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Ir
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Avro Shackleton
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Barry Jones
Martin W. Bowman
Peter . Smith
Paul Leaman
Barry Jones
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Martin W. Bowman
Eric Mombeek
Brad Elward
Peter E. Davies and Tony Thornborough
Ron Mackay
David Baker
Ray Sanger
Jerry cutts
Duncan Curti
Peter C. mith
Andy Evans
Ken Delve
Barry Jones
Lance Cole

-AV-IA-T1.......IloO.,L:-N

AVRO
Barry Jones

The Crowood Press
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First published in 2002 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire S 82HR
The Crowood Press Ltd 2002
Dedication
[n memory of Judy.
Contents
Acknowledgements
All rights reserved. 0 parr of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
meClIlS, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording, or any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library.
I B I 6126 449 6
That the Shackleton was a legend in it
own lifetime is a fact that has inspired
many people to assist me in the preparation
of this book. [n particular I would like to
express my gratitude to Revd Peter Allen,
Chri Ashworth, Gordon G. Bartley, Ray
Deacon, Peter Dunn, George Hart, David
Hill, Harry Holmes, Derek James, Ian Mac-
taggart, Mick Oakey, George Pennick,
Gerry Roberts, The Shackleton Associa-
tion, William H. leigh, ick Stroud,
Peter M. Thomas and Dean Wingrin. I
trust they will feel that their input ha been
worthwhile.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. TO MAl TAl THE LlFELI ES
2. LAST OF THE MANCHESTER LINEAGE
3. THE EXPLORER RECALLED
4. MARK 1 AND ITS DERIVATIVES
5. MARK 2 - 1951 to 1972
6. 0 E-WHEELS, TIP TA K A D COMFORT
7. TABLE MOU TAl'S 0 TET
8. VARIETY IS THE PICE OF LIFE
9. AEW - THE ROUNDABOUT YEARS
10. AEW - THE 6,848-DAY 'INTERIM SOLUTION'
11. 0 CE UPO A TIME ...
4
6
8
23
31
37
67
93
109
119
135
149
161
Typefaces used: Goudy (text),
Cheltenham (headings).
Typeset and designed by
D & Publishing
Baydon, Marlborough, Wiltshire.
Prioted and bound in Great Brirain by oookcraft,
Midsomer Norton.
Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III
Index
Shackleton Squadrons
Shackleton Production
Shackl ton Conservation
170
175
189
190
WR957/U of No. 228 Squadron. in its natural element. photographed in the 1950s. before receiving its Phase I update. Author's collection
AShackleton MR.2 of No. 224 Squadron at Gibraltar in March 1954. Aeroplane
Barry Jones
Warwick, December 200/
being known as 'The Growler' and' 10,000
rivets in formation'.
However, Roy Chadwi k's final exten-
sion of the 'theme' that began with the
Avro Manchester of 1937 was a fine aero-
plane, and at the time of writing one is till
flying in South Africa, while another, in
the United States, flew for several years
and it is hoped will do so again. That there
is an airworthy hacklcton in South
Africa is quite appropriate, a thi i geo-
graphically a lot nearer to ir Ernest' last
re ting place on remote outh Georgia
than the aircraft's birthplace in the north-
we I' of England.
far beyond the original long-range mar-
itime reconnaissance role, to the extent
that for twenty years during the uneasy
political climate of the 1970s and 1980s it
constituted the United Kingdom's first line
of Airborne Early Warning defence.
Just why ertain aeroplanes endear
themselves to those who operate them is
sometimes difficult to define, and it is often
those that have few star qualitie in terms
of being 'user friendly' that are held with
the greatest affection. Such an aeroplane is
the Shackleton. Furthermore, the strange
quirk of the British character, together
with the sense of humour that appears to
cast derision upon, or make disparaging
remarks about, something held in great
esteem, is exemplified by the Shackleton
As he contemplated the harshnes of
the Antarctic environment prior to hi
death, it is doubtful that the explorer
guessed that Avro's Chief Designer would
recognize their friendship by naming an
aircraft after him. The doubt would have
turned to di belief had he known the con-
figuration of this aircraft and the fact that
there were those who would say that, with
the wind in the right quarter, he could
have heard it take off from Woodford
while huddled in his polar tent!
Four of Rolls-Royce's last reciprocating
engine, the Griffon, propelled Shackle-
ton's memorial around planet Earth for
over four decade and it retirement saw
the RAF relinquish the multi-piston-
cngined aeroplane for ever. Its service went
but a diversion to Rio de Janeiro for repairs
to the ship's engines meant that Sir Ernest
was unable to collect pre-de patched parts
for the Type 554 from Cape Town. Conse-
quently it was not employed on this expe-
dition, and as he suffered a fatal stroke dur-
ing the exploration, Shackleton never saw
Chadwick's design in action.
Introduction
The association forged between Chad-
wick and Shackleton through the Type 554,
which was known as the Antarctic Baby,
became a firm friendship that was enhanced
when Chadwick married a distant member
of the great trail-blazer's family. The aircraft
was transported aboard the auxiliary ship
Quest for the 1921 South Polar Expedition,
In 19 I9, A. V. Roe's Chief Designer, Roy
Chadwick, created the Avro Type 534 Baby,
which wa built in several forms and pow-
ered by various engine. The final variant
was the Type 554, powered by an Ohp Le
Rhone engine, specifically to meet the
requirements of the Anglo-Irish polar pio-
neer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.
6
7
TO MAINTAI THE LIFELINES
CHAPTER ONE
To Maintain the Lifelines
AFelixstowe F.2c on its beaching ramp. with RNAS personnel and cat. Aeroplane
well as such prestigious events as the win-
ning of the Schneider Trophy for the third
time in 1931, to give Britain its permanent
possession. Following the announcement
in 1935 that Germany wa forming the
Luftwaffe, the British Government re-
leased funds to allow further squadrons to
be formed for the defence of the United
Kingdom and Trenchard exercised his
long-held belief that the RAF should be
divided into separate commands.
In 1925, the Home Defence Force had
been placed under one unified command as
the Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB),
with the Auxiliary Air Force and the Spe-
cial Reserve inaugurated within its orbit.
Trenchard's proposals saw the dissolution
of the ADGB in July 1936, to be replaced
by Fighter Command - which incorporat-
ed the Observer Corps and Army Co-oper-
ation units - Bomber Command, Coastal
Command - encompassing flying boats as
well as land-based units - plus the Fleet Air
Arm (FAA) and Training Command.
The expansion of the RAF gathered
momentum to the point where 126
squadrons nominally existed, as well as
twenty FAA squadrons. However, strong
Admiralty lobbying that anything pertain-
ing to operations in the vicinity of water
should be their province brought about a
change. On 30 July 1937 the FAA was
placed under Admiralty command, which
was in reality only a form of appeasement, as
the Sea Lords' undisguised ambitions lay in
the complete controlling of Coastal Com-
mand. The Air Ministry stood its ground
and retained the Command, while agreeing
to the proviso that it would co-operate with
Admiralty operations when requested.
Adolf Hitler was by now demonstrating
his desire to encompass states beyond his
country's borders, and the increa ingly
apparent inevitability of outright war in
Europe encouraged the RAF's expansion
to include imported aircraft. In 1937 the
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation of Bur-
bank, California, put the fir t of it Type 14
Super Electras into ervice. This twelve-
passenger airliner, with a maximum design
speed of 235mph (378km/h), was operated
by British Airways and was in fact the type
that carried Prime Minister Neville
hamberlain back from his meeting with
Hitler on 30 September 1938, together
with the comparatively useles sheet of
foolscap that constituted the signed decla-
ration which Chamberlain promoted as
'Peace in our time', which in reality only
bought time, but was useful for that reason.
The RAF's standing increased in the early
1930s through organized air displays, as
The Forming of Coastal
Command
Therefore, the Service was only seven
months old when the war ended and its
future appeared somewhat tenuous. Born
of conflict, its position in peacetime was
undetermined, and within just over a year
a strength of more than 27,000 officers and
260,000 non-commissioned ranks was
reduced to little more than 1,200 officers
and 36,600 non-commissioned men. Even
more important was the fact that well over
50 per cent of the wartime officers were
fully trained pilots. At the time of the
Armistice, ninety-nine quadrons were
operational on the European mainland,
but within a year this was reduced to five
and at the first anniversary of the war's
ending only No. 12 Squadron existed.
The loss of pride suffered by the War
Office and Admiralty when they lost their
individual air arms to the RAF was still far
from forgotten. It was only the appoint-
ment of Winston Churchill as Secretary of
State for Air on 1 January 1919 that really
saved the Service from being voted out of
existence. Churchill gave Trenchard the
task of writing a memorandum, declaring
his proposals for the future of the post-war
RAE This had to be compiled against a
Cabinet-imposed financial limit of 15
million per annum for the next five year.
Comerstone of Trenchard's foundation
for the RAF's expansion wa the policing of
overseas territories that carne under British
jurisdiction, many of which had intemal
political and territorial feuds that belied the
term 'peacetime'. At horne, he proposed
establishing an RAF College at the former
RNAS ailfield of Cranwell for training
future officers, plus a School of Technical
Training at Halton in Buckinghamshire
where three-year cour es would give
teenage cadets the technical skills required
to fill permanent posts in the Service.
On 5 February 1920 the RAF College
was officially opened, while Halton had
full courses of apprentice, who were affec-
tionately known as 'Trenchard's Brats'.
The number of RAF squadrons was
increased and a future based on an exis-
tence without full-scale war was estab-
lished, although overseas 'policing' opera-
tions kept the training requirements for
combat operations fully honed.
It was inevitable that the end of hostilities
would bring about a reduction of the armed
forces, but in the case of the Royal Air
Force it approached annihilation. Only a
year earlier, Prime Minister Lloyd George
had appointed the South African Boer War
veteran Jan Christian Smuts to lead a com-
mittee, whose brief was to recommend the
future of aviation in Britain. The findings
became known as Smut's Air Report,
which advocated the promotion of the
existing Air Board to an individual Air
Ministry and the formation of a separate
air arm. These recommendations were
endorsed by ir Hugh Montague Tren-
chard, who had commanded the RFC in
France from August 1915. Having served
in the Army in India and the Boer War
prior to transferring to the Corps, he
engaged in a formative post-war period at
the Central Flying chool to acclimatize
himself of the requirements of the new
force, with the result that he has become
accepted as the 'Father of the Royal Air
Force'. This Force was established in the Air
Force Act, promulgated by King George V
on 7 March 1918 and the RAF came into
existence on 1 April of that year, with Tren-
chard as the first Chief of the Air Staff.
Birth of the RAF
poorly-designed hull and inadequate
engines. The 'Anglicizing' of the HA, by
designing a new hull and fitting Hispano-
Suiza engines, produced the Felixstowe
Fl. Curtiss followed the HA on the pro-
duction line with the H.12 and imported
examples received Porte's attention, to
hecome the Felixstowe F2 and F2A, pow-
ered by Rolls-Royce engines.
With a speed of 95mph (153km/h), an
endurance of six hours and the ability to
carry 460lb (210kg) of bombs, the Felixs-
towe E2A was acknowledged as the best of
its type in World War One, a reputation
enhanced on 20 May 1917, when an E2A
sunk the UC-36, the first time that a sub-
marine had been destroyed by an aeroplane.
The SS non-rigid type of airship, known
as the 'Blimp' after 'Colonel Blimp', the
proponent of reactionary establishment
opinions, was also used: destroyers could
he summoned up by the airship's radio to
Jeal with submerged intruders. By the time
that the Armistice was signed on II
November 1918, versions of the SS air-
ships that could remain airborne for over
forty hours were operating.
ties, wh ile protecti ng inshore convoys
from attacks by surface raiders and from
the air. These patrols were not just con-
fined to the coastal waters of the British
Isles: a substantial number of operations
were conducted around the vast area of the
Mediterranean Sea throughout the last
couple of years of the conflict.
The importance of the U-boats and the
need to keep watch for all their activities
brought into existence aircraft specifically
designed for the role. In the United States,
Curtiss had the HA in production and
Britain purchased a small number for oper-
ating from the Naval Air Station at Felixs-
towe, on the east coast of Suffolk. The sta-
tion commander at that time was
Squadron-Commander J. C. Porte, who
quickly detenTlined that the aircraft had a
arm of the German Navy capitalized on the
situation 0 that, by the end of the winter
of 1916-17, over 2,500 merchant ships had
been sunk and Britain faced the real possi-
bility of being starved into submission.
This desperate situation forced the Admi-
ralty heSitantly to acc pt a convoy system,
and losses through U-boat operations were
impressively reduced.
Convoy escorting by the Royal Navy
was helped by aerial patrols flown by both
the Royal Flying Corp (RFC) and the
Royal aval Air Service (RNAS). It was
becoming evident that aviation could
become a practical weapon in the battle to
protect the shipping lanes. In particular,
the RNAS provided overseas patrols,
employing float planes as well as flying
boats, to deter German submarine activi-
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the
throne of Austria-Hungary, together with
his wife, were assassinated by nineteen-year-
old Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 23 July
1914. Through a treaty with Serbia, Russia
mobilized her troops the following day,
which precipitated Germany to follow suit
and invade Belgium. By 4 August, Britain's
1839 treaty of protection with Belgium was
honoured and a state of war was declared
between the British Empire and Germany.
Despite this change in the World's polit-
ical situation, the British Isle's dependence
on merchant shipping for its very exis-
tence, with all oil plus a large percentage of
food and raw materials being imported, the
merchant shipping companies continued
to operate independently for over two and
a half years. The Unterseeboot (U-boat)
8 9
TO MAl TAl THE LIFELINES TO MAl TAIN THE LIFELINES
biplane predecessors. Another advance was
its armament of eight Browning machine-
guns, di tributed a two in a Frazer-Nash
power-operated nose turret, four in a similar
tail turret and hand-operated machine-
gun ited at hatches either side of the upper
fuselage, aft of each wing root. An internal
2,0001b (900kg) load of bomb, depth
charges, mines or various pyrotechnics
could be winched out on rails to release
positions under each wing centre ection.
The .25 was christened Sund r1and Mk
I, and following the first flight of prototype
K4774, on 16 October 1937, deliveries from
the fir t order for eleven aircraft for oastal
ommand started during May 193. o.
210 quadron, based at Pembroke Dock in
omh Wales, was the first unit to rec ive
them, followed in June by o. 230
quadron at eletar on ingapore Island.
The next year, o. 204 quadron at Mount
Batten, outside Plymouth in Devon,
received its fir t, together with o. 22
quadron, so that the declaration of war
aw the Command with four underland
squadrons, three of them in home waters.
In eptember 1939, Coa tal ommand
also had 0.22 Squadron at Thomey I land
in Sussex and No. 42 Squadron at Bircham
Newton in Norfolk as 'strike units', which
was rather a complimentary description for
tion RJ/35, of which twenty-three were
manufactured. Th y flew with os 201,
202, 204 and 240 quadrons, while o.
209 quadron, by March 1939, had com-
pleted re-equipping with twin-engined
Supermarine Stanraer , having previously
flown the four-engined Shon ingapore.
All three types had been on operational
coastal patrol dutie around the British
Isles and in the Mediterranean, which
were extended by nearly two more years
Anson Mk 1 K6298 of No. 233 Squadron flies over the River Forth shortly before the
beginning of World War Two. Harry Holmes
with the outbreak of war, when some of
them joined No.4 (Coastal) Operational
Training Unit (OTU).
During the mid-1930s, Short Brothers
at Rochester in Kent produced the S.23
Empire 'C' Class passenger-carrying flying
boat. This wa a four-engined monoplane
for Imperial Airways, the prototype of
which made it maiden flight in 1936.
While .23 design work was still on the
drawing board, pecification R.2/33 was
issued, for an ocean patrol and anti-sub-
marine flying boat, for which Short Broth-
er drew up a d velopment of their S.23, to
be called the .25.
Powered by four 65hp Bristol Pegasus
22 radial engine, it had a design maximum
speed of 210mph (3 8km/h) and range of
well over 2,000 miles (3,200km), which
was an immense improvement over its
The Flying Boats
H9M, were awarded contracts to build a
prototype, with March 1935 being set as
their delivery date. The Avro prototype,
K4771, was evaluated by the oa tal
Defence Development Unit ( DDU) at
(Jospon, against D.H. 89M K4772, during
the middle of May 1935, following which
trials at Marrlesham Heath were held and
Chadwick's design was accepted for pro-
duction. A 25 per cent increase in
tailplane span and alterations to the rud-
der mass balance were implemented to
meet the main pilot's criticisms levied
after the trials, and Avro re eived an order
for 174 aircraft. The first, K6152, was
given its maiden flight at Woodford, by
(Jeof(rey Tyon, on 31 December 1935,
with the name Anson Mk 1 being
hestowed upon the aircraft.
In February 1936, No. 48 quad ron at
Man ton in Kent started to receive the
Anson, thereby giving the RAF its first
operational monoplane and its fir t type to
he fitted with a retractable undercarriage.
Thi was activated by more than 100 tums
of a low-geared manual winch handle situ-
,Hed beside the pilot' scat, and the author
IS one of thousands of 1942-43-era Air
Training Corp (ATC) cadets who was
given the ta k of winding up an Anson's
undercarriage during air-familiarization
flights. An experience never forgotten!
Service colloquialism being what it i , the
Avro 652A became known as the 'Annie'
and its reputation was such that this was
enhanced by the prefix 'Faithful'. Its
Jesign role changed with the arrival of the
I ludson, and the Anson became a training
aircraft for a large proportion of the pi lots,
navigators and air gunner destined to
serve with Bomber Command.
Anson production was such that on 26
June 1937, Nos 206, 220, 224, 233 and 269
quadron were each able to put up a full
complement of aircraft for the RAF Hen-
Jon Air Display. Together they formed the
central core of Coastal Command, with five
more squadrons being An on-equipped by
the outbreak of World War Two.
After its formation, Coa tal Command
became the recipient of several type of
biplane flying boats and some were still in
squadron service in eptember 1939. The
twin-engined Saunders Roe London, orig-
inally built to pecification R.24/31, was
updated to its Mk II variant by Specifica-
ing pecification G.18/35, and Chadwick
saw a variant of the Type 652 a a logical
contender. On 19 May 1934, a militarized
development, the Type 652A, was present-
ed to the Air Mini try, the principal
changes being 295hp Cheetah VI engine,
a dor al gun turret housing a single Lewis
machine-gun, an increased window area
and the ability to carry a 360lb (163kg)
bomb load in the centre section. A ingle
fixed Vickers machine-gun in the port side
of the nose was provided for the pilot.
Although several manufacturers entered
designs to the specification, only Avro with
their Type 652A and de Havilland's twin-
engined biplane submission, the D.H.
Although photographed later than 1939, Hudson Mk III FK745 is representative of the
type and carries the Coastal Command finish of that era. Aeroplane
an existing three-engined, high-wing, col-
laborative design produced by Avro and
V. ederlandsche Vliegtuigen[aiYrik (Fokker)
of Holland in 1928, into the Type 618. The
wing was moved to a lower position and a
pair of270hp Armstrong iddeley Cheetah
V radial engine gave the four-pa senger
aircraft a maximum speed of 188mph
(302km/h) over a range of 725 miles
(l,167km). With a retractable undercar-
riage and revised fuselage shape, the new
design emerged as the Type 652.
During the Type 652's design stage, Avro
received an Air Ministry request to tender
for a twin-engined oastal Command
General Reconnai san e landplane meet-
The Air Ministry saw a military conver-
ion of the Type 14 as a maritime patrol and
navigational training aircraft and, de pite
critical comments from many quarters, the
Briti h Purchasing Commission placed an
initial order for 200 in th summer of 1938,
to which the name Hudson wa a igned,
after the river that carried the name of Eng-
lish explorer Henry Hudson. He it was who
had been commissioned by the Dutch East
India Company and, after ailing into ew
York Bay in 1609, navigated 150 miles
upriver to meet the chiefs of the Mohican
nation. The maiden flight of this first Amer-
ican aircraft to be ordered for th RAF was
made on 10 December 1938, and the first
Hudson arrived by sea at Liverpool Docks
two months later, on 15 February 1939.
Lockheed established a base at peke (now
Liverpool Airpon) for the type' assembly,
during which a substantial Boulton Paul
two-gun power-operated dor al turret was
installed. Designated Hudson Mk I, the air-
craft began to equip os 224 and 233
quadron at Leuchars in corland during
the middle of 1939, with 0.220 quadron
at Thomaby in County Durham being con-
vened to the type by 3 eptember.
The 'Faithful Annie'
During th early 1930s, the appearance of
high performance commercial monoplanes
in the United States induced Imperial Air-
ways to place a requirement with A. V. Roe
for a small, long-range, twin-engined pas-
senger monoplane. Roy Chadwick adapted
N4877, one of the few Ansons extant today, was photographed at Staverton in 1966, when it was part of the Skyframe collection. Ray Deacon
70 77
TO MAINTAII THE LIFELINES
(Above) Two london Mk lis of No.
201 Squadron, with K5909/R near-
est to the camera, fly in formation
during the late 1930s. Aeroplane
The prototype Stranraer, K3973,
during its acceptance trials at
Felixstowe in 1935. Aeroplane
12
(Above) The first four Singapores that were built had been withdrawn from service
before 1939. K4577 was the first of the subsequent thirty-three aircraft built that saw
RAF service early in World War Two. Aeroplane
lU
".... .., ., ..
. 'IJ-
13
(Below) Fundamentally similar to the Short Sunderland Mk I, RN284 was
a late-production Mk V, built by Blackburn Aircraft, seen here during its
service with No. 201 Squadron, based at Pembroke Dock. Aeroplane
Principal Aircraft in Squadron Service with Coastal Command. 3 September 1939
In service with Nos 220, 224 and 233 Squadrons.
In service with Nos 201, 202 and 240 Squadrons.
In service with Nos 48, 206, 217, 220, 224, 233, 269, 500, 608 and 612 Squadrons.
The Quest for
Long-Range Aircraft
the ubmarine arm of the German avy,
suddenly had the Atlantic coa t port of
Brest, aint azaire, Lorient and Bordeaux
at his di posal, with the Bay of Biscay offer-
ing a safer haven than the approache to
the North ea ports of Wilhelmshaven and
Bremerhaven. U-boats were able to surface
for battery charging in the Bay more or Ie
with impunity, due to the availability of
Luftwaffe protection, and their activities
were such that even with the convoy sys-
tem, there was a point in 1942 when the
loss rate of Allied shipping exceeded
replacements. German submarine losses,
on the other hand, were averaging four a
month, with the construction programme
of new vessels running at twice that figure.
The mandarins of overall RAF policy were
fa t becoming convinced that Germany
could be defeated by a concerted bombing
campaign again t its industrial heartland
and Prime Minister Churchill favoured
this strategy. The long-range four-engined
Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster, with their
great weapon carrying ability, were all
coming off their respective production
lines at a prodigious rate and an official
token, neither did an attacking aircraft.
Anti-aircraft operations left a lot to be
desired in the early days of that war. Mine-
laying Heinkel He 115s were always fol-
lowed by a par imoniou collection of shell
bursts that trailed behind them and never
appeared to vary the distance from the tar-
get aircraft. Watching civilians were in
more danger than the [einkel crews - in
fact the Headmaster of the author's Gram-
mar School was killed from being hit by a
piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel, which cer-
tainly reduced the number of viewing
pupils considerably!
With the outbreak of war came a fresh
conflict within the corridors of Whitehall.
The range of existing aircraft on the
strength of oastal ommand wa such
that it wa quite impotent in terms of
affecting the movements of U-boat in
mid-Atlantic. The underland' maximum
range gave it an effective combat radius of
Ie s than 800 miles (l,300km). The port
of Liverpool and ew York were over
3,000 mile (4, OOkm) apart and al though
Britain moved into Iceland in January
1941, air cover for only 25 per cent of the
total journey was only marginally better
than nothing at all.
The situation b came even more parlous
following th fall of France in the spring of
1940, for Admiral Dbnitz, commander of
At War Again
two squadrons equipped with the obsolete
Vickers Vildebeest biplane, first conceived
to Specification 24/25. Powered by a ingle
Bristol Per eus or Pegasus radial engine,
the two-seat Vildebeest carried one 18in
(45.7cm) torpedo between the fixed under-
L<lrriage legs or ai, 100Ib (500kg) bomb
Illad under the lower wings.
N230. the prototype Vildebeest, carrying the number '10', indicating that it was from the new aircraft park
It 8 Hendon Air Display in the late 1920s. This particular aircraft later went on to the civil aircraft register
IS G-ABGE. Aeroplane
With the resumption of conflict between
Britain and Germany on 3 September
1939 the Admiralty remembered the per-
ilous position that faced Britain through
the independent shipping operations dur-
tng the first two-and-a-half year of the
1914-18 conflict, and the convoy princi-
ple wa e tablished very soon. The inher-
ent danger of air attack on hipping at
.mchor, a convoys were a sembled off the
British shores, was far outweighed by the
.lllvantage of a large number of ships trav-
elling together under naval escort in the
U-boat hunting grounds of the Atlantic
Ocean. The author remembers watching
convoys, assembling in the Thames Estu-
,Iry off outhend, being attacked by
Junkers Ju 87s and Ju 88s during the win-
ter of 1939--40. Not a single hip ever
received a direct hit and, by the same
One OJ03in Lewis machine-gun in open nose position; one
0.303in Lewis machine-gun in open dorsal position; one
OJ03in machine-gun in rear position; maximum 2,OOOIb
(900kg) weapons load
Maximum speed 105mph (169km/h) at 2,OOOft (600ml; service
ceiling 15,OOOft (4,600ml; maximum range 1,000 miles
(l,600km)
Span 112ft 9.5in (34.39m); length 85ft 4in (26m); height 32ft
1O.5in (lO.lm); wing area lA87sq It (138sq m)
Four 865hp Bristol Pegasus 22 radial engines
Empty 34,500lb (15,700kg); loaded 58,OOOIb (26,OOOkgl
Thirteen
Two OJ03in Browning machine-guns in nose turret; four
0.303in Browning machine-guns in rear turret; two 0.303in
Browning machine-guns in upper fuselage open hatches;
maximum 2,OOOIb (900kgl weapons load
Maximum speed 210mph (338km/hl; service ceiling 17AOOft
(5,300ml; maximum range 2,900 miles (4,640km)
Span 85ft Din (25.9ml; length 54ft lOin (16.7m); height 21ft
9in (6.64m); wing area 1A57sq ft (135sq m)
Two 920hp Bristol Pegasus Xradial engines
Empty 11,2501b (5,11 Okg); loaded 19,OOOIb (8,600kg)
Five
One OJ03in Lewis machine-gun in open nose position; one
OJ03in Lewis machine-gun in open dorsal position; one
0.303in Lewis machine-gun in open rear position; maximum
l,160lb (530kgl weapons load
Maximum speed 165mph (266km/hl at 6,OOOft (1 ,800m);
service ceiling 18,500ft (5,600ml; maximum range 1,000
miles (l,600km)
Span 49ft Din (14.9m); length 36ft 8in (11.18m); height 14ft
8in (4.48m); wing area 728sq ft (67.63sq ml
One 635hp Bristol Pegasus IIMS radial engine
Empty 4,7731b (2,165kgl; loaded 8,500lb (3,900kgl
Two
One fixed OJ03 Vickers machine-gun in nose; one OJ03in
Lewis machine-gun in open dorsal position; maximum
1,1 OOlb (500kgl bomb load or one 2,OOOIb (900kgl torpedo
Maximum speed 143mph (230km/hl at 1O,OOOft (3,OOOml;
service ceiling 19,OOOft (5,800m); maximum range 1,250
miles (2,OOOkml
Armament:
Performance:
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Dimensions:
Performance:
Dimensions:
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Short S.25 Sunderland Mk I
Ocean patrol and anti-submarine flying boat, built to Specification R.2/33.
In service with No. 203 Squadron, with Nos 209 and 210 Squadrons each holding a
small number.
In service with Nos 204, 210, 228 and 230 Squadrons.
Supermarine Stranraer
General purpose coastal reconnaissance flying boat, built to Specification R.24/31.
Performance:
Vickers 267 Vildebeest Mk 11/
Torpedo-bomber landplane, built to Specification 15/34.
In service with No. 209 Squadron.
Powerplant:
Weight:
Crew:
Armament:
Dimensions:
Performance:
In service with Nos 22 and 42 Squadrons.
Span 56ft 6in (17.22m); length 42ft 3in (12.88m); height 13ft
1in (3.98ml; wing area 463sq ft (43sq ml
Two 270hp Armstong Siddeley Cheetah Vradial engines
Empty 5,375lb (2A37kgl; loaded 7,665lb (3A76kgl
Three
One OJ03in Lewis machine-gun in dorsal turret; one fixed
0.303in Vickers machine-gun in nose; maximum 360lb
(163kg) bomb load
Maximum speed 188mph (302km/hl at 7,OOOft (2,OOOm); ser-
vice ceiling 19,500ft (6,OOOml; range 725 miles (l,200kml
Span 65ft 6in (19.96m); length 44ft 4in (13.51 ml; height 11 ft
lOin (3.62ml; wing area 551 sq ft (51.2sq m)
Two 1.1 OOhp Wright Cyclone R-1820 radial engines
Empty 12,OOOIb (5AOOkg); loaded 18,500lb (8AOOkg)
Five
Two OJ03in Browning machine-guns in dorsal turret; two
fixed 0.303in Browning machine-guns in nose; three OJ03in
Browning machine-guns in beam windows and ventral hatch;
maximum 750lb (340kg) weapons load
Maximum speed 246mph (397km/h); service ceiling 24,500ft
(7,500m); range 1,960 miles (3,150km)
Span 80ft Din (24.38ml; length 57ft Din (17.37m); height 20ft
3in (6.17ml; wing area lA27sq ft (132.5sq ml
Two 920hp Bristol Pegasus Xradial engines
Empty 12.2851b (5,571 kg); loaded 22,OOOIb (1 O,OOOkg)
Five
One 0.303 Lewis machine-gun on Scarff mount in open nose
position; one Lewis machine-gun on Scarff mount in open dor-
sal position; one OJ03in Lewis machine-gun on Scarff mount
in open rear position; maximum l,600lb (725kg) weapons load
Maximum speed 155mph (249km/hl at 6,OOOit (1 ,800m); ser-
vice ceiling 18,OOOft (5,500m); maximum range 1.740 miles
(2,800km)
Span 90ft Din (27.4m); length 64ft 2in (19.5ml; height 23ft 7in
(7.18m); wing area l,834sq ft (170Jsq ml tractor engines;
two 560hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel IX in-line pusher engines
Two 560hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel VIII in-line tractor engines;
two 560hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel IX in-line pusher engines
n/a
Six
Dimensions:
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Performance:
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Dimensions:
Performance:
Avro 652A Anson Mk I
General and coastal reconnaissance landplane, built to Specification G.18/35.
Lockheed 414 Hudson Mk 1
Reconnaissance bomber landplane purchased from United States of America.
Dimensions:
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Saunders Roe A.27 London Mk /I
General purpose coastal patrol flying boat, built to Specification R.3/35.
Performance:
Dimensions:
Short S.19 Singapore Mk 11/
General purpose reconnaissance flying boat. originally designed to Specification
R.3/33 but produced to revised Specification R.14/34.
Powerplant:
Weights:
Crew:
74
75
TO MAINTAI THE LIFELINES
AH550 was one of the first batch of Catalina Mk Is received by the RAF from April 1941, and under the shadow of the wing, DA-L shows that it was operating with
No. 210 Squadron. Aeroplane
Pictured at Fayid in Egypt during 1943, FL926 was a Liberator Mk III, shown in the Coastal Command finish of that period. Aeroplane
76
rl'quest was made for a proportion of this
production to be passed to Coastal Com-
mand. Bomber Command, however, was a
'acred cow, which was not to be denied
onc single airframe. Furthermore, although
ncw hort-range equipment was provided
111 the form of Bri tol Blenheim Mk IVs,
WIth a small number of modified Vickers-
rmstrongs Wellingtons received in 1940
,lI1d early examples of the Bristol 152
Bcaufort twin-engined torpedo-bomber,
thcre were no weapons designed p cifi-
cally for operations against vessels. This
'Ituation could not have been more graph-
Ically demonstrated than in the incident
whcn an Anson's crew mis-identified the
British submarine HMS SnajJjJer, cruising
on the surface, as being a U-boat. To their
ncdit, in the attack on the submarine the
Anson's crew obtained a direct hit with a
100Ib bomb, but HMS SnajJper only suf-
fcrcd the breaking of some light bulbs!
The earch for long-range aircraft led to
the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corpora-
tion in the United tates being approached
for two products. An Air Ministry purchase
111 July 1939 of a Model 28 flying boat for
cvaluation by the Marine Aircraft Experi-
mental Establishment (MAEE) at Felixs-
rowe led to an order for fifty such aircraft.
Powered by two 1,200hp Pratt and Whit-
ney R-l 30 Twin Wa p radial engines, the
aircraft was designated the Catalina Mk I
when deliverie commenced in 1941, with
Coa tal Command' No. 209 Squadron at
Lough Erne in Northern Ireland receiving
its first in April, a month after o. 200
Squadron at the same base had put the fir t
Catalina on its inventory. Both squadrons
were destined to operate the type until the
spring of 1945.
Consolidated Vultee's other offering was
their Model 32, later put into produ tion
for the USAAF as the B-24, but initially
ordered for the RAF as the Liberator.
Deliveries of the first twenty-six off the line
hegan in March 1941, but they were found
to be unsuitable for an operational role
with Bomber Command and were relegat-
ed to unarmed transport operation with
the British Oversea Airways Corporation
(BOAC). The B-24A variant, fitted with
four of the Twin Wa p radials used to power
the Catalina, was ordered for oastal
Command as the Liberator Mk 1 and in
June 1941No. 120 Squadron at Nutts Cor-
ner in ounty Antrim, Northern Ireland,
became the first unit of the ommand to
take delivery. At last Coa tal ommand
had a long-range landplane.
TO MAINTAJ THE LIFELINES
ASV Joins the War
While the 'Chain Home' (CH) radar had
become a reality in the late 1930s as a
means of early warning for RAF fighter
defence squadrons, development was in
hand to perfect an airborne system of
shorter pulses than land radar, whereby an
aircraft could be guided close enough to a
target for visual contact to be achieved.
The Air Ministry Research Establish-
ment (AMRE) tarted at Bawdsey Manor,
beside the River Deben near Felistowe.
Owned by the second Sir Cuthbert Quil-
ter, it was purcha ed for the sum of 24,000
by the Ministry and handed to the RAF in
May 1937. Their tenure at the manor was
short-lived, as by May 1940 the unit had
transferred to wanage, to be re-titled the
Telecommunications Re earch Establi h-
ment (TRE). Airborne Intercept (AI) and
Airborne urface Vessel (ASV) radars
were developed in parallel and on 17
August 1937 Anson Mk I K6260, on loan
from o. 220 quadron to the Aircraft
and Armament Experimental Establish-
ment (A&AEE) and fitted out with a rudi-
mentary radar working on a wavelength of
1.25 metres, flew in weather condition
that made conventional reconnaissance
more or less impossible. The Royal Navy'
battleship HMS Rodney, together with the
aircraft carrier HM Courageous and cruis-
er HMS Southampton, were all detected by
K6260's radar but, while this first experi-
mental installation proved the fundamen-
tals of the AMRE's research, much had to
be done to make it a viable system for RAF
service and, as so often happened - and
still does to this day - the development's
timescale slipped through underfunding.
Designated ASV Mk I, a two-antenna
layout was perfected, with a dorsal dipole
transmitting antenna giving a broad beam
in a forward direction and a pair of receiv-
ing antenna on the aircraft's wings. The
target's direction was a e sed by a compar-
ison of the signals from the two receiver,
displayed on a cathode ray tube. A to-mile
range for a urface ve sel wa obtained when
the system was installed in a couple ofdozen
underlands and Hudson although, maybe
understandably for such a new and revolu-
tionary piece of equipment, its erviceabili-
ty was not out tanding.
Although A V Mk I was not intended
to be used for the detection of submarines,
trials were conducted with a No. 220
Squadron Hudson in the early winter of
1939. Royal Navy submarine L27 was
77
detected on the sUlface at a range of
3 mile (4. km) by the Hudson flying at
1,000ft (300m) and this was improved to
6 miles (9.6km) in subsequent trials, with
the aircraft flying at 6,000ft (1,800m).
A marked improvement was achieved
when a sideway -looking second antenna
system was developed. Ten dipoles in tailed
in pair in a dorsal position on an Armstrong
Whitworth Whitley worked in conjunc-
tion with a 12ft (3.6m) receiving antenna
on the sides of the aircraft's fuselage. With
the transmitting dipole array being 18ft
(5.5m) in length, greatly improved resolu-
tion and range accuracy were obtained,
the trials submarine being detected at
ranges up to 15 miles (24km).
An even better system, engineered by
the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE)
at Farnborough to a much higher standard,
u ed a 1. 7m wave-length and provided
result at a range of up to 36 miles (58km).
The e et were put into production early
in 1940, as A V Mk 11, for installation in
Hud on and Sunderland aircraft. As four-
engined aircraft replaced twin-engined
type in Bomber Command, Wellington
and Whitleys came onto Coastal Com-
mand inventories, at about the same time
that the first deliverie of Liberators were
made. All had ASV Mk 11 fitted and the
radar had its first operational uccess on 30
November 1941, when a Whitley Mk V of
No.502 quadron sank U-206.
The G rman avy developed a receiver
to detect A V Mk 11 by the autumn of 1942,
produced as Metox, which was the result of
the examination of an ASV Mk Il-equipped
Hudson that came down in Tunisia in
March 1942. However, the pelfecting of the
cavity magnetron oscillator by the uffield
Research Laboratory at Oxford, first tested
on 21 February 1940, had a dramatic effect
on future radars. Although first considered
for night-fighter applications, 10cm AI
radar was demonstrated to the Admiralty a
a ground-based system for tracking vessels.
The sy tem was te ted in an airborne appli-
cation, a Al Mk VII, in conjunction with
the R submarine HMS Sea Lion in April
1941. Ferranti commenced limited produc-
tion of an ASV version of Al Mk VII, but
work was halted in eptember 1942, as a
ground-mapping radar that wa going into
production for Bomber Command as HzS ,
had imilarities to the ASV radar. A possi-
bl duplication of resources meant that HzS
went into full production, and once again
Bomber ommand requirem nts were
placed ahead of those of Coastal Command.
TO MAINTAIN THE LIFELI ES
TO MAINTAI THE LIFELINES
Liberator Mk V BZ944 had a Leigh Light unit installed under the starboard wing when
photographed during 1944. Aeroplane
An unidentified Wellington Mk XIV, photographed at Boscombe Down, shows its nose-mounted ASV Mk III installation. William H. Sleigh
Lockheed Hudson Mk III FK772 is fitted with ASV Mk III Vagi aerials under each wing and below the bomb-aimer's transparent nosecone position. Aeroplane
Vickers-Armstrongs Warwick Mk I BV301 at Boscombe Down, while engaged on the early Airborne Lifeboat Mk I trials during 1943. Aeroplane
ASV Assessment
equivalent to ASV Mk II, in Liberators
prior to delivery to the RAE
In 1943, a more powerful version, ASV
Mk VI, was perfected with an attenuator,
on which power was reduced once the sub-
marine had been detected. This gave the
operator of a detection device the impres-
sion that the attacking aircraft had either
turned away, or at least wa not getting any
closer. A variant, ASV Mk VIA, u ed on
Wellington Mk X[Vs, had an autolock that
aimed the aircraft's Leigh Light directly at
the target.
Coastal Command's success became its
own nemesis so far as ASV Mk VII was con-
cerned. This was a 3cm HzS variant and,
once again, Bomber Command refused to
allow any reduction in deliveries to them in
order to equip Coastal Command. German
submarine losses were increasing, the
French ports in the Bay of Biscay were cap-
tured following the D-Day landings on 6
June [944 and Liberators were being fitted
with American radar at source (although
Leigh Lights had to be installed once the
aircraft arrived in the United Kingdom).
Bomber Command took the attitude that
Coastal Command was doing very well
without ASV Mk VII, and Prime Minister
Churchill was inclined to agree.
One glitch in this cosy arrangement did
occur in late [944, when a new class of U-
boat began appearing, fitted with a snorkel
that allowed a submarine to remain under-
water for much longer periods than before,
so making the submarine virtually unde-
tectable to 10cm ASV radar. The 'powers
that be' woke up to the situation and the
3cm ASV Mk VII suddenly became an
urgent requirement for Coastal Command.
Trials were initiated at very short notice but
these took time - time that the Command
could more easily have expended when they
made their original request over a year earli-
er - and the trials had not been concluded
by 8 May 1945, when Germany sunendered.
A post-war analysis of air operations
again t the U-boat showed that 392 had
been destroyed by aircraft, compared with
30[ by surface vessels. Admiral Danitz
openly admitted that it was not a failing of
German naval tactics that had swung the
balance against the U-boat, but the advan-
tages gained by the Allies' radar.
One aspect of Coastal Command's
operations that did not receive so much
engineer, Hidetsugu Yagi, who died in
1976. The scanner reflector was reduced to
28in (71.12cm) because, as Coastal Com-
mand was not going to receive British four-
engined bombers, ASV Mk 1lI would have
to be a nose-mounted installation on ex-
Bomber Command Wellingtons. Such an
installation would only give a 60-degree
field of search ahead of the aircraft, which
was accepted with a certain amount of
reluctance as 'Hobson's Choice' by Coastal
Command, 60 degrees being preferable to
no degrees at all. A number of sets were
installed in Wellington Mk XIls and Mk
XIVs, which were flown with the Coastal
Command Development Unit (CCDU)
based at Angle in Pembrokeshire.
The detection of U-boats and subse-
quent successful attacks upon them in the
Bay of Biscay increased dramatically dur-
ing 1943, so that the average monthly ton-
nage of Allied shipping losses fell from
400,000 to 100,000 tons. German naval
instructions for submarines to remain sur-
faced once detected and engage the
attacking aircraft with its guns re ulted in
eighty-one U-boats being lost in the sum-
mer months of March to September alone.
Furthermore, the United States had begun
supplying their own SCR521jASE radar,
'Let There Be Light'
The detecting and locating of a submarine
in daylight sometimes had a successful
conclusion and the vessel wa sunk, but
under conditions of darkness, the outcome
was nearly always very different. Sqn Ldr
'Sammy' Leigh, on the personnel staff of
Coastal Command, took the 22.24in car-
bon-arc searchlight as a basis for an air-
borne light to illuminate a target once it
had been detected by ASV. He perfected a
small housing carried under an aircraft's
wing (although early installations on
Wellington VIlIs carried it in a proposed,
but unused, ventral machine-gun posi-
tion). The 'Leigh Light' provided a con-
centrated beam of light a few yards wide,
once the ASV had vectored the aircraft to
the target's location. The first 'kill' by an
ASVjLeigh Light combination was made
by a Wellington VlIl of No. 172 Squadron,
on 6 July 1942, when U-502 was located
on its return to Lorient.
Eventually a compromised version of
HzS was released for submarine detection
as ASV Mk Ill, operating with Yagi anten-
nae, this being a directional aerial consist-
ing of several elements arranged in line
and named after the Japanese electrical
18
19
TO MAl TAl THE LIFELINES
Detail of the revised Airborne Lifeboat installation on an unidentified Warwick,
which carries the black/white D-Day stripes around its rear fuselage. Aeroplane
ASV Service in World War Two
Short S-25 Sunderland
Mk I. II, III and Vvariants were all equipped with ASV radar. ASV Mk III with Vagi antenna
was introduced in 1942 and ASV Mk VIB was adapted for the Sunderland Mk V, with
split scanners under the wing-tips.
Other Types
Various marks of de Havilland Mosquito became very successful as predators of enemy
shipping in the North Sea for over three years, but none carried ASV radar. Also, Nos
206 and 220 Squadrons of Coastal Command operated Boeing Fortress Mk lis (B-17El,
moving from Balleykelly in Northern Ireland to Lajes in the Azores, for convoy protec-
tion, with some aircraft being fitted with ASV MK III.
Bristol 156 Beaufighter
Beauforts were replaced by Beaufighter Mk VICs without radar, followed by the Mk Xwith
AI Mk VIII adapted for ASV operations in European, Middle East and Far East theatres.
Used as strike aircraft with torpedo and rocket projectiles, mainly against surface vessels.
Vickers-Armstrongs Warwick
Mk I and II versions modified for ASR operations, carrying ASV MK II, with Vagi anten-
nas under nose and wings. Warwick Mks Vand VI general reconnaissance aircraft, fit-
ted with ASV Mk XVII in under-nose blister housing.
Consolidated Vultee Model 28-5 Catalina
Over 700 aircraft, in Mks I, IB, IIA, III, IVA and IVB variants, in service. Alarge proportion
were fitted with ASV Mks VII and VillA radars.
Consolidated Vultee Model 32 Liberator
A few Mk Is were equipped with ASV Mk II, but the Liberator Mk II with ASV Mk IV,
Liberator Mks III/IliA with ASV Mk V/ASG-3 or AN/APS-2 and Liberator Mks V/VAwith
ASV Mk Xwere the most widely used variants.
Vickers-Armstrongs Wellington
Wellington Mk VIII fitted with ASV Mk I and retractable ventral Leigh Light. Wellington
Mks XI/XII fitted with ASV Mk II in achin mounting and Wellington Mks Xili/XIV fitted
with ASV Mk III plus Leigh Light. The latter were fitted with ASV Mk VI in chin mount
ings later in the war.
Range, Target
Side On
26 miles
17 miles
20 miles
35 miles
33 miles
35 miles
Hudson 10 miles
Sunderland 15 miles
Wellington 10 miles
Liberator 12 miles
Wellington 20 miles
Catalina 18 miles
Liberator 20 miles
Mkl
Mkll
Mklll
MkVA
MkVI
MkVlliA
MkX
ASVRadar Typical Type of Range, Target Bow
Aircraft Equipped or Stern On
Results of the 1945 eeDU tests of ASV radar
Coastal Command's inventory of aircraft widened during the war, the main variants fit-
ted with operational ASV of the most common used types being as follows:
Avro 652A Anson
A small number of aircraft were fitted with ASV Mk I and II, for use with early ASR
squadrons until 1942.
Armstrong Whitworth AW38 Whitley
Former Bomber Command Whitley Mk Vaircraft were passed over to No. 502 Squadron
Coastal Command, to successfully pioneer ASV radar. The Whitley Mk VII was produced
with increased fuel tankage in the bomb bay and fitted with ASV Mk II specifically for
the anti-submarine role. Dorsal-mounted aerials worked in conjunction with Vagi
underwing antennas, and atotal of three squadrons operated with this variant.
Bristol 152 Beaufort
In 1942, Mk I aircraft carried ASV Mk III with Vagi aerials, used for detection of surface
vessels for torpedo attacks. Aircraft transferred to Middle and Far East Air Forces late
in 1942.
Early in 1945, the CCDU undertook adetailed investigation into the effectiveness of the
principle ASV radars in service. in terms of the detection of enemy submarines in nau-
tical miles, relative to attitude to the searching aircraft. The results of the investigation
are shown in the table.
VI, but the installation of American sets in
later Liberators, before being delivered to
the RAF, did greatly assist the overall pic-
ture. However, it speaks well of these ear-
lier A V radars that the results against the
enemy submarine fleet was so ucce fu!.
In Volume 2 of The Second World War,
Winston Churchill stated 'The only thing
that ever really frightened me during the
war wa the U-boat peri!.' This is a rather
surprising statement considering the bla-
tant priority given to Bomber ommand
over Coastal Command throughout the
conflict, and the question has to be rai ed
as to how many more U-boats might have
heen destroyed if Coa tal Command's
requests for long-range aircraft had been
met when initially lodged.
The 6ft-diameter radar scanner, as first fitted to the
Warwick GR Mk V, required quite a substantial
blister housing under the nose section. Aeroplane
Hiroshima eleven days later.) The Ameri-
can presence in the Pacific, continuous
since the end of 1941, had grown to such
an extent that RAF operation were more
re tricted to the Burmese and Malayan
coa tal areas in support of British Army
activitie , which cea ed with the capitula-
tion of japan on 15 Augu t 1945.
Throughout World War Two, over thir-
ty different A V radars came into exi -
tence. Large-scale production was limited
to th Mk II, Ill, X and XII, although
these were unable to meet all d mands. In
1945, some Sunderlands and 3tal ina
were still operating with Mk II sets. Many
Wellington Mk XIVs still carried A V Mk
Mk Vs in April 1945 and, although the
European war finished the following
month, 210 of the version were built, with
the Pacific theatre of operations in mind.
The majority of A V priorities were direct-
ed towards the Far East, with the radar
being employed for urface ve sel detec-
tion, as japane e submarine activities were
on a slightly Ie er scale than those of Ger-
many. (Although, ironically, their greatest
coup was made only ixteen days before the
end of ho tilities, when the heavy cruiser
U Indianapolis wa sunk in the Pacific
Ocean on 30 july 1945, having delivered
the 'Fat Boy' atomi bomb to Tinian Island,
in readine for its being dropp d on
The Warwick GR Mk II prototype, L9704, fitted with
15ft-diameter Hamilton Hydromatic propellers and
ASV Mk XVII, at Boscombe Down in November
1944. Aeroplane
coverage, but which assumed vastly greater
importance to urvivors in 'Mac Wests' or
on life rafts in icy seas, was Air- ea Rescue
(ASR). The Hud on was the first type
to be fitted with an airborne lifeboat,
dropped with the aid of multiple para-
chutes, but the failing of a bomber design
had profound benefits to A R.
pecification B.l/35 was met by Vicker -
Armstrong with a design similar to, but
slightly larger than, the Wellington, which
was given the name Warwick. Extensive
trial by the A&AEE, coupled with a mul-
titude of Air Ministry proposals for the air-
craft, failed to get the aircraft accepted for
Bomber ommand service and first pro-
duction versions were impressed into ser-
vice with BOAC as the Warwick Mk I
freighter. In 1943, the Air Staff decided
that the aircraft could provide a much
needed air-sea rescue role, and trial with an
airborne lifeboat carrying Lindholme life-
saving equipment, resulted in 204 aircraft
being built as the Warwick ASR Mk J. (The
lifeboat was designed by the brilliant and
eccentric marine engineer Uffa Fox, who i
reported to have once mis ed the last Isle of
Wight ferry of the day, so promptly dived
into the Solent water, fully clothed and
swam out to board the vessel!) Furth r vari-
ants in the role gave a grand total of 369
A R Warwicks being manufactured.
Besides the cargo versions, Vicker put
forward a General Reconnaissan e de ign,
the Warwick GR Mk V, fitted with A V
Mk XVII installed in a ventral blister hous-
ing under the cockpit. No. 179 Squadron at
St Eval in Cornwall started receiving GR
20
21
TO MAl TAl THE LIFELINES
CHAPTER TWO
Last of the Manchester Lineage
safely. hadwick's team perfected a can-
tilever reinforced fuselage/bomb beam
structure for the Manchester's mid-posi-
tioned wing (see diagram on page 26), with
a ma sive horizontal, rectangular wing cen-
tre-section spanning 28ft 2in (8.58m) from
rib 22 on the starboard side to rib 22 on the
port, and having a root chord of 16ft
(4.87m). This wa the heart of the whole
aircraft. The outer wing was set at a 7-
degree dihedral angle and the whole main-
plane had a span of 90ft 1in (27.5m) on
production aircraft, this being 9ft 11 in
Om) greater than on the prototype. The
complete wing wa built around front and
rear mainspar, with the centre section
being continuous through the width of the
fuselage to form the bomb-bay roof struc-
ture, to which three b o m ~ gearing hou -
ings, supported by vertical tie rods and a
mesh of cross beams, were attached. A total
of2, 154gal (9,800Itr) offuel was contained
in six tanks set within the wing structure.
To thi wing de ign, a pair of 1,760hp
Rolls-Roy e Vulture Is was installed on
subframes attached to pairs of cast ribs set
at ribs 2J and 22 of the centre ection.
