Thorney Island Emsworth
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Ian Suren ([email protected])
Hi Dan
Probably too late since your post was back in 2001. However, ever hopeful, as one of the struggling cadet navigators back then, I was fascinated to see your photos of your Dad in a Wellington and then the photos of the Wellington and the Anson.
I'm trying to write a book about the nav training back in those days, and although I have my memory plus logbooks from '49/'50, I do NOT have any photos.
Any chance you can help?
This request will also apply to anyone else from those days.
Thanks to all.
Probably too late since your post was back in 2001. However, ever hopeful, as one of the struggling cadet navigators back then, I was fascinated to see your photos of your Dad in a Wellington and then the photos of the Wellington and the Anson.
I'm trying to write a book about the nav training back in those days, and although I have my memory plus logbooks from '49/'50, I do NOT have any photos.
Any chance you can help?
This request will also apply to anyone else from those days.
Thanks to all.
Mk 1 Andover XS644
Lovely to see a photo of 644 again. I was F/O to Sqn Ldr Ogilvie on 15th August 1967 when we Nav & AQM collected the aircraft, absolutely brand new from Woodford & flew it back to Abingdon to join the fleet.. Very happy days indeed & good to hear of Thorney Island again too.
One of many interesting times I can recall from my Thorney days, was one night when I was SDO. At some time very early in the morning (0200ish) received a phone call from ATC on Gurnsey, could we open up asap (Southampton & also Hurn were not available) & accept a Aurginy Trilander for landing with a very premature infant in an incubator, who required immediate transportation to Southampton Hospital for emergency treatment. My immediate answer was yes & as about the only one awake on the Station right then, I suddenly wondered just how are we going to get this to work & get the airfield operational. Fourty minutes or so later the aircraft landed, infant was into the waiting ambulance & off to hospital. I understood later on, that eventually she did well, eventhough it took quite some time. I still remember then, just how proud all of us who were involved at the time were, crertainly one of my feel good times.
One of many interesting times I can recall from my Thorney days, was one night when I was SDO. At some time very early in the morning (0200ish) received a phone call from ATC on Gurnsey, could we open up asap (Southampton & also Hurn were not available) & accept a Aurginy Trilander for landing with a very premature infant in an incubator, who required immediate transportation to Southampton Hospital for emergency treatment. My immediate answer was yes & as about the only one awake on the Station right then, I suddenly wondered just how are we going to get this to work & get the airfield operational. Fourty minutes or so later the aircraft landed, infant was into the waiting ambulance & off to hospital. I understood later on, that eventually she did well, eventhough it took quite some time. I still remember then, just how proud all of us who were involved at the time were, crertainly one of my feel good times.
Last edited by kaikohe76; 7th Jun 2015 at 09:01.
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For a military airfield that closed in 1976, looking at the 2105 google earth it seems to be in very good condition any reason why its never been dug up like so many others that have closed more recently.
Another custom is when the Army take over an ex RF airfield, they immediately ruin it either by digging it up or putting up high fences across the runways.!
Heard you went thru a couple of red-lights at speed,Jenks....!
By the way, I quizzed a friend at Shoreham this morning who has flown into Thorney during their charity fly-in weekends a couple of times this morning. He tells me that they usually clear 500 metres or so of the old 01/19 runway between the 01 threshold and the public road (which now has a fence on either side).
Parking is usually on runway 28 to the west of 01/19.
It is apparently not the smoothest runway in the world unless you are flying a Beverley.
Parking is usually on runway 28 to the west of 01/19.
It is apparently not the smoothest runway in the world unless you are flying a Beverley.
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Bit of a long shot, but is there any mention in the local papers about an accident on 29 March 1950 regarding 56 Squadron's display team which suffered a tragic mishap when Flt Lt Constable-Maxwell was killed when his Meteor (VW277) got into difficulties during a formation sortie and crashed on the mud flats off Thorney Island?
Flt. Lt. Wiliam Michael Constable-Maxwell
Vampiredave
Can't help with details about the accident, but struck by the well-connected names of the mourners who attended his funeral (below).
FWIW his father W/Cdr. Gerald Joseph Constable-Maxwell was a decorated WW1 & WW2 veteran, having been awarded the DFC, AFC, MC and AEM (Air Efficiency Medal).
Can't help with details about the accident, but struck by the well-connected names of the mourners who attended his funeral (below).
FWIW his father W/Cdr. Gerald Joseph Constable-Maxwell was a decorated WW1 & WW2 veteran, having been awarded the DFC, AFC, MC and AEM (Air Efficiency Medal).
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Warmtoast: thank you very much. What an impressive gathering for his funeral?
