PHOTO of the DAY...

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
31/07/22

Sometimes days just don't go according to plan, today is one of those days!




Today's photo, better late than never! Available in the Pathfinder Cafe NOW, the fabulous Blackbushe Heritage Trust Raffle tickets. First prize a unique Flight Simulator session courtesy of a major British airline at an airport not far away!! 777, 787, Airbus, it'll be one of those with crews who fly them!! Second prize, a flight in a Cessna 150 from Blackbushe, and Third prize a Heritage Trust print and goodies!! The draw is not until later in the year, plenty of time, but buy your tickets soon, every ticket sold directly helps our plan to return Viking G-AGRW to her new home at Blackbushe Airport.


Normal POTD service hopefully resumed in a day or so...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
01/08/22

August already!

'Hot August Nights' by Neil Diamond comes to mind, daylight beginning to be noticeably shortened, and long ago the prospect of "Farnborough Week" in the first week of September with validation flights going on throughout the week before.

This day in history recalls the coming together of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in 1997 to form the Boeing Company, and going back to 1947 this was the day that British European Airways became a state-owned corporation.




One of Blackbushe's many Farnborough visitors in 1957, very recently one such aeroplane joined the ever growing list of Blackbushe's resident aeroplanes..




Farnborough Week 1959.




Farnborough Week 1955, Cessna 310 from Turbomeca.




Farnborough Week 1957, civil and military rubbed shoulders at Blackbushe creating one of the nations most exciting of aviation hang-outs for anyone remotely interested in things that fly.




The benefits of Blackbushe continued after the Airport's closure, by the seventies many private and business operators flew in, plus the occasional demonstrator would pop over from Farnborough!




Even the RAE Farnborough shuttle flight popped into Blackbushe on one occasion. Usually just an aeroplane passing west of east of Blackbushe on its communications work to/from Farnborough.



Have a nice August, will it rain before September? It often used to rain in September, it was called 'Farnborough Week'!

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
02/08/22




A moment in time...BBMF sent two Spitfires to mark the opening of Aerobility's new Blackbushe hangar back in 2015. In the same year astronaut Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of Blackbushe to dedicate the new hangar.



There is no doubt it was a great feeling to see a purposeful new structure on Blackbushe able to protect some of Aerobility's fleet of aeroplanes, a structure that provided air conditioned comfort for meetings and functions, and gave the Airport that longed for look of new developments! Hopes go on that eventually Blackbushe will witness the growth of new, permanent, all-weather hangars. Time alone will tell.

Southampton Airport kicked off this month with this news report... Southampton Airport welcomes today’s (1/8/22) decision by the Court of Appeal, which upholds the democratic resolution of Eastleigh Borough Council to grant planning permission for our runway extension.
The Court of Appeal refused permission for GOESA Ltd to bring an appeal against the recent judgement of the High Court, which in May 2022 had agreed that Eastleigh Borough Council’s approval of our runway application was lawful.
As a result, there can be no further challenge to the legality of the borough council’s decision on our runway extension – and Southampton Airport can begin to plan for the delivery of the scheme.
Read our full statement here
bddy.me/3oGGHh7

Shows the difference positive and realistic application to a situation can achieve. In this case the highest courts in the land saw the light, after all it was only for a small extension to the runway that would permit higher take-off weights improving the offer that Southampton's airline users could offer. The usual clouds of opposition were offered by the inevitable doom sayers who visualised something beyond the scope of Southampton's planned small runway extension, but sadly such time wasting and costly tactics are part of life today.


Going back to our recall of life at RAF Hartford Bridge from Stuart Marshall's "The Wartime Years", we continue in May 1944 and as reported last time, the arrival of 226 Squadron and their mysterious 'C' Flight Mitchells painted all black and parked in their own secluded area on the airfield's southern flank south of the A30.


