Unknown Hurricane pilot
Thread Starter
Unknown Hurricane pilot
When Pobjoy was a young tot living in Surrey someone gave him a pile of wartime 'The Aeroplane' magazine rather than bin them.
One of these 'Sept/Oct 1946' contained a regular feature call 'Oddentification' which was a Wren image of a machine (suitably showing its lines) followed by simple poem type comments. This 1946 edition featured a sole Hawker Hurricane when it led the official BoB flypast of over 300 aircraft over London (poss LF363)
I still remember the start of the script (Steady my friend on this your final journey) but only recently found out that the Pilots name was kept a secret as a tribute to the many who had taken part in the the actual battle.
So the challenge (if you care to accept it) is two fold:- Lets see a copy of the 'Odentification' (I see to remember the Hurricane was wearing a helmet in typical Wren fashion),and the real test who was flying it on that flypast. !!! I think that S Vincent may be a good 'contender' as the pilot as he was very involved with LF363 and by 1946 was a senior officer in fighter command.
Sorry but good time to also remember the Kenley raid 83 years ago today !!! (Kenley still operational)
One of these 'Sept/Oct 1946' contained a regular feature call 'Oddentification' which was a Wren image of a machine (suitably showing its lines) followed by simple poem type comments. This 1946 edition featured a sole Hawker Hurricane when it led the official BoB flypast of over 300 aircraft over London (poss LF363)
I still remember the start of the script (Steady my friend on this your final journey) but only recently found out that the Pilots name was kept a secret as a tribute to the many who had taken part in the the actual battle.
So the challenge (if you care to accept it) is two fold:- Lets see a copy of the 'Odentification' (I see to remember the Hurricane was wearing a helmet in typical Wren fashion),and the real test who was flying it on that flypast. !!! I think that S Vincent may be a good 'contender' as the pilot as he was very involved with LF363 and by 1946 was a senior officer in fighter command.
Sorry but good time to also remember the Kenley raid 83 years ago today !!! (Kenley still operational)
Hi Pobjoy Pete
If only the Hurri Pilot had done a 'wheels up' into the Oxo cricket ground - we would know his name,what make of shreddies he was wearing and what he had for breakfast - and at least he would have had a cuppa in the pavilion
.
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...st-not-cricket
If only the Hurri Pilot had done a 'wheels up' into the Oxo cricket ground - we would know his name,what make of shreddies he was wearing and what he had for breakfast - and at least he would have had a cuppa in the pavilion
.https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...st-not-cricket
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Thread Starter
Hi Pobjoy Pete
If only the Hurri Pilot had done a 'wheels up' into the Oxo cricket ground - we would know his name,what make of shreddies he was wearing and what he had for breakfast - and at least he would have had a cuppa in the pavilion.
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...st-not-cricket
If only the Hurri Pilot had done a 'wheels up' into the Oxo cricket ground - we would know his name,what make of shreddies he was wearing and what he had for breakfast - and at least he would have had a cuppa in the pavilion
.https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-...st-not-cricket
By the way the Kenley dump was situated bottom left of the picture below the blast bay entrance, and went down to the common fence. (dont bother the Staff Cadets of 615 GS milked it dry in the 60's)
Last edited by POBJOY; 18th Aug 2023 at 16:31. Reason: content
POBJOY I've been doing a bit of digging (newish spuds for supper) and can't find any reference to a Hurricane leading the Battle of Britain Flypast over London on September 14th 1946. Apparently the formation was led by Old Tin Legs with 15 Spitfires of No 1 Squadron...........
Thread Starter
!946 Battle of Britain flypast
POBJOY I've been doing a bit of digging (newish spuds for supper) and can't find any reference to a Hurricane leading the Battle of Britain Flypast over London on September 14th 1946. Apparently the formation was led by Old Tin Legs with 15 Spitfires of No 1 Squadron...........
That part is well documented in reports of the time, as was the inability to identify the Hurricane pilot. The 1945 flypast did not include a Hurricane.as 363 was a bit of a secret for someone, and in fact its true identity may be a bit of a mystery, but Stanley Vincent was prob involved as he had flown missions out of Northolt (station commander) with one in 1940 (and had kills to his record).Rumour was that he was a friend of S Camm and asked him to 'sort' him one to fly after the war finished.!!
Hello POBJOY I've just discovered there were two flypasts in 1946 - not only September 14th but also a Victory Flypast on 8th June 1946. I dunno if we will be able to read the attached newspaper cutting about the latter let's see. It seems that we are never to know who the Hurricane Pilot was.
All the best !
Image Digital Archive Lincoln University.
All the best !
Image Digital Archive Lincoln University.
Thread Starter
Another voyage of discovery (for 363 and its various drivers)
Hello POBJOY I've just discovered there were two flypasts in 1946 - not only September 14th but also a Victory Flypast on 8th June 1946. I dunno if we will be able to read the attached newspaper cutting about the latter let's see. It seems that we are never to know who the Hurricane Pilot was.
All the best !
Image Digital Archive Lincoln University.
All the best !
Image Digital Archive Lincoln University.
You and I touched on this subject on the Bovingdon thread just over three years ago. You get a pretty good history of LF363 here:
https://books.google.co.uk/books/abo...AJ&redir_esc=y
I expect the Battle of Britain Flight would have a copy of the relevant Tech Log......?
Pinched this from Bovingdon thread:
Source: The Aviation Historian with many thanks.
https://books.google.co.uk/books/abo...AJ&redir_esc=y
I expect the Battle of Britain Flight would have a copy of the relevant Tech Log......?