The re t of the Manchester con isted of a
light alloy semi-monocoque fuselage accom-
modating a flight crew of four housed under
a tran parent cabin canopy, plu air gunners
in powered no e, dorsal and rear turret. A
cavernous 33ft (LOm)-long bomb-bay was
capable of arrying the largest bombs of that
era. The original tail assembly of two mall
fin /rudder and a fixed central fin wa later
replaced by a pair of enlarged fin/rudd r .
Incidentally, one of the stipulations in
pecifi ation P13/36 was that the aircraft
should be capable of being launched by cat-
apult. What eemed a good idea at th tim
was that smaller airfields should be capable
of operating fully-laden bombers, should
the larger regular bases be made inopera-
tiv due to air attacks. A complex sy t m
was set up at RAE Farnborough, consisting
of a pair of parallel rails fitted with cradles
into which a Manchester's mainwheels
were inserted with a V-frame catapult run-
ning from the rails to a ventral point on the
The Manchester
Merlin. Inevitably, 'off-shoot' variants
were propo ed and tried, one of them bing
the V-12 Peregrine, developing 885hp. It
was selected for the second prototype
Gloster E9/37 twin-engined fighter design,
but the engine' unreliability curtailed the
aircraft's progr ss and Gloster consigned
the design to history. The Peregrine's only
operational experience was as the engin
for the Westland Whirlwind Mk 1 twin-
engined, single- eat fighter-bomber. A pro-
duction run of J 12 aircraft enabled os
137 and 263 Squadrons to be formed and,
while the airframe itself proved to be suit-
able for its role, the Peregrine's unreliabili-
ty was its nemesis, th role eventually being
filled by the Hawker Typhoon.
In 1938, Roll -Royce took a pair of the
under-developed Peregrine and placed
them 'back-to-back' on a common crank-
haft to form the Vulture, an 'X' configura-
tion engine of42.51tr capacity, with a poten-
tial design output of 2,000hp. Furthermore,
they had a production engine available by
1939, which should have rung alarm bells.
Nevertheless, it did not and L7246, the first
prototype Avro 679, given the name Man-
chester, made its maiden flight from Ring-
way (now Manchester Airport) on 25 july
1939 in the hands of the company's Chief
Test Pilot, H. A. 'Sam' Brown.
As was to be expected in such a short
timescale, ther were not going to be
enough Vulture engines to meet the
requirements of both Avro and Handley
Page. Con equently, the H.P.56 design was
discontinued in favour of a four-Merlin
adaptation, given the company designa-
tion H.P.57 and put into production as the
Halifax.
When de igning an aeroplane, the primary
requirements are to g t th mainplane and
powerplant right. With a good wing design,
the less technically worrying fuselage
shape, tailored to uit the aircraft's intend-
ed role, can b accommodated reasonably
With the rapid expansion of the RAF in
the 1930s, specifications abounded, cover-
mg aircraft for just about every role. Two of
great significance were B. I 2/36, issued in
July 1936, and P13/36, issued that Sep-
lember. The former was for a high-speed,
long-range, four-engined stategic bomber;
Supermarine and Short Brother' ubmit-
led designs and each received contracts for
I wo prototypes.
Both prototypes for Supermarine's ten-
der, the Type 317 - which, incidentally,
was R. j. Mitchell' last design, as he died
m 1937 - were in an advanced state of con-
struction when the company's work at
Wool ton, on the River Itchen outside
Southampton, was heavily bombed in a
low-level daylight attack on 26 eptember
1940. Both aircraft were so everely dam-
aged a to be irreparable. Short Br ther '
design, the S.29 tirling, was already some-
what further ahead, the first production
aircraft having flown on 7 May 1940. It was
therefore decided that Supermarine would
concentrate on Spitfire production and
development, together with their two A R
amphibians, the Walrus and Sea Otter.
Specification P13/36 called for a twin-
engined medium bomber, for which the
Air Ministry considered the Handley Page
H.P56 and Avro 679 designs merited pro-
totype contracts, again for two aircraft
from each company. Although the pecifi-
cation stipulated that the bomber wa to
he twin-engined, in reality there was no
suitably developed engine available and
the Ministry choice of the Rolls-Royce
Vulture, a 24-cylinder, X-format inline
engine for both contenders was an unfor-
tunate demand. Aero-engine develop-
ment required about a four-year lead time
over airframe design and the Vulture had
received nothing like that.
In the late 1920s, Rolls-Royce devel-
oped th EX.l, which employed cylinder
hlocks cast a single bank, a opp ed to
the individual-cylinder construction then
prevalent. Later named the Kestrel, this
wa the initial significant step in engine
design that was to lead to the renowned
The ASV Mk XVII scanner
is carried in the ventral
installation under the cockpit
of Warwick GR Mk V lM789.
which was the twentieth
aircraft from the last batch
of Warwick production at
Weybridge. Aeroplane
(Below) lockheed P2V-5
Neptune MR.1 WX494 was
the second of the fifty-two
aircraft supplied under the
MDAP and is here awaiting
allocation to squadron service.
Aeroplane
Mutual Defence Aid Pact. Deliveries com-
menced in january 1952 and once more
Lockheed aircraft were erving with oastal
ommand. 0 36, 203, 210 and 217
quadrons flew the aircraft for five years,
though by 1957 they had either been
returned to the United tate or written off.
They had served their purpo e while A. V.
Roe de igned and developed their Type 696,
the RAF's final multi-piston-engined land-
plane. It was the first Briti h general recon-
naissance landplane specifically designed
for the role since the Anson, which had
come from the same stable eleven years ear-
Iier and was the creation of the same design-
ing genius, Roy Chadwick.
becoming Lancaster A R Mk Ills. In 1947
some were further modified to GR.3 stan-
dard for general reconnaissance duties,
and two year later they were upgraded by
the installation of A V radar. In so doing
this meant that in 1949, Coa tal Com-
mand had at last received the British air-
craft that it had requested in 1942!
The formation of the orth Atlantic
Treaty Organization ( ATO) in 1949,gave
Britain an enormous ea area to patrol
which was far beyond Coa tal Command's
capabilities as they stood. The British Gov-
ernment held talks with the United States,
with the result that fifty-two Lockheed P2V-
5 aircraft were loaned to the RAF under the
Post-War Coastal Command
The inevitable cancellation of contracts
and run-down of squadrons commenced
shortly after the end of the European war
(VE-Day) and accelerated following japan'
surrender three month later (Vj-Day).
Liberator and Fortresses were returned to
the United States which, together with the
withdrawal of the twin-engined rypes, plus
aircrew demobilization, placed the om-
mand in a position of difficulty fulfilling its
maritime role.
Late-production Lancaster B Mk Ills
were modified to fill A R requirem nts
by carrying air-drop lifeboats, thereby
22
23
LAST OF THE MA CHESTER LINEAGE
Roy Chadwick CBE, MSc, ERSA, fRAeS, AMCT
Designer Par Excellence
Chadwick that he was not prepared to
direct any of his company's re earch and
development resources from the Merlin to
the Vulture, with its sole application being
the Manch ster. Furthermore, it had been
proposed to stop Vulture production in the
near future. Avro's Chief Designer had
already been xamining the possibility of a
laboratories that were so fundamental in the development of British turbojet and radar
during the 1950s. Avro's Chief Designer still had further military applications in mind
for the Lincoln-wing format when he proposed anew fuselage design and achange of
powerplant for along-range maritime reconnaissance role. This revived his relationship
with the South Polar explorer when Chadwick named the new aircraft the Shackleton.
No matter how well known was the agility of Chadwick's inventive mind, few could
fail to be impressed by his thinking to meet Specification B.35/46. This was the gate-
way to the RAF's new generation of high-speed, high-altitude nuclear bombers, and his
proposal for abeautiful triangular-winged design would evolve as the Type 698 Vulcan.
Sadly, he was deprived the pleasure of seeing the Vulcan materialize or of witness-
ing the first flight of the Shackleton. On 23 August 1947, Roy Chadwick joined the
observing team when Tudor Mk II prototype G-AGSU undertook atest flight in the hands
of Chief Test Pilot Bill Thorn, with David Wilson as co-pilot. The Deputy Chief Design-
er, Stuart Davies, accompanied Chadwick, together with Avro test crew members Eddie
Talbot. flight engineer, and John Webster, radio operator. Lift-off was achieved but the
climb-out was made impossible by what the subsequent inquest revealed as the incor-
rect assembly of the aileron control chains following aprevious service. There were no
drawings covering the procedure and the fitter relied on memory as to how the chains
were originally installed.
G-AGSU reached about 50ft before it banked to starboard and the wing-tip struck the
ground just inside the airfield boundary. The fuselage broke up as it skidded towards a
copse about300yd ahead and Chadwick was thrown out, sustaining askull fracture that
killed him instantly. The front fuselage section came to rest in apond within the copse,
with Bill Thorn and David Wilson both being drowned while still strapped in their seats.
John Webster was also killed outright and Eddie Talbot's injuries hospitalized him for
nearly two years. Somehow Stuart Davies managed to scramble out of the wreckage
with only minor abrasions.
So, tragically, ended the career of Roy Chadwick at the age of 54 and his death,
together with the other members of the Tudor's crew, was felt throughout the compa-
ny for a long time. Stuart Davies took on the mantle of Chief Designer and translated
Chadwick's swansong, the Type 698 Vulcan, into a fitting epitaph to one of the truly
great British aircraft designers.
The problems with the under-devel-
oped Vulture engines, such as fatigue fail-
ure of connecting rod bolts and big-end
bearing wear, surfaced at Air Ministry
level, as did the inadvi ability of the origi-
nal concept of uch a bomber only having
two engines. Erne t Hives (later Lord
Hives), the head of Rolls-Royce, informed
united with an undeveloped engine. That the Lancaster was the outstanding heavy
bomber to serve with the RAF during World War Two is undeniable and its adapt-
ability exceeded anything that carried the USMF star 'n' bar insignia during that con-
flict. When the last of the type rolled off the production line in March 1946, agrand
total of 7,376, including the prototypes, had been built, succeeding the 190 Man-
chesters actually delivered (thirteen early production aircraft had been destroyed
when Metropolitan Vickers' assembly line at Trafford Park suffered an air raid on 23
December 1940).
In 1942, Avro's design team provided a new fuselage to marry with the basic Lan-
caster mainplane, engines and tail assembly (on development, the latter was found to
require additional fin areal, to create the Type 685 York for long-distance freight
requirements, while in 1943, Victory Aircraft at Malton in Canada converted a stan-
dard Lancaster III, R5727, for freighting, which was put into production by Avro as the
Type 691 Lancastrian. With internal modifications to provide passenger seating, the
aircraft was issued to the RAF as aVIP transport and became an early post-war air-
liner with BOAC.
Roy Chadwick addressed the need to give the Lancaster greater range by increasing
the wingspan to provide more internal fuel capacity. Initially designated Lancaster Mk
IV, the aircraft was renamed Lincoln, as redesigning to cater for armament changes and
improved construction, employing flush riveting in place of the former mushroom-head
rivets, justified the new Type Number 694.
The civil airliner requirements proposed by the Brabazon Committee for the post-war
era, were optimistically tackled in the last quarter of 1943, but Chadwick's Type 688
Tudor, using Lincoln mainplanes with anew fuselage and single tail unit. was asepa-
rate concept from the Committee's ideas. Increased fuselage length provided addition-
al seating capacity in later variants, but politics within BOAC saw the airline build its
post-war transatlantic foundations on Constellations and Stratocruisers, with the Tudor
seeing limited service with British South African Airways (BSM) and fulfilling freight
requirements during the Berlin airlift.
The second prototype Tudor Mk I. G-AGST. was modified in 1948 to become the first
British aircraft to fly powered by four turbojet engines. Designated the Tudor Mk 8, it
carried the serial TIl 81 and was the catalyst that produced the Ashton series of flying
airframe, aft of the bomb-bay. Trials with
this device were carried out at Farnborough
with a Manchester airframe in situ, but it i
not believed that they went as far as pro-
jecting the aircraft into flight. The thought
of getting dozens of Manchesters off on a
mission via catapults installed at mall
bases allover the country defies beliefl
'The wing' comes into being. The second prototype Avro 679 Manchester, L7247, first flown on 26 May 1940,
seen at Boscombe Down during its evaluation trials, but before the mid-upper turret was installed.
Aeroplane
1918was also the year that Roy Chadwick became established as Avro's Chief Design-
er, which proved that his walking into the company on the off-chance of a job a mere
seven years earlier had not exactly been amisplaced step; he was to hold his new post
for the next twenty-nine years. His first post-war design was the Type 534 Baby, which
made its maiden flight on his twenty-sixth birthday, 30 April 1919. The flight lasted only
two minutes, however, because the pilot made an error and cut the ignition switch! That
same year Chadwick himself learned to fly, but an accident on 13 January 1920, when
he was piloting the repaired Baby and crash-landed into the garden of Alliott Verdon
Roe's brother, badly injured him both physically and psychologically. The effects of the
latter were such that he only occasionally piloted an aeroplane again, and devoted his
airborne times to observing the behaviour of his numerous designs during test flights.
As related in the Introduction, his Baby design was adapted to afloatplane configu-
ration for Shackleton's South Polar Expedition, but in the event was not used. It was,
however, the catalyst for afriendship between the two families, strengthened by his
marrying Mary, adistant relative of the Shackleton lineage, which to this day is of great
pride to his two daughters, Margaret and Rosemary.
Meanwhile, Type 504s were still being produced at asteady rate and in 1920 the RAF
received the Type 549 Aldershot for trials. Built to Specification 2/20, this was, at the
time, the world's largest single-engined bomber and seventeen were produced, to be
flown by No. 99 Squadron at Bircham Newton between 1924 and 1926.
Chadwick met Specification 3/21 for asea reconnaissance and fleet gunnery spotting
aircraft with the Avro Type 555 Bison. Three prototypes were built, plus fifty-three pro-
duction aircraft that served with NO.3 Squadron of the RAF at Gosport as well as with
the Fleet Air Arm in Nos 421, 421 Aand 447 Squadrons aboard the carrier HMS Furious.
Another carrier, HMS Eagle, had Bisons equipping Nos 421 B, 423 and 448 Squadrons.
In 1923, the first monoplane since the Type Fof 1912 came off Roy Chadwick's draw-
ing board. This was the Type 560 and it is known that A. V. Roe himself had some influ-
ence on the design. It was entered in competition with the D.H.53 Humming Bird at
Martlesham Heath in 1924 and the latter went into limited production as acheap-to-
operate training and communications aeroplane. The Type 560 just disappeared - even
Roe and Chadwick could not win every time!
Atemporary change of direction took place in 1926, when A. V. Roe went into asso-
ciation with Don Juan de la Cierva, the Spanish inventor of the world's first practical
rotating-wing aircraft. Avro produced the aircraft, known as an 'autogiro', with amod-
ified Type 504 fuselage, under the Type numbers 575, 611 and 617 which, unlike the
later helicopter, had a four-bladed freely-rotating rotor to facilitate slow landings. In
1934, amore sophisticated variant, the Avro 671 (Cierva UDAl, was produced for the
RAF and civil overseas orders.
The 1927 Type 594 Avian design by Chadwick went into production with various pow-
erplants. Atotal of 198 of the early marks was built. followed by 182 of later variants and
another 38 in Canada. This made it the company's largest production order since the Type
504 at that time. An association with N. VNederlandsche Vliegtuigenfabrik IFokker) of
Amsterdam, saw their tri-motor produced as the Avro 618 'Ten', but Chadwick's Type 642,
built in twin- and four-engined variants, had only limited utilization due to World War Two.
The ubiquitous Type 504 was replaced by the Avro 621 Tutor, which the Chief Design-
er drew up in 1929 as atwo-seat basic trainer. It went into production for the RAF and
795 were built in eight years. It was in use throughout World War Two in varying roles
and one, registered G-AHSA. is preserved by the Shuttleworth Trust, who fly it at their
functions carrying its original serial, K3215.
In August 1933, Chadwick submitted his Type 652 design to meet an Imperial Airways
requirement for a twin-engined, high-performance passenger aeroplane. During the
detailed design stage Avro was requested to tender for acoastal patrollandplane to Spec-
ification G.18/35, which the Chief Designer knew could be met by an adaptation of the
Type 652. Such was the beginning of the first Roy Chadwick design to have aretractable
undercarriage, the Type 652A Anson, that it is safe to say had associations with over 80
per cent of RAF World War Two Bomber Command aircrew. Remustered from the coastal
patrol role, it became the RAF's foremost aircrew trainer and was produced by A. V. Roe
and six Canadian manufacturers. Later marks were still being built after the war and a
grand total of 7,585 'Faithful Annies' saw RAF service, as well as fifty supplied to the
USMF as the AT-20. Afurther 2,883 were produced in Canada for the RCAF.
Great as the Anson was, Chadwick will always be remembered for his masterpiece,
the Avro 683 Lancaster, that emerged from the imbroglio of an outstanding airframe
A young Roy Chadwick stands with K-131, the first of his Avro 534 Baby series. This
aircrah took off on 30 April 1919, with H. A. Hamersley at the controls, but aher just
two minutes it crashed on the foreshore at Hamble, aher the pilot accidentally switched
off the ignition. Author's collection
Born on 30 April 1893 at Farnworth in Lancashire, Roy Chadwick, the son of amechan-
ical engineer, was weaned on 'nuts and bolts'. After finishing his formal schooling at
Urmston, he went 'on the drawing board' in the design office of the Trafford Park-based
British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, later to become Metropol-
itan Vickers, who had an early, but brief, association with British turbojet engine his-
tory between 1938 and 1948. Three evenings aweek he attended the Manchester Col-
lege of Technology and his early interest in things aeronautical fostered a belief that
his future lay in this sphere.
As with many boys, the first practical application of the 'aviation bug' came through
model aircraft, but Chadwick had an advantage in living in Manchester. In September
1911 he walked into the factory of Everard and Company, at the Brownsville Mill build-
ing in Great Ancoats Street. where A. V. Roe and Company had been formed on 1Jan-
uary of the previous year, looking for ajob as adraughtsman. He was taken on and,
with a low renumeration but high ambition, Chadwick began a career that made him
synonymous with Avro aeroplanes for the next thirty-six years.
The company was building the Type EAvro 500 and 502 at the time of his joining but
in November 1912, Roy Chadwick and his assistant, C. R. Taylor, started the design of
the Avro 504 fuselage, with Harry Broadsmith designing the wings. This began Chad-
wick's association with every one of the company's designs, from the Type 504 to the
origins of the Type 698 Vulcan, which was just about as broad aspectrum as it was pos-
sible to achieve.
The 1914-18 war proved avery busy time for Avro and the miscellany of variations
on the Type 504 theme were all valuable experience for young Chadwick. In 1916 he
designed the company's first twin-engined aircraft, the Type 523 Pike, followed by the
Type 529 variant for the Admiralty. In 1918the name Manchester was first allocated to
adesign, this being the Type 533 bomber/photographic reconnaissance aircraft, which
became avictim of the cancellations brought about by the Armistice signed in Novem-
ber that year.
24 25
LAST OF THE MANCHESTER LI EAGE
The core of Chadwick's wing was the substantial centre section, which, as shown in the configuration for
the Manchester, lancaster, lancastrian and Shackleton, was anchored to the reinforced fuselage
floor!bomb-bay beam. Aeroplane
LAST OF THE MANCHESTER LINEAGE
lancaster GR.3 RF325/H-D, an aircraft of the School of Maritime Reconnaissance, based at St Mawgan,
was the last lancaster in RAF service when it was struck off charge on 11 July 1957. Aeroplane
This view of lV626, the first prototype York, shows the shoulder-positioning of the wing to good advantage.
Derek James
four-engined variant and Hives ugge ted
the Merlin for such a project. A. V. Roc's
board made a formal approach to the Min-
istry of Aircraft Production (MAP). Lord
Beaverbrook, the head of MAP, gave an
emphatic 'thumbs-down' to the request
and instructed Ernest Hives that no Mer-
lins were to be supplied to A. V. Roc.
Hives had to abide by Beaverbrook'
directive, but he recognized the situation.
How ver, his company's Power Plant and
Flight Test Division at Hucknall was per-
fecting a whole M r1in XX powerplant,
containing a complete coolant sy tem, pro-
peller, controls, cowling and oil sy tem, for
the Bristol Beaufighter. The Bristol Engine
Company was having problem with a
close-cowled Hercule VI engin for the
Beaufighter and 450 aircraft on the Bristol
production line at Filton were earmarked
for Merlin XX units as Beaufighter Mk II .
So, to his credit, Hives expedit d a politi-
cal circumnavigation exercis and supplied
Avro with four Beaufighter Mk II power-
plants, but with Merlin X engine.
In this context, few seem to appreciate
Hives' contribution to British military avi-
ation history. He had succeeded ir Henry
Royce on the latter's death in 1933, which
was the year that Hitler as umed power in
Germany. In that deteriorating climate of
German rearmament, he dedicated him-
self to rectifying Britain's totally inade-
quate position of having no modern mili-
tary fighter aircraft, by starting design
work on a 271tr private venture engine, the
'PV-12', later named Merlin. Knowing
there was no aircraft to accommodate such
an engine, he proposed that his Board of
Management should, in parallel, give both
Hawker Aircraft and Supermarine 5,000
each (which was a large sum of money in
those days), towards the design costs of a
fast monoplane fighter. Both companie
started their designs as private venture
projects and one must draw one's own con-
clusions as to the likely outcome of the
1939-45 conflict without the Hurricane,
Spitfire and Lanca ter, that owed so much
to Hives' technical initiatives.
The Lancaster
Chadwick designed modifications for Man-
chester airframe BT308 by increasing the
wingspan, outboard of rib 22, to a total of
102ft (31.08m) and incorporating four
leading edge fire-bulkheads. The Beaufight-
er powerplants were in tailed on BT308,
26
which was designated the Mancl,e ter Mk
HI. From this point, history took over and
the Mancl,e ter Mk 1II, with detail modifi-
cations, became the 'legend in its own life-
time', the Avro Lancaster. Three prototypes
were followed by 7,373 production aircraft
and more than a dozen were employed as
engine t st beds. A fine example of their
versatility was Lan aster III SW342, which
wa modified by Air Service Training Ltd at
Hamble to fly with its four standard Merlin
24s, plus an Arm trong Siddeley Mamba
turboprop engine in a no e in tallation and
an Adder turbojet, made by th same
engine company, in place of its rear turret,
on a series of te t programmes that lasted
more than six years.
The York
When Chadwick proposed a privat -ven-
ture transport variant of the Lancaster in
late 1941, he based his de ign on a square-
section fuselage using the standard Lancast-
er mainplane, engines, undercarriag and
tail as embly. Within five months, on 5 July
1942, the Type 685 made its maiden flight
and Sp cification 1/42 was raised to cover
the production of 265 aircraft d signated
York C.Mk I. The siting of the wing in a
shoulder installation was made easy by its
original conception of one large centre-sec-
tion which passed through the Lancaster's
fuselage; by positioning it higher on the
York, an unbroken load-carrying bay was
obtained, which contributed to the delivery
of over 230,000 ton of supplie during
Operation Plainfare, the Berlin Airlift.
The Lancastrian
With a commercial service between
Canada and Britain in mind, two senior
Trans-Canada Airline pilots liaised with
Avro, and the Canadian government
acquired Lanca ter III R5727 during the
second half of 1942, in order for modifi-
cations to be made by Victory Aircraft of
Toronto. The fini hed conversion, engi-
neered as a joint venture by Avro and the
Canadian company, involved the removal
of all turrets, with neat aerodynamic fair-
ings replacing them in the nose and tail.
Named Lancastrian, the mainplane,
engines, undercarriage and tail as emblies
were standard Lanca ter. A total of
eighty-two aircraft wa produced in C.l,
C.2 and C.3 variants for the RAF, but
27
BOA operated a number of ex-service
aircraft for everal year, when e tabl ish-
ing post-war airline service to outh
Africa and the Far East.
hadwick' wing design exemplified it
excellence when a total of nine Lancastri-
an served as flying test beds for everal
British turbojet engines, for a decade from
1946. Furthermore, C.2s VM704 and
VM728 were fitted with a pair of Roll -
Royce Griffon 57 engines driving ix-blad-
ed contra-rotating propellers, as the test
beds for a new Avro maritime reconnais-
sance aircraft being built at Woodford, the
Shackleton.
To further dIu trate the wing's strength
(which had already been ampl y demon-
strated duri ng three years of operational ser-
vice with Bomber Command), a test flight
by VH742 on 17 January 1947 with Rolls-
Royce Nene turbojets in the outboard
positions is worth recalling. It is quoted
verbatim, as imparted to the author by a
Rolls-Royce flight test engineer aboard the
aircraft at the time:
The late Wing Commander Harvey Heyworth
IRolis-Royce's deputy Chief Test Pilot] was fly-
ing the aircraft on a high-altitude flight w take
air intake compressibility measurements. The
basic Lancasrrian's maximum sea level speed
was 285mph and this figure '285' was locked in
Heyworth's mind for the flight.
However, when we converted those Lancas-
rrians for jet flying test beds, the airspeed indi-
cawrs were changed w knots calibration. Thus
the maximum speed changed from 285mph to
LAST OF THE MANCHESTER LINEAGE
with its JO,OOOlb jet thrust and supplementary
Merlin power on [the Merlins were used at high
altirudes at outside temperarures of -25 w
-35C, because of their coolant systems].
VH742 suddenly became very heavy and vio-
lent buffeting occurred with simultaneous tight-
ening of the flying control surfaces, which was
accompanied by the departure of the roof escape
hatch and, w our surprise, the complete set of
jet engine cowlings from the starboard Nene,
leaving the bare engine supported in its tubular
frame. Heyworth immediately abandoned the
run for our rerum w Hucknall and number four
jet was shut down.
On the 25-minute flight back w base, the
three of us on board clearly realized our critical
speed was wo high, as the acrual maximum
speed at 20,OOOh should not have exceeded 229
knots and as Heyworth was building up to '285',
it was clearly possible the ASI had reached the
240 value, which was equivalent w 378mph, or
in other words, some 100mph over the wp,
powerful engines and greater range. Chad-
wick's design to meet this demand, set in
Air Ministry Specification B.14/43, was
initially called the Lancaster Mk IV, fitted
with 1,750hp Merlin 85 engines, and Mk V
with Packard Merlin 68As. However, such
were the differences in dimensions, anna-
ment and the use of a flush-riveted con-
struction instead of the earlier mushroom-
head type, that the new design became the
Type 694 Lincoln. The basic mainplane
centre-section was retained and the outer
wings were lengthened to give a span of
120ft (36.57m), thereby providing 324sq
ft (30 q m) more wing area, with the fuse-
lage length increased by 8ft l1in (2.7m).
Eventually, various marks of 1,750hp Merlin
engines were fitted and the Lancaster's max-
imum range of 2,530 miles (4,072km) was
increased to 3,750 miles (6,035km).
The first prototype, PW925, made its
maiden flight from Ringway, in the hands
LAST OF THE MA CHESTER LINEAGE
Lincoln B.2 RF523 at the Empire Air Armament School, Manby, was named Thor /I and it carried out many
long-distance flights to Commonwealth countries, as well as the United States. Aeroplane
Lancastrian C.2 VM704 was used by Rolls-Royce as the Griffon 57 test-bed, having a pair of them fitted in
the inboard installation. The outboard engines in this photograph are Merlin 600s, being flight-tested for
the Tudor. Aeroplane
247kr, which in modern parlance is Mach 0.374,
but in those days, Mach meters were not fitted
or needed. Heyworth's maximum speed safety
facwr was w be '285', even at 20,000-25,000ft,
where we were w undertake performance mea-
surements. In reality, this '285' was an indicat-
ed air speed of 328mph, which, facwred for the
decrease in atmospheric density at 20,OOOft,
gave a true airspeed of 449mph, a value of Mach
0.63 and thus an exceeding speed 57 per cent
over the maximum permitted speed of the Lan-
casrrian, when corrected for an altitude where
normal Lancastrians never operated (i.e. unpres-
surized cabin and need for oxygen).
Being the first run of several intended, the
speed build-up was only a matter of seconds for
the 30-wn maximum all-up-weight aircraft,
making it the fastest Lancaster flight any of us
had done.
The tragedy of that episode was that VH742
had the only set of handmade cowls and thus the
whole ene flight programme was w be delayed
for a month. A couple of Lancasters were used to
search the Boswn area of Lincolnshire for the
ene cowlings, but without success. VH742 was
grounded for A. V. Roe's Inspection Department
w undertake a structural examination for
integrity, which it passed without any trouble.
The Lincoln
The war in the Far East generated the n ed
for an improved Lancaster, with more
28
of Capt H. A. Brown, on 9 June 1944, but
within a year Japan had surrendered and
the war was over. Nevertheless, the Lin-
coln formed the backbone of Bomber
Command for over five years, with twenty
squadrons being equipped, and more than
a dozen were employed as trials and engine
test-bed aircraft.
The Tudor
When the Brabazon Committee con idered
the requirem nts for post-war passenger air-
craft, Specification 29/43 was issu.ed to A. V.
Roe for them to design an aircraft for the
North Atlantic routes. Roy Chadwick's
team produced the Type 688, which was the
first British transport aircraft to have a fully
pressurized passenger cabin, and the name
Tudor was bestowed upon the design. A
circular-sectioned fuselage of 79ft 6in
(24.23m) length was married to the stan-
dard Lincoln wing and fitted with four
1,750hp Merlin 102 engines. The first pro-
totype, G-AGPF (also allocated RAF s rial
TT176, as it was built to an Air Ministry
specification), made its maiden flight from
Woodford, on 14 June 1945, only a month
after the end of hostilities in Europe.
For the first time since the Anson, an
Avro aircraft was designed with a single
fin/rudder. However, it was not the happi-
est of profiles, with modifications to this
installation on the Tudor having to be
made in order to cure directional and lon-
gitudinal instability. The wing was sited at
the base of the pressurized passenger cabin
and in this position it required root fillets
at the trailing edge joint with the fuselage.
These, together with the inner engine
nacelles, had to be extended to cure pre-
stall wing buffeting, and the standard 'lin-
coln wing' did not live happily with the
circular-sectioned fuselage. On later marks
the fuselage was lengthened up to 105ft
7in (32.2m) and it was the crash of the Mk
2 prototype, G-AG U, that robbed Avro
of its gifted Chief Designer on 23 August
1947, although that was not the fault of
the design. However, it cannot be said in
all honesty that the Tudor was an unqual-
ified success, but the blame for its length of
development and eventual demise must be
laid at the door of BOAC, who demanded
constant modifications to meet very high
standards, which were not always techni-
cally achievable at that time. Further-
more, it was an open secret that there were
29
vested interests wi thin the orporation
for Constellations and Stratocruisers to be
purchased, which were too strong not to
affect A. V. Roe's position, no matter how
good their own aircraft was to become.
In 1949, Avro used six surplus Tudor 2
airframes as the basis for their Type 706
Ashton Flying Laboratories. Fuselages were
shortened by 15ft (4.6m) with thicker skin-
ning being applied, but the basic Lincoln/
Tudor wing was retained, modified to take
a pair of Rolls-Royce Nene 5/6 turbojet
engines in a common nacelle on each side.
The six aircraft were heavily engaged in a
miscellany of high-altitude test and
research programmes that lasted nearly
thirteen years, with the last aircraft being
retired in 1962. Only the front fuselage
section of one aircraft remains today, in
store with the Avro Heritage Centre at
Woodford.
LAST OF THE MAl CHESTER LINEAGE
CHAPTER THREE
first introduced on the Manchester, was
replaced by a windscreen and glazed side
panels continued forward from the fuselage
roof line. The area ahead of the cockpit was
also entirely new, having a larg tran parent
bomb-aimer's nose cone, with accommoda-
tion for the bomb-aimer and gunner, who
controlled two 20mm Hi pano annons
being of the crew, who did not fall into the
'considered expendable' category of wartime
operational aircrew that - no matter how
vehemently this i officially denied - had
previou ly prevailed.
An entirely new front fuselage forward of
the mid-set wing was design d; and the
large, raised, transpatent cockpit canopy,
VW126's 'cheek' barbettes for a forward-firing armament of a 20mm Hispano cannon
on each side of the nose was discarded early in its flight test programme,
Harry Holmes
The Explorer Recalled
A new po t-war procedure was introduced
hy the Air taff in the rai ing of notifica-
tIons as to what was deemed necessary in
the way of future service aircraft. This was
the Operational Requirement (OR) sys-
tem, which was a series of numbers starting
,It 100 and culminating in the issuing of a
Specification, if the requirement went to
that stage. Many ORs, however, lapsed as
IJfficial thinking changed, and this chang-
II1g had been honed into a fine art!
One that did progress was OR320, cov-
ering a maritime reconnaissance aircraft
requirement, for which A. V. Roe put for-
ward a de ign in mid-1945 that would
meet the official Specification R.5/46. Roy
Chadwick's early reaction was to propose a
modified Lincoln, but it soon became
obvious that such an aircraft would be
Ie in tenTIS of the crew condi-
tions necessary for long-endurance sorties.
Furthermore, the Lincoln's narrow fuse-
lage would not accept the equipment
required and an increase in all-up weight
meant that performance would be marked-
ly inferior to the original Lincoln's.
Consequently, a new fuselage was
designed, following the Lincoln to a certain
extent, but wider and deeper, in order to
provide satisfactory walkway space and
more headroom for the ten-man crew. The
long-range requirement of the specification
Jictated that crew rest facilities and a galley
would be nece ary, and all crew station
should have an acceptable heating supply.
Avro had sent company te t pilot 'Johnny'
Baker on a face-finding mission, to sound
out Coastal Command crews as to what
they considered necessary for the new air-
craft. In Malta, where Lancaster GR.3
were being operated by Nos 7 and 38
Squadrons, he was left in no doubt that the
provision of a galley sat high in their needs,
plus an increase in pace and decrease in
noise, relative to their existing aircraft.
Maritime reconnaissance involved a far
greater length of sorties, compared to the
bombing missions for which the Lancaster
was originally designed, and demanded a
modicum of consideration for the well-
2
considered the 1,750hp Merlin 5 as a
powerplant, but this was quickly discard-
ed). A new stressed-skin fuselage was pro-
posed, wider, deeper and lightly shorter
than the Lincoln's, with a larger twin-
fin/rudder assembly fitted in a higher po i-
tion. The design carried the company type
number 696 and the name Shackleton.
'The Growler' had been born.
-

range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and

the Chief De igner knew that hi wing,
which was in the configuration as modified
for the Tudor with the inboard nacelle
extended, would have no difficulty taking
four 2,455hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 57
engine, driving the six-bladed contra-rotat-
ing air crews tested on Lancastrians VM704
and VM728 (original official thinking had
G-AHNJ Star Panther, the first Tudor 4 for the British South American Airways Corporation, makes its
maiden flight from Woodford on 9 April 1947. Aeroplane
The Shackleton
Working on the basi that if you have a
good thing, then use it, Chadwick designed
his offering to meet pecification R.5/46
around hi ubiquitous wing, this being its
final utilization. Considering it was original-
ly drawn up in 1937, it had certainly had a
good life. The new design was for a long-
The first prototype Shackleton, VW126. during an early test flight combined with the first air-to-air photographic session. Derek James
30 31
THE EXPLORER RECALLED The Rolls-Royce Griffon
The advent of the turbojet and turboprop engines signalled the end of Griffon develop-
ment. The Merlin advanced from its original 880hp as installed in early Spitfires, Hurri-
canes and Defiants, to 1,490hp in late marks of P-51 Mustangs, and there is no reason to
believe that the Griffon would not have been capable of even greater development, given
more applications. As it was, the original 1,730hp maximum rating of the Griffon II, was
increased by over 40 per cent in the Shackleton's Griffon 57As and 58s.
Bft 9in 1266ml
2ft 8in (0.82ml
3ft 5 ~ i n 11.06ml
2,050lb (930kg)
2,455hp 15B, with water/methanol. at 2.750rpm +25Ib/sq in boostl
Griffon 57/57N58
Length:
Width:
Height:
Dry weight:
Maximum power:
The development of the six-bladed contra-rotating propeller unit was undertaken by
de Havilland Propellers, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, and its first application was
in Martin-Baker's beautiful M.B.5 fighter design, built to the original Specification
F.18/39, via the M.B.3 - which had crashed, killing Captain Valentine Baker - and the
abandoned M.BA project. James Martin designed the M.B.5, powered by aGriffon 83
developing 2,340hp driving a six-bladed propeller, and when first flown, on 23 May
1944, it was the first flight of such an airscrew in Britain.
The contra-rotating system was acomplicated piece of engineering and the initial
problems of lubricating the hub to reduce frictional-heat wear was tackled by Mar-
tin. He designed and perfected an enveloping translation unit for the hub, into which
oil was sucked at lower revolutions, this being achieved in flight by athrottle reduc-
tion implemented at regular two- to three-hour intervals. On the Shackleton, the unit
has a diameter of 13ft 13.96m). the front three blades being left-hand tractors with
basic settings of fine pitch 23 degrees, feathered pitch 90 degrees, while the rear
set are right-hand tractors of 24 degrees fine pitch and 91 degrees feathered pitched
settings.
Martin-Baker's M.B.5 recorded 484mph (779km/h) in 1945 and received an outstand-
ing assessment by the A&AEE at Boscombe Oown when delivered for evaluation. It was
possibly one of the fastest single piston-engined fighters, but the turbojet engine had
arrived, the Gloster Meteor and de Havilland Vampire were in production, so as the Air
Ministry saw no future for Martin's design, he turned his attentions to the ejector seat,
with which he will always be associated.
The Griffon 57, producing a take-off rating, with water/methanol injection, of
2,455hp, was eventually selected as the powerplant for the Avro 696, with a pair of
57As, the longer endurance variant, installed inboard. This differed from the 57 by hav-
ing modified reduction gear driving pinions to give increased tip clearance IRolls-Royce
Mod. 818). stronger connecting-rod bolts (Mod. 840) and strengthened pistons (Mod.
8491. This variant was cleared to operate at ahigher boost pressure and oil-inlet tem-
perature in the Intermediate condition and at an increased coolant outlet temperature
for the Maximum Continuous condition.
Later, Griffon 57As replaced the shorter-endurance 57s outboard on the Shackleton,
and later still, Griffon 58s were fitted to subsequent variants. These were in effect mod-
ified 57As with a new auxiliary drive for increased power requirements, in which the
gearbox idler teeth were increased from OA75in (l2.7mm) to 0.675in (17.2mml, with
their construction material altered from 5.2 per cent nickel case hardening steel to nick-
el chrome case hardening steel (Mods 1126 and 1127), which were introduced from 31
December 1963. They were fitted with a two-speed, single-stage supercharger and
intercooler, a Rolls-Royce-developed fuel injection pump, and a single dual-magneto
mounted above the contra-rotating airscrew's reduction-gear housing.
In 1946, Rolls-Royce received the ex-RAF Lancastrian C.2 VM704, in order to test-fly
their Clyde turboprop engine, which had adesign output of 4,OOOshp, plus 1,5501b resid-
ual thrust. Only flown in the third prototype Westland Wyvern TF.2, the Clyde's devel-
opment was brought to an end by Rolls-Royce, in favour of their Dart turboprop and
VM704 did not feature in the Clyde's short history at all. On 19 October 1948, the Lan-
castrian started test flying with a pair of Merlin 623 engines driving four-bladed pro-
pellers, for the Tudor airliner, in the outboard location, and two Griffon 57s, with six-
bladed contra-rotating propellers, inboard. Whereas the inboard engines for the Avro
696 remained unchanged, the outboard engines were successively changed to Merlin
625s and 641 s. VM704's engine test bed programmes ceased in 1952.
Lancastrian C.2 VM728 was also acquired by Rolls-Royce for Clyde test flying and it
followed the path of VM704 by being fitted with Griffon 57s inboard, but varied from
VM704 by having avariety of later Merlins outboard. This aircraft completed over 1,000
hours of engine test bed trials before being sold for scrap in June 1950.
At the start of World War Two, Rolls-Royce decided to proceed with a piston engine
similar to the Merlin, but of larger capacity and with the crankshaft rotating in an anti-
clockwise direction. It was named the Griffon, as the shortened version of 'griffon vul-
ture', alarge bird of prey, being complimentary to the derivation of the Merlin, a Euro-
pean and North American falcon that was also abird of prey.
Following the company's layout of a twelve-cylinder, 60-degree, upright V-type, liq-
uid-cooled engine, the Griffon's dimensions were identical to the Rolls-Royce 'R' engine
developed for the Supermarine S.6B that won the Schneider Trophy outright in 1931.
Although having acapacity of 36.7ltr, compared to the Merlin's 271tr, an overriding stip-
ulation to the design team was that the new engine must be capable of installation in
existing Merlin-powered fighters, to ensure an unbroken curve of improvement of fight-
er performance.
The engine's introduction into operational service was with the Griffon II, III and IV.
Chosen in 1941 as the powerplant for the new Fairey Firefly two-seat, long-range, naval
reconnaissance fighter designed to Specification N.5/40, the engine had atake-off rat-
ing of l,720hp. In this form it was also introduced into Supermarine's production lines
in 1943, with the Spitfire Mk XII. Subsequent Griffon variants with increases in power
output up to atake-off rating of 2,340hp were installed in later marks of Firefly and in
Fairey's torpedo/dive-bomber, the Barracuda, driving four-bladed Rotol propellers,
while the ultimate Spitfire developments, the Mks 21,22 and 24 all required five-blad-
ed propellers to absorb the power of the later Griffon range.
Parallel with the Spitfire since 1941, Supermarine had produced the Seafire naval
variant and the Griffon was introduced to the range in June 1943, with the Seafire XV,
powered by a Griffon 65, which produced 1,540hp at take-off, through a 10ft 5in
(3.18m)-diameter four-bladed Rotol propeller. Improvements in the Seafire followed the
Spitfire's development and with the Seafire F.46/F.47, the Griffon 87/8B variants' power
output was such that they required anew six-bladed contra-rotating propeller to elim-
inate the inevitable torque effect on take-off and landing.
This view of a Griffon 57/58 series shows to advantage the two individual splines
for the Shackleton's contra-rotating propeller unit. Aeroplane
The transparent 'chin' ASV housing was initially tested on Warwick GR.5 LM816. Aeroplane
32 33
installed in 'cheek' barbettes, one each side.
These operated in unison, with an approx-
imate arc of forty-five degrees' vertical trav-
el but no lateral movement.
Under the bomb-aimer's nose cone, a
fixed, bulging, transparent scanner housing
was sited for ASV13 search radar, which
was able to detect a large target up to 40
miles (64km) away from an altitude of
1,000ft (300m), if the sea conditions were
favourable. However, in poor sea condi-
tions, the radar's effectiveness was consid-
erably reduced. It employed a Type 85
scanner, having a 3ft (92cm) mirror with
360-degree rotation and sector scan facili-
ty, but this could not be used to anything
like its maximum capability due to the
installation being in the 'chin' position
under the nose. This radar was in effect an
improved version of the Mk 11, designed
by J. B. Warren at the Telecommunications
Research Establishment (TRE), Malvern,
in 1942-43, this being the first British 3cm
equipment designed specifically for ASV,
to be fitted on such Fleet Air Arm aircraft
as the Swordfish and Barracuda. During
1944-45 an adaptation was perfected to
provide an ASV capability for Coastal
Command strike aircraft.
A Bristol Type 17 power-operated dorsal
turret was also fitted, equipped with a pair of
20mm cannon, and the defensive armament
THE EXPLORER RECALLED
was completed by a rear turret containing
two 0.50in machine-guns. In keeping with
previous Avro bomber designs, a very large
bomb-bay was capable of carrying up to
20,0001b (9,000kg) of anti-submarine
bombs, depth charges, mines, sonobouys
and marine markers, in a number of differ-
ent configurations.
After the short early consideration of
Merlin 85 engines, four Rolls-Royce Grif-
fon 57s were selected as the Type 696's
powerplants and Roy Chadwick had cho-
sen the name Shackleton for the aircraft.
Not only did this cherish the name of the
great explorer, with whom he had forged a
friendship back in 1921, but it was consid-
ered quite appropriate for an aircraft that
was designed to cover great distances and
areas of the globe.
First Contracts
Following the issue of A. V. Roe's brochure
on their proposals for a maritime recon-
naissance aircraft to the requirements of
Specification R.5/46, they received Con-
tract No.6/ACIT/l077/CB6(a), dated 28
May 1947, covering the construction of
three prototype aircraft, and on 17 July
the serial numbers VW126, VW131 and
VW135 were allocated to the airframes.
34
The Boulton Paul rear turret fitted
on the second prototype, VW131,
which was not carried forward onto
production aircraft. Harry Holmes
OPPOSITE PAGE:
(Top) All three Shackleton prototypes
in Woodford's flight shed. VW131,
farthest away, and VW126, in the
centre, have both lost their 'cheek'
cannon barbettes. It is noticeable that
the three aircraft each have the grey
top colour finishing at a different
position on their respective
fuselages. Aeroplane
(Bottom) Four Griffons at maximum
revs on VW126, prior to taxiing out
for take off, before the mid-upper
turret was installed. Harry Holmes
(In retrospect, it may seem strange that A.
V. Roe had already received Contract
No.6/ACFT/6062/CB6(a) dated 21 March
1946, for thirty production aircraft, but that
was the way officialdom worked!)
Construction of all three prototypes was
in hand when Roy Chadwick was tragical-
ly killed, with VW126 scheduled for com-
pletion by the beginning of 1949 and the
other two following at six-monthly inter-
vals. This timing was successfully adhered
to and by the middle of February 1949, the
company's Chief Test Pilot, Jimmy Orrell,
started provisional taxiing trials at Wood-
ford. These showed that more pressure was
required on the rudder controls than the
CTP considered desirable, and the aircraft
went back into the shops for adj ustments,
which involved a certain amount of fabric
taping and gluing to the rudder trimmers.
The First Prototype Flies
On 9 March, with everything to his satis-
faction, Jimmy Orrell took on board 'Red'
Esler (who was ki lied six months later when
the first Avro 707 prototype, VX790,
crashed) as co-pilot, together with flight
engineer Blake, and lifted VWI26 off
Woodford's runway for a 33-minute first
flight around the locality.
THE EXPLORER RECALLED
35
THE EXPLORER RECALLED
JIMMY ORREll OBE
From 'Brat' to Superintendent of Flying
CHAPTER FOUR
36
year's BAC Display, where he gave a pir-
ited performance each day, including low-
level passes (and they really were low-level
in those days) on starboard engine only,
with bomb doors open for all to witness
that Roy hadwick's penchant for large
bomb-bays had been perpetuated in his
new de ign. Just for the event, the nose
barbette had ingle 20mm cannon fitted,
but it had already been decided that such
an installation, with its limited field offire,
was ineffective and would not be carried
forward to production aircraft.
Similarly, it had been decided that pro-
duction hackletons would not have the
Boulton Paul rear turret, as fitted on both
VW126 and VW131, as it was found to
37
The Second Prototype
Gets Airborne
periods with the A&AEE at Bascombe
Down. In June, it went to de Havilland
Propeller at Hatfield, where it und rwent
train-gauge te ts on the contra-rotating
units, before returning to Woodford the
following month.
Two months later VW126 was joined by
the second Mk.l prototype, VW131,
which had its maiden flight from Wood-
ford in the hands of Johnny Baker on 2
September. Four days later he took the
new aircraft down to Farnborough for that
Mark 1 and its Derivatives
Specification 42/46 was issued to cover
production of the hackleton and its role
designation was changed from General
Reconnaissance (GR) to Maritime Recon-
naissance (MR). Can equently, Avro's final
multi-piston-engined aircraft started going
down the line in 1949 as the hackleton
MR. 1. Each aircraft was equipped to carry
a ten-man crew, consisting of two pilots,
two navigators, one flight engineer and a
five-man assortment of gunners and sig-
nallers, who covered the additional require-
ments of bomb-aiming, observation and
cooking.
VW126 was retained by the company
for manufacturer's trials until June 1949,
during which time it spent several short
De Havilland's contribution to the Shackleton is well demonstrated here, as VW126's engines have stopped
with the contra-rotating propellers at different moments in their cycles. Aeroplane
good aircraft from the start', he said. 'It had
the" hadwick tamp" all over it'. He could
not possibly have guessed just how long this
'good aircraft' was going to be in service.
prototype was abandoned. CF-EJD-X was operated until November 1956, mainly as an
observation platform during the CF-l 00 Canuck trials programme, but Jimmy Orrell had
returned to the United Kingdom seven years before that.
From early 1949, Orrell was heavily involved with the Shackleton, giving the first and
third prototypes their maiden flights, as well as the first prototype when re-engineered
as the Mk 2. Dovetailed into the Shackleton programme, in addition to the Canadian
trip, was the first test flight of the third prototype Ashton Mk 3, WB492, on 7July 1951.
Jimmy was abusy man.
In 1956, Orrell was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBEI and promoted to
be A. V. Roe's Superintendent of Flying. He held the post until his retirement in 1969,
at the age of sixty-six, and enjoyed another eighteen years before passing away on 3
August 1988. During his twenty-five years with Avro's test pilot team, he took thirteen
different prototypes into the air for the first time, arecord that no other pilot in the com-
pany ever achieved.
An elegant Jimmy Orrell stands in front of Avro Ashton WB490, shortly after he
had demonstrated the aircraft at the 1950 SBAC Oisplay. Harry Holmes
the rudder's movements were found to have
improved. His observation at the end of the
day confirmed that the Shackleton felt
good. 'We all knew that it was going to be a
Joseph Harold Orrell was born in Liverpool in 1903 and acquired the name 'Jimmy' at
avery early age. By the time that he had reached his sixteenth birthday, afuture in avi-
ation was established as his ambition and he volunteered for the RAF in 1919, as one
of Trenchard's apprentice-scheme 'brats' at Halton.
The flying side of the Service held great appeal and the aircraft in which he made
his first solo flight, an Avro 504K, was most appropriate considering the avenue that
his flying was to take. He qualified as aSergeant Pilot and by October 1924 was flying
Gloster Grebe Mk lis with No. 25 Squadron, based at Hawkinge in Kent. The squadron
re-equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Siskin Mk IIIAs in 1929, and on 13 March
Jimmy crashed in J9306, sustaining a broken nose, with a scar that was evident
throughout his career.
Having applied for acommission, Orrell decided that the blossoming field of civil avi-
ation held more promises of interest and he left the RAF in 1931 to spend two years as
afreelance pilot. During this time he was engaged in air display flying, piloting those
who pursued the growing craze of wing-walking and giving joy-rides to a public that
was becoming increasingly interested in flying. From freelancing, Jimmy joined Mid-
land and Scottish Air Ferries, based at Glasgow, where he was instrumental in estab-
lishing apassenger and air ambulance service to the Western Isles of Scotland. How-
ever, the company ceased operating ayear later and Jimmy Orrell's name became a
part of the history of A. V. Roe, when he took up adraughtsman's post in 1934.
Orrell's association with Avro on the drawing board only lasted twelve months, as in
February 1935 he joined Imperial Airways and captained Handley Page H.P.42 crews on
the expanding Empire air routes. After the outbreak of World War Two, when Imperial
Airways was renamed the BritiSh Overseas Airways Corporation (BOACI, Orrell was
engaged on piloting unarmed Lockheed Hudsons between Britain and neutral Sweden,
carrying diplomats on the outward leg and returning with escaped Prisoners of War,
secret agents or precious ball bearings.
With the completion of his contract with BOAC in April 1942, he was approached by
Avro's Chief Test Pilot. Sam Brown, with aview to returning to the company, but as a
member of the team of test pilots. Jimmy Orrell accepted the offer with alacrity and
over the next three years, he alone test-flew over 900 newly-produced Lancasters. He
was at the controls of anew prototype for the first time when he took Lancastrian Mk
1G-AGLF into the air from Woodford on 17 January 1945.
