RAF Bovingdon - 1960s
The Albatross' used to operate out of Bentwaters before they got helicopters.
Last edited by chevvron; 10th Nov 2021 at 08:53.
Well as previously recounted one foggy morning I was standing just about at this spot when a Shackleton landed short in that very field and took the fence that you can see and the airfield fence too up the runway with its tail wheel.
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I was also standing on this spot when a Meteor T.7. landed long, left it too late to go-round, swerved off the runway to the right, whereupon the port undercarriage broke off, and it careered across the skyline in a large cloud of dust. No injuries.
I think this was yours Jem : https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/20878
And this was some years before: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/21268
And this was some years before: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/21268
A bit of thread creep, but at a Biggin BOB display in 1953 or 1954 I managed to photo this Manston based USAF Albatross doing a Rocket Assisted Take-off - VERY noisy ISTR.
Royal British Legion Italian War Graves Pilgrimage 1949
Courtesy Brian Harding
In 1949 Hunting Air Travel received a Contract from The British Legion to fly four thousand people to the Military War Graves in Italy. Airports used included Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Catania, Milan, Naples, Rome and Treviso. Commencing from Bovingdon on May 16th 1949 Vikings were flown with 24 passengers up to seven times a week, reaching a frequency of ten a week at the peak of the pilgrimage. (Tony Merton Jones).
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 14th Nov 2021 at 13:29.
A little bit of C47 Creep.....
In addition to the Viking in the above image one can discern Halifax G-AKBR of Skyflight Ltd a company which had or was just about to cease operations. The Halifax was subsequently registered to Eagle Aviation and scrapped in March 1950. The C47 is slightly more interesting. As far as I can make out it is ZS-AVL of Pan African Air Charter , one of several dodgy South African outfits of the time offering Passenger charters to South Africa from Bovingdon, Blackbushe and Croydon. It could even be that Pan African were about to pack up at the time this photograph was taken.
Douglas DC-3 C-47 Pan African Air Charter
https://www.baaa-acro.com/operator/p...an-air-charter
This same aircraft (12981) ZS-AVL was next sold in 1950 to The Union of Burma Airways and registered as XY-ACT.
XY-ACT was hi-jacked in 1954.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28014394 The C47 depicted in this link is not the hi-jacked aircraft.
The Captain concerned was Alex Hare who I came to know when he joined Air Anglia in the early seventies to fly the Dakotas. He owned a very smart Aston Martin. I can't remember now whether it was a DB5 or DB6. He was one of the old school and a real gent. I believe he was of Ukranian birth.
Captain and Mrs Hare can be seen here. Photo credit the late Captain Charles 'Chic' Eather.
At Rangoon in 1975. Photo Brian Nichols with thanks.
XY-ACT saw good service in Burma and was then sold in 1978 to Ethiopian Airlines where it operated as ET-AGW. Unfortunately it was written off in a minor landing accident on a freight flight at Bahar Dah, Ethiopia in January 1981. Sadly I've been unable to find an image of her in Ethiopia but here are a couple of her stable-mates photographed at Addis in 1988.
Photo credit Ron Mak.
Creeping further you might enjoy this - go to Aviation Gallery:http://www.chingchic.
Douglas DC-3 C-47 Pan African Air Charter
https://www.baaa-acro.com/operator/p...an-air-charter
This same aircraft (12981) ZS-AVL was next sold in 1950 to The Union of Burma Airways and registered as XY-ACT.
XY-ACT was hi-jacked in 1954.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28014394 The C47 depicted in this link is not the hi-jacked aircraft.
The Captain concerned was Alex Hare who I came to know when he joined Air Anglia in the early seventies to fly the Dakotas. He owned a very smart Aston Martin. I can't remember now whether it was a DB5 or DB6. He was one of the old school and a real gent. I believe he was of Ukranian birth.
Captain and Mrs Hare can be seen here. Photo credit the late Captain Charles 'Chic' Eather.
At Rangoon in 1975. Photo Brian Nichols with thanks.
XY-ACT saw good service in Burma and was then sold in 1978 to Ethiopian Airlines where it operated as ET-AGW. Unfortunately it was written off in a minor landing accident on a freight flight at Bahar Dah, Ethiopia in January 1981. Sadly I've been unable to find an image of her in Ethiopia but here are a couple of her stable-mates photographed at Addis in 1988.
Photo credit Ron Mak.