Pinched this from Bovingdon thread:
Source: The Aviation Historian with many thanks.
Last edited by OUAQUKGF Ops; 18th Aug 2023 at 21:43. Reason: Add Image
Thread Starter
Mystery pilot
You and I touched on this subject on the Bovingdon thread just over three years ago. You get a pretty good history of LF363 here:
https://books.google.co.uk/books/abo...AJ&redir_esc=y
I expect the Battle of Britain Flight would have a copy of the relevant Tech Log......?
Pinched this from Bovingdon thread:
Source: The Aviation Historian with many thanks.
https://books.google.co.uk/books/abo...AJ&redir_esc=y
I expect the Battle of Britain Flight would have a copy of the relevant Tech Log......?
Pinched this from Bovingdon thread:
Source: The Aviation Historian with many thanks.
and I wonder if 363 'popped' back to Hawkers occasionally for a fix, plus the image shows well how 'generous' the cockpit is, of course the Hurricane did not have an entry hinged down door, but an emergency panel on the STB side which in this case looks like it is still wearing camo.
Last edited by POBJOY; 19th Aug 2023 at 07:50.
I was told it was Bill Bedford but which airframe and where he was going I don't know.
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In the mid/late '60s whilst gliding at Halton, about 4 pm every saturday a Hurricane would come over the ridge from the Chesham (Dunsfold?) direction, descend over the airfield, barrel roll then off to the north east.
I was told it was Bill Bedford but which airframe and where he was going I don't know.
I was told it was Bill Bedford but which airframe and where he was going I don't know.
Last edited by treadigraph; 19th Aug 2023 at 18:16. Reason: Misspelt Bedford!
Thread Starter
PZ 865
In fact we would stop winching (regardless of signals) climb on top of the cage and jump up and down and wave. After a few minutes of holding they would form up and proceed to Biggin having made our day down below. However you have now got me wondering what all that was about over Halton, as Dunsfold is a fair way from Halton, we may need some help from 'spotters' for this one. Perhaps the Pilot was a former Brat. !!!
Bill Bedford certainly used to display PZ 865 and we used to see it meeting up over Kenley with AB910 when they appeared at the Biggin 'At Home'.
In fact we would stop winching (regardless of signals) climb on top of the cage and jump up and down and wave. After a few minutes of holding they would form up and proceed to Biggin having made our day down below. However you have now got me wondering what all that was about over Halton, as Dunsfold is a fair way from Halton, we may need some help from 'spotters' for this one. Perhaps the Pilot was a former Brat. !!!
In fact we would stop winching (regardless of signals) climb on top of the cage and jump up and down and wave. After a few minutes of holding they would form up and proceed to Biggin having made our day down below. However you have now got me wondering what all that was about over Halton, as Dunsfold is a fair way from Halton, we may need some help from 'spotters' for this one. Perhaps the Pilot was a former Brat. !!!
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Reminds me, believe Kenley will have a visit from the BBMF tomorrow, must get meself up there.
One of the Biggin Spitfires came over here this afternoon accompanied by their Airvan, giving Kenley a wide berth they swung back round to the East - nice to see them close up, nearly always head off into Kent.
One of the Biggin Spitfires came over here this afternoon accompanied by their Airvan, giving Kenley a wide berth they swung back round to the East - nice to see them close up, nearly always head off into Kent.
Thread Starter
50/50 chance of 363
Reminds me, believe Kenley will have a visit from the BBMF tomorrow, must get meself up there.
One of the Biggin Spitfires came over here this afternoon accompanied by their Airvan, giving Kenley a wide berth they swung back round to the East - nice to see them close up, nearly always head off into Kent.
One of the Biggin Spitfires came over here this afternoon accompanied by their Airvan, giving Kenley a wide berth they swung back round to the East - nice to see them close up, nearly always head off into Kent.
Thread Starter
We had a detachment of 613 at Bovingdon and I can assure you there was no Hurricane based there (although there was a solitary Mosquito left over from filming '633 Sqdn'); Bovingdon never flew powered aircraft on saturdays apart from a Fouga Magister which would go out on saturday morning.
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Witness's thinning out
We had a detachment of 613 at Bovingdon and I can assure you there was no Hurricane based there (although there was a solitary Mosquito left over from filming '633 Sqdn'); Bovingdon never flew powered aircraft on saturdays apart from a Fouga Magister which would go out on saturday morning.
However we have already exposed some facts and so we need to free up some grey matter from those who looked after these machines (or knew someone who did).Of course our real hope are the senior spotters on Prune as a Hurricane after the war was a rare bird, and unlike 865 which mainly lived at Dunsfold and was even used as a chase when required, 363 migrated around various units no doubt being a bit 'unofficial' until it formed the basis of the BBMF. Stanley Vincent apparently flew it in the 1949 BoB FP after its return from Langley, and we know about Tom Neil's excursions (and hopefully that will be expanded). Brian Mercer 'borrowed' it when he was on Hunters so someone somewhere at sometime must have been doing its oils coolant and fabric to keep her going.
The 574 thread on Key many years back was similar, but being 'Spitfire' probably helped the info flow. The good news is she was also a 'film star' during this time (at Kenley) and probably was confused when a clutch of machines from Portugal joined her for a while (sadly they all went back) (Via Tangmere).
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The Oxo cricket pitch incident by SL574 was witnessed in part by an old colleague of mine when he was a small boy. I seem to recall he raced to the scene having seen it disappear from wherever he was standing, I would have done so too. Had to go to San Diego to see this particular Spit; well, and for other reasons...