RAF Manston History of No. 1 AEF (1967 to 1995)
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: U.K.
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
WB627
Coff
I strongly suspect that might be me in the back seat of WB627 (picture above). If it was taken on 2 June 1973 then that connects me with the ac, according to my ATC Record of Service. Do you have any specific info from son of the pilot please?
Ed
I strongly suspect that might be me in the back seat of WB627 (picture above). If it was taken on 2 June 1973 then that connects me with the ac, according to my ATC Record of Service. Do you have any specific info from son of the pilot please?
Ed
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Hi Ed ...
Thanks for making contact old chap ... I doubt Bill's Log Book will reflect individual cadet names ... that was what the old Cadet Manifest log was for which you may remember was completed by your Squadron Staff of the time.
I knew Bill very well. He flew Wimpey's and Dak's and took part in the Berlin Airlift. The pic here is before he acquired a Mk2 Bonedome ... on the back of his Mk2 he had a couple of big "eyes" ... which he acquired from his civilian job as a Sales Exec for Black & Decker
Very glad to see you went all the way with your career
Best ...
Coff.
PS ... More here on 1 AEF
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...chipmunks.html
Thanks for making contact old chap ... I doubt Bill's Log Book will reflect individual cadet names ... that was what the old Cadet Manifest log was for which you may remember was completed by your Squadron Staff of the time.
I knew Bill very well. He flew Wimpey's and Dak's and took part in the Berlin Airlift. The pic here is before he acquired a Mk2 Bonedome ... on the back of his Mk2 he had a couple of big "eyes" ... which he acquired from his civilian job as a Sales Exec for Black & Decker
Very glad to see you went all the way with your career
Best ...
Coff.
PS ... More here on 1 AEF
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...chipmunks.html
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 15th Aug 2013 at 19:30.
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Essex
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RAF Manston SAR 1967
Hello All,
And apologies if this is deemed to be hijacking a thread!
An appeal for information re: RAF Manston SAR:
Am attempting to locate any surviving crew members of XP 347, who retrieved a Flying Saucer shaped object on Mon 4th Sept 1967.
Crew was:
Pilot Flt Lt Robson
Navigator Flt Lt Goodman
Master Signalsman Murphy
Unixdentified Fire Brigade expert from Manston Fire training School.
In addition, does anywhere know the whereabouts of Station Commander at that time, Wg Cdr D B Wills
Lastly, if any readers hknow of personnel contemporary to that time who may be able to add general insight, I would be very much obliged.
Thanks for your kind attention, best regards, John
And apologies if this is deemed to be hijacking a thread!
An appeal for information re: RAF Manston SAR:
Am attempting to locate any surviving crew members of XP 347, who retrieved a Flying Saucer shaped object on Mon 4th Sept 1967.
Crew was:
Pilot Flt Lt Robson
Navigator Flt Lt Goodman
Master Signalsman Murphy
Unixdentified Fire Brigade expert from Manston Fire training School.
In addition, does anywhere know the whereabouts of Station Commander at that time, Wg Cdr D B Wills
Lastly, if any readers hknow of personnel contemporary to that time who may be able to add general insight, I would be very much obliged.
Thanks for your kind attention, best regards, John
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks!
Thanks to CoffmanStarter and all the other contributors to this thread - I have been researching No1 AEF for a short Facebook focus on the Flight on the rafa YOUTH page https://www.facebook.com/rafaYOUTH on 11 Jan 14 - and this provided a very rich seam of interesting and unusual information and photographs......which I hope will bring a new perspective to the young people privileged to fly with the Flight today!
Thanks again
Thanks again
Am attempting to locate any surviving crew members of XP 347, who retrieved a Flying Saucer shaped object on Mon 4th Sept 1967.
Full story here: UFO fever gripped Great Britain in the late Sixties - and a handful of students perptrated a very big hoax | Mail Online
But it raised £2000 for charity - and made officialdom look ridiculous!
