Can you identify this Wellington?

[l.garey]

I have tried to identify this Wellington on another forum, with no luck. Can anyone here help?
These 2 photos are from Mike Morton's collection. They are of a Wellington taken at Riyan, Oman in February 1948. It was apparently used to transport geologists during oil exploration. The nose turret is faired over, like a T10, and I see a roundel under the wing. There is something written on the cockpit side, but I cannot make it out. Can anyone throw any light on which Wellingtons were used for this job at that time?
Thanks
Laurence

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/apollo-fox/Riyan_2.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc39/apollo-fox/Riyan_1.jpg

[Noyade]

The nose turret is faired over, like a T10Could be light tricks but is that a starboard fuselage window below the cockpit in your top photo and is the nose "straight?"

A couple of pics to try and illustrate what I'm on about...

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4148/nosej.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/i/nosej.jpg/)
http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7051/wellington.jpg (http://img375.imageshack.us/i/wellington.jpg/)


Could your Wellington be a C Mk XVI ?

[l.garey]

Thanks Noyade. It could be a XV or XVI, but someone suggested it might be a Mk X from the Aden Comms Sqd. Riyan is in Yemen (Aden), I think, rather than in Oman as I was first led to believe. But they are not far apart anyway.
It seems that the ACS had a Mk X LP122. Anyone out there remember those days?

Laurence

[India Four Two]

Laurence,

I can't help with the Wimpey, but Riyan is definitely in the Yemen, on the coast near Al Mukalla. I had my first ride in a Turbo Porter there. Like a helicopter with wings :)

And the connection to the photo is that I was there exploring for oil!

Simon

[l.garey]

Thanks Simon, Yes, I have since checked it out and, as you say, Riyan is on the Yemen side of the border with Oman, about 500 km east of Aden.
Ah, the Porter. Quite common here in Switzerland of course. In fact one flew over my house a couple of days ago.
Did you find the oil?
You may know of the old oil related airfield at 23N 55E, just on the UAE side of the Oman border. Look on Google Earth and you will see it, a T-shaped runway layout, 1500M long E-W runway. I visited it a few years ago. Still in good nick. Why was I there? Beacuse I saw it on GE and also because being at 23/55 a friend wanted to go to that intersection!
I have pictures.
See thread
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/288741-airfields-uae-oman.html

Edit: I42: silly me, you contributed to that thread. I had forgotten!!!

Laurence

[The late XV105]

I had my first ride in a Turbo Porter there. Like a helicopter with wings

Exactly the remark I made when hitching a lift in one at RAFSPA, Weston-on-the-Green. :)

[JW411]

Riyan is indeed nowadays in Yemen. In my day (as an Argosy captain with 105 Squadron based at Khormaksar in Aden) Riyan was in what we called the East Aden Protectorate.

If you Google Earth "Riyan Airport" you will still be able to see the old strip to the west of the "new" airport. Riyan was the airfield for Mukalla which at that time was the HQ of the Hadraumi Bedou Legion (a British officered camel corps).

Every day, one of our Argosys set out from Aden on the "RSM" (Riyan, Salalah and Masirah) supply run. The Riyan runway was kept in tip top condition and was as near as you can get to the surface of a billiard table.

I remember the ground equipment being sold off just before we pulled out of Aden in 1967. The immaculate fire engine was flogged off to a local (who intended to use it as a water carrier) for around £100!

[l.garey]

Hello JW411. I trust you are well! Thanks for your comments about Riyan.
Didn't see any Wellingtons when you visited did you?! While you were in Aden, did anyone recall them in the Comms Sqd?

Laurence

[India Four Two]

Laurence,

Yes, we did find oil. There are several oifields up on the plateau between Riyan and Wadi Hadramat. The main facility is at 15°35' 30"N 49° 08' 00"E with the "CanOxy" airstrip 3nm west. The oil is piped to a loading facility on the coast, 7nm east of Riyan.

