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- - RAF Bovingdon - 1960s (https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/354789-raf-bovingdon-1960s.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by avro63 (Post 9994396)

I too used to go to Bovingdon as an Air Cadet, I was in 1187 sdn in Hemel Hempstead and the school i went to was right under the final approach flight path, which made for an interesting day. Yes I used to bunk off school to get trips up in the Ansons and also got in to see The War Lover being filmed. Also used to hitch hike to Booker to get trips too .

Many years ago I had a map with all RAF airfields on it but lost over the years . Used to stand on the Chesham -Hemel road right under the flight path as the B-17,s were landing. So in Jan 63 I became a Boy Entrant, 48th entry at RAF Hereford and many years later worked at Gatwick Airport as a head loader.

Did you fly in any of the Coastal Command Comm Flight Ansons ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by brakedwell (Post 9995294)

Did you fly in any of the Coastal Command Comm Flight Ansons ?

After the creation of 'Southern Communications Squadron' with Ansons from Fighter, Coastal and Bomber Command (ex Booker) Comms Sqdns. it was difficult to know which was which.
I flew in PH859 and VL337 and I don't know who they originally belonged to.

Just wondering, I might of flown avro63 when I was an Anson/Valletta pilot on the CCCF in 1961/62

PH859 was one of the four Ansons we had on the CCCF.

Anyone know who owned TX219, an Anson and first aircraft in which I ever flew, I think at Bassingbourn, in about 1957 or 58

To brakedwell, to be honest I really don,t remember what squadron it was , I do know that the flights I got were mainly in the Ansons but did very few in the Valetta, as always the aircrew looked after us boys which was appreciated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by avro63 (Post 9994396)

Many years ago I had a map with all RAF airfields on it but lost over the years . Used to stand on the Chesham -Hemel road right under the flight path as the B-17,s were landing. So in Jan 63 I became a Boy Entrant, 48th entry at RAF Hereford and many years later worked at Gatwick Airport as a head loader.

I remember going to Bovingdon in summer '62 and meeting a lot of cadets from other squadrons who like me were there to scrounge flights. The following year doing the same thing I recognised one of these cadets, but by then he was an ex-cadet and was wearing an RAF uniform with either apprentice or Boy Entrant insignia (which I knew because my brother was on 44th Entry A.R.M. at Cosford); he had joined up, but still went to Bovingdon to scrounge.
Was that you Avro63 I wonder?

XV490 Very many thanks for posting Herb's photographs of Bovingdon. So very nostalgic. I thought other old timers from the Chesham Road days would enjoy his images of the Globemaster, surely one of the most spectacular aeroplanes to visit the aerodrome.

I shot this 8mm movie of the Capsule leaving Bovingdon. (Plus PH195!)

Apologies in advance for the poor quality!

OUAQUKGF Ops and brakedwell

Fascinating videos - TVM.
A year earlier (1961) I was one of the two crews from 99 and 511 Sqn that crewed a RAF Transport Command Britannia that was on static display at Paris (Le Bourget) Airshow (24th Paris Salon Aéronautique) in May 1961. One of my better trips with 99 Sqn IMHO.
The flying display programme was long, lasting (with a lunchtime interval of an hour-and-a-half) from nearly ten in the morning till after six in the evening and had something for everyone. But the star of the show was Al Shepard's Freedom 7 space capsule (the first American in space). On 25 May just three weeks after it had been recovered from the Atlantic, Freedom 7 went on display in Paris. By the end of the show some 650,000 fascinated attendees had taken the opportunity to view Freedom 7 up close. I remember seeing it there (as exhibitors we were at the show before it opened so beat the enormous crowds queuing up to see it).
From Paris Freedom 7 went on to Rome for an exhibition at a show there. It drew more visitors than in Paris with 750,000 people lining up to inspect it.

...but why Freedom 7 and Friendship 7 as titles for these spacecraft?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warmtoast (Post 10003767)

...but why Freedom 7 and Friendship 7 as titles for these spacecraft?

The "7" was the number of astronauts that took part in the Mercury programme (Carpenter, Cooper, Glenn, Grissom, Schirra, Shepard, Slayton) though Slayton didn't actually fly until the Apollo/Soyuz mission in 1975.

Each pilot was invited to come up with a name for his mission - the six that flew were Aurora 7, Faith 7, Freedom 7, Friendship 7, Liberty Bell 7 and Sigma 7.

David

Thanks for the explanation. And with apologies for the thread creep here's a view of the static park at Le Bourget in May 1961 with our Brit alongside a Vulcan and Argosy.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...61-Cropped.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by robin (Post 4593008)

I was an Air Cadet in the 60s and we had a number of Wing Parades there. I remember having a great march past when the Battle of Britain fleet were based there - Heinkel III and the Mitchell film aircraft.

In 1968 my Gliding school moved to Bovingdon and I did my first solo there.

I overflew it recently en route to Duxford. It is still there, just..

Robin
Ditto
Clive
:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevvron (Post 4719888)

Trouble is Will, people on here but not from the Chesham/Amersham area NEVER pronounce 'Chesham Bois' properly!!