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Norfolk
Age: 84
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
UFO on Isle of Sheppey
JK67saucer67
Hi. Checking my logbook, I see that I flew a sortie to the isle of Sheppey on 4th September 1967 with Flt Lt. Colin Goodman and Master Signaller Murphy to the UFO incident. I don't know if this in addition to the sortie with Flt.Lt Robson. I clearly remember examining the "saucer" and when someone shifted it, it immediately stated buzzing. Everyone promptly dived for cover. I seem to remember that when we got it back to Manston and opened it up, it was full of looked like a soggy flour substance with a buzzer activated by a tilt switch. Somewhere in the depths of boxes, I probably have a slide taken of it. If this of interest, PM me with your address and I will send it on if I can find it.
I remember Wg. Cdr "Bernie" Wills and that he had lost his flying category because of a medical problem, hence his tour at Manston.
Rotofossil.
Hi. Checking my logbook, I see that I flew a sortie to the isle of Sheppey on 4th September 1967 with Flt Lt. Colin Goodman and Master Signaller Murphy to the UFO incident. I don't know if this in addition to the sortie with Flt.Lt Robson. I clearly remember examining the "saucer" and when someone shifted it, it immediately stated buzzing. Everyone promptly dived for cover. I seem to remember that when we got it back to Manston and opened it up, it was full of looked like a soggy flour substance with a buzzer activated by a tilt switch. Somewhere in the depths of boxes, I probably have a slide taken of it. If this of interest, PM me with your address and I will send it on if I can find it.
I remember Wg. Cdr "Bernie" Wills and that he had lost his flying category because of a medical problem, hence his tour at Manston.
Rotofossil.
From the Daily Mail:
The idea was to try to make the spacecraft enigmatic and sinister rather than cartoonish UFOs.
The students constructed six oval flattened objects, 54 in long, 30 in wide and 20 in deep, moulded from fibreglass and laced with artists graphite to give them an other-worldly sheen. They looked more organic than mechanical, and indeed the team always referred to them as eggs rather than flying saucers.
They decided that they would have to have something alien inside them before they were sealed up. So they concocted disgusting jelly-like goo made from bread dough boiled at a high temperature. It looked like mashed human brain and stank to high heaven. Anyone who tried to break open one of the UFOs was going to be in for a nasty albeit harmless surprise.
Also inside each saucer was placed a small electronic loudspeaker, programmed to emit an unearthly wailing noise if the UFO was disturbed.
The students constructed six oval flattened objects, 54 in long, 30 in wide and 20 in deep, moulded from fibreglass and laced with artists graphite to give them an other-worldly sheen. They looked more organic than mechanical, and indeed the team always referred to them as eggs rather than flying saucers.
They decided that they would have to have something alien inside them before they were sealed up. So they concocted disgusting jelly-like goo made from bread dough boiled at a high temperature. It looked like mashed human brain and stank to high heaven. Anyone who tried to break open one of the UFOs was going to be in for a nasty albeit harmless surprise.
Also inside each saucer was placed a small electronic loudspeaker, programmed to emit an unearthly wailing noise if the UFO was disturbed.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi All.
Can anyone name some of the people in this photo of the 1 AEF Hunting aviation team taken at RAF Manston.
I know front left is Brian Stewart.
If anyone has any more pictures of 1AEF At Manston i would love to see them.
Kind Regards
Fire3
Can anyone name some of the people in this photo of the 1 AEF Hunting aviation team taken at RAF Manston.
I know front left is Brian Stewart.
If anyone has any more pictures of 1AEF At Manston i would love to see them.
Kind Regards
Fire3
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: thanet
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Airwork Groundcrew
Left to right standing on wing. Bob Still , sitting on fuselage, Colin can't remember surname.
Sitting on port wing closest to canopy. Ray Davis / Davies next to him Mark Fagg.
Standing in White. Brian Stewart standing to right Nigel Legg
Sitting on wheel. Derek Williams.
Don't recall when this was taken but there is one person missing who was there at the end of the AEF: Simon Fisher. Just can't recall when he joined.
Best guess at a date would be 1992 - 1996.
Sitting on port wing closest to canopy. Ray Davis / Davies next to him Mark Fagg.
Standing in White. Brian Stewart standing to right Nigel Legg
Sitting on wheel. Derek Williams.
Don't recall when this was taken but there is one person missing who was there at the end of the AEF: Simon Fisher. Just can't recall when he joined.
Best guess at a date would be 1992 - 1996.
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Berkshire
Age: 80
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
coffmanstarter
Is your thread for military only?
I was wondering if you may have any info/pics of the British Eagle Britannia wheels up landing at Manston in 1968 I think.
