View Full Version : 1953 London to Christchurch Air Race
Now that Canberra PR7 - WH773 - is at Royal Air Force Museum Laarbruch I'm trying to sort out some information. For example about the London to Christchurch Air Race.
On the way WH773 stopped at RAF Shaibah, at Negombo, Perth before finally getting to Christchurch, NZ.
The attached photo (MAS-collection) is supposed to have been taken during the race.
Does anyone recognize the location?http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/95iwarzukurz/1953_Canberra_PR7_WH773_silver_NZ-Air-Race_MAS-collection_zpsvjh5vvep.jpg
A photo taken yesterday at RAF Laarbruch Museum. Work on WH773 is nearly finished. New paint will have to wait till summer.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/95iwarzukurz/2016_03_09_WH773_linker-Fluumlgel-dran-abends2_zpsd6ftusug.jpg
Warmtoast
11th Mar 2016, 11:05
95i
Photo wouldn't have been taken during the race as all competing aircraft were adorned with a prominent race number.
I was at LAP on 8th October 1953 for the start of the London to Christchurch (NZ) air race and took these photos showing an Aussie (RAAF) Canberra and BEA Viscount, both sporting their race numbers.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/NZAirRaceCanberra2.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/NZAirRaceViscount2.jpg
ISTR that Cocos Island was a refuelling stop too, and one of the Canberra's (not sure whether RAF or RAAF) broke its undercarriage on landing there and was out of the race.
A Pathe Newsreel about the race can be viewed here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/12-000-mile-air-race
redsetter
11th Mar 2016, 21:29
I believe Warmtoast is correct. There is a photo on the web somewhere (can't remember where) that shows WH773 during Air Race at LAP sporting a numeral "1" in a white circle, just aft of the fuselage roundel.
Fris B. Fairing
11th Mar 2016, 23:11
Unfortunately not the aeroplane you want but this is WE142 carrying race number 2 at Cocos Island in 1953.
http://www.adastron.com/aviation/vault/WE142-Cocos.jpg
Photo from the Hank Hurley Collection.
Planemike
12th Mar 2016, 14:42
Re. original photo: just a thought. From memory, the hangars in the background would be a "fit" for either Squires Gate (aka Blackpool) or Salmesbury. Guess Warton would also a possibility, although I have no personal recollection of what the hangars at Warton looked like in the 50s.
The Pathe clip was quite helpful showing WH773 taking off with a "1" painted on the fuselage.
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/95iwarzukurz/WH773_Nr1_take-off_Heathrow_zpsee0g8b9a.jpg
and for the tank stops:
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/95iwarzukurz/Zwischenstopps_London-NZ_zpspujv3m2q.jpg