There followed asuccession of prototype maiden flights, starting with the second
Tudor Mk 2, G-AGRY, on 12 November 1947 and VS562, the Anson Mk 21 prototype, on
6 February 1948. That same year, he undertook maiden flights in VM125, the first
Athena Mk 1, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop, on 12 June,
Athena Mk 2 prototype VW890 on 1 August, the four-turbojet powered Tudor Mk 8
VX195 on 6September and the first Tudor Mk 5, G-AKBY, on 24 September.
The toss of acoin on 23 August 1947 had adramatic effect on Jimmy Orrell. for he
lost out to Bill Thorn, who was at the controls of the Tudor Mk 2when it crashed on
take-off, killing Roy Chadwick and several crew members, including Thorn.
In 1946, Avro Canada began designing afifty-seat. medium-range passenger airlin-
er with the company designation C-l02 Jetliner. The aircraft was originally planned to
be powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets, but because of their non-availability,
the prototype was fitted with four Derwent 5s. Because of his experience with the
Tudor Mk 8Orrell, who by now was Avro's Chief Test Pilot (CTPI, was asked to pilot the
Canadian aircraft for its early flights and assist with its initial development. The proto-
type, registered CF-EJD-X, was first flown from Malton, with Orrell at the controls, on
10 August 1949 and six days later he displayed his great flying skills by belly-landing,
due to the failure of its undercarriage lowering circuitry. Such was the landing that
damage to CF-EJD-X, with its under-slung engine pods, was minimal and the aircraft
was repaired in time for it to undertake ten more hours' test flying before it was dis-
played to the public for the first time on 5October. Despite making some impressive
point-to-point flights, no orders for the C-l02 were received and work on a second
After landing, OlTell requested further
amendments to the tail surface, and later in
the same day took the prototype up for a sec-
ond forty-five-minute flight, during which
MARK I A 'D ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
39
Close-up of the in-flight refuelling coupling fitted
during VW126's assembly and shown to advantage
as the aircraft stands awaiting its maiden flight.
Harry Holmes
have an adver e affect on the aircraft's
centre of gravity but VW131, with 20mm
cannon to the fore, in the dorsal turret and
to the rear, certainly projected an air of bel-
ligerence at the display. Later in the year,
the aircraft went to Khartoum for the type's
tropical trials, which were passed without
requiring major modifications.
A third feature of the Shackleton that
started and fini hed with the first prototype
was provision for in-flight refuelling. On the
port lower fuselage, adjacent to the rear tur-
ret, a receiving point for a Flight Refuelling
Limited (FRL) looped hose was installed
when VW126 originally came out from the
assembly sheds. However, no flight trials
were ever undertaken and the cheme was
abandoned. Although various designs were
discussed at meetings between Avro and
FRL, all were dismissed by the manufactur-
er as being unnecessary. The coupling was
omitted from VW131, with plating cover-
ing its location and no production aircraft
was ever contemplated as being equipped for
in-flight refuelling.
In this view of VW131's rear end,
the turret has been deleted and
the production MR.1 rear-fuselage
fairing is in place. It can also be
seen that the in-flight refuelling
coupling's position has been plated
over and, although the installation
was never actually fitted on this
aircraft, provision had obviously
been made during assembly.
Harry Holmes
38
Johnny Baker at his desk prior to taking VW131 for its maiden flight. Harry Holmes
(Below) VW131 comes in over Farnborough's famous 'black sheds', as Johnny
Baker begins his flying programme at the 1949 SBAC Display, with cannons
bristling at every location. Aeroplane
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
-

II
11- .
..
The third prototype, VW135, was representative of the production Mk.ls from its beginning, with no rear
turret, nose barbettes or in-flight refuelling coupling. Harry Holmes
By the time that VW131 was photographed in January 1950, the 'cheek' barbettes had been removed. The
apparent protrusion under the mid-upper cannon barrels is a part of the sheds behind the aircraft and not
some experimental installation on the aircraft! Aeroplane
When photographed at Woodford on 13 April 1949, VW126 had not received its mid-upper turret and still
had the rear turret. Harry Holmes
Due to its not having passed de Havil-
land's strain-gauge tests at the first visit,
VW126 was returned to Hatfield straight
after Christmas 1949, before transferring
to Boscombe Down for five days in March
1950, for full load trials above 86,000lb
(39,000kg), following which further and
increased all-up-weight testing was carried
out during June and July. On 1July the
A&AEE also conducted a programme of
high-speed handling trials before the first
prototype went to Rolls-Royce at Huck-
nall for the installation of longer tailpipes
on the engine exhaust manifolds.
40
Prototype Number Three
The third prototype, VW135, made its
first flight on 29 March 1950, with Jimmy
Orrell in command. The aircraft was the
fir t to have the nose barbette fairings
omitted and it was flown extensively by
the A&AEE, as well as RAE Farnborough,
on radio, navigational and armament tri-
als. The type was cleared for sonobuoy
launchings, together with automatic
flame-float chute operations, and its cam-
era installations were approved for pro-
duction aircraft.
During February 1950, a Coa tal Com-
mand crew was seconded to Woodford,
where Avro was conducting cabin-heating
and noise-suppression trials with VW126.
The RAF crew were given a chance to a ess
the noise levels at all stations within the air-
craft, as well as regi tering opinions on the
47
Griffon's flame damping, which prompted
the aircraft's visit to Hucknall for long
tailpipes. The noise level in the cockpit,
adjacent to the inboard engine's contra-
rotating propellers, was never really success-
fully eradicated and ju t became a fact of
Shackleton life that had to be lived with.
MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
(Below) Shackleton MR.1 assembly starts at Woodford in March 1950,
where they share the facilities with four lancaster B.1(FE)s, the rear
one being TE858/4 S-G of the Central Signals Establishment, plus a
Tudor at the far end. Aeroplane
(Above) On 19 January 1951, VW126 was first flown after conversion to the Mk.2
aerodynamic test airframe, with the nose and rear fuselage reconstructed but not
completely glazed, while a mechanically working retractable radar housing was
installed at the rear of the bomb bay. Harry Holmes
,
42
II
...
Later in 1950, VWI26 went back into
the shops for conversion to the hackleton
Mk.2 aerodynamic test airframe, which will
be covered in a later chapter. Mk.l devel-
opment was continued with VW131 and
VW135. together with early aircraft off the
production line.
First Production
The first aircraft to be completed to Con-
tract No. 6/ACFf/6062/CB6(a), dated 21
May 1946, was Shackleton MR.I VP254,
which made its maiden flight on 28 March
1950. Due to Coa tal Command's urgent
requirements for a long-range maritime
reconnaissance aircraft, this was the day
before the maiden flight of the third proto-
The first production MR." VP254,
shares a Woodford flight shed
with WB490, the only Ashton
Mk.1, on 31 August 1950. Harry
Holmes
(Below) WB255, the second
production aircraft, was being
used at Woodford for engine
mounting trials to reduce
vibration, when photographed
on 3 May 1951. Harry Holmes
type. The need to replace the ageing Lan-
caster GR.3s and American Lend-Lease
aircraft was urgent. The contract covered
two batches, the first for sixteen aircraft.
allocated serial number VP253 to VP26 ,
and the second for fourteen, serialled
VP2 1 to VP294. In the event, the first air-
craft of batch one. VP253, was cancelled
before construction commenced, due to
the third prototype being so close to the
production line time-scale. so that only
twenty-nine airframes were completed to
the contract. Initially. the aircraft were
powered by a pair of Griffon 57As inboard
and 57s outboard.
VP254 was retained by its manufacturer
for the trial installations of various modifi-
cations resulting from prototype testing,
before being transfelTed to Avro's complex
43
at Langar in ottinghamshire, on 15
December 1954. where it had further modi-
fications incorporated for flight trial of IFF
Mk.lO and earch And Rescue Automatic
Homing ( ARAH) electronics, which cre-
ated H-type aerials on either side of the
nose. Although first fitted to Shackletons in
the late 1950s. the latter was never in tailed
on production Mk.ls. Similarly, the Autoly-
cu equipment that, in theory, could detect
a submarine's diesel exhaust fume when it
was submerged shallow enough to use it
snorkel. was fitted, but the disadvantag of
the device being unable to distinguish a sub-
marine's efflux from tho e of other ve sel in
the vicinity limited its efficiency. Later, a
more sophisticated version was perfected,
which had a much higher success rate and
became a standard fitment.
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
(Below) VP258, the fifth production MR.l, makes an imposing picture as fitters, perched
on a precarious-looking step ladder, pay attention to its starboard outer nacelle.
Aeroplane
(Above) Langar's complex has five MR.l airframes here which,
judging by the removal of the wings, are being converted to MR.1A
standard. Harry Holmes
\
(Above) VP289 of Ballykelly's No. 269 Squadron deposits a sonobuoy, while (below) VP256 overflies a Cunard Line vessel in a very sedate manner. Aeroplane
44 45
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
On 15 June 1951, VP268 was delivered to No. 236 OCU at Kinloss, where it was coded C-Y. Harry Holmes
(Below) WB822 thunders down the flight line at the 1951 SBAC Oisplay.
The aircraft had come off the assembly line only two weeks previously
and was the first MR.1A to attend the event. Aeroplane
(Above) MR.1, VP292/C-S, had been with No. 236 OCU at Kinloss for a year, when the
starboard undercarriage leg collapsed while landing on 22 October 1952. The aircraft
was repaired on site and operational again by January 1953. Harry Holmes
1952 and it accepted VP255 on the same
day, coding it 'L-P'. This, too, had been a
Coa tal Command squadron throughout
World War Two, using Supermarine in-
gapore Ills, Sara London lIs, and then
Supermarine tranraers until March 1941,
when it had a real culture shock in the
form of it fir t Consolidated Catalina. It
operated with variou marks of Catalina
until it disbanded on 1 July 1945, to be
reformed the same day with elements of
the fOrlner unit, plus sections of No. 212
Squadron and remaining a flying-boat
operator with Catalina Mk IVs and Sun-
derland Mk Vs for another eight months,
disbanding on 21 March 1946, lying dor-
mant until its reappearence a the second
Shackleton unit in 1952.
The RAF Handling Squadron at Manby
in Lincolnshire received the third produc-
tion aircraft, VP256, on 28 eptember
1950, for the compilation of the type's
'Pilot's otes', which were completed by 5
November 1951. From Manby, the aircraft
went to o. 3 MU for preparation, prior
to be allocated to o. 224 Squadron at
Aldergrove on 30 August of the same year,
where it was coded 'BA'. ix month later,
on II February 1952, VP256 was trans-
ferred to o. 269 Squadron at Gibraltar,
still retaining its 'BA' coding, and the next
month the whole unit was posted to Bal-
Iykelly. This squadron too had a Coastal
Command history, flying Ansons, Hud-
sons and Warwicks during World War
Two. It had been disbanded at Lagens, in
the Azores, on 10 March 1946, to be
reformed nearly six years later at Gibraltar
on 1January 1952.
aircraft remained with the unit for only
seven months a , on 9 December, it crashed
into the South hina ea.
VP255 was the second production aircraft,
first flying on 30 May 1950. It took part in
the RAF Display at Farnborough in July
before being demonstrated to Coastal
Command personnel at St Eval in Corn-
wall, followed by Kinloss and Leuchars in
Scotland, then before going to Ballykelly
in Northern Ireland during August. All
four bases would become well acquainted
with the 'Griffon growl' over the forth-
coming years. Two years later, in August
1952, VP255 went into o. 38 MU at
Llandow, where a ontractor's Working
Party (CWP) from A. V. Roe incorporated
modifications and prepared the aircraft for
delivery to Coastal Command.
No. 120 Squadron had been a DH.9 unit
from 1January 191 until 21 October 1918.
It became a Coastal Command unit operat-
ing with Liberators from it reforming on 2
June 1941 up to it disbanding on 4 July
1945. The squadron wa reformed again on
1 October 1946 at Leuchars, by the renum-
bering of o. 160 quadron. It flew with
Liberator Mk VIlIs and Lancaster GR.3s
until moving to Kinloss, where, on 3 April
1951, it received VP258. oded 'AC', this
became the first aircraft for the Commands'
first Shackleton MR.I operating unit.
Following a move to Aldergrove, a cadre
of No. 120 quad ron became the nucleus
of a reforlT\ed No. 240 Squadron on 1 May
First Squadrons
Langar was built in 1940-41 a a bomber
airfield and o. 207 Squadron was the first
to take up residence, having moved from
Bottesford in September 1942, with its Lan-
caster Mk Is and Ills. The tenure wa short-
lived however, as the unit transferred to
Spil by in Lincolnshire a year later. From
then on, Langar became tation 490 of the
U Army Air Force Service Wing, with
several squadrons operating C-47s until the
end of World War Two. Throughout this
service activity by both the RAF and
U AAF, A. V. Roe occupied large work-
shops on the western side of the airfield,
where several hundred Lancasters under-
went major repairs and reconditioning. Fol-
lowing the end of hostilities, the company
continued their servicing of Avro type,
including Lancasters, Lancastrians, Yorks,
Lin olns and, starting with VP254, Shack-
letons. Meteors, which were produced by
Avro's fellow Hawker Siddcley Group
member, Gloster Aircraft, were also fre-
quent users of Langar's servicing facilities.
On the Service ide of the airfield, the
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) opened
No. 50 Air Material Base in October 1952
and Langar's joint Avro/RCAF occupation
continued until 1963, when the Canadians
returned home, leaving Avro as sole opera-
tors of the airfield until September 1968,
when their workshops were closed down.
After a total of 1,124 hours' test flying,
VP254 went to No. 23 Maintenance Unit
(MU) at Aldergrave, before being allocat-
ed to the Far East Air Force (FEAF) on 9
May 1958 and flown out to Changi on in-
gapore Island. Taken on charge by No. 205
Squadron on 25 May and coded 'B', the
46 47
Variations in the londonderry Air
Of the twenty-three airfields operating in Northern Ireland during World War Two, four
were grouped on the small town of Limavady, on the western side of the county of
Londonderry about 3miles (5kml inland from Lough Foyle. Eglinton and Maydown lay to
the south-west, Limavady base itself was 2miles 13.2kml to the north, while Ballykelly
was situated 2miles to the west.
Eglinton was opened in April 1941 and although starting as an RAF base, it was loaned to
the Royal Navy on 1May 1943 with Maydown as its satellite, an arrangement that prevailed
until Eglinton's closure in September 1966, although Maydown had ceased to be its satel-
lite in January 1949. Eglinton was commissioned as HMS Gannet, which turned out to be
quite appropriate as, following wartime service with Avengers, Corsairs, Fireflys, Sea Furies
and Barracudas, Fairey GR17/45 Gannets of the West German Federal Navy took up resi-
dence in May 1958. As Eglinton's satellite, Maydown was named HMS Shrike and was host
to similar RN types during the war, although its actual operations commenced with USAAF
fighter groups flying Lockheed P-38s. Today, part of Eglinton still enjoys aviation through the
activities of the Eglinton Flying Club, but many of the buildings have become home to vari-
ous engineering enterprises. For Maydown, as with so many former bases throughout the
United Kingdom, flying has given way to the spread of large industrial estates.
Limavady airfield started operating Whitleys of No. 502 Squadron on 4December 1940
and remained aCoastal Command station until 28 April 1944, when it too became an RN
base. Early RAF ASV trials had been conducted there, as well as Leigh Light operations
with assorted Wellington variants, but the naval presence brought the Sea Hurricane and
Swordfish to the area. The RAF started ajoint occupation in March 1945, with Warvvicks
and Sea Otters for ASR duties but. after afour-month tenure by the Coastal Command
Anti-U-Boat Devices School, Limavady closed down in August 1945.
The largest and longest-serving of the four airfields was Ballykelly. Rapid preparation
and construction of the site, which commenced in the late summer of 1940, enabled the
RAF to station the first personnel there on 1June 1941, with the first aircraft, aCoastal
Command Hudson Mk III, touching down acouple of weeks later. The airfield code let-
ters 'IV' were allocated to the new station.
However, these early arrivals did not herald the immediate establishment of Ballykel-
Iy as an operational station. This really came about at the beginning of December 1941,
when the Coastal Command Development Unit ICCDU), which had been formed at Carew
Cheviton in Pembrokeshire on 22 November 1940, took up residence with an assortment
of Beauforts, Hudsons and Whitleys, plus the odd Wellington The Unit continued its
programmes of ASV development and Leigh Light trials for the next seven months, before
being redeployed to Tain in the Scottish Highlands on 15 June 1942. On 18 June, No. 220
Squadron arrived with its complement of Boeing Fortress Mk liAs, followed three days
later by No. 120 Squadron, equipped with Consolidated Liberator Mk Is. Both squadrons
had previously operated from Nutts Corner in County Antrim, on Londonderry's eastern
border, where pilots found that fully laden Liberators taking off on the base's 1,600yd
11 ,460m) runways had minimal tarmac to spare.
From June 1942, Ballykelly became principally home to American-built aircraft forthe rest
of World War Two. All three runways were lengthened in 1943 and Nos 59, 86 and 120
Squadrons rotated through the base for varying periods of anti-submarine patrols. The
exception to these operations was the temporary use of Ballykelly, in the spring of 1943, by
the Royal Navy, to accommodate squadrons while their aircraft carriers were being replen-
ished for their next assignments. Nos 811,819,833,835,836 and 837 Squadrons of the Fleet
Air Arm, flew their Swordfish aircraft to Ballykelly in April and May, with No. 811 Squadron's
Grumman Martlets also joining them. (In January 1944, all FAA Martlets were renamed
Wildcat, in accordance with the US Navy and Marine Corp's designation.)
Following the RN's departure, it was back to the life of arduous anti-submarine opera-
tions over the vast expanse of ocean from the Bay of Biscay in the south to Norvvay's
North Atlantic coastline. Although the total of twelve U-boats sunk, together with the
shared destruction and damaging of others, by Ballykelly squadrons, was a creditable
result, endless patrols over featureless seas, without the sighting of atarget, took aspe-
cial type of aircrew character. The end of World War Two brought the disbanding of No.
120 Squadron at Ballykelly, on 4 June 1945, followed four months later by No. 281
Squadron, which had only been there for eight weeks, on 4October. No. 86 Squadron had
deployed to Reykjavik on 24 March 1944 and No. 59 Squadron left for Waterbeach on 14
September 1945. The hangars and dispersals were empty.
By the early winter of 1945, Ballykelly had been placed in Care and Maintenance,
remaining as such until the Joint Anti-Submarine School (JASS) was officially opened in
January 1947, with the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit (ASWDU) coming from Thor-
ney Island the following year, equipped with Lancaster GR.3s. The Unit stayed three
years, until 10May 1951, when it was transferred to St Mawgan in Cornwall.
By the time the JASS and ASWDU arrived at Ballykelly, Avro's offering to Specification
R.5/46 had developed into the Type 696 Shackleton. Kinloss in Scotland was earmarked
to be the Operational Conversion Unit (No. 236 OCU), while bases from which the new air-
craft could operate were selected. St Eval in Cornwall, Gibraltar at the gateway to the
Mediterranean, and Aldergrove and Ballykelly in Northern Ireland were chosen. This was
the foundation of the Ballykelly/Shackleton marriage that was to survive for nineteen
years. The airfield was closed, to be transformed from the World War Two base, with its
well-dispersed, utilitarian environment into a full-blown three-squadron station within
No. 18 Group, RAF Coastal Command. One rather unusual aspect of the enlarging of Bal-
Iykelly was the fact that because of the extending of runways, the main Londonderry to
Belfast railway line now ran through the middle of the base. As it was agreed that, unless
there was an emergency such as an aircraft approaching to land with only fumes in its
tanks, the railway would be given priority, asystem of alarms was set up at points around
the base, with duplicate alarms installed in flying control. In the future, this would mean
that, on occasion, Shackleton crews returning from long overseas flights with ashower
and abeer - in either order! - firmly in mind, had to survey the beauties of the London-
derry countryside during numerous circuits until a train had passed through the base.
Ballykelly aircrews were not noted for being ardent train spotters!
No. 269 Squadron activity at Ballykelly in March 1958, when the unidentified MR.1A in
the foreground (below) had yet to receive a white top to its fuselage, while fitters work
on a well-stained MR.1A (bottom) carrying a replica of the squadron's crest on its nose,
Author's collection
MR,l VP262/0 of No. 120 Squadron photographed on 19 July 1956. Four months later, the
aircraft ioined the MOTU, to be coded 'P'. Aeroplane
No. 269 Squadron had been formed on 1 January 1952 from a nucleus of No. 224
Squadron at Gibraltar, and between 14--24 March, the unit was transferred to Ballykelly
with its complement of Shackleton MR.l s. The unit's code was the letter 'B' and their eight
aircraft carried individual letters in arange '/!\ to 'H'. No. 240 Squadron had been reformed
out of the disbanded No. 120 Squadron at Leuchars in October 1946, and by December
1950 was operating from Kinloss with Lancaster GR.3s. These were replaced by Shackle-
ton MR.l sin March 1951 and the unit moved, after ashort spell at Aldergrove, to become
Ballykelly's second Shackleton squadron on 1May 1952, carrying the unit code letter T.
About the same time, the JASS replaced their Lancaster GR.3s with Shackleton MR.l s,
with which they operated until being disbanded in March 1957.
No. 204 Squadron was reformed at Ballykelly on 1January 1954, to give the base its
full quota of three Shackleton squadrons, with new squadron's aircraft carrying the unit
code T.
The Shackleton MR.2 was now coming off Avro's production lines and the mixture of
Mk.1s and Mk2s within individual squadrons at Ballykelly proved to be rather impracti-
cal. Therefore, Nos 240 and 269 Squadrons standardized with MR.1 s and by August
1954, No. 204 Squadron was an all MR.2 unit. In addition to the Shackletons, the base
had an Anson C.xIX and an Airspeed Oxford allocated to the Station Flight. together with
an ex-World War Two TIger Moth T.II.
During the mid-1950s, Ballykelly's Shackletons became heavily involved in several
overseas operations that were headline news. Besides bombing sorties during the
unrest in various sections of the Middle East, the high points were possibly their employ-
ment during the EOKA terrorist activities in Cyprus and the survey work undertaken in
preparation for Operation Grapple, the British thermonuclear weapons trials.
Between December 1955 and January 1956, Shackletons from all three squadrons
were detached to Lyneham in Wiltshire to act as troop carriers. Each aircraft could
accommodate thirty-three fully-equipped soldiers for the 8 ~ - h o u r flight to Luqa on
Malta. The first available aircraft was then used on ashuttle service between Luqa and
Nicosia in Cyprus.
The Operation Grapple survey brought about the establishing of Christmas Island in the
South Pacific as the operating base for the nuclear tests. Individual aircraft from all three
squadrons undertook a42-hour flight from Ballykelly to Christmas Island, staging through
the Azores, Bermuda, the USAF bases of Charleston in South Carolina, Briggs in Texas and
Travis in California, before the Pacific crossing to Hickman Field on Hawaii, then on to Christ-
mas Island. At least six aircraft were involved in Operation Grapple, which lasted from Feb-
ruary 1957 to July 1958, the final Shackleton arriving back at Ballykelly during October 1958.
On 1November 1958 No. 240 Squadron was renumbered No. 203 Squadron, and on 1
December, the metamorphosis of No. 269 Squadron into No. 210 Squadron was accom-
plished. Over aperiod of eleven years, No. 203 Squadron flew Shackleton MR.1 As, MR.2s
and MR.3s, before being transferred to Luqa. Until being disbanded at Ballykelly on 31
October 1970, No. 120 Squadron operated solely with the Shackleton MR.1.
No. 204 Squadron escaped the rash of re-numberings and remained at Ballykelly with
Shackleton MR.1As and MR.2s until being disbanded on 1 April 1971, when it was
reformed at Hanington on the same day from the Majunga Detachment Support Unit. Its
vacating of the Londonderry base brought an end, not only to Shackleton operations, but
also to the RAF's tenure of the site.
The Shackleton was not the only Avro aircraft to be based there and, 'keeping it in the
family', the last project that Chadwick initiated, the Vulcan, became a regular detach-
ment visitor on RAF and NATO exercises during the uneasy international climate of the
1960s and 1970s. In 1963, Operational Readiness Platforms (ORPs) were constructed on
the side of the main runway threshold, to facilitate quick-reaction take-offs. The Royal
Navy renewed its 1940s associations with Ballykelly during the 1960s, with ten-day
detachments from both HMS Eagle and HMS Hermes. Both carriers sent flights of Sea
Vixens and Gannets for shore operations while the JASS hosted visits from US Navy
units, as well various NATO countries. P-3A Orions, S-2A Trackers, Arguses and Atlan-
tiques all negotiated the Limavady hills -the highest of which was named 'Ben Twitch'
by the Shackleton squadrons - to touch down on Ballykelly's runways.
On 2June 1971 the base was handed over to the British Army, but Sir Ernest's name
lived on, with the site becoming Shackleton Barracks - you can't keep a good name
down! From the reverberations of Griffons, Ballykelly's airspace now resonates to the
more gentle displacement of rotary blades, with the Army's No. 655 Squadron operating
Gazelle and Lynx helicopters. Due to the volatile political atmosphere in Northern Ire-
land during the 1970s and 1980s, the squadron was on amuch more direct war-footing
than the Shackletons ever were.
Ballykelly was never the most popular of postings, particularly for ground crews.
Although the location was among a largely hospitable local population and there were
some spectacular sandy beaches nearby, the fact that. for the majority, getting home
involved crossing the Irish Sea, which was usually in amaelstrom condition, evoked an
atmosphere not usually found in postings within the United Kingdom. It was akin to an
overseas posting, without the sunshine and cheap wine!
MARK 1 AND ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
Both Nos 206 and 224 Squadrons used 'B' as
the unit code letter. MR.1As WG526/B-C and
WG527/B-D of No. 206 Squadron are flying out
from St Eval, while a pristine MR.1A, WB844/B-M,
awaits collection to join No 224 Squadron at
Gibraltar in January 1952. In August of the same
year, the squadron lines its MR.1As up after arriving
at Negombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), B-O being
WB845. Peler Allen, Harry Holmes and A. J. Freeborn
two prototypes and all production Lincoln
B.1 were equipped with the Bristol Type 17
turret, carrying two 0.50in machine-guns.
The Lincoln 8.2's mid-upper turret arma-
ment was upgraded to a pair of British
llispano 20mm cannon and this was the
combination that was installed on the
hackleton MR.1, with the tenth produc-
tion aircraft, VP263, going to the A&AEE
at Boscombe Down for turret trials on 20
july 1951.
More Squadrons
Gibraltar features strongly in the Shackleton's
history and No. 224 Squadron's first MR.1As arrived
in July 1951. Here, WB846/B-P squeezes between
the rock and the photographic aircraft while
WB836/B-T is brought in close to fill the frame of
Fit It Tom Pratt's Leica. 1. Pratt via A. J. Freeborn
Production of aircraft to the first contract
proceeded at a teady pace and six from the
first batch had flown by the end of 1950.
Besides os 120 and 240 quadrons already
mentioned, two more units were i ued with
Shackleton MR.1s during 1951. . 224
quadron received VP283 and VP287 at
Aldergrove injuly, while 0.220 quadron
was reformed at Kinloss on 24 eptember
with VP294 as its first of the type. By the end
of the year, both squadrons had eight MR. Is.
When the first Lincoln prototype, PW925,
flew on 9 june 1944, it had no mid-upper
turret, but wa later fitted with a Glenn-
Martin installation. However, the remaining
50 57
MARK I A '0 ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
~ -
-
The fir t aircraft of the second production
batch, VP281, first flew on 24 April 1951
and when VP294 made its maiden flight
three months later, on 18] uly, that wa the
first contract completed. Avro had received
ontract o.6jACFfj3628j B6(a), dated
1 May 1949, for a further thirty-seven
hackleton MR.ls, built in two batches
with the serials WB818 to WB837 and
WB844 to WB 61. An additional aircraft,
WB862, had featured in the draft contract,
but this was cancelled before the paperwork
was finalized.
OPPOSITE PAGE:
When MR.1 VP289 of No. 269 Squadron was based
at Ballykelly in March 1953, it followed the current
practice of not having an individual aircraft code
letter. It was destined to participate in Operation
Grapple later in the same year. Aeroplane
(Left & below) VP291{B-C, an MR.1 of No. 224
Squadron, flying out from Gibraltar on a photographic
session in September 1951, shortly before it suffered
a Category 3 accident, which was repaired on 'The
Rock'. Harry Holmes
(Above) MR.1A. WG529{A-H, serving with No. 42
Squadron at St Eval, was landed at night on 30
November 1953 with its undercarriage up, which
greatly altered the geometry of the propellers. The
aircraft was repaired on-site and transferred to No.
206 Squadron at the same base, on 15 July 1954.
Harry Holmes
52 53
MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES
A Griffon 57A in position during the assembly of an unidentified MR.1A. which had yet to receive the
modified exhaust system. Aeroplane
Two of the three immaculate MR.1As of No. 269
Squadron that were among the hundreds of aircraft
drawn lip for inspection at Odiham on 15 July 1953.
for the Coronation Review. Harry Holmes
(Above) WG525/E. an MR.1A of No. 205 Squadron
based at Changi. passed through Khormaksar in
July 1962. on its way to being stored at No. 23 MU.
Aldergrove. as a Non-Effective Aircraft and sold for
scrap. Ray Deacon
housing on 26 March 1953. Following tor-
age at Llandow's 38MU the aircraft
returned to Kinloss on 4 February 1956, to
remain there until 15 March 1960, which
was four years after the 0 U had changed
its name to the Maritime Operational
Training Unit (MOTU).
On 28 June 1952, 0.42 Squadron was
reformed at St Eval, having been disband-
ed on 15 October 1947, while flying Beau-
fighter TE10 at Thomey Island. Their
first hackleton MR. lA, WG509, arrived
at St Eval three weeks b fore the squadron
was officially reformed. WG509 was the
third production aircraft from a new order
received by Avro, Contract No. 6/ACFT/
5047/ B6(a), dated Augu t 1950. It origi-
nally covered twenty MR.lAs in three
batch ,with erial WG507 to WG511,
WG525 to WG533 and WG553 to
WG558. The contract was fulfilled as ten
MR. lAs, WG507 to WG511 and WG525
to WG529, the remaining ten aircraft
being completed as Shackleton MR.2s.
t Eval also saw the reforming of o.
206 quadran on 27 eptember 1952,
which received MR. lA, WB833, two
weeks later, on 15 Octobet. o. 205
Squadron had been in the Far East ince
torpedoe . On 31 July of the same year, the
Unit was re-designated No. 236 OCU and
Lancaster ASR and GR.3s came onto the
inventory. At least five of these cra hed
while erving with the OTU, before Lan-
casters were gradually transferred to the
School of Maritime Reconnaissance
(SMR) at St Mawgan, in readiness for the
arrival of Kinloss's first Shackleton. This
was the eleventh production MR.l,
VP264, which was delivered on 31 May
1951 and coded C-Z. Three month later,
on 24 August, it was truck by RE186,
one of the few Lancaster GR.3s still flying
from the Unit, but the repair was carried
out on ite and VP264 remained with the
OCU for another eighteen months, before
going to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall for strain
gauge testing of it Griffon's reduction gear
No. 236 Operational
Conversion Unit
at Gibraltar in January 1952. The second
MR.IA, WB819, first flew the day after
WB818 and it went to Gibraltar ahead of
the first production aircraft, to join o.
224 Squadron, on 1 October 1951.
o. 6 OCU had been e tablished at Kin-
loss on 18 July 1944, using the Mosquito
T.Ill to convert pilot from other twin-
engined types before they progressed onto
the Unit's Beaufighter Vis and Xs. These
had replaced the Beaufort as Coastal Com-
mand's strike aircraft, forming the special
Beaufighter Wing; each aircraft could carry
either the British 18in or American 22Y! in
Enter the MR.IA
Before the start of the contract it had been
decided that Rolls-Royce Griffon 57A
would replace the Griffon 57s as the out-
board power units. Thi required light
widening of the outer nacelles, which was
enough to warrant the allocation of new
nomenclature and from WB818 the Shack-
leton MR.l A came into being. One further
change to the contract involved the
removal of the ixteenth airframe, WB833,
from the production line, for rebuilding as
the prototype hackleton MR.2, which will
feature in Chapter 5.
WB818 made its maiden flight on 1
August 1951 and, following preparation
for issue at 38MU Llandow and St Maw-
gan, it wa delivered to 0.269 quadron
54 55
MARK I AND ITS DERlVATIVES MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES
MR.1A WB856/l stands on a damp Kinloss tarmac. Author's collection
VP292 and VP293, were delivered to the
OCU, together with four MR. lAs, WB822,
WB826, WB827 and WB829, from the first
batch of the second contract. On 14 January
1953, VP293 was flown from Kinloss to No.
224 Squadron at Aldergrove, before going
(continued over/eaf)
Kinloss wrote it off. This mission finally convinced Bomber Command that the Fortress
Mk I was far too vulnerable to both enemy action and its own technical inadequacies to
make aviable operational aircraft. Of the twenty aircraft originally supplied to the RAF,
ten were lost, nine of them serving with No. 90 Squadron.
By 1943. No. 45 MU's concentration was on assorted variants of the Halifax. Spitfire
and Wellington, which, in 1944, were joined by the Warwick. Preparations for D-Day
on 6June 1944, made the Halifax the prime type for attention as they were extensive-
ly employed as glider tugs for that operation. However, times change and by the begin-
ning of 1945, the MU was heavily involved in the wholesale culling of early variants of
the aircraft. The' preparation of Spitfires ceased at about the same time and by the end
of hostilities in Europe, on 8 May, the Unit was awash with Anson, Halifax and War-
wick airframes for breaking down. The autumn of the following year saw over 1,000
aircraft littering almost every bit of space desig'nated for the Kinloss MU, and beyond.
Meanwhile, No. 19 OTU had continued providing crews for Bomber Command, with
the final course departing on 25 May 1945. One month later, on 26 June, the Unit closed
and Kinloss was transferred from Bomber to Coastal Command's jurisdiction. They
established NO.6 OTU which, on 31 July, became No. 236 OCU, tasked with providing
operational crews for the Command's Lancaster GR.3s. By January 1952. the first Lend-
Lease Lockheed Neptune MR.l sarrived from the reformed No. 217 Squadron at St Eval
and potential crews for them formed anew course stream. Three additional units. Nos
36, 203 and 210 Squadrons, became Neptune operators during 1953, staying that way
until the Shackleton came into service.
From June 1951, Shackleton MR.ls and MR.1As were operated by the OCU, which
was re-designated the Maritime Operational Training Unit (MOTU) onl October 1956,
with an inventory of fifteen aircraft. The Shackleton 14 was gradually becoming the
predominant variant when the MOTU was transferred to St Mawgan in July 1965. How-
ever, Griffons would still shatter the peace around Kinloss for afew more years as Nos
201, 206 and 210 Squadrons had re-equipped with Shackleton MR.3s. But these had
WB851 joined on 23 November 1959 for
a. six-month period and WB858 arrived in
August 1963, after being converted to T.4
configuration.
During the course of 1951, six more
MR.1s, VP268, VP284, VP285, VP286,
The Morayshire Duo
With the Grampian mountains precluding the siting of airfields inland, it was only along
anarrow band of coastline that any suitable terrain could be found in this part of Scot-
land. Full advantage of this was taken during World War Two and no fewer than twen-
ty-one flying bases were established between Montrose and Inverness, adistance of
some 150 miles (240km). Today, only two remain as RAF stations, Kinloss and
Lossiemouth, both of which were built in 1938-39, at the end of the airfield expansion
programme.
Kinloss opened in late 1939 as No. 14 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). equipped
with North American Harvards and Airspeed Oxfords, for advanced training. Less than a
year later, in April 1940, the School was moved to Cranfield and Bomber Command took
over at Kinloss, in the wake of the airfield having already been host to detachments from
Nos 10, 49, 50, 51 and 102 Squadrons at various times. The new units to replace the
SFTS were detachments from No. 77 Squadron and. once again. NO.1 02 Squadron, both
operating with Whitley Vs.
By the middle of 1940. Kinloss had become more of an entity unto itself, rather than
ahost to detachments. No. 45 MU was established on 15 April, with the principal brief
to prepare new-build Halifax, Wellington and Whitley aircraft. prior to allocation to
operational squadrons. Supermarine also kept up a steady flow of various marks of
Spitfires, for pre-delivery inspection work. At more or less the same time as the MU
was estabished, No. 19 OTU was formed, to provide Bomber Command with night crew
training, using a mixture of Whitley variants and twelve of the OTU's aircraft partici-
pated in the first 'Thousand Bomber' raid, against Cologne on 31 May 1941.
At the beginning of September 1941, Kinloss again became host to adetachment. but
this one was different. No. 90 Squadron, struggling to make something of ahigh-altitude
bomber out of the Boeing B-17C Fortress Mk I at Polebrook in Northamptonshire, sent a
few aircraft to carry out raids on the German Navy's 'pocket-battleship' Admiral Scheer,
undergoing servicing at Oslo. Their first sortie was unproductive and their second, on 8
September, became an abortive mission when, nearing the Norwegian coast, one aircraft
was shot down by Bf 109s and another was lost through unknown causes. Athird was
nursed back in a crippled state with no hydraulics, and the resultant crash-landing at
WB850 also moved acros the airfield on 13
December, to go on the inventory of No.
240 Squadron. Early in 1955, th JASS
replaced their MR.lAs with hackleton
MR.2s WR966, WR967 and WR969, the
aircraft staying with the School until it wa
disbanded in March 1957.
The Air-Sea Warfare Development
Unit (ASWDU) moved up from Thorney
Island in Sussex to Ballykelly on 27 May
1948. Having several Lancaster GR.3s on
its strength, its task was to test and devel-
op new maritime equipment, both air-
borne and sea-borne. It received its first
Shackleton, MR.1 VP261, on 27 April
1951, but the aircraft only stayed with the
Unit for two weeks before being trans-
ferred to No. 120 Squadron at Kinloss a
couple of days before the A WDU itself
was posted to St Mawgan on 10 May. Once
established at its new Cornish base, the
Unit received MR.1 VP282 on 14 June
and MR.lA WB856 on 18 April 1952. A
number of Shackletons of various marks
were used by the Unit, with MR.1, VP285
arriving on 7 May 1957 for operational tri-
als of ASV21 Blue Silk equipment while
still on charge to the A&AEE. MR.1A
(Below) MR.1 VP266 was uncoded
during part of its operating time
with two Ballykelly units, Nos 269
and 204 Squadrons, from where it
joined the MOTU in October 1958,
coded 'P'. Harry Holmes
MR.1A WB851/G-V was on the
strength of the JASS when
photographed in the spring of
1953. The distinctive black bands
indicate that it is an 'Orange'
(enemy) aircraft during NATO
naval exercises. A. J. Freeborn
courses to train both ship and aircraft crews
in the finer points of combined tactics
again t the submarine. The School took
delivery of MR.lA WB849 on 18 March
1952, where it was coded G-W and
remained with them until being transferred
to No. 120 Squadron on 27 April 1955.
Two further MR.lAs were placed on the
JASS trength, WB850 arriving on 26
March 1952 to be coded G-X, followed five
days later by WB851 on 31 March, given
the code G-Y. This aircraft left the JASS
but remained at Ballykelly to join No. 269
Squadron on 16 eptember 1954, while
variou trials, shortly after it had attended
the SBAC Display at Farnborough. The
trials programme kept the aircraft at Wit-
tering until 13 April 1951, when it was
despatched to No. 38 MU.
The Joint Anti-Submarine School
(JASS) was officially opened on 30 January
1947 at the Londonderry Naval Base, com-
manded by both RN and RAF personnel in
tandem. The FAA' No. 744 Squadron had
Barracudas at Eglinton, while the RAF ele-
ment was a Flight at Ballykelly with a mis-
cellany of Lancasters, Warwicks and the
obligatory Anson, with the task of running
The Central Servicing Development Estab-
lishment (CSDE) at Wittering received
MR.1 VP257 on 29 November 1950 for
Specialist Units
reforming on 23 July 1942, flying various
Catalinas until September 1945, but it
started receiving Sunderland GR.Vs in
June of the same year. It continued with
these until 14 July 1958, when it took on
charge WB854, its first Shackleton
MR.1 A - and its first true landplane.
56 57
MARK I Al D ITS DERIVATIVES
MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVE
The Morayshire Duo continued
The Shackleton Classroom
Five year later, the MOTU reverted to the
o. 236 OCU title and was tasked with
crew conversion training for the imrod.
VP256, the third production MR.1, was unmarked during its stay with the RAF Handling Squadron at Manby - apart from the Griffon exhaust staining! Harry Holmes
converted into trainers. MR. 1, VP258, was
on charge to o. 120 Squadron at Alder-
grove, although actually in store in May
1955 and not required for further squadron
service. It was made ready and flown to
Avro's Woodford works, for converting to
become the prototype hackleton T.4.
The metamorpho i to produce the
trainer involved the removal of the Bristol
Type 17 mid-upper turret, enabling the
in tallation of additional radar- and radio-
op rator po ition in the bunk area. Being
an MR. 1, VP258 still had Griffon 57s in the
outboard installations, so the necessary
nacelle modification were carried out and
Although adetachment from No. 280 Squadron arrived on 25 November 1945 with its
Warwick ASR.l s, the following summer witnessed another change of ownership for
lossie'. The RAF relinquished command of the base on 12 July 1946, in favour of the
Royal Navy, who commissioned the shore base as HMS Fulmar, to accommodate its own
Operational Flying School, No. 766 Squadron, equipped with Fireflys and Seafires. The
Senior Service had to tolerate an RAF presence for the first six months, as No. 46 MU
still had hardstandings crowded with aircraft for pre-delivery preparation or dismantling
for scrap. By February 1947, to the relief of both parties-as MU personnel and RN train-
ing staff had rather differing views on the subject of service life- the task had been com-
pleted and No. 46 MU closed down.
The whole range of the FAAs inventory operated from Lossiemouth for varying
lengths of time, with the Naval Air Fighting and Strike School proving the pre-service
capabilities of the Scimitar, followed by the Buccaneer. Then, on 29 September 1972.
the RAF once more took command and the base was closed for extensive alterations,
in preparation for the arrival of Coastal Command's Shackleton, which would herald the
return of four-engined aircraft to the Morayshire station. The base was ready to receive
them in the summer of 1973 and NO.8 Squadron arrived from Kinloss with its AEW.2s
on 17 August to start an eighteen-year partnership that ended with anostalgic farewell
at the end of June 1991.
SEPECAT Jaguar GR.l s took up residence when No. 54 Squadron was reformed at
Lossiemouth on 23 April 1974, with NO.6 Squadron going through the same procedure
on 1October, to operate the same type of aircraft. The 1October also saw the birth of
No. 226 OCU by the renaming of the Jaguar Conversion Unit. but within two months all
Jaguar operations had transferred from Scotland to Coltishall in Norfolk.
1September 1976 brought anew sound to Lossie's environment, when adetachment
from No. 202 Squadron brought its Westland Whirlwind HAR.l Os. Upgrading to the Sea
King HAR.3 took place in July 1978, and today the detachment is classified as '0 Flight',
to which the Sea King HAR.3A has been added.
After the political assassination of the BAC TSR.2 strike aircraft and the cancellation
of its first proposed substitute, the General Dynamics F-lll, the RAF was persuaded to
accept the Buccaneer S.2 instead and Lossiemouth once more became home to this
Blackburn-designed low-level strike aircraft. No. 216 Squadron came up from Honing-
ton on 4July 1980 and No. 12 Squadron took the same route the following month. Three
years later, on 1July 1983, No. 208 Squadron also transferred from Honington.
By the mid-1980s, the Panavia Tornado GR.l was taking over the RAF's strike role and
today the base is home to Nos 12(B) and 14 Squadrons, while No. 617 Squadron has
renewed its association from the Tirpitz days, but as a full member of Lossiemouth's
Tornado force, some of which have been upgraded to GRA standard. No. XV IRes)
Squadron also operates as the national Tornado OCU.
The Moray Firth has been witness to continuous military flying for over sixty years.
The calls made upon the abilities of the Nimrod and Tornado constitute another world
compared to the Harvards that first staggered off the two Scottish bases at the com-
mencement of World War Two - although the sound of the North American trainer's
propeller thrashing away without any reduction gear, might have prepared the local
populace for 'The Growler'!
The Lancaster MR.3s used a operational
trainers for Shackleton crew were fa t
approaching the end of their airframe fly-
ing hours and the obvious solution wa to
produce a trainer version of the hacklet n
itself. With MR.2 coming off the produc-
tion line at a st ady rate, there was a large
enough surplus of MR. lAs that could be
been pensioned off by early 1971, and although NO.8 Squadron was reformed on 1Jan-
uary 1972 to operate the Shackleton AEW.2, eighteen months later, on 14 August 1973,
the squadron moved to Lossiemouth, thereby ending Kinloss's involvement with the
Shackleton. Today Kinloss is the main base for the Shackleton's successor in the mar-
itime reconnaissance role, the Nimrod, with Nos 42(Rl. 120, 201 and 206 Squadrons
operating the type there.
About 12 miles (19kml to the east, on the south side of the Moray Firth,lies the small
town of Lossiemouth where, at the same time as Kinloss, construction of another per-
manent station was started in 1938, to be opened in the summer of 1939. The first unit,
No. 15 SFTS, took up residence with Harvards and Oxfords, but their tenure was to be
short-lived, as the School moved to Middle Wallop on 20 April 1940. Like its neighbour,
the airfield housed aMaintenance Unit, No. 46 MU, which was opened on 1April 1940.
Biplanes, such as the Audax, Hector, Hind, Hart and Tiger Moth, occupied the new unit
to begin with, but by the end of the year, the majority of them had been replaced by
Defiants, Hurricanes and Wellingtons.
On 27 May 1940, one month after No. 15 SFTS's departure, No. 20 Operational Training
Unit was established, operating with Ansons and Wellingtons. The fact that the Anson
formed a major constituent of a night-bomber training unit speaks volumes about the
equipment that potential crews for Bomber Command had to use in the early days of its
offensive against the enemy, not to mention the conditions of flying from the airfield's
grass runways during aScottish winter! Two years later, in the spring/summer of 1942,
concrete runways were at last laid down and No. 46 MU received its first Lancaster short-
ly before Christmas. Asubsidiary of Prestwick's NO.4 Ferry Pilots PoollFPPI was formed
and later this became aunit in its own right, with the designation No. 10 FPP
From early days, the base became colloquially known as lossie' and at the same time
as NO.4 FPP's formation, runway extensions were constructed by aUSAAF engineering
team, together with additional hardstandings, to facilitate the anticipated use of the sta-
tion by the 8th USAAF, but this did not materialize and the RAF gained from the Ameri-
can efforts. The base became operationally involved when, like Kinloss, attack forma-
tions on the Tirpitz by Nos 9and 607 Squadrons were assisted by the top-up refuelling
of the aircraft involved. This was particularly necessary for Operation Paravane in Sep-
tember 1944, which involved the two squadrons, plus a No. 463 (Australial Squadron
Lancaster, flying to Yagodnik in the northern USSR, from where the sorties against the
battleship, moored in Alten Fjord, were carried out.
No. 20 OTU continued to supply qualified bomber crews throughout World War Two.
It is possible that lossie's' geographical. as well as meteorological, characteristics,
with the adjacent Grampians generating arather unpredictable local climate, produced
better quality pilots and navigators - but it is just athought!
By 1945, No. 46 MU was handling Lincolns, Warwicks and Yorks, but during asingle
week in the summer the base lost two units. The FPP was disbanded on 10 July and the
OTU on the 17th. Like Kinloss amonth earlier, Lossiemouth came under the authority of
Coastal Command and by August 1945, Liberators of No. 111 OTU had taken up resi-
dence - the work carried out by the American engineering battalion back in 1942 at last
benefiting American-built aircraft.
to Avro's Langar works on 17 August 1956,
for converting into the second hackleton
T.4. Five more new MR.IA, WB830,
WB834, WB847, WB848 and WB855, had
arrived at the CU by April 1952. From
then, MR.ls and MR. 1As that joined the
Unit were ex- quadron aircraft.
Over the year , no Dwer than twenty-
t'wo different airframes served with No. 236
OCU which, on 1 crober 1956, was
renamed the Maritime Operational Train-
ing Unit (MOTU), with a strength of fif-
teen aircraft. Th two MR.l variants were
gradually replaced by the T.4 and the whole
unit transferred to t Mawgan in]uly 1965.
58
59
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES With Piskies and Pasties
MR.1A WB834/L had been C-L when flying with No. 236 OCU and retained the T when the unit's name was
changed to MOTU. Harry Holmes
WB847 was converted from MR.1A to 1.4 standard between August 1956 and February 1958. Coded 'z' by the
MOTU in July 1965, it is seen visiting Fairford the following year. Ray Deacon
Just over 3miles (4.8km) north of the Cornish 'surfing centre' of Newquay lies amajor
airfield that started life as a disaster and came very close to closure. Situated on a
plateau overlooking Watergate Bay, Trebelzue airfield was laid down in 1941 but its
first occupants, NO.2 Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit (OADU) formed out of Ferry Com-
mand, soon realized that it was totally inadequate for their requirements and, further-
more, could not see it being of much use to any other branch of the RAF.
Consequently it was decided to extend the airfield's perimeters by avery large margin
and rebuild the site as an operational base. With a war in progress, the acquisition of
land was no problem and three hamlets, plus the access to amuch-used roadway, were
engulfed in the new airfield. One of the hamlets to disappear was Mawgan Cross, but
its name was retained in arevised form and the new base was to be called St Mawgan.
By February 1943, construction work was at astage where units could be accommodat-
ed - or at least their aircraft could. Beaufighters, Henleys and Wellingtons came in from
Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit at Cleave, outside Bude, though personnel had to put up
with living under canvas. Adetachment that arrived from No. 297 Squadron at Thruxton in
May 1943, flying Airspeed Horsa gliders, was none too impressed but things did improve
and when the first runway was activated on 1July, heralding the arrival of aUSAAF B-24
Liberator, together with a B-17 Flying Fortress, St Mawgan was ready to go to war. The
original little runways of Trebelzue became dispersals and were heavily engaged in turn-
ing around hundreds of Allied aircraft taking part in the North African campaign during
autumn 1943. USAAF meteorological units, flying B-17s, took up residence in the winter
and BritiSh Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), in conjunction with the Dutch airline
KLM, began Trans-Atlantic flights, using the base as part of OADU operations.
Construction work was still in progress but by May 1944, with a new control tower,
meteorological section, operations block and an extended runway, St Mawgan saw the
last of the construction crews, enabling it to be put on aproper service basis, and with
its 1O,200ft (3,11 Om) main runway it became avery busy airfield. ATransport Command
passenger service was established in March 1944, but on 1November that year, BOAC
moved its operations to Hurn. At about the same time, No. 1529 Radio Aids Training
Flight (RATF) was reformed with half adozen Oxfords and they began instruction using
one of the first Instrument Landing Systems (ILSI that were constructed by American
units in the UK. The heavy Bomber Command and 8th USAAF raids in the early months
of 1945 produced many diversions by the aircraft involved and the airfield became atruly
Allied base on many occasions, handling every type of aircraft used by the two powers.
Following the end of World War Two in Europe, St Mawgan became involved with pro-
viding all that was required for the heavy aircraft movements that were necessary to bol-
ster squadrons still engaged in the war against Japan. Westward-flying traffic increased
in the summer of 1945, when NO.6 Group of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) took
over 150 Lancasters back to Canada. NO.1 Air Traffic School (ATSI opened in July that
year, and the following month the USAAF relinquished its facilities at St Mawgan and the
RAF became the sole occupier for the first time since the base had been built. As was to
be expected, the wholesale movement of aircraft to destinations both East and West in
1945gradually declined, although the first 'good-will' mission to the North American con-
tinent, made by Lancasters of No. 35 Squadron in July 1946, provided a short burst of
activity when they left, and on their return the following month. But by July 1947 the air-
field was reduced to Care and Maintenance and the weeds quickly took command.
