Thought this site might be of interest [Archive]

Two's in

17th Aug 2007, 19:21

Amazing to see how things were done in those days, there are a few "look how horrible the RAF are being to me" posts buried on here where people might benefit from a look at how "good" the good old days were. 12 Ship transit from Wunsdorf to Rhodesia with a Chipmunk instrument panel and a very big map must have been interesting.

rmac

17th Aug 2007, 21:00

A very real personal account that brings history to life. Thank you for sharing it sir. !!

Warmtoast

17th Aug 2007, 21:12

A fascinating and well illustrated site.

Coincidentally I just by chance happen to have in my collection a series of press cuttings and photos about the Rhodes Centenery Air Rally in Salisbury, Rhodesia in June 1953. This includes a piece about the visit of 266 Sqn to Salisbury and mentions by name P/O P. R. E. McLennan as being a member of the 266 Sqn aerobatic team that "gave a superlative display".

What a small world after 50+ years.

266 Sqn itinerary for visit to Rhodesia 1953 from my records:

Second Tactical Air Force Flight Itinerary for Visit to Southern Rhodesia - 1953
31st May Wunsdorf - Istres (refuel), Istres - Luqa (night stop)
1st June Luqa - El Adem (refuel), El Adem - Fayid (night stop)
2nd June Fayid - Wadi Halfa (refuel), Wadi Halfa - Khartoum (night stop)
3rd June Khartoum - Juba (refuel), Juba - Entebee (night stop)
4th June Entebbe - Tabora- (refuel), Tabora – N’dola (night stop)
5th June N’dola - New Salisbury.
Note
(a) The above timing is dependent upon weather conditions and satisfactory refuelling facilities being available en route.
(b) The return journey over the same route will commence on approximately 17th/l8th June, 1953, arriving at Wunsdorf on 22nd/23rd June, 1953

petermcleland

18th Aug 2007, 11:57

Thanks very much for your kind remarks chaps...I really must do some work on my site to get the other stuff in there (more Venoms and Hunters in Kenya, Rhodesia and various spots in Arabia) :)

regards,

Peter McLeland.

Chris Kebab

18th Aug 2007, 12:33

Great site Peter - I will be checking regularly for updates!

It's made me wish I had taken more photos to accompany my log book.

Tonkenna

18th Aug 2007, 12:47

It is a great site... sadly these days it is very much discouraged to put photos in the log book and I don't know why. Mine though is full of them and I will continue to put them in. I was once told that it is because it belongs to the RAF... would they really take your log book off you though? I doubt it.

Tonks :cool:

diginagain

18th Aug 2007, 12:57

Just had a look at the site, Peter and I must say I'm looking forward to seeing more.

I've only ever put a couple of photos in my logbooks, but Mount Pleasant Airport from 2000' doesn't stand out well.

ExRAFRadar

18th Aug 2007, 15:08

Without wishing to hurry you Peter, please hurry up and add some more stuff to your site! :)

Truly wonderful time machine.

If you'll forgive me the quiet way you remark on friends lost is remarkable.

I had the honor of reading my old Ops Officer's logbook some 20 years ago now. It was full of exotic names and strange aircraft. I would imagine some of the aircrew logbooks of today are starting to look a little like that.

Do you think a dedicated website of logbook entries would be possible ? Would anyone be interested in reading them? Are they in anyway classified ? I don't mean the modern stuff, I am assuming they are classified.

petermcleland

18th Aug 2007, 16:17

I had my first four logbooks leather bound into one volume and it is rather a thick tome to carry around. After my 12 years as a fighter pilot I moved into civil aviation and it lived in my briefcase. My case got much lighter when I had filled up that tome and only had to carry the single thin new one. On the website the thick tome moves in from the right on the welcome page but the years have rubbed and faded the gold print on the cover and I can hardly read it here in front of me. I have two of the thin ones now and refer to them all quite often.

Oh yes, the point I was going to make is that when I had the first four bound into one thick one, I had 25 heavy plain paper pages bound into the back, especially for photographs.

And yes...I'm determined to get back into adding material to my site...It is all sitting here waiting :)

Tim Mills

19th Aug 2007, 02:09

My goodness Peter, this brings it all back! Marvellous. We must have glanced off each other at Sylt, I was a staff PAI '54 to '57 with the likes of Ken Goodwin, Lee Jones, Chunky I'Anson and all. Recognise several names and faces from those days. And I agree, the Venom looked better with tip tanks!

I remember the Venom fire problems, very sad. Apart from that, a very nice fun aeroplane I thought.

My turn in an aeros team came later, ex RAF, and in No.3 slot. Great fun.

Very much looking forward to future installments, all the best.