'Boys' in England
'Bwah' in France

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duchess_Driver (Post 5155505)

...over the other day and there seems to be some clearing work going on around the old control tower. All the old shrubbery has been removed and you can now see the tower quite clearly.

Anybody any idea what (if anything) is going on?

A bit late in the day after local landowners were allowed to destroy it.
During the early 80s we used the crash tender garage below to store our hang gliders and microlights. The building was in pretty good shape then and a very representative example of that style of Tower.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warmtoast (Post 10004058)

In 1963 I was on the crew due to take and man a static display Argosy from Benson. Shortly before the show Whitworth Gloster decided to take a factory aircraft and as a consolation prize we flew a load of SBAC publicity brochures to Le Bourget, taking our wives with us for lunch at a popular restaurant near the airport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duchess_Driver (Post 5155505)

A snapshot from a more leisurely era

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f686b9b7a5.jpg
Vickers Viking of Hunting Air Transport on arrival at Bovingdon from Copenhagen sometime in 1953.

These photographs will stir pleasant memories in those of us who used to watch the aeroplanes from Chesham Road.

Click on the first image....

https://www.peterwilesphotography.co...os_708846.html

I made many trips to Bovingdon from Watford sometimes as a member of Watford Grammar School CCF and sometimes to the Chesham Road.My trips were made between 1954 and 1958.I had several Anson flights and one in a DH Devon.There were 2 Meteors,a T7 and a NF?? in use plus several Ansons plus 1 or 2 Devons.There was also a RAF Dakota with a VIP cabin.Shackletons were regular visitors and I can remember 1 Neptune in RAF colours.
The USAF traffic was mainly C47s and an occasional Packet.One surprise was an all black B26? Invader.My other trips from Watford were mainly Heathrow and Northolt.

The Three Horseshoes, Pudds Cross

Does anyone know when The Three Horseshoes pub (on the Ley Hill road, close to Shantock Hall Lane) shut? It featured in a wartime series of Life magazine photos of black GIs having a beer outside the front.

The pub, which was close to the airfield's MP post and one of the billet sites, was not open in the mid-1960s, so I wonder if it survived the war.

There was certainly no shortage of boozers for Bovingdon personnel to choose from, even without going into the village: three were virtually part of the base.

Post War Independent Airlines Operating at Bovingdon

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....88a2b1204d.jpg
British American Air Services Bovingdon 1948. Humber car boxed and mint underslung.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4604066424.jpg
The USAF returned to Bovingdon in 1951. Maybe someone can date this postcard from the cars in the car park?
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6243f5c446.jpg
G-AGNY Avro York Eagle Aviation at Bovingdon 1950. Photo - The late Arthur Huswitt.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3bc8a6b92b.jpg
G-AKCC Avro Tudor 5 William Dempster Ltd. On arrival at Bovingdon from Tripoli Libya 26 October 1951 the aircraft ran off the side of the runway after its second approach. No fatalities. Photo-the Late Frank Hudson with thanks to Mike Hudson.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7b8496462e.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b12fc1e8ea.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f48a66eb5c.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f7dea0a968.jpg
G-AJZD Douglas C47a Dakota. British Nederland Air Services. Unknown location. Photo- saadonline
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d16255dc44.jpg
G-AHDX HP70 Halton 1 Worldair Carriers. Mt Hohgant,Bern,Switzerland 16 April 1950. En-route Amsterdam-Brindisi with a cargo of Philip's Radios. No survivors. Photo-baaa-acro.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....864cc72c57.jpg
G-AHON Vickers Viking 1A Trans World Charter at Bovingdon 1950. Photo-the late Arthur Huswitt.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e3771a2d0b.jpg
G-AKAD HP Halifax 8 British American Air Services.Unknown location.Delivered March 1948 w.o. May 1948 u/c collapse on landing Rennes. Photo-baaa-acro.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8a4bf94254.png
G-AIWT HP Halifax 8 LAMS/Payloads Charter co, location unknown. Having earlier that year tramped right around the world this aeroplane was damaged beyond repair landing Bovingdon 5.9.47. Photo - baaa-acro

In 1947 The Ministry of Civil Aviation obtained the airfield for civilian use.With its proximity to London and good road and rail links to The Midlands Bovingdon soon became the base for numerous charter companies that took part in an air transport boom which lasted until the end of The Berlin Airlift in 1949. Thereafter demand dropped off and with the State Airlines maintaining a complete monopoly on all scheduled services (although contracting some of these services to Independents) many companies cut their losses, sold their aircraft (at this time good prices were paid for C47 Dakotas) and ceased operations.
In the meantime anything that could be carried by air was. Apart from passenger flights Bovingdon imported an enormous amount of cargo particularly (when in season) fruit and vegetables from Southern Europe and The Lowlands, textiles from France and Italy. Exports world-wide included heavy machinery, Ship's and Aircraft spares - the list is endless.
Several companies participated in The Berlin Airlift and also in the lesser-known 'Milk Airlifts' of 1947 and 1948 when milk churns were flown from Nutt's Corner Belfast to Liverpool and Blackpool.
Home and Abroad the safety record of several of these outfits left much to be desired. The Chiltern Hills collected a scattering of lost souls while the 4,900 foot main runway witnessed a few spectacular runoffs. With reference to Tony Merton Jones' 'British Independent Airlines 1946-76' I've attempted to list air charter companies and their period of operation at Bovingdon. If you can get hold of a copy of this wonderful book it will give you a greater insight into these companies.