Two years later, the Plymouth Aero Club started pleasure flights and stories abound-
ed that the base would soon reopen, to accept the leviathan of the US Strategic Air
Command (SAC), the Convair B-36. This did not materialize however, for the 11 th Bomb
Wing (H) flew its B-36Ds and -Fs from its home base at Carswell to Brize Norton in
Oxfordshire, thereby sparing Cornwall the enormous noise of the B-36's six piston and
four jet engines.
But St Mawgan did reopen, in April 1951, and in June the first Lancasters of the
School of Maritime Reconnaissance (SoMRI took up residence, closely followed by the
ASWDU. The FAAs No. 744 Squadron also used the base for a short period of devel-
opment flying. On 4June 1956, No. 22 Squadron's 'A Flight started operating Search
and Rescue (SARl. flying Whirlwind HAR.2 helicopters, and three months later, the
SoMR was disbanded as the MOTU flew down from Kinloss.
The Shackleton MRJ, which was entering service, required alonger take-off run than
its predecessors and St Mawgan's vast runways suited the aircraft perfectly. No. 220
Squadron arrived on 4 December 1956, still with MR.2s but scheduled to receive the
MRJ. No. 228 Squadron preceded it by aweek, arriving with its MR.2s on 29 Novem-
ber. Strangely, this squadron did not re-equip with MR.3s and moved to St Eval two
years later, eventually to be disbanded on 5March 1959. No. 206 Squadron became the
second MR.3 operator when it moved to St Mawgan on 14 January 1958.
In 1959 the base became unique, as the RAF now shared the airfield with acivilian
airline. Starways Limited started a tourist service and, although several other small
companies tried to emulate the idea, many found it financially impossible. However,
Newquay County Council was abit of ararity in being aforward-thinking council and,
by dint of continuous gently persuasion, they got permission from the Air Ministry to
construct asmall civil terminal on the north side of the airfield. The airport operated on
asmall scale, until the arrival of British Midland in 1969 greatly increased the number
of passenger movements, which was enhanced when Brymon Airways began operat-
ing a London-Newquay service in 1977.
On the military side, No. 42 Squadron transferred from St Eval and, with No. 201
Squadron, the renumbered No. 220 Squadron, by 1959 St Mawgan had become possi-
bly the most important surveillance station in Coastal Command's No. 19 Group.
New buildings replaced the older ones, many of them dating back to World War Two.
The MOTU had moved up to Kinloss several years before, but when Nos 201 and 206
Squadrons transferred to the Scottish base in 1956, the MOTU returned to Cornwall. to
share St Mawgan with No. 42 Squadron. Amajor change in Coastal Command's air-
craft began in the late summer of 1969, when the first of the Nimrods arrived at St
Mawgan and No. 236 OCU was formed out of the MOTU, to convert Shackleton crews
onto the new type.
One year later, the RAF reformed NO.7 Squadron at Tarrant Rushton, on 1May 1970.
This had been a Valiant B(PR)K.l unit when it was disbanded at Wittering on 30 Sep-
tember 1962. The purpose of the reforming was to provide aunit to operate the Canber-
ra IT.18, a high-speed target tug for both Lightning airborne gun-firing practice and for
Tigercat surface-to-air missile firing. The squadron arrived at St Mawgan in formation on
1July, after a farewell display at Tarrant Rushton. The Canberras were destined to stay
at the Cornish base for the next twelve years, until the squadron was stood down on 5
January 1982, when the aircraft were distributed between NO.1 00 Squadron at Wyton
and the Fleet Requirements and Air Directional Training Unit (FRADU) at Yeovilton.
Today, besides being a Master Diversion unit, available every minute of every day
throughout the year, St Mawgan is primarily asearch-and-rescue base as well as being
amajor operational station for RAF/NATO commitments, whenever they occur. The SAR
requirements are handled by No. 203 (Reserve) Squadron operating with Sea King
HAR3/3As.
a pair of Griffon 57As fitted before the air-
craft flew to the A&AEE at Boscombe
Down for the official trials of the new vari-
ant. Following the Establishment's accep-
tance, it was transferred, on 3 May 1957, to
Avro's Langar complex, for a trial installa-
tion of the ASV21 Blue Silk radar that
brought it up to full T.4 standard as speci-
fied in Contract No. 6jACITjl2278j
CB6(a), which the manufacturer had
received in 1955. It was seconded to the
Ministry of Supply (MoS) Air Fleet on 27
january 1958 for the installation of the
Phase II radio, which was given clearance at
Boscombe Down by the end of the year.
This allowed VP258 to be placed on charge
to the MOTU at Kinloss on 12 january
1959, where it was coded '0'. Further peri-
ods at Armstrong Whitworth' Bitteswell
works in 1959, No. 49 MU Colerne in 1960
and Langar during 1962-63 kept the aircraft
busy, but on returning to the MOTU in the
middle of 1963, it was coded 'N', destined to
remain with the Unit until being sold to the
Board of Trade, who delivered it to the Fire
School at Stansted on 17 july 1968.
60
Two further MR.1s were modified to
T.4 standard: VP259, which was convert-
ed at Woodford, starting on 28 April
1956 and VP293, whose conversion was
handled by Avro's Langar works after it
had arrived on 17 August 1956. VP259
was accepted by the MOTU on 22 july
1957 and coded 'Q', while VP293, after
being converted, spent nearly three years
on trial installation work at various estab-
lishments before arriving at the MOTU
on 1 March 1960, to be given the air-
frame code 'X'. VP259 was only with the
An ex-MOTU aircraft, WB832/U is shown at No.2 SolT, Cosford, in 1965, where it was used for ground
training and became 7885M before later being scrapped. Ray Deacon
67
MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES
VP293 was converted from an MR.1 into a T.4 between August 1956 and March 1958. It spent three years
with the MOTU, before being purchased by the MoA in January 1964, to be used for trials work at RAE
Farnborough, where it was photographed in 1968. Ray Deacon
MARK I A D ITS DERIVATIVES
Unit for six months a , on 10 January
1958, it crashed outside Elgin. VP293's
stay with the MOTU lasted until 2 April
1962, when it went to Langar for modifi-
cations, was placed in storage at Alder-
grove's 23 MU on 20 February 1963 and
transferred to RAE Farnborough for
weapon and low-level TV trials, on 6
January 1964. At the RAE it became
unique in having the front propellers on
the outer engines painted with black and
white stripes and the rear propeller on the
port side Similarly treated.
The remaining thirteen aircraft to
become Shackleton T.4s were all MR.1As,
starting with WB819, and all the conver-
sions were undertaken by Avro' Langar
works. The last aircraft, WG511 from the
third production contract, left Langar as a
T.4 inJuly 1957. (A full list of aircraft con-
verted to T.4 standard is given in the table
right.)
All sixteen T.4 erved with the Maritime
Operational Training Unit for ome part of
their operating lives. WB831 i believed to
have spent the longest time with the Unit,
having arrived on 25 ovember 1957,
coded' '. Apart from a year at Bitteswell for
Phase II modifications in 1959-60, the air-
craft moved with the Unit from Kinloss to
St Mawgan, where it was recoded 'U' in
October 1965, and remained until 17 May
1967, when it cra hed on take-off at the
Cornish base. The resultant damage wa
considered beyond economical repair and
WB831 was struck off charge on 7 June
1967, to be con igned to the ba e' dump for
fire practice.
Colours and Markings
From 10 Augu t 1941, it was ordered that
all Coastal Command aircraft should be
painted white on the undersurfaces and
sides, with surfaces viewed from immedi-
ately above finished in a Dark late Grey
and Extra Dark ea Grey camouflage pat-
tem. The scheme was adhered to by all
long-range reconnaissance and subma-
rine-attack aircraft, but it did not seem to
apply to the shorter-range strike aircraft,
such as those in the Beaufighter Wing,
together with anti-shipping Mosquitoe .
Al 0, po t-war Lend-Lease Lockheed Nep-
tune MR.1s retained their US Glossy Sea
Blue finish, presumably because it would
be uneconomical to repaint them for the
short duration that they would be in
oastal ommand service and then to
restore their original colour prior to their
return to the United States.
62
The upper-surface camouflage colours
were gradually altered to a single Medium
Sea Grey (BS.637) after World War Two
and this was the colour scheme in use
when the hackleton was first produced,
with all MR.1s and MR.1As leaving Avro
in this finish. Serial number and unit
codes were applied in Light Slate Grey
(B .639), although during production,
underwing serials were changed to black,
a were a number of code letters applied by
the respective units. Some local variations
were introduced, such as the painting of a
black band around the rear fuselage, bro-
ken by the roundel, and two black bands
First Shackleton Trainers
Two MR.l aircraft confirmed as being converted to
14 standard by Avro at Woodford:
VP258, VP259
One MR.l aircraft confirmed as being converted to
T.4 standard by Avro at Langar:
VP293
Thirteen MR.l Aaircraft confirmed as being convert-
ed to 14 standard by Avro at Langar:
WB8l9, WB820, WB822, WB826, WB83l, WB832,
VVB837, VVB844, VVB845, VVB847, WB849, WB858,
WG511
I
- , ~ " ===51
c'
~ l
Later during its service with the RAE, VP293 had a special paint scheme applied to the two port propellers and one of the starboard ones, Just why the starboard
inner was not similarly treated has not been ascertained. Aeroplane
63
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
MARK I AND ITS DERIVATIVES
(Above) MR.1 VP256 in the Shackleton's first colour scheme. Harry Holmes (Below) WB834/L is in the overall Dark Sea Grey finish of 1955. Harry Holmes
ahead of the wind creen and black engine
cowlings finished off the ensemble.
One aesthetic advantage of the Dark ea
Grey was that the four broad bands of Grif-
fon exhaust staining over the upper wing
surface, 0 conspicuous on the Medium ea
Grey, were not so obvious.
The carrying of unit crests and badge
was not too prevalent during the MR.l'
service. After the aircraft had received the
darker grey, os 120, 240 and 269
quadron applied unit badges on the
noses of their MR.lA , as did the MOTU
on some of their T.4s.
MOTU had theirs in the overall BS.638.
Yet more change came in 1959, when all
Shackletons had their fu elage top finished
white to reduce interior temperatures when
the UK weather conditions featured the
un, but also becau e of the over ea detach-
ment in which the aircraft were increasing-
ly becoming involved. In this cheme
MR.IAs anJ T.4 aw out their time. One
anomaly was the RAE' T.4, VP293, at Fam-
borough, which, besides having the black/
white propeller blades, had the nose, fins,
rudders, rear-turret fairing and outer wing
panels painted red. A black anti-glare panel
chord-wi e acro s the outer wings, on
]A aircraft. Also, pinner bo e were
sometimes painted to make one squadron's
aircraft di tingui hable from other. In the
case of o. 224 Squadron at Gibraltar in
1952, the spinners were painted red.
Then, in 1955, a big change wa made,
when the whole airframe was finished in
Dark ea Grey (BS.638), with serial num-
ber and unit/aircraft codes painted red
(B .538), with white outlines. In some
case the A V radar housing was painted
Medium ea Grey, but it seem to have
been an arbitrary matter and, for example,
In June 1975, VP293 was withdrawn from RAE service and sold to the Strathallen Museum, where it is landing on 3 March 1976. But by 1979, after three years as
an outdoor exhibit in a Scottish environment, the aircraft's condition had deteriorated and it was scrapped, apart from the front fuselage, which is housed at
Woodford, on behalf of the Shackleton Association. Author's collection and Aeroplane
64
65
MARK 1 AND ITS DERIVATIVES
CHAPTER FIVE
Mark 2 - 1951 to 1972
now being installed in a semi-retractable,
two-section ventral 'dustbin', positioned
aft of the bomb-bay; the latter was retained
with the same dimensions as in the Mark
1. The obvious benefit gained by this new
radar housing was that it virtually elimi-
nated the potential 'bird strike' hazard that
the chin position presented - a challenge
that was quite often accepted by the large
sea-birds encountered over the oceans -
The Aerodynamic Trials
Aircraft
As already stated in Chapter Four, the first
Shackleton prototype, VW126, went back
into Woodford's works complex in the
winter of 1950-51 for conversion into the
aerodynamic test vehicle for a proposed
newly-configured fuselage. A longer nose
was grafted onto VWI 26, from a point in
It became glaringly obvious even before
the start of the Shackleton MR.l 's RAF
service that the aircraft had several short-
comings. Some were more critical than
others, and by the winter of 1950-51 the
MR.l was officially considered an interim
aircraft; although the Establishments had
passed it for service this was on the basis
that a new variant would be forthcoming.
Avro's design office was tasked with a
Despite VW126's metamorphosis to a purely aerodynamic trials aircraft for the MR.2, the mechanics for the
retractable ventral ASV housing were in full working order. Harry Holmes
By 1959, white fuselage tops had become standard.
Aeroplane Specification - Avro 696 Shackleton MR.l, MR lA and T.4
Dimensions:
Powerplants:
Weights:
Crew:
Armament:
Performance:
Numbers built:
Served with:
Span 120ft (36.57ml; length 77ft 6in (2362m): wing area 1,421 sq ft 1132sq m)
Four Rolls-Royce Griffon 57/57A twelve-cylinder, liquid-cooled, in-line engines
Empty 49,6001b (22,500kg) or (Phase III 54,5001b (24,700kg): loaded 82,0001b (37,000kgl
Ten
Two 20mm cannon in mid-upper turret; maximum bomb load 14,0001b (6,400kg) comprising
varying numbers of depth charges, mines, sonobuoys and 1.0001b or 500lb bombs
Maximum speed 294mph at 12,000ft 1470km/h at 3,700m): service ceiling 20,700ft (6,300m):
maximum range 4,200 miles (6,800km)
Three prototypes, twenty-nine M.R.1s, forty-seven M.R.1As: total of seventy-nine aircraft
Nos 42, 120, 203, 204, 205, 206, 220, 224, 240 and 269 Squadrons, No. 236 OCU, ASWDU,
CSDE, JASS and RAF Handling Squadron
major redesign within the basic Specifica-
tion R.5/46, which was amended in July
1950 and referred to as Issue 2. The result-
ing aircraft would be known as the Shack-
leton Mark 2, incorporating all the modi-
fications required to meet the Mark I's
weaknesses and deficiencies - at least, that
was the ambitious intention.
line with the windscreen framing. It fea-
tured the facility for installing a pair of
20mm British Hispano cannons, remotely
controlled from an upper siting position.
The nose shape also incorporated the posi-
tion for a flat glass bomb-aimer's window
under the gun installation. The original
'chin' A V housing was gone, the radar
and was amply demonstrated as early as
late 1950, when the second Mark 1 proto-
type, VW131, was returning from tropical
trials at Khartoum. Furthermore, the
ASV13's full 360-degree scanning capabil-
ity could at last be utilized. A new tail-
wheel assembly was fitted, consisting of a
pair of smaller wheels that retracted to be
66
67
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972 MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
(Above) When this photograph of the prototype
MR.2, WB833, was taken, the small amount of
exhaust staining indicates that it had not
accumulated many flying hours. Harry Holmes
A fine air-to-air shot of WB833, before armaments
were installed. AuthOr's COllection
January 1956 and retained it for two years. It
was fitted with a 'homing head' en or in its
tail, a part of a programme for the develop-
ment ofguided weapon control intelligence,
using various aircraft on charge to the Estab-
Ii hment. It was also engaged on work a 0-
ciated with the adoption of an updated guid-
ed weapon technology as a rear warning
Electronic Countermea ures (E M) sys-
tem, derived from the 'Boozer' pa ive rear
warning sy tem fitted to Bomber Command
aircraft towards the end of World War Two.
During its tenure at Defford, VW126 wa
involved with the 'Gee' Mk 3 lattice map
navigation aid, as well as work on the
'Rebecca' range, homing and approach
system utilizing the ground-based 'Eureka'
beacon for homing, plus, after the Estab-
lishment moved to Pershore, the Blind
full performance and handling trial of the
Mark 2 a a ervice aircraft. The e were
completed, enabling VW126 to fly back to
its manufacturer on 3 October 1952, after
which it wa engaged on noi e-reduction
trial - the atisfactory result of which
crews would trongly question! During the
ame period, Avro also te ted the effects of
ditching on the bomb door.
At th end of 1955, the aircraft was allo-
cated to the Radar Research Establishment
(RRE) at Defford, who took delivery on 12
braking sy tem, incorporating toe-activat-
ed brakes and a rudder-locking capability,
which together provided greatly enhanced
control while taxiing.
The aerodynamic test aircraft first flew
in its new gui e on 19 July 1951 and ix
days later it went to the A&AEE for a se s-
ment of the toe-brakes and lockable rud-
der . 1t returned to Woodford on 1 August
for further Mark 2 development work,
which occupied the next seven months,
before going back to Boscombe Down for
II
fully enclosed by twin doors, instead of
the large single fixed unit on the MR.l.
The whole rear fuselage, from the crew
entrance door back, was more tapered, to
finish in a transparent pointed tail cone,
providing the crew with the ability to visu-
ally confirm the re ult of their bomb or
depth charge attacks.
On persistent complaint by MR.1
pilot was the aircraft' poor ground han-
dling. Thi was addressed on the 'new-
look' VW126 by a completely revised
(Above) An early production MR.2 lines up behind four MR.ls, during a visit to
No. 236 OCU. Author's collection
(Top) MR.2 assembly gets under way at Woodford, with at least five airframes
visible in this photograph. Harry Holmes
68 69
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
Two brand-new MR.2s await collection from Woodford. with Wl754. which would later become an AEW.2.
in the middle ground. standing beside an unidentified lancastrian. Harry Holmes
An MR.1A of No. 206 Squadron formates with two
MR.2s of No. 224 Squadron. during rehearsals for
the Coronation Review in 1953. George Hart
A fine study of a No. 228 Squadron MR.2
approaching a rocky UK coastline. Author's collection
When the Shackleton first went into
quadron ervice, the RAF were none too
pleased to discover that the sound-proofing
fitted in the three prototypes and demon-
strated to Coastal ommand, was not
fitted in production MR.l aircraft. This sit-
uation had been carried over into the
MR.2. The noise and vibrations within the
sonobuoys as well as the passive ones
already in ervice. The e revisions were
cleared by the A&AEE following WB833's
arrival on 22 September 1959, and the air-
craft demonstrated its revised sonobuoy
system to a mixed American and Canadi-
an delegation assembled at RAE Fambor-
ough on 10 ovember that year.
neces itating their aerials being moved
further aft, plus a UHF radio homer which
produced an additional aerial on the nose.
A TACtical Air Navigation (TACAN)
uite was incorporated and improvements
were made to the radio compass, requiring
a recessed aerial immediately aft of the
cockpit roof.
The radar changes concentrated on the
introduction of an ECM suite that required
a large new aerial on the mid-upper fuse-
lage. The Bristol turret had long since
gone, in keeping with a modification to all
produ tion MR.l, MR.IA and MR.2 air-
craft, introduced during 1955-56. Conse-
quently the new ECM aerial, with an ex-
terior appearance similar to a lighting
beacon, was installed in a dorsal po ition
roughly where the turret had been sited.
There was considerable drag from the
new aerial and, unless the ECM equipment
was going to be u cd on a particular flight,
the aerial would often be removed. The
Mark lc onic ystem was installed, giving
the aircraft the facility to drop active
The Phase Modifications
engineering, radio and navigational trials.
The aircraft had the nose armament of twin
20mm cannon housed in a Boulton Paul 'N'
turret, in addition to the pair in the mid-
upper Bristol Type 17 installation. With the
A&AEE trial completed, the prototype
was transferred to RAE Famborough on 2
December, for radio compass test, return-
ing to Woodford on 29 January 1953 for
performance trials.
WB833 went to Langar on 30 ovember
1954 for Phase I modification, including
a new radio installation, together with a
revised cockpit layout incorporating new
lighting, as recommended by the RAF Han-
dling Squadron at Manby, all of which were
subsequently cleared by Boscombe Down.
A return to Langar wa made on 1 Octo-
ber 1958, for Phase II radio and radar instal-
lation modifications, the radio changes
involving improved UHF equipment,
Approach Beacon System (BABS) for run-
way alignment prior to landing.
The aircraft left the RRE on 29 May
1958 and wa housed by No. 23 MU at
Aldergrove for storage. It was transferred
to Mini try of Aviation charge on 25
November 1959 and tran ported to o. 2
Radio School at Yate bury during February
1960, as Instructional Airframe 7626M.
Five years later it had been broken down
into sections at Yatesbury, for conveying to
No. 71 MU at Bice ter in October 1965,
which was a ad end for such a hard-work-
ing airframe.
MR.2 Prototype
The only true prototype for the Shackleton
MR.2 was WB833, removed from the
MR.IA production line under a separate
order, Contract 0.6/A Ff/5834/CB6(a).
It made it maiden flight from Woodford
on 17 June 1952 and was flown to Bos-
combe Down on 23 July for pelformance,
70
71
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972 MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
The Griffon's power is demonstrated at Farnborough 1953, as Wl796 follows the display flight line with
three of its propellers fully feathered. Author's collection
WL796 was loaned to Avro for demonstra-
tion at the 1953 SBAC Display at Farn-
borough, with a Mark III lifeboat fitted. By
the mid-1950s, the craft had been replaced
by the 'Lindholme Gear', so named
because Squadron Commander of RAF
Lindholme in Yorkshire at that time,
invented the apparatus. It consisted of an
MS9 self-inflatable lib'aft, equipped with
a homing beacon, food, fresh water, first-
aid and even cigarettes, all fitted in a can-
ister that opened on striking the water.
gear, through an aperture in the bomb
doors, which were closed. On release, four
42ft (l2.8m) diameter parachutes were
deployed, keeping the craft' bows at an
angle of 60 degrees until it hit the water.
The Mark III was fitted with a 500cc Vin-
cent motorcycle engine and sufficient fuel
was provided to give the lifeboat a range of
1,250 miles (2,000km).
The Mark III lifeboat was never used 'in
earnest' by the Shackleton, although MR.2
confirmed that at least WB533 was used
for the programme.
Some fifty 'Airborne Lifeboat Mark III'
craft were built by Saunders Roe (Angle-
sey) between 1952 and 1957. (Coincidence
raises its head here, as the President of
Saunders Roe was Sir Alliott Verdon-Roe,
Avro's founder, who had sold his interests in
his company to Sir John Siddeley in 1928,
but the company had retained its name.)
Each boat was winched up to be attached by
a single locking lug to the bomb release
test programmes conducted by the Arma-
ment and Instrument Experimental Unit
(AIEU) at Martlesham Heath in Suffolk.
The Shackleton was scheduled to replace
the Lancaster ASR.III, which itself had
succeeded the Warwick ASR.1. No. 202
Squadron provided several additional
MR. 1As to further the test programme,
but when the Shackleton MR.2 began to
enter service, the trials were transferred to
the ASWDU at St Mawgan and it is
included a considerable amount of airframe
rebuild, did indeed alleviate the situation
to a certain extent, they were still some
way from being completely successful.
ASR Trials
Trials of the Shackleton with an air-sea
rescue system centred around the Mark III
Airborne Lifeboat had begun on 26
ovember 1951, using MR.1A WB834 for
aircraft generated a very difficult working
environment for the crews and the ears
were still ringing long after disembarking.
Strong complaints from all squadrons pro-
duced a series of trials undertaken at RAE
Farnb6rough, which Coastal Command
firmly believed would disprove the
squadron grievances. However, the Estab-
lishment confirmed that the service crews
were absolutely correct and while modifi-
cations contained within Phase Ill, which
At the 1953 SBAC Display, the thirty-fifth production MR.2, Wl796, was displayed with Mk III Airborne lifeboat No. 804 fitted. The second prototype Vulcan B.1,
VX777, is parked on the same tarmac area. Harry Holmes
72 73
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
By the time that the first aircraft from
the new order, WL737, had its maiden
flight on 17 November 1952, none of the
ten aircraft from the previous order had
been allocated to a squadron. Some did
vious paragraph. Forty aircraft were ordered
with the contract, to be built in two batch-
es, the first containing twenty-three aircraft,
WL737 to WL759. Batch number two had
seventeen aircraft, WL785 to WL801.
The sixth production MR.2, Wl742/B-Z, had been well used by No. 206 Squadron when these photographs
were taken in January 1954. Aeroplane and authOr's collection
Avro received their first order covering
only MR.2s with Contract No. 6/ACFT/
6129/CB(6a) dated December 1950, the
previous order being the second part of the
last MR.1A contract, referred to in the pre-
(Left) With Westland Wessex
HAS.1 '02' from HMS Ark Royal in
the background, MR.2 Wl795/T
belonging to No. 38 Squadron
came in to Khormaksar from
luqa during 1964. Ray Deacon
(Above) The second production
MR.2, WG531, first flew on
21 August 1952 and two weeks
later was demonstrated at
Farnborough's SBAC Display.
Aeroplane and author's collection
: B r ~ 5 3 1
batches, WG530 to WG533 and WG553
to WG558, were completed, making a
total of twenty aircraft, against the con-
tract calling for nineteen. The second air-
craft, WG531, with cannon fully fitted in
both turrets, had a flying slot at Farnbor-
ough's 1952 SBAC Display, where its low-
level fly-bys included the deployment of
its ventral ASV radome.

o
Avro had received Contract No. 6/ACFT/
5047/CB6(a), dated August 1950, cover-
ing nineteen MR.1As but this order wa
amended and only ten MR. lAs were com-
pleted, with the balance to be MR.2 air-
craft. Here the paperwork gets confusing,
as records show that ten MR.2s in two
The MR.2 Starts Service Life
Attached to the raft by lengths of floating
rope were two additional containers, the
contents of which were dictated by the cli-
matic conditions prevailing in whatever
part of the world the particular squadron
was operating. It was installed in the bomb-
bay of the aircraft and was so successful that
even today Nimrods carry Lindholme
Gear, virtually unchanged since the 1950s.
74
75
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
eventually join No 38,42, 120, 204, 205,
206 and 210 Squadrons, but only after sev-
eral years of trials. Only the last two of the
ten-aircraft batch, WG557 and WG558,
went directly to No. 206 Squadron after
clearance by No. 23 MU.
Fast Production
The new-contract aircraft entered Coastal
Command service much earlier in their
lives, with WL737 reaching No. 220
Squadron at St Eval on 24 March 1953, just
over four months after first flying. WL738
and WL739 joined No. 240 Squadron at
Ballykelly one week later, on 31 March. Air-
craft built to the new contract were leaving
Avro's factory at a very steady rate, four hav-
ing their first flights in December 1952 and
five more in the first two months of 1953,
which was a good production turnover for a
four-engined aircraft in peacetime. The
thirteenth aircraft, WL749, had a very short
career, being issued to No. 120 Squadron on
20 April 1953 and landing short of Alder-
grove's runway three weeks later, on 14 May.
Its port undercarriage collapsed and the air-
craft slewed off the tarmac to finish its flying
days in the controller's caravan. Damaged
beyond repair, WL749 was struck-off-charge
the same day and consigned to being a com-
ponents spares airframe.
This rapid allocation of MR.2s to
squadrons saw some units operating the
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
new variant alongside MR.IAs, and this
soon became a problem. The operating
procedures of the two types differed in
many ways and, from a servicing point of
view, the two Marks were very different
aeroplanes, which dictated that two sets of
spares of many components became neces-
sary. Nos 42,206 and 240 Squadrons at St
Eval, No. 120 Squadron at Aldergrove,
No. 220 Squadron at Kinloss and o. 269
Squadron at Gibraltar were all finding the
dual arrangements becoming the source of
much frustration. Consequently, by 1954
Coastal Command had decided to ratio-
nalize the situation such that a squadron
was to operate with just one variant. This
created a 'musical chairs' syndrome during
the year, which evened out as Nos 120,
204, 206, 220, 240 and 269 Squadrons
becoming MR.IA units, while Nos 42,210
and 224 Squadrons were all MR.2 opera-
tors. The equipping of No. 204 Squadron
with MR.IAs contributed to the decision
that the unit would become a part of Oper-
a'tion GrapJ)le in the future (see page 129).
The Busy Life
The first batch of the latest contract was
completed when WL759 made its maiden
flight on 24 April 1953. It had a varied
career, which was rather typical of many
Shackletons. The aircraft was issued to No.
37 Squadron at Luqa on 2 September of the
same year, remaining in their charge for the
next four years, although it was loaned out
to the JASS at Ballykelly and used at St
Mawgan for short periods. Twice the aircraft
was involved in heavy landings while with
the squadron, necessitating repairs to the
rear fuselage undertaken by working parties
at Malta's No. 137 MU at Safi, to where it
was transported. Following the second
repair, WL759 came back to the UK, where
0.49 MU installed additional equipment
before the aircraft joined No. 204 Squadron
at Ballykelly, on 27 August 1957. A year
later it was again at No. 49 MU, this time for
a Phase I update, before going back to Luqa
on 10 March 1959 and being entered on No.
38 Squadron's inventory. In 1962, the air-
craft again returned to the UK, where it was
placed on loan to the MoA for trials involv-
ing the carrying of the Mk 44 torpedo, fol-
lowed by a period with Dowty Rotol testing
a new tail-wheel jacking ystem. It went to
Boscombe Down for trials of these installa-
tions, where it was retained by the Estab-
lishment for release trials of Marine Markers
and Underwater Sound Signal equipment.
ll1ese were completed by 18 February 1964,
when WL759 was posted to the ASWDU at
Ballykelly. Two years later, the aircraft left
the UK for the last time, to join No. 205
Squadron of the Far East Air Force (FEAF),
arriving at Changi in August 1966. It flew
with the unit until 11 November 1968,
when it was struck-off-charge; in 1969
WL759 was broken up at Changi.
No. 224 Squadron had only just received MR.2 WL753 at Gibraltar, when Fit Lt Freeborn flew it to be photographed by Fit Lt Tom Pratt on 20 May 1953, during
a Coronation Review rehearsal. The aircraft was later coded 8-Q. T. Pratt via A. J. Freeborn
76
MR.2 WL738/D, arriving at Khormaksar after a Phase II update in the UK, had yet to receive its No. 37
Squadron identification. Ray Deacon
77
The Second Batch
WL785 had its maiden flight on 10 May
1953, as the first MR.2 from the second
batch. Two days later WL786 did likewise,
with WL787 following on 18 May and
WL788 on 4 June. All were destined for
Middle East Air Force (MEAF) service,
with WL785, WL786 anJ WL788 being
issued to 0.37 Squadron at Luqa, while
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
WL787 joined No. 38 Squadron at the
same Maltese base.
MAD Trials
Their successor, WL789, after first flying
on 10 June, went to No. 38 MU at Llandow
on 15 June to have a special installation,
made by an Avro Company Working Party
(CWP). This involved the fitting of a sub-
stantial Magnetic Anomaly Detection
(MAD) boom, projecting from the rear
fuselage. With its new equipment, the air-
craft went to St Mawgan on 10 September
1953 and became a constituent of the
base's ASWDU on 30 September. Coded
'F-D' it was employed on extensive MAD
trials lasting over four and a half years, dur-
ing which time several modifications were
incorporated in the equipment. The MAD
boom was removed at the ASWDU and,
on 9 April 1958, WL789 was transferred to
No. 49 MU at Colerne, for conversion to
Phase I standard prior to being issued to
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
No. 224 Squadron at Gibraltar on 13 April
1959, where it was coded 'W'. Eighteen
months later the aircraft flew back to the
UK and went to Avro's Langar works for a
Phase II update, returning to the squadron
on 2 February 1962, to be re-coded 'A'. Two
years later, on 18 October 1966, WL789
was allocated to No. 38 Squadron at Luqa,
but its stay on Malta was short-lived as, on
23 January 1967, it went much further
No. 37 Squadron's Wl744/B and Wl747/C on the pan at Khormaksar in 1963. The housing for the Orange Harvest ECM on 'B' shows that it has undergone Phase II
modifications, while 'C', with its ASV housing resting on the tarmac, has yet to be updated. Ray Deacon
78
I
MR.2 W1789 photographed during MAD trials at the St Mawgan ASWDU in 1955. Brian Wright
79
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
Seen at Khormaksar in 1963, WL752 had just returned from its Phase II update in the UK. Ray Deacon
Following its MAD trials, WL789 was converted back to a standard MR.2 and, after receiving Phase II modifications, was coded 'A' with No. 224 Squadron.
Ray Deacon
afield and was flown to Changi to become
a member of the FEAF's 0.205 quadron.
Eighteen months later the aircraft wa back
in the UK, arriving at o. 27 MU Shaw-
bury on 24 August 196 where it was
declared a on Effective Aircraft. WL7 9
was broken up in December of the arne
year, and sold a scrap on 2 March 1969.
Short Lives
A couple of aircraft from batch number
two did not fair 0 well. WL794 fir t flew
on 7 August 1953 and after clearance by
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
WL794 crashed into the Mediterranean
off the northern Maltese island of Gozo
during a night exercise attack on a subma-
rine and was declared a missing aircraft.
WL799 made it maiden flight on 18
eptember 1953 and after spending five
month at No 2 and 49 MUs for special
Autolycus fitments that were tested at St
Mawgan, it was ferried to afi on 28 ep-
tember 1955, only to return to Langar
three weeks later. During a disastrous fire
at Langar on 22 December, WL799 was
completel y destroyed and th ree other
aircraft were extensively damaged. The
additional tragedy so far as WL799 was
covering the production of a further forty
MR.2 , but, due to the large number of
complaints regarding noise and vibration
that have already been mentioned, the
order was completed as nineteen MR.2s.
The remaining twenty-one aircraft would
be the forthcoming and improved hackle-
ton MR.3. The MR.2s were to be built in
one batch, to which the serial number
WR951 to WR969 were allo ated. Their
production continued the existing line of
airframe and WR951 had its maiden flight
on 20 October 1953, just ten days after
WL801, the final aircraft from the previous
order. It wa issu d to 0.204 Squadron on
No. 205 Squadron at Changi received WL756/C on 11 June 1962, after its Phase II update, with the ECM
aerial mounted in its housing. George Pennick
Having received its Phase II modifications, WL800, the penultimate aircraft from the second production order, was allocated to No. 203 Squadron on 15 May 1962,
where it was coded T. Aeroplane
80
o. 23 MU at Aldergrove, wa issued to
o. 3 quadron, making the ix-hour
flight to Luqa on 4 January 1954 to be
coded 'T'. Many of these ferry flight to
overseas bases were undertaken by o. 167
Squadron which, on 1 February 1953, was
formed by the renaming of No.3 Long
Range Ferry Unit, based at Abingdon. On
16 April that year the squadron was moved
to Benson, till in Oxfordshire, to become
a part of Transport Command. One month
after arriving at Luqa, on 12 February,
concerned was the fact that it had been at
the Avro works having pecial test equip-
ment fitted and wa due to d part for
Malta the following day, for trials of the
installation. ot the ideal Christmas pre-
sent for anyone involved!
More MR.2s
Avro received ontraet No. 6/ACFT/
6408/ B(6a) dated 8 February 1951,
81
4 January 1954, four days after the
quadran had been reformed at Ballykelly.
New Aircraft For All
The allocation of aircraft from the new
order was fairly evenly distributed through-
out Coastal Command's Shackleton units.
The second aircraft off the line, WR952,
went to No. 206 quadron at St Eval on 10
February 1954, while WR953 joined No.
22 quadron at the same location on 16
February 1955, after spending a year at o.
38 MU, Llandow, and WR954 flew out to
Luqa's No.37 Squadron on 1 April 1954.
No. 120 quadron at Aldergrove accepted
WR955 on 8 April, while No. 228
Squadron, having been reformed on 1jan-
uary 1954 at t Eval, received the next
seven aircraft, WR956 to WR962, during
the year. This got the reformed quadron
off to a flying start as a Shackleton unit -
its previous mount, when it disbanded on
4 june 1945 at t Eval, had been Liberator
Mk VIII. The aircraft had changed but
not the location.
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
receiving one of the new Coastal ommand
aircraft codings, '22S-Z', the system incor-
porating the squadron number with the air-
frame letter. Before the squadron di banded
fifteen months later, on 6 March 1959,
WR962 went on free loan to Controller
(Air) charge and joined 'B' Squadron at the
A&AEE, Boscombe Down, for a series of
trial concerning armaments and Lind-
holme Gear releasing. By 1 june 1959
the e trials were completed and the aircraft
was allocated to the British Force Arabian
Peninsular on 27 july, where it was put on
charge to No.37 quadron, who took deliv-
ery at its Aden base on 29 july, coding the
No. 27 MU at hawbury on 9 eptember
1967. It was declared a one Active Air-
frame and was sold as scrap on 28 March
1969.
From the rest of the produ tion batch,
WR963 is believed to have been the
busie t, ama ing 14,957 flying hours; this
wa by virtue of the AEW conver ions that
took place during the early 1970s and is
covered in full in Chapter Ten. Prior to this
conversion, WR963 did the rounds of
hackleton units, erving with os 38,
205, 210 and 224 quadrons between
October 1954 and December 1970, as well
a having all three Phases incorporated at
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
Both WR959/F of No. 37 Squadron and WL798/y of No. 38 Squadron had yet to be Phase II-upgraded when these pictures were taken. Ray Deacon
MR.2 WR962/A rejoined No. 37 Squadron in 1962, after serving with two previous units, three months at the
A&AEE on Lindholme Gear trials and three Phase upgrades. Ray Deacon
The last of the e seven, WR962, had
quite an eventful career. Arriving at t Eval
on 7 july 1954, it was coded 'L 'and was
till with the squadron when the unit moved
to t Mawgan on 29 ovember 1956. On 6
March 1957 the aircraft was tran ferred to
No. 220 Squadron at the same base. Nearly
a year later, on 1 june 195 , WR962
returned to No. 228 Squadron, which had
returned to St Eval the previous january,
aircraft '37-A'. WR962 returned to the UK,
arriving at Langar on 23 September 1960 for
a Phase III upgrade, which wa fini hed on
28 February 1962, ready for the aircraft to
return to o. 37 Squadron. It arrived at
Aden on 19 March, but on 27 july it su -
tained damage that r qui red repair at
Muharraq lasting a month. When o. 37
Squadron disbanded, WR962 again
r turned to the UK, and wa accepted by
82
various times. WR969, the la t MR.2 built,
po ibly h Id the record for the number of
individual units where it served. os 38,
204,205,210,220,224 and 228 quadrons
all had it on charge for varying lengths of
time, as did th jA S and the MOTU. The
timespan was between December 1954 and
eptember 1971, wi th sixteen months
being spent at Langar for modification to
T.2 tandard.
No. 205 Squadron at Changi received WL790/E on 21 June 1962, after its Phase II modifications. The aircraft remained on squadron charge until returning to the UK
in January 1971 for converting into an AEW.2. Author's collection
83
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972 MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
MR.2 WR967fZ with No. 38 Squadron in 1964, has the 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' legend on the fin/rudder assembly.
It is believed that this was a unit anomaly that was not retained for long. The squadron released the
aircraft in March 1967 and it flew to Langar for conversion into one of the ten T.2s. Ray Deacon
Khormaksar had a great number of Shackletons on its pans during the early 1960s. Here MR.2s WL785/A
and WR955/C, both belonging to No. 42 Squadron at St Mawgan, carry the Union flag during their time of
detachment to assist in quelling the unrest in Aden. Ray Deacon
The Mark 2 Trainer
By late 1965, the T.4s flown by the MOTU
were beginning to show signs of age and
con id ration was given to their replace-
ment. They had given good ervi e and of
the seventeen produced, only one, VP259,
had been 10 t, crashing on 31 May 1958 as
related in hapter Four. WB832 was with-
drawn from service on 8 July 1965, through
tress damage, and was conveyed to No.2
S hool of Technical Training (SoTT) at
Co ford, with the [n tructional Airframe
number 7 85M.
In 1960, the politic of the aircraft
indu try' 'rationalization' began to rumble
around the corridors of power. A. V. Roe
had been a member of the Hawker Sidde-
ley Group ince July 1935, but still retain-
ing it own name - a did fellow Group
members Armstrong Siddeley, Arm trong
Whitworth, Gloster, Hawker and Avro
Canada - but on 1 July 1963, the name
Avro disappeared, fifty-three years after its
84
inception on 1 January 1910 (it has made
a more recent return in the Regional Jet
commercial aircraft market). The compa-
ny became an element of Hawker Siddeley
Aviation Limited (HSA) and Avro Langar
became HSA Langar.
Arrangement were put into motion
for ten hackleton MR.2s to be convert-
ed into training aircraft, with the work
being handled by HSA Langar. To the
layman, the logical de ignation for th
new trainer would be 'T.S', its predece or
Second Shackleton Trainers
Ten MR.2 aircraft confirmed as being converted to 12
standard by HSA Langar:
WG533. WG534, WG558. WL739. WL750. WL787,
WR964. WR966. WR967. WR969
being the T.4, a the mark number 3 was
already in existence for the final Shackle-
ton MR variant. But the minds of offi-
cialdom do not necessarily adhere to
logic, 0 the trainer ver ion of the MR.2
was to be designated T.2, just to confuse
everyone.
WL739, a Phase II aircraft, was with-
drawn from service with No. 204
quadron at Ballykelly in eptember [966
and flown to HSA Langar for conversion
into the first T.2. Dorsa[ turrets had been
removed from all Shackletons several
years previously, so the modification to
produce the trainer were mostly internal,
with the removal of the two 20mm cannon
in the no e turret being one of the few
external difference. The re t bunk were
removed - no time for resting when on a
training course! - and in the fonner cook-
ing/ ating area, a master radar wa
installed, with a slave set fitted in place of
the bunks. These were the on ly radars
operating in the trainer, the standard radar
po ition not being used, and both trainees
faced aft. WL739' conver ion was com-
pleted by the end of 1967 and on 3 Janu-
ary 1968, it wa fl wn to the MOTU at St
Mawgan as oastal Command's first
Shackleton T.2.
Conversion of the remaining nine air-
craft progressed from WL750's arrival at
Langar on 14 December 1966, until
WR967 departed on 5 September 1968.
The latter did not to go directly to the
MOTU. It first joined the Ballykelly
Wing, before going to H A's Bitteswell
works two months later, where modifica-
tions were incorporated before the aircraft
finally arrived at St Mawgan on 2 April
[969. All ten trainer saw their time out
until they became redundant, except
WR967. This was damaged in a flying
accident on 7 eptember 1972, while
operating from Kinlos, where it had
received the name Zebedee. After the acci-
dent, the aircraft wa grounded and the
fuselage converted into an AEW training
aid by Marconi Elli tt Avionics ystems.
The wings and tail unit were removed and
the fuselage mounted on blocks, before it
wa handed over to the RAF on 14 August
1975, with th In tructional Airframe
number 8398M - plus the unofficial, but
very apt, name Dodo.
85
The la t T.2 u ed in it de ignat d rol
was WL7 7. Operated by No.8 quadron
at Lossiemouth, the aircraft' fatigue life
was expended on 3 January 1974, when it
wa allocated to the base's fire-fighting
training unit, but two months later it was
broken up.
New-build Shackleton MR.2s ended
with the sixty-ninth production aircraft,
WR969, but when it made its maiden
flight, on 10 May 1954, there were still two
aircraft at Woodford that had yet to fly.
WR967 had its first flight a week later, on
17 May, and WR968 became the last new
MR.2 to get airborne for the first time on
17 June. Including the prototype, WB833,
a total of seventy airframes were built over
a two-year period.
Shackleton Highs ...
A the 'MR' prefix indicate, the hackle-
ton's primary role was maritime recon-
naissance and, in this field, it was a good
aeroplane. Some wi II say it was the best of
all th fixed-wing sear h and rescue air-
craft too, as its long endurance, slow
speed, very good observation positions
and abil ity to carry a mass of A R equip-
ment made it ideal for this task. No doubt
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
The Shackleton's maritime reconnaissance role is exemplified in this picture, as WL742/B-Z is flown over
vast tracts of open sea. Author's collection
No. 224 Squadron at Gibraltar said 'goodbye' to WL792/K on 14 September 1957. An MT driver at the base
took this shot as the pilot made a bit of a hash of a low pass during that year's Battle of Britain Air Display.
The local population thought it was all part of the show and possibly were disappointed when it was not
repeated in 1958! George Williams
The Royal Review
Caribbean. Leaving Ballykelly on 11 July,
they visited Kindley Field in Bermuda,
Palisadoes in Jamaica, plus Trinidad, and
Stanley Field in British Honduras. While
in the Caribbean, the squadron's aircraft
provided transport for a local regiment, by
flying twenty-nine troops per aircraft, from
Trinidad to British Honduras, as an ele-
ment of troop rotation, before returning
home on 2 August.
Such goodwill tours, including two to
South America, continued throughout the
Shackleton's service and many of them
combined with various overseas exercises.
It meant that the distinctive noise gener-
ated by four Griffons, driving twenty-four
propeller blades, was shared with other
nations on a very generous scale.
On 15 July 1953, the year after her accession
to the throne and six weeks after her Coro-
nation on 2 June, Her Majesty Queen EI iza-
beth II attended a Review of the Royal Air
Force at RAF Odiham in Hampshire. (This
ai,field had been born of the 1930s Expan-
sion cheme and the official opening cere-
monyon 18 October 1937 had a degree of
the fuselage, together with a plethora of
spares, and special bomb-bay panniers
were designed to carry spares that were too
large to go through the crew-entrance
door. These were also useful for the return
trip, when mess bars could be stocked with
alcoholic beverages and food not usually
found in the UK at that time.
All five continents were visited over the
years, with Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) being
an early destination. No. 220 Squadron
flew some of its MR.IAs to the island in
February 1952 and No. 224 Squadron did
likewise in August of the same year. 1953
saw No. 42 Squadron's MR.2s visiting the
island and later sending a detachment to
South Africa, which was the goodwill tour
that initiated Avro's only Shackleton export
order (see Chapter Seven). A subsequent
tour by the MR.2s of No. 204 Squadron, in
Exercise Durbex II in June/July 1955 was
instrumental in consolidating the deal. The
journey to Durban, via Khartoum and
Nairobi, took a total flying time of 33 hour.
A flight of two MR.2s from No. 210
Squadron (one of them being WR969, the
last production MR.2), to Singapore in
April 1960, was followed three months
later by four imilar aircraft from No. 204
Squadron making a goodwill tour of the
Goodwill Tours
proved that these statistics did not dimin-
ish the affection that the type installed in
its operators.
Japan's surrender on 15 August 1945
brought an official end to World War Two
and in the general euphoria that existed
within the Allied countries, exchange vis-
its of armed forces were arranged. This has
settled down over the years but the pattern
still exist today. An early tour made by the
RAF involved Lancaster B.ls of No. 35
Squadron based at Graveley in Hunting-
donshire, resplendent in their white upper
surface/black underside 'Tiger Force' fin-
ish, applied for their intended use in the
Far East that was negated by 15 Augu t.
They flew to the United State on 9 July
1946, to spend over two weeks visiting
USAAF and Canadian RCAF bases,
before returning to Graveley on 29 July.
The arrival of the Shackleton in
squadron service provided the RAF with
an excellent aircraft for such tours as, with
its capacious fuselage and bomb bay, the
aircraft could travel as self-contained
units. Ground crew were conveyed within
dent was the same as the service procedure
with the Griffon - a good hefty clout with
a large spanner on the offending starter!)
The Griffon also had a propensity to
haemorrhage oil at every available joint.
As has been indicated several times in this
narrative, the Shackleton was noisy in the
extreme and had a heating system that was
ineffective in the cockpit, but tropical
nearer the tail. There was also the sobering
fact that, with eight MR. Is and ten MR.2s
bei ng destroyed in crashes, the Shackleton
held the record for the number of aircrew
killed in one type in the peacetime RAE
Though the 10 per cent of MR.ls and 7 per
cent of MR.2s that were lost were not high
percentages of the aircraft built, at least
ten aircrew each were killed in a large
number of these crashes. But history has
... and Lows
However, on the negative side, the Shack-
leton was, like many a service aeroplane,
plagued with mechanical problems, many
of which were centred around their mighty
Griffon engines. These could quite often
prove temperamental and had an exa per-
ating penchant for jamming starter motors.
(The author had a car like that once. Exas-
perating it was and the cure to each inci-
active, were dropped to surround a subma-
rine with an encompassing audio mesh.
The ASV13 radar in the ventral position
on the MR.2 was capable of detecting a tar-
get as small as a submarine's snorkel from a
range of over 30 miles (50km).
the present-day Nimrod, with its myriad
of electronics, carries the crown, but it
doesn't have the same noise. When you
had been in a dingy, floating in a vast
expanse of ocean for m.any hours, the
growl of Griffons was the 'Last ight of
the Proms, your team winning the Cup,
and Christmas', all rolled into one!
But the ability to detect and track ship-
ping, on or below the sUlface, together with
determining friend or foe, was amply
demonstrated over many years of service.
This ability was greatly assisted by the many
items of additional equipment that were
added on a regular basis. Orange Harvest
passively detected radar emissions from ves-
sels and Autolycus 'sniffed out' diesel fumes
emitted by a submarine using its snorkel.
The aircraft' sonobuoys, both passive and
86
87
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
An early production MR.2 drawn up at Odiham alongside a 8-29 Washington, positioned behind a fighter
row containing Vampire NF.1Os and Canadair-built F-86 Sabres, at the Coronation Review. Michael Stroud via
Harry Holmes
(1.8m) gap between wingtips in a Shack-
leton, a lot of practice wa needed. Three
aircraft each were drawn from 0 42,206
and 220 quadrons at St Eval. Another
three each came from os 120, 240 and
269 quadrons in orthern Ireland, the e
quadron moving into St Eval clos to th
Review date for joint practice, to ensure
the hackleton Wing was a credit to the
Command. As it was nearly impos ible to
fly hackleton in close formation faster
than 235mph (380km!h) or slower than
165mph (265km/h), a target speed of
200mph (320km/h) was aimed for, which
was some 30mph (50km/h) faster than the
Washington formation 30 seconds ahead
of them when they reached Odiham.
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
The Earl of Bandon, is known to have in-
gled out the hackleton Wing as being the
tandard to attain by some of the other
large-aircraft formation - another plus for
'The Growler' and it crews.
Colours and Markings
The whole MR.2 production came off the
line in the White overall with Medium
ea Grey finish but, like the MR. Is, in
service their colour was changed to over-
all Dark Sea Grey. Large authorized
squadron and individual aircraft code let-
ters were displayed in white, as were the
serial numbers. From the early 1950s,
round each character/number. Serial num-
bers were in red and the underwing num-
bers had white outlines. While these were
the basic Command markings, some units
introduced variations and in 1956 os
204, 240 and 269 Squadrons, together
with the JASS, decided to do away with
the individual aircraft letter on the no e.
Also around 1956-57, Ballykelly's
three squadrons started carrying a small
reproduction of their individual crests on
the aircraft's nose. In order to be een
against the grey, o. 204 quadron had
it crest within a white shield shape, No.
240 quadron's was within a white rec-
tangle and No. 269 Squadrons' appeared
inside a white disc. Many aircraft also had
No. 224 Squadron painted the spinners of their aircraft white for a period and here WR951/W is in line with
the 1962-introduced policy of having 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' on the rear fuselage, which necessitated the
roundel being made smaller and positioned in line with the wing's trailing edge. Ray Deacon
irony, con idering the near future: it was per-
fonned by General Erhard Milch, the Ger-
man ecretary of State for Air.)
The two re ident units in 1953, os 54
and 247 quadrons, both flying Meteor
F. ,were temporarily moved out in the
spring, to make way for the Review. Their
place wa taken up by ome 320 aircraft,
representing all eight RAF Commands in
th UK, the 2nd Tactical Air Force in
mainland Europe, some Commonwealth
Air Force and the Royal Auxiliary Air
Force. The hackleton was represented in
th line-up by three MR.ls and an MR.2.
Drawn up in four immaculate rows down
the length of the runway, with an arc of five
rows of trainers on the base's large hard-
standing behind them, they occupied close
on an hour of Her Majesty's time, as she
was slowly driven down the ranks. (One
can not help speculating on whether the
young Queen, not being an aeronautical
enthusiast, considered the saying 'If you've
seen one aeroplane, you've seen them alii ')
Almost immediately after he took her
place on the Royal dai ,a Bri tol Sycamore,
streaming the Royal Air Force ensign, led a
procession of some 640 aircraft in a flypast
that constituted the large t formation seen
over the UK since the end of World War
Two, and the like of which we shall never
see again in UK skies.
A mixed formation of eighteen Shack-
leton MR. lAs and MR.2s led Coastal
88
Command's representation, dovetailed
between Bomber Command's last forma-
tion of Washington B.ls and a trio of Hast-
ings .2s of Transport Command. The
great variety of aircraft participating in the
stream had a very broad speed envelope.
The ycamore's cruising speed of 132mph
(212km/h) was vastly different from that
of the wift F.4 that brought up the rear,
flown by upermarine's Chief Test Pilot,
Mike Lithgow: two months after the
Review, he achieved an averag of
743mph (1,195km/h) in a World Airspeed
Record attempt over Tripoli harbour.
Close-formation flying is an art that did
not ~ ature too highly in a service pilot'
skills, and when it came to flying with a 6ft
Despite 15 July being a dull, overca t
day, the formation flying down the estab-
Ii hed corridor from Watford at the north-
east tarting point, to Lasham, outh-east
of Odiham, where the individual forma-
tions 'broke ranks', was of a very high
order. Forty- even separate formations
flew past the Royal dais at altitude rang-
ing from 500-1,900ft (l50-580m), set to
avoid the slipstream wake of preceding
aircraft. The organizer, Air Vice-Mar hal
Coastal Command adopted a single-letter
unit code, positioned to the rear of the
fuselage roundel, with the individual air-
craft letter to the fore. With the advent of
the overall Dark S a Grey, a sy tem dis-
playing a unit's identification as the
squadron number - i.e. 37,210,228, etc-
was introduced. Thi wa positioned to the
rear of the fuselage roundel, with the indi-
vidual aircraft letter on the nose, and all
were painted in r d with a white outline
89
the crew captain' name displayed below
the squadron crest. In 1959, the many
overseas tours and detachments carried
out by Shackletons proved that Dark ea
Grey had no reflective powers 0 far as
the sun's heat was concerned. Therefore,
white top to the fuselage were intro-
duced on all hackletons, irre pective of
the variant - although not on some T.4
- and aircraft operating in the FEAF on a
regular basis also had the part of the top
MARK 2- 1951 TO 1972
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
OPPOSITE PAGE:
No. 224's squadron crest receives some attention in this
posed-for-the-occasion picture. Aeroplane
allow 'ROYAL AIR FORCE' to be po i-
tioned, in white, ahead of the tailplane lead-
ing edge. Propeller bosses were also painted
at around this time, with each squadron on
a particular base having its own c lour.
aturally, there was th odd anomaly.
Aircraft of No. 38 Squadron at Luqa kept
the large '38' and roundel, having their
'ROYAL AIR FORCE' legend painted
ABOVE:
The special dispensation whereby Aden-based MR.2s had the area of white-top increased is well
illustrated by WL744/B and WL747/C, shimmering in Khormaksar's heat during 1962. Ray Deacon
letters allocated to each unit were:
ASWDU 'A' to 'e'; 0.203 Squadron 'E'
to 'L' (excluding '1'); o. 204 Squadron
'M' to 'R'; and No. 210 Squadron 'T' to
'Z'. The varying number of aircraft per
squadron at anyone time meant that not
all the letters were always u ed.
A year later, the size of fu elage roundel
and squadron numbers was reduced, to
wing surface directly above the fuel tanks
painted white. Until 1963, Aden-based
MR.2 had the special dispensation of the
white cheat-line being lowered, to align
with the base of the cockpit framing. By
1960, Ballykelly's units, including the
ASWDU, had to fall in line with the re t
of oastal Command and ach aircraft's
code letter wa painted on the nose. The
90
97
MARK 2 - 1951 TO 1972
mall on the fin/rudder assembly. In 1971,
o. 205 Squadron at Changi carried a car-
icature of a hackleton painted light grey
alongside the nose identification letter.
o greater anomaly existed than T.2
WR966, erving with 0.205 quadron at
Changi, oded 'G'. The squadron was dis-
banded on 31 October 1971, but WR966
wa placed on detachment with No. 204
Every member of a crew was detailed to
undertake specific jobs during the flight and
their performance was monitored, in order
to ascertain if any loss of efficiency was
Proving that the camera does not lie, but the retouching artist has a jolly good try-
and the author was one for over forty years! - the Hawker Siddeley Group's
advertising in September 1954 carried an illustration of the Shackleton MR.3 with no
indication that it was an artist's impression. The shape of the tip-tanks had obviously
not been finalized and the artist went to a lot of trouble to get a take-off impression,
in order to show the tricycle undercarriage. The fact that Coastal Command would
change its colour scheme by the time that WR970 took to the air was unfortunate, but
otherwise the conversion of WB833 into 'WR970', with a few airbrush clouds, is quite
creditable. Derek James and Harry Holmes
week, flying on alternate nights. Take-offs
were scheduled between 16.00 and 16.30hr,
with landings being made the following
morning around 07.00hr.
Further Fatigue Trials
CHAPTER SIX
By 0 tober 1954, The Institute of Aviation
Medicine (JAM), a branch of RAE Farn-
borough, had been drawn into the question
of hackleton MR.2 crew fatigue. The
Institute proposed a trials programme and
No. 240 quadron at Ballykelly was tasked
with undertaking it. The programme en-
tailed everal crews flying sixty hours at
night, in a even-day period. Thi gruelling
schedule meant that each crew was required
to fly four fifteen-hour sorties within the
Nose-Wheels, Tip Tanks and CODlfort
Many of the shortcomings of the MR.I/IA
were carried through to the MR.2, which
had received ome cosmetic surgery, such
as the moving of the ASV radar housing
and Pha e updates, but they were nothing
like what was necessary. The Shackleton
was not a nice aeroplane in which to work
on a fifteen-hour patrol and the majority of
squadron crews let this be known in no
uncertain manner. With these facts firmly
in mind, as has been mentioned in the pre-
vious chapter, MR.2 production finished
with the nineteenth aircraft in Contract
o. 6/ACFT/640 /CB6(a) and the bal-
ance of the order wa to be fulfilled by a
redesigned aircraft.
pecification R.5/46 wa again amend-
ed and I sue 3 was activated on I ovem-
ber 1953. The new design, started in the
fir t months of 1954, wa to be designated
the hackleton MR.3 and the depth of
redesign was sufficient for Avro to allocate
it a new company number, the Type 716.
Great urgency was placed on Avro'
Design Office (DO) because, with the
long-serving Short underland at last
being withdrawn from service, with ome
airframe exceeding their fatigue life, the
need for more Shackletons was becoming
ever pre ing. The company re ponded
very well and by the time that the last
new-build MR.2 left Woodford, on 17
June 1954, the design of its successor had
hardened and detail work on the Type 716
was progres ing through the main DO.
No. 228 Squadron at St Eval bade farewell to its
Shackletons on 6 March 1959. Here, WR956 leads
WR957 and WR959, while WR953 takes up the rear
slot. Aeroplane
blade), set in a white circle. The legend
'WHITE KN CKLE AIRLI E' was
paint d on both ide, at the white-top
meeting line with the dark grey. On the
nose a 'T' was added after the code letter
'G', to denote the Gran Turismo classifica-
tion popularly applied to a certain cia of
car at that time - and certainly not merit-
ed in many cases! Following the automo-
bile connotation, '146, OOcc' wa added
alongside the 'GT', this bing the total
cubic capacity of the four Rolls-Royce
Griffon 57As. In this guise, the aircraft
departed from Tengah just after the ew
Year celebrations, arriving at No. 32 MU
St Athan on 10 January. Declared a Non
Effective Aircraft, it was stored at St
Athan until 22 June 1973, when it was
struck off charge and crapped.
quadron (Far East Detachment), based at
Tengah on the other side of Singapore
Island. To mark it di tinction of being the
last Shackleton in the FEAF, it underwent
considerable cosmetic adornment prior to
its return to the K. It already carried the
o. 205 quadron cr t on the outer face
of each fin. Thi consisted of a crossed tri-
dent and kris (a Malay dagger with a wavy
Specification - Avro 696 Shackleton MR.2 and 1.2
Span 120ft Oin (36.57ml; length 87ft 3in (26.60ml; wing area 1,421sq ft 1132sq m)
Four Rolls-Royce Griffon 57A/58 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line engines
Empty 51 ,0001b (23,000kg), Phase III 59,0001b (27,OOOkgl; loaded 84,0001b 138,000kgl. Phase
III 89,0001b (40,OOOkg)
Ten
Two 20mm cannon in nose turret; maximum bomb load 14,OOOlb (6,300kg) comprising vary-
ing numbers of depth charges, mines, sonobuoys and 1,OOOIb or 500lb bombs
Maximum speed 299mph at 12,000ft (480km/h at 3,700m); service ceiling 21,400ft (6,500ml;
maximum range 4,300 miles (7,000km)
One prototype, sixty-nine MR.2s (the aerodynamic prototype was an MR.1 conversion, so is
not included)
Nos 37, 38, 42, 120, 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 220, 224, 228, 240 and 269 Squadrons,
ASWDU, ETPS, JASS, MOTU, RAE, RRE and RAF Handling Squadron
Served with:
Crew:
Armament:
Number built:
Performance:
Dimensions:
Powerplants:
Weights:
92 93
On returning to Woodford from Farnborough, WR970 took on a unicorn-like appearance when fitted with a
long nose probe to carry the yaw meter. Less than three months later it had crashed, claiming the lives of
an Avro test pilot, plus three flight technicians. Harry Holmes
NOSEWHEELS, TIP TA KS AND COMFORT
Three days after its maiden flight at Woodford, on 2 September 1955, the MR.3 prototype, WR970, was taken down to Farnborough for the SBAC Display, bedecked
with Avro and Hawker Siddeley Group logos, to put up an impressive performance in the hands of Johnny Baker. Aeroplane and author's collection
94
incurred as the flight progressed. Weight
loss, plus the effects on bodily functions,
were recorded and the lAM found that
nearly all the participating airmen were
physically affected. The loss of several
pounds' weight coupled with a continual
buzzing in the ears long after touch-down
was found amongst most crewmen and
quite a high proportion found that full
advantage of the 'night off' could not be
taken, for various reasons.
External Changes
The results of the test programme were
relayed by the lAM to Avro and the DO's
draughtsmen were urged to incorporate
features that would expunge these fatigue
problems. The basic concept of the Shack-
leton was good and it met Coastal Com-
mand's requirements for a land-based
maritime reconnaissance aircraft. There-
fore the redesign had to be subtle, and the
result turned out to be just that. Few great
external changes, but a considerable
amount of improvement within.
NOSEWHEELS. TIP TANKS A D COMFORT
The aircraft was given a new, slightly
longer, front fuselage. The nose had a slight-
ly more sloped contour, as did the gunner's
sighting position, and the bomb aimer's
window was subtly more horizontal. The
Boulton Paul twin-cannon turret was
retained and the sighting position was
equipped with a new attack sight. The
cockpit glazing was changed: out went the
previous substantial framing and, in its
place, a curved, clear-vision perspex canopy
was designed, with narrow frames holding
a sliding window on the port side.
The principal reason for the reconfigured
nose was to accommodate a new, steerable
nose-wheel that retracted rearwards - due
to the new design's increased weight the
Shackleton now had a tricycle undercar-
riage and was no longer a 'tail dragger'. For
some crew members, this was the first time
that they had operated in a tricycle-under-
carriage aircraft since the Varsity used on
their Advanced Flying School course at
Cranwell. The new undercarriage employed
twin-wheel units all round, with the main
wheels retracting forwards and having a
Dunlop Maxaret braking system on each
95
wheel. A retractable bumper was fitted in
the rear fuselage, aft of an additional cam-
era installation.
The incorporation of a tricycle-under-
carriage meant that the bomb-bay had to be
shortened to make space for the nose-wheel
bay and a crew entrance position between
the two bays. The crew entrance door on
the starboard side of the rear fuselage, as fit-
ted on all previous hackletons, was
retained as an emergency exit.
A slightly different wing plan-form was
designed, with increased-chord ailerons to
improve control at low levels, together with
wing-tip tanks each holding an additional
250gal (1,1401tr). The total fuel capacity
was increased to 4,716gal (21,2221tr) in an
attempt to increase the aircraft's range, but
as things turned out, a greatly increased all-
up-weight resulted in the MR.3 having a
slightly shorter range than its predecessors.
Griffon 58 engines were fitted to the new
variant from the start; these had a new
sealed exhaust system routed under the
wing, and this change alone provided an
enormou ly improved environment for
the crew.
The production of at least six MR.3s for the RAF is shown in Bay 3 at Chadderton, from where the units
were conveyed to Woodford for assembly. Harry Holmes
J
(Below)This fine study of T.4
WR964/Z shows how the MOTU
repeated the aircraft's individual
code letter on the rear fuselage.
Harry Holmes
As the RAE's T.4, VP293,
approaches Farnborough's
operational runway, the distinctive
propeller blade striping becomes
very apparent. Aeroplane
CB6(a) for MR.2 production, originally
issued on 8 February 1951. The amended
order covered the building of twenty-one
aircraft in one batch, to which the serial
numbers WR970 to WR990 were allocat-
ed. Construction of WR970 started in late
1954 and the aircraft was ready for its
maiden flight at the end of August 1955. It
was taken on charge by the Controller
(Air), for the variant's development trials
to be conducted by the manufacturer and
on 2 September, Johnny Baker took it for
its first flight. This was to be his one and
only instance of taking a prototype into
the air for the first time.
Three days later, he took WR970 down
to Farnborough for the SBAC Display, this
being the seventh consecutive year that a
Shackleton flew at the event, and it was to
be the last time that Avro displayed the
type. Five years later the MR.3 was back: at
The MR.3 Prototype Flies
NOSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS AND COMFORT
Although it was the prototype, the first
MR.3 was classified as a production air-
frame, covered by the second half of the
amended Contract No. 6jACFfj6408j
was provided, with the two outwards-facing
observers situated further aft. Having
learned from the past, the designers left
space for the installation of new equipment,
as and when it was ready for service.
Attention was also given to the fact
that, with the increased weight of the new
aircraft, plus the new weapons that were
being developed and that it would be
required to carry, it would most certainly
require additional take-off power, a fact
that was to prove correct when the MR.3
reached service use.
Another major contributory factor to the
enhanced working environment was the
fitting, at last, of soundproofing. The
entire fuselage was lagged with a substan-
tial layer of fibreglass, which was covered
with cream and brown 'Rexin' artificial
leather material. The appearance alone,
compared to the former black-painted
interior, was uplifting.
Each crew member was provided with a
large, padded, armchair-style seat and the
four-man tactical team was seated alongside
each other, facing portside, at a one-piece
working table above which the controls for
the electronic and detecting systems,
updated to the latest specifications, were
situated. As the dorsal turret on all Shack-
letons had been dispensed with some time
ago, a combined galley and rest-bunk area
Internal Improvements
96
A No. 38 Squadron formation, flying over Valetta harbour at low level, gives the Maltese capital's population the 'Griffon growl'.
OPPOSITE PAGE:
Maintenance equipment in Aden was
rather rudimentary, but you got a good tan!
Mike Pettet
(Above) No. 224 Squadron's WL752/T flies over Jebel Akhdar. Mike Pettet
MR.2 WL754/F of No. 42 Squadron was detached from St Mawgan to assist No. 37 Squadron during the troubles
in Aden. Ray Deacon
(Top) No. 224 Squadron's MR.2
WL753/0 formates on the starboard
side. Mike Pettet
(Above) In July 1963. MR.3
WR989/B from No. 120 Squadron
passed through RAF Eastleigh in
Kenya. from Kinloss. Ray Deacon
With Fit Lt Sherdon at the
controls. MR.3 XF707/C of No. 206
Squadron flies over Perranporth
in 1963. just up the coast from its
base at St Mawgan. George Hart
No. 42 Squadron's WL801/B and
WL754/F during their detachment to
Khormaksar in 1962. Ray Deacon
(Below) WL752/T of No. 224 Squadron
has its red spinners glistening in the
Arabian sunshine. Mike Pettet
(BoNom) Another of No. 224 Squadron's
detachments to Khormaksar was
WR969/S. Mike Pettet
With red tip tanks and white spinners, MR.3 WR989/B of No. 120 Squadron shows that it has received Phase II and III updates. Harry Holmes
(Above) An all-Avro line up at
Mildenhall in 1988, as the BBMF
Lancaster B.1, PA474, and Vulcan B.2
XH558 stand either side of Shackleton
AEW.2 WL747. Author's collection
(Right) Nimrod XV226 was the first
production airframe of the Shackleton's
maritime reconnaissance successor.
Gordon Bartley
(Below) No. 120 Squadron's hangar at
Kinloss, under the nose of WL741.
shows that No.8 Squadron had not
moved to its permanent base at
Lossiemouth when this photograph
was taken. Derek James
(Above) Khormaksar's dispersal has No. 224 Squadron MR.2s basking in the
desert heat. Mike Pettet
XF708/C of No. 201 Squadron has Vipers in its outer nacelles, to prove it is a
fully Phased Shackleton MR.3. Dave Jackson
parachute tests at Farnborough and was used
at the Establishment for the next twelve
years on a variety of research programmes.
By 31 January 1973, with its fatigue life
expended, the aircraft was consigned to the
RAE's rescue and fire fighting section.
The fourth MR.3, WR974, first flown
on 1 May 1957, was allocated for tropical
and winter trials. Preparation was under-
taken by both Woodford and Langar, this
being the first MR.3 to go through the lat-
ter's works. It was delivered to Boscombe
Down on 5 July 1957 and their pilots flew
it to Idris in Libya for a month's armament
testing in a tropical environment. On
returning to the UK in August, WR974
went to No. 49 MU at Colerne, where an
Avro Company Working Party (CWP)
to the A&AEE for this work on 28
December 1956 and the trials occupied
the next five months. Avro had the air-
craft back on 24 May 1957 and it became
a testing vehicle for numerous systems,
before being purchased by the MoA on 13
March 1959, on behalf of the RAE. The
aircraft went to Langar several times for
the installation of updated equipment
required by the RAE and, on 10 April
1961, WR972 started a series of drag
The first production MR.3, WR971, photographed while undergoing handling trials
with the A&AEE on 13 February 1957, carries some of their test equipment under the
starboard wing. Harry Holmes
production aircraft, had first flown on 28
May 1956, a full seven months before the
accident. It was held by the manufacturer
and armament trials at Boscombe Down
were not started until 12 December. These
were curtailed and the aircraft was used for
further development work by Avro, pend-
ing the results of the stall-warning pro-
gramme. When these came to a satisfacto-
ry conclusion, WR971 went back to the
A&AEE for a continuation of the anna-
ment trials, arriving back at Woodford on
12 May 1958.
WR972, which first flew on 6 Novem-
ber 1956, was also retained by the Con-
troller (Air), as a test vehicle for the
development of navigation radars and
photographic equipment. It was delivered
NOSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS AND COMFORT
Because of the loss of WR970, the issuing
of the MR.3 to Coastal Command was put
on hold until a proven stall-warning sys-
tem had been perfected. The satisfactory
solution proved to be the fitting of a spoil-
er on the leading edge of the wing centre-
section, sited between the fuselage and
inboard engine nacelles. The second air-
craft, WR971, which in effect was the first
Delayed Service Entry
Prototype Development
and Tragedy
the 1960 Display, as a part of the RAF's par-
ticipation, XF711, of No. 201 Squadron,
took off for a 22-hour patrol and XF708,
from the same squadron, landed after a sim-
ilar sortie. Just what the pilots thought of
having to make a landing in front of a very
large gathering of the world's aeronautical
fraternity after such a long flight, is a sub-
ject upon which to ponder!
WR970 continued development trials at
Woodford, during which a 12ft (3.6m)
nose probe, carrying a yaw meter for the
aerodynamic test programme, projected
from the gunner's sighting station. An
anecdotal account of an air-to-air photo-
graphic session involving Avro's excellent
Chief Photographer, Paul Collerne, sitting
in the tail of a Lancaster from which the
rear turret had been removed, alleges that
he kept calling for Johnny Baker to bring
WR970 closer. Baker became rather irri-
tated by these repeated requests and is pur-
ported to have brought the Shackleton to
a position where the probe almost touched
the photographer, asking 'Is that close
enough?' It is a nice story, but one that has
not been substantiated.
The prototype was sent to Boscombe
Down on 7 September 1956 for flight
assessment, together with an Avro techni-
cal team, as the company was responsible
for the development trials. The A&AEE
soon found that the aircraft had undesir-
able stalling characteristics, which were
exacerbated when the bomb-bay doors
were open. Consequently, the Establish-
ment returned the aircraft to the Avro
I team on site and WR970 was flown back
to Woodford on 28 November for an
urgent programme to install and test
improved stall-warning equipment.
On 7 December, Squadron Leader Jack
Wales, a senior member of Avro's team of
production test pilots, took WR970 for a
test flight with a revised stall-warning fit-
ted. 'Black boxes' were not common in
those days, so the exact causes of the day's
tragedy must have a certain air of supposi-
tion. It is believed that an induced stall
was made in cloudy conditions and the
prototype became inverted without
engine power. It fell out of the sky, to crash
near the Derbyshire village of Foolow,
killing the test pilot and three Avro tech-
nicians aboard.
(Top) AEW.2 WL747 was a regular participant
on the Air Show circuit in the 1980s, and here at
Mildenhall in 1988 it presents a top side to the
Media enclosure. Author's collection
(Middle) Awet dispersal pan awaits WL757 as it
taxies in. Harry Holmes
(Bottom) Afine study of WR963, which was one of
the six aircraft withdrawn from No.8 Squadron in
1981. Dave Jackson
(Left) Sentry AEW.1s had taken over from the
venerable Shackleton by 1991. and here ZH102
arrives at Brize Norton for their Air Display in
1992. Author's collection
97
NOSE WHEELS. TIP TANKS AND COMFORT
OSEWHEELS. TIP TANKS A D COMFORT
on a foam strip laid down at it base, the
nose-wheel collapsed. Three days later
WR975, which had been used by the RAF
Handling Squadron to compile the MR.3
'Pilot's Notes', had to make an emergency
by o. 23 MU, it left Aldergrove on 30
August 1957 to join No. 220 quadron at St
Mawgan and be coded 'K'. The following
year, on 2 May 1958, it suffered a partial in-
flight hydraulic failure and during a landing
(Below) No. 201 Squadron based at St Mawgan. started receiving MR.3s in January 1958. but XF706/N.
shown here launching its lindholme Gear. was a late arrival. having previously served with Nos 120 and
203 Squadrons. The ECM aerial housing shows that it had been Phase II updated and the rear fuselage
camera bay doors are open. Author's collection
(Above) WR977. the seventh production MR.3. was
shown in the static park at the 1957 SBAC Display.
before joining No. 220 Squadron as T. in October.
Author's collection
J
The first MRJ to go into RAF service as a
new aircraft was the sixth production air-
frame, WR976. After pre-delivery checks
Squadron Deliveries at Last
(Below) No. 220 Squadron at
St Mawgan was the first to receive
the MR.3. and WR978/M was
delivered to the unit in November
1957. Author's collection
WR972. the second production
MR.3. became an Establishment
aircraft following its maiden flight
on 6 November 1956. operated by
both the A&AEE at Boscombe Down
and RAE Farnborough. It was
photographed at the latter in 1968;
three years later its fatigue life was
expended. following which it was
consigned to the RAE's fire fighting
and rescue unit. Ray Deacon
prepared it for the winterization trials. The
A&AEE accepted the aircraft again on 20
September and flew it to Canada on
October, but it was damaged a month later.
Repair were made by The Fairey Aircraft
Company of anada, following which the
trials were continued befor the return to
Boscombe Down, who delivered back to
0.49 MU on 16 April 195 . After a Phase
I update, the aircraft had a brief spell with
No. 203 quad ron at Ballykelly, before
returning to Langar for mo lifications to
bring it up to Phase II standard. With these
updates completed, WR974 was trans-
ferred to the Air Mini try Air Fleet. With
thi unit, the aircraft spent the next eight
year on a vast number of trials pro-
grammes for the A&AEE, the RAE and
Hawker iddcley at Bitte well. Flight te 1'-
ing of the Griffon 58 with modified oil
cooler, together with another round of
tropical and winterization trials, were
conducted with the aircraft, until it even-
tually returned to Ballykelly's No. 203
Squadron in August 1968, only to be
loaned to No. 42 Squadron at St Mawgan
for four month. Returning to Ballykelly in
January 1969, WR974 had a month of
modifications at Bitteswell the following
year, but on returning to the quadron, was
transferred to the Kinlos Wing on 6 April
1970. It was pas ed to o. 2 SoIT as
Instructional Airframe 8117M. Eighteen
years later, WR974 was put up for sale and
joined the Peter Vallance ollection at
harlwood in West Sussex.
98
99
St Mawgan's.third MR.3 unit was No. 206 Squadron, who received WR986/F in June 1958. By the time that this picture was taken, white tops had been introduced
but the two aircraft shown had yet to be Phase II updated. The aircraft parked in the background, under 'F's port outer engine, is a Hastings from an unknown unit.
Aeroplane
landing on a foam trip at the same base
with a retra ted nose-wheel, also due to
hydraulic failure. While a Company
Working Party carried out the repairs to
WR976, WR975 was attended to by a
team from No. 49 MU at Colerne.
WR976's repairs were ompleted in
December 1958, by which time the unit
had been reformed as No. 201 quadron.
When WR975 had been repaired, it joined
WR977 to WR980, all having been deliv-
ered to the unit during the repair ession.
WR987 had also became a No. 201
Squadron aircraft, which meant that it had
seven aircraft, one more than the estab-
lished trength. However, WR975 left in
August 1959 for Phase [ modifications, so
the unit's strength was rationalized.
o. 206 quadran, also a t Mawgan
resident, received WR98 [ as it first MR.3
. ~ : "
OSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS A 0 COMFORT
in January [95 and by June had taken
delivery ofWR982 to WR986, bringing it
up to full strength. o. 120 quadron at
Aldergrove was the third unit to receive
the new variant: WR988 was received in
July 1958, followed by WR989 in August
and WR990 in eptember, this being the
final aircraft fram the contract in its origi-
nal form.
Another Order
On 23 September 1953, the same contract
was amended again, to include seventeen
additional MR.3s, built to Issue 3 of Speci-
ficarion R.5/46. They were to be built in
two batches, with serials XF700 to XF711
and XF730 to XF734. However, on 14 Feb-
ruary 1956 th second batch was cancelled,
except for XF730, which wa ordered as a
replacement for the first MR.3, WR970.
XF700 became o. 120 Squadron's fourth
MR.3 on arrival in September 1958 and
XF701 follow d it the next month. The
sixth aircraft was XF704, which had been
on the strength of o. 203 Squadron
before going to No. 49 MU for a Phase 1
upgrade by a CWP, which wa completed
in April 1960 and the aircraft was delivered
to Aldergrove. 0, although it was the
quadron' ixth aircraft, it was their fir t
brought up to Phase [ standard.
In November 1958, o. 203 quadron
was reformed at Ballykelly by th renum-
bering of No. 240 Squadron. The new
squadron still held five MR. 1 , a legacy
from the previous unit, and in the same
month it took delivery of it first M.R.3,
XF702. XF704 was received in the same
WR989/B served with No. 120 Squadron from August 1958 to December 1963, and when it visited RAF Eastleigh in Kenya during July 1963 it had received its Phase
II modifications. Ray Deacon
XF704/D was the fifth aircraft from Avro's final MR.3 order, which returned to No. 120 Squadron after its Phase II upgrade in July 1962. A year later it visited
Embakasi Airport in Nairobi from Kinloss, and parked alongside Victor B1A XH594 of No. 55 Squadron at Honington. Behind them are an East African Airways
DC-3 and a BOAC Comet 4. Ray Deacon
100
Lakenheath's Open Day in 1965 saw MR.3 Phase II XF708/A, whose captain was Sqn Ldr G. A. King,
representing No. 120 Squadron. Archer/Fenn via Aeroplane
101
OSE-WI-IEELS, TIP TA KS AND COMFORT
NOSE-WI-IEELS, TIP TA KS AI D COMFORT
The MR.3 Phases
turbojet in the 1,OOOlb (450kg) thrust class. Weighing
just 580lb (253kgl, it passed a 150hr type test in May
1951 and the ubiquitous lancaster was again used as
a flying test-bed. This time it was SW342, which
already had a later version of the Mamba in its nose,
and the Adder was installed in the rear-turret position.
The SAA8 210 flying scale-model of their forthcoming
J-35 Draken used the Adder in the 1950s, as did the
Australian GAF C.1 Pika target drone.
In the early 1950s Armstrong Siddeley decided to turn
their attention to an expendable turbojet using slightly
lower-grade alloys and designed to run at high turbine
temperatures. Although it followed the Adder, the new
engine really owed very little to that design, being more
of a smaller version of Armstrong Siddeley's Sapphire,
inheriting that engine's excellent compressor aerody-
namics. Giving it the name Viper, Armstrong Siddeley
had the ASV2 variant. weighing only 3651b (166kgl,
ready for flight testing in 1952 and, as may be guessed,
lancaster SW342 was chosen for the job (they certainly
got their money's worth out of the aircraft!). The Viper
replaced the Adder in the rear fuselage and the combi-
nation first became airborne in November of that year.
From its beginnings as ashort-life engine, produced in its
ASV3 and ASV6 versions, the Viper was recognized as
being capable of development into aturbojet for piloted
aircraft. The ASV8 was developed from the ASV5, which
did not go into production, using higher-grade materials
and, giving 2,4601b (1, 116kgl thrust, it powered the early
Jet Provosts, together with Italy's Macchi M8.326.
Canberra B.2 WK141 was adapted to carry a single
ASV8 Viper under its starboard wing, to start a pro-
gramme of test flying in September 1958. In 1959, Arm-
strong Siddeley and Bristol Engines merged to form a
new company, Bristol Siddeley. The Viper 8was in pro-
duction and from it. the Viper 11 was developed for the
later Jet Provost 14 and 16, as well as the Indian Air
Force's Kiran 1trainer.
up on the turbine blade, At maximum
power, a time restriction of five minute
was imposed, although up to four hours at
cruise etting could be employed in anyone
flight, As the engine came into general er-
vice, it wa found that it could operate at
any power setting in an emergency but,
once the oil pressure warning light came
on, it had to be hut down pretty quickly,
A very neat Viper installation was
designed for the M,RJ, with the engine fit-
ted b hind th outboard Griffons. Efflux was
via an orifice in the rear of the reconfigured
length to exhaust cone 12ft 8Xin (1.74ml; maximum width 2ft ~ i n (0.624m)
5491b (249kg)
Take-off rating 2,7001b 11 ,224kgl thrust at 13,500rpm; maximum continuous rating
2, 1601b 1980kg) thrust at 13,1 OOrpm
1.07Ib/hr 10.485kg/hr) at maximum thrust
Specification - Bristol Siddeley Viper 11 Mk 203
Specific fuel consumption:
Dimensions:
Weight (dry):
Performance:
Armstrong Siddeley Motors at Coventry entered the
turbojet field at the end of 1942, with their ASX,
designed in conjunction with the RAE at Farnborough,
where Dr A. A. Griffiths had been working on axial-flow
turbojet research since the 1930s. The ASX first took to
the air, slung under the bomb-bay of lancaster Mk III
ND784 in the spring of 1945. The company progressed
to designing aturbojet with areduction gear to drive a
propeller; its first production turboprop was the Python,
a large engine weighing 3,4501b (1,565kgl, which pro-
duced 3,670 equivalent shaft horse power (eshpl, plus
1,1501b (522kg) residual thrust. Flight testing com-
menced in 1948, using lancaster Mk Ills RE137 and
then TW911. The Python's only service application was
as the powerplant for the Fleet Air Arm's big Westland
Wyvern strike aircraft.
In parallel with Python development, Armstong Sid-
deley recognized a market for a smaller turboprop
engine in the 1,000eshp range and, using a straight-
through gas flow as opposed to the Python's reverse
flow, had an example bench-running in the spring of
1948, to which they gave the name Mamba. Test flying
began on 14 October 1948, in the modified nose of lan-
caster ND784/G, the aircraft that had taken the ASX
aloft for the first time. The 'G' suffix had been added
since the aircraft's ASX days and denoted that it had to
be guarded when on an airfield away from its home
base. The Mamba was producing 1,320eshp, together
with 4051b (184kg) residual thrust. The engine was pro-
duced to power the Avro Athena and Boulton Paul Bal-
liol advanced trainers; both were built in rather limited
numbers in their Mamba-powered versions, RAF Train-
ing Command also receiving both types in versions
powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 engines. However, it
enjoyed long service, again with the FAA, in its Double
Mamba form, powering the Fairey Gannet.
Armstrong Siddeley produced the ASA.1 Adder from
Mamba research, as aquick-to-produce, cost-effective
AVenomous little Turbojet
produce 2,700lb (1 ,200kg) thrust. The
engine was a simple turbojet, using a seven-
tage axial compressor driv n by a single-
stage turbine. For its MR.3 application,
much research was put in to enable the
engine to run on the high-octane petrol
(AVGA ) of the Griffons, thereby avoid-
ing the need for a separate kerosene fuel
system and additional tanks, The Viper
proved it could indeed be operated on
AVGAS, but there had to be a restriction
on the time that it ran at maximum power,
to avoid dangerous lead deposits building
Landing System (ILS), plus radio/radar
activated altimeters, all contributed to an
improved operational capability, The
fourth production aircraft, WR974, was
modified to full Phase I standard by a CWP
at 0.49 MU. Arriving at olerne on 16
April 1958, its update wa completed by 27
Augu t and the aircraft is believed to have
been the first to receive the Phase 1series
of modifications.
Phase II updates on the MR.3 were im-
ilar to those performed on the MR.2 and
again were concentrated on what we today
refer to as avionics, The E M suite wa
installed, with its prominent beacon-like
aerial mounted on the roof, in line with the
wing' rear spar. As with its predecessor, the
MR,3's E M aerial could be removed if a
particular sortie was such that the suite
would not be in use, but such flight were
fairly rare, The Mk Ic Sonic ystem of
active and passive sonobuoys wa installed,
together with TACA radio bearing/dis-
tance measuring equipment.
hackleton MR,3 Phase III modifica-
tions, started in March 1963 on WR975,
involved considerably more rebuilding than
on the MR.2. There had been several
instances of nose-wheels collap ing, 0
Dowty were asked to come up with a more
ubstantial forging for a replacement nose-
wheel leg, The tip-tanks were slightly
increased in size, each to hold 253gal
(l,1511tr), Together with a con iderable
amount of additional equipment installed
within the aircraft, these modifications, as
foreseen at the design stage, increased the
all-up weight to a point where four Griffon
58 were insufficient to get an MRJ Pha e
111 aircraft airborne from the warmer, high-
er-altitude airfields overseas from which the
hackleton had operated for many years,
Roll -Royce could not incr as the Griffon's
performance to any appreciable degree, so
extra power would have to be obtained by
adding at least a pair of additional engine,
which in tum would add even more weight.
Good power-to-weight ratios were bing
achieved by the smaller turbojet engine in
production at the time, the Bri tol iddeley
Viper wa een a the most suitable, How v-
er, the fitting of two additional engines, no
matter how good their power-to-weight
ratio, meant that the MR,3's wing structure
had to be trengthened,
In its Viper 11 form, the engine was
selected as the additional power source for
the Shackleton MR,3 Phase Ill, and the
variant was designated the Mk 203. From
an all-up weight of 549lb (249kg), it could
Inverness on 10 January 1964 due to an
engine fire, before it had received the
Phase III update.
MR.3 Phase I modifications involved
replacing the aging and, by now, rather
unreliable A V13 radar designed by the
TRE, with an updated version devi ed by
EMI, the A V21, which functioned with
input from the Green Silk Doppler naviga-
tion radar, the maritime patrol version of
Green atin, that provided ground tabi-
lization by measuring ground speed and
drift, A radio homing device, Instrument
(Below) When photographed in 1965, WR975/S was flying with No, 206
Squadron at Kinloss, having received the Phase III update, but before
the installation of the two Vipers, The Phase II Orange Harvest ECM
aerial is conspicuous protruding above its housing, Derek James
As with the MR.2 aircraft, all the MR.3s
went through the Phase programmes of
modifications, except WR972 and XF710.
The former was retained by the Controller
(Air) to be used for a multitude of trials,
including ome of the Phase I and II equip-
ment, although it was not modified to
include them as permanent fixtures,
XF710 was a No. 120 Squadron aircraft
that had undergone Phase I and II update
but crash-landed on ulloden Moor in
month, with XF703, XF705 and XF706
arriving in December. XF704, XF705 and
XF706 were all flown direct to Ballykelly
from Woodford, instead of the u ual proce-
dure of being delivered via 0,23 MU. The
ixth aircraft, to make up the full quadron
complement, was WR974, which also
arrived in December, to be the unit' first
Phase I standard aircraft. So, while entry of
the MR,3 into squadron service was cur-
tailed in the first place, Avro had ertainly
worked hard to ensure that units received
the new variant as soon as possible.
(Above)The 1960 SBAC Display at Farnborough saw No, 201 Squadron put up an MR,3
each day, to start atwenty-two hour patrol. The flying programme was preceded by an
aircraft taking off to commence the patrol and ended by the previous day's take-off
participant landing. Here XF711/l, a Phase I MR.3, returns after its patrol, Author's collection
702
703
Photographed at a Wethersfield Air Show on 28 May 1960, Phase I XF730/C was the
last new-build Shackleton, which served with No. 206 Squadron from new. It was
transferred to No. 120 Squadron after its Phase II update in December 1963 and had
Vipers installed in 1966. George Pennick
NOSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS A D COMFORT
704
OPPOSITE PAGE:
(Top) WR973 was retained at Woodford as the Viper
installation trials aircraft, after serving with Nos
203 and 206 Squadrons. The Vipers were first flight
tested in the MR.3 in February 1965. and are seen
here with their air intake-scoop plates lowered.
Aeroplane
(Bottom) This close-up of the starboard Viper
installation on XF701/T of No. 206 Squadron shows
the turbojet's intake plate in the closed position,
Aeroplane
nacelle, and with such a short jet pipe there
was not the loss of power that occurred
when long jet pipes had to be employed.
The intake for the Viper was through an
aperture in the base of the nacelle, which
was covered by a contoured plate that came
down on four stays to act a an air-scoop
when the additional power was required and
retracted to lie flush with the nacelle under-
side when not in u e.
WR973, th third production MR.3, after
serving with Nos 203 and 206 quadrons,
was allotted to Woodford for Phase III mod-
ification in July 1963, where it was retained
as the trial aircraft for the turbojet in talla-
tion. Its owner hip was transferred to the
MoA on 29 January 1965, in ord r for flight
trials of the new assembly to be made. A spe-
cial Contract No. KD/L/l 02/CB6(a) was
issued and flight testing with WR973 com-
menced on 29 February 1965. early three
months later, on 19 May, the aircraft went
to Boscombe Down for two weeks' prelimi-
nary performance testing, following which
it r turned to Woodford on 9 June for alter-
ations to be incorporated. Establishment
pilots found that the flying characteri tic
had changed conSiderably from previous
Shackleton, with WR973 showing a dis-
tinct tendency to tail-heaviness; Avro recti-
fied this by removing all the fibreglas
soundproofing aft of the crew's rest area.
Although the two observers were now in a
noisi r environment than the rest of the
crew, the redirected engine-exhaust sy tem
and stiffer wing construction made it a lot
better than in previous aircraft. There were
al 0 rack of flare stowed on the side walls,
which, to a certain extent, acted as baffles.
The A&AEE received the aircraft again
on 28 July for a full trials programme,
which included operating under hot-
w ather conditions in the United States
during August. On 30 September, WR973
returned to Woodford, with the Viper
installation cleared for service and, after
all the te t equipment had been removed
OSE-WHEELS, TIP TA KS AND COMFORT
by Langar's engineers, the aircraft resumed
its RAF career by being tran ferred to the
Kinloss Wing in February 1967. The Wing
at Kinloss aro e in that month, when os
120, 201 and 206 quadrons based there
gradually lost their own individual aircraft.
Squadron number had di appeared from
the aircraft in the 1966 repainting scheme
and, at Kinloss, a system of single-letter
codes was introduced for individual air-
craft. o. 120 Squadron wa allotted the
letters 'A' to 'H', 0.201 Squadron']' to
'Q' and No. 206 quadron 'R' to 'z'.
A series of Viper trials was also con-
ducted with WR9 9, which was loaned to
the A&AEE for low temperature/high
humidity tests, when it flew in a calibrated
water spray produced by anberra B(1).8
WV787, which had a long ventral spray
bar extending from the water tank situat-
ed in the bomb-bay.
While WR973' test programme were
continuing, new-build MR.3 were com-
ing off the line at Woodford, with the
intention of fitting Viper in retrospect. In
fact, of the whole MR.3 production, only a
few left the works with Vipers in tailed,
the majority going to Woodford or Langar
for the fitment from their unit. XF707 was
the last MR.3 to have Viper installed, the
work being handled by Woodford between
May 1967 and January 1968, it maiden
flight with six engine on board taking
place on 19 December 1967, a fortnight
before it return d to No. 42 quadron.
Another MR.3 order, Contract No.
6/ACFT/llll06/CB6(a) dated July 1954,
705
was i sued. This was to cover the con-
struction of an additional thirteen aircraft
to pecification R.5/46 (Issue 3), for
which the erials XG912 to XG924 were
allocated. However, this whole ord r wa
cancelled on 14 February 1956.
Busy Aircraft
Many of the thirty-three production MR.3s
endured a lot of'to-ing and fro-ing' between
quadron , the manufacturer and the Estab-
lishments, for new equipment t be
installed. All had to be tested and it is fair to
say that quite a significant proportion of the
two production batches almost spent more
time in this way than on operational sortie.
An xample of this is WR974, which
was testing the Griffon 58 with modified
oil coolers at the A&AEE from June to
September 1965, following which it was
employed by Langar to t t tand-by
bomb-bay heating and new photographic
fla h unit. This wa all of eight year after
its maiden flight and a year spent at the
beginning of its career on varying climatic
trials. It had also served nearly a year with
No. 203 Squadron and, following all the
trials programme, it returned to squadron
ervice in 1965.
With only two exceptions, every MR.3
flew with at least three different squadrons,
the exceptions being WR983, which only
served with Nos 120 and 206 quadrons,
and WR990, which also flew with No. 120
Squadron at Aldergrove, before being
OSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS AI D COMFORT
NOSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS AND COMFORT
On 24 March 1961, Short Sunderland Mk III Ml824 returned from France and flew up
Milford Haven before touching down at Pembroke Oock for conservation. It now
resides in the RAF Museum at Hendon. Being a former No. 201 Squadron aircraft, it
was fitting that she should be escorted by current unit aircraft, so MR.3s WR975/P
and WR980/0 performed the honours. Here WR980/0 is seen in formation with the
flying boat, which was still carrying the colours of the French Maritime Nationale,
with which it had served. Peter Thomas
No. 206 Squadron's XF701/T lifts off from Kinloss, with Vipers providing additional
power. Author's collection
While the Viper was a necessary addition
to the MR.3, and the wing structure was
stiffened to allow for their fitment, there is
no doubt that they brought about an early
wing fatigue problem. The BAe Nimrod
MR. 1 (whose roots lay in the Comet 4 from
de Havilland, who had been absorbed into
Hawker Siddeley during 1960) was starting
to come off the production line and No.
201 Squadron received their first in the
spring of 1970. (What a culture shock that
must have been!) By the end of that year,
Nos 120, 201 and 206 Squadrons had all
bid their MR.3s a fond farewell. But No.
203 Squadron had taken theirs to Malta on
29/30 January 1969, when the unit was
posted to Luqa. A political dispute with the
Maltese Prime Minister, over the cost of
the RAPs bases on the island, precipitated
a move to Sigonella, on the island of Sici-
ly in December 1971 and, as the Squadron
had already started conversion to the N im-
rod, the last four remaining Shackletons,
WR987, WR988, WR989 and XF708, left
the Mediterranean area in the following
month and flew to No.5 MU at Kemble on
12 January 1972. Incidentally, by the
spring of 1972, the Maltese Government
had come to appreciate the input of the
RAF on the Maltese economy and No. 203
Squadron was back at Luqa by 23 April.
Colours and Coding
MR.3 Losses
Shackleton MR.3s first came out from
Woodford in the overall Dark Sea Grey fin-
ish, but by 1960, the white fuselage tops had
been incorporated, together with the
squadron number on the rear fuselage
and individual code letter on the nose, both
in red with a white outline. Union flags
MR.3 Departures
Four MR.3s, WR976, XF702, XF704 and
XF710, in addition to the prototype
WR970, were lost due to crashes while in
squadron service, which represents just
over 8 per cent of the production. Also,
WR986 was declared a write-off for a very
bizarre reason. While serving with No. 203
Squadron at Safi on Malta, severe damage
was sustained in the wings due to an inva-
sion of rats, that had a very detrimental
effect on the control linkages, together
with fuel and hydrauliC lines.
(Below) A nice in-line formation
shot of a pair of MR.3s belonging
to an unidentified Coastal
Command squadron. Crown
copyright
served for seventeen years, while the MR.2
flew with the Service for nineteen years
(not including those converted to AEW.2s
in 1971, which took the time served near-
ly off the clock!).
and XF706 all served with five different
squadrons which, considering that the
MR.3 was only in RAF service for thirteen
years, shows quite a high degree of aircraft
movement. By comparison, the MR.l(rA
transferred to No. 210 Squadron. With the
Central Servicing at Kinloss, both aircraft
became members of the Kinloss Wing. At
the other extreme, WR975, WR977,
WR981, WR982, WR984, XF703, XF705
(Above) WR975/P of St Mawgan-based No. 201 Squadron, before it received any Phase updates. The aircraft had been used
at Manby for MR.3 Pilot's Notes and was coded 'P' with No. 220 Squadron before the unit became No. 201 Squadron. After
Phase I modification it was issued to No. 203 Squadron, coded 'F'; it returned to No. 201 Squadron in 1962, coded '0'.
Following its Phase III update, it became'S' at No. 206 Squadron, then 'It with No. 120 Squadron. Following its Viper
installation, the aircraft joined the Kinloss Wing, still as 'A', until being scrapped in 1971. Author's collection
706
707
NOSE-WHEELS, TIP TANKS AND COMFORT
started to appear on the nose of No. 201
Squadron aircraft, with a reproduction of
the squadron crest on the fin above the ser-
vice flash. This unit, together with No. 203
Squadron at Ballykelly, opted to paint their
tip tanks red. No. 206 Squadron at Kinloss
also indulged in red tip tanks, but positioned
their crest under the service flash on the fin
and, as has already been said, the Central
Servicing introduced at the Scottish base
CHAPTER SEVEN
Table Mountain's Octet
Hercules, Transall C-160Zs and Buccaneer
S.50s were all purchased over the years. In
April 1962, the SAAF received its fir t
Mirage IllCs and a helicopter force of
SA330 Pumas, SA321 L Super Pumas,
Alouettes and Westland Wasps was formed.
But by the late 1960s, the country's
apartheid policy of racial segregation was
almost universally condemned and an
arms embargo was threatened. The South
African Government did not heed this
warning and the embargo was introduced,
which not only stopped the delivery of
new aircraft, but spares for the AAF's
existing equipment, too. This affected the
delivery of the Buccaneers and, while the
original order for sixteen aircraft was hon-
oured, a follow-up option on an addition-
al fourteen S.50s was denied by the British
Government. The country was forced to
give a virtual rebirth to its aircraft industry
in 1964, with the forming of the Atlas Air-
craft Corporation, founded by Bonuskor as
a private company; and in 1966 the first
Aeromacchi MB.326 built under licence
by the new company was flown, named the
Impala. In the 1980s the Mirag lIIs were
extensively refurbished to improve their
capabilities, and given the name Cheetah.
The Alpha XHl, revealed in April 1987,
was South Africa's first home-designed
attack helicopter and followed by the
Rooivalk, derived from the Puma; while
the Oryx was a licence-bui It version of the
Super Puma. On 1 April 1992, the Atlas
Aircraft Corporation became a part of the
Denel Aerospace Group.
The sweeping constitutional changes in
the country during the 1990s led to a relax-
ing of the anns embargo and aJoint Military
Co-ordination Council (JMCC) meeting
in January 1994 initiated the South African
National Defence Force (SANDF), with
the AAF being its first constituent. The
country has returned to the international
fold and the SAAF is tasked with main-
taining its capability to fulfil its primary role
of providing air power within a modern
national defence force, which includes
making a contribution to world peace and
coastline. An Avro York CI, MV107,
became the personal aircraft of outh
Africa's leader, Field Marshal Smuts and it
was later given the SAAF serial 4999.
[n the great expansion programme
between 1937 and 1939, Battles, Blen-
heims, Gladiators and Hurricanes were
supplied in considerable numbers. During
the 1939-45 conflict the SAAF operated
in the Western Desert against both the
German and Italian forces, as well as in East
Africa. Strangely, while the Common-
wealth countries of Australia, Canada and
New Zealand each had several squadrons
~ i t h predominantly their own national air
and ground crews, South Africa did not,
although hundreds of its countrymen
served with the RAE World War Two saw
the SAAF fly a total of 82,401 missions,
which cost the lives of 2,227 airmen. The
SAAF operated with distinction and one
VC, 35 DSOs, 429 DFCs and 88 AFCs
were won by its members.
South Africa's contribution to World
War Two was greatly enhanced by the Joint
Air Training Scheme OATS), under which
RAF, SAAF and other allied air crews were
trained at thirty-eight different air schools.
During the Scheme's five-year existence,
some 33,347 aircrew passed out from the
schools, with their wings or brevets.
Three months before the end of the war,
No. 35 Squadron was formed on 2 Febru-
ary 1945, flying Catalinas and Sunderland
GR.Vs. In the immediate post-war years,
the SAAF was equipped with a miscellany
of different types, including the Lockheed
Ventura GR.5, and in 1950 it supplied a
small number of F-51D Mustangs to the
United Nations forces flying in Korea. In
1952 the SAAF accepted F-86 Sabres from
the USAF. No. 35 Squadron soldiered on
with the Sunderland until 1957, when the
Shackletons arrived, as related later in this
chapter.
[n the early 1960s, the country's securi-
ty position had deteriorated to a point where
the government had to seriously consider
a re-arming programme. Canadair Sabres,
de Havilland Vampires, Canberras, C-130
In 1912, the Union Defence Force (UDF)
was formed in South Africa, from which
the South African Aviation Corps
(SAAC) materialized as a part of the
Active Citizen Force (ACF). The ACF's
Commandant-General, Brigadier-General
C F. Beyers, paid a visit to Europe to learn
how the aeroplane was fitting into military
operations, after which he reported back,
advocating the establishing of a national
school of aviation. A Mr Compton Pater-
son had a private flying school at Alexan-
derfontein, near Kimberley, and in April
1914 six of his pupils were sent to the Cen-
tral Flying School (CFS) at Upavon.
South Africans were granted permission to
join the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and
many flew with the Corps throughout
World War One, becoming members of
the RAF on its formation on 1 April 1918.
An indigenous aircraft industry was
formed to manufacture Avro Tutors and
Hawker Harts under licence. The SAAC
was reformed as the South African Air
Force (SAAF) in 1920 and fifty-seven
Tutors were built by the SAAF Aircraft
and Artillery Depot at Pretoria Zwarfkop,
which was the site of the SAAF's first air-
field in 1921, plus a much larger number of
Hinds during 1936-37.
Licence-built Westland Wapitis, togeth-
er with sixty-five Hartbees, were produced
by the SAAF Roberts Heights factory at
Pretoria and they formed part of the
SAAF's first-line strength when World
War Two broke out on 3 September 1939.
Many Harts were supplied as trainers for
the South African schools and the type was
used by the SAAF on operational service
in British West Africa. In the North
African campaigns the SAAF had eleven
squadrons, who flew nearly 34,000 sortie
and destroyed 342 enemy aircraft. Avro
supplied many Ansons to the SAAF, which
were used for training, while Nos 31, 32
and 33 Flights, No. 35 Squadron and No.
