WV-903.Ha ahahah !!!! Good one Mike. Clouds lenticular,— not a good day to fly in a light aircraft. Know you won’t believe me, but the adjustable spanner was the only thing I’m afraid. Looked at Garry’s Varsity Yoke, but price was way beyond me, glad to see it went to a good home though.
Bill T.
WV-903.Dhofar memorys.
Maybe 5 years too late to reply Jazz Hamster, better late than never.how time flies ) Got you on the correct date for the Tarqah shootings, you are right of course, I somehow had it in mind it was later. Thanks for the correction.
“Ambush corner”———Yes, sure were a lot of rumours that got made into facts I’m sure, but one fact is that prior to around 1985, (during my time there) all military vehicle journeys down to Salalah from Thumrait during the times of the Monsoon season (June-July-August ) had to be in convoys escorted by gun toting Oman Army vehicles. This was in our regular Airworks unit orders for us. The “Harif” brought down low cloud over the Jebel and the military I/c’s deemed the situation risky.
Spinney’s ——- lol !!!!! forgotten about that place, thanks for reminder. Graham Durose was base commander during my time there too, though that was downgraded to Airworks Base manager as SOAF took more control of their own Air Force. Remember “Rolo” too. he trained and ran the “Great Dhofar Road Race” with a crowd of us in late 1981,or 82. A very fit ex navy Limber Gun Team man during his “Earls Court ” display days and very fit out in Oman. But like most he did a few “Sliding down the Wall Nite’s” on Friday’s in T-3 bar. Lol !!!!!
Bill T.
WV-903.Yup !!!! great Aero-Jumble.
T’was indeed a good day. I only purchased a small 4″ Abingdon Adjustable spanner, but collected parts arranged for. Nice to meet old friends and yap away, as I’d not attended Newark for 2 years. Don’t know how many folks noticed but it was a clear sunny and windy day with conditions that were producing some great wave cloud formations over hills around. Here’s pics. I took of some late on in day when almost back home. These would be over Moelfamou Mount near Mold,Nth. Wales.
Bill T.
WV-903.84th Bill, 1956 -1959.
The Beaufighter classroom was located on the track where you “trogged” in at the back of the airfield, the first thing you saw on the right hand side. The Canberra and Comet shot must have been taken in 1959 during the final airfield phase. John Cunningham flew the Comet in.The boost gauge dial was given to me by Tim Moore of Skysport who purchased the remains of the classroom which I believe are now in Australia.
Hi Beaufighter,
Aaarrrrhhhhhhh !! 84th ayyyeeee. ( I well remember the 84th ‘s Entry “national sock week” at Halton during our time there 😀 never did get my own uniform shirts and socks back following morning, had to grab some other persons smelly ones so I could get onto “The March” to work–lol !!! )
The Vulcan and Comet colour pic. was from a slide taken by a chap who lives about 50 yds from me these days. Back then, he was a National Service Fireman stationed at RAF Halton. Thanks for info on the Classroom, so at least some of it was saved. Nice you got a classroom piece too. Nice to see other folks enjoying this thread too.
Bill T.
WV-903.Nice Bob Kat,
Keep it going,
Bill T.
WV-903.Brilliant Kev,
Not seen any of this before.
Bill T.
WV-903.Hooton Park hangars pics.
The 3 “Belfast Truss” hangars at Hooton Park are now 2 as hangar 3 collapsed a few years ago, and Hangar 1 looks really bad now, .(See Pics . I took these at the time. ) although a lot of conservation and restoration work has saved Hangar 2, Staff and volunteers, contractors, have Hangar 1 all shored up inside with scaffolding and there is on-going efforts to get grants, etc, to restore it all.
You can see the devastation after Hangar 3’s collapse, is bad and I hate to think what clear up costs will be. Since these pics. Hangar 3 has had more collapse at other end but Anson Aggie Paggie was dragged out of there in pieces in the nick of time.
So although this wonderful design and build of these types of hangars are an aviation historic landmark in UK, I doubt if designers thought they would be still standing in 100 years time without heavy conservation (as has been done on other “Belfasts”. ) What I’m saying is that you cannot just leave these types of hangars to rot down the years as these pics. show the results of the inevitable.
The Black and white pic. (not mine )shows what I’m sure is an eastern view of hangar 1 with all doors open as it used to be some 60 yrs ago. I’m sure it is hangar 1 as that looks like hut 27 on other side. Nice shot of the Auxilliary RAF Meteors operation in 1950’s. —-1953 I believe.
Bill T.
WV-903.Thanks for explaining Peter.
Beaufighter,
Nice pics and great to see something from the Beau Classroom still around. ( You must have been 82nd entry or earlier.) The shot of Hanger taken past Canberra’s also locates exactly where the Beaufighter classroom was located, thanks for that , my thoughts were always that it was closer to hangar and also the date when 4 Bladed props were fitted. Still hunting my pics down. But here’s one I found.
Bill T.
WV-903.Thanks Mike !!
