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Post by Marcus on Mar 15, 2009 11:47:17 GMT 12
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Post by phil82 on Mar 15, 2009 12:12:17 GMT 12
The RAF sent a number of Javelins , 29Sqn I think, to Lusaka in the event of hostilities! The Rhodesians, many of them ex-RAF made telephonic contact with 29 to offer our men best wishes and suggested that it would be fun to meet in the air. The RAF pilots needed no second invitation. On a few occasions Hunter’s or Canberra’s met the Javelins to fly along the Zambezi River in formation with crews waving and taking photographs of each other!. The odd pilot happened to stop over in Salisbury, allegedly taking leave to visit South Africa. Their passports were never stamped and a number of them met with our Prime Minster, Ian Smith. When, in August 1966, the British Government announced the withdrawal of the Javelin squadron, Rhodesians gave the RAF lads a grand farewell party at Victoria Falls.
I met one of those Javelin pilots many years later at Changi, where he was instructing the new Singapore Air Force. He confirmed that, had push come to shove, they had a gentlemen's agreement with the Rhodesians that everyone would miss!
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Post by mumbles on Mar 15, 2009 14:28:33 GMT 12
Couple of questions:
What are the nasty looking things with fuse extenders in front of the Hunter? I'm guessing its an anti personnel / soft skin vehicle munition, but its not a shape I have seen before.
Whose is the airworthy looking Mk 14/22 (?) Spitfire, and is it still around somewhere?
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Post by Marcus on Mar 15, 2009 17:40:07 GMT 12
What are the nasty looking things with fuse extenders in front of the Hunter? I'm guessing its an anti personnel / soft skin vehicle munition, but its not a shape I have seen before. Whose is the airworthy looking Mk 14/22 (?) Spitfire, and is it still around somewhere? Hi Not sure about the large "drum" like bombs... but have a look at the following link to give you some more info on the Spitfire. www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/spitfire-pk350.html |
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Post by Naki on Mar 15, 2009 20:17:10 GMT 12
Interesting stuff - are those guns which look mounted on top (?!) of the Skymaster/0-2 wing?
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Post by mstokes on Mar 15, 2009 21:00:37 GMT 12
On the spitfire, one of the last Aeroplane magazines (late if I am not mistaken, not sure which one) had a collection of photo's in it (I think they have a reader's photo's section in there) and it shows the spitfire doing an air to air with a vampire, but sadly the caption reads that the aircraft a minute later or so flew into a thunderhead and the spitfire was destroyed.
I suppose a rather morbid photo, given that it is only minutes before the aircraft is no more.
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Post by Marcus on Mar 15, 2009 22:28:14 GMT 12
Interesting stuff - are those guns which look mounted on top (?!) of the Skymaster/0-2 wing? Hi Naki Yes, very much so. The Rhodies were running a very professional, combat proven air force by the time they were sold out by South Africa, Britain and the west in general. Have a look at the following link. Most is actual combat footage with some great shots of Vampires, Canberra's, Hunters, Cessna's, Allouettes and Bell 205's in action. The following might be a tad "hard" on the ear but is the actual in-cockpit voice recording of "Green Leader" (Canberra flight) during the attack on Westlands Farm, terrorist base in Zambia. This was in retaliation for two Air Rhodesia, Viscounts which were shot down by Joshua Nkomo's so called freedom fighters using SAM 7's. After shooting down the first Viscount they proceeded to murder the passengers that had survived the crash landing! A fact that not a lot of people are aware of in these very PC days! |
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