60 Squadron all flew the aircraft on mar-
itime surveillance around the Cape Town
Historical Background
Afine study of MR.3 Phase III WR973/U, after it had
been withdrawn from No. 206 Squadron to become
a member of the Kinloss Wing. Author's collection
was introduced, where the white top fin-
ished at a dark blue cheat-line that was car-
ried over the nose ahead of the windscreen.
The blue was carried onto the tail assembly,
tip tanks and engine nacelles, with the
colour continuing acros the top wing sur-
face across the chord, in line with the
engines, rather reiterating the old exhaust
stains of the earlier variants. Above the
cheat line, on both sides of the aircraft,
'Royal Aircraft Establishment' in red left
one in no doubt as to its ownership.
of the MR.3s, but Day-Glo red was added
on the nose, rear fuselage, tip tanks and
spinner, while the underside was finished
in broad bands of yellow and black. By
1966 the Dark Sea Grey was replaced by a
painted aluminium finish, with the yel-
low/black underside retained, apart from a
ventral white panel covering the radome
and its surrounding skinning. At a later
unknown date, a more stylish colour scheme
saw the disappearance of squadron number.
In their place on the rear fuselage, 'ROYAL
AIR FORCE' was lettered in white.
The Controller (Air) MR.3, WR972,
the second production aircraft, flew with a
variety of finishes between its maiden
flight on 6 November 1956 and when its
fatigue life was expended on 31 January
1973. The white top was applied over the
Dark Sea Grey at the same time as the rest
Specification - Avro 716 Shackleton MR.3
119ft 1Din (36.6m); length 92ft 5in (28.1 mIIWR972 was slightly shorter, due to modifications
carried out on the rear fuselage for drag-parachute trialsl; wing area 1,458sq ft (135.45sq m)
Four Rolls-Royce Griffon 58 twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line engines plus (after Phase
III modifications) two Bristol Siddeley Viper 11 Mk 203 turbojet engines each producing
2,5001b 11, 134kgl thrust
Empty 57,8001b (26,200kg); empty with Vipers 64,3001b (29,200kg); loaded maximum take-
off weight 1OO,OOOlb (45,000kg); loaded maximum take-off weight with Vipers 108,0001b
149,000kg)
Ten
Two 20mm cannon in nose turret; maximum weapon load 1O,OOOlb (4,500kgl comprising
varying numbers of torpedoes, depth charges, mines, sonobuoys, marine markers and
1,0001b or 500lb bombs
Maximum speed 297mph at 12,000ft (478km/h at 3,700m); service ceiling 18,600ft
(5,700m); maximum range 3,660 miles (5,890kml
One prototype, thirty-three MR.3s
Nos 42, 120, 201,203,206 and 220 Squadrons, Air Ministry Air Fleet, ASWDU, RAE and
RAF Handling Squadron
Powerplants:
Dimensions:
Crew:
Armament:
Weights:
Performance:
Numbers built:
Served with:
108 109
ecurity, through air operation in support
of international bodies, subject to sanction-
ing by the South African Government.
Today, the SAAF can buy modern war-
planes again. Consequently, the Impala is to
be replaced by the Bae Systems' Hawk Lead-
in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) and the Cheetah
by the AAB/Bae ystems Gripen.
Interest is Born
As has already been tated, South Africa's
intere t in the hackleton was started by
o. 42 Squadron's goodwill tour in 1953
and enlarged when No. 204 Squadron vis-
ited in the summer of 1955, for Exercise
Durbex 11. Both these visits were by MR.2s,
but the knowledge that a Mk.3 variant was
starting to fill Avro's production line fur-
thered the AAF's interest even more.
When presented with the development
plans for the Mk.3, on the lines of the
Phases that had been introduced on the
two previous variants, the South African
Government was convinced that the
TABLE MO J TAlN'S OCTET
hackleton would meet the pressing need
to replace the underland. Avro were
given Contract BI/8129, i ued in March
1954, for eight MR.3 aircraft, constructor's
numbers 1526 to 1533, and the SAAF
serials 1716 to 1723 were allotted to them.
This was in line with the AAF policy of
having maritime reconnaissance aircraft
serials commencing with '17', which wa
tarted around th end of World War Two
when sixteen underland GR.5s were
delivered, first carrying RAF serials but, on
arrival in South Africa, given the numbers
1700 to 1715.
Cape Town, Here We Come
The aircraft were to be delivered as MR.3
Phase 1 aircraft, starting in the spring of
1957, and in February of that year some
forty personnel from o. 35 quadron,
AAF, led by the unit's Commanding
Officer, ommandant M. J. ys, were
received by Avro at their Woodford site.
There, the South African contingent
underwent a concentrated course offamil-
iarization with the aircraft and, following
the maiden flight of the first two aircraft,
they took them to St Mawgan on 21 May
1957, to take part in a joint exercise with
oastal Command.
The first AAF MR.3, 1716, had made
its maiden flight on 29 March 1957, fol-
lowed on 6 May by 1717. Both aircraft car-
ried SAAF markings, 1716/J and 1717/0,
when they were officially accepted on 16
May by Commandant Uys, on behalf of his
squadron. The work-up at St Mawgan last-
ed nearly three months, during which time
the two were joined by 1718/K, and on 13
August the trio started the five-day flight
to Cape Town, where they arrived on 18
August.
ourh Africa's fourth Shackleton,
1719/L, had it first flight on 6 eptember,
with 1720/M, following on 26 eptember,
but the pair did not leave the UK until 8
February 195 ,arriving in South Africa on
13 February. 1721/N fir t rook ro the air on
12 December 1957, while I 722/P had its
maiden flight nearly two months later, the
TABLE MO NTAlJ 'S OCTET
1716/J, the first SAAF MR.3, before departing for South Africa in the spring of 1957, wearing the old-style
SAAF roundel. Aeroplane
Wl738/M of No. 204 Squadron together with aircraft of No. 42 Squadron made goodwill tours that influenced South Africa's decision to purchase Shackletons.
Ray Deacon
770
day before the previous pair left the UK, 7
February. The last of the AAF order,
1723/Q, had it first flight on 10 February.
Three days later, on 13 February, 1721 flew
down to St Eval, but joined up with 1722
and 1723 the following day for the trio ro
start their delivery flight, which terminat-
ed at Ysterplaat on 26 February. 1723's
arrival could not have been more dramat-
ic, short of complete di a ter. The Shack-
leton's propen ity to hydraulic failure
loomed its ugly head, re ulting in the
undercarriage and flaps having to be low-
ered by u ing the emergency air-pre ure
system. However, the brakes were not
capable of functioning, so that on touch-
down, 1723 ran off the runway and
crashed into one of the base's brick build-
ings. The encounter gave the mainte-
nance staff its initiation on hackleton
repairs, which with 1723 involved consid-
erable work on o. 1 engine, plus its ur-
rounding trucrure.
The underlands had operated from
Durban's Congella flying boat station, but
for land-based maritime reconnaissance
aircraft, the Cape Town base at Ysterplaat
was initially mooted as 0.35 quadron'
Shackleton operational station. However,
it wa realized that this would nor be large
enough for a fully laden MR.3 to get air-
borne, so a portion of the D. F. Malan civil
airport was allotted ro the quad ron and
Ysterplaat became the maintenance facili-
ty. (This airport was named after Group
aptain Malan, who was the third-highest
scoring fighter pilot in the RAF during
World War Two, with thirty-five victories
to his name.)
SAAF Service Begins
At the time of delivery, AAF MR.3s were
very similar to their RAF equivalents exter-
nally, the repositioning of the astrodome
from its mid-fuselage position to one further
aft being the most noticeable change.
Three of the aircraft were fitted out to carry
the aro Mk 3 airborne lifeboat, but te t
made with the Lindholme Gear convinced
the SAAF that it wa superior and, like the
RAF, they opte I for the latter. The remain-
ing five aircraft were completed without the
lifeboat attachment point. An early modi-
fication made to the aircraft by SAAF engi-
neers was th fitting of rails for four 3in
ro ket flares, mounted under each outboard
777
wing section. A imilar installation had
already been tested by Avro, u ing MR.2
WG532, under the codename Glow Worm.
Trials were started by the A WDU on 21
January 1953 and the aircraft wa trans-
felTed to the A&AEE in ept mber for
another eight-month assessment of the sys-
tem. However, the installation was not
accepted for squadron service by Coastal
Command.
ome of the early long-range sortie
made by o. 35 quadron's hackletons
involved fifteen-hour flights covering some
3,000 miles (5,000km) of South African
territory. Known as 'border patrol " they
were flown at low level over vast areas
around the Kalahari Desert and Southern
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). National game
park wardens filed complaints about the
effect of these flights on the wildlife under
their juri diction, and as outh Africa is
very aware of the importance of maintain-
ing her many indigenous species, the flights
were topped. More important, so far as the
international scene was concerned at that
tim, was the increase in oviet maritime
activities in the Atlantic. The hipping
routes around the Cape of Good Hope were
a constant patrol area, with the movements
TABLE MOUI TAl 'S OCTET
South Africa's second MR.3, 1717, participated in an air-to-air photo-call before receiving its individual
code letter. Author's collection
On the threshold, ready to leave for Cape Town, 1717 now displays its '0' code, but still has the old SAAF
roundels. Aeroplane
112
TABLE MO TAI'S OCTET
When South Africa's last three aircraft were photographed at Woodford, they had the revised SAAF 'Castle'
roundels in place. Aeroplane
MR.2 WG532 shows the Glow Worm rocket flare installation on trial at the A&AEE, which the SAAF
adopted as standard, but the RAF did not. Harry Holmes
113
of USSR naval forces between the Atlantic
and Indian Oceans monitored on a round-
the-clock basis.
Lows and Highs
The SAAF's Shackleton strength was
reduced by one in August 1963. 1718 had
previously suffered a hydraulic failure,
resulting in a wheels-up landing at D. F
Malan on 9 November 1959, but the
required repairs were carried out in record
time, in order to get the aircraft back into
service. On 8 August 1963 the aircraft had
been engaged in joint exercises with the
RAF and was on a return flight to Cape
Town. In gusting winds and severe icing
conditions down to 3,000ft (l,OOOm),
1718 struck high ground before crashing
into the Wemmershook mountain range
outside the town of Worcester, some 60
mile (96km) east of its destination. All
thirteen crew members were killed in the
tragedy, that was hard to accept by the
squadron for some time. The aircraft had
made a total of 777 flying hours during the
six years since its acceptance by the SAAF
TABLE MOU TAIN'S OCTET
On the other side of the coin, two years
later 1722 took part in an impressive display
of search and rescue. Eight Buccaneer S.50s
were in loose formation on their delivery
flight to the SAAF when one, SAAF No.
419, had a flame-out in both engines at high
altitude, about 500 miles (800km) south of
the Canary Islands. The two crew members,
Captains Jooste and de Kerk, ejected while
Major A. M. Muller, who was leading the
formation, relayed their position. 1722 was
scrambled, and only a couple of hours into
the mission picked up the 'blips' from the
downed ainnen's SARAH beacons.
Coloured flares were fired by both the
hackleton crew and the survivors in the
Atlantic, to verify visual contact by all con-
cerned. Another MRJ, 1721, was drafted
into what was no longer a search, but a res-
cue operation and two sets of Lindholme
Gear were dropped to the Buccaneer crew.
The Dutch lin r Randfontein was in the area
and 1722 guided it to the rescue location,
where a successful transfer from life raft to
luxury was made. 1722, captained by Major
Pat Conway, had flown nearly eighteen
hours on the AR mission, which had been
undertaken as a text-book operation.
Combined Operations
In 1971, the treacherous currents around
the Cape of Good Hope claimed another
victim. The 70,000 ton oil tanker Wafra
ran aground on rocks off Cape Agulhas,
the most southerly tip of the African con-
tinent. With its 60,000-ton cargo of crude
oil threatening to cause an ecological dis-
aster for the area's wildlife, not to mention
the renowned holiday resorts that were
located around that part of the country, an
ocean-going tug was called in to tow the
stricken vessel off the rocks. Good sea-
manship by the tug's crew got the Wafra
clear of the reef wi th very little oil spi Ilage
and the tanker was towed some 200 miles
(300km) out to sea. As the vessel was
unsalvageable in her existing state and
there was no chance of transferring her
cargo to another tanker, the SAAF was
briefed to sink her, with the added instruc-
tion that, if possible, the ship's internal
structure was not to be ruptured, so that
she could take her cargo with her when
she sank.
No. 24 Squadron's Buccaneer S.50s,
armed with a pair of Nord AS-30 air-to-
ground missiles under each wing, carried
out two sortie against the vessel, under
the guidance of No. 35 Squadron, but the
tanker remained intact. Consequently,
MR.3s were called into action and a salvo
of depth charges dropped alongside the
Wafra had the desired effect. She sank
onto the Agulhas Plateau, 2,300ft (700m)
below the turbulent meeting place of the
Atlantic and Indian Oceans, complete
with her crude oil.
At least two SAAF MRJs are known to
have returned to the UK. 1719 arrived on
25 February 1963 for a six-week training
exercise with Coastal Command and it
arrived back at D. F Malan on 1 April. The
following year, 1722 touched down at Bal-
Iykelly on 28 June, for a four-week course
at the JASS, returning to Cape Town on
30 July 1964.
Phases and Damage
After the loss of 1718, the seven surviving
MR.3s were all progressively modified to
Phase III standard by Hawker Siddeley
CWPs, except that the Armstrong Sidde-
ley Viper was never installed in any of the
South African aircraft. The bases used by
No. 35 quadron were deemed to be large
enough to get even a fully laden MRJ air-
borne, The Phase III modifications were
implemented before the arms embargo and
the full ECM suit was installed in all seven
aircraft, so that they approximated to the
TABLE MOUNTAI 'S OCTET
RAF's final MR.3 condition, apart from
the Viper.
Wing re-sparring was carried out on at
least two aircraft, 1716 being out of service
for the work between March 1973 and
April 1976. Re-sparri ng on 1717 took a lot
less time - no doubt the engineers had
learned from the work on 1716 - the
squadron being without the aircraft from
September 1975 to October 1977.
At least two other aircraft, besides 1718
and 1723 already mentioned, had under-
carriage problems on landing. 1722's nose-
wheel refused to lock down on 7 June 1960
and the aircraft landed on a foam strip laid
down at Langebaanweg, the nose-wheel
assembly collapsing on contact with the
runway. Two years later, on 10 September
1962, 1721 had to make a wheels-up land-
ing at Ysterplaat, but the damage sustained
was repaired in a comparatively short time.
One other mishap to the SAAF MRJ fleet
occurred on 18 September 196I, when
1.720 was undertaking asymmetric landing
practice. The pilot undershot the runway at
D. F Malan and the aircraft was extensive-
ly damaged. Rather than dismantling 1720
and taking it away for repair, a hangar was
constructed around it for the work to be car-
ried out where it was.
Swansongs
The arms embargo certainly had a detri-
mental affect on the SAAF's MR.3s, and
the two re-sparrings already mentioned
were quite an engineering accomplish-
ment on the part of their maintenance
engineers. Engine spares were impossible
to obtain, as were new tyres and electron-
ic replacements so, in November 1984, the
Shackleton was officially withdrawn as an
operational aircraft in the SAAF. 1723
had expended its fatigue life several years
prior to this and had been grounded since
22 November 1977. It was stored in the
open at Ysterplaat, until being purcha ed
by Vic de Villiers, who acquired the air-
craft via a triple deal involving both the
South African Airways Mu eum and the
SAAF Museum. De Villiers gave the air-
ways mu eum Vickers Viking ZS-DKH,
which he had held for many years, and
they let the SAAF Museum have a Lock-
heed Ventura. The SAAF completed the
convoluted agreement by selling 1723 to
de Villiers, who mounted it on the roof of
his 'Vic's Viking Garage' on the Johannes-
burg to Vereeniging road. For many years
it remained in its service colours, but with-
out national markings. However, by 1994,
commercial advertising had taken over
and the aircraft was repainted a vivid red,
over which' oca Cola' logos were liberal-
ly displayed. A sign that is mounted beside
the aircraft, incorrectly said 'World War
Two Shackleton'; today this has b en edit-
ed and the word 'Two' has gone, although
the legend is still inaccurate.
On 24 April 1978, five months after
1723 was grounded, 1719 followed suit and
The SAAF pilot displays great confidence in his aircraft and its Griffons, as he tucks the undercarriage
away so soon after lift-off. Author's collection
114
1719/L. after having received all three Phase modifications. is now at the Cape Town Waterfront Museum.
Author's collection
115
it too was tored in the open at Ysterplaat
to begin with. Later the aircraft was moved
on it own wheels to an airfield at tellen-
bosch, in the outh African wine region.
Finally, in 1991, 1719 was moved, to the
Cape Town Waterfront complex, where it
i displayed today.
1720 had reached the end of it fatigue
life by 10 March 19 3, so it was grounded.
It had been planned to mount the aircraft
a the gate guardian at Y terplaat, but
someone 'pulled rank' and instead it wa
positioned outside the Warrant Officer's
Club. For a reason that cannot be ascer-
tained, it wa repainted to repre ent
'1719', complete with the individual code
'L'. Maybe it was hoped to frustrate future
aviation historians, but today the aircraft's
proper identity has been restored. In 1984,
1717 too was grounded; it had only been
kept flying to that date by courtesy of a
technical team that ascended the Wem-
mer hook Mountains to where the wreck-
age of 171 lay, in order to retrieve ser-
viceable parts that could be used on 1717.
After open-air storage at Y terplaat, the
aircraft wa di mantled to be taken by sea
to Durban. From there, in October 1987,
it went by road to Midmar Dam and was
rea embled for static display at the atal
Park Board Museum.
The nostalgia of the Shackleton' retire-
ment was not lost on the SAAF and on 23
November 1984 the surviving trio of air-
worthy MRJ ,1716,1721 and 1722, took
part in a ceremonial flypast at D. F. Malan
Airport. Twelve growling Griffons was
quite a farewell note! Two weeks after the
ceremony, 1716 and 1721 were flown to
the AAF Museum at Swartkop, while
1722 was retained in ground-running on-
dition by o. 35 Squadron for the muse-
um. In N vember 1991, the aircraft was
flown to Y terplaat, which, by then, had
developed into the second largest military
aviation museum in South Africa.
Ambitious Dream and Disaster
A long-held ambition to have an airwor-
thy hackleton on the UK di play circuit
reached the point of practical planning in
the beginning of 1994, when the all-
important fuel sponsorship, plu technical
support, was promised by FL Aerospace
(Lovaux) Limited at Bournemouth. 1716
was to fly from Cape Town to the UK and
tart its display fixtures at Duxford. The
aircraft had been a part of the SAAF
TABLE MO TAI'S OCTET
Museum's Historic Flight at wartkop,
where stringent maintenance standards
are combined with trict criteria for
accepting pilot, in order to en ure the
continuation of their exceptional safety
record.
With all 1716's technicalities settled,
the Museum gave the go-ahead for the
flight to be made on an approved route via
Libreville in Gabon, Abidjan in the Ivory
Coast, Lisbon, then Duxford, with flying
legs varying between five and thirteen
hours. Take-off for the epic flight was made
from Cape Town on 7 July 1994, with
nineteen aboard. Major Eric Pienaar was
captain with two other pil ts, two naviga-
tors, three communications officers and
two flight engineers. Three ground-crew,
together with three electrical/radio/instru-
ment technicians con tituted the aircraft's
maintenance and support team, with the
museum's Curator, Treasurer, and Public
Relations officer, making up the comple-
ment of nineteen.
The flight went smoothly until 1716
was approaching Abidjan, when o. 1
(the port outer) engine developed a boo t
problem in it upercharger and the engine
was shut down prior to landing. An exam-
ination was made by engineer Gus Guse
from the ground-crew aboard, who recom-
mended that an engine replacement was
advisable and one of the two Griffon 5 s
held as spares at ape Town was flown out.
The new engine was installed and, follow-
ing succe sful ground running, the aircraft
left Abidjan for a nigh t fl ight routed acros
the Sahara Desert to Las Palmas, which
was designated as a turning point in order
to avoid the Atlas Mountain range, then
back on course for a traight run to Lisbon
for refuelling.
Over the Mauritanian ahara, higher-
than-anticipated ambient air temperatures
were encountered and o. 4 (starboard
outer) engine started to overheat. lajor
Pienaar was at the controls and he shut the
engine down as a precaution. He also
altered course, making a westerly heading
in order to find cooler air over the
Atlantic, but thirty minutes later, with the
coastline still some hundred mile ahead,
park tarted flying out from the gap
between the propellers on o. 3 engine.
The engine was hastily shut down and
1716 was now flying with no power on the
tarboard side, but with 0.4 engine's pro-
pellers wind-milling at 600rpm. The drag
that this caused exa rbated the existing
asymmetric thrust to such an extent that
716
th pilot wa fa t losing rudder trim. A
quick assessment of the situation by the
pilot produced agreement that the only
option wa to make a controlled landing in
the desert, as they had already come down
to under 3,OOOft (1 ,ooOm) and the descent
was showing no signs of slowing down.
The crew prepared for the forthcoming
landing and all loose equipment wa
stowed away before they took up their
positions, with crash belts firmly locked.
Radio contact had been maintained with
Cape Town during the drama and when
0.3 engine had been shut down, a 'May-
day' wa declared, using the call-sign 'Pel-
ican One Six', derived from No. 35
quadron's pelican unit badge, together
with the last two numbers of the aircraft's
erial.
SAAF MRJs had the hydraulic pow-
ered by os 3 and 4 engines, and the wind-
milling propeller made up for the drag that
it caused, by supplying enough pressure to
lower the flap to take-off posi tion, there-
by enhancing the lift/drag ratio. A shallow
descent at about 200ft (60m) per minute
was held and the aircraft's landing lights
illuminated the ground enough to confirm
the radar altimeter's readings that the
ground appeared to be reasonably flat. At
50ft (15m), the last radio me sage was
relayed to Cape Town and the ventral
radar canner was the first part of 1716 to
make contact with the Sahara. The air-
craft sl id along on its underside, then
veered to port, before coming to a halt in
a horizontal position at 01.35 Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT).
A quick roll-call revealed, to everyone's
surprise, that there were no serious casual-
ties, so a ha ty evacuation was made, in
case fire broke out. The emergency radio
was set up by some, while others retrieved
the water, food, blankets and so on from
the aircraft, before camp was et up. 0-
one was in a mood to sleep and when dawn
broke, they were able to see the trail of
a sorted hackleton pieces that trailed
back to where it had first touched down.
'Murphy's Law' had come into the picture,
for the port undercarriage had been torn
from its mountings by the only sizeable
rock in the whole vicinity. So flat was the
aircraft' trajectory that the wing had not
made any contact with the grounJ any-
where.
A fal e hope of early rescue was raised
when an aircraft appeared in the di tance,
but its heading carried it away from th
crash site. However, the notes of an air-
(Top) Now residing at the
Swartkop SAAS Museum.
1721/N casts a maternal shadow
over the MiG-21 on its starboard
side. Author's collection
(Above) 1716/J looks a sorry
sight as dawn breaks over the
Mauritanian Sahara. Aeroplane
'Pelican One-Six' deposited a
veritable scrap-yard of pieces as
it slid sideways. following the
removal of the port undercarriage
by a substantial Saharan rocky
outcrop. Aeroplane
TABLE MOUNTAI 'S OCTET
717
TABLE MOUNTAJ 'S OCTET
The friendly silhouette of a Breguet Atlantique of the Maritime Nationale, drawn to the site by the MR.3's
burning undercarriage, was a welcome sight. Aeroplane
permanent situation existed for os 37
and 38 quadrons, both based at Luqa
when they received their MR.2 in 1953.
Their entire ervice with the type was con-
ducted within the Middle East Air Force
Monitoring the Middle East
Shackletons were engaged in overseas
tours and detachment almost from the
beginning of their RAF career, but a more
MR.2 WR959/F of No. 37 Squadron displays the lower white cheat-line of Aden-based
Shackletons as it flies over Aden Harbour in 1961, with the extinct volcano Sham
Sam in the background. Ray Deacon
Variety is the Spice of Life
CHAPTER EIGHT
Avro's first brochure on their Type 696
projected the design as being purely the
Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft called
for in Specification R.5/46, although Roy
Chadwick and his design team could have
had other roles in mind, when they gave
the aircraft Avro's customary enormou
bomb-bay. While declaring that the fuse-
lage would provide good walkway space
and headroom, together with a mall gal-
ley/re t bunk area, the brochure also stat-
ed that it would be soundproofed from the
cockpit to the resting area, with adequate
heating for all crew stations.
That some of these provisions did not
app ar until the Mk 3 was designed, and
then principally becau e of squadron
demands, should not detract from the fact
that the hackleton proved to be a 'maid
of all work', which met the multitude of
tasks placed on it in a very competent way.
For a hackleton squadron, life may have
been noisy, but it certainly had variety.
Right from the start, the Shackleton gave notice
that it had a cavernous bomb-bay - and could fly
on two engines if not too heavily laden! Aeroplane
which a leaping springbok was featured in
orange. This style of roundel had been ini-
tiated in 1951, replacing the tandard RAF
roundels carried during World War Two.
The 0.35 quadron badge, showing a car-
tooned pelican standing on a tylized map
of the African continent, was sited on the
sides of the aircraft's nose.
During the time of production, the AAF
had introduced a new national in ignia and
this was applied to the remaining five air-
craft prior to their delivery flights. The new
insignia was commonly known as the 'Cas-
tle' marking, as the design featured a stylized
ground plan of the Castle of Good Hope in
dark blue with a white outline. Centred in
this was a gold springbok, leaping from right
to left on the port ide and left to right on
the starboard side. In 1981 the SAAF
insignia was changed again, the springbok
being replaced by a gold eagle with out-
str tched wings, but this was not applied to
the hackletons.
oon after arriving in South Africa,
white fu elage top were introduced to
reduce the aircraft's internal temperatur
and later the fuselage 'PR Blue' wa
extended over the tops of all flying sur-
face, plus the fin/rudder assembly, with all
und 1'- ulfaces finished in Dark ea Grey
and all spinners were painted red. In 1978,
a white '21' was added to the nose of 1717,
to celebrate the twenty-one year that it
had erved in the AAE The author ha
been unable to confirm if the remaining
aircraft were similarly 'zapped'.
When the first three aircraft left the UK,
they flew with an Extra Dark Sea Grey fin-
ish on the upper urface, plus the nearest
equivalent to 'PR Blue' on the fuselage sides
and under-sUlfaces. erial numbers were in
black and the individual aircraft code let-
ters in yellow. Th national roundels had a
blue outer ring with white centre, over
Colours and Markings
the 'Growler' in the Cambridgeshire air,
was tempered by relief that, knowing how
tragic the event could have been, there
were no serious casualties.
1716, or what is left of it, is till lying
where it landed. 0 doubt the ravage of
seven years in the de ert has taken its toll
and it i quite possible that the aircraft is
now buried under the sand. It was an
inglorious ending to what had started out
as an ambitiou project, that excited
everyone connected with it, as well as the
international fraternity of aviation enthu-
siasts. The SAAF's 1722 is still very air-
worthy and in 2000 it appeared at the
annual Ysterplaat air show, together with
Mike Beachyhead's Lightning T.5 and
Buccaneer S.2B. Also, a group of Friends
of the Air Force Mu eum at Swartkop is
working hard to bring 1721 back to pris-
tine condition and they too have dreams
of getting it flying once more, although the
great hurdle of finding good engines may
prove insurmountable.
craft's engines were heard again a little
later and the port main-wheel was doused
in hydraulic fluid, before being et alight.
The ensuing fire was larger than had been
hoped, a the magnesium in the undercar-
riage leg burned well enough to produce
the generou plume of black smoke that
greeted a Breguet Atlantique of the
French Navy, which flew overhead to drop
a canister of medical supplies, together
with food and water. The time was 07.30hr
and the Atlantique circled the crash site
for about thirty minutes, before flying
away to guide a United Nations border
patrol in a couple of vehicles towards the
survivors. hortlyafterward, a third vehi-
cle arrived and later a UN Bell helicopter
landed to generate its own personal sand-
storm.
The Shackleton's crew mad radio con-
tact with Cape Town, 0 as to allay the
fear of tho e back home, before putti ng aII
the equipment back in the fuselage, clos-
ing all hatches and doors, and taking up
the U 's offer of a lift to civilization. This
turned out to be their base at the oasis of
Hasi Aqu nit, from where, the next day,
they were flown to Tindouf in Algeria,
where everyone except Colonel Derrick
Page, the Public Relations officer, boarded
a AAF Boeing 707 and flew home.
Colonel Page kept his promise to be at
Duxford, albeit without 1716, but he was
able to recount, first-hand, the traumas of
the flight that finished up in the sand.
Everyone's disappointment at not hearing
118 119
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
such an action should arise, under the
codename Operation Musketeer, 0 Nass-
er's announcement put the Operation into
motion, in collaboration with Israel, the
official announcement being made in Lon-
don and Paris on 31 October 1956. It wa
firmly considered that a concerted military
action against Egypt by uperior for es
would overthrow a er' government, but
history has shown that such an outcome
was overambitious, to say the least. Th
day of 'send a gunboat' were over.
The RAF's strength in the area at the
start of Musketeer stood at 289 aircraft on
yprus and ninety-two on Malta, with
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
The nose-code '0' indicates that panniers loaded with Army equipment are being
man-handled into the bomb-bay of No. 42 Squadron's WL737. Aeroplane
Agreement had been signed in October
1954, and to meet it objectives British
force had withdrawn from Egypt by June
1956. The Baghdad Treaty's existence was
becoming omewhat tenuous, so it was
broadened to include Pakistan and re-
named the Central Treaty Organization
(CENTO). But the ambition of the new
Organization were thrown into turmoil on
26 July 1956 by President asser's declara-
tion that he intended to nationalize the
British- and French-controlled Univer al
Suez Canal Company. The two govern-
ments already had an outline plan drawn
up for joint action again t Egypt in case
Operation Musketeer
Les than nine months later the Mediter-
ranean wa again the focus of military
attention. In an effort to stabilize this
volatile area and ensure that the flow of
natural minerals would not be interrupted,
the Baghdad Treaty between Iran and
Turkey had been signed in February 1955.
Britain signed a treaty with Iraq two
months later and, by so doing, hoped to
stem the spread of Communist influence
within the oil-producing states.
However, the catalyst for the next round
of ume twa Colonel Nasser, the national-
i t President of Egypt. An Anglo-Egyptian
It is believed that the first use of the hack-
leton in a truly operational capacity, as
oppo ed to exercises, was in 1955. The on-
going strife b tween Greece and Turkey
over the status of Cyprus escalated in that
year, with the Greek Cypriots forming the
terrorist organisation EOKA, for union
with Greece, under the lead rship of Gen-
eral Grivas, with the political aspect being
managed by Archbishop Makarios. The
ensuing campaign of abotage and bomb-
ing proved th inadequacie of the existing
British Army forces on the island, and
towards the end of December it wa decid-
ed to reinforce them with all peed, under
the codename Exerci e Encompass.
Nearly every Shackleton squadron in
the UK was ordered to provide some air-
craft for this project and each carried thir-
ty-three soldiers, squatting on their kitbags
in every available bit of space, with their
rifle and other equipment packed in the
bomb-bay panniers. Hastings transports
carried the vehicles and heavier equip-
ment. Malta was used as the advance base
for the operations and no-one could pre-
tend that the flight, which lasted over
eight hours, provided any degree of com-
fort for the Army, but expediency was the
keyword. For the trooping flights, which
ended on 24 January 1956, the Shackle-
ton's crew was reduced to two pilots, a nav-
igator, a flight engineer and a signaller.
Troubles in Cyprus
(MEAF) domain, No. 37 Squadron mov-
ing to Khormaksar in Aden on 2 Augu t
1957 and 0.3 Squadron, whil staying
on talta, relocating to Hal Far on 30
October 1965.
(Below) No. 42 Squadron goes trooping, as 'squaddies' prepare to embark on
WG533/H for their noisy journey to Cyprus. Aeroplane
(Above) WR961/S was a fully updated Phase II aircrah when parked on a wet
Luqa tarmac in 1964. George Pennick
120 121
VARIETY I THE SPICE OF LIFE
VARIETY I THE SPICE OF LIFE
Shackleton MR.2s Confirmed as
Participating in Operation Mizar
WB833, WL737, WL738, WL747, WL751 , WL754,
WL755, WL785, WL793, WL800, WR955, WR961,
WR965
Of these. WL737 is known to have been used twice
during the operation.
April 1967, Ballykelly had b en drawn
into Op ration Mizar and o. 210
Squadron became the fir t Ul ter base to
provid a three-aircraft detachment. MR.2
WL751 i known to have be n a member
of the trio, and it tayed at Mauripur until
March 1968, with ju t the crews rotating.
Detachments from os 204 and 210
Squadron took it in turns to do the Beira
Patrol for the n xt fourteen months, after
which o. 205 quadron sent three air-
craft from their base on Singapore Island
for six month.
The hackleton involvement with Oper-
ation Mizar lasted until March 1971, when
WL754 of o. 42 quadron returned to t
Mawgan; this aircraft had another ten years'
service to perform, which will be detailed in
hapter Ten.
fi ld, did all that was possible to accom-
modate the Shackleton units. Additional
hard-standings were laid down for the
Shackletons and for the weekly visits by
Britannias of os 99 and 511 quadrons,
bringing necessary spares. With the typical
British tongue-in-cheek attitude, the tent
and prefabricated metal hut that consti-
tuted the living quarters was known as
'Camp Britannique' by all their inhabi-
tants.
Each deta hment, consisting of three
MR.2s with crews and ground personnel,
lasted two months, during which time
many monotonou hours were spent flying
up and down the Mozambique Channel.
ighting a su picious tanker and directing
an R ves el to intercept it was the high-
light of such patrol. To break the tedium
there was also the tropical weather, which,
on occasions, put extreme pressure on the
aircraft, its crew and the fitter back at the
taging Post.
o. 38 Squadron wa di banded on 31
March 1967, o. 37 quadron following
suit on 7 September that year. A detach-
ment ofMR.3 from 0.42 Squadron at St
Mawgan tepped into the breach, but by
WL754/F was one of the aircraft that No. 42 Squadron detached to Khormaksar to take over from No. 37
Squadron during Operation Mizar. Ray Deacon
brought in a number of boat to patrol the
Indian Ocean's Mozambique Channel,
between Mozambique and the island of
Madagascar (which in those days was
known as the Malagasy Republic), and
the RAF was ta ked to provide air recon-
naissance of the area, for any su picious
shipping. Details of such were relayed to
the RN, for them to intercept and board
the vessels, in order to confirm the cargo's
destination. The e patrols were jointly
called 'Beira Patrols', with the RAF ele-
ments for thi Operation Mizar involving
detachments of Shackleton MR.2s from
No. 37 Squadron, based at Khormak ar,
and o. 38 quadron at Hal Far.
For the patrols, the detachments were
stationed at the RAF taging Post of Mau-
ripur on the north-west coast of Madaga -
car. Mauripur was one of the last British
bases on the African sub-continent; it
enjoyed a tran ient international flow of
traffic that would have been an aircraft
potter' dream. However, to ay that it was
lacking in comfort is a gro s understate-
ment, though the forty or so permanent
RAF personnel tationed there, who
shared their facilities with the local air-
established and the country was renamed
Zimbabwe, from the ma ive stone build-
ings of Great Zimbabwe, occupied by the
hona-Karanga civilization from AD 1200-
1450.
Strict sanction were applied against
Rhode ia which, being a landlocked
country, was dependent to a certain
extent on the port facilities of it ea tern
neighbour, Mozambique. The United
ations recei ved reports that Rhodesia
was receiving copious oil supplies, which
were landed at the Mozambique port of
Beira and then tran ferred across the
border. Consequently, the Royal Navy
the British Government and renamed
Zambia, from the Zambezi river that
form d it outhern border with South rn
Rhodesia. In the latter country, which had
been a British colony from the end of the
nineteenth century, Prime Mini ter Ian
Smith's white minority government made
a Unilateral Declaration of Independence
(UDI) in 1965 and named the country
Rhode ia, dropping the 'Southern' part of
the name. So started fifte n years of int r-
national pressure and embargoes, together
with a protracted guerrilla war, until legit-
imate independence was secured in 1980.
A black-majority government was then
6 November and a United Nations Emer-
gency Force took over from the ground
forces. The elements of the British armed
force inv Ived prepared to return to the
UK, with Nos 204 and 228 quadrons
joining No. 206 Squadron for these troop-
ing flight, which also involved carrying
the per onnel, plus staff, of three para-
chute regiments.
The Rhodesian Problem
on Allied aircraft for D-Day in 1944. Then
it wa a sensible expedient, as there were
literally thousands of aeroplanes engaged
in the operation and the Luftwaffe was still
a force to be reckoned with, but for Mus-
keteer it was only handfuls of aircraft by
comparison. Not all of the various type
used in the operation carried the markings,
but some Shackletons were thus adorned.
However, as no-one else had a similar
looking, or sounding, aircraft in the oper-
ation, it all eem rather pointles , unless
you were a paint manufactur r!
The whole Suez campaign lasted ju t
seven days, until a ceasefire was declared on
In 1964, the Briti h colony of Northern
Rhodesia was granted independence by
No. 37 Squadron's pan at Khormaksar, from where the unit supplied MR.2 detachments for the 'Beira
Patrols' on Operation Mizar. Ray Deacon
Canberras forming a large proportion of
this total, plus Valiants that were being
u ed in combat operations for the first
time. The hackleton featured in the
operation in its primary role of maritime
reconnaissance but, once again, it wa
impressed into the tran portation f addi-
tional troops to the area. Operation Chal-
lenger was established on a similar basis to
the earlier Exercise Encompass, and five
aircraft from 0.206 Squadron at t Maw-
gan were each employed to inflict eight
hours of di comfort on thirty-three mem-
bers of the 16th Parachute Brigade, a they
conveyed them from Blackbu he in
Hampshire, to Cyprus. (The current
obsession with taking hourly walk during
long-distance flight, in order to waylay
the on et of thrombosis, wa not on Med-
ical Officer's itineraries in tho e day !)
The aircraft were al 0 u ed to tran port
RAF ground- and aircrew from the units
involved in Musketeer to their respective
MEAF ba es.
For ome obscure rea on, which most
likely seemed a good idea at the time, some
aircraft participating in Musketeer had
three yellow stripes painted around the
rear fus lage in a similar fashion to the
black and white 'invasion' stripes painted
122
123
VARIETY IS THE PI E OF LIFE VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
the point of a particular sortie, and the
Shackleton's bomb-bay could accommo-
date a great number of these. A full load of
twenty-five 5001b, or a dozen 1,000Ib,
bombs was used against more fortified
positions, but the results of uch attacks
were inclined to be disappointing unle a
direct hit wa scored.
Twelve-hour patrols were a usual a fea-
ture of hackleton orties and they were
often the target of small-arms fire from the
local tribesmen. No. Squadron, with
their mix of Venom FB.1/FBAs and Hunter
FGA.9/FR.1O were also stationed at Khor-
maksar. Joint operations between the two
squadrons became a regular occurrence,
the Venom and Hunter planning their
strikes ba ed on a rial photography sup-
plied by the ha kletons, as the local map
were found to be too unreliable. I am ure
that no-one in o. quadron could have
foreseen that they would be the one and
only hackleton unit one day. o. 37
quadron became another Khormaksar
resident for some years: during the Aden
operations they, like o. 42 quadron,
worked closely with No.8 quadron on
their fighter-bomber operations. When an
uprising by tribesmen in Muscat occurred,
No. 42 Squadron d tached two aircraft to
harjah, on the Persian Gulf, to be closer
at hand.
The squadron also pent everal months
at Bahrain in the Gulf, to quell the busy
gun-running trade operating between that
island and Oman. By June 1957, bombing
missions were flown against the local
tribesmen on a regular basis. Each raid was
preceded by a leaflet drop, warning the di -
sidents of a forthcoming bombing raid.
After the bomb-bay had been emptied,
low-level trafing runs, using the two
20mm no e cannon, were carried out,
although it is believed that the tribe' ani-
mal population was depleted on a larger
scale than th ir troops. Just in ca e the e
activities were not enough for the qua Iron
to cope with, their MR.2s oc asionally
No. 210 Squadron at Ballykelly also supplied fully-armed MR.2s, in this case WL751/U and WL748/X, to
assist during the Rhodesian problem. Ray Deacon
this, o. 1426 Flight, operating Lincoln,
had undertaken the task, which included
air support and air cover for the ground
forces, bombing, gunnery, and acting a a
radio link between the various forces in
the area. An as ortment of ordnance wa
carried on bombing mission, dependent
on the individual target. 20lb practice
bomb were dropped if intimidation was
while local warring faction in Kuwait, Mus-
cat and Oman required policing on a regu-
lar basis in the second half of the 1950s.
o. 42 quadron, ba ed at St Eval, ent
a detachment of four MR.2s, which
arrived at Khormaksar in Aden on 7 Janu-
ary 1957, starting a rotation of aircraft
through the base for operational duties
that lasted for the next two years. Prior to
While the major operations d scrib d above
captured the headline, the hackleton was
engaged in numerous activities around the
Aden and Yemen Protectorat that were
true 'shooting war' operations, y t did not
gain so much publicity. Communism had
infiltrated into the South Yemen Republic,
The Arabian Problem
No. 42 Squadron provided several detachments to Khormaksar during the Arabian troubles and WL754/F
was involved again, in 1963, when it was photographed after lift-off en route for an operational sortie over
South Arabia. Ray Deacon
MR.2 WL748/X of No. 210 Squadron was detached in 1962 to join with the resident Khormaksar-based No.
37 Squadron's WR962/A, in operations against the hostile tribesmen in the Aden Protectorate. Ray Deacon
124 125
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
A sad sight at Shawbury's No. 21 MU, as Wl189/H, which had only served with No. 205 Squadron for seven
months, is parked beside '0' of an unidentified squadron, both aircraft having had their wing-tips removed.
Author's collection
.,
operations that occupied the unit's first
four Shackleton years, but in 1962 they
started a new role.
The Indonesian Problem
On 16 September 1957, Britain and Malaya
had signed a defence agreement and when
an armed rebellion erupted in the n igh-
bouring Sultanate of Brunei in D cember
1962, the British military presence in
Malaya was increased. The principal cause
of the area's problem was the aspiration
of President Sukarno of Indonesia to
ann x th whole of Borneo and produce
-'-. --
'!
No. 31 Squadron's involvement in the conflicts with Arabian tribesmen went as far as
sending a detachment to Majunga including Wl191/C and Wl152/D. Aeroplane
No. 205 Squadron wa an out-of-the-ordi-
nary unit, in so far as it was reformed on 23
July 1942 at Koggala, on the island ofCey-
Ion (now Sri Lanka). Initially equipped
with Catalina Mk Is, it spent the next
twenty-nine years, until its disbanding on
31 October 1971, in what became known
as the Far East Air Force (FEAF). On 1
March 1958, the quadron moved further
north on Singapore island, from Seletar to
Changi, and there received its first Shack-
leton MR.l A .
Maritime reconnaissance, together with
some search and rescue, were the main
,;
Monitoring the Far East
deputized for the Valetta unit in the area
and engaged in a pot of freight-hauling.
No. 42 Squadron had returned to St
Eval by the end of 1957, but within seven
months, in July 1958, it was back at Khor-
maksar, before transferring to Sharjah for
two months' bombing operations in Iraq,
where, once again, various local tribesmen
were flexing their muscles against their
neighbours, to the detriment of peace and
stability within the area. Detachments of
No. 224 Squadron from Gibraltar took
over the Colonial Policing mantle at the
beginning of 1959 and their activities fol-
lowed the same pattern as their predeces-
sor's. Both ground- and aircrew found the
experience of operating in the extreme heat
of the area very arduous indeed. For the fit-
ters, working inside a fuselage or picking
up spanners in temperatures of over 100F
was not easy. Similarly, for the aircrews the
climatic conditions in the rocky hills and
mountains where they flew produced some
very turbulent air current, making for some
very bumpy rides. It was a pleasant change
when a not infrequent SAR call came,
entailing a patterned flight over the cooler
sea.
On 1November 1970, No. 210 Squadron
was reformed at harjah with MR.2s and
they stayed there for exactly a year before
being disbanded. No. 204 Squadron also
made their presence felt in the area, when
they sent a detachment to Majunga in
Madagascar in April 1971, which also
occupied a twelve-month period.
Wl152/D of No. 31 Squadron flies over the rugged terrain of the Radfan, in the Aden Protectorate, with the rear camera-
housing doors open to provide photographic assistance for future No.8 Squadron Hunter offensive patrols. Aeroplane
126 127
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
from No. 206 Squadron at St Eval were ini-
tially detached to Australia in late 1956,
flying via the Azores, Bermuda, Charleston
in South Carolina, El Paso in Texas, then
Travis AFB, before crossing the Pacific.
Between Charleston and EI Paso, violent
tornados were predicted, so a diversion was
made to New Orleans Airport, where the
squadron's detachment enjoyed a plea ant
introduction to the city's amenities! This
was a ten-day flight ending at Christmas
Island, known locally as Kiritimati, a small
stretch of coral that is just 25ft (7.6m) above
sea level at its highest point and inhabited
by tens of thousands of red land crabs. A
land survey team confirmed that the site
would be adequate for the Grapple base and
all three Ballykelly squadrons got prepared
for detachments that would turn out to be a
two-year involvement with the thermonu-
clear test drops. Two runways and associated
hard-standings were constructed on the
island, and by April 1957 over 1,300 people
were learning to live with the land crabs.
The Shackletons' task covered a number
of operations. Meteorological reconnais-
sance flights were flown over a vast tretch
of the ocean, including the island of
Malden, lying some 400 miles (640km) to
the south-east of Christmas Island, which
was the designated site for the actual drop-
ping of the bombs. There were also transport
shuttle fights between Christmas Island and
is believed to have been the first time that
Shackletons landed at Sharjah.
In the summer of 1956, Australia gave
permission for the testing of a limited-yield
thermonuclear weapon on their Maralinga
range, deep in South Australia, under the
codename Operation Buffalo. Four aircraft
from No. 204 Squadron were detached to
the RAAF base at Pearce in Western Aus-
tralia in August 1956, to fly meteorological
reconnaissance patrols around the range.
The Blue Danube weapon was dropped by
Valiant WZ366 of No. 49 Squadron on 11
October, and the following month the
Shackletons returned to their horne base.
The United States' first H-bomb test
took place in November 1952, at Eniwe-
tok Atoll, one of the Marshall Islands in
the Pacific Ocean. This was followed on 1
March 1954 by a larger weapon tested at
Bikini Atoll, and the enormous destruc-
tive power unleashed in the two tests con-
vinced the Australian Government that
t h ~ proposed British testing of a similar
weapon, under the codename Operation
Gral)ple, should not take place on Aus-
tralian territory and made it quite plain
that the 'Mother Country' should choose a
site well away from Australia.
Consequently, in view of their previous
meteorological survey work, Shackletons
were once again called upon to exercise
their long-range capabilities and two aircraft
129
Two years after its Operation Grapple detachment with both Nos 240 and 269 Squadrons during 1957 and
1958, WB826 was converted to T.4 configuration. After initially being coded 'Y', it was recoded 'B' before
being scrapped at Shawbury's No. 27 MU in February 1968. Harry Holmes
At 09.30hr on 3 October 1952, Britain
successfully detonated its first nuclear
device. This took place aboard the time-
expired naval frigate HMS Plym, anchored
off the Monte Bello island group, some 50
miles north-west of Australia's largest
state, Western Australia. In the test, code-
named Operation Hurricane, the device
was in reality only the core for an opera-
tional nuclear weapon, which five years
later emerged as a hydrogen bomb (H-
bomb), meeting Operational Requirement
(OR) 1001 and code-named Blue Danube.
Prior to Hurricane, four specially modi-
fied Shackleton MR. Is of No. 269
Squadron at Ballykelly were detached to
Darwin, on the north coast of Australia's
Northern Territory, in order to obtain
weather data around both the Timor Sea
and the Indian Ocean, in which the Monte
Bello group was situated. Under the code-
name Operation Mosaic, each aircraft oper-
ated with a meteorological observer as an
additional member of the crew. These
flights included climbing to 18,000ft
(5,500m) for special temperature readings.
To mark the end of the detachment, the
four aircraft involved flew in a tight forma-
tion over the Sydney Harbour bridge,
before setting course for the UK, via Shar-
jah, as Karachi's airfield was flooded. This
The Thermonuclear Tests
d tachments were back at base by the end
of the month, leaving No. 205 Squadron to
continue the patrols. Ten month later, on
13 August 1966, a peace treaty was signed,
which guaranteed mutual respect between
Indonesia and the new state of Malaysia.
No. 205 Squadron's tenancy at Changi
ended in 1971, when the unit returned to
the UK to be disbanded and Shackleton
operations in the FEAF were over.
128
responsible for spotting an Indonesian
submarine in the South China Sea. The
transport's crew radioed the Royal avy
and HMS Lincoln intercepted the subma-
rine, which, considering discretion to be
the better part of valour, promptly turned
about, to head back to its base.
In October 1965, No. 203 Squadron flew
the last Hawk Moth sortie, so far as Bal-
lykelly's aircraft were concerned, and the
This photograph was awarded second place in the 1963 Coastal Command Annual
Photographic Competition. Taken by Sgt Martin, it was titled 'Turning on' during No.
204 Squadron's involvement in the 'Borneo Confrontation' the following year. Aeroplane
No. 204 Squadron's Wl796/M was scheduled to take part in the unit's 'Borneo
Confrontation' detachment, but suffered Category 3 accident damage, which was
being repaired by No.71 MU when the squadron's detachment left Ballykelly.
Authors collection
an Indonesian 'super-state'. Communist
factions had initiated the rebellion, which
gained support from both [ndone ia and
Sarawak.
The whole episode became known as
the 'Borneo Confrontation' and while
Canberras of Nos 32, 45, 73 and 249
Squadrons, in a detachment cycle, bore
the brunt of the offensive against the
rebels in a four-year conflict between 1962
and 1966, Ballykelly supplied a detach-
ment of No. 204 Squadron to Changi,
arriving on 19 May 1964. Three MR.2s,
WG555, WR964 and WR966, made the
journey, taking a total of 41 hI' 50min fly-
ing time. Once at Changi, the aircraft per-
formed numerous survey patrols to ascer-
tain the movements of Indonesian forces
over a twelve-day period, before starting
the return flight to base and landing in
Ulster on 19 June.
Events in the area escalated to a point of
nearly total war by August 1964 and Bal-
lykelly's squadrons were again called into
action, to assist Changi's resident No. 205
Squadron with their MR.2s. A mixed for-
mation ofWR965 from No. 203 Squadron,
WL739, WR964 and WR969 from No.
204 Squadron, plus WL748, WL751 and
WL791 from No. ZIO Squadron all left
their home base on 11 September for a
much longer stay than the earlier detach-
ment. As each particular aircraft became
due for Phase modifications or major ser-
vicing, it returned to the UK and a replace-
ment from its squadron was flown out. [n
view of the great distance and number of
flying hours involved in getting back to
base, a careful monitoring of each aircraft
was kept, in order for it to actually be capa-
ble of making the journey.
Under the codename Hawk Moth, the
aircraft flew regular reconnaissance patrols
over the Straits of Malacca, monitoring
the activities of rebel forces. A two-week
rotation was established where two MR.2s
operated from the island of Pulan Labuan
off the north-west coast of Borneo, known
as Labuan for short, which had excellent
runway facilities. During Hawk Moth, the
pre ence of Soviet naval vessels was
recorded on several occasions, although
they were not intercepted, but Indonesian
shipping was tracked and shadowed by the
Shackletons until British or Common-
wealth naval patrol boats came alongside
to investigate their cargoes.
