Vampire T11 service histories

[tomdocherty72]

Can anyone help with service histories for the following Vampire T.11s (or where I can find them):

XJ772
XD613
XH274
XD599
Thanks!

[JW411]

According to A-B:

XD599 1/RAFC/CATCS Sold to Gloucester Tech College 15.12.70.
XD613 SF Odiham/CNCS/CATCS To 8122M 22.12.70 at Cosford.
XH274 8 FTS/4 FTS/8 FTS/CATCS SOC 31.12.69.
XJ772 RAFC/8 FTS/1 FTS/CATCS To Brooklands Tech College as GI airframe 03.02.71.

[Herod]

Hi Tom,
The only one I can find is XJ772. According to Wiki, it's at the de Havilland Heritage Centre. XD 613 isn't on display at Cosford, although it may be in storage. However, Wiki doesn't list it

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks JW411!

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks Herod.

[tomdocherty72]

Another query. Service history for WZ557 please?

[DaveReidUK]

Hi Tom, XD 613 isn't on display at Cosford, although it may be in storage. However, Wiki doesn't list it

That's because it's in a French museum.

https://www.meacmtl.com/vampire_t11.html

[Webby737]

There was certainly a Vampire being used for engineering training at Brooklands College around 1992, I assume this must have been XJ772, I remember doing a few bits on it.
The Vampire was replaced the following year with a Jet Provost so I guess this must have been when XJ772 was moved to the De Havilland Heritage Centre.
I'll confirm the registration if I can find my apprenticeship notes. (Yes, sadly after almost 30 years I've still got them !)

[DaveReidUK]

There was certainly a Vampire being used for engineering training at Brooklands College around 1992, I assume this must have been XJ772, I remember doing a few bits on it.

Brooklands College acquired T.11 XE919 in 1971. I don't know if that's the one that was still in use in 1992.

[JW411]

WZ557 16/5 FTS Sold 13.11.67 to HSA

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks JW411. I take it the 16 is 16 Sqn in the listing before it went to 5FTS? A bit of an dd allocation as 16 were flying Venoms from 1954, did they have some Vampire trainers too?

[tomdocherty72]

Just discovered that WZ557 was with 16 Sqn at Celle 10 Sep 53 to 7 May 54 and was sent Cat 4 to Marshalls for repair.Later served with 5 FTS at Oakington. Not sure why she was damaged by on another site there is a comment that she was involved in a tragic accident where a fitter set off one of the ejection seats (date location not known). Any ideas on that incident? Also does anyone have any idea of an aircraft letter for her whilst with 16 Sqn?

[Fareastdriver]

I have just had a shuftie through my log books.

!54 Course RAF Oakington.1962

March 1 Vampire T11 WP557 Self. . Ex 71............... 1 QGH/1PAR 55 minutes.

[Jackjones1]

As an ex British Aircraft Corporation apprentice at Weybridge 1969 intake, I went to Brooklands Technical college that same year & I am sure I can remember a Vampire being in the workshops that year or early 1970 at the latest...... as an aside remember the last built VC10 taking off from Weybridge in September 1969.

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks Fareastdriver. Don't suppose you have a photo of her at 5FTS? Did the Vampires carry individual letters or numbers on the nose at this point? If so what was 557's?

[Fareastdriver]

Don't suppose you have a photo of her at 5FTS? Did the Vampires carry individual letters or numbers on the nose at this point? If so what was 557's?

Sorry. No; can't remember.

In March we were the last straight through Vampire course at Oakington. The Varsity crowd from Valley had arrived a month or so beforehand and some of our Vampires had gone to Swinderby. 557 was not one of our normal flight aeroplanes as we had what was left over from the reorganisation. How many survived I don't know but the two that acted as a backdrop to our passing out parade were minus engines and on finals for the dump.

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks Fareastdriver.

[Bill Macgillivray]

Flew WZ557 at Oakington several times between 25/11/60 and 28/3/61 while at 5FTS. As I (vaguely) remember all the aircraft carried a number on the nose. Not certain but will have a "dig" and see if I can find anything else.

