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Post by PB on Jan 27, 2016 0:03:13 GMT
The thread designed to encapsulate moments, and scenes, at a glance that are pivotal to the Airport's making and history. To launch the operation, I am highly grateful to Clint Gurry who has forwarded these page extracts from the book, "That nothing failed them, Testing aeroplanes in wartime" by Air Commodore Allen Wheeler, CBE, MA, FRAeS. Air Commodore Wheeler made the first landing on newly built RAF Hartford Bridge...AKA Blackbushe Airport.
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Post by PB on Jan 27, 2016 8:12:11 GMT
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Post by rj on Jan 27, 2016 17:08:52 GMT
I welcome this page, I have plenty to contribute so shall we start from the beginning... The visit of Magister L5965 from farnborough, the earliest recorded movement 9/9/42 in the RAE movements book page one of the RAF Hartford Bridge ORB, November 1942 page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5
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Post by rj on Jan 27, 2016 19:17:41 GMT
I think because gas was not used in WW2 in combat we tend to forget how seriously the drills were taken at the time. Remember with no squadron present there was less than 100 personnel present with not much to do! BTW I have many pages of the ORB photographed on my many cold, winter, visits to Kew.
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Post by PB on Jan 28, 2016 17:11:23 GMT
Thanks RJ. Perfect material for the new Artefacts Board...
It would be appreciated if throughout the Artefacts Board input we could keep comments restricted to descriptive text from the person placing any new photos/documents. We would like this part of the forum to be a bit museum like I suppose.. Hopefully that does not sound too stuffy or boring.
Much appreciated... PB
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Post by PB on Jan 28, 2016 17:12:22 GMT
BLACKBUSHE AIRPORT'S ORIGINAL HANGARS. It's difficult to locate photos of simply the hangars, so what follows are the best ones I can find that give an idea of what things looked like before the demolition frenzy took place. Excuse the awful writing... Herewith the locations of Blackbushe's old hangars. All destroyed following the Airport's closure in 1960.Wartime, and known as RAF Hartford Bridge originally, we see fuel supplies with the hangar destined to become that of Airwork in the background..EAGLE AIRWAYS' hangar. Eagle's Ministry of Supply Lancaster was just one of the many aircraft that used their spacious hangar located in Blackbushe's south-western corner.. This Tropic Air York from South Africa represents just one of the numerous companies with whom Eagle had servicing and maintenance agreements.AIRWORK's hangarsBRITAVIA/SILVER CITY/FALCON AIRWAYS' hangar. UNITED STATES NAVY's hangarWORK IN PROGRESS....TO BE CONCLUDED.
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Post by rj on Jan 30, 2016 11:12:48 GMT
Here are some artifacts that were donated to me a while ago from Blackbushe's past. Britavia trooping flight paper work from Malta to Blackbushe inflight information 50's style, no tannoy on the Hermes!
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Post by PB on Feb 2, 2016 9:34:11 GMT
BLACKBUSHE AIRPORT'S CONTROL TOWERS
work in progress
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