RAF Bovingdon - 1960s

[OUAQUKGF Ops]

A Few More Gleanings Taken From The Ether

1954. Photo Arthur Pearcy.



December 1955 Italian Air Force probably on 'Operation Hannibal' Photo Arthur Pearcy.



1956 Photo attributed to Arthur Pearcy.



1956 Shackleton Mk1.



1956 Photo Arthur Pearcy.




1958. (One of 'The 'Greats' the C130 first flew in 1954)



1951. Vickers Viking G-AHOT of Trans-World Air Charter at Elstree. Photo credit as caption.

Trans-World Air Charter formed at Bovingdon in February 1948 and was active there and also for a time at Elstree where the company had a maintenance facility.
During its busy, short life the airline operated three Vikings of which G-AHON and G-AHOT participated in The Berlin Airlift as freighters operating out of Wunsdorf in the Autumn of 1948. Eventually the Company was absorbed by Crewsair of Southend and operations ceased at Bovingdon December 1951.




G-AHOT at Bordeaux circa 1952. Note minimal paint job on transfer from Trans-World Charter. Photo credit as captioned.



Photo Vic de Villiers





This is a replaced link. It is very slow - you need to let it do its own thing ?! More on G-AHOT here:https://saamuseum.co.za/history/Hist...#_Toc113256122



I'm finding it quite difficult to find images of the more obscure Bovingdon airlines so slight drift coming up.

Another Bovingdon operator who participated in The Berlin Airlift was Air Contractors Limited with three Dakotas. This company was founded at Woodley in May 1946 and was one of the earliest operators of the Miles Aerovan. The company then moved to Blackbushe and early in 1948 they established their base at Bovingdon. Their tenure was short-lived, the company ceased flying in January 1949. I've tried to find snaps of their Aerovans at Bovingdon (Still had four when they ceased flying) or indeed anywhere else but with no luck until I contacted Peter Amos who sent me the following images from Air Contractor's early days at Woodley.









All photographs courtesy of Peter Amos with thanks.



G-AIWC thought to be at Bovingdon, Between Hangar 2 and Hangar 3 in 1948. In the Autumn of 1947 the company's three Dakotas had flown to India to participate in the airlift of refugees. On one such flight 65 passengers were uplifted.



Extract from Aeroplane Magazine December 26th 1947.







G-AIWC at Multan Pakistan 1947. Scottish Airlines Dakota to rear. Photo taken by Captain D.M. Evans.

You Tube

This appears to be a selection of out-takes and although interesting really doesn't convey the upheaval of forced migration, misery and blood-letting that resulted from the The Partition of India.

Many British airlines participated in what is probably now a forgotten Airlift in the Autumn of 1947. Mostly Dakota Operators with a scattering of Bristol Freighters: Air Contractors, BOAC, Kearsley Airways, Scottish Airlines, Silver City Airways, Sivewright Airways and Westminster Airways.