"...The Commanding Officer of 226 Squadron was Wing Commander AD Mitchell, who later became Air Commodore Sir Dennis Mitchell, Captain of the Royal Flight. When they moved in, 137 MT section with a new 4x4 truck to convey their personnel around the airfield. Such was the size of the airfield that it was necessary to have some form of motor transport to convey crews back and forth to briefings and their aircraft as urgency dictated. The usual bicycle was used on less urgent matters and shorter journeys. As a Special Signals Flight the unit's work was very highly classified. F/Sgt John Smith was with the Flight when it was formed. He wrote: "The Flight was formed with one crew from each Mitchell squadron, 98, 180, 226 plus one crew F/O Nicholls from 88 Squadron, who had already completed a tour of operations. The three Michell crews had done five or six operations each but required some night-flying experience. They were all known to have good navigational records.

In addition to the crew an agent known as a boffin was usually carried when an operation was undertaken. F/O (Hon) Bernhein was French, F/O (Hon) Ogier was also French, Lt Doyen was Dutch and Sgt Katzaros spoke many languages, his parents having held a diplomatic post in the Middle East. I think he was the only listed RAF boffin. Berheim was a film maker and Ogier was a lawyer. Doyen in particular was high on the Nazi wanted list. The boffins operated a highly-sophisticated radio set and used the code name 'Ginger'. It was he who during the missions would contact a resistance member on the ground in his own country. Sgt Katzaros was able to operate anywhere, being an expert linguist, and the radios were set to explode should the aircraft crash. As the main purpose was to return with the information we flew as high as possible in a triangular course around the area in which the contact was operating and sometimes two agents would be contacted on the same trip. Our first trips were concentrated over Le Mans, Paris, Laval, Chartes and Orleans. We stopped entering place names in our log books so entries became simply 'Patrol as detailed' but trips over France ran beyond Dijon and into Holland. Flying at 30,000ft we were too high for enemy interference at night and when we started doing patrols by day we had an escort of four long-range Mustangs flown by a Polish squadron from RAF Coltishall in Suffolk. Patrols were normally 3 to 4 hours but on 24th July we flew one patrol of five hours".



A little more insight as the unsung history of Blackbushe Airport and the extraordinary activity that went on unknown by those who resided near the airfield then, or today...

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
03/09/22


The night's are a bit sticky of late, but it's really nice starting the day at 06.00 when it's +18C outside! We're certainly in a bit of a dry spell as testified by the way the fields have changed to dry pale yellow, as has the garden not requiring mowing, and airfields - Blackbushe being no exception!




August, 2022, Blackbushe has taken on her summer colours. The Sun decided to hide yesterday afternoon when I pointed the lens at the airfield so we lost a bit of the vibrant brightness of the Airport's temporary 'corn-field colours', but it took my memory straight back to the August of 1963....Movie time at Blackbushe when the Winstone Affair was part filmed here starring Robert Mitchum and Trevor Howard.



The "Winstone Affair" was set in India, Blackbushe behaved impeccably as the shoot required an airfield parched by the Sun in true Indian style! August 1963 produced results just as good as this year.. The story was based around Lt. Col. Barney Adams (Robert Mitchum) who was assigned to defend Lt. Winston (Keenan Wynn), a fellow American officer who murdered a British sergeant while stationed in India during World War II. Got to meet Robert Mitchum during several days of the film set moving in to the Terminal and apron area..




Tyne Tees Air Charter provided a DC-3 for the film. On arrival at Blackbushe she was transformed from a civil transport to a wartime role wearing the appropriate colours. Water colours, they washed off once the aeroplane was ready to go home.




The Dakota had to so some taxiing, no 1960's light aeroplanes were around, apart from the occasional movement.. The late Bill Freeman, Airport Manager, stands shielding his eyes from the blazing 'Indian' Sun while his son Mike looks on - hands on hips. This was during my time working for AVM Bennett, Bill was like a second father to me, Mike was a great fellow worker. Sadly, Mike passed away not too long after this when 'C' took him. But, they were extraordinary days as we worked toward what would soon - we hoped - become a vibrant General Aviation centre at Blackbushe. 59 years later, the hopes are no less....