JW411,

I wondered about the old airfield west of Riyan. On Google Earth, there are four Il-28s and an An-24 by the threshold of 01. They are visible from the road and the first time I drove by there, I was was told they were decoys put there during the first Yemen Civil War.

If the runway was so good, do you have any idea why the new airfield was built?

I was in Aden in 1991. Khormaksar was a very sad sight. Very rundown and looking very incongruous with a mixture of British and Russian buildings. Crater on the other hand looked like it hadn't changed much since the 1930s when my grandfather was there and took lots of photos.

Simon

[l.garey]

I42: and 6 nicely lined up ?Mig17s on the north part of the field. At the risk of the thread slippping (after all, I started the thread!) may I say that there is also some interesting looking wrecked hardware visible on GE at VVTS!

Laurence

[Gainesy]

What on earth is that person on the extreme left of the photo wearing?:uhoh:

I think the lettering under the cockpit window is something to do with emergency exits?

[PEI_3721]

What on earth is that person on the extreme left of the photo wearing?

He’s obviously the Captain – grey hair.
However, the DJ and black tie is a bit over the top, ... and a kilt!

[JW411]

I would assume that the new airfield at Riyan was built since there was no usable tarmac on the old one.

The "billiard table" was 01/19 by the way.

One of my colleagues from 105 Sqn days ferried a DC-4 through Khormaksar some years ago and took some photographs on his way through.

The old 84/105 Sqn HQ could hardly be seen for undergrowth. All the cladding had gone from the hangars and there was a row of dead MIGs sitting on their ars*s outside obviously having had there engines removed.

[India Four Two]

Laurence,

Well spotted. I think you are right - they look like 17s. There are also some more Il-28s scattered around, plus what look like tank berms.

The US and Russian aircraft at Tan Son Nhat that you refer to have now gone, the US ones after 35 years of sitting there corroding away! One of them, a Chinook, showed up earlier this year, in my backyard, figuratively speaking. My apartment overlooks the War Museum, and it is now there, having been repainted and generally spruced up.

Gainesy,

The gent on the left is wearing Yemeni tribal garb, which often includes a jacket. I presume the jacket must have been a relatively recent addition to the traditional clothes.

[virgo]

I've come across a couple of photos (which I've unsuccessfully tried to attach) which look very similar to the Wellington on this thread - including the unusual baggage hatch under the cockpit.
In my photos the aircraft is identified as LP 201, a Mk 10 which was named "Sister Anna" and was the personal mount of AVM Keukny, Director of Maintenance and Supply Middle East.
It's possible that this Transport variant was subsequently used as a general hack aircraft for oil exploration personnel in the Gulf area ?

(I'll have another attempt to upload the photos later)

[l.garey]

Thanks Virgo. I look forward to seeing the photos.

Laurence

[virgo]

Let's see if this works............if it does, thanks BOAC>

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/Virgo_photo/middle%20east%20aircraft/4wellies_0002_edited.jpg

[virgo]

Hello Laurence, hope these are helpful.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/Virgo_photo/4wellies_0001_edited.jpg

[l.garey]

Thanks Virgo. Interesting pictures. Where did you find them?

Difficult to know if mine was "Sister Anna" recycled. Mine had spinners, but they could have been added. Also the colour scheme is different, but a coat of paint can be applied any time. Also the glazing under the nose in mione seems to be still there.

Laurence

[virgo]

Laurence, by a strange co-incidence, while looking for something else, I found an airfix kit of a Wellington in my attic. Accompanying the box was a publication entitled, "Wellington in Action" (Aircraft no.76) produced by Squadron/signal publications, inc. (price $5.99).

These publications are designed specifically for the aircraft modeller and include various marks, mods and colour schemes with lots of photos. (There are some jolly odd shaped Wellingtons among them !) While browsing through the pictures I came across the ones of "Sister Anna".

All very interesting !