RAF TERNHILL open day 1964...

[dave]

hi,

as before correction's welcomed and ?'s, c/n's update's also welcomed...

 
420430 Me.210
XE982? VAMPIRE T.11
VP972 DEVON C.1
XJ757 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 c/n WA103  "F-W"  
XG515 SYCAMORE HR.14 c/n 13369  "S-F" 
XM459 JET PROVEST T.3A c/n PAC/W/9267
WB534 DOVE C.1 c/n 04270
XM528 SKEETER AOP.12 c/n S2/5104
WG422 CHIPMUNK T.10 c/n C1/0496
WF791 METEOR T.7
XD550 VAMPIRE T.11 c/n 15531
XM330 WESSEX HAS.1 c/n WA11
WG256 VALETTA T.4 c/n 504
0-26146 BEAVER U-6A c/n 540-1308
0-50940 C.47B c/n 16943/34203
TA639 MOSQUITO
WJ916 VARSITY T.1
XA629 JAVELIN FAW.4
XP333 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 c/n WA353
XR485 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 c/n WA417
XM649 VULCAN B.2
XH591 VICTOR K.1A
G-AIDN SPITFIRE VIII c/n 729058
XF706 SHACKLETON MR.3/3
XM707 GNAT T.1 c/n FL512
XM564 SKEETER AOP.12 c/n S2/5119
XP355 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 "W-A" c/n WA371
XP331 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 "W-T" c/n WA351
XP302 WHIRLWIND HAR.10 "W-M" c/n WA345
WD285 CHIPMUNK T.10 c/n C1/0224
XT138 SIOUX AH.1 c/n 1549
XP678 JET PROVEST T.4
XB269 BEVERLEY C.1 F"
XJ380 SYCAMORE HR.14 "S-M" c/n 13242
G-ARRV AVRO 748 c/n 1548
WJ677 CANBERRA B.2
WH647 CANBERRA B.2 c/n 71119
XN786 LIGHTNING F.2A c/n 95139
WF330 VARSITY T.1 c/n 522
XN647 SEA VIXEN FAW.2 c/n 10079
XP443 ARGOSY C.1 c/n 6775
XP805 BEAVER AL.1 c/n 1454
XN979 BUCCANEER S2 c/n B3-06-63
TX219 ANSON

      regards,

                        dave...   
  
 

[Deleted]

One very minor clarification... the Victor was a B1A rather than a 'K'... Honington's 57 Sqn was a bomber squadron at the time of this display. Here's a little more on that era:
www.finesthourwarbirds.co.uk/blog/v-force-victors-in-malaya/
We need to correct the Malaya article in one respect... the Victor in the formation pic was XH591, the same Victor that displayed at Tern Hill and the other BoB locations on 19 Sep 64. Same pilot too... and he trained originally on the Prentice and Harvard... at Tern Hill!

[rh226]

....and one further minor amendment, I'm afraid.

420430 is actually an Me410A-1/U2.  It is on display at the RAF Museum, Cosford.

Mossie TA639 is also now at Cosford.  However, I too saw that in 1964 whilst on a CCF camp at Little Rissington.  It was then being used by the OC Central Flying School as a "hack" and was in a beautiful, very highly polished, natural metal finish.

Cheers,

Bob

Here is a small bit of TA639's history:-

TA 639 took part in the ‘official last fly-past’ of the Mosquito in 3 CAACU service which took place on 9th May, 1963, and it was then was withdrawn and put into store.

Out of the blue her shining moment came, when she was loaned to Mirisch Films Ltd, and flown to RAF Bovingdon to take part in the shooting of the feature film ‘633 Squadron’. Mocked-up as a fictitious FB.VI ‘HJ 632, HT-B’, along with four other ‘flyers’ and three taxiable aircraft (all ex 3 CAACU), she became a true film star! After the filming was done, she was sent to RAF Little Rissington, and here is where some ‘dirty work’ was said to have happened. She was claimed as the personal mount of Air Commodore Bird-Wilson, RAF and was used for a couple of displays, but the Engineering Staff at Little Rissington decided that they did NOT want to maintain the aircraft, and hangared it directly underneath a hot-air vent. The result? The glue in the tail failed, the wooden skin started to delaminate, and the aircraft was condemned. It would seem, therefore, that the RAF lost their LAST flyable Mosquito out of sheer incompetence/sloth! Given the low number of hours, it would be flying to this very day, with the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight I dare say.

[Jeff]

Interesting piece, one thing that perplexes me though is how do you get a polished aluminium finish on what ive always thought was a wooden airframe ?

[rh226]

That I can't say, Jeff.  Perhaps a special paint job that could be polished??  Who knows what a celebrated Air Commodore could get away with.

I do remember that the RAF Regiment Sergeant assigned to us said that you could actually use her for a mirror to shave in!!!

[Jeff]

Lol

[chrisj]

Another Memory Lane trip I am afraid ! 64 was the second Ternhill show for me . I was one of many sent from Cosford to sell programs . In 63 we went a day or two earlier to set up facilities ( dig holes for Loos !) . This also required a look around the hangars to note contents . I recall on the day that the USAF flight of KB50 , B66, F100 and F101 managed to fly by some village a few miles away although we could just see them ! They were the days of no barriers but also no camera for me ! What a loss ? Bye . Chrisj

[dave]

hi chrisj,
yes I often think what we could have recorded with a digital camera, no mis-poles, but back in the day the cost of a film, then development, meant a photo taken had to be a well worthy one... oh that reminds me you might have been the one who short changed me... never mind, it was a good cause.
For the record the USAF Beaver and C.47B were the stars for me...

stay safe, regards,
dave...

[rh226]

Hi Dave,

Yes, the U-6A would have been the star for me.

The C-47 was quite common at Northolt back then, seeing as it was based at Mildenhall. By the way, it was a VC-47D by then, having been converted back in 1954.

All the best,

Bob

[chrisj]

No Dave , NO short change . I sort of 'lost' my supply of programs some place . Much better to go around the display and watch the show . Glad all enjoyed the show . When one looks back , there was not the numbers of aircraft at shows in those days but as most people could not get out and about as much as now , anything was welcome . On the other hand , Farnborough always had a very big service participation with a set piece involving Beverlys and the like all rushing in to save the day ! Much better than Mr Boeing or Mr Airbus latest liner performing ! Well I think so ! ( A Beverly 'rushing' ??) Chris

[dave]

hi chrisj,
I agree, it was so informal and the open day looked forward to was a thank you for the locals, I was in the ROC and Tern Hill was our local airfield, even had a flight in a Beverley around the Wrekin, that was a experience!
Right, now i'm in memoury mode so I will settle on the settee, and remember all the helicopters, and prop jobs we had to enjoy back then, also keep social distance with the mrs but been doing that for years now...

stay safe, regards,
dave...