One has to wonder if those mentioned at the bottom of the list of the officers attending the funeral were some of the team members? There seems be very little made available about the 56 Squadron display team and the accident? This is all I have:
The month of March 1950 was entirely devoted to various forms of aerobatics in preparation for the 11 Group formation aerobatic competition at RAF Thorney Island in May. On 29 March the squadron's four-ship display team suffered a tragic mishap when Flt Lt Constable-Maxwell was killed when his Meteor (VW277) got into difficulties during a formation sortie and crashed on the mud flats off Thorney Island. With little time to train a replacement to the required standard, the team reluctantly withdrew from the competition.
DW
One has to wonder if those mentioned at the bottom of the list of the officers attending the funeral were some of the team members? There seems be very little made available about the 56 Squadron display team and the accident? This is all I have:
The month of March 1950 was entirely devoted to various forms of aerobatics in preparation for the 11 Group formation aerobatic competition at RAF Thorney Island in May. On 29 March the squadron's four-ship display team suffered a tragic mishap when Flt Lt Constable-Maxwell was killed when his Meteor (VW277) got into difficulties during a formation sortie and crashed on the mud flats off Thorney Island. With little time to train a replacement to the required standard, the team reluctantly withdrew from the competition.
DW
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Thorney Island
I did my Hastings co-pilot and Captain's course at Thorney, then the C130 conversion and in 1970-73 I was on the staff as a C130 instructor.
The only archeological memory I have was hearing that the bar in the Officer's Mess was supposedly built on a Saxon Burial Ground.
Did you know that the Vicarage had a resident ghost called the Grey Lady?
Spooky stories available from the daughter of one of the Padres who is an ordained minister herself...if required.
Happy digging!
The only archeological memory I have was hearing that the bar in the Officer's Mess was supposedly built on a Saxon Burial Ground.
Did you know that the Vicarage had a resident ghost called the Grey Lady?
Spooky stories available from the daughter of one of the Padres who is an ordained minister herself...if required.
Happy digging!
Last edited by Lou Scannon; 9th Jun 2015 at 13:23. Reason: removal of email address
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Always had a sentimental attachment to Thorney, having first met my wife on a weekend stopover on a navigation course. Also visited it durimg the war from a school ATC unit.
I would have thought there were few enough military operated decent runways in the south of England to make it worth keeping that one serviceable,
I would have thought there were few enough military operated decent runways in the south of England to make it worth keeping that one serviceable,
Very good & sensible idea Exnomad, to keep some more of the runways in the South of the UK available & as Jenkins has mentioned, you never know when you are going to need a runway, any runway! Also in the case of TI & 01/19, most runways in the UK are basically East / West & you never know when that so & so wind will have one of it's very off days.
Also, Jenkins, we are not talking one day cricket are we!!!!
Also, Jenkins, we are not talking one day cricket are we!!!!
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I did my Andover captain's course there in 1973. Wasn't there a connection between Jenkins and the vicarage at that time - or does my memory deceive me?
mcdhu
mcdhu
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Now there's a name to jog the old memory cells. Owen Owen. As you say, a lovely man. T.I. was one of the best postings, even if for me it was a ground tour.
Thorney Island
My one memory of Thorney Island is short and quite exciting.
In 1968 I was a member of the Red Arrows groundcrew and travelling in the support Argosy on our way to Thorney Island where we were due to service and refuel the gnats between displays.
As we approached Thorney Island the Argosy aircrew informed us that there had been an incident involving our gnats and we could not land, but we would overfly.
What greeted us below was a scene off the end of the runway that looked like an aircraft scrapyard, gnats littered the ground, pointing in all directions, we feared the worst!
The message then came through that the airfield was closed till the gnats were removed and we would be unable to land. When we pointed out that we had the towing arms aboard the Argosy that would be required to move the aircraft, we suddenly became number one to land.
It transpired that the team had been carrying out a normal display landing (all aircraft landing one behind the other in a staggered row). The first pilot left his braking to the last moment, however the surface was very slippery and realising he could not stop in the remaining runway, called for the arrester barrier to be deployed. The lead aircraft entered the barrier which stopped it and then quite a number of other gnats also went off the end of the runway and amazingly managed to avoid hitting each other.
The only aircraft to have any damage was the first aircraft which lost a few ancillary bits to the steel hawsers of the barrier (the mists of time prevent me remembering the details but it was aerials, undercarriage doors etc), though all the gnats were covered in mud. We set to and fixed everything in no time at all and scarpered pdq before officialdom took hold.
I did hear one unsubstantiated explanation for the slippery runway which referred to the trials which were taking place on the "new" C130 Hercules at Thorney Island. According to the explanation, the engines emitted fuel mist when holding at the end of the runway prior to takeoff which effected the surface of the runway causing it to become like a skating rink in the wet.