Cheers Mike,
Nice to be able to add something to a very pleasant stroll back in time and fancy a Prentice aileron being found in 1980 above Henderson /Groves barracks/square in ze woods. Go and get it Sabre !!!!!. Also very nice to see all these pics, by Mk 12 which–( yes ) have now gone from here. ???????????????.
Moderators what on earth is going on ?????????? Come on guys you have to give an explanation for this please.
Bill T.
WV-903.Wow !! Great for the ID Martin. And thanks for putting this up too M. Jeepers, If that was me on that boat, not only would I be staring into space I’d be C********** myself very badly too. I’d be sick and wanting to turn around. These great men rarely spoke of WWW2 indeed, my father was an LAC Engine Mech in Battle of France,he only mentioned once about Sgt Aircrew friends who were all killed in action and the Tiger Moth that delivered their mail every so often. We were watching “War in The Air” back in 1950’s and he saw movie film of it coming in to land which made him jump up and swear, then say “That’s our Tiger Moth delivering mail ” and because that was only time he ever talked about it all, I never forgot that. He somehow got through Dunkirk and onto a warship that got him back to Blighty and I only found out about that after he died in 1981. Martin, glad to see your dad made it back too.—— Salute !!!
Bill T.
WV-903.Hi fella’s,
Lovely to see all this interest in RAF Halton circa my time there and to learn more about those Mosquito’s ———-here’s some more penny’s worth’s from that time.
Mark 12– that Spitfire 1958 was most of the time parked out front of main hangar and at W/ends I would go down there and wander around the Mossies and found with the Spitfire I could get canopy open.( though it was tight,) I spent many a good 1/2 hour sitting in the cockpit with Spitfire smells wafting over me. It was a lovely way to sit and think, Cannot now remember how well C/pit was fitted out or even if there was a seat in. There were no guards ,dogs, police ,barbed wire, jihadi terrorists ,drill sgts, or anyone around to spoil the moment, you just walked through gate into a todays preservationists paradise totally left to your own devices,( As you well knew and enjoyed, same as me, though you must have been a bit nervous about being nabbed by service police , though in those days they would let you go after a smack about the ears. lol !!! ). This Spit, (I didn’t know it’s Mk. till a couple of days ago and that it is now an airborne wonder, so thanks for that guys ). I’m sure the Mossies were parked up just beyond the Spit. They were starting to be dismantled so I was into C/pit of every one thinking “What a crying shame”.
The Spitfire didn’t have an engine in engine bay, but a great lump of concrete ballast, into which was plunged a pipe of some sort that the Prop hung on. Don’t think prop could be rotated either. Rest of Spitfire was quite complete, but she was an empty shell that had several layers of paint on and I don’t remember any corrosion of note. Because she was a “SPITFIRE” and a rare item to see then, so I was all over her checking everything,(As a trainee Rigger would ).
Also Mark, thanks for the nice larger pics. of the scrap Swifts. Only seen the small ones up to now. Although these Swifts are to be seen on Airfield, my memory of them (Think I’ve mentioned this before in here, apologies for repeats if I have ) is lined up on edge of tarmac outside the (New back then) Airframe Apprentice training Hangar up on the Tech Training site. I did spend much time in evenings wandering around them too, They were ex-Germany RAF ones. but cannot now remember what Sqdns. ) I know these Swifts vanished from there early on in 1958, ( Now I know to the Airfield) but I have no recollection of seeing them on Airfield, :confused:.
Rochford and Dave Burke,
The Prentices, Very sturdily built airframes from what I remember, I really enjoyed taking them apart and re-assembling, made me feel like I had arrived as an Airframe chap. The reason very few pics. exist of Aircraft in main workshops (apart from official ones ), is that we all had to sign the official secrets act and we were duly warned of the heavy penalties that would be inflicted on us if caught doing anything wrong and un-authorised photography, drawings, sketches or taking anything belonging to MOD/RAF was strictly verboten. People don’t realise about the strictness of the services in adherence to orders and one Instrument apprentice I knew there, was dismissed from the Apprentices for getting drunk and into a fight right before his final passing out parade. Met him years later too and we compared notes down about our subsequent lives. Nice chap actually and into aircraft preservation nowadays. So I never took any pics around workshops or Airfield, hoping I could bluff my way out if stopped by the “Snoops”, on account I was carrying out field work for my “schools” thesis, luckily, I never was. Also, I don’t remember seeing the Prentices after they were taken out of Airframes training hangar. Someone will have.
