48 Sqdn Hastings..

[treadigraph]

Couple more airframes in that pic: HP115 is at Yeovilton. B-24 is at Hendon and the Cat I think is Cosford. The Spitfire 24 is now at Southampton Hall of Aviation. Dakota is at Cosford. The Hastings and Lightning... hmmmm.

Edit: Lightning went to fire dump at Kemble. If the Hastings is TG536, the nose is at Yorkshire Air Museum.

[Lou Scannon]

Colerne Museum

Brian 48nav

Nice to be remembered Brian!.
Lou Scannon here aka Bob Osborne. I am indeed the chap who accidently found himself to be "The Curator" of the Museum. It all started when I was told to arrange the display of four aircraft that had been left over from Colerne's days as an MU for the annual BofB open day in
July 1964 when I was a Co-pilot on 36 Hastings Squadron. I quickly realised that many historic aircraft were simply being scrapped and decided to do something about it. By way of an example one of them was Spitfire P7350 which had been flown in after the war to be broken up along with hundreds of other Spits and War Time aircraft. It was a scrap metal dealer who pointed out that this had flown during the BofB and should it not be preserved? Against to wishes of the RAF they hid it away at the back of a hangar where it lay with an ME163, Heinkel 162 and Meteor 4.
It was an interesting time if anyone would like to hear some of the stories and who took over from me.

Bob Osborne

[bonajet]

Thank you Treadigraph for that excellent completion of the Colerne list. Good to see that most made it. I, for one, would love to hear Lou’s tales of how the whole thing started. I was a young child in a MQ on the south side of the airfield in the late 50s when it was possible for a small child to bike around the hangars.

[ancientaviator62]

Bob,
I would like to hear your stories. After the Hastings did you go to the new Hercules ? If so we may have met.

[patkinson]

Hi Lou,
I was the originator of the 48sqdn Hastings...and my posting from Manby to Colerne and 36 sqdn has raised a few points of interest with
your mention as well . I do remember as well over in the hangar there was a number of ex wartime a/c being stored so after all the years that have passed I can see the numbers must have been dispersed around the country..Colerne was a good posting..but Changi was even better!
Patkinson

[happybiker]

Originally Posted by Brian 48nav

I've got a book entitled ' Hastings, including a brief history of the Hermes' by Tim Senior. I noticed copies on the shelves in W H Smiths in Hereford yesterday. It seems to be one of a series of books about British aircraft types.

Thank you for the heads up on the book by Tim senior, I have placed an order. My own experience of the Hasting was carrying out maintenance at RRE Pershore in the 1960s and the registration was WD499 IIRC. At the same time RRE Pershore also operated the Hermes prototype VX234. Unfortunately both aircraft were consigned to the fire training role.

[patkinson]

Hi Brian,
Thanks for your info and you along with other contributors has completed the picture for me..I did a similar request on the Boy Entrants website on FB , it started of well then went onto other discussions as this one did and all things RAF generates an interest..and Lou turned up!

Just in case when and where is the 48 reunion?

regards

Pete

[Brian 48nav]

Hi Pete,

I've sent you a PM - sorry I called you Pat in that!

Brian

AA62

Did you hear from Lou/Bob?

[ancientaviator62]

Bryan,
no not yet. Hopefully he will put any tales here for all to enjoy. I do remember the Colerne museum as I was on 36 in 1966 and recall helping the then custodian move some of the a/c around.