The scene. The Dakota would taxi round to drop off her passengers. The black and white barrier was donated to the Airport once filming as over, it served as the apron entry point for quite some years after located where the more substantial gate stands today. The Airport was much larger then so we had a wider panoramic view of parched grass as the north side was 100% grass too.. The one and only aviation fuel tanker the Airport owned provided a further prop and starred in the movie!! Funny, looking at these photos brings it back as if they were taken yesterday.




It was great being able to clamber around a Dakota that was actually at Blackbushe. A view of the then then full-sized Terminal, the caravan was home to Bill Freeman and his family... Bill Freman's VW van that I used to drive around the airfield, and Reg Venning's Taylorcraft G-AHUG. HUG was an early resident and part of the Blackbushe scene for many years...




Water colours can bring about quite the transformation!



Back to 1944 and Blackbushe for real as we continue recall of wartime days. The mysterious 'C' Flight and their black Mitchells.. April/May, 1944, and 226 Squadron's secret intelligence gathering operations.

"... Twice we landed away from base due to weather and the boffin's coded messages were sent by despatch rider to the Air Ministry. We did 26 patrols and the four crews operated in rotation. Over one hundred of these flights were carried out between the 26th May and the end of October when we returned to 226 Squadron, which by then was operating from Vitry-en-Artois in France. Our main worry was the weather and on some occasions we were the only aircraft operating. We landed once, I remember, at Hartford Bridge and used the FIDO, which was unforgettable. We were twice diverted to Thorney Island and Bradwell Bay, when Hartford Bridge was impossible. When we landed away from base the large square aerial under the nose was always queried. Our normal favoured explanation was that we flew low over the sea and exploded magnetic mines by passing a powerful electric current through the airframe!!

"In fact the large aerial combined at the altitude at which we flew ensured excellent reception for the boffins who could get quite shirty if a change of course interfered with their work. F/O Dyson who was our Intelligence Officer, spoke fluent French as the boffins' English wasn't perfect except for Doyen the young Dutchman. Our Commanding Officer was F/Lt Bradbury and our red hot Met Offcer was F/O Hillerby"



Next time, we move into May 1944, and more revelations of how the airfield now called Blackbushe played her various essential roles under the duress of WW2.


PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
04/08/22


4th August, slip back a mere 108 years and you'll find it was on this day that Great Britain declared war on Germany. While reasons given by the King for such action were the protection of Belgium as a neutral country, seemingly the thrust was to prevent a defeat of France that would have given Germany control over Western Europe. The lives lost, destroyed and broken running into millions.




A taste of WW1 at the 1977 Blackbushe Air Festival as Leisure Sport provided a spectacular re-enactment of WW1 aerial combat..



At the same time on this day further back in 1908 a certain Wilbur Wright made the first flight using stick controls being airborne for just less than two minutes. A stick to the left operated the elevator, a stick to the right induced a roll by warping the mainplane dependent on whether it was moved left or right. "Fly by wire" then and now has an altogether different view on life!


Continuation now of Stuart Marshall's account of life at RAF Hartford Bridge, we now enter May, 1944..


"May 1944.

The month started badly for 322 Squadron who lost Spitfire XIV, RB141, on the 3rd when it failed to return from a mission.

The 4th saw the arrival of No 5 Light Anti-Aircraft and Searchlight Battery, this being a unit under the control of 141 Wing Headquarters. 88 Squadron was again in action n the following day when they attacked the marshalling yards at Cambrai and on the 6th an additional squadron arrived at the airfield. This was 264 Squadron which arrived from RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire with Mosquito XIIIs. They immediately started flying defensive patrols over London and the south east. Their aircraft carried the code letters PS. At the same time 141 Airfield Headquarters moved down with them to administer both 264 and 322 Squadrons. 264 Squadron was soon undertaking searchlight co-operation flights and 'Diver' patrols (which was the name given to Doodlebug defence flights) over London and the south east of the country. In order to attack the faster V1s it was necessary to position the aircraft higher than the V1 and dive down to intercept it. This however was not particularly successful as the debris from any flying bombs destroyed often caused damage to the attacking aircraft. The squadron was based on the south-eastern corner of the airfield and their aircraft were dispersed in close proximity to 322 Squadron. They were in tented accommodation in fields to the northwest of the airfield, which meant quite a journey backwards and forwards to the dispersed aircraft and the mess where meas were taken. The crews at first found it strange to have to taxi their aircraft across the A30 to reach their dispersal area and on one occasion an aircraft turned too early and found itself on the road with a tanker coming up fast in the other direction! The crews didn't like being billeted under canvass with all the attached hardships and reports indicate that dust caused some illness but it was the nightingales that kept them awake all night that proved the final straw. A hunting party was organised and despatched one night with revolvers in an endeavour to flush out the birds and move them on to pastures new. There was, however, no chance of them even being located let alone shot as the searchers stumbled around in the undergrowth - so the musical accompaniment to their dreams was to continue!