Tim

henry crun

19th Aug 2007, 04:02

Peter, I have a vivid memory of watching one of you 2nd TAF Venom guys landing at Tangmere about 1953 or 54.

Four of them were staging through for customs, and the cloudbase suddenly dropped to low.
The number four, for some reason, overshot, and being rather short of fuel made a very tight circuit; so tight that he was still straightening up as he came past the caravan.

By the time the runway controller got a red Very off to tell him that his wheels were not down, it was too late.
As it skidded to a halt it was burning quite nicely, the hood wound back rapidly and the pilot hit the ground running.

He got about 20 yards away and stopped, turned round and ran back into the flames.
When he reappeared he had his SD hat, which he had rescued from the cockpit. :D

SirToppamHat

19th Aug 2007, 11:02

He got about 20 yards away and stopped, turned round and ran back into the flames. When he reappeared he had his SD hat, which he had rescued from the cockpit.

Must have been a Bates!

STH

petermcleland

19th Aug 2007, 18:17

Hi Tim...I did a Vampire T11 dual flight with Ken Goodwin on 26th September 1953...My second Sylt detachment of seven. This detachment was just after our return from "Operation Longtrek" to the Rhodes Centenary celebrations in Rhodesia. :)

BEagle

19th Aug 2007, 19:09

A very interesting insight into the days when the UK could afford a proper Air Force!

Avidly looking forward to more fascinating glimpses of history on your superb website, Pete!

MrBernoulli

19th Aug 2007, 23:54

Avidly looking forward to more fascinating glimpses of history on your superb website, Pete!

In particular, more of Rhodesia - hurrah!

(Can't think why I said that .....................)

Al R

20th Aug 2007, 06:37

Thats an interesting, gentle, well paced and thoughtful read. Nice one Peter.

Gainesy

20th Aug 2007, 10:50

Nice collection Tony. I notice that all of your pictures are pin sharp, except the two of Miss Bardot at Abingdon, camera shake?:)

petermcleland

20th Aug 2007, 11:22

Tony,

Here is a post I made somewhere else...I wonder if you know any of these chaps:-

A Rhodesian friend has just visited for a few days...I hadn't seen him for half a century, when we served together on 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron at Wunstorf and Fassberg in 2nd A.T.A.F. Germany in the 1950s. Naturally there was a lot of reminiscent chat and viewing of old photos...I spotted this rather nice photograph in his album and he let me scan it:-
http://www.petermcleland.com/misc/RhodesianSpitfire.jpg
These chaps were doing their flying training on Spitfires in the Royal Rhodesian Air Force and three of them later joined the R.A.F. and were posted to 266 in Germany...They were Roy Morris, Wally Hinrichs and "Dup" du Plessis...Dup was my visitor and he is labelled as "Self" in the photograph. I just thought it a splendid photograph and decided to share it here. :)

petermcleland

20th Aug 2007, 12:13

Tony,

Here is the actual route and timings from my logbook:-

1953

May 29th Wunstorf to Istres 578nms 1hr 25mins nightstop
May 30th Istres to Luqa 614nms 1hr 35mins nightstop
June 1st Luqa to El Adem 522nms 1hr 15mins
June 1st El Adem to Fayid 437nms 1hr 15mins nightstopx2
June 3rd Fayid to Wadi Halfa 508nms 1hr 20mins
June 3rd Wadi Halfa to Khartoum 381nms 1hr nightstop
June 4th Khartoum to Juba 640nms 1hr 30mins
June 4th Juba to Entebbe 290nms 55mins nightstop
June 5th Entebbe to Tabora 305nms 55mins
June 5th Tabora to Lusaka 668nms 1hr 50mins nightstopx3 including an Air Demonstration Lusaka on 6th June
June 8th Lusaka to New Salisbury 210nms 1hr 5mins

Seven Formation Aerobatics displays were flown in connection with the Rhodes Centenary Air Rally and we left on 17th June to return to Wunstorf by the same route, arriving back on 25th June...Twelve Venoms there and Twelve Venoms back.

The aircraft were Venom FB1s and had tip tanks only (pylon tanks were not yet ready). All Formation Aerobatics were in clean aircraft. I flew "S" WE330 all the way there and back and the fuel gauge read Zero for the entire time as they were unable to fix it :)

Warmtoast

20th Aug 2007, 22:14

pictures are pin sharp, except the two of Miss Bardot at Abingdon, camera shake?

Well what do you expect? The most gorgeous girl in the world (well she was in 1959), Europe's Sex Kitten answer to America's Sex Godess Marilyn Monroe and within touching distance.

