Help to identify these aircraft photos

[Eviand]

Hi, I'm a newbie hoping that someone would be able to identify the aircraft in the attached photos. I'm not entirely sure of the exact date these photos were taken, but could be anywhere in the timeframe of late 40's to the early 60's. Any additional information would be much appreciated.

[Malcolm G O Payne]

I.n the foreground is a Bristol Freighter and behind is an Avro York. The location is perhaps Lydd and the Freighter would be used on a car ferry to Deauville

[Seloco]

I think it's not so much Lydd as Tempelhof....

[G-ARZG]

Looks like Berlin Tempelhof ??
(not least because of the inscription on the freight door?)

[renfrew]

In 1948/9 there were around 20 British airlines involved in the Berlin airlift.
Air Charter was Freddie Laker's company.
The photo was probably taken at Gatow or one of the West German airfields supporting the airlift.

[Background Noise]

Does look very much like Templehof.

[norwich]

Hi Eviand, And welcome to the forum ! I am going to suggest that your photos are not from 'The Berlin Airlift' but from the immediate period following, when national airlines were not allowed to fly into Berlin ? During that period Air Charter (who were not involved in the airlift) was heavily involved flying charters for British airlines !
A quote from 'The Berlin Boys'

Air Charter Ltd. London operated from 1951 until the end of 1959 scheduled cargo flights to Hamburg and Hanover, at which up to 70 flights a week were realize. Lots of cargo and passenger charters were operated too. From 1957 to 1959 they operated scheduled passenger flights on behalf of BEA - British European Airways on the internal german route network. At the end of June 1960 Air Charter merged with several other airlines into British United Airways.

And a photo below from the same source, on approach to Templehof, note the colour scheme, and the fact that this aircraft did not take part in the airlift, it's registration makes it slightly too new !

[arem]

The front aircraft is an Air Charter Frightener, the one behind I think is a Skyways Avro York - I would think the picture was taken in the mid 50's at one of the German airfields - could be Templehof but possibly Hannover or Hamburg. Air Charter flew Tudors on the Berlin operation and possibly DC-4's

My father flew the Yorks - and Hermes - with Skyways from 1955 including the Berlin run. I have a few pictures he took, I think, in Hannover at that time but the tower in the pictures is not that in your picture - I really must figure out how to get pictures onto this site!!

[norwich]

arem, I would like to see your fathers photo's, being a Skyways / York fanatic ! Have you tried photobucket ? I find it very easy now, having overcome the first few 'not knowing what to do' things !
Back to the photo's above, I first thought the York was from Skyways, but looking at the logo / badge behind the cockpit, compare with the Bristol 170's logo, the majority of the larger 'arrow' is pointing aft as the Air Charter logo, whilst on Skyways aircraft the larger 'arrow' in their logo pointed forward ? see my photo below of Skyways York (via photobucket). Keith.

[Eviand]

Help further information AIR CHARTER Ltd, LONDON

Thanks for the much appreciated information with regard to AIR CHARTER Ltd, LONDON. My second attached photo shows my Grandfather standing outside one of their planes. I am endeavouring to research his post war flying history. Who or where would you suggest I contact inorder to obtain dates of his employment with Air Charter Ltd?

My Grandfather, Cornelis A Ligtenstein was a Dutchmen who served in the RAF during World War II. He was a pupil pilot when war broke out in Holland in May 1940. At the end of the same month he reached England through Belgium and France. In August 1941 he seems to have joined the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service as a mechanic. This was short lived and in 1942 he was attached to the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAF VR) as a pupil pilot. He was transferred to Canada to train and he received his RAF wings in April 1943. He returned to England to complete further training and in January 1945 he joined No.33 Squadron as a Warrant Officer. This unit was then equipped with Hawker Tempest and later Spitfire fighter aircraft. In March 1945 he was shot down over Germany, wounded and taken to the prison camp Stalag XIb.
He flew with KLM from March 1947 to September 1947. He devorced my Grandmother in 1954. I understand he had started his own airline business, flying between The Netherlands, Berlin and the Channel islands (charter flights) but ceased by the end of the fifties. In this period he met and married for the second time in Jersey, a woman from Canada. In the early sixties they later emigrated to South Africa and later moved to Zimbabwe (Rhodesie).

[oldshuck]

Hello norwich, I was just wondering if you have any idea where the York photo was taken ?

[merlinxx]

oldshuck

Could be Northolt with the BOAC Bedford outside the hangar, the hangars also look like Northolt. Otherwise could be 'Lashup' again hangars look familiar.

[arem]

Could be what were known as the Eagle hangars at LHR or could be Stansted which was where Skyways were based. One of my early abiding memories was walking through the hangars at STN as a lad of about 8 or 9 was the smell of dope and oil - aah magic.

Another memory was at LHR after a days spotting with a mate and his uncle, filling up with petrol at the old filling station at Hatton cross and after a day of Darts and early jets was to hear the unmistakable sound of Merlins as a Skyways York came thundering past on finals for 27L - magic - pure magic

Norwich - I shall have a look at photobucket!

[Panop]

York

Could be Northolt with the BOAC Bedford outside the hangar, the hangars also look like Northolt.

Did BOAC use Northolt? I always thought they were Heathrow based from 1946 and BEA were at Northolt until 1952. Those hangars do look suspiciously like the old LHR BOAC hangars (later British Eagle's) but then WW2 ex RAF hangars often tend to look similar so I am by no means certain. BOAC Bedford vans would not have been frequent at Lasham I wouldn't have thought. The van in the picture is a Bedford CA model which was not produced until 1952 so we are probably looking at mid to late 1950s.

[MerlinV8]

Easy, the first one is a Bristol freighter, NZAF had a whole fleet and two sat outside my flying school, NZ troops were even flown to Vietnam in them!

Not sure about the second (Top) one? although the wings, wheels and engines look very similiar to the famous Lancastor bombers so there might be a connection there?

[oldshuck]

I worked for ATL at Stansted in the sixties that was the reason I asked,
it looked a bit familiar if it was Stansted it was just up from ATL hangar 1,
but at around this time many airfields looked very much alike hangar wise

[cdeavionics]

York

I think they were Hangars 5 and 6 at LHR. I did a 3-month stint c.1957 at the Test Equipment design/construction workshop at the rear of,and between, these hangars during my BOAC apprenticeship.

[norwich]

Well we are straying from the point of this thread ! No change there !
The Skyways York photo ? could well be as cdeavionics said, hangar 5 & 6 at LHR, LAP in those glorious days ! as I have a photo of Yorks outside a hangar with a large 6 on the door, and a constallation inside what looks like the same hangar ?
Old Shuck, I think we had a very similar discussion about another York subject a few days ago, or am I dreaming ? Keith.

[gas path]

I'd agree with cdeavionics. They look like the hangars 5 and 6 (later renamed TBF) at LHR they would have been opposite what is now TBK.
There were Skyways aircraft used by BOAC as I can vaguely remember some of the engineers who were subcontracted to look after them.
They had 'railway lines' laid into the hangar and the a/c were pulled in sideways. (parts of the tracks can still be seen!).
In fact upto the late 70's there were still a couple of Merlins stored in one of extensions on the side of the hangar on the left.

[norwich]

gas path, you have answered a question I have had for a long time, how do they do that ? I have looked at the tracks and always thought 'no' !!!!
We live and learn ! Keith.