The crew of the 1956 visiting Vulcan

[Dave Homewood]

I was just chatting with Mike Keane who went to Cambridge High School for a couple of years in the 1950's and he said that the first Avro Vulcan that visited New Zealand circled the school several times, and he understood at the time one of the crew members had attended that school. Mike remembers how loud it was and that it was so low you could feel the noise in your chest. He said on reflection that he doubted the crew were randomly circling schools all over the place on their round the world visit, so it makes sense that for them to circle Cambridge High School there had to be a special reason.

So I looked up who was onboard the Vulcan during this circumnavigation. They were:
Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst
Squadron Leader Donald "Podge" Howard (Pilot)
Squadron Leader Stroud
Squadron Leader Eames
Squadron Leader Gamble
Mr. Bassett (of Avro)

This is the Vulcan that crashed at Heathrow on their return to Britain, and only Broadhurst and Howard survived.

So, does anyone here know if Howard, Stroud, Eames, Gamble or Bassett were from New Zealand, and specifically from Cambridge?

[errolmartyn]

The following expansion on names might be of assistance?

Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst
Squadron Leader Donald Ridgewell "Podge" Howard (Pilot), DFC and bar
Squadron Leader James George Woodgate Stroud, aged 29, listed in official reports as navigator.
Squadron Leader Edward John Eames, AFC, aged 32, air electronics officer
Squadron Leader Albert Edward Gamble, aged 35, navigator
Mr. Frederick H Bassett, aged 38, Avro technical representative

From Colin Cummings 'Category Five - A catalogue of RAF aircraft losses 1954 to 2009'.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol.