Valetta Shuttle to Gan

[huge72]

I have been asked by an elderly neighbour about the Valetta Shuttle from Sri Lanka to Gan in late 50's. He served on Gan in 58/59 and couldn't remember the type or Squadron. I served there 74/75 which is why he asked me and I know from previous posts that it was the Valetta but cannot find out which Squadron ran the trips. Any Ideas?

Many thanks

[Chugalug2]

Agree about the Valetta, though not certain whence they came. Logically it would have been 48 Squadron based at Changi before it re-equipped with Hastings in June 1957 (from Wiki) :-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._48_Squadron_RAF

Certainly crews were seconded to Katunayake (Negombo) from Singapore to fly the Gan Shuttle (9 months detachment mentioned here) :-

RAF Gan Remembered - This & That

though the picture was taken after the re-equipment of 48 Squadron, so possibly it had a mixed fleet still at the time? Others of course will know better than I (they always do!).

[Old-Duffer]

Could it be that 52 sqn was also involved?

Old Duffer

[Chugalug2]

More than likely, OD. Indeed, given that they retained their Valettas until 1966 they are the more likely candidates I would have thought. Thank you (he exclaimed through clenched teeth!).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._52_Squadron_RAF

[ORAC]

Vickers Valletta at Gan in 1958

https://images.app.goo.gl/pkYAfLYWZFMweyGL6

Still there in 1964......

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1151886

[Lordflasheart]

Does this help ?

RAF Gan 1958 and Later

...

[huge72]

Most of the previous threads on Gan show the photos but lack the tail where the Sqn Number was applied. Looking at ORAC's photo you can make out 52 on the tail so that answers the question. Thank you Ppruners I will pass on the info and photo.

Huge72

[Chugalug2]

That diamond was present on all types of RAF tactical transport aircraft at the time, but painted in various colours. On the 48 Squadron Hastings they were red. The squadron badge of course features a red Bass triangle. One morning a group of us were provided with tins of red paint and some brushes and told to go down to First Line, borrow Giraffe ladders from them, go along the parked Squadron aircraft there and proceed to extend the base of the diamonds, with the tops of the diamond extended down to it to form a triangle. The whole to be painted red. Who authorised this piece of vandalism? The Boss that's who! Thus the adornment to a rather bedraggled TG516's fin in the Squadron's Wiki entry :-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._48...1_edited-2.jpg

[Cornish Jack]

Vickers Valletta at Gan in 1958
That one is the Maltese harbour. The one at Gan was a Valetta

[Herod]

Now that's interesting, and I'd never thought about it before. According to Wiki, it was named after the Maltese harbour, which would make sense, but spelt with only one "l". i wonder if someone got it wrong on the original paperwork?

[Cornish Jack]

Herod - According to Wiki,
Also according to Wiki, an old friend and crew member of mine, who was killed in a crash, was court-martialled as having contributed to the crash. He was not a contributor, nor was he court-martialled! I corrected that particular entry but I would look for something a great more reliable than Wiki as an information source!

[Herod]

Jack; I would tend to agree with you, but is there another reason for the name? Varsity: it's a trainer, Viking; a "V", also Viscount and Vanguard. But Valetta just seems an oddball.

[Chugalug2]

Given that Handley Page looked for names beginning with H and chose Hastings for their transport a/c at about the same time, could it be that the Air Ministry Permanent Aircraft Naming Committee (AMPANC) required the names of towns and cities for their Transport a/c at the time? So the Blackburn Beverley. Obviously Avro weren't too bothered about the alliteration bit, but still came up with York. Nor Shorts with the Belfast, or the HS Andover. What about the Argosy I hear you ask? Did it really qualify though?

Hat, Coat. No really don't bother, I'll see myself out...

[Herod]

Argosy: a large (??) merchant ship.

[Cornish Jack]

message too short

[Cornish Jack]

Herod - Yes, oddball from the spelling point of view, but it was Air Ministry in charge then! Perhaps the intended reference was Maltese or, just maybe, the author was an illiterate old-fashioned dance enthusiast!!
As long as nobody tries to amend it - nearly 3 years of logbook entries to change!!

[Chugalug2]

Argosy: a large (??)

Agreed! We know a song about that, don't we boys and girls? "And the Argosy too, with a pound or two..", from the renowned Mess bar refrain, 'See Them Fly By'.

The exceptions to AMPANC's cunning plan were many of course, mainly those with some commercial pretensions. Britannia, Comet, even the Argosy. The former could otherwise have become the Bristol Bristol!

As to Valetta, the present Valletta might be the 'incorrect' spelling :-

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Letit...,_1837/Valetta

[oxenos]

Appropriate, since they usually come in pairs.

[teeteringhead]

There was a (scurrilous) tale in the early 70s that an Argosy QM was Court Martialled: he's left his load on the top of his locker! (No euphemisms intended)

[brakedwell]

Originally Posted by Chugalug2

Given that Handley Page looked for names beginning with H and chose Hastings for their transport a/c at about the same time, could it be that the Air Ministry Permanent Aircraft Naming Committee (AMPANC) required the names of towns and cities for their Transport a/c at the time? So the Blackburn Beverley. Obviously Avro weren't too bothered about the alliteration bit, but still came up with York. Nor Shorts with the Belfast, or the HS Andover. What about the Argosy I hear you ask? Did it really qualify though?

Hat, Coat. No really don't bother, I'll see myself out...

Armstrong Whitworth Argosy sounds good to me.

In the mid to late 60's we could get our dinghy drill ticked off when slipping with the Britannias in Gan. Far better than the swimming pool in Swindon!