Actually we only saw BB in her parachute dungarees, she was ushered out of her changing caravan and for publicity purposes paraded down a line of leering airmen to supposedly chat with us whilst the newsreel cameras rolled away in the background; I didn't think she'd stop by me but she paused when she saw the signals badge on my arm and asked in her delightful fractured French-accented English "What is thees?" Tongue tied I only mumbled I "it meant I was a radio operator". She came straight back "Just like me!" (She played the role of a radio opertor in the French Resistance in the film). Lovely.

I have a couple of faded press cuttings from the Oxford Mail showing her with us airmen and also a photo of her drinking a pint in the Sergeant's Mess - apparently the Officer's Mess didn't send her an invite, so their loss was the Sergeants gain!

Happy days, but sadly I've never been able to track down a copy of the film "Babette Goes to War" either for rental or purchase with the scenes shot at Abingdon in the summer of 1959.

Warmtoast

20th Aug 2007, 22:25

Here is the actual route and timings from my logbook

Thanks for the clarification Peter - noted.

My timings came from the route promulgated by 2ATF at the planning stage a couple of weeks earlier.

One query: Was your squadron accompanied by a support aircraft with ground crew, spares etc for this exercise? The only note I have is that 266 were accompanied by a Hastings. But this could be wrong.

Tony

Old Hairy

21st Aug 2007, 08:08

Hi Tony,
Enjoyed the Seletar/Sunderland photos,except the breaking up ones.
Was on 205 until 54. Glugor,China Bay,brings back lots of memories. Went to see my old F/Eng. Ted Bevis recently,you may remember him,he was on 205/209 right up to the end.he is still going strong in his eighties!
All the Best
Old Hairy

petermcleland

21st Aug 2007, 09:44

Yes Tony,

We had a Hastings and a Valetta bringing our groundcrews and equipment, including German two-stoke pumps and filters for refuelling from 40 gallon drums (pre-positioned at places like Juba).

http://www.petermcleland.com/misc/refuelling.jpg
Refuelling from 40 gallon drums.

Thud_and_Blunder

21st Aug 2007, 10:41

Peter, I apologise for the thread creep (although I will add here how much I've enjoyed looking through your pictures. My Dad called the early 50s the "couldn't care less" period, but it obviously had its compensations)... Tony, just off to the right of the 1st pic of Ike taxying-in was a 5-year-old Thud, with the rest of the Benson Primary School oiks, waving like mad. Lovely day it was, too. Many thanks for the reminder.

petermcleland

25th Aug 2007, 11:15

Thanks for the interest gents...It has inspired me to do some more work on the site. I've just added six pages (had to relearn the software as it is so long since I used it :bored:).

I will try to add some each week now, to complete the military period in my logbook. :)

Tim Mills

25th Aug 2007, 11:44

Really enjoying it, thanks Peter.

eagle 86

26th Aug 2007, 08:29

Absolutely amazing - in 1968-69 Bob Kendall, featured as Team Leader seated on the Triumph, and I served together in the Republic of South Viet Nam!
GAGS
E86

petermcleland

26th Aug 2007, 11:20

Eagle 86...I lost contact with Bob after he went home from Germany. I wonder if you still have any contact or location?

eagle 86

27th Aug 2007, 00:23

PM,
I knew Bob after he immigrated to Oz, joined the RAAF and served with 9 Sqn in RSVN 68-69. Last time I saw him was '69. I believe he passed away a couple of years ago. Google up 9 Sqn RAAF and you may find a contact to confirm this.
GAGS
E86

MrBernoulli

28th Aug 2007, 01:47

Tony Hawes,

From the picture link in your post (#18) I see you trained at Thornhill - me too! Except that mine was a long time after yours ....... as a member of the local air force.

Peter McLeland,

Did you ever meet Jack Malloch or Ian Smith (both Rhodesians) in your time on Mk 22 Spitfires?

petermcleland

28th Aug 2007, 09:58

Mr Bernoulli,

No, I was never on Spitfires...It was the Rhodesians that had the Mk22s in those times and that picture was from one of the nine Rhodesians who were posted to 266 Squadron when they came over and joined the R.A.F.

As it happens, I did meet Ian Smith (who I greatly admire), when I was shooting at the World Practical Pistol Championships at Salisbury in 1977. It was in the middle of their war and Smithy came to the range and chatted to us competitors :)

petermcleland

28th Aug 2007, 10:02

E86,

Thanks for that info about Bob Kendall...I've been Googling on 9 Sqn RAAF but no luck so far...I remember that Bob married a German lady just before going home to UK from Germany. Do you happen to remember if she was with him in Australia?

eagle 86

29th Aug 2007, 01:29

PM,
I was a Navy pilot on loan to 9 RAAF in RSVN. I only knew Bob in country and knew little of his personal life. I do remember that one of my contempories celebrated his 21st birthday on the same day that Bob celebrated 21 years service!
GAGS
E86
PS Had no trouble googling "Number 9 Squadron RAAF"