RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

Miscellany

9th October 1942

J Kemp McLaughlin was co pilot to the Squadron Commander leading the 407th on this early raid on Lille mounted by the 92nd Bomb Group from Bovingdon:

'After crew checks and engine run-ups, we began our takeoff roll at 1000hrs. We formed up over the field and began our climb eastward along our planned route. We joined another group in trail at the coast at about fifteen thousand feet and continued our climb. It was a bright clear morning, and we were climbing directly into the sun when my pilot Major K decided we were closing too fast on the lead Squadron. Without notifying his wingmen, he reduced power, and they began to overrun his lead ship. As they fought to stay in formation and began to maneuver back and forth, Lt. Eugene Wiley's numbers three and four propellers chopped the vertical stabilizer entirely off Lt Jimmy Dempsey's airplane. Both slipped out of formation and luckily made it back to England. Wiley landed with two good engines at an RAF field (Detling) and Lt. Dempsey made it back to our home base at Bovingdon.'



Safely returned to Bovingdon without serious injury. Lt Dempsey (at left) and his crew. Text and image extracted from ' The Mighty Eighth' by Brig.Gen. J. Kemp McLaughlin.


20th December 1943

I was trying to find a new image of P47 42-7921 but could only come up with this:


Yes, It's our old friend Cass Hough again with his favourite Thunderbolt which was written off at Bovingdon on December 20th 1943. First Lt Franklin L Robertson had taken this aeroplane on a local test flight and was about to land back at Bovingdon when the aircraft caught fire on the approach. Robertson was partly blinded but landed and ground-looped to a stop. He was removed from the cockpit in a 'dazed state' by two bystanders. Photo credit American Air Museum in Britain.

On the 9th of February 1944 Robertson was again at the controls of a Thunderbolt (42-75204 ) on a test flight from Bovingdon but was unable to maintain height due to an engine defect. He carried out a successful forced landing at Westwick Hall Farm, Gorhambury near St Albans.


1944

I found this image somewhere but can't tell you anything about it!

October 26th 1951

A slight upset on the Chesham Road....

Avro Tudor 5 G-AKCC. Image credit John Dent (Bovingdon Remembered).



1955



Burmese Air Force. I believe this aircraft survives in one form or another in an Australian Air Force Museum. Photo credit the Late Arthur Pearcy.

Nineteen Fifties? Meteor Quartet.




Late Fifties early Sixties?



I was probably with my pal David Rayment when he took this photo of a C54. It had just landed on the shorter runway (27) and was taxying around to the ramp. It is just about to cross the threshold of 04.

I lived then at Ashley Green and David used to cycle over from Watford to watch the aeroplanes. One afternoon we were cycling home for tea, going a hell of a lick down a hill on Two Dells Lane when my pedal lodged in David's rear wheel and we both came a hell of a cropper, bending our bikes rather badly.

1961 The War Lover



John Crewdson opens the taps. Photo credit William Schneider (Bovingdon Remembered).











Photo credits: Warbird Information Exchange.

Circa 1963 ?

I believe this Mosquito was used in both '633 Squadron' and 'Mosquito Squadron'.


October 26th 1968 The Battle of Britain.


Photo credit Bernard Martin.


I don't know if any parts of the Battle of Britain film were shot at Bovingdon. This appears to be some sort of Open Day? However I do remember one morning watching a CASA 2.111 trailing 'smoke' from one engine whilst performing low runs over the control tower upon which a gunner was firing off blanks.