On 30th June 1953 the Queen Mum and Princess Margaret travelled out to S. Rhodesia to open the Rhodes Centenary Exhibition at Bulawayo. They travelled by BOAC Comet G-ALYW to Salisbury and then by Royal Train down south to Bulawayo, stopping at Gwelo the nearest town to 5 FTS, RAF Thornhill where the two of them inspected a Guard of Honour provided by the RAF.
Rather grainy photo from a contemporary press cutting.
..and a grainy photo of Margaret seen through the Comet's window.
Later in August 1957 whilst stationed at RAF Negombo (Katunayake) in Sri Lanka I was present when the Duke and Duchess Of Gloucester passed through on their way to the Malaya Independence Celebrations in Kuala Lumpur.
At RAF Negombo the Royal Flight was welcomed by a crowd of "meeters and greeters" with a show of flags and bunting as seen below.
Young man with his back to the camera is Prince William of Gloucester.
Prince William lost his life in August 1972, whilst competing in the Goodyear International Air Trophy at Halfpenny Green, near Wolverhampton.
As a PS I photographed HM the Queen Mum making her first flight in a helicopter when she visited Biggin Hill in April 1955 -
see here:
http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ml#post4665557
WT