” but with the Queen’s crown.
The current 32 Sqn. crest has changed again of course to “Royal Squadron” as they took over the duties of the Queen’s Flight.
I’m very interested in understanding this as the Vampire T.11 pod I’m restoring started it’s service life with 32 Sqn. in the Middle East and returned to the UK in 1957 when they converted to Canberras. I suspect it may have been the squadrons only T.11 but can’t be sure. I would like to return the pod to it’s 32 Sqn. colour scheme so getting the crest right is important.
I’m also intrigued by the stripe behind the crest…?
I noticed the crown and the stripe. Have been looking through a few books but haven’t come up with anything yet. Haven’t been able to find any photos from that period either.
Not sure when the word “Fighter” was dropped from the badge. Some badges, mainly for bomber units still seem to include that wording in their badges. Haven’t seen any fighter units with it though.
Have to do some more checking.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeBingo! …32 Squadron it is!
Certainly looks like it.
I was intrigued by the writing around the upper portion of the badge. Normally this just reads “Squadron”, positioned centrally. However, on checking the RAF Heraldry site, it seems that 32’s original badge showed “Fighter Squadron”. So that fits.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeThanks for the information o nthe seafire. I had no idea it was the same one that is now a beautiful flying machine again in the usa Well done and I raise my glass to all those involved in returning this incredible machine to the air!!
RJA Taylor.
Yes it is the same Lancaster that I work on on a volunteer basis. I have been doing so on and off for the past 13+ years! We hope to have an engine running this summer. for more info you can look at this site..
http://www.lancasterfm159.freeservers.com
Peter,
Just had a look at your site via the link above. Good work. Well done. Have added the site to my list of favourites and will check back to see the progress.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeGood to hear from you again Laurie.
I just had a feeling that, as soon as the ‘reunion’ date was fixed, it would conflict with some people’s diary commitments!!!!!!! Martin has ‘fixed’ the 14th May date with Fred and Harold so we can’t change that. Is your UK departure date ‘set in stone’ or ‘moveable’ ? It would have been great to meet up with you at LAHC and share memories ‘in person’ – any remote chance of you being able to delay departure, say until the Sunday or Monday after reunion?????
When are you actually arriving back in UK?
Re your US “side trip” (he says with ‘total’ jealousy inflection in voice!!!), I hope you’re going fully equipped with (digi) camera / camcorder and plenty of film / memory card(s) !!!! Have you had any offers of a spare seat on camera chase plane to secure more air-to-air shots of VP441 as she performs over that magnificent Montana countryside??? YES I’M TURNING YELLOW at the very thought !!!!! Post as many pics. as you can on your return won’t you.
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Hi Richard,
I will be in the UK over 2 short periods, 5 – 12 May and again, 28 May – 2 Jun. Unfortunately, time constraints and ticket restrictions won’t allow changes. Pity. Hope all goes well with your get together at EK.
I’m looking forward to seeing ‘our’ old friend again. Especially seeing her in the air.
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeGnome,
As mentioned by Mark V in the previous post, the larger area tail units seem to stem from lack of directional control after the introduction of the higher powered Griffon engines and the larger diameter props that went with them.
For those who are not conversant with the Spiteful/Seafang types, two links below will take you to some info on them.
I thought I had some photos of the 2 types but cannot lay my hands on them presently.
http://www.supermarine-spitfire.co.uk/the_spiteful.htm
http://www.supermarine-spitfire.co.uk/the_seafang.htm
Regards,
Laurie.
lauriebeI’ve revived this thread as a result of the link from the NX611 Double Anniversary thread. I looked here, thought wow I missed that (in Sep ’04).
But I also have a question for the Spitfire knowledgeable here (a quality I don’t have). Looking at the profile of this magnificent machine I’m taken by the overall size/area of the vertical surfaces (fin/rudder). Am I mistaken or are these much larger than one would find on a “normal” late model Spitfire? If so, is that to do with the contra-rotating props, or Griffon power, or being a carrier aircraft? Or am I in fact much mistaken, in which case my apologies – please correct me!
Gnome,
You are correct.
The FR Mk 47 version of the Seafire was fitted with the larger tail assemblies originally intended for the Spiteful, Supermarine’s last piston engined fighter. I’m not sure of the reasons behind the change, perhaps Mark12 can enlighten us. Only a few of these aircraft were ever produced. All, I believe, except those that went to test establishments, ended up in store at 6 MU Brize Norton.
It had also been intended to produce a navalised version of the Spiteful, that was to be known as the Seafang. Only 16 of these were ever built and, IIRC, none entered service. They were used for development work only before being scrapped.
Regards,
Laurie.
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