Post by flyboy on Jan 19, 2016 17:49:04 GMT
VISITING AIRCRAFT, TYPES AND PASSENGERS
These are aircraft known to have visited the airfield on the dates shown, I have included information where it is known. The list below only reflects a very small proportion of the movements that took place - barely scratching the surface. I have been unable to find others and I don't believe a record still exists.
There are based aircraft not mentioned previously and I have also, as a point of interest, shown details of some of the interesting passengers that passed through the airfield during the period covered here.
In date order:
13.7.42 Miles Magister flown in by G/Cpt Wheeler C.O Aero Airborne Flight from Farnborough.
11.10.42 Miles Magister L5965 G/Cpt Wheeler again to visit Aero Airborne Flight.
17.10.42 Lockheed Hudson arrived from Farnborough.
1943 ...................................
Jan.43 It is noted that 'an interesting collection of aircraft types from Farnborough' visited.
April.43 Wellingtons visited to assist 140Sqn with night photography using 'night flash' illuminations.
Late June.43 Westland Lysanders visited as required by 16Sqn to undertake photographic missions.
4.7.43 2x 196Sqn Wellington X diverted in short of fuel. Usual base was Leconfield, Yorkshire.
4.7.43 Halifax Diversion, shot up, no hydraulics and almost out of fuel. 76Sqn. Holm-on-Spalding-Moor,
Yorkshire.
4.7.43 Halifax Diversion, Emergency landing,shot up, under-carriage collapsed on landing, tail-gunner
wounded, 158Sqn, Lisset, Yorkshire.
11.8.43 Halifax, 158 Sqn, Diversion, Engine trouble, unable to reach base RAF Lisset, Yorkshire.
13.8.43 8x Halifax, Diversion, Returning from operations.
End Sept 43, Large numbers of aircraft including Halifax, Stirling, Wellington diverting in overnight.
Also USAAF B17 and Liberators although not in such large numbers.
End October 43, Oxford used by 107Sqn, Mail flight on behalf of 2 Group in bad weather.
December 43, B17's were a common sight as they landed, often badly shot up and with flak damage.
1944 ...........................................
End January 44, Lancaster overshot on landing and lost a wing.
5.2.44, Avro Tutor K3234, arrived with Baynes Carrier Wing Bat, RA809, built by Slingsby, ex Farnborough on suitability trials.
14.3.44, Proctor, 15 minute familiarisation flights for Wellington College Cadets.
15/16.9.44, 35x Dakota, move 137 Wing, Bostons to Vitry-en-Artois, France.
16.9.44, Consul (or was it an Oxford?), station hack, 342 Sqn move to France, crashed Camberley
23.9.44, Oxford II AB696, a station hack, to and from Vitry-en-Artois in France.
October 1944, 409 visiting aircraft mostly with snags to be rectified.
16.11.44, 40x Liberators USAAF, Bad weather diversions, 400 crew accommodated for two nights.
18.11.44, 40x Liberators depart as weather improves.
26.11.44, Dakota, Field Marshal Montgomery, in his 'personal' aircraft from the Western Front. Out to his HQ, Zonhoven.
26.11.44, Air Marshal Sir Roderick Hill, Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command visits 605 and 418 Sqns as they
transfer from Fighter Command to 2 Group TAF.
7.12 44, DH89 Dominie communications aircraft used to give experience flights to Wellington College Cadets.
24.12.44, 21x Dakota returning from parachute dropping operations in low cloud and poor visibility.
December had seen 625 visiting aircraft.
1945 ...........................................
6.1.45, 12x Halifax, diverted in, Bomber Command aircraft following operations.
8.1.45, 13x Halifax, --------------------------- .. -----------------------------------
15.1.45, 16x Dakota Equipment move for 136 Wing move out to Coxyde, Belgium.
23.1.45, Halifax NA631 diverted in low on fuel.
28.1.45, B17 USAAF 46937, diverted in with engine problems on operations from RAF Molesworth , Huntingdonshire.
April 1945, 1092 visiting aircraft during the month.
