UK Trip

[skyhawkdon]

As promised here is a selection of photos from our recent trip to the UK. The photos aren't anything special as all I have is a point and shoot. My ground-to-air shots are pathetic so most of what I will post are ground shots!

The first lot are of the BBMF at RAF Conningsby, taken at the Lincolnshire Lancaster Association (LLA) Open Day which Dee got us tickets for. Unfortunately it was very windy so only the Griffin powered Spitfires flew (the cross wind was outside limits for the Merlin powered Spits), but what we really came for was to see the Lancaster fly and we weren't dissapointed. They gave her heaps and I'll never forget the sound

View through the hangar doors on arrival!


What we came for!



New nose art "Thumper". One of the original crew of Thumper had visited the BBMF the week before.










Rolling in for a low pass


The low pass!


2 Spitfires, a Hurricane and Lancaster... mmmm


The BBMF also has a DC-3


Massive radio controlled Lancaster


The Lancaster wheel is BIG!


One of the many Spitfires on the BBMF


and another one...


Nice MKII Spitfire


Display of Spitfire armament over the years


Griffon powered PR Spit (one of 2 that flew)


The most amazing sectioned engine I have ever seen - a Griffon ex Shakelton, including counter-rotation props



Spitfire & Hurricane lineup


The BBMF also has 2 Hurricanes



All the aircraft pushed together for close up photos at the end of the day






My favourite...


Grand Slam

[obiwan27]

Nice pics Don, thanks for sharing.

[skyhawkdon]

The day after the BBMF show Dee and I went to East Kirkby to see "Just Jane". She is the taxiing Lanc, but the day we visited wasn't one of them unfortunately. The waiting list for a ride in her is out to August 2013 so even if I had the money (400 pounds!) I wouldn't have been able to hitch a ride anyway. But for 50 pounds you can go inside her and sit in any of the crew positions - it was the best 50 pounds I spent all trip! We must have spent an hour exploring inside her. What a buzz to sit in the pilot's seat where my great uncle sat for a tour on 75 Squadron in 1944. Note the hat I'm wearing! "Just Jane" is a sister aircraft to the MOTAT Lancaster, having come from the French Navy in the 1960s. Hence she is missing a lot of the original WWII equipment inside. MOTAT's example has a lot more original WWII equipment I'm told.







View aft from the crew entry door looking towards the rear turret


Trying out the rear gunner's position! Very little room in here and very poor visibility. Not enough room to wear a parachute - it hung on the wall outside the turret!



Some original photo flash cartridges


HS2 Radar antenna housing in the floor (another trip hazard!)


Dee sitting on the wing front spar with the rear spar in the foreground. Climbing over these to get to the business end of the aircraft in all your flying gear must have been a mission and a half, especially when the aircraft was on fire and going down!


The roomiest part of the fuselage is around the mid-upper gunner's position - at least you can stand up here.


View aft from mid-upper turret - good 360 deg visibility from here


Radio operator's position


The business end!



One very happy ex 75er




View out the window - must have been noisy!



Flight Engineer's position beside the pilot - fold down seat shown in the stowed position


Dee standing in the Flight Engineer's position


Bomb Aimer's position - again very little room to move! Nose turret above.

[skyhawkdon]

Oct 10, 2012 20:20:44 GMT 12 obiwan27 said:

Nice pics Don, thanks for sharing.

It was a really dull gloomy day and not good for taking photos unfortunately.

[beagle]

great shots there Don.
Must be a dream trip

[saratoga]

The East Kirby Lanc. story is a great one, if you can get a copy of 'Two men and a Lancaster'.

Great pics , but how do they survive without fluoros?

[steve]

What grand pictures you have taken. The last time i toured inside a landcaster bomber was in 1967 and it was very dark out at Western Springs. I have always thought MOTAT should have promoted inside self tours at a set price so one can study all the detail without pressure.

[harvard1041]

Great shots and a good trip by the sound of it Don.

BBMF and Just Jane are just great - can second your enthusiasm.


Cheers
Hvd1041

PS - amazed to see Thumper III on the BBMF Lancaster - here's a shot of the original - it was on Bob Knights 617 Sqn Lancaster - my Great-Uncle was his WOAG.

[skyhawkdon]

Oct 10, 2012 20:49:06 GMT 12 saratoga said:

The East Kirby Lanc. story is a great one, if you can get a copy of 'Two men and a Lancaster'.

Great pics , but how do they survive without fluoros?

Yeah I watched it while we were there. Amazing story of the Panton Brothers and how they wanted a living memorial to their brother who was killed in a Lancaster in WWII. They are slowly bringing "Just Jane" up to airworthy condition and the long term plan is to get her back in the air. They are using the pay taxi rides and interior tours to help fund it. MOTAT could make good money doing interior tours with theirs.

[fyl]

Awesome shots, Don..
Very envious...

