Hi Steve
Not sure if these are of interest, but fairly unique as it shows the aircraft that did a survey mission and the resultant survey photos.
R.A.F. Gan— 58 Sqn Canberra PR7 WJ815 - 12 March 1958
In 1958 Iwas stationed at R.A.F. Gan and took a photo of the first jet to visit Gan (it didn’t land because it was on a on a photo-survey mission and the then crushed coral runway was too short for a landing.
As I recorded in my notes “On 12 March 1958 a 58 Sqn (RAF Wyton) Canberra PR7 temporarily based in Singapore and detached to RAF Negombo (Ceylon) took survey photos of Addu Atoll (Sortie 58A 604 of 12 March 1958, aircraft WJ815, pilot F/O Mudge, navigator F/O Lister). The survey runs were flown at 9,000ft and following the final survey run we asked the pilot to do a low fly-by, this photo records the event.”
It was low enough to see the oblique camera ports on the starboard side of the aircraft. The mission report stated that one camera was U/S.
In February 2004 in connection with the R.A.F. Gan Reunion that was held later that year at R.A.F. Odiham, and with the permission of the MOD I was supplied with prints of this sortie. In giving me prints of the survey the MOD stipulated that if they were to be posted or published anywhere they should be annotated “Source: © CrownCopyright/MoD” which I’ve done.
"© Crown Copyright/MOD"
Original Tented Domestic Site - Close-up
12 March 1958. The original tented site. Tents are visible (slightly right of centre). The original WW2 short jetty and the channel blasted through the coral reef can be seen. Concrete laying machines are in action and are visible on the right of the new hardstanding. "© Crown Copyright/MOD"
RAF Gan - New Domestic Site
12 March 1958. On the left the beginnings of the new domestic site take shape. The new jetty extending to the edge of the reef is visible (left) as is (far right) the original very short WW2 jetty. "© Crown Copyright/MOD"
Signals & ATC Close-up
12 March 1958. ATC, H/F radio vehicles (used by W/Ops) and cypher truck are bottom right. Aircraft parking area and four SASF/ Stores tents are at bottom centre. To the left and slightly above these are H/F and VHF transmitter vehicles and generator truck. The VHF D/F vehicle in which I worked is the white-roofed object towards the top of the track on the left. Power was supplied from the generator truck along a long mains lead. For use in emergencies (when no mains power was available) the VHF/DF vehicle had its own 4-channel VHF TR1143 transceiver (as used in aircraft) that ran off 24 volt batteries charged by a stand-by petrol generator. "© Crown Copyright/MOD"