Creeping further you might enjoy this - go to Aviation Gallery:http://www.chingchic.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 14th Nov 2021 at 19:12.
Accident B17 42-37744 (Met Flight) 9th December 1943
I mentioned this accident briefly a couple of years ago. I came across the following written by 'Brian' on The Key Aero Forum in January 2009.
I have found a few images concerning three members of the crew.
LaVerne P. Rissinger
Family Grave Stone at Gainesville, Wyoming County, New York State. His birth-place.
Born in 1915. Image from Sherborne School Archive.
John Leigh-Clare is buried at Nunheads All Saints, Camberwell, London.
Wing Commander Jack Osborne's name is on the War Memorial at Ipplepen, Devonshire, also in the church of St Andrew in whose grave yard he is buried.
I have a few more images which I'll post next.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 17th Feb 2022 at 18:24.
Accident B17 42-37744 (Met Flight) 9th December 1943
This is the aerodrome in 1942. As always witness statements don't always tally. One witness said that he thought that the B17 was airborne after a run of approx 1200 yards so I've marked that point in Green on the image - however it could well be that the run was extended past this point. The main runway at Bovingdon was short by American Bomber Airfield standards being only 1634 yards in length against the more usual 2000 yards.
Beyond the runway there were several potential obstructions which I've marked in Yellow with distances given from the end of the runway.
A mature hedge at 236 yards approx.
A small stand of trees at 419 yards approx.
And finally marked in Red the boundary of the Wood at 620 Yards approx.
This image shows the accident site today, the red spot marking the boundary of the wood. Please note that most of this is my guesswork achieved with failing grey matter and no doubt lacking a bit of accuracy.
When I was a kid this area was wooded and I suppose would be called Upper Bourne End. The road is the new A41 Berkhamsted Bypass. This image really doesn't convey the slope of the escarpment. The runway end is at about the 160 metre contour. Quite steep in places. They used to have Hill Climbs next door at Westbrook Hay which I guess is somewhere near the golf course today. When travelling on the top deck of a Green London Transport 301 Service along the old A41 in the nine-teen fifties you could look up to the wooded escarpment and see where the tops of the trees had been cut back to facilitate approach lighting. I must say I'm a bit sad that this wood has now been sacrificed - looks as though it's had pigs on it.
The Wood at the end of R/W 04 after airfield closure but before construction A41 Berkhamsted Bypass.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 9th Mar 2022 at 21:03.
A Few More Gleanings Taken From The Ether
This image already posted but better definition here. This is Hermes G-ALDY registered to Skyways but serving with MEA during a short period in 1955.
Portuguese Air Force. May 1957. Photo credit: Arthur Pearcy.
420 Air Refuelling Squadron 1958.
1958.
1958.
I think that those few of you who all those years ago haunted the fence-line at the end of the runway will, like me, find this particular photograph from 1958 very evocative.
Another little bit of forgotten history here:https://aguidetofethiye.wordpress.co...november-1951/
Unfortunately not. A recent thread on Flyer Forums showed photos of that section of runway being dug up and the bit the other side of the main runway is occupied by the 'Dancing on Ice' studio..
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I think the 27 board seen in the 4th photo was put up by the film makers of Hanover Street. Bovingdon was an exciting place for those short weeks.
The film set with the windows repaired. Telegraph poles were put in as well as aerials and radar!
After they moved out
The film set with the windows repaired. Telegraph poles were put in as well as aerials and radar!
After they moved out
Definitely looks like a small hangar next to the tower; wonder when that was used 'cos the later strip used was across the other side of the airfield.
Last edited by chevvron; 7th May 2022 at 10:49.
'The Liquidator'? That's one I never heard of; looks like the photo is of ATC Cadets on parade.
From '65 to '67 (when the gliding school from Hendon moved in), I was flying Air Cadet gliders from Bovingdon (on detachment from Halton) occasionally so would have noticed; the hangar appeared after Bovingdon closed which was 1 Jan 1969.
From '65 to '67 (when the gliding school from Hendon moved in), I was flying Air Cadet gliders from Bovingdon (on detachment from Halton) occasionally so would have noticed; the hangar appeared after Bovingdon closed which was 1 Jan 1969.
Last edited by chevvron; 7th May 2022 at 10:49.
The Liquidator was a 1960's film staring Rod Taylor as a supposed assassin. He actually 'sub-contracted' the work to a character played by Eric Sykes See this link for more details.The Liquidator (1965 film) - Wikipedia