Air Charter Ltd. 1947-1951 DH Dragon Rapide, Airspeed Consul,Miles Gemini.
Air Contractors Ltd 1948 C47 Dakota. Miles Aerovan.
Air Freight Ltd 1946-1948 HP Halifax.
Air Transport Charter (C.I.) 1948 C47 Dakota.
Blue Line Airways Ltd 1949 C47 Dakota.
Bond Air Services Ltd 1947-1948 HP Halifax.
British American Air Services Ltd 1947-1950 HP Halifax.
British Nederland Air Services Ltd 1948-1950 C47 Dakota, Vickers Viking.
Eagle Aviation Ltd 1948-1952 HP Halifax, Avro York.
Hunting Air Travel/Transport/ Hunting Clan Ltd 1948-1954 C47 Dakota,Vickers Viking. Avro York.
Lancashire Aircraft Corporation/Skyways Ltd 1947-1952 HP Halifax, HP Halton, Avro York.
Skyflight Ltd 1948-1949 HP Halifax.
Trans World Charter Ltd 1948-1951 Vickers Viking.
William Dempster Ltd 1950-1951 Avro Tudor.
World Air Freight Ltd 1948-1950 HP Halifax.
Worldair Carriers Ltd 1950 HP Halton.

I might add that B.O.A.C. had a maintenance facility at Bovingdon 1946-1948.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ff67dbfc8e.jpg
Is that one of the War Lover B-17s in the background?

I think you are probably right. I thought the cars looked a bit dated for 1961? However on reflection our own motor is 20 years old...............

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops (Post 10494166)

I thought the cars looked a bit dated for 1961? However on reflection our own motor is 20 years old...............

It's interesting to see the various cars at the base towards the end of

Quote:

Originally Posted by treadigraph (Post 10494028)

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ff67dbfc8e.jpg
Is that one of the War Lover B-17s in the background?

It's well before '61; the sign saying 'Airport Entrance' and the low fence outside indicates that (it was a 'standard' RAF boundary fence by 1961.); I would guess mid '50s before the RAF re-claimed it with the USAF Dak outside the 'terminal' building, the 2 buildings you can see at the left being linked together, one containing the Met Office..
Cars are American; I think I can make out a '49 or '50 Ford.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....79f096fcb1.jpg
British Men's Team 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. Skyways Avro York Bovingdon.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2fbdfc4737.jpg
Bovingdon's Meteor NF14 WS848. August 17th 1960. Medmenham Medal if you can name exact location of Windmill. Photo Credit IWM.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OUAQUKGF Ops (Post 10506712)

Bovingdon's Meteor NF14 WS848. August 17th 1960. Medmenham Medal if you can name exact location of Windmill. Photo Credit IWM.

Berney Arms ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveReidUK (Post 10506747)

Berney Arms ?

Dave - You are spot on!

I flew Meteor 8's out of RAF Nicosia in 1958, but never managed to get my hands on the NF14 belonging to FCS at Bovingdon.when I was on Coastal Com in 1961/2. Flew some of their Ansons to help them out, but the Meteors hardly ever flew.

Bovingdon also had a T 7 in the late 1950s.My last trip to Bovingdon was as the guest of a school friend,a newly qualified Vulcan pilot,to the Officers Mess at Bovingdon Green in about 1962.

More about former Bovingdon Anson pilot Dickie Colbourne here. The 'People's Mosquito' initiative are looking for members of his family.

Bovingdon in Wartime

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....081fcd276b.jpg
Bovingdon March 1944. The Aprons were laid in late 1944 ? and 1945 by the Americans after the arrival on the base of the US Air Transport Service (Europe). Credit American Air Museum in Britain IWM.

92nd Bomb Group Bovingdon October 1942

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2258a6264a.jpg
Training Sortie
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f33a4c515e.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....3878eea3cb.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....33b8560a8f.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....747f8f1064.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4564046cfa.jpg
These photographs appear to have been taken for Press Release. Note the Censor's half-hearted scribblings over the Water Tower which stood in the North-Eastern Corner of the Airfield. Acknowledgements to The Roger Freeman Collection held by The American Air Museum in Britain IWM.

One of my CCF flights from Bovingdon was with a Polish pilot and I was lucky enough to have the right hand cockpit seat.I can remember priming the engines prior to starting but strangely enough I can't remember having to wind the u/c up.Take off was quite lively !!

Harrier force could have done with that little tracked tractor before the Unimog

An early Casualty

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....480133c673.jpg
41-9026 Baby Doll. Bovingdon based. Shot down over The English Channel 6th September 1942 with the loss of all crew. One of the first two 8th AAF B17s to be lost in combat. Credit:American Air Museum in Britain. Roger Freeman Collection held by IWM.