If you dont think my post is relevant to your thread I will remove it.
rgds
Is your thread for military only?
I was wondering if you may have any info/pics of the British Eagle Britannia wheels up landing at Manston in 1968 I think.
If you dont think my post is relevant to your thread I will remove it.
rgds
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: EGNM
Age: 43
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A couple of photos 1995
Hopefully this works. Here's some photos I took as a 15 year old cadet at 1AEF
WK554
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
WP855
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
WG458
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
WK554
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
WP855
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
WG458
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129612...7647053917213/
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Selfie, Victor T, Gfunc ...
Just dropped in to check on this Thread (I mainly inhabit the Mil Thread).
Thank you all for adding pics and further information. Gfunc your pics are most certainly taken toward the end of 1 AEF's time at Manston ... OC then was S/L Pete Stonham (that may be him in the last pic
).
Victor T ...
I may be able to help as I've just made contact with the Station Photographer from the 60's,70's and early 80's (a Civilian) ... I'll see what he might have ... he's currently digging out some early Chipmunk pics for me (not digital). Certainly leave your post on the Thread ... it's all part of 1 AEF/RAF Manston's rich History
Kind regards all ...
Coff.
PS. Also see this Thread ...
http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...chipmunks.html
Just dropped in to check on this Thread (I mainly inhabit the Mil Thread).
Thank you all for adding pics and further information. Gfunc your pics are most certainly taken toward the end of 1 AEF's time at Manston ... OC then was S/L Pete Stonham (that may be him in the last pic
).Victor T ...
I may be able to help as I've just made contact with the Station Photographer from the 60's,70's and early 80's (a Civilian) ... I'll see what he might have ... he's currently digging out some early Chipmunk pics for me (not digital). Certainly leave your post on the Thread ... it's all part of 1 AEF/RAF Manston's rich History
Kind regards all ...
Coff.
PS. Also see this Thread ...
http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...chipmunks.html
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Berkshire
Age: 80
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks again coff
Our archivist was given some a/c parts from the crash by I think the fire dept.
I remember in 68 that the foamed runway wheels up landing was on the TV news and in the national press. Id love to be able to get copies of all that!
Our archivist was given some a/c parts from the crash by I think the fire dept.
I remember in 68 that the foamed runway wheels up landing was on the TV news and in the national press. Id love to be able to get copies of all that!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Hi to everyone who might still be following this Thread
A little while back I offered to help our good friend Staff Cadet post an image. That image is now to hand ... so in just trying to help I've re-posted his original contribution along with the pic ... I'm sure SC will pop by at some point to add a bit more colour
I'm a bit late joining this thread but I thought that the photo above may be of interest. It was taken by a local newspaper snapper who accompanied an ATC squadron from the Bexley area on their AEF trip, It was taken in 1967 with stalwart WP837 as it's centrepiece. Yours truly is doing the staff cadet job, the pilot is a guy called Tim Fear who was filling time between Hunter postings - I believe he'd just returned from Aden. I was the only staff cadet at the time and I seem to recall that I may have been the first, or certainly among the first, of these lucky lads who took some of the load from the ASF guys.
Our CO at the time was Ron Chapman who had recently replaced John Weeks. The Deputy Flight Commander was Arthur Standen. He hailed from Welling so we used to travel down together most weekends. The other pilots were usually from Les Zapp, Brian Lockwood, Derby Allen, Bill Downing, Ken Fluck, John Miles and Fred Insole from among others. Happy days!
A fantastic and very important historic picture you have there Staff Cadet. I remember those old "Wire Frame Headsets" and dangly "Mic" ... By the early 70's we had the blue "Cloth Electric Hats" ... which then became green ... then by the late 70's cadets were issued with Mk1 Bonedomes minus the Visor.
Best regards ...
Coff.
A little while back I offered to help our good friend Staff Cadet post an image. That image is now to hand ... so in just trying to help I've re-posted his original contribution along with the pic ... I'm sure SC will pop by at some point to add a bit more colour
I'm a bit late joining this thread but I thought that the photo above may be of interest. It was taken by a local newspaper snapper who accompanied an ATC squadron from the Bexley area on their AEF trip, It was taken in 1967 with stalwart WP837 as it's centrepiece. Yours truly is doing the staff cadet job, the pilot is a guy called Tim Fear who was filling time between Hunter postings - I believe he'd just returned from Aden. I was the only staff cadet at the time and I seem to recall that I may have been the first, or certainly among the first, of these lucky lads who took some of the load from the ASF guys.