4.5.45, Dakotas South African Air Force repatriation flights commence.
2.6.45, Short Stirling code 8E/KS, 295 Sqn, arrived from Brussels with 24 ex POW's. Known as 'cator' flights.
Based RAF Rivenhall, Essex.
3.6.45, Short Stirling LK331, 299 Sqn from RAF Shepherds Grove, Essex, swung off runway onto grass
on landing. All OK.
10.6.45, Short Stirling code 8E/KY, 295 Sqn, arrived with repatriated ex POW's. Based RAF Rivenhall, Essex.
17.6.45, Short Stirling, repatriation/'cator' flights, 36 Officers and 85 other ranks arrived.
End June 1945, Lancaster ex Brize Norton Wellington College experience flight. 20 minutes. Cadet Robinson
on flight - he eventually became Group Captain in RAF!
5.7.45, 2x Lancaster Flight refuelling demonstration - 1x tanker, 1x receiver. No confirmation they landed.
4.8.45, Dakota KG624, Regent of Iraq from strip B151 met on arrival by Princess Elizabeth.
6.8.45, 2x Avro Tutor, Glider tugs for 2x small gliders which arrived from Farnborough.
6.8.45, Fokker Wolf Condor, of DDL Airlines - service Copenhagen / Stockholm.
14.8.45, 7x Halifax trooping flights to Lages, Azores 14-17.8.45, One crashed Cornwall with loss of all on board.
18.8.45, Condor of DDL arrived from Copenhagen with engine out. Landed OK.
19.8.45, Avro York MW110, with Archbishop Danaskinos.
20.8.45, Avro York MW162, diversion from Rabat, should have landed RAF St. Mawgan, Cornwall.
End of August 45, 3x Liberators, Czech Military to repatriate Chez civilians.
During August 45, DDL Airlines had made 483 passenger movements on its flights.
5.9.45, Liberator 867, Czech crashed on take-off departing to Prague. All 23 on board died.
8.9.45, Dakota KN628, Field Marshal Montgomery in 'personal' aircraft.
18.9.45, B17 of DDL Airlines arrived using FIDO.
End of September 45, there was now an increase in VIP carrying flights.
End of September 45, B17 of DDL Airlines made wheels up landing - no injuries.
October, November, December 45, VIP flights continue.
During November 45, DDL Airlines made 49 flights to/from the airfield during the month.
11.12.45, Dakota KN520, from Prestwick with Air Chief Marshal Bowhill ex C-in-C Transport Command.
16.12.45, Dakota KJ801, Mr Chute-Ede, Home Secretary to Naples.
18.12.45, Lancastrian VM707, Air Vice Marshal Fiddament, HQ Transport Command from Canada.
22.12.45, Liberator AM920, BOAC with Lord Winster, Ministry of Civil Aviation, from Bermuda.
23.12.45, York from Pomigliano with Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrook, Chief of Imperial General Staff.
23.12.45, Dakota KN628, Field Marshal Montgomery.
1946 ...........................................
VIP flights continue.
4.1.46, Dakota KK212, Sir J Richer to Rome.
4.1.46, Dakota, Dame Laughton-Matthews, Director WRNS from Naples.
5.1.46, ?, Sir W Morgan, Middle East Army Commander, from Naples.
12.1.46, Anson, HQ 111 Wing, Station Commander departure.
13.1.46, Dakota KK212, Lt General Galloway to Eindhoven.
14.1.46, Firefly, Pilot lost, flare path used in 900m visability.
17.1.46, ?, Princess Alice a notable visitor.
24.1.46, ?, Lt Gen Sir F Morgan (UNRRA) & Canadian Attorney General to Naples.
27.1.46, ?, W/Cdr Strachley, Under Secretary for Air, from RAF Leuchars.
3.2.46, French Ambassador Monsieur Garreal arrived.
5.2.46, Mosquito, Mr Cooper ,War Correspondent to Nuremburg.
20.2.46, Lockheed Hudson FH280, with the Governor of Gibraltar.
