Nigel Osborn wrote: That Farnborough video reminded me of 1964 when 848 Squadron flew in the airshow with the Wessex 5.
Since reading this comment I've been keeping my eyes peeled for any '64 images of Wessex in the Farnborough vicinity but, alas, I've not had too much success. There was a RAF HC2 on display that year and I
do have a shot of that!
However, 1964 was supposedly the year when two Wessex demonstrated their in-flight refuelling capability (below):
Presumably Nigel remembers seeing this demonstration?
Another Wessex from '64 would have been this Mk 5 at Yeovilton:
RN Wessex HU5 at Yeovilton air base on 25th May 1964 (Photo: Alex Christie)
Of the 848, just two images, one of which is likely to be of greater relevance to Nigel than the other:
Westland Wessex HU5 XT471 of 848 Squadron attached to HMS Bulwark visiting Edinburgh during the Summer of 1973 (Photo: Peter Nicholson)
Westland Wessex Mk 5 of 848's 'C' flight in Nanga Gaat in 1965
Some of the narrative associated with the above image reads:
"On arrival in Singapore we disembarked for the RM barracks Sembawang and NAS Simbang where we prepared the helicopters for operations in the jungles of Borneo swapping the sand and green camouflage for the jungle green colouring that now denoted us a jungle bunnies.
After the period of preparation we once more embarked on the Albion and proceeded to Borneo. On arrival off Kuching 'B' and 'C' flights flew off to their respective areas of operation. We had now exchanged our Navy blue for the green uniforms of our Royal Marine brothers but we did not seem to convey the same outwardly appearance that the 'Bootniks' achieved and I suppose most of them were a little weary of 'Jack' with a rifle in his grasp.
'B' flight was to operate from our rear base at Sibu and 'C' flight was on its way up country to Nanga Gaat which was a few miles from the Indonesian border where the Gaat and barley rivers met. As we flew down the river it became apparent on just how much 845 Squadron had suffered whilst operating here. In the trees was a wreck of a Wessex 1, one of two that had collided as they approached the forward airbase. This was more compelling as Scouse Rothwell, a Naval Air Mechanic who had been in my class at Ganges and Condor had perished in the incident.
It was as it we had entered another world. We had all heard about the head hunters of Borneo but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would live amongst them. The Iban tribesmen were used by the British forces as border scouts and one of my first sightings of them was as they disembarked from one of the Wessex."
Another Wessex character from this period was W.H. Sear:
'Slim' Sear climbs aboard the Wessex
W.H. "Slim" Sear, OBE, AFRAes, was Chief test pilot of Westland Aircraft from 1952 until 1967. "Slim" Sear went to Westland after flying with the RAF and the Royal Navy and graduating from the ETPS and was responsible for the development and production flight testing of all the company's rotary-wing aircraft during his tenure. He played a prominent part in developing the all-weather and anti-submarine capabilities of the Wessex and was closely associated with the development of turbine types.
He was responsible for flight development on the Westminster which was, at that time, the UK's largest helicopter and, latterly, the anti-submarine Wessex Mk 3. He received an OBE in 1963 in recognition of his flight test work.
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