The 7th of the month saw Prince Bernhard visit visit 322 Squadron. [Dutch Spitfire squadron]. It was a proud day for the squadron and dinner was served to the distinguished guest in the Officers' Mess".




7th May, 1944, when Prince Bernard and his dog were given a briefing on a Spitfire of 322 Squadron at RAF Hartford Bridge..


PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
05/08/22

Yet another day where the Hampshire heavens have not much more than the prospect of good returns for the sun-tan protection manufacturers. All too soon we'll be back to the usual temperate changeability endured in this part of the world although another large bubble of high-pressure approaching from the west suggests another week or so under the sun..




Talking of sunny days, it will soon be two months since that happy day when Blackbushe celebrated 80 years of aviation enjoying her runways...where does time go? This great photo just one of the many taken by delightful Flo..




Running short of time and ideas today.. Your scribe in 1949 with his beloved Daddy and his much loved first aeroplane...




Your scribe 46 years later, on the right, the crew of much loved Dakota G-BVOL on one of our numerous sorties from Blackbushe to air-shows around the land back in '95. Families Day at RAF Benson being the reason for this outing. Any spare time seemed to be dedicated to finding work to raise funds to keep the Dakota flying, weekends were away with the aeroplane generating those funds. Based her at Blackbushe for most of that summer which gave me time to pop up and remove the deposits liberally splashed around by Blackbushe birds on our dark paint work and also wipe the free flowing oil that endlessly made its way down the undercarriage legs. A unique summer, never before had I been to so many air shows! Sadly, it came to an end when the CAA demanded mods that were way above the budgets available...She went to the Netherlands, bits of her still fly I believe, while the fuselage is a Dutch museum piece now wearing KLM colours.



Dear old Blackbushe, you've given me so many memories and experiences, hopefully we'll be able to do things together a while longer....

Back tomorrow with pre D-Day activity at Royal Air Force Hartford Bridge..

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
06/08/22

Greetings to all who tune into POTD on a regular basis, looks like another warm and sunny weekend. The word "another" kind of indicates the summer we're having, that and the parched grass on southern airfields!



A two point reminder of the past.. First. This is what it used to look like when it rained at Blackbushe!. A Hermes keeping an eye on a Blackbushe car club gathering adjacent to the large Britavia hangar located at the eastern end of Blackbushe 'south', south of the A30. Second, the nose belongs to one of the Britavia Hermes fleet..




G-ALDI one of the Britavia Hermes fleet based at Blackbushe. DI was a Blackbushe resident from 1955 through to 1959 and one of the most hard working aeroplanes you could wish to meet judging by the frequency with which she flew from here... Photo taken on Blackbushe 'south' looking north toward the A30, various admin and tech buildings all of which were of wartime origin while the grass length indicates the rugged heath land appearance that typifies the remote heath land atmosphere of Blackbushe lending to the feeling that she is a unique piece of real estate with her own special detachment from surrounding tree laden countryside. Indeed, a natural airfield! Evidence of the Blackbushe coach station is confirmed by the coach seen where so many coaches one gathered as Blackbushe increased her passenger carrying capacity.




Another Blackbushe Hermes climbs into the ethereal cloudscape that awaits all who venture into the waiting sky... Airwork, another famous Blackbushe based operator whose hangars and offices were a well known land mark on Blackbushe north of the A30 toward the eastern end of the airfield.



