DH Vampire fleet RAF Cranwell

[T-21]

Does anybody have a serial number/aircraft code number list for the Vampires used at RAF Cranwell 1956 -1962. The College library and the RAF Museum are unable to help. Thanks

[bobward]

I can tell you of one: XD511 coded 27. She was silver overall, with bit patches of dayglo orange, plus the Cranwell light blue/dark blue bands on the tail booms.

We had it as a gate guard on No 221 (Great Yarmouth) Sqn ATC from 1965 to the late 1970's. After that the rot literally set in and she was scrapped.

Hope this helps a bit
Regards
Bob

[T-21]

Bob,
Many thanks for replying.

[GGR155]

IIRC, Marshalls of Cambridge took ownership of a number of Vampires. These were used at RAF Shawbury for controller training.
Maybe a delve into records may yield some results.
GGR

[D120A]

T-21, if you beg, borrow or buy a copy of the film 'High Flight', the Cranwell Vampires feature in it frequently and you can pick off serial and code numbers at your leisure. However, I am afraid it won't be a complete list.

[Old-Duffer]

To an extent, it depends on how much time you want to invest in this search. Here are some ideas; not in any particular order and not suggestions to exclude anything else.


Go through the college journals of the period. There will be photographs.
Check the Air-Britain registers for Vampires to see which served at Cranwell.
Trawl through the Forms 541 for Cranwell.
Trace a bibliography of books about the Vampire. Start with DH Vampire the Complete History by David Watkins ISBN 0750912502 or 9780750912501


Just to get you started WZ548 was the last T11 and it was disposed of on 14 Mar 62. XH278 was 42, WR212 was 16, WX225 was 6


Old Duffer

[teeteringhead]

Or speak to the people at AHB and/or the NA at Kew. Fs 540/541 (Operations Record Books and flying records) will be available at one or t'other.

I'm almost certain there's a College Historian at Cranwell too.

[Dan Winterland]

It's not the sort of detail that gets kept. And don't forget that aircraft get swapped around units all the time. For example, according to my electronic logbook, I have flown 60 Jet Provost 5s over a period of 18 months, despite only having flown them at Cranwell where we had about 50 on the fleet. The airframes were exchanged with Scampton, Linton and Church Fenton all the time to even out the fatigue indices.

[Wander00]

J - we must be contemporaries - I went to Valley in Jan 66 and thence to the Canberra

[Old-Duffer]

The swapping around of fleet numbers will be an issue, as indicated above and that leads to the need for an aircraft serial number/fleet number timeline, if the research is to be accurate. Fiddly but not impossible if the date of any source used is also collected.


The AHB(RAF) - a font of knowledge from which I drunk gratefully on many occasions - is now applying a new procedure which might involve a charge for any research carried out. For example, I am looking for some information relating to a couple of accidents in the Far East in 1946 and am hoping to find the names of some personnel which appear unavailable from sources identified so far. AHB are taking this forward but I have had to apply formally and pay a fee up front. I am content to do this but others might not be.


Old Duffer

[DaveReidUK]

The AHB(RAF) - a font of knowledge from which I drunk gratefully on many occasions - is now applying a new procedure which might involve a charge for any research carried out.

I suppose that was inevitable in this day and age, once the beancounters had twigged what was going on.

I've had help from the AHB on a couple of research projects and I've been amazed at the depth of detail they have been able to provide.