Originally Posted by
sisemen
disbanded on 31 Mar 63. The Valiant soldiered on for a short while with other units until they were binned because of wing spar fatigure.
I would not consider a further 18 months as tanker and TBF as soldiering on for a short while.
AFAIK there was no planned date in the near term for their disposal. We did the tanker receiver course in July 1964 with every expectation of working up for tanking to the Far East.
Finningley also had 2 white B1 Vulcans when I was posted there in April 65 XA 900 and 901?? and stayed operational for about a year after that.
BCDU probably.
There were some Valiants not issued to Bomber Command and these had particularly low hours. They were on the books of the RRE. One, IIRC, had less than 100 hours and the other around 127. It was hoped that these could be kept operating and fatigue checks were carried out which gave them a clean bill of health until 'one last rivet' was removed to check and there was the dreaded fatigue cracks. The spars suffered fatigue from the moment they were cast never having even flown. Their alloy composition became crystaline.