Why the Hermes interest today? It was on this day in 1950 the Hermes first entered service with BOAC. Flown on the corporation's long haul routes it was superseded by types such as the Argonaut, the Hermes finding its way into the hands of up and coming independent commercial airlines the likes of which were finding that Blackbushe perfectly matched their needs for an airport convenient for London, that had a good weather record, and was easily accessed by road.


Another slice of our walk through history follows, another brief extract from Stuart Marshall's amazing history of Blackbushe at war. Today we find the date is 8th May, 1944...

"... On 8th May, 1944, 88 Squadron departed for pre D Day exercises at RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk. W/Cdr MacDonald occasionally still flew with the squadron although he was now officially attached to the HQ staff.

On the same date No 2871 Squadron, RAF Regiment arrived from RAF Chruch Fenton in Yorkshire to take up duties.

A German JU188 bomber was shot down over Alton by F/Lt Romsey of 264 Squadron but his own aircraft got into difficulties and the crew were forced to bail out. F/Lt Romsey landed successfully by parachute but his radio officer was unfortunately killed.

Piloted by F/O McQueen, Mitchell FW128 was one of the aircraft taking part in a ramrod against marshalling yards on the 9th at Busigny, south-east of Cambrai where they encountered some flak.

At this time the A30 was opened during the day but was closed at night when traffic would have to make the long diversion via the Fleet Road. When aircraft needed to use the north/south runway that crossed the road, guards would be sent out to the intersection to hold up traffic. On occasions when manpower was short the squadrons had to send out personnel to undertake this duty.

On 10th May 226 Squadron mounted an operation against marshalling yards at Abancourt, about 20 miles south of Abbeville. They encountered some flak and were unable to drop their bombs, which had to be brought back. A ramrod operation [low lever mission without fighter cover] was then scheduled for the next day against marshalling yards at Douia. W/O Jimmy Armstrong recorded in his log book that he flew with his usual pilot F/O McQueen and they were airborne for 2 hours and 20 minutes on this occasion in Mitchell FW134..."


A few more notes from 1944. Next time more on the run up to D-Day at RAF Hartford Bridge.

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
07/08/22

7th August. Some days have particular significance, the day my son was born, a day in memory for all of my days, it also marked the end of life for an aviator of great fame. Samuel Cody lost his life flying from Farnborough on this day in 1913.




A moment from the summer of 2018...the countryside showing off its golden phase, somewhat akin to the current situation.




The once mighty Greenham Common, a little less green..




Long term survivor, Blackbushe, more gold than black as the summer sun left its mark..



Sliding back to 1944 for more recall of RAF Hartford Bridge in 1944... A sobering reflection of what was stored close to where BCA are now located!

"...May, 1944. During the run up to D Day, bombs were being ferried up to the airfield from Longparish near Andover and were then placed in the airfield bomb dump. These were 250lb chemical bombs containing mustard gas and phosgene and were to be used only in retaliation should the Germans use chemical weapons of their own on our troops during the landings. It was little known that we had these weapons, let alone that there were plans to use them".


Happily all such weaponry has long been removed from the airfield. Sadly humans still produce weapons of equal and greater horror while life is so precious, and life is so short.....

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
08/08/22


Where better to spend some time on a perfect blue sky day with the mercury rising than on a wide open aerodrome while aviation goes on around you and your time is spent in pursuit of a worthwhile cause?

Yesterday provided the perfect scenario as team VickeryBrown hoisted the Blackbushe Heritage Trust 'feather' banner for the first time before the diners at a packed Pathfinder Cafe. As the photo below confirms the new banner inviting one and all to help bring a Viking home was seen by a good number of onlookers. Once a rota system is devised this display will become a more regular sight at the Pathfinder where hopefully the plans to bring G-AGRW back to Blackbushe will be unfurled before many. Huge thanks to Pete Vickery for taking the plunge and producing this excellent promo tool, it's still a long road to "Viking day", and we will be looking to our POTD followers for that extra manpower - OK person power - required to achieve that fantastic objective of placing a Viking on Blackbushe for the first time in 62 years.




