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Post by graham on Feb 8, 2021 18:05:08 GMT
A query here for our historians, I participate on a local Facebook group, a member posted today to say that he distinctly remembers seeing a twin tail boomed RAF jet on some ground outside what was Yatesbury Camp in the late 1960s. He said it was, "in someone's garden" but it was a long time ago. This chap is 64 so was born in 1957 so would have been about 9-10 when he reckoned he saw it although he says it was there for some time. As far as I recall the camp closed in 1962 ish but it never had an asphalt or concrete runway so the jet was presumably roaded in or might have been an old gate guard.
Can anyone shed any light on it at all please? My friend would love to know what it was, he's not as such an aviation buff but it's a childhood memory he'd like to substantiate, or not as the case might be.
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Post by christoff on Feb 8, 2021 18:43:35 GMT
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Post by graham on Feb 8, 2021 18:49:38 GMT
Brilliant Chris, thank you so much. Tremendous.
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Post by christoff on Feb 8, 2021 18:59:28 GMT
Someone else maybe able to offer more on the history..
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Feb 8, 2021 19:32:48 GMT
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Post by davebasing on Feb 8, 2021 19:49:28 GMT
As an alternative of the same type, I visited Yatesbury in August 1963 and noted WX905/7458M preserved outside the gate. It went to Yatesbury in 1957 and is now preserved at Newark. Did not note WX843 until seen on the gate at Debden somehhat later, so not sure that it was actually ever kept outside the tech school at Yatesbury save for open days etc?
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Post by davebasing on Feb 8, 2021 20:55:58 GMT
As an alternative of the same type, I visited Yatesbury in August 1963 and noted WX905/7458M preserved outside the gate. It went to Yatesbury in 1957 and is now preserved at Newark. Did not note WX843 until seen on the gate at Debden somehhat later, so not sure that it was actually ever kept outside the tech school at Yatesbury save for open days etc? Have now found a report that WX905 was placed on the gate at Yatesbury in November 1961 from the training school hangars so does look like a good candidate, the more so since Yatesbury closed as an RAF station in 1965. |
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Post by graham on Feb 9, 2021 8:43:11 GMT
Fabulous Dave, many thank to you, Chris and m'lud.
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Post by davebasing on Feb 9, 2021 9:58:42 GMT
Fabulous Dave, many thank to you, Chris and m'lud. Pleasure Graham. No 2 Radio School at Yatesbury had a few Venoms as training aids from the late 50s thru to the early 60s, WX905 itself being allocated there on 16 July 57. Most were disposed of prior to the eventual closure of the school in 1965, some going to the dump at Lasham including WX847 in 1964 and WX866 in 1962. Over the years they had a number of different types for the students to work on including Lincolns, Mosquitos, at least one Varsity, Hunters, Javelins and Canberras, plus the Venoms. That day back in 1963 a school mate & I hitch hiked from Chiswick (it was actually safe in those days - hitch hiking not Chiswick!) primarily to see the stored Meteors at the MU at Lyneham. Best Venom trips were a Swiss tour in 1975 netting some 70 Swiss examples including 20 odd stored outside at Stans, and for Sea Venoms a trip round the Navy storage yard at Abbotsinch in 1962. Pretty rubbish photo with my Ilford Sportsman camera that I got from my parents for passing my 11 plus, showing just one of the storage lines at Abbo almost 60 years ago. Nurse says its time for my medication!  IMG_1236 by dave tompkins, on Flickr |
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Post by graham on Feb 9, 2021 10:34:51 GMT
Fabulous history Dave, thank you
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