Bill

[Vampiredave]

I'll bite

WZ557 Built by de Havilland at Chester
AwCn 31 March 1953
27 MU 7 April 1953
16 Squadron Celle 16 September 1953
FA Cat 3R 7 May 1954: bellylanded after stb u/c failed to lower, Celle Fg Offs W A Law & F W Youngs
ReCat 4 & Iss UK 21 June 1954 RIW Marshalls 30 June 1954 - 29 February 1956
22 MU Silloth 5 March 1956
No.5 FTS Oakington 9 November 1956 as/ becoming '44'
19 MU St Athan 26 September 1953
Trans NEA 5 July 1957
Sold HSA 13 November 1967 (stored Chester / Woodford
Yorks APS, Acaster Malbis 19 Mar 1973 (noted dumped on a/f)
With N. Yorks A/c Recovery Group, Chop Gate November 1987 (reported coded '47')
Sandy Topen Collection, Cranfield 1990 (ex Litchfield & Newark Air Museum)
Sold to private buyer at Litchfield during January 1990
Sold to Don Woods, Cranfield in March 1990

There my trail goes cold!

[Jhieminga]

As an ex British Aircraft Corporation apprentice at Weybridge 1969 intake ...... as an aside remember the last built VC10 taking off from Weybridge in September 1969.
Could that have been February 1970 perhaps? ;) The last two flew for the first time in April 1969 and February 1970, see here: https://www.vc10.net/Data/first_flight_dates.html

[DaveReidUK]

There my trail goes cold!

What's left of WZ557 is at Morayvia, Kinloss (https://www.morayvia.org.uk/) in fairly poor condition (they also have another beautifully restored T.11 nose).

[tomdocherty72]

Fantastic Vampiredave. Great info. Thanks very much!

[tomdocherty72]

Yes it is at Morayvia and we have a team working on it with the intention of restoring it to a similar condition to the other T11 nose we hold. It will be a long job but we are getting there hence the request for a service history to give us an idea of what scheme to finish her in.

[Charlotte Bailey]

Webby737 - do you have any more information about the Vamp at Brooklands? What did you do with her? :D

[brakedwell]

According to A-B:

XD599 1/RAFC/CATCS Sold to Gloucester Tech College 15.12.70.
XD613 SF Odiham/CNCS/CATCS To 8122M 22.12.70 at Cosford.
XH274 8 FTS/4 FTS/8 FTS/CATCS SOC 31.12.69.
XJ772 RAFC/8 FTS/1 FTS/CATCS To Brooklands Tech College as GI airframe 03.02.71.

XH274 was the first Vampire I flew on the 1st November 1956 when I started the Vampire stage of the wings course at RAF Swinderby. My instructor was Lieutenant Mitchell RN. I flew it twice more on dual sorties before my first solo, again in XH274, on November 16th 1956.

Unfortunately Lieutenant Mitchell was killed after he left the Royal Navy in a light aircraft crash with Prince William of Glouceter on 28th August 1972.

[Charlotte Bailey]

How many hours did it take to get solo? :D

[brakedwell]

[QUOTE=Charlotte Bailey;11147140]How many hours did it take to get solo? :D[/QUOTE

6 hours 35 minutes Charlotte. 2 hours 35 minutes later I went solo in the Vampire 5. The only difference was that two airmen pressed down on the tail booms until they touched the tarmac. Then I was warned not to scrape the rear on the runway when landing.

[Charlotte Bailey]

brakedwell - have emailed you

[Quietplease]

The Vampire was a very easy aircraft to fly. Typical of our course I was solo in the 11 after 6.15 and another 3.10 before solo on the 5. We had done the abbreviated JP1 course so only 95.15 total to solo on the Vampire.

[ZH875]

That's because it's in a French museum.

https://www.meacmtl.com/vampire_t11.html
It wasn't part of the Cosford museum, it was mounted on a pole by SHQ and the parade ground. Many course photos were taken in front of it. It was there into at least the 80's, obviously now in pastures new.

[DaveReidUK]

It arrived from Cosford in June 1989.