RAF Coronation Review - Astra Gazette 1952
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RAF Coronation Review - Astra Gazette 1952
How it used to be. There's a short advert for M&S to endure first
Last edited by ricardian; 26th Nov 2012 at 11:03. Reason: Mention short advert
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I seem to remember reading that the incumbent Group Captain was not senior enough for such an event and was quickly transferred to take command of another station (Biggen Hill?) and a very senior G-CPTN parachuted in to take his place.
Masses of aircraft - absolute heaven for a wide-eyed 12-year old, I can tell you. I had an uncle who was stationed at the then Medical Rehabilitation Unit, RAF Chessington, and my family came south from Scotland for a visit to see the post-Coronation sights. This was the personal highlight for me, little knowing I'd be flying in the Silver Jubilee flypast 25 years later.
"From 40 airfields all over Great Britain and Northern Ireland, some 600 aircraft set course for Odiham........"
The chap flying the Swift F4 lost his engine on the way back to Chilbolton, but managed to make a successful dead-stick landing.
Grp Capt Johnny Kent
....was the 'junior' OC of Odiham at the time. In his book 'One of The Few' he told how he was moved to Tangmere while the more senior, and therefore 'more deserving' if there was a gong up for grabs, OC Tangmere was parachuted in to Odiham. Suffice to say Kent was pretty p*ssed off and left the service he had loyally served since before WW2, fairly soon after.
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RAF Coronation Review - Astra Gazette 1952
The Coronation was also the 1st time that the T63 best blue was worn. They were individually tailored, but if you wanted to keep yours you had to buy it
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RAF Coronation Review - Astra Gazette 1952
With the amount of aircraft in the RAF during that period, they would have been needed too!
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I should imagine the majority of the airmen on parade were National Servicemen
I know that Boy Entrants and Apprentices did route lining at the Coronation and were at the Review.
I should have been one of the Boy's from Yatesbury. We did he extra drill in the evenings after our normal day! We were measured for our T63's then I got 'flu, went into SSQ and when I came out everyone else had gone to Cardington.
So I missed it all.