In April 1964, before the Ballykelly air-
craft had arrived, a member of No. 205
Squadron, travelling in a Hastings, was
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
It will be seen that some alfcraft were used by more than one
squadron on indiVIdual detachmenrs, as onlyacertain number of
alfcraft were fltled with the speCIal eqUIpment requlfed for the
thermonuclear test programmes. The Idenrlty of the two No. 206
Squadron atrcraft has not been conflfmed.
No. 269 Squadron
Shackleton MR.l s: VP265, VP289 and VP294
Shackleton MR.1As: WB826. WB835, WB857 and
WB860
directing her to the survivors. ix people
had already died in the life-raft, but the
urviving forty-four boarded the freighter,
from where RAF and U AF helicopter
that had been brought into the re cue
attempt managed to winch up the more
eriou ly injured, to transfer them to hos-
pital on the Irish mainland.
POSSibly one of the most famous SAR
operations involving the hackleton
occurred in December 1963, when the
Greek cruise liner Lakonia caught fire during
the night, when lying off the coast of Portu-
gal, ome 500 miles (800km) north-we t of
the Straits of Gibraltar. A dawn broke,
WL757, an MR.2 of the local No. 224
Squadron, piloted by Fit Lt (now Air Cdr)
David Leppard, was detailed for the AR
mission. When the stricken liner was locat-
ed, it was buming fiercely, with many of it
lifeboats and life-rafts scattered over a large
radius, many of them with survivors.
WL757 dropped two et of Lindholme
Gear. The Shackleton's crew was heartened
to ee survivors climbing into the rafts that
had been delivered as they stayed on station
for nearly nine hours, locating other ship-
ping in the vicinity and directing them to
the scene. A US Navy Douglas -118B, en
route to the Azores, was called in to assist in
The starboard observer's station on the MR.1 was a draughty position if the window
was raised. Aeroplane
WR966. Due to its other commitments,
the unit had to borrow WL74 and WL787
from its neighbour at Ballykelly, o. 210
quadron. The four aircraft flew out to
Jamaica on 19 February 1962 and, upon
arriving, tarted delivering supplies to
British Guiana's capital, Georgetown. The
service went on for nearly a month on a
regular daily ba is, rather like a scaled-
down Berlin Airlift, but by 23 March nor-
mality had returned to the country and the
four Shackletons returned to Ul ter.
Later, in eptember 1962, another SAR
mi sion made the headlines. A Lockheed
-121 Constellation, the military trans-
port version of the Super Con tellation,
10 t all power on three of its four Wright R-
3350 radial engines, as it approached the
south-west coast of Ireland. A creditable
ditching was made in the Atlantic,
although spilled fuel ignited on the sea'
urface, cau ing many burn injuries. Fifty
of the eighty-two people aboard the air-
craft, including some of the injured, man-
aged to climb into life-rafe- that had been
deployed before the C-121 sank. Their
'Mayday' was picked up by a patrolling
hackleton, which found them and
marked their position with sonobuoys
before locating the freighter Celaina and
rare occurrence, and it wa standard pro-
cedure when an engine had to be shut
down, for Ballykelly to be notified and a
Shackleton scrambled to rendezvous with
the civil airliner, to escort it into Shannon
Airport. From the Shackleton crew's point
of view, this could prove a source of slight
embarra ment, for a Constellation flying
on three engines could till fly higher and
faster than 'The Growler' with all four
Griffons at full chat. However, the knowl-
edge that it wa in the vicinity, with all it
AR equipment available, gave great
comfort to the airliner's captain and crew.
True SAR operations, where lives were
in danger on a large scale, often made the
national-press headlines. On 5 February
1960, the United States freighter Valley
Forge ran aground in the small i land group
of Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi, to the
north-west of ingapore island. o. 205
quadron at hangi received the emer-
gency call and despatched an MR.IA,
which found the freighter within thirty
minutes. Lindholme Gear was dropped to
the stricken vessel from under 100ft (JOm),
after which the aircraft rendezvoused with
the R minesweeper HMS Fiskerton,
which was sailing in the South China Sea,
and guided it to the Valley Forge. Within
twelve hours the freighter's crew had been
taken on board the R vessel and the
whole SAR operation was a great success,
with the two ca ualtie from the US ship
receiving emergency medical attention on
the minesweeper, before being transferred
to hospital on the mainland.
In October of the following year, the
Caribbean wa truck by Hurricane Hattie,
with British Honduras being particularly
badly hit. No. 42 Squadron sent MR.2s to
a ist in the restoration of services in the
< rea, flying in troops and emergency supplies
from Jamaica. To relieve 0.42 Squadron of
some of their workload, os 204 and 210
quadrons each sent an MR.2 out to Stan-
ley Field on British Hondura, for what
turned out to be a two-month detachment.
It is interesting to note that the Shackle-
ton' rugged structure enabled it to under-
take this work, while the RAF's tandard
transport aircraft were unable to cope.
Four months later, o. 204 quadron
was back in the aribbean, but this time it
wa a man-made emergency, rather than
a natural one. Political rioting in British
Guiana had brought the country to a stand-
still and the docks were closed by a strike
by militant dock workers. The squadron
detached two of its MR.2 , WG555 and
The Good Samaritans
In the 'Shackleton era', converted frigates
equipped as weather ships and anchored in
all the fishing areas around the British Isles,
as well as out in the North Atlantic, had an
uncomfortable employment. owadays
the satellite has taken over, ending the
long, boring and sea-tossed weeks endured
by their crews.
Beside upplying an hourly report on
the weather in any particular area, to both
the civil and military meteorological ser-
vices, the vessels were often used by air-
craft on navigational exerci es ( avex) as
positional checks at night. In return, any
particular weather ship was able to verify
its own homing equipment via the air-
craft's electronics. By way of recompense,
the Christma spirit of goodwill was dis-
pensed by hackleton crews, who flew out
to these lonely ves els to drop seasonal
supplies to the crews; the e sortie were
used as an exercise in precision dropping,
from which individual aircrews derived
great satisfaction when their drops landed
close enough for a member of the ship's
crew to retrieve them with a boat hook.
When King George VI died in February
1952, Princess Elizabeth was on holiday in
Kenya with her husband Prince Philip, and
a hasty return to Heathrow had to be orga-
nized, where she emerged from a BOAC
Argonaut - the Canadair-built DCA with
DC-6 wings, powered by Rolls-Royce Mer-
lins - as Queen Elizabeth II. The young
Queen's journey by air was symbolic of the
age and the Royal Family used air travel on
an increasing scale during the 1950s.
However, it was considered necessary
for long-distance royal flights to be escort-
ed and the hackleton, with its capacity to
carryall the rescue equipment of the day,
was called upon to provide the e escorts.
The procedure was for one aircraft to fly
ahead and one astern of the transport car-
rying the Royal passengers, transatlantic
flights being made to a half-way point
where two aircraft of the Royal Canadian
Air Force took over, with a reciprocal
arrangement being made for the return
flight. In October 1956, Prince Philip,
now HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, made a
flight from Gibraltar to Nigeria, for which
o. 204 quadron provided MR.2s
WL738 and WL740 as escorts.
The main four-engined transatlantic
airliners of the era were the Boeing Stra-
tocruiser and Lockheed onstellation.
Engine malfunction was not an altogether
VP263 and VP266
WB828. WB850. WB856 and
WB857
WL739. WL 747. WL748 and
WL795
WB823, WB826, WB828,
WB835, WB856, WB859,
WB860, WB861, WG507 and
WG509
Shackleton Aircraft Confirmed as Being Detached
to Support Operations Mosaic, Buffalo and Grapple
No. 204 Squadron
Shackleton MR.1 s:
Shackleton MR.1As:
Shackleton MR.2s:
No. 240 Squadron
Shackleton MR.1 As:
3 June, their role having been taken on by
No. 204 Squadron, who had left the UK in
May to participate in Grap/Jle Y and the
final test of the eries, Gra/J/JIe Z.
In July, No. 204 Squadron's detachment
was joined by one from o. 269 Squadron
and when Gmpple Z had been dropped on 11
September 1958, the Shackleton's involve-
ment in the test series wa finished, with the
final aircraft, WG 57, arriving back in
Ulster during October. While the hackle-
ton wa always considered to be a low-level
aircraft, during the Grapple operations many
flights were made at 18,000ft. The proce-
dure was that on the climb to this altitude,
they levelled out every 3,000ft to take spe-
cial temperature readings. At 18,000ft, the
aircraft flew for about 200 miles (J20km)
before letting down to ea level, repeating
the temperature reading exerci e that had
been carried out on the ascent.
Although o. 204 Squadron used four
MR.2s for Operation Buffalo in 1956,
MR.ls were used during the whole of the
Operation Grapple programme, as this
variant was considered better for the role.
This meant that o. 204 Squadron had to
surrender their MR.2s before leaving Bal-
lykelly in May 1958, but they were back
with their MR.2 within six months of
returning to the base. A complete list of
hackletons involved in Operations
Mosaic, Buffalo and Grapple is given in the
table below.
Honolulu, casualty evacuation flight, and
their primary role of search and re cue.
Modifications to the aircraft, in order
for them to fulfil their many Gm/Jple
requirements, were undertaken by No. 49
MU at Colerne and No. 240 Squadron's
first aircraft for detachment left Ballykelly
at the end of February 1957. One advan-
tage that the hackleton po e sed was its
capacious fuselage and bomb-bay, which
allowed each aircraft to carry its ground
crew, together with an as ortment of
spares. A route was established for the
Canberras and Valiants engaged in the
operation, which went via Aldergrove,
Goose Bay and Namao in anada, then
Travis AFB in California, before crossing
the Pacific to Hickham AFB on Honolulu,
the final staging po t before arriving at
Christmas I land. The Shackleton units
flew a partly different route, through Lajes
in the Azores, Kindley Field in Bermuda,
Charle ton, Biggs and Travi AFBs in the
United tates, after which they followed
the jets' route to Honolulu and Christmas
Island. The jets' total flying time was in
the order of 23 hours, while the Shackle-
tons' worked out at around 42 hours.
No. 240 Squadron's aircraft returned to
the UK in early July 1957, two months
after Gra/J/JIe I had been dropped, but in
January 1958, a detachment from 0.240
quadron was detailed to assist with Grap-
ple Y, the fifth of the H-bomb te t drop.
On the way there, one of the aircraft wa
struck by lightning about three hours out
from the Azores, which removed the Wrr
and trailing aerial. The pilot brought the
hackleton down from 9,000ft to 1,500ft
and arrived in Bermuda with about one
hour's fuel left in the tanks. The Ameri-
cans on Burmuda found it hard to believe
that the Shackleton had flown at 1,500ft
for nearly six hours. On reaching Travis,
one of their Griffons was due to be
changed and another No. 240 quadron
aircraft flew out with the replacement in
its bomb-bay. However, this aircraft suf-
fered an engine fire while flying over Texas
and had to make an emergency landing at
Austin. It u ed the replacement Griffon
that was being carried in the bomb-bay, so
when it eventually reached Travis, it pro-
duced one unserviceable engine, to
replace another unserviceable engine!
Seven aircraft made the initial flight to the
Grapple base and three of them were used
for data collection prior to the first test.
They stayed in the area for two and a half
months, before returning to Ballykelly on
130 131
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Seen at No.5 MU Kemble in 1967, WR986/N had been a member of No. 206 Squadron
when it was engaged in the 1959 endurance-check flight. Ray Deacon
was not considered to be too disastrous
and, when XF707 had landed, the Captain
received a personal signal from Coastal
ommand's ommander-in- hief stating
'Congratulations to yourself and your crew
on the successful completion of Globetrot-
ter. You have beaten Jules Verne' record by
some thirty-eight days.'
engine could well ustain a lightly-fuelled
lincoln.
Avro's project office was very interested
in the Nomad a a pro pective hackleton
powerplant and it was planned that the new
engine would replace the outboard Griffons
in a propo ed hackleton MRA - which
was rather confusing, as there was already a
hackleton T.4. 0 doubt it would have
changed at a future date. The Mo sanc-
tioned a trial installation of this layout and
the second Shackleton prototyp , VW131,
was allocated for the conversion. It went to
Woodford on 18 October 1952, for inspec-
tion prior to flying to Luton, where it
arrived on 16 January 1953, on loan to
apier from Avro. The outboard Griffons
were replaced by dummy omads, to deter-
min the engineering that would be
required for the project.
A wing leading edge cooling radiator
wa installed on each wing, between the
a twelve-cylinder, horizontally-opposed, liq-
uid-cooled, in-line diesel engine, geared to a
centrifugal compre or that could drive the
aft portion of a ix-bladed, contra-rotating
propeller. The die el exhaust was expanded
across a three-stage gas turbine, directly dri-
ving a twelve- tage axial compres or, which
wa geared to the front portion of the pro-
peller unit. By early 1951, specific fuel con-
umption figures showed 0.33Ib/hr/eshp and
Armstrong Whitworth-built Avro lincoln
B.2 SX973 wa delivered to Napier's works
at Luton airport, where it was converted to
act as a flying test-bed for the engine. The
conversion in itself required major restruc-
turing of the lincoln's nose forward of the
cabin, for the engine was 9ft 11 in (3m) long
and 4ft lOin (105m) wide, weighing 3,5801b
(l,624kg). The te t-bed performed at the
1951 SBAC Display, where it flew down the
fight-line with all four Merlin' propellers
fully feathered, proving that a single Napier
The extensive modifications to lincoln B.2 SX973, in order to accommodate the Napier Nomad for flight
testing, are well illustrated here. Aeroplane
Longer Endurance Aspirations
With Rolls-Royce no longer interested in
further development of the Griffon, any
'thoughts of increasing the range of the
Shackleton lay in the in tallation of dif-
ferent engines. The re earch being done at
the long-e tablished engine company ofD.
Napier and on Ltd at Acton, into per-
fecting a diesel engine for aircraft, inter-
sted the powers in Whitehall, as well as
the designers at Manchester.
apier went further than ju t thinking
out uch an engine, and th ir designer
produced a compound piston/gas turbine
engine, whi h basic thermodynamics
howed could provide a higher thermal
efficiency figur than either of it con-
stituent units. The development engine
carried the company identification E.125
and the name omad Nm.l was desig-
nated for it production. In principle, it was
9.30
9.40
8.45
12.15
9.15
8.55
1.25
5.45
5.30
10.30
5.45
13.20
5.30
7.05
3.45
13.05
Planned
flight
time
(hours)
9.40
10.35
9.20
11.15
10.30
9.35
Ireturned)
6.15
6.25
1130
6.30
13.15
5.40
7.10
4.10
12.30
Leg
St Mawgan - EI Adem
EI Adem - Khormaksar
Khormaksar - Bombay - Poona
Poona - Bombay - Changi
Changi - Darwin
Darwin - Richmond
Richmond - Whenuapai
Richmond - Whenuapai
Whenuapai - Nandi
Nandi - Christmas Island
Christmas Island - Hickham
Hickham - North Island
North Island - Kelly
Kelly - Norfolk
Norfolk - Greenwood
Greenwood - St Mawgan
Between 17 and 18 September 1959, a
hackleton MR.3 of No. 206 Squadron
was used for a comprehensive endurance-
check flight. The actual aircraft employed
in this sortie is unknown, but it is known
to be one of the batch WR983 to WR986.
The selected route entailed a circuit of the
anary Island and registered 3,440 nauti-
cal mile, and the aircraft was airborne for
24hr 21 min. On landing back at t Maw-
gan, the MR.3 till had 270 gallons
(l ,020Itr) offuel in its tank.
Almost exactly four years later, on 7
February 1963, 0.210 quadron at Bal-
lykelly despatched an MR.2 to Thule in
Greenland. From there it undertook a
gyro-steering grid navigation exercise to
Bodo in Norway, flying over the orth
Pole. The whole exercise lasted four day
longer than scheduled, as the aircraft
became snowed-in at Thule. The follow-
ing month, o. 204 quadron entered the
endurance programme. An MR.2 followed
the Canary Island route made by o. 206
Squadron in 1959 and stayed aloft for 24hr
36min, beating the previou flight by an
extra fifteen minutes.
early four years later, No. 201
quadron at t Mawgan supplied XF707,
an MR.3 Phase I aircraft, for Operation
Globetrotter. This was a round-the-world
flight, during which flying demonstrations
were put on for the benefit of the Indian
Air Force at Poona, the RAAF at Rich-
mond ( ydney) and Noura, the RNZAF at
Whenuapai (Auckland), the avy at
San Diego and orfolk, Virginia, and the
RCAF at Greenwood, ova cotia. At
the various ba e , the aircraft was inspect-
ed by many high-ranking officers of the
respective services. Captained by the
Squadron ommander, Wg dr J. G.
Roberts, DF , DFM, the aircraft left St
Mawgan at 07.00hr, bound for El Adem,
on 8 May 1959 and landed back at its Cor-
nish base eleven days later, on 19 May.
The distance covered had been 24,300
nautical mil s, which had been planned as
a flight time of 134 hours 5 minutes but
was actually accomplished in 130 hour
(see the table right).
For the operation, two JA officer
accompanied the aircraft, which meant
that the flight was made with twelve air-
crew and seven groundcrew, in a total party
of twenty-one. The bomb-bay was filled
with panniers containing luggage, spare
parts and tools, as well as a spare main-
wheel. The only major problem during the
whole fight was the failure of a rack bolt in
the contra-rotating as embly for the tar-
board outer engine, which necessitated a
replacement propeller being sent out on
the next available Hastings that regularly
plied between ingapore and Au tralia. By
the time that the propeller had arrived,
been fined and tested, four days had been
lost from the original timescale, but this
Endurance Flights
the co-ordination of the re cue vessels. Prior
to WL757 leaving the scene, she reported
that there were no more survivors in the
water and those that had be n in lifeboats
were being transfened to the ships that she
had summoned. Out of the total of 1,032 on
board the Lakonia, 128 did not urvive and
the consensus of all who w r involved in
the tragedy was that Fit Lt Leppard's
endeavours en ured that this figure was not
a lot higher. It wa another example of a
first-rat AR aircraft, with a first-rate crew,
accomplishing the results for which they
had re pectively been built and trained.
In September 1955, No. 240 Squadron at
Ballykelly provided three MR.l As for a
detachment codenamed Operation Cook's
Tour. Their mis ion was to upply photo-
graphic surveys of some of the line Islands,
a group that extends nearly 2,000 miles
(3,200km) in a north-west/south-east string
across the Christmas ridge in the central
Pacific. The trio routed via Goose Bay,
Winnipeg, Vancouver, Honolulu to Can-
ton Island in the Phoenix Group, about 800
miles (I ,300km) west of their projected sur-
vey area. One of the detachment had an
engine failure and flew to the island of
Suva, in the Fiji I land group. The squadron
ent WG507 out to uva with a replace-
ment engine, via Luqa, Habbaniya, Mau-
ripur, egombo, Darwin and Townsville to
Nandi on uva island. Having delivered
the Griffon, WG507 flew back to Ballykel-
lyon the detachment' outward route and,
in so doing, completed the first world round
trip made by a Shackleton.
732 733
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
The Lincoln test-bed for the Nomad makes a pass down the flight line at the 1951
SBAC Display. Aeroplane
On 6 Apri I 1941, the Fw 200 problem was
raised at a meeting of scientists at the
TRE, where it was agreed to fit out an air-
craft a an experimental flying Ground
Control Interception (GCl) station, anal-
ogous to the GCI system being used to
direct night fighter on to enemy aircraft,
located by the Chain Home (CH) early
warning radar sites dotted around the
British I Ie ' coastline.
Thc usc of these acroplancs nO[ onIy w arrack
our ships, but also to direct the -boats onw
thcm, is largely responsiblc for our losses in the
Westcm Approaches. 0 effort [() destroy the
Focke- Wulfs should be spared. If we could
employ radar mcthods W find their positions
and direct long-range fighters or ship-borne air-
craft to thc arrack we ought to be able to inflict
serious casualties.
The TRE's Answer
fuel tanks, and a formidable combined
machine-gun/cannon armament, with the
first production aircraft clas ified a Fw
200C-I. When France fell to the German
Army in june 1940, the whole French
Atlantic coastline was available to the
Luftwaffe and KG40/Gruppe 1II set up air
bases around Bordeaux, to become the
scourge of Allied shipping convoy for
some considerable time. They were soon
joined by fast E-boats, whose nocturnal
activities started with mine laying, as well
as actually atta king convoys.
An early countermeasure to the Fw 200
was the usc of merchant vessels fitted with
catapults to launch Hawker Hurricane
fighters, though unless they were launched
within reach of land bases, their pilot had
to ditch or bale out as close to a friendly
vessel as possible. When Fw 200 atta ks
started to increase in numbers and further
out in the Atlantic, Prime Minister Win-
ton hurchill sent a personal minute,
dated 21 March 1941, to both the ecre-
tary of tate for Air and the Fir I' Lord of
the Admiralty, saying:
designs in existence which, the company
having only been in exi tence for five years
at the time, was rather fanciful. The new
airliner wa named the Condor and the
prototype, Fw 200 VI, made its maiden
flight on 27 july 1937, in an unregistered
tate, but was later given the civil marking
D-AERE. The company had high expecta-
tion for the airliner capturing export
orders, and on 28 ovember 193 the air-
craft, re-registered D-ACO , flew to
Tokyo for demon trations, which resulted
in an order for five Fw 200B aircraft being
placed, to be operated by the Dia Nippon
Kabushiki Kaisha airline. A sixth aircraft
was ordered by the Imperial japanese avy,
to be delivered in a modified form, fulfill-
ing a maritime reconnaissance role.
The japanese Navy's intentions sparked
an interest in the aircraft at the German
Air Ministry, the Reichsluftfahrtsminis-
terium (RLM) and the second prototype,
Fw 200 V2 D-EATA, was converted into
the Fw 200 ,with a strengthened struc-
ture, a ventral gondola to accommodate a
bomb aimer/observer, a bomb-bay, wing-
mounted tations for weapon or auxiliary
Crude as it may look. the TRE's conversion of Wellington IC R1629, in 1942, was the
world's first 'AWACS' installation. William H. Sleigh
CHAPTER NINE
In 1936, the Focke- Wulf Flugzeughau
GmbH, under its Technical Director, Prof.
Dipl.lng. Kurt Tank, came up with a design
for a four-engined, high-speed passenger
airliner, capable of operating a regular
transatlantic service. The design was given
the company designation Fw 200; thi was
in reality a propaganda ploy to give the
impression that there were many other
AEW - The Roundabout Years
The Fw 200
Among the many litanies of official hesi-
tation, customer's vacillation and manu-
facturer's misplaced optimi m, the saga of
the imrod AEW.3 must surely reign
supreme. This sorry story led to the Shack-
leton being given a new lea e of life as an
Airb rne Early Warning (AEW) platform
and continuing in this role until some
forty years after it first entered ervice. The
detailed history of the hackleton AEW.2
is related in Chapter Ten; first, however, it
is worth examining the background to the
whole saga, which started as far back as
World War Two.
occasion, the Treasury performed one of
its periodic decimations of the aircraft
industry. All funding for the omad pro-
gramme wa withdrawn and with it went
the Shackleton MRA. Avro's commit-
ment to the omad as the hackleton's
future powerplant can be appreciated from
the fact that their design office was well on
the way with the Type 719 Shackleton
MR.5, with the Griffons completely gone
and four omad m.6 engines, deliver-
ing a maximum power output of 3,050shp,
plus 3201b (l45kg) thrust, in their place.
VW131 remained at Luton in a partial-
ly converted state for nearly two years
until, in january 1956, it was dismantled at
Napier's and the fuselage went to Avro's
works at Bracewell Heath in Lincol hire
where, after being used for research into
hackleton ditching qualities, it was test-
ed to destruction and struck-off-charge on
10 May 1962.
There was also a projected variant fitted
with four Wright Cyclone RJ350- 5
engines. A maximum take-off weight of
132,nOlb (59, 62kg) was anticipated for
the aircraft, which would retain the MRJ
wing plan and have a large ingle fin/rud-
der assembly with an extending dorsal fin,
plus a dihedral tailplane. The radar aerial
housing would be in a similar position to
the AEW.2 but further aft, in order to
accommodate a nose-wheel undercarriage.
One aspect that was not aired too liber-
ally was how the crews of Shackletons with
increa ed endurance would view the idea,
considering that th average patrol all' ady
occupied some twenty hours' flying time.
involved can be gathered by the fact that,
besides having a eparate cooling system,
the Nomad required an entirely separate
fuel system from the Griffons'.
In April ]954, a test engine was
installed on the starboard side, in order to
take vibration test readings and the whole
project wa proceeding well, with a Lin-
coln proposed as a complementary test
vehicle, under the Avro's designation Type
717. Then, in the summer of 1954, with
the customary bad timing retained for such
inboard Griffon and the new engine. The
dummy having established the necessary
engineering, a flight-test engine wa pre-
pared by Napier. This was the E.] 45, Nomad
NNm.2, which was a simplified engine,
with the diesel and compressor outputs
being coupled through a variable gear unit,
driving a four-bladed de Havilland pro-
peller with a diameter of 13ft (4m). This
proved to be quite a lengthy undertaking
and Avro extended the loan of VW131 to
31 july 1954. Some indication of I' he work
The second Shackleton prototype. VW131, before going to Luton to have Nomads installed in the outer
nacelles. The whole programme was halted aher a test engine had been fitted in the starboard outer
position. Harry Holmes
734 735
AEW - THE ROU DABOUT YEARS AEW - THE ROU DABOUT YEARS
This very poor-quality frame from a cine film is
included because the converted LA728 has rarely
been photographed flying, or even taking off, as
here. William H. Sleigh
(Above) The whole ungainly installation is brought
together at TRE Defford. Maybe 'ungainly' is not
very fair on the TRE conversion. for the Hamilcar
was far from being an elegant aeroplane in its
original state. William H. Sleigh
In LA728, the 10cm radar had a 198.12cm-diameter parabolic aerial installed in the
nose. William H. Sleigh
for the vessel. On the night of 19-20 May
1942, the Wellington took off from Wick
on a course for Norway, nown by a
Telecommunications Flying Unit (TFU)
pilot, Fg Off Jack Ruttledge, with a civil-
ian TRE scientist, Roy Hodges, who had
hastily been supplied with an RAF uni-
form, to operate the radar. This was the
first time that a radar system, with an aer-
ial capable of rotating through 360
degrees, had been employed in a wartime
environment and was also a first for an air-
craft's radar being used as an Airborne
Early Warning vehicle. The radar was very
much in its infancy and the Lutzow was
not located, as it was 'ma ked' by the land
surrounding the Norwegian fjord where it
was anchored, but at TRE, the magnetron
valve was being used to develop the 10cm
HzS radar system, under the direction of
Bernard (later Sir Bernard) Lovell, and the
maritime ver ion, designated ASV Mk Ill,
was to transform radar's capabilities in the
Battle of the Atlantic.
After World War Two, in 1947, Britain's
first purpose-built Airborne Early Warn-
ing radar, with an outsize 10cm-wave-
length Al radar, was night-tested on the
second prototype General Aircraft
GAL.58 Hamilcar Mk X, LA728. The
Hamilcar was originally designed to Spec-
ification X.27/40 as a large glid r, capable
of carrying a 7.8-ton tank and was the
largest Allied glider used in the connict.
Many were employed in the D-Day inva-
sion of mainland Europe in 1944, towed by
Halifax and Stirling bombers, converted
to the glider-tug role. The Mk X, powered
by two Bristol Mercury 31 radial engines,
was intended for Far East operations, but
only twenty-two had been completed by
the time that Japan surrendered on 15
ugust 1945.
LA728 was converted at the TRE by
having the clam hell nose doors removed
and a radome fabricated from several acrylic
sheet panels, attached to a wooden sup-
porting frame. A certain amount of night
under Contract No. 992424/39. The air-
craft was converted and fitted out by the
TRE, for night trials to commence in the
spring of 1942.
Concern was now growing at the Admi-
ralty about the safety of Arctic convoys
shipping supplies to the USSR, as the Ger-
man Navy was starting to move capital
ships north along the coast of Norway.
One that had been identified was the bat-
tleship Lutzow and R1629 was nown up to
Wick, in Scotland, to assist in the search
J.. ~ . ~
the GCI radar to be directed at providing an
early warning of surface attacks on Allied
shipping in the North Sea and, as such, it
would be designated Air Controlled Inter-
ception (ACt), which today we recognize
as an Airborne Warning And Control Sys-
tem (AWACS).
The aircraft selected for the installation
of this dorsal-mounted, revolving radar
head was R1629, a Vickers-Armstrongs
Wellington Mk 1C, one of 550 built at the
company's Chester factory in 1939-40,
This view of the revolving unit on R1629 shows to advantage, from left to right on the beam,
the reflector element, the folded dipole and eight parasitic elements. William H. Sleigh
The 9ft-high hemispherical Perspex radome manufactured to interface with the front
fuselage of Hamilcar Mk X LA728, for the first officially recognized British AEW Mk 2
system. William H. Sleigh
The proposal was to install a rotatable
Yagi aerial in a dorsal position, with GCI
equipment fitted, minus the height-find-
ing facility in order to save weight. A
smaller transmitter wa already being
developed by the TRE, so the whole
installation, powered by an auxiliary
petrol/electric motor, would weigh no
more than 1,600lb (730kg). The Air Min-
istry gave their approval to the project,
issuing authority to proceed in August
1941, and this was followed, at the first
meeting of the Air/Sea Interception Com-
mittee later in the same month, by an
agreement that the facility would be used
as an extension of the existing radar cover
provided by the Chain Home system in
the North-Western and South-Western
Approaches, which wa approximately
100 miles (l60km). The range of the trial
installation would be around 50 miles
(80km) and the system was seen as being
particularly beneficial in providing air
cover for the convoys plying the east coast.
Adapting what was already a proven
system, the new installation would be
based on the ASV Mk II receiver, a high-
powered transmitter and a light-weight
Plan Position Indicator (PPJ) using a 9in
(23cm) cathode ray tube, with the whole
exercise following the existing standard
principle of being capable of providing
radar with increased power, but not at the
expense of an increased weight of hard-
ware. In those early days, scientists were
responsible not only for the invention
itself, but also for the design and proving
of any new system, in order to meet its ulti-
mate requirement. This was quite a
responsibility and, for the new installa-
tion, a rotating Yagi aerial head was con-
structed using a renector element, a folded
dipole with eight parasitic elements, fixed
in an aerodynamic-sectioned rotating
beam, mounted on a pylon sited on the air-
craft's upper fuselage. The system was to be
driven by a 24-volt electric motor, through
a gearbox. To prove that the TRE engi-
neers were not too proud, the gearbox orig-
inated from a crashed Luftwaffe aircraft!
The catapulted Hurricanes were begin-
ning to be supplemented by the first of a
new type of small escort carrier, and
between them the Fw 200 threat was on the
way to being contained, but the E-boats
certainly were nor. The Chain Home radars
could not detect these attacks due to their
inability to separate the target's signal from
the surrounding geography, and conse-
quently plans were drawn up for the trials of
136 137
AEW - THE RO NDABOUT YEARS AEW - THE ROU DABOUT YEARS
A fine air-to-air shot taken in 1953 of Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 WT949/308, of the Royal Navy's No. 849
Squadron, with the AN/APS 20 radar's scanner housed in the ventral radome. Aeroplane
.--
-
---
---'
. LM
The hastily manufactured AEW adaptation of the Westland Sea King, shown here on HAS.1 XV371/181, with the retractable radome housing extended.
Author's collection
Fairey Gannet AEW.3 Xl479/lM762 of No. 849 Squadron RN, still had its AN/APS 20 radar when photographed at an RNAS Veovilton Open Day on 8 September 1973,
but by the end of the year its AEW system had been passed on to NO.8 Squadron to keep its Shackletons operational. P. J. Cooper via Aeroplane
its maiden flight on 20 Augu t 1958. This
variant had an entirely new fuselage and tail
unit, with a crew of one pilot and two radar
observers. A large radome to carry the ubiq-
uitous AN/APS 20 radar was mounted in a
ventral position, in line with the wing main
par. The Double Mamba 102, rated at
3,875e hp for take-off, was installed and the
first of forty-four production aircraft, XL449,
fir t flew on 2 December 1958.
Designated the Gannet AEW.3, the
type took over from the Skyraider AEW.l
in 0.849 Squadron, with 'A' Flight being
ba ed on HMS Victorious, 'B' Flight on
HMS Centaur, 'C' Flight on HMS Ark
Royal and 'D' Flight on HMS Eagle. The
number of Gannet AEW.3s in service
gradually redu d a the avy ran down its
carrier fleet, opting at the arne time to do
away with fixed-wing aircraft altogether in
the future. 'C' Flight was the last to be dis-
banded, when the aircraft were pensioned
off in ovember 1978.
The erious position in which this left
the Navy, in so far as they no longer had
early warning air cover, was not really
Specification GR.17/45 was issued in
late 1945, for a shipboard, two-seater anti-
ubmarine strike aircraft, powered by an
Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba tur-
boprop engin . Two prototypes, VR546,
first flown on 19 September 1949 and
VR557, on 6 july 1950, were followed by a
third, WE4 . The latter wa a three-
seater variant, built to a separate contract
and first flown on 10 May 1951. All three
were flown in competition with Black-
burn's YA.5 and hort's B.3, designed to
meet the same specification. Fairey was
awarded the production contract and the
designation Gannet AS.! was bestowed
upon the three-seater version of their
design. One hundred and sixty-nine exam-
ples of this variant were built, along with
thirty-six T.2 trainers, both being powered
by the Double Mamba 100. These were
followed by eighty A .4s, fitted with a
Double Mamba 101.
Fairly early in the Gannet's development,
the adaptation of the aircraft into a ship-
board early wanting aircraft was conceived
and an aerodynamic prototype, Wj440, had
testing was undertaken by this Hamilcar
radar trials aircraft, but the results have
not been recorded.
AEW is Born
The Airborne Early Warning (AEW) sys-
tem, as it is generally accepted today, was
developed and put into production for the
U avy, as a result of the traumas of 7
December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Intense
research led to the General Electric-
produced AN/APS 20 radar, via the
AN/APS 2, 4, 5 and 15, working on the 'X'
Band system in a podded installation.
Under the Mutual Defence Assi tance
Programme, the Royal avy was supplied
in 1952 with forty Douglas AD-4W
kyraiders, which carried this AEW radar
in a large radome fitted in a ventral posi-
tion, between the aircraft's main wheels.
They were d ignated Skyraider AEW.l by
the Royal Navy, who only operated them
with No. 849 quadron, assigning four to
each aircraft carrier.
138 139
Boeing's Offer to NATO
In its E-3A configuration, Boeing received
an order from the Royal Saudi Air Force
for five AWACS aircraft and NATO was
offered the same variant. It was appreciat-
ed that, at a unit cost of some $200 mil-
lion, the Sentry would not be an afford-
able system for every individual NATO
country, although Britain was offered the
aircraft early in its development pro-
gramme. Therefore, early in its produc-
tion, the aircraft was offered to the Orga-
nization as a collective unit and so started
the protracted piece of aviation history
that, had decisions been made within a
reasonable time from that date, could have
produced such a difference to the subject
of this book. But prevarication became the
order of the day and over a period of sev-
eral years, the defence mini tel'S of mem-
ber states were involved in meetings thqt
only broke up with a promise to 0\<1
another meeting, at an undecided dCl e. it)
has to be said that We t Germany was Ot J)
of the chief procrastinators in the I )ng
drawn-out chapter, but they were not
alone. Each member country contributed
to the muddle that prevailed.
The MR Shackleton is
Replaced
In Britain, the British Aerospace Nimrod
was produced as the replacement for the
Shackleton in its maritime reconnaissance
role, with deliveries of the Nimrod MR.l
starting on 20 October 1969. The RAF'
original maritime reconnaissance require-
ment in the early 1960s was virtually tai-
lored around the Breguet Atlantic, which
had been in service with France's Aeron-
avale for several years, but Hawker Sidde-
ley, before it became absorbed into BAe,
hastily prepared their HS801 design, utiliz-
ing the fuselage and wings of the Comet
4C, to which were added four Rolls-Royce
Spey 250 turbofan engines. An unpressur-
ized ventral section was added to the fuse-
lage to provide a very copious weapons bay,
ahead of which was the radar scanner bay.
Forty-nine Nimrod MR.ls were ordered in
three batches, with the serial numbers
XV226 to XV263, XW664 to XW666 and
XZ280 to XZ287. Airframe No. 44, XZ285,
became the prototype for the next variant,
the MR.2, while Nos 45 and 46, XZ286 to
287, were earmarked for a possible Air-
borne Early Warning aircraft.
AEIV - THE RO NDABOUT YEARS
been in service for some time, so it was
considered that the basic aerodynamics,
having been proven, would not require
much in the way of modification.
Boeing was notified on 8 July 1970 that
it was being awarded a contract to build an
AWACS aircraft, based on its submitted
design. Among the company's proposals
was the mounting of a radome, similar to
the eventual shape, on a swept-forward
tail-fin, but by the time that their design
had hardened enough for a brochure pre-
sentation, it was mounted on a pair of
struts fixed in a dorsal position on the rear
fuselage, in a more sophisticated way, but
following the TRE configuration of nearly
thirty years earlier. The whole structure
was in effect two D-shaped fibre-glass
radomes set either side of a rotating girder-
like head, making a circular scanner 30ft
(9.15m) in diameter and 6ft (I.8m) deep.
The whole radome was angled 2.5 degrees
downwards, to minimize the aerodynamic
movements of the rotating head and it
ro'tated at just six revolutions per minute,
in order not to break down the lubrication
of the head's bearings.
Designated EC-137D by the USAF, the
aircraft was to be powered by eight TF34
turbofan engines, but before construction
began, this had been amended to four
TF33s, each producing 21 ,000lb (9,500kg)
static thrust. Two prototypes, 71-1407 and
-1408, started a series of fly-off trials
between 4 April and 5 September 1972,
one fitted with a Hughes radar system, the
other with a Westinghouse system. The
five months of flight trials resulted in
Westinghouse being given a contract to
produce their AN/APY-l radar and the
production EC-137D was designated the
E-3A Sentry. Boeing's initial production
contract covered twenty-four aircraft, and
this was increased by ten more in the late
1970s, which would take advantage of the
radar improvements made since the first
order had been placed. From airframe No.
24, the entry was linked to the Joint Tac-
tical Information Distribution System
(JTIDS), which made it compatible with
all NATO forces. The aircraft were pro-
gressively upgraded to E-3B, then E-3C
standard, in which, at 29,000ft (8,800m),
the aircraft had a cruising speed of Mach
0.72. At that altitude, the Westinghouse
radar had an operational range of 230
miles (370km) and the E-3C could remain
on patrol for up to eleven hours, which
could be extended to over twenty hours by
in-flight refuelling.
AWACS is Born
In the United tates, the USAF had pio-
neered the overland surveillance system
with the Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star,
a conversion of the Super Constellation
ivil airliner. It was used quite extensively
and successfully in the Korean War, using
the call-sign Disco, teamed up with Red
Crown off-shore surveillance vessels, and
gave USAF fighter crews advance warning
of when MiG-ISs were being scrambled.
But its limitations in modern warfare,
through being powered by piston engines,
were well displayed. The need for a turbo-
jet-powered replacement was placed high
on the agenda for the 1967 fi cal year, with
both Boeing and McDonnell Douglas
being allocated funds to investigate the
feasibility of producing a flying radar sta-
tion out of their respective civil aircraft, to
be identified as AWACS, an acronym from
Airborne Warning And Control System.
The Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 had
appreciated until Argentina invaded the
Falkland Islands in 1982. A task force was
formed in just forty-eight hours to sail
down to the South Atlantic with troops
and aircraft, but no early warning y tem
was available for the forces involved,
resulting in the much-publicised loss of
several vessels, due to bomb and Exocet
missile attacks by the Argentine Air Force
and Naval Aviation Command. A very
hasty conversion of some Sea King heli-
copters to carry a Searchwater radar scan-
ner in a retractable radome on their star-
board side, was too late to have any effect
on the conflict.
The RAF had been content for the Royal
Navy to provide early warning facilities,
they themselves relying on the Chain Home
installations around the UK. However, the
Navy's decision to phase out fixed-wing air-
craft suddenly made everyone aware that
there was going to be a serious gap in the
Fleet's defence cover. It was thought that the
RAF could provide AEW cover from land
bases, and the Service said nothing to dispel
this belief, although at the time they had no
aircraft capable of converting this into real-
ity. As related in Chapter Ten, the Shackle-
ton AEW.2 was developed, fitted with
AN/APS 20 radars taken from the now-
redundant Gannets, but it was anticipated
that this was a strictly temporary measure,
until a fully up-to-date AEW platform could
be brought into service.
LXH
90-4<'3
AEW - THE ROUNDABOUT YEARS
(Below) XV226 was the first production Nimrod MR.1, and had its maiden flight on 28 June 1968. The days
of the maritime reconnaissance Shackleton were numbered. Gordon Bartley
NATO ~ ~ OTAN
(Above) NATO Boeing E-3A LX-N90443 comes in to
attend the 1996 JAT at Fairford. Author's collection
140 141
De Havilland Comet 4C XW626. converted as the aerodynamic trials aircraft for the Nimrod AEW.3. displays
its substantial proboscis. William H. Sleigh
Britain Goes it Alone
ato's indecisiveness eventually wore
down the British Labour Government
and, on 31 March 1977, ecretaryof tate
for Defence Fred Mulley announced in the
House of Commons that the RAF would
get the Nimrod AEW.3 as the country's
AEW system, which NATO could also
order if they were so inclined. Meanwhile,
an AEW variant of the hackleton, that
had been produced as an 'interim solution'
or 'temporary expedient', depending on
who was talking about it, would have to
continue operating for a little longer than
had originally been planned.
The aerodynamic modifications required
to convert the imrod MR.1 into the
AEW.3 were ba ically confined to the
extreme front and rear end . Rather than
combining the radar canners into one
unit, as done by Boeing, where the fuselage
~ a v momentary signal distortions when
I () ing downwards, the imrod AEW.3
w.( u lei have separate dish antennas at
eltl:'lcr extremity, each giving a 1 O-degree
sweep, which were co-ordinated to supply
data to the various operator's stations.
Between them, they would provide a 360-
AEW - THE ROUNDABOUT YEARS
degree coverage of air and surface targets
through the GEC Marconi Argu System.
This wa to be a Frequency Modulated
1nterrupter Continuous Wave (FMlCW)
AEW radar, which at the time of the deci-
sion to go ahead with the AEW.3 was at a
very experimental stage. During the sy -
tem's development, the electronics compa-
ny changed their name to GE Avionics.
Enter the Comet
The Air Staff is ued a target date for an Air-
borne Early Warning aircraft in Augu t
1972, which, after all the design feasibility
studies had been accessed, they wanted to
be ready for service testing by February
1975. The Operational Requirement (OR)
was set out and, in order to prove the aero-
dynamics of the imrod's physical modifi-
cations, as well as the radar system itself, a
de Havilland Comet 4C, which had been
registered as G-APDS when flying with the
British Overseas Airways Corporation
(BOAC) but now carried the military seri-
al XW626, was stripped out and refur-
bished by BAe at Woodford in the early
1970s, to become a flying laboratory for the
142
development of the AEW radar. The RRE
at Pershore was technically responsible for
the design and in tallation of the crew ta-
tions, ystems racks, cabling, and so on, plus
the manufacture of the very large nose
radome, which would be the biggest ever
made in the West at that time. 1n imrod
AEW.3 production, this unit would be man-
ufactured by BAe, but a test rear radome was
not fitted on XW626. The modified Comet,
as an airframe, was completed on schedule
and made its maiden flight in the hand of a
BAe test crew, in June 1977. The following
year it had a flying slot at the SBAC Display
at Farnborough. Flight trials with XW626
continued until the mid-1980s, when it was
transferred to the RAE at Bedford for fur-
ther electronic test programmes.
The AEW.3 is Ordered
The original conception had been for the
AEW Nimrod's two radomes to be identi-
cal in size and shape, but the no e unit had
to be shaped to present a clean aerody-
namic profile, which could cope with rain-
erosion and bird strikes. To have made the
rear radome similar in hape to the no e
unit would have induced in tability due to
the mann r in which the airflow would
AEW - THE ROUNDABOUT YEARS
XW626's nose radome being formed in the Pershore Plastic Shop in 1970. At that time, it was the largest plastic radome that had been produced in the West.
William H. Sleigh
143
AEW - THE RO DABOUT YEARS AEW - THE RO
Nimrod AEW.3 hopes were higher than XZ286, the first production aircraft (DBl I, as it made a low pass
during Abingdon's air show in 1981. Author's collection
Uncertainty Still Reigns
Despite the fact that the financial side of
the whole saga had been stabilized, th
performance of the avionics was till much
in doubt. It was admitted that as things
stood at the end of 19 5, the AEW's elec-
tJ'onic ystems would only be supplying 60
to 65 per cent of the original specifi a-
tion's demands. Any thought of repla ing
the 40 OM computer would have to be
re erved until aircraft were due for a mid-
life update. XZ2 3 (P4) had been deliv-
ered to the Joint Trials Unit (JTU) at
Waddington, in November, with XV263
(P3) anticipated to follow early in 1986.
other airframes. The company admitted
that export orders were becoming vital for
their well-being and a decision by Lockheed
to adopt the GEC Avionics APY920 AEW
system for a new variant of the ubiquitous C-
130 Hercule gave them a much-needed
vote of confidence. Lockheed con idered
that, because C-130 operators were spread
all over the world, a commonality of spares
made the AEW Hercules a ound econom-
ic propo ition. Consideration was also given
to the system being adapted for in tallation
in the Aeritalia G-222, Canadair CL.601
and even the EH-I01 helicopter.
aircraft, and they made great capital out of
th delays, together with the piralling
costs. Of course, they were in a trong posi-
tion, not bing responsible for any of the
initiating, and could take the attitude
adopted by the man in the hoary old jok
who, when asked the way to a certain
place by ramblers, replied 'I wouldn't have
started from here in the first place!'
Meanwhile, the hackleton AEW.2
would have to carryon for a little longer.
Early in 1985, GEC Avionics were still
expressing optimism that the bugs could,
and would, be ironed out of the systems, but
the uncertainty urrounding the co tings
influenced the Ministry of Defence to start
new negotiations with the lectronics com-
pany for a fixed-price contracr that would
include all future development and integra-
tion work on the Nimrod's MSA. It would
replace the open-ended cost-plu contract
that had cost the Briti h taxpayer 816 mil-
lion up to the end of 1984 and had no defin-
abl areasofre ponsibility. Furthermore, the
MoD placed a time-scale on the whole pro-
gramme and stated that the various systems
should 'have an operational capability by
sometime in 1987'. GEC Avionics were sat-
isfied with th new contract and revealed
that feasibility studies had been made with
potential overseas customers to supply
designs for their systems to be in tailed in
Hawker Siddeley had supplied all eleven
airframes as ordered, complete with their
Spey 251 turbofans, but th delays in fit-
ting them out with ati factory avionics
became a subject that was rai ed in the
House of Commons. A Con ervative gov-
ernment had been elected with Margaret
Thatch r as Prime Mini ter, since the pre-
viou Labour Government had made the
decision to produce an indigenous AEW
GEC Avionic's Optimism
fixed price per aircraft, which uited both
parties, together with the engine manufac-
turer and the many equipment suppliers,
who would all deal with Hawker Siddeley
as the contractor responsible for all costs.
However, with the imrod AEW pro-
gramme, where the proving of airframes
was only half the story and, in fact, wa the
less co t1y of the required operation right
from the start, no one manufactur r was
nominated as prime contractor. Conse-
quently, whereas the airframe modifica-
tion from MR. I to AEW.3, plus the two
new-build aircraft, were a definable factor,
he on-going development of the avionics,
even if everything went moothly, was
rather an unknown quantity, which could
escalate - and escalate it did'
Trouble Looms
As already stated, NATO received its first
E-3A on 22 January 1982 and it wa fer-
vently believed that the AEW Nimrod
could work in concert with the NATO
AWAC . This would not happen in that
year, a had been optimi tically predicted
in the 1980 press release, becau e it was
being admitted that there had been a
'slight lippage' in the delivery dates, but
certainlybythcmid-19 O.
This 'slight slippage' was mainly caused
by clutter problems within the radar sys-
tems. In order to deal with this, GEC
Avionics had developed a new filter sys-
tem which, the company declared, virtual-
ly eliminated the whole problem. Howev-
er, due to the regular changes to many of
the system demanded by the RAF, doubts
were being raised as to whether the GEC
4080M computer was indeed powerful
enough to handle all that was being
demanded of ir. ome report went so far
as to ay that a 300 per cent increase in
capacity would b needed for the system to
meet existing requirements, let alone have
growth potential for the upgrading that it
was guaranteed would be demanded by the
Service.
A further question that was also begin-
ning to loom large, was the programme's
costs. When the Nimrod maritime recon-
naissance aircraft were originally ordered,
Hawker Siddeley and the MoD agre d a
XZ286 was scheduled for the handling
trials, the testing of the aircraft's flight per-
formance and the development of various
electronic systems as they became avail-
able. It was not fitted out with the Mission
ystem Avionics (MSA), which were list-
ed to be installed in DB2 and DB3.
The engineering side of the Nimrod
AEW.3 programme progressed quite
quickly, with XZ287 (DB2) having its first
flight in January 1981 and XZ2 1 (DB3)
following six months later, inJuly. In 19 0
BAe had rather put its neck on the line by
is uing a pre relea e claiming that the
AEW.3 would be in RAF rvice by early
1982. This was not so outlandish as it
appears in retrospect, for their side of the
programme, the building and conversion
of the airframe, was well on schedule, as
was Rolls-Royce's delivery of the peys.
At that time, they were not to know any-
thing of the avionic headaches that would
arise in the future.
Construction Gets Under Way
To assist the development of the aircraft's
avionics, full-size ground rigs were built at
BAe's Woodford plant and Marconi's test
ite at Radletr. The e were employed not
only to determine the wiring loom and
cooling-duct layout, but al 0 the posi-
tioning of the various tactical operator'
display consoles.
The fir t AEW.3 to be completed,
XZ286, was one of the two new-build air-
frames and was classified as Development
Batch aircraft DBl. It was rolled out from
its Woodford assembly bay on 30 April
1980 and made it maiden flight nearly
three months later, on 16 July. The BAe
Manchester Division Chief Test Pilot
Charles Masefield was at the controls, with
the AEW's Project Pilot, John Cruise, in
the right-hand seat and a crew of four test
observers at stations within the electronic
bays. The flight lasted over three hours,
during which time handling tests were car-
ried out at altitudes up to 25,000ft
(7,600m), which was w II below it
designed cruising altitude of 30,000ft
(9,200m). On landing, Masefield expressed
great satisfaction at the way the aircraft
had performed, within the flight envelope
undertaken. Two months later, XZ286 haJ
a flying lot at Farnborough's biannual
SBAC Display but it did not land, instead
making the flight from Woodford each day
and returning as soon as its programme fin-
ished. In 1982, it repeated the operation,
but not every day, as the other two Devel-
opment Batch aircraft were now engaged
in the flight development programme and
XZ287 (DB2) represented the type on ev-
eral days.
would provide the aircraft with the abili-
ty to communicate with friendly fighter,
other AEW aircraft, land stations and all
naval ve el.
But in the real world, ATO had at last
made up its mind and ordered ten Boeing
E-3A AWACS, whose deliveries com-
menced on 22 January 1982. Furthermore,
the Organization would order an addition-
al eight aircraft, with an improved specifi-
cation, later on. To circumnavigate the
politics, the aircraft were placed on Lux-
embourg' civil regi ter, to be operated by
multi-national crew based at Geilen-
kirchen in Western Germany, with regis-
tJ'ations that ran from LX-N90442 to LX-
N90459.
XV259 (P2). XV261 (P81. XV262 (P7), XV263 (P31.
XZ280 (P51. XZ281 IDB31, XZ282 (P6), XZ283 (P41.
XZ285 (Pl)
DB. development batch alrcrah
p. production aircraft
Converted Nimrod MR. Is
XZ286 (DB1), XZ287 (DB2)
New-build aircraft
British Aerospace Nimrod AEW.3
break away. Consequently, the rear-end
shape was more rotund in profile.