[TS]

Yeah I watched it while we were there. Amazing story of the Panton Brothers and how they wanted a living memorial to their brother who was killed in a Lancaster in WWII. They are slowly bringing "Just Jane" up to airworthy condition and the long term plan is to get her back in the air. They are using the pay taxi rides and interior tours to help fund it. MOTAT could make good money doing interior tours with theirs.[/quote]

Yeah I agree with that statement Don about MOTATs Lancaster. They could even do the taxi rides I guess then they would be in the money. Awesome pics by the way

[Dave Homewood]

Great shots Don. It looks like you've had a great trip.

If you go on the right day when the Bomber Command Association volunteers are around, and talk to the right people, you can sometimes get into the Lancaste at MOTAT for nothing. It belongs to all New Zealanders, so why not?

[TS]

Been there done that Dave, I know its for all New Zealanders, BUT why can't they open her up wouldn't it make people of New Zealand MORE awear of what went on with the people that flew them and the aircraft? Because at the moment it seems to be kept relatively quite? As you say if you go on the right day and talk to the right people and if you're lucky I'll tell you....seems a little odd, plus most work through the week and would only get to see her on weekends.
Thats only us Kiwis, what about the tourist who would have know idea that they could get inside for a look,only on Wednesdays..... These things are so rare I'm sure people would be happy to shell out a few bucks or whatever to be able to have a look anyday.
Look how easy it was for Don to get into Just Jane the smile says a thousand words
Now before anyone thinks I'm having a go at MOTAT I am not I really think they are doing a great job I have even had a very interesting reply back about the Aviation Hall etc.

[Dave Homewood]

The museum does not have the staff numbers to have someone hovering around all day, every day on the offchance a member of the public wants to have a look inside. However they do open the Lancaster, and in the past the Solent, on their monthly Live Days which is a Sunday event. And at no cost to look inside either. Check their website for the next Live Day - that's the day when they have the steam train running, tanks and old vehicles driving about, and other things not usually happening the rest of the month.

[TS]

Yes, Yes Dave I agree they have those options but look I'm not trying to be smart here not by any means. Why can't they have timed tours ie: 10am and 3pm that way nobody needs to hover around?
Any way enough said I don't want to detract from Don's trip thread.

[skyhawkdon]

Another important reason for me in wanting to go to the UK was to see all the old 75 Squadron sites from WWII. With the help of Dee we were able to see all of them and it was fantastic to see how the local villages have remembered the lads. In particular at Mepal, where they have built a lovely memorial garden right in the middle of the village. There are little reminders of 75 Squadron everywhere which was very touching.

The first stop on this part of the trip was the Cambridge Cemeratry to visit the grave of my Great-Uncle's tail gunner who was killed on one of their ops (shot to bits by a night fighter).


Wally Hurdle was from Hawkes Bay. The cemetary was full of Air Force graves from all over the Commonwealth. It was nice to say hello to the lads from NZ.


Next stop was the former 75 Squadron airfield at Newmarket, which is still a race course, as it was back in the war. The ground crews lived in the old grandstand while they were based there. There is a small memorial to 75 Squadron beside a larger one to other RAF Squadrons.




Next was Feltwell which is still an operation base, run by the USAF, so we couldn't go on base to look at their memorial, but at the nearby town there is another nice memorial to 75 Squadron.





Then it was on to Mepal. The old airfield is gone (now an industrial estate) but again there is a nice memorial to 75 where it was.


In Mepal village there is the main 75 Sqn memorial which is beautifully maintained by the locals








In the local church there are also reminders of 75








We had lunch at the local pub which was the watering hole for the boys during the war. They called it the "Muddy Duck" after the dirty river that runs past it!


Inside we found we had just missed a visit by 75 Sqn veteren Alan Davis and his family from NZ!


This photo was also on the wall



Nearby in the Witchford industrial estate (which was the site of RAF Witchford during the war) there is a small but very interesting museum which contains heaps of photos and relics from 75 Sqn's days at Mepal. Run by a small group of keen volunteers it really is worth a visit.




The last airfield 75 Sqn was based at right a the end of the war was RAF Spilsby in Lincolnshire. This was when they were converting to the Avro Lincon in preparation for joining the final assault on Japan. Again there is a small memorial where the base was and one hangar remains

[campbellbox]

Thanks for sharing the story of your trip Don. Keep it coming. I was quite moved seeing your visits to the memorials. It is nice to know our lads are remembered over there. Did you use a tour company at all or were you self guided (with Dave's help)?

[Dave Homewood]

Wonderful post Don, it is nice to see you got around to so many places, and also that the weather was great for you.

I had no hand in it, campbellbox.

[campbellbox]

Sorry Dave and Don, and Dee. That's an F for reading comprehension on my part.

[skyhawkdon]

Yes Dee was our tour guide and host. She was fantastic.