Mycroft:
I have just seen this thread and I was fascinated by what you have to say. It largely ties in with what I remember hearing from my father who flew in 137 Squadron. Sadly he died in 1963, but I still remember a lot of his tales, and I have his log books.
He was stationed at Matlaske, Norfolk, a satellite of Coltishall. The aircraft had a high takeoff and landing speed and quite a tall undercarriage. With the narrow runway at Matlaske and the ploughed land either side there were several accidents with planes leaving the runway and tipping up on their nose. This necessitated the rescue of the pilot dangling from this shoulder straps.
In recent years I have spoken to local residents a couple of miles away who remember them disappearing from view as they neared the runway and then reappearing briefly as they bounced up on landing.
He might have been wrong of course, but the old man was under the impression that had war not broken out when it did, putting Merlin production under pressure, the Whirlwind might have also been equipped with that engine.
It goes without saying that I would love to talk with anyone who as links with my father's old squadron
Cheers. ND