Wearing the Blackbushe Heritage Trust uniform Pete V stands back to admire the latest sales promotion in action...A packed Pathfinder produced our target audience!



Going back in time, once again we pick up our recall of life at RAF Hartford Bridge in 1944 as D-Day got steadily closer..

"..10th May, 1944. A visit was made by General Koenig, French representative at Supreme HQ, AEF, to 342 (Lorraine) Squadron. He was accompanied by General Valin who was the Commander of the French Air Force in the United Kingdom.

On 15th May 226 Squadron were in action again, this time on another 'ramrod' against marshalling yards at Charleville. [low level ops without fighter cover] As they were unable to drop their bombs they had to be brought back to Hartford Bridge. Landing back at base with a full load of bombs was not a practice that the crews enjoyed as here was always the risk of something going wrong and the bombs exploding... On the 20th they took part in another ramrod, this time against gun emplacements at Sangatte near Calais which they bombed despite yet again encountering enemy flak".


Another brief serving of life at the airfield in 1944. I can never forget my peacetime B-25 airborne experiences, knowing what the sensations of being airborne in an incredibly noisy cramped WW2 bomber are like, the concept of departing into enemy territory and becoming a ready target time after time is one that truly magnifies the admiration we must show for these extraordinary young men. A permanent memorial on the airfield is to my mind an essential, ensuring as time goes on there will always be something to remind us of the true courage and sacrifice demonstrated right here. Something ungrateful authority was blind to when destruction of Blackbushe Airport was their prime objective. We can but hope today's authority is perhaps more enlightened?

PB

[PB]

"Photo of the Day"
09/08/22


It's unusual in our once green counties of southern England to become almost complacent about 'just another sunny day', but that's what it is, just another sunny day as might be expected in some parts of the world where sunny days are the norm... Rain will come, but until then those blue skies laced with vapour trails of sun seeking holiday makers will be a source of enjoyment although the garden cannot agree..

While those sun seekers vapour trails cross the sky it was on this day in 1996 that Sir Frank Whittle, designer and instigator of their jet engines, passed away. A man who changed the size of our world.




Had Sir Frank not come up with the jet engine no doubt it would have been invented by A.N. Other in due course, or would delights such as this still be rumbling its radials with the sounds and pace that made the big piston era so 'special'?




From the early 1950s when the BOAC Comets came to Blackbushe for crew training to this day, the jet engine has been a significant player in the Airport's traffic mix..


1944 again.. the Stuart Marshall history of Blackbushe continues in the 'Hartford Bridge' era before the name change, the closing days of May, 1944...


"...Throughout the latter part of the month all the based squadrons continued with operations against a wide variety of targets which included Douai, Fauville aerodrome where heavy and accurate flak was encountered, Lille aerodrome and also Chievres airfield north of Mons. Here 88 Squadron bombed the Station HQ and Admin buildings with considerable success. On the 28th Boulogne gun positions were the target and the following day similar positions at Gravelines and Quend came under attack. Jimmy Armstrong recalls that their aircraft was badly damaged on the latter attack and they had to make a successful emergency landing at RAF Friston, Sussex, on the way back. This concentrated series of raids, which was to continue during the build-up to D Day, was in addition to the based Squadrons' ongoing task against the marshalling yards which continued to receive regular attention. All these operations were in support of plans to keep the German Air Force on the ground, or at least well away from the invasion zone and hopefully lessen the impact of the enemy gun positions on the proposed invasion fleet. As much disruption as could be caused to the German railway system was called for to hinder reinforcement by enemy troops once the invasion got under way...".


May came to an end, June, the month of D Day was about to dawn. We'll continue Blackbushe's contribution over the coming days..



A memory from May, 1964, home based Jackaroo G-APAL enjoying some circuits when today's grass parking area was used as a landing strip. One of those days you remember, a beautiful day, the airfield yellow with dandelions, and the Jackaroo giving some entertainment.. G-APAL returned for our 80th Anniversary celebrations back in June, BUT this time she had transformed back into being a Tiger Moth! Good to see an old friend, she had aged very well!!




G-APAL in her new old shape, photo from Colin Smith...


PB