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That’s a great pic. of the Beaufighter Classroom when it had the 3 bladed props fitted, never seen that before. Can anyone tell if it also had earlier Engines (WW2 ) fitted ? because that rig had the 4 bladed props fitted during my time there. And(At the risk of more repeats–(lol) ) they sounded great when being run up. At these times when I was officially on duty/training down at airfield, I would go to great lengths to get out of my assignments (known —–“skiving”— ) and then run the gauntlet of getting into the Beaufighter classroom, while an engine Trainee’s class was in session under a Chief or Sgt Tech by using all sorts of pretexts for being there. The Instructor would shout ” Oi !! what are doing here you little weasel”, then after much wheedling on my part ,they always caved in and said “OK–sit at back and keep quiet.”. Which I duly did. :eagerness: (object achieved ) Each Apprentice would take it in turn to have a go “on” the throttles once engines were up and running, watching the enlarged instruments dials ( On big frontal display panel ) pointers wavering around and full throttle on both engines produced. The whole hut would shake like being in a real Beaufighter on full throttles and noise was tremendous, I just loved it. I got really cheeky at one point and asked If I could have a go on operating the Throttles during engine runs, but “NO” was answer. (Well I really did try , so didn’t feel too bad about never quite getting there). Standing outside, close up, when these things were ground running was exhilarating too. How that hut stayed in one piece I do not to this day know. Looking back on those days, those instructors were really great Servicemen, I think they understood my interests, but had to follow the rules when being observed officially. So fast forward some 56 years and lets take that Beaufighter Rig to Newark and set it up for Cockpit fest. Can you imagine the lads wanting to get in there and have a go on those Hercs. Folks would happily pay for such an experience and many more just enjoy it from a distance. I believe the “Rig” ( Or some of it ) is still in existence somewhere, any one have any idea’s or thoughts on that ?????
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Finally, seeing as so many good pics. have surfaced in here, I’ll go and round up the few I have from those Apprentice Training days and post them in here. I’m sure The Spitfire is in one pic. taken on Halton open day,(probably 1960, as just cannot now remember date ) along with M airframes lined up for the day. So will get back when I find em. Cheers guys, a very pleasant meander down memory lane for me.
Bill T.
WV-903.Halton Mossies.
As a “Brat” (88th ) at RAF Halton from Jan 58 -Dec 60, I spent many an hour wandering around those 3 Mosquito’s. No one around at W/ends, you guys would have loved that, plus all the dumped Swifts and Meteors on Dump. The mosquito’s were parked up like that when I arrived and moved around some, but we had an Airshow day there later on and I don’t remember seeing them after that, maybe they were on the dump by then. I didn’t take Aircraft numbers at that time,(never have) unfortunately, but looking at these pics, you fine chaps have posted, makes me cringe to think all scrapped.
That last pic. of the Meteor in foreground, that was most likely one of the Mk 8s used for aircraft marshalling practice. Those Meteors were kept in ground running and taxiing order and when required were fired up and taxied around by RAF Flt. Lt pilots on ground tours at Halton. We were ordered to move out onto grass field in a humongus size circle and marshall said Meteors around. Good fun for us, but I’m sure the pilots got bored doing that because one fine summers day after marshalling practice, this one Meteor swept out to far end of airfield, pointed in to wind and let it rip.( Like they do at Brunty nowadays ) I asked our instructor what was happening (A polite boy ) he said pilot would give it a fast ground taxi. And that’s exactly what happened,——-until the point at which he rotated and lifted up to some 10-15ft into the air, then throttled back and glided for a while before settling back down gently. he taxied back to us, shut down and climbed out with a Cheshire cat grin. ( wonder if it was same pilot as the Brunty Victor episode—lol :D:D )
I’m pretty sure, those particular Meteors joined the other ones on the scrap pile as we got into 1960.
Bill T.
WV-903.I applaud your efforts boys, maybe the demise of the “Barra” project by the “BlueBird” team, has now thrown these other very important resurrections of our aviation history into sharper focus. But the size of a Stirling, whew !!! what a monster it was (will be).
Bill T.
WV-903.What an interesting bit of kit. First thing that comes to mind is it is like a school room protractor of modern times, but this being made of wood suggests earlier times. Could it be WW1 ? It does cover the rest of a compass circle round to 360 Degrees, but I guess you hold pencil in that small notch in centre and swivel the thing to where needed. So I’d say definitely used on Naval or early flying charts. I’ve never seen one of these wooden items before. If this was found at an RAF Bomber crash site, that means WW2 and who is to say what RAF Bomber navigators carried with them in their bags. The Nav who then may have used this one, must have had his reasons. (then again, I could well be way out wrong -lol :confused:. )
Bill T.
WV-903.Awwwwww !!!!
What a damn shame :apologetic: Such an enjoyable Blog to follow Bill, however, once you are passed it all and looking to new pastures, your next project to tackle is bound to be an inspiring one. The Yeovilton Museum loses out big time. Their decisions seem to parallel “Common Purpose” dogma, wonder if any of the decision makers there have links to that or are “graduates”. ??? The other bonus Bill is that you folks still have the skills, which isn’t necessarily true of the Museum and maybe that wasn’t liked either.
Here is one Forumite then who looks forward to your next project announcements. Bet it will be a good one. Don’t forget that although forumites in here do bicker and argue, but when a project catches their attention, they do move solidly in support of it. That’s donation wise too, The Percival Prince /Avro 748 moves to Speke Old Airport and re-build comes to mind.
Best wishes to you and the whole crew up there Bill.
Bill T.
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