Our CO at the time was Ron Chapman who had recently replaced John Weeks. The Deputy Flight Commander was Arthur Standen. He hailed from Welling so we used to travel down together most weekends. The other pilots were usually from Les Zapp, Brian Lockwood, Derby Allen, Bill Downing, Ken Fluck, John Miles and Fred Insole from among others. Happy days!
Best regards ...
Coff.
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 2nd Feb 2015 at 14:50.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: East Sussex UK
Age: 66
Posts: 6,995
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Hi all ...
I've managed to make contact with the former Station Photographer at RAF Manston ... who has kindly shared some quite historic pictures relating to 1 AEF
The following two pictures were taken mid/late 60's in front of the Black hangar on the old Western Taxiway. They are particularly interesting as they show the Blue Straps of the old 4 Point Seat Harness ... which was subsequently superseded by the 5 Point Seat Harness (the 5th Strap and Harness Release Box came up between your legs). Sorry to say, as yet, I'm unable to ID those individuals in the picture or the aircraft.
Again mid/late 60's probably taken on one of the Pans just off the Western Taxiway. I believe the pilot is probably Dan Ludlow (but I need further verification).
Forward in time now to the late 70's WK642 on a Western Taxiway Pan.
WB569 which was affectionally known as the "Bucket of Bolts" ... so Christened by the Deputy Flight Commander Arthur Standen.
Difficult to see all the Serials ... but almost certainly WZ845, WB569, WK642 and WK518.
I'm hopeful that I may yet receive pictures from Biggin Hill, White Waltham and West Malling days idc.
Best ...
Coff.
Image Credit : Mr D Keep (All Images)
I've managed to make contact with the former Station Photographer at RAF Manston ... who has kindly shared some quite historic pictures relating to 1 AEF
The following two pictures were taken mid/late 60's in front of the Black hangar on the old Western Taxiway. They are particularly interesting as they show the Blue Straps of the old 4 Point Seat Harness ... which was subsequently superseded by the 5 Point Seat Harness (the 5th Strap and Harness Release Box came up between your legs). Sorry to say, as yet, I'm unable to ID those individuals in the picture or the aircraft.
Again mid/late 60's probably taken on one of the Pans just off the Western Taxiway. I believe the pilot is probably Dan Ludlow (but I need further verification).
Forward in time now to the late 70's WK642 on a Western Taxiway Pan.
WB569 which was affectionally known as the "Bucket of Bolts" ... so Christened by the Deputy Flight Commander Arthur Standen.
Difficult to see all the Serials ... but almost certainly WZ845, WB569, WK642 and WK518.
I'm hopeful that I may yet receive pictures from Biggin Hill, White Waltham and West Malling days idc.
Best ...
Coff.
Image Credit : Mr D Keep (All Images)
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 23rd Mar 2015 at 15:54.
4 and 5 point harnesses
Coff,
Whilst on ULAS ( 69-72) I spent a lot of time at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine.
It was there that I saw a prototype 5-point Chipmunk harness. It was explained to me that the problem with the 4-point was of the occupant "submarining" down out of the harness into the cockpit innards in the event of a violent deceleration.
My comment of "so bloody logical and so simple to implement" was met with a polite smile.
It certainly wasn't implemented on any Chipmunk that I flew during my three years on them as a student.
P.S.When flying solo, the four straps tightened up in the rear cockpit showed the potential problem.
Whilst on ULAS ( 69-72) I spent a lot of time at the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine.
It was there that I saw a prototype 5-point Chipmunk harness. It was explained to me that the problem with the 4-point was of the occupant "submarining" down out of the harness into the cockpit innards in the event of a violent deceleration.
My comment of "so bloody logical and so simple to implement" was met with a polite smile.
It certainly wasn't implemented on any Chipmunk that I flew during my three years on them as a student.
P.S.When flying solo, the four straps tightened up in the rear cockpit showed the potential problem.
Last edited by Haraka; 23rd Mar 2015 at 17:15.