Coincidentally later on in the '68 season the team used a Hercules for the first time as a support aircraft and we managed to get it well and truly stuck in the mud at a French airfield.
One all, new balls please!
Oh happy days,
Mike
In 1968 I was a member of the Red Arrows groundcrew and travelling in the support Argosy on our way to Thorney Island where we were due to service and refuel the gnats between displays.
As we approached Thorney Island the Argosy aircrew informed us that there had been an incident involving our gnats and we could not land, but we would overfly.
What greeted us below was a scene off the end of the runway that looked like an aircraft scrapyard, gnats littered the ground, pointing in all directions, we feared the worst!
The message then came through that the airfield was closed till the gnats were removed and we would be unable to land. When we pointed out that we had the towing arms aboard the Argosy that would be required to move the aircraft, we suddenly became number one to land.
It transpired that the team had been carrying out a normal display landing (all aircraft landing one behind the other in a staggered row). The first pilot left his braking to the last moment, however the surface was very slippery and realising he could not stop in the remaining runway, called for the arrester barrier to be deployed. The lead aircraft entered the barrier which stopped it and then quite a number of other gnats also went off the end of the runway and amazingly managed to avoid hitting each other.
The only aircraft to have any damage was the first aircraft which lost a few ancillary bits to the steel hawsers of the barrier (the mists of time prevent me remembering the details but it was aerials, undercarriage doors etc), though all the gnats were covered in mud. We set to and fixed everything in no time at all and scarpered pdq before officialdom took hold.
I did hear one unsubstantiated explanation for the slippery runway which referred to the trials which were taking place on the "new" C130 Hercules at Thorney Island. According to the explanation, the engines emitted fuel mist when holding at the end of the runway prior to takeoff which effected the surface of the runway causing it to become like a skating rink in the wet.
Coincidentally later on in the '68 season the team used a Hercules for the first time as a support aircraft and we managed to get it well and truly stuck in the mud at a French airfield.
One all, new balls please!
Oh happy days,
Mike
Slippery runway
As one who was at Thorney in 1968 working on the Farms dispersal on Hec 1st line I remember the incident, however the slippery bit refered to at the ends of the runway was in fact a low friction coating applied to reduce rubber build up from the Hercs on touch down as the constant circuits involved in the training resulted in heavy wear on the mainwheel tyres and consequent buid up on the threshold. Watching the Dead Sparrows going in all directions after a fast taxi on the runway did provoke a smidgen of mirth from the watching crowds!
In a later life I spent several trips as a G/E on the Herc taking both the Gnats and the Hawks round UK and Europe, my strongest memory being loading Palouste starters onto the ramp of the Herc whilst they were still rather warm! Flight Safety read and weep!
In a later life I spent several trips as a G/E on the Herc taking both the Gnats and the Hawks round UK and Europe, my strongest memory being loading Palouste starters onto the ramp of the Herc whilst they were still rather warm! Flight Safety read and weep!
Ahhh that makes much more sense to what happened at Thorney Island........I often wondered about the fuel/tarmac explanation being a bit strange.
But with hindsight, "low friction surface" and "runway" don't seem to be a good mix!
My memories of Palouste Starters are also quite vivid from a health/flight safety perspective, see the following two examples:
On the few occasions that we were away from base with no traveling support team and using an air starter from another aircraft, back seat engineers had to take the unique gnat pistol grip connector in the aircraft with them. Leave you to work out the logistics following start-up, but it brings a whole new meaning to the term "lap dancing".
The jet eflux from the palouste air starter is fed out of the back of the trolley, into a 90deg elbow and discharged upwards. Any suggestion of removing the elbows (so the eflux went straight out the back), standing on the base of the towbar and racing them will be strongly denied!
Now where did I put that Risk Assessment and Method Statement?
Sorry for the above deviation from Thorney Island memories thread.
Mike
But with hindsight, "low friction surface" and "runway" don't seem to be a good mix!
My memories of Palouste Starters are also quite vivid from a health/flight safety perspective, see the following two examples:
On the few occasions that we were away from base with no traveling support team and using an air starter from another aircraft, back seat engineers had to take the unique gnat pistol grip connector in the aircraft with them. Leave you to work out the logistics following start-up, but it brings a whole new meaning to the term "lap dancing".
The jet eflux from the palouste air starter is fed out of the back of the trolley, into a 90deg elbow and discharged upwards. Any suggestion of removing the elbows (so the eflux went straight out the back), standing on the base of the towbar and racing them will be strongly denied!
Now where did I put that Risk Assessment and Method Statement?
Sorry for the above deviation from Thorney Island memories thread.
Mike