Shackleton C1?
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Shackleton C1?
Just read on another forum that during the Suez crisis of '56, Shackletons were used to transport 28 troops each from Blackbushe to the middle east.
How on earth could they fit that many in?
How on earth could they fit that many in?
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Just read on another forum that during the Suez crisis of '56, Shackletons
were used to transport 28 troops each from Blackbushe to the middle east.
How on earth could they fit that many in?
were used to transport 28 troops each from Blackbushe to the middle east.
How on earth could they fit that many in?
I think Pilot's Notes actually said we could carry 32 'fully armed' troops, with most of their kit going into bomb bay panniers and the troops themselves sitting on the floor or anywhere else they could find. As for strapping in...........! 'Elf 'n Safety would have had a field day, but then doing the job was more important
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Shackleton C1
After the Suez cease fire we brought 36 paratroops back from Nicosia via Idris to Lyneham. They all sat on the floor aft of the main spar, and it was very difficult to go back to the élsan for a pee!! The Major shared the Navs seat. We got them home for Christmas. They even had cups of tea!
ISTR when asked by an MP in parliament why our troops had to travel jammed into a bomber without seats, the government declared that flying in a Shackleton is no worse than travelling in a crowded train, but then how many crowded train journeys last for ten-hours or more?
ISTR when asked by an MP in parliament why our troops had to travel jammed into a bomber without seats, the government declared that flying in a Shackleton is no worse than travelling in a crowded train, but then how many crowded train journeys last for ten-hours or more?
London to Aberdeen in the 1950s. We were sitting on cases in the corridors.
Back in 1966 ....
.....in preparation for the defense of Ballykelly over the anniversary of the Dublin Easter uprising we were dispatched around the country to pick extra police men and dogs from other stations.
My crew went to Kinloss and on the return leg the aircraft was jampacked with plods and dogs (neither of them looking particularly happy at the prospect of four hours round the north of Scotland).
At some point down the outer hebrides I decided to venture down the back to make tea and coffee. And as was standard vaulted over the rear spar and landed firmly in the galley. One dog who was awake (they'd been sedated a bit) tied to his sound asleep handler, sprang at me (trailing his handler) and got me fair and square in the chest. Absolute bloody chaos erupted in that confined space - shouting policemen, snarling dogs (now all awake) me shouting "get this f889ing savage off me" (it was muzzled). Eventually calm was restored with a lot of cursing and kicking.
I never did make the tea and coffee.
Later during the first night shift as they patrolled the dispersals one of the dogs peed on a sodium lamp, was severely shocked and savaged his handler. That IS a true dit.
The Ancient Mariner
My crew went to Kinloss and on the return leg the aircraft was jampacked with plods and dogs (neither of them looking particularly happy at the prospect of four hours round the north of Scotland).
At some point down the outer hebrides I decided to venture down the back to make tea and coffee. And as was standard vaulted over the rear spar and landed firmly in the galley. One dog who was awake (they'd been sedated a bit) tied to his sound asleep handler, sprang at me (trailing his handler) and got me fair and square in the chest. Absolute bloody chaos erupted in that confined space - shouting policemen, snarling dogs (now all awake) me shouting "get this f889ing savage off me" (it was muzzled). Eventually calm was restored with a lot of cursing and kicking.
I never did make the tea and coffee.
Later during the first night shift as they patrolled the dispersals one of the dogs peed on a sodium lamp, was severely shocked and savaged his handler. That IS a true dit.
The Ancient Mariner
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Shackleton C1
December 18th. 1956 the cry went up..."..bring the troops home for Christmas..."
Off we went from Aldergrove to Nicosia with a tech. stop at Luqa. The next day loaded up with troops, 28 is the number in my memory.
The co-pilot was last to board after the outside check. The tricky bit was to
get from the rear door to the right hand seat. My feet only touched the floor twice while I was passed over the huddled masses.
We unloaded the troops at St. Mawgan on December 20th.
Forward to June 1958 we were again transporting troops, this time to Nicosia
from Abingdon. Do not remember the reason for this move except the Army
brought their band to play as the troops boarded the Shackletons !
Off we went from Aldergrove to Nicosia with a tech. stop at Luqa. The next day loaded up with troops, 28 is the number in my memory.
The co-pilot was last to board after the outside check. The tricky bit was to
get from the rear door to the right hand seat. My feet only touched the floor twice while I was passed over the huddled masses.
We unloaded the troops at St. Mawgan on December 20th.
Forward to June 1958 we were again transporting troops, this time to Nicosia
from Abingdon. Do not remember the reason for this move except the Army
brought their band to play as the troops boarded the Shackletons !
Don't forget that at the time we're talking about (mid-50's) the backbone of Transport Command was the Hastings which could carry approx 50 troops, but were relatively slow, and the standard way of moving servicemen was the troopship. Therefore moving battalions required a lot of aircraft if the troops were needed in a hurry (like most MOD plans!) so other fleets, Shackletons, Varsities, Valettas etc were pulled in to the mix!
The Shack has a number of "hard points" built into the fuselage floor to which a piece of canvas held by steel cables is fitted, the ends of the cable have a clip which attaches to the floor points. The canvas is used as a back rest. If ferrying troops the crew is reduced to six (from ten). I believe that the normal quoted figure for number of troops carried is up to 33.
Seems that it was quite a common method to move troops in the early days of the Shack.
Seems that it was quite a common method to move troops in the early days of the Shack.
As the Shack was a descendant of the Manchester which was designed at a time when the 'Bomber Transport' was popular I'm not surprised Shacks carried troops as passengers.
The description of the canvas seat back fits in with the arrangements for troops and paratroops in the Manchester and Lancaster to go with the 'Numa' matting on the floor to sit on.
Talking of Bomber Transports is there anyone here who remembers the Argosy's Colonial Policing role that saw it capable of carrying (and dropping) 6 1000 lb bombs.
The description of the canvas seat back fits in with the arrangements for troops and paratroops in the Manchester and Lancaster to go with the 'Numa' matting on the floor to sit on.
Talking of Bomber Transports is there anyone here who remembers the Argosy's Colonial Policing role that saw it capable of carrying (and dropping) 6 1000 lb bombs.
I'm fairly confident that the Argosy used RR Darts not the Brits Proteus. Certainly early Argosies used a derivative of the Avro wing as used on the Shackleton Mk3. It was pointed out to an International model company recently that the Mk2 and Mk3 Shacks had different wings.
pm575
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