14.3.46, 1st of 20x Dakota arrive for delivery to Bavaria.
20.3.46, ?, Air Vice Marshal Hoddlestone arrives.
20.3.46, Dakota IV KN428, Gen Sir B Paget, C-in-C Middle East Forces & Gen Lloyd to Malta & Egypt.
April 46, Bavarian Dakotas continue to be delivered.
End of April, Since March 1944, 11444 aircraft have used the facilities, 63934 passengers passed through.
15.5.46, Dakotas of S.African and Rhodesian A.F's with troops for National Victory Parade in early June.
22.5.46, B17 OY-DCE, Test flight following repairs and departed to Denmark.
8.6.46, Lancaster, night flight over London to commentate on illuminations by Richard Dimbleby,
abandoned due poor weather.
12.6.46, 3x Dakota, SAA , sight seeing flights over Europe prior to departure to S. Africa.
13.6.46, Dakotas depart for S. Africa.
15.6.46, Dakotas, More departures for S. Africa.
26.6.46, Dakota, from Vienna, repatriation flight of British subjects, 14 on board.
1.7.46, ?, 67 Members of the Empire Press Delegation departed on a tour of European battlefields.
9.7.46, Dakota KN213, departed to Malta with Mr & Mrs Douglas, Governor designate of Malta.
10.7.46, Lancaster TW904, En route to W. Africa with A/Com MacDonald AFC, A.O.C 106 Group.
Passenger and Freight Section congratulated by A.O.C 46 Group.
7.8.46, Bristol Brigand, landed from Farnborough, new type , much interest.
20.8.46, Mosquito HR359, 21 Sqn 140 Wing burst tyre on landing.
20.8.46, Lancaster PD328 'Aries' arrived, stayed over night.
21.8.46, Lancaster PD328 'Aries', Departed to New Zealand on goodwill visit with 13 people aboard.
24.8.46, Airshow, Messenger, Vampire 247 Sqn Odiham, Tempest 54 Sqn Odiham, Lancastrian on ground.
25.8.46, Lancastrian VM727, Canadian Airlines, practice approaches.
29.8.46, Lancastrian VM727, training flight to Canada.
Between August/October 46, 2xJU52 Vn718 & VN727 regular RAE Farnborough transport flights.
5.9.46, DC3, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands arrived to review RMA Sandhurst passing out parade.
6.9.46, Oxford W6626 took off on air test.
8.9.46, Lincoln RF484 'Excalibar', arrived.
9.9.46, Lincoln RF484 'Excalibar', departed to New Zealand.
14.9.46,* Battle of Britain Airshow ( see details later).
20.9.46, Severe Gale, Proctor, Dakota and Oxford minor damage. Blister hangar moved by wind force.
21.9.46, Anson PH710, Arrived with Maj Gen Erskine.
21.9.46, Dominie, Air experience flights for ATC cadets.
30.9.46, ?, Air Vice Marshal Pakton CBE, AFC to Germany, A.O.C 2 Group.
14.10.46, Lincoln RF484 'Excalibar', back from New Zealand, had departed 9.9.46.
28.10.46, Vickers Viking, new type, departed on demonstration tour to S. Africa.
15.11.46, Airfield closed, 268 movements for the month to 15.11.46.
*A note of the aircraft taking part in the 'Battle of Britain Airshow' 14 September 1946:
Oxford W6626, Halifax 297 Sqn, Vampire, Meteor, Proctor 2568, Halifax with Horsa glider, Lincoln flypast, Lancastrian flypast, Lancaster flypast, Dakota flypast, Tempest II flypast, Hudson flypast, Firefly flypast, Sea Fury, Seafire & Spitfire aerobatics,
Mosquito and Hornet, Meteor aerobatics, Vampire aerobatics, Anson XIX flypast, Messenger demonstrates slow flying.
There was also pleasure flying in a Miles Aerovan and a Airspeed Consul aircraft.
No more flying, airfield officially closed and placed on care and maintenance basis 15.11.46.
That's it Complete but see below