In April 1977, a formal Instruction to
Proceed was i ued by the MoD Procure-
ment Executive and eleven Nimrod
AEW.3s were ordered. Only two would be
new-build aircraft, the re t to be produced
by conversion of imrod MR.l (see the
table above).
The aircraft side of the AEW.3 was
sound and well proven by the MR.l 's eight
year of RAF service. o-one could pre-
tend that the parameter et for the air-
craft' radar, together with the electronic
sy tems, were not extensive and maybe
rather ambitiou for their time. But then,
it i easy to talk from hind ighr. Neverthe-
les , the system's manufa turers said that
they could do it, so they were bel ieved and
the orders were placed.
There were to be three main sensors to
detect and classify targets. These were a
pas ive radio and radar detection system
(E M), a multi-mode Doppler radar and
an IFF system that would identify friendly
targets on the surface or in the air. A data
handling system from the radar-collected
plots would give readings of target' range,
height, radial velocity and azimuth. These
would be collated and co-ordinated with
data provided by the aircraft's navigation
system, together with target Jara obtained
from the IFF system and the ESM's find-
ings. A low-flying aircraft would be
detected by the changed frequency of
reflection that it gave off, regardle of
strong return signals from either the
ground or sea. In 1980, the manufacturer
guaranteed that the chosen radar frequen-
cic would en ure a lack of interference
from other radars and have a good long-
range detection performance, which
would be protected by tate-of-the-art
anti-jamming equipment. The communi-
cation facilitie would consi t of Low
(LF), High (HF), Very High (VHF) and
Ultra-High (UHF) frequencies. These
144 145
AEW - THE ROU DABOUT YEARS
Nimrod MR.2 XV232 shows that the new two-tone hemp finish gives it a smoother appearance than when
the Nimrod had the white-top colour scheme. Author's collection
Abingdon 1986, as Nimrod AEW.3 airframes XZ281 , with a white top, plus XZ280 and XZ287 in hemp finish,
are parked at the back of the airfield during the base's annual Air Display. Author's collection
debat on the AEW situation was held in
the House of ommon, and when a vote
was taken the government had a 169
majority to terminate the whole project
forthwith. It wa also announced that an
order had been placed with Boeing, to up-
ply seven E-3D entrys, which would tart
being delivered to the RAF in 199 I and
complete the circle that had been tarted
fifteen years earlier.
Meanwhile, the hackl ton AEW.2
would have to carryon a little longer.
JTU and the balance of the production
order was in open storage at RAF Abing-
don in Oxfordshire, awaiting their MSA
fits. (The author well remembers seeing
them hunted off into a corner of the air-
field that year, when the base held its
annual Air Display.) Also in 1985, XZ285
(PI) took part in the Battle of Britain dis-
play at Finningley.
When the MR.ls were converted, the
aircraft's white-top colour scheme was
retained and perpetuated n the two new-
For ome time, NATO expressed great
concern at the delays in the AEW.3 reach-
ing operational service, as their plans were
very much tailored around the air raft
working in conjunction with their E-3As,
which had been in service for the past three
years. But they were appeased to a certain
extent by the new of the revi ed contract
and official consideration that 1987 would
be the aircraft's activation date. They were
given further encouragement when the
Minister of Defence for Procurement, Lord
Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 ZH102 shows that hemp is the colour in vogue in 1991, Author's collection Trefgarne, announced on 25 eptember
19 6 that hi department hoped to make
an AWAC decision by the end of the year,
at the same time confirming for the fir t
time, that there would be a fly-off between
the imrod AEW.3 and the Boeing E-3A
entry. The final asse ment would be
made on all-round performance alone and
would not be influenced by the fact that
many high-ranking RAF personnel leaned
towards the Boeing aircraft.
By the end of 1986, the three D velop-
ment Batch aircraft were still heavily
involved in trying to perfect the avionics; P3
and P4 were operating with Waddington's
build AEWs. Later, a two-toned hemp fin-
ish was adopted on some types, including
the imrod MR.2, and all the AEW.3
were imilarly treated.
AEW.3 is Guillotined
With the whole Nimrod AEW.3 pro-
gramme running four years late and GEC
Avionic still stating confidence in having
their ystem fully operational to RAF
standards, but not for another year or two,
the government finally ran out of patience
and acted. In January 19 7, an emergency
The cost of the E-3Dorder would be 60
million, which was about 200 million more
than remained outstanding on the revised
AEW.3 contract. However, when the ,WOO
million already spent on the programme
was added to this 200 million, for which
there wa a total of eleven inoperable air-
craft to be shown, it became obvious that a
huge sum of money would have to be writ-
ten off, but it was expedient to do so. How
different the e figures would have been if
the 1976 overture by Boeing had been
played to the full.
Boeing stated that British industry would
receive over 1 billion-worth of orders in
the next six years, which would create over
4,000 new jobs, though whether this would
become a reality was not so much of a on-
sideration as the fact that the Nimrod
AEW.3 project had, at last, been axed.
ATO, too, was satisfied, not only because
a guaranteed input would be forth oming
from the RAF, but that there would be a
measure of commonality with their own
AWA S fleet, which was bound to be ben-
ficial to all parties concerned.
The Sentry Takes Up His Post
The prototype of the RAF's E-3D order
made its maiden flight, as yet unpainted, on
16 June 1990 and the first aircraft, now offi-
cially designated Sentry AEW.l, atTived at
Waddington early in November, where the
entry Training quadron ( TS) had been
formed on 1 July. This aircraft was ZHI02,
which was actually the second of the seven
aircraft ordered, carrying the serials ZHI01
to ZH 107.lt was fitted out with radar, com-
puter consoles and communications ystems
by a team of Boeing and BAe technicians.
The official handover to the RAF took
place at Waddington in March 1991 and
subsequent aircraft arrived at two-monthly
intervals. Elements of No.8 quadron had
moved from Lossiemouth to the Wadding-
ton's STS prior to the official handover and
from 30 March 1991, the Shackleton
AEW.2 would have to carryon no longer.
746 747
CHAPTER TEN
AEW - the 6,848-day 'InteriDl Solution'
No.8 Squadron
underwent its fourth disbanding, this time at Muharraq
on 21 December 1967.
The great change in operational role came on 1Janu-
ary 1972, when the squadron's fourth reforming took
place, at Kinloss. The Shackleton had come full circle,
for it was at Kinloss, in March 1951, that No. 120
Squadron became the first unit to operate Avro's new
maritime reconnaissance aircraft. NO.8 Squadron was
to be the UK's Airborne Early Warning unit. flying Shack-
leton AEW2s. Lossiemouth was to be their permanent
base but on 1 January 1972 the work to lengthen and
strengthen the runways there in order to accommodate
the squadron's newcharges was still in hand. On the day
of reforming, they received MR.2 WL787 for crew train-
ing, prior to the arrival of the first of twelve AEW2s.
So began the nineteen-year legend of the 1940s
radar, fitted in a1950s airframe, that became responsi-
ble for the early warning system of the United King-
dom's defences at the end of the twentieth century. The
squadron's tenure at Lossiemouth lasted until 1 July
1991, when the last Shackleton was officially retired
and the squadron moved to Waddington in lin-
colnshire, to start operating the AEW2's successor, the
Boeing E-3D Sentry - and what a culture shock that
was! But they learned to live with the quiet. heated
interior that did not vibrate for ten hours and the mod-
ern avionics that were not presented on 7in screens.
Life can be so hard sometimes!
The Squadron's crest with a Jambiya and the motto
Uspiam et passim ('Everywhere Unbounded').
Air Portraits via Aeroplane
Brooklands in Surrey was the birthplace of the squadron
on 1January 1915, to be one of the Royal Flying Corps
IRFCI units designated to reinforce the British Expedi-
tionary Force fighting in France. It was equipped with
BE.2Cs and went to Gosport in Hampshire for training
six days later. At Gosport its inventory was increased
with the addition of both BE.2As and -Bs, so that when
the squadron was posted to St Omar on 15 April, it was
awell equipped unit. In June the squadron received the
Bristol Scout. with which it operated for some consider-
able time, until it was back with the BE.2s, this time the
'0' and 'F variants. With these, it undertook a recon-
. naissance role adjacent to enemy lines and spotting
potential targets forthe ground artillery. In August 1917,
the squadron took delivery of Armstrong Whitworth
FK.8s and retained them until December 1918, amonth
after the end of hostilities, when they re-equipped with
Bristol F2b fighters. After operating from numerous air-
fields on the European mainland, the squadron moved to
Duxford on 28 July 1919, to be disbanded six months
later, on 20 January 1920.
Its demise was short-lived, for on 20 October of the
same year, NO.8 Squadron was reformed at Helwan, on
the east bank of the River Nile, to operate with DH.9As.
This was the start of twenty-five years' overseas ser-
vice. Over this period, its aircraft ranged from the
DH.9A through Fairey IIIFs, Vickers Vincents and aflight
of Hawker Demons, until the outbreak of World War
Two, when it started operating with the Bristol
Blenheim Mk I. During the conflict, its equipment
included the Martin Maryland - which was its first
American aircraft- Blenheim Mks IV and V. the Hudson
Mk VI. and the Wellington Mk XIII. On 1May 1945 the
squadron was disbanded, but again it was quickly
reformed, just two weeks later, this time at Jessore in
India, on 15 May, by the re-numbering of No. 200
Squadron. It took over the existing Liberator Mk Vis and
flew them for six months, until 15 November, when the
unit was disbanded for the third time.
This time, the disbandment lasted ten months. On 1
September 1946, No. 114 Squadron at Khormaksarwas
re-numbered NO.8 Squadron, to fly Mosquito FB.6s,
then the Tempest F.6 and Bristol Brigand B.l until 1
December 1952, when it received its first turbojet fight-
er-bomber, the Vampire FB.9. Assorted Venoms, Mete-
or PR.9s and Hunter FGA.9jFR.l0s followed, and on
strike sorties made against dissident tribesmen in the
Aden Protectorate, No. 8 Squadron first made the
acquaintance of the Shackleton, as the MR.1 sof No. 42
Squadron supplied pre-strike reconnaissance photogra-
phy for them. Having served from various Middle East
bases for the previous twenty-one years, the squadron
When the Royal Navy took delivery of the
Fairey Gannet AEW.3 as the replacement
The Select Few
The Timeless ANIAPS 20
A cull of existing MR.2s was put in hand, in
order to see if there were enough aircraft
with low flying-hours to make a reasonable-
sized unit. Twelve aircraft were selected for
a conversion to AEW requirements and an
extra three were allocated for crew/pilot
training, one of which reached the end of
4 its fatigue life during its squadron service
and had to be replaced. There was also
WR967, which had been damaged in a
crash, and had its fuselage restored as a
ground trainer/simulator.
No.8 Squadron, a fighter unit with a long
pedigree, had just been disbanded in Muhar-
raq and it was decided to reform it as the
RAF's AEW squadron when the first aircraft
was delivered. The squadron would be
reformed at Kinloss, within No. 11 Group
of Strike Command.
It is open to debate as to whether more col-
umn inches of print or frames of film have
been expounded on any twelve individual
ailframes, than on the Shackleton AEW.2s.
But then, we are talking about a legend in
its own lifetime.
The 1967 agreement to modify a num-
ber of low-flying-hour Shackleton MR.2s
into AEW aircraft was considered very
much an 'interim solution', because of the
hesitant situation existing within the
NATO partnership. Although the procras-
tinations did not look like ending in the
near future, it was obvious that there would
eventually be an outcome of some sort, so
the idea of refurbishing some fifteen-year-
old piston-engined aircraft was not consid-
ered too bizarre, and met with Treasury
blessing. It was repeated that they would be
purely an 'interim solution', which would
only be required for a few years. (Below)Wl741/D was operated by No. 42 Squadron in 1959-60, before joining No. 205 Squadron
at Changi in 1962 and then returning to the UK for the ninth AEW.2 conversion in April 1972.
George Williams
(Above) Before becoming the AEW.2 Conversion No.1, MR.2
Wl745 was coded 'M' while serving with No. 204 Squadron.
Ian Mactaggart
148
149
for their Douglas Skyraider AEW.ls, the
dependable Westinghouse-designed AN/
APS 20F radars were removed from the
American aircraft, to be installed in the
thirty-eight new early warning aircraft.
There, they performed impeccably for
more than ten years, until the Treasury-
influenced decision was made by the Royal
Navy to finish with fixed-wing aircraft.
The Gannet AEW.3s were phased out and
the venerable, but still reliable, radars
were about to become operational within
an RAF aircraft for the first time.
The Conversion Schedule
A timetable for the MR.2s to become
AEW.2s was laid down, specifying when
the selected aircraft were to transfer from
their respective squadrons to No.5 MU at
Kemble. There, each aircraft would be
inspected and, if necessary, overhauled
prior to being put in storage to await del iv-
ery to the Hawker Siddeley works at
Bitteswell in Leicestershire.
The airfield at Bitteswell had been an
Operational Training Unit (OTU) from
February 1942 until July 1945 although,
early on in that period, Armstrong Whit-
worth established a facility there for the
assembly and test-flying of Lancasters
that the company had produced in their
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY 'INTERIM SOLUTION'
Baginton factory at Coventry. This engi-
neering aspect took over the whole airfield
in July 1946 and in the 1960s, Armstrong
Whitworth became absorbed within the
Hawker Siddeley Group. As there was no
production line laid down at Bitteswell,
the works were extensively employed in
the modification and repair of the varied
selection of Group aircraft.
The Bitteswell modifications were
externally distinguishable by the removal
of the retractable ventral 'dustbin' radome
and the installation of a large aerial hous-
ing at the forward end of the bomb-bay, as
well as the deletion of the 20mm canon
turret in the nose. Internally, n w elec-
tronic systems abounded, with the Identi-
fication Friend or Foe (IFF) updated to an
APX-7 unit. The radar positions were fit-
ted with facilities for three operators. The
five-man radar crew worked in shifts, a
necessary arrangement on ten-hour-plus
patrols. With the plethora of equipment
and seating for its operators, combined
with the separate navigation station and,
of course, the great wing-spar that domi-
nated the lower half of the centre-section's
interior, it has to be said that they present-
ed an obstacle course of Olympic propor-
tions whenever crew members needed to
move around.
As the whole AEW scene was new to
the RAF, instructors from the Royal
Navy's No. 849 Squadron were initially
loaned to the Shackleton unit. With their
experience on both the Skyraider and
Gannet, the Navy had a surplus of trained
operators and several of them became
Shackleton crew members until the RAF
had sufficient operators of their own
checked out on the new avionics.
From Bitteswell the aircraft, now classi-
fied as a Shackleton AEW.2, would fly
back to No.5 MU for repainting with an
overall dark blue/grey gloss, before being
taken on charge by No.8 Squadron.
No.8 Squadron's First
Shackleton
The reformed squadron's first aircraft was a
standard Shackleton MR.2, WL787, to be
used for crew training. It had seen consid-
erable service in both the MiddIe and Far
East, with No. 210 squadron at Sharjah
being its last unit, from where it was sched-
uled to be allocated to the Fire School at
Catterick on 1 November 1971, but won a
reprieve. It was delivered to Kinloss on 19
November to await the reforming of No. 8
Squadron. With its new unit, WL787 was
christened Mr McHenry, to start the vogue
of AEW.2s being given the name of a char-
acter in a popular children's programme of
that era. It survived a flying accident on 25
January 1973, and after a four-month
repair on site it returned to the squadron,
renamed Dylan, where it served until its
fatigue life was expended on 3 January
1974. WL787 had been one of only two
four-engined types on the unit's inventory
during nearly fifty-two years of active ser-
vice, the previous one being the Liberator
Mk VI flown in India for nine months dur-
ing 1945. A transfer to the Lossiemouth
fire-fighting section on the day of its
retirement lasted less than two months, as
AEW - THE 6,848-DAY 'I TERIM SOLUTION'
by March Wl787 was broken up and even-
tually destroyed.
The AEW.2s Arrive
The quadron's first Shackleton AEW.2 was
WL747, named Florence, which arrived on
11 April 1972.
The following month, WL756 arrived
and by the end of 1972 the squadron had
eight AEW.2s on charge. The ninth,
WR965, was delivered on 31 January 1973
and two more arrived at monthly intervals.
The unit's last AEW.2, WL745, was
employed for AEW-configuration perfor-
mance checks by Woodford and the MoA
Air Fleet, between March 1970 and Sep-
tember 1971. These were followed by offi-
cial service clearance trials at A&AEE,
Bascombe Down, which took from 5 April
1972 to 26 February 1973. The squadron
eventually put the aircraft on charge on 17
September 1973.
150
The heart of AEW.2 WL747,
showing the mighty wing spar
that divided the operators,
who spent hours peering at their
7in radar screens. Air Portraits via
Aeroplane
(Above) No.8 Squadron's first AEW.2, WL747 Florence, arrives over the
threshold. Author's collection
151
(Below) AEW.2 WL756 was delivered to Kinloss on 5 May 1972. Author's
collection
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY 'INTERIM SOL TION'
No.8 Squadron's Shackletons
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY 'INTERIM SOL TlOI .
quadron took up residence at their new
permanent home, 'Lossie'.
In the beginning, so far as the Royal
Navy wa conc rned, No. quadron was
con idered to be the replacem nt for their
Wl745 is seen on an early test flight as an AEW.2, coded '0' and without any squadron identification. Derek James
WL741
Conversion NO.9. To storage NO.5 MU 2.2.73. Withdrawn. flown to HSA Bitteswell for
conversion 4.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron as AEW2 4.4.73. named PC Knapweed.
Withdrawn squadron service 1981. To Central Training Establishment. Manston. as
8692M. Burnt 6.81.
WL745
Conversion NO.1. To Woodford for basis performance with radome 18.3.70. In storage
Woodford 25.3.70. To MoA Air Fleet for Assessment 12.8.70. To A&AEE after conver-
sion for service release 5.4.72. Completed 26.2.73. To HSA Bitteswell for AEW2 pro-
duction standard 2.3.73. To NO.5 MU for repainting 30.7.73. Delivered NO.8 Squadron
17.9.73. named Sage. Withdrawn squadron service 6.81. To RAF Fire Fighting and Safe-
ty School. Catterick. as 8698M. Burnt 1983.
WL747
Conversion No. 3. To major overhaul NO.5 MU 17.12.70. To HSA Bitteswell for conver-
sion 2.2.71. To NO.5 MU for repainting 8.2.72. To Lossiemouth for APS 20F fit 16.3.72.
Delivered NO.8 Squadron 11.4.72, named Florence. Withdrawn squadron service 7.91.
Sold to Sawas Constantinides 3.7.91. Arrived Paphos, Cyprus 19.7.91.
WL754
Conversion No. 12. To storage NO.5 MU 2.4.71. Withdrawn, flown to HSA Bitteswell
for conversion 22.3.72. To NO.5 MU for repainting 18.10.72. To Lossiemouth for APS
20F fit 21.11.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 29.11.72, named Paul. Withdrawn squadron
service 1.81. To fire practice/crash rescue, Valley 22.1 81, as 8665M, but put on display
by 'Save the Shackleton' campaign.
WL756
Conversion NO.2. To overhaul NO.5 MU 18.1.71. Flown to HSA Bitteswell 2.4.71 for
conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 22.3.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 5.5.72. To
Lossiemouth for APS 20F fit 19.5.72. Return NO.8 Squadron 21.6.72, named Mr Rusty.
Withdrawn squadron service 1.7.91. To crash rescue, St Mawgan 7.91. Burnt by 1998.
WL757
Conversion NO.6. To storage NO.5 MU 14.12.70. Withdrawn, flown to HSA Bitteswell
26.8.71 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 3.7.72. To Lossiemouth for APS 20F
fit 25.8.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 29.8.72, named Brian. Withdrawn squadron ser-
vice 7.91. Sold to Sawas Constantinides 3.7.91. Arrived Paphos, Cyprus 15.7.91.
WL790
Conversion NO.7. To storage NO.5 MU 4.1.71. Withdrawn, flown to HSA Bitteswell
30.9.71 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 3.8.72. To Lossiemouth for APS 20F
fit 19.9.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 23.9.72, named Mr McHenry, later renamed
Zebedee. To HSA Bitteswell for re-sparring 1980. Return NO.8 Squadron 28.7.81. With-
drawn squadron service 1.7.91. To open storage Air Atlantique, Baginton 10.7.91. Sold
to Shackleton Preservation Trust, delivered Macon, Georgia, USA as N790WL 7.9.94.
WL793
Conversion NO.5. To overhaul and storage NO.5 MU 2.4.71. Withdrawn, flown HSA
BittesweIl5.6.72 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 12.1.73. To Lossiemouth
for APS 20F fit 12.2.73. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 23.2.73, named Ermintrude. Loaned
to MoA Air Fleet and A&AEE 16.8.73. Returned NO.8 Squadron 29.8.73. To HSA
Bitteswell for re-sparring 28.4.77. Return NO.8 Squadron 29.3.78. Withdrawn squadron
service 1981. To Battle Damage Repair Flight, Lossiemouth 7.81 as 8675M, but dumped
7.81 and scrapped 7.82.
The Roles Are Determined
Before the la t AEW.2 was delivered, the
improvement at Lossiemouth were com-
pleted, and on 14 August 1973 No. 8
WL795
Conversion NO.8. To overhaul and storage NO.5 MU 2.2.71. Withdrawn, flown to HSA
BittesweIl4.2.72 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 5.9.72. To Lossiemouth for
APS 20F fit 18.10.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 20.10.72, named Rosalie. Withdrawn
squadron service 1981. To fire practice/crash rescue, St Mawgan 24.11.81 as 8753M.
Not used and open storage St Mawgan until renovation 3.89 to 4.89 for display.
WR960
Conversion NO.4. To storage NO.5 MU 9.11.70. Withdrawn, flown HSA Bitteswell
27.5.71 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 5.72. To Lossiemouth for APS 20F fit
7.6.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 8.6.72, named Dougal. To HSA Bitteswell for re-spar-
ring 17.3.78. Return NO.8 Squadron 12.3.79. Withdrawn squadron service 11.82. To
Cosford as 8772M. Dismantled for transport Greater Manchester Museum of Science
And Industry. Delivered 27.1.83.
WR963
Conversion NO.5. To storage NO.5 MU 17.12.70. Withdrawn, flown HSA Bitteswell
30.6.71 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 2.6.72. To Lossiemouth for APS 20F
fit 18.7.72. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 1.8.72. named Parsley. To HSA for re-sparring
1.3.76. Return NO.8 Squadron 13.5.77. Withdrawn squadron service 1.7.91. To open
storage Air Atlantique, Baginton 10.7.91.
WR965
Conversion No. 11. To storage NO.5 MU 2.4.71. Withdrawn. flown HSA Bitteswell
28.4.72 for conversion. To NO.5 MU for repainting 28.11.72. To Lossiemouth for APS
20F fit 18.1.73. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 31.1.73. named Dill,later renamed Rosalie.
To HSA Bitteswell for re-sparring 1.9.76. Return NO.8 Squadron 21.10.77. Crashed
Outer Hebrides 30.4.90.
WG556
MR.2. To open storage No. 32 MU St Athan 7.10.70. Refurbished early 1977. Delivered
NO.8 Squadron 5.5.77 for crew training. replacing WL738. Heavy landing 1980. With-
drawn squadron service 1980. To Battle Damage Repair Flight. Lossiemouth 1980, as
8651M. To Fire Section 20.2.81. Scrapped 7.82.
WL738
MR.2. To storage NO.5 MU 19.4.72. Refurbished 1973-74. Delivered NO.8 Squadron
8.3.74 for pilot training. Withdrawn squadron service 14.10.77. Renumbered 8567M for
spares. Displayed Lossiemouth from 5.4.78. Scrapped 1991.
WL787
MR.2. To Kinloss 19.11.71. Delivered NO.8 Squadron 1.1.72 for crew training, named Mr
McHenry. Flying accident 25.1.73. Repaired on site. Returned NO.8 Squadron 15.5.73,
renamed Dylan. Withdrawn squadron service 3.1.74. Broken up and destroyed 3.74.
WL801
MR.2. To storage NO.5 MU 5.5.70. Withdrawn, delivered NO.8 Squadron 15.8.74 for
crew training. Withdrawn squadron service 6.79. Transferred to Aerospace Museum,
Cosford. Scrapped 1991.
WR967
MR.2. To Kinloss 23.11.71, awaiting NO.8 Squadron reforming. Delivered NO.8
Squadron 1.1.72 for crew training, named Zebedee. Flying accident 7.9.72. Wings
removed, fuselage only converted AEW training simulator. Delivered NO.8 Squadron
as 8398M 14.8.75, renamed Dodo. Scrapped 1991.
No. 849 Squadron Gannet AEW.3 . How-
v r, much to the Senior ervic 's chagrin,
the yawning gap in the early warning facil-
ities available to the United Kingdom Air
Defence Region (UKADR) as a whole
made it imp rative that they be given pri-
ority above all other consideration.
The mistru t between the USSR and
the NATO powers in the early 1970s was
far from being a model of international
r lationships. The North Atlantic, with
its approaches via the Norwegian and
orth Sea, witnessed a vast amount of
naval activity by the two conglomerate,
which attracted very regular air force
'attention from both ide. This area
became o. 8 Squadron's main responsi-
bility for many years, with its interminable
patrols over featureless seas, in inclement
weather condition, relieved by the regular
interceptions of Bears.
Enter the Bear
Due to the Russian language making name
of Soviet aircraft manufacturers difficult for
Westerners to tran mit on radio, a system of
codename was devised by ATO, with the
initial letter of each codename ignifying
the particular aircraft's role. Thu , fight r
began with 'F' (Farmer, Fishbed, Fishpot,
etc.), tran ports, influenced by U AF
nomenclature, began with ' , for cargo
(Candid, Coot, etc.) and bombers with 'B'
(Badger, Beagle, Blinder, etc.). The principal
'customer' for o. 8 Squadron was the
Tupolev Tu-20, codenamed Bear. This was a
very large four-turboprop air raft, originally
developed in th mid-1950s as a strategic
bomber, known to ATO a Bear-A, to
meet specifications drawn up by the Dalnaya
Aviatsiya (Long Range Aviation). During
the 1960s, the design was adapted for the
long-range reconnaissance role, with large
search radars and provi ion for in-flight refu-
elling via a nose-probe of field-artillery pro-
portions. To ATO, this was the Bear-B,
which, with a wingspan of 163ft (49.6m)
and length of 150ft (45. 7m) is a large a ro-
plane by any standards. The four Kuznetsov
NK-12M turboprops each drove eight-blad-
ed, contra-rotating propellers, which meant
that when a hackleton took up station
alongside a Bem', there were fifty-six pro-
peller blade thrashing the surrounding air.
Such was the volume of sortie to inter-
cept (in the 'find' connotation) Bears, that
the squadron, with it hi toric motto Uspi-
am et Passium (Everywh r Unbounded),
adopted the unofficial designation 'Bear
Hunter' - and did a roaring trad at Air
Displays, sell ing a logo-patch declaring the
fact! The Bear-hunting routine meant that
when the S viet aircraft's position had
been determined and relayed to Fighter
Command (No.8 Squadron was operating
within No. 11 Fighter Group), Lightning,
and later Phantom, fighters were cram-
bled from RAF Leuchars, to make the
interloper's crew aware that th y were fly-
ing in British airspace. The Phantoms of
No. 92 A on board HM Ark Royal
al 0 becam involved in Bear-intercept-
ing, when they were in the vicinity.
These encounters were g nerally on a
friendly, but professional, ba is. The fight-
er took up positi n on the port side of the
Bear, to ensure he was seen by its pilot.
Sedate waving was exchang d between
the two crews, together with a photo-
graphic record of the encounter. Date,
time, altitude, position and course were
logged and the engagement often lasted
long enough for the fighter to require in-
flight refuelling. Eventually the Tupolev
broke away and set course for its ba e in
the Soviet Union. Night-time was no bar-
rier to these exchanges, and the AEW.2's
152 153
AEW - THE 6,848-DAY 'INTERIM SOLUTIO'
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY 'INTERIM SOL TlO
performances were excellent under these
conditions, with the A /APS 20F work-
ing as well as the ancient airframe.
Bear-B and Os made an average of six
reconnai sance flights a week into UK air-
space and to cater for this o. S quadran
initiated a system of Quick Action Alert
(QRA), where an AEW.2 could become
airborne within ninety minute of any tar-
get being located by Chain Home radar.
This may not seem a quick 'scramble' com-
pared to squadrons equipped with turbo-
jet-powered aircraft, but it was a creditable
performance for a 1940s piston-engi ned
type weighing over 40 ton (43,536kg).
Also, the ten crew of two pilots, two navi-
gator/signallers, one flight engineer and
five radar operators all had to be briefed on
basis once the imrod AEW.3 got into ser-
vice. They were to be disappointed. Many
of the e exercises involved naval forces and
maritime detection was a much a province
of the AEW.2s a the early warning of
incoming attacking aircraft. Despite their
age, the radars coped well with modem,
high-speed aircraft, whose performance
was far greater than tho e operating in the
1940 , when Westinghouse developed the
AN/APS 20, and it speaks well of the pro-
visions for upgrading that were built in the
system in the first place. It wa al 0 a cred-
it to the radar operators who viewed the
outside world through a 7in (lScm) scope.
Other regular detachments made by the
squadron were those to Akrotiri in Cyprus,
where exercises were conducted with the
The antiquity of their aircraft seemed to
produce a bond between aircrew and ground
taff, which fo tered a de ire to always have
as many aircraft as possible available for
whatever demands might be made of them.
Being human being, the regular official
declaration that they would have to c n-
tinue for longer than was promised the pre-
vious time did produce moments of reduced
enthusiasm, but the e were soon forgotten
and pride wa restored in what th ydid with
what they had.
One regular morale-booster was a request
for an aircraft to attend an Air Display. The
AEW.2 wa a firm favourite throughout the
display fraternity. Its appeal was not con-
fined to aircraft enthusiasts - it appealed to
the public at large. The Griffon 'growl' and
The mighty Tupolev Tu-20 Bear-D is an imposing-looking piece of aeronautical engineering. This one was photographed in September 1974, while engaged in
monitoring the NATO Exercise Northern Merger. MoD via Aeroplane
Phantom FGR.2 XT864/007 of the Royal Navy's No. 892 Squadron came up from HMS Ark Royal as a result of No.8 Squadron's notification of a Bear-Dtaking an
interest in Exercise Northern Wedding in September 1978. The Phantom's crew is a US Navy/RAF collaboration, as Lt Pat Gravity, USN, shares the cockpit with
Fit Lt Selwyn Rodda. HMS Ark Royal via Aeroplane
majestic flying wa a popular altemativ to
the reheat-burning winged missiles that
were gone almost before one could focus on
their presence. This does not in any way
denigrate the kill of tho e flying the m d-
em aircraft, but their individual display r u-
tines had to be similar, because their mounts
were not so individualistic. (One exception
wa the Vulcan, but then again, its roots lay
with th g nius that wa Roy hadwick!)
The manoeuvrability of the hackleton
was, for an aircraft of its size, always a good
display feature and the exciting vision of a
pair of feathered propellers on the am
wing windmilling away while th t\Vo
engines on the other side were thrashing
away at full throttle, was something that the
turbojet pilots could not emulate.
MEAF and NATO fleets in the Mediter-
ranean theatre. About half a dozen per
year were held, where the AEW.2s would
also integrate with locally-based squadrons
engaged in armament exerci e under a
Mediterranean environment. The other
climatic extreme wer ncountered when
the squadron sent small detachments to
Iceland, for joint exerci e under low-tem-
perature conditions. ne con ideration
that had to be made with these detach-
ments was the fast-reducing availability of
piston-engine aircraft fuel (AVGA).
With the almost univer al use of gas tur-
bine aircraft, station holding stocks of
AVGAS - and in enough quantity to
replenish Shackletons for a number of days
- were becoming fewer and fewer.
Joint RAF/NATO exercises were a regular
feature of o. quadron's life, but at all
time at least one QRA aircraft had to be
r tained for possible interceptions. For the
exercises, detachments were often
deployed to St Mawgan to work in con-
junction with NATO E-3A, and the
Organization anticipated, before the saga
related in Chapter Nine, that this co-oper-
ation would be on a more technically-even
Exercises and Displays
A fine study as WL747 Florence taxies in with a C-160 Transall parked in the background. Dave Jackson
!'he particular task before them; it was
impractical for hackletons to be on
readiness to the same extent as Bomber
ommand's aircraft.
--
154
155
WR963 Parsley flies over the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious as it disturbs the North Sea on 9 May 1983.
Air Portraits via Aeroplane
Another Political Travesty
In 1981, there was a Conservative Govern-
ment in power again and in the spring, the
Minister of Defence, John Non, put anoth-
er round of defence cuts into motion. No.8
Squadron felt the full force of this political
foolishness when they were informed that
they were to 10 e half their AEW.2 force.
Consequently, six aircraft with the highest
number of flying hour - WL741, WL745,
WL754, WL795, WR960 and WR963 -
were withdrawn from the unit's inventory.
Two, WL741 and WL745, were burnt,
although some equipment, tog ther with
the engines, was salvaged for spares.
This lack of official consideration for
the future and not just the pre ent wa
something that the service in general had
to come to terms with. In No.8 quadron's
ca e, it ignited more determination than
ever to keep their handful of aircraft at
almo t con tant readine s and it is to their
credit that this was accomplished for
another ten years, which was aided by peri-
odic scrounging of fire dumps for individ-
ual spare.
Keeping Them Flying
The task of maintaining the remaining six
aircraft in an operational condition, which
wa an 'in-hou e' affair, wa the re ponsi-
bility of the enior Engineering Officer
(SENGO) who, on an average, had a staff
of three officer and around 100 other
rank. They had liberal assistance from a
BAe Contractor's Working Party (CWP)
based at Lo siemouth, whose staff worked
on a rotational basis from Woodford.
Structural Integrity In pections (SIIs)
en ured that the airframes were to opera-
tional standard, with special attention paid
to the wing spars, for the Shackleton was a
heavy aircraft, which operated in the tur-
bulent flying conditions found at low alti-
tudes over the seas for the majority of its
life. Three aircraft, WL790, WL793 and
WR965, returned to Bitteswell for re-spar-
ring during the 1970s, while vigilant mon-
itoring of the other three became routine.
Close liaison between the squadron and
Woodford was essential, so that ][s were
scheduled into normal ervicing interval,
in order to nsure that as many aircraft as
156
possible were available for whatever opera-
tional task arose.
Keeping the Griffons going was an enter-
prise in its own right, for they were the last
of the large reciprocating engines in front-
line RAF service. These, too, were serviced
'in-house', with assistance from Rolls-Royce
if neces ary, but experienced engineers in
that field were a di appearing breed. Prior to
1983, the Rolls-Royce facility at East Kil-
bride had the engine support contract, but
this became a victim of cost-cutting and the
E GO with hi staff were, officially, on
their own - but officialdom was unaware of
the personal aspect that endured between
the Griffon-operating fraternity and most
likely would not have under tood if they
had known. The Lossiemouth engine main-
tenance team became good Griffon engi-
neers: when you are thrown in at the deep
end, you learn to swim, fa t.
Disaster
The fatal cra h of an aeroplane is always
a tragedy, but that No. 8 Squadron's
Wl756 in the hangar for service on 10 May 1983, with the rear fuselage being raised by one of lossiemouth's mobile cranes from the MT section.
Air Portraits via Aeroplane
157
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY INTERIM SOLUTIO'
AEW - THE 6,848-DAY INTERIM SOL TlON
(Above) A good, tight formation is being flown by Wl790 Zebedee,
WR965 Rosalie and the photographer's aircraft. On 30 April 1990 No.8
Squadron suffered its only AEW.2 disaster, when WR965 crashed in
the Outer Hebrides, claiming the lives of the unit's Commanding
Officer and nine other members. Author's collection
(Below) A beautiful shot of WR960 Dougal as it slides beneath the photographer's
aircraft. It is very noticeable how the Griffon's modified exhaust system virtually
eliminated the top-wing surface staining, so much a Shackleton characteristic in
previous years. Mind you, knowing No.8 Squadron's pride in their aircraft, it is highly
likely that they gave them a 'wash and brush-up' at very regular intervals! Harry Holmes
impeccable safety record with the Shack-
leton AEW.Z should be broken in the y ar
before the type was withdrawn from ser-
vice is particularly sad.
On 30 April 1990, WR965 Rosalie
crashed into a hillside near orthton, on
South Harris in the Outer Hebrides. The
10 of WR965 was bad enough, for it rep-
re ented 16 per cent of the un it's force, but
the crew of ten that perished included Wg
Cdr Stephen Roucoroni, the squadron's
Commanding Officer, who was piloting,
and Wg dr Charles Wrighton, officer
commanding operations. The rest of the
crew comprised Sqn Ldr Jeremy Lane, Fit
Lts Alan Campbell and Keith Forbes, Fg
Off Colin Burns, Fit Sgts Graham Miller
and Kieren Rickets, Engineering Officer
Roger Scutt and Technician Stuart Bolton.
It was stressed by the Ministry of Defence
at the time of the accident that 'the air-
craft's age was not a contributory factor'.
The crash had a sobering effect on the
whole squadron and the new CO, Wing
ommander Chris Booth, made it his duty
to reinstall the unit's pride in what they
were doing. You can't keep a good squadron,
or its aircraft, down for long!

Considering the length of time that the

hackleton erved, there were remarkably
few fatal accidents. MR.I VPZ86, from o.
236 OCU, exploded during a gunnery
exercise off Tarbat e, Cromarty on 8
October 195Z and MR.Z WL746 crashed
into the ea off the cottish coast on 1Z
December 1953. A ha already been stat-
ed earlier in this narrative, WL794 crashed
in the Mediterranean on 1ZFebruary 1954,
during exercises with a submarine. The
blackest day so far as hackleton fatalities
are concemed was II January 1955, when
MR.Zs WG531 and WL743 both went
missing and it is believed that they collid-
ed over the Atlantic, south-west of Ireland.
The first production MR.l, VPZ54,
crashed in the South hina Sea on 9
December 1958 and MR.Z WL786 ditched
in the Indian Ocean following an engine
fire on 5 ovember 1967. The MR.Z pro-
totype, WB833, crashed on the Mull of
Kintyre in poor visibility on 19 April 1968.
Other than these, all other hackleton
mishaps involved crash landings, from
which there were no fatalities. Possibly the
most embarrassing of the e wa WL79Z's
impact with Gibraltar's runway during an
AirDi play on 14 eptember 1957, which
resulted in the aircraft being written-off.
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
The hackleton AEW.Z' retirement had
been prophesized at regular interval for 0
long, but it did eventually material ize,
though not at Lossiemouth. Waddington
was scheduled to be the RAF's base for the
new breed of early warning aircraft, which
were classified a Airborne Warning and
Control System (AWACS), the entry
AEW.l. A new purpose-built hangar graced
the main operations hardstanding and, on I
July 1991, every top in the organ pertain-
ing to formal ceremonies was pulled out.
Two years before, the fortieth anniver-
sary of the Shackleton prototype' first
flight on 9 March 1949, was celebrated on
the actual date by No.8 Squadron putting
up a four-aircraft formation, plus one more
as a 'singleton'. Only WL747, in the throe
of a major overhaul, mis ed out on the
occa ion. The pride of the crews flying that
day wa only bettered by that of the engi-
neering staff, who had made it technically
758
Wl754 crosses the Scottish coastline as it returns from another North Atlantic patrol, in August 1977.
MoO via Derek James
759
AEW - THE 6.848-DAY 'INTERIM SOLUTION'

Bob Symons admits that when he had

only recently arrived at Ballykelly from
Radio School, he was allowed to operate
the ground-to-air radio circuit for the first
time. A hackleton called up, asking for
signal strength and readability, to which
Bob gave a positive reply. Being keen to
John (Mo) Botwood, the President and
founder of the Shackleton Association,
tells of work on MR.2 WL748. Having
made six attempts to get it serviceable and
airborne for a sortie to Labuan in Dec m-
bel' 1964, the No. 210 Squadron crew
adjourned once more to the transit tent.
Half an hour later, the Technical Officer
came in soaked in sweat and, grabbing a
mug of tea, shouted that 'The bloody thing
should be melted down and made into
saucepans.' From the gloom at the back of
the tent came 'And they would leak!'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Stu Ruddock recalls a Shackleton that
was returning to Aldergrove and made the
call to Approach, requesting clearance.
He was instructed by the civilian Con-
troller to 'Hold over Lough Neagh, due
traffic.' The Shackleton's pilot then
requ sted clearance for immediate
approach and landing, as he was low on
fuel. The answer came again 'Hold over
Lough Neagh.' The pilot repeated that he
required an immediate approach due to
low fuel and requested to talk to the Super-
visor. When the Supervisor came on the
microphone, the pilot again requested an
approach. The request was denied and the
holding instruction reissued. The pilot
asked if that was the ATC's last word on
the subject and was told 'Yes'! After the
briefest of pauses, over the air came a sim-
ple call 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday"
Once Upon a TiDle
Khormaksar was the scene of so much Shackleton activity, with No. 37 Squadron being based there with
their MR.2s from 21 August 1957 to 7 September 1967. Several air displays were put on during this time and
Wl744/B proudly surveys the type of bombs she had deposited on dissident tribesmen, together with belts
of 20mm ammunition for her two forward-firing Hispano cannons. Aeroplane
Nearly all aeroplanes invoke anecdotes
about their good and bad features, from
the narrator's point of view. The Shackle-
ton is no exception, in fact it engenders
more than many other types. But the
majority of reminiscences appear to be
viewed through the nostalgia provided by
the rose-tinted spectacles of time. The
varying hot/cold temperatures, the oil-
spewing Griffons, th noise and vibration,
all seem to have evaporated, leaving a
lovely old metallic lady, that is revered by
nearly all who operated with her. There is
also an immense pride, borne of the fact
that many who operated with her, both on
the ground and in the air, were consider-
ably younger than their charges.
Some tales may be a little apocryphal,
but they make good reading and are repro-
duced here by kind permission of The
Shackleton Association.
Colours and Markings
But 1 july 1991 really was the end. Four
of the five aircraft extant had flown down
to Waddington and one, WL757, was posi-
tioned on the ramp, flanked by the two E-
3D Sentrys that had so far been delivered.
As befits all official ceremonies, 'best blue'
was the order of the day and much blowing
by the RAF band gave the occasion the
correct martial touch. The handing over of
the No.8 Squadron standard was performed
by the Lossiemouth (No. 8 Squadron,
North) presentation to Waddington (No.
8 Squadron, outh) and the salute was
taken by the Commanding Officers of the
squadron's two divisions. The Waddington
side of No. 8 quad ron had been formed in
1990, when elements of the squadron were
posted to the Lincolnshire bas to prepare
for this day. The handing-over ceremony
wa a fitting finale to a nineteen-year
epi ode that did nothing but good for the
history of the squadron and the annals of
the Royal Air Forc .
All twelve AEW.2s came out of No. 5 MU
Kemble's paint shop resplendent in an over-
all blue/grey gloss, with a matt black anti-
glare panel ahead of the windscreen. The
squadron emblem of a jambiya (a curved
dagger originating in South Yemen) set in a
white circle, was featured on both sides of
the nos section. Th tips of each propeller
blade were painted with red/white/red
stripes and a liberal amount of stencilling
informed an outsider of where just about
every piece of emergency equipment was
located and how to get to it. Demarcation
lines indicated the danger area, so far as
rotating propeller blades were concerned.
'ROYAL AIR FORCE' was painted in
white on either side of the rear fuselage, and
the last two numbers of each aircraft's seri-
al, in red outlined with white, were carried
above the national insignia on the outer
face of each fin a an individual aircraft's
identification. To show No.8 Squadron's
fighter lineage, a yellow/blue/red-striped
bar was painted fore and aft of the fuselage
national rounde!. Further identification of
the AEW.2's operators was introduced
around the beginning of 1987, by the paint-
ing of a large I' d figure '8' with a white out-
line, ahead of the 'ROYAL AIR FORCE'
legend on both sid s of the fuselage. The
Shackleton AEW.2 was quite a colourful
spectacle, and it was maintained as such
throughout its service with No.8 Squadron.
to get into position for a stream-landing at
Woodford. The 'singleton' had set its own
course for the manufacturer's site and the
sight of five of the six Shackletons still
operational lined up in front of the assem-
bly sheds, their 'womb', was a red-letter day
for all concerned.
possible. This was teamwork personified
and illustrated just what a squadron's esprit
de corps was all about. The four-aircraft for-
mation flew across Liverpool to enter Man-
chester's Control Zone, performing a fly-by
over the city's international airport at their
request, before making a line-astern break
With crew members at every vantage point, the squadron's Commander, Wg Cdr
David Greenway, brings WR963 in to fill the camera frame. Air Portraits via Aeroplane
'Over and out'. AEW.2s Wl756, Wl757, Wl790 and WR963 fly in formation to bring the
curtain down on an era. Aeroplane
160 161
ONCE UPON A TIME.
ONCE UPO A TIME.
With whisky at sixpence a tot (Scottish mea-
sures) and beer ninepence a pint, for a young
buck on his first time away from home, this was
Shangri La indeed. To leave the station, you
needed a pass and everyone wore uniform with
Dinty More, one of The Shackleton Asso-
ciation's chief organizers, was a young
National Service Air Gunner in 1951, who
was posted to No. 120 Squadron, Coastal
Command, at Kinloss. He sums up two
years of Shackleton service as follows:
runway had a 20-degree bend at its middle
point!
Air Traffic Controllers in the UK gen-
erated several heart-stopping moments
during the Shackleton's display, such as an
F-15 cleared for a vertical climb during the
Shackleton's orbit; the sight of a Swordfish
puttering slowly across the display line, at
the same height, or a Sukhoi doing an
upward roll directly in front of the Shack-
leton's nose. Some ATCs were rubbish, but
they were British rubbish!
NO.8 Squadron's WL747 was a regular on the Air Show circuit during the 1980s. Author's collection
MR.2 WR962 joined No. 220 Squadron in March 1957, but suffered Category 1 damage the following month
while being flown by a pilot from No. 228 Squadron. Harry Holmes
He yelled a warning to his comrades before
throwing himself flat on the ground, as the
aircraft roared at least 50ft overhead. The
organizers considered this to be the high
point of the display.
Also in Germany, the crew was sent to
the airfielJ at Westhofen, in Bavaria, and
told that the display line was to be to the
north of runway 09/25. The pilot and nav-
igator agreed it must be a misprint, which
would be sorted out when they got there.
It was found not to be a misprint, for the
John Cordy piloted No. no Squadron's
MR.IA WB825 when it assisted in the
recovery of the yach t Oumie in the Engl ish
Channel on 31 July 1956. In 1958 a letter
was received by Cordy from the Air Min-
istry, to say that an award was being made
to the crew. The gross value of his share
was 7 pounds and 4 pence (approx 7.02 in
today's money). The letter added 'The
income tax liability will be dealt with at a
later date by H M Inspector of Taxes, to
whom details of the award are being for-
warded.' John Cordy felt that the name of
the yacht was most pertinent.
Edmund Phillips relates that as a Radar
Gunner, when he was suffering from a
heavy cold and grounded for a few days,
was given a job in the office files of No.
240 Squadron at Ballykelly. Idly glancing
out of the window, he saw a Shackleton
taking off, but rapidly running out of run-
way and showing no signs of lifting off. He
watched it run on and on, heading for
Limavady still on the ground, scattering
earth, mud and clumps of grass as it
ploughed along. The office door opened
and the CO entered, asking 'Who the
Hell was that?' The desk-bound gunner
replied 'One of 269's, sir.' 'Good show,'
said the CO, 'Carryon Sergeant'. The CO
closed the door and didn't even go outside
to look again - well, it wasn't one of ours,
was it!
Sqn Ldr Roger Read was a Shackleton
display pilot in the 1980s and recounts the
happenings at some of the various air show
venues. Before the tragic accident at Ram-
stein, Germany held many, and one venue
that stands out in the Shackleton crew's
memory is Auf dem Dumpel, where they
participated four times. This was a tiny
grass strip, balancing precariously right on
top of a precipitous hill in the middle of
the Black Forest. The approach to one
runway was made towards a near-vertical
cliff, with the threshold right on the edge
of the strip. From the other direction, a
steep down-hi II approach had to be made,
with huge pine trees practically brushing
the underside of the aircraft.
One year, there was to be a massed glid-
er launch following the Shackleton's dis-
play and the gliders were pOSitioned at one
end of the field, as the 'Growler' com-
menced its low, fast pass. One of the glid-
ers' ground crew looked over h is shoulder
to see the Shackleton bearing down on
him at great speed and not a lot of height.
navigator woke at 06.45, as he was due to
take over navigation at 07.00. He decided
to amble up the aircraft and start getting
settled in. He left the other beam occupant
asleep, passed the bunks with the two
occupants asleep, to find the radar opera-
tor, navigator, signaller, engineer and both
pilots, all asleep, with 'George' (the auto-
matic pilot) working like stink. All at
I,500ft, off the Spanish coast.
receive his first Morse-code position
report from an aircraft, he asked 'What is
your position!', to which he received the
reply 'Not airborne yet!' Bob says his ego
was instantly deflated.
As at all other MR.1 operational bases, Aldergrove's electronics operators were not
blessed with a surfeit of space. Aeroplane
Tommy Gough, Air Signaller with No.
no Squadron from 1952 to 1955, tells of
being on an eighteen-hour Navex. Some-
where over the Bay of Biscay, the second
162
163
ONCE UPON A TIME.
ONCE UPON A TIME.
The fitters had their problems too, as a rather bent MR.1, VP292/e-S of No. 236 OCU.
is surveyed at Kinloss on 22 October 1952. Harry Holmes
764
From this view of No.8 Squadron's WR963, one
cannot tell how the Flight Engineer is 'beavering
away' to keep everything working. Air Portraits via
Aeroplane
self-satisfied pride. tation Commander's
Parade once a monlh, on a aturday; W e J n e ~ #
day aftern(xms, sports; and a trip to a distillery
or brewery considered educational.
Through all this there were six-, twelve-,
fourteen- or eighteen-hour trips. nags became
apparent. 0 night illumination; tail-wheel
shimmy problems; the loss of radar contacts in
the tail-wheel's shadow; engines that regularly
threw exhaust stubs; plus the debilitating noise
and vibration.
Detachments were flown to Gibralmr, Malta,
America, Iceland and even England. On these,
there was the crew that were given the first
Land Rover seen in Iceland as their crew coach,
whIch was sold by an SNCO to a local. The near
'Mayday' when a towel was placed on the galley
heater and forgotten, until the aircraft filled
with smoke. The enquiry into why there were
always dents in the radar modulator case, which
was answered by the disclosure that a thermal
relay unit carried the official instruction that, if
it did nor work after two seconds, tap it gently-
si:e eight flying boots had their own degree of
gentleness. The secretly passed-on method of
how to shorten a trip, by using the mu::le-blast
from the mid-upper guns, to break the fixed
aerials. Smuggling nylon stockings in the gun
barrels after a detachment (eleven pairs to a gun
barrel). The initiative exercise, when all air-
crew were given 2 pence (old money) for a
phone call and told to see how far they could go
in twenty-four hours and, at the appointed time,
a call was received from the British Consulate
in Ccuacus, Venezuela, enquiring how a certain
crew member was to get back home.
Sqn Ldr W. J. Howard, formerly of No.8
quadron, extols the Shackleton's Flight
Engineers. While the rest of the crew were
involved in their various operational
'antic " the Engineer - apart from being in
charge of the Verey pistol- wa overseeing
the aircraft systems and engines. A unique
member of each crew, the Engineers tend-
ed to be a breed of their own, u ually
rough-and-ready, salt-of-the-earth types.
The Met observer had a large area of perspex from
which to view proceedings in the MR.1A. Harry
Holmes
With a legendary disdain for young co-
pilot, the Flight Engineer were arguably
the most important members of any crew.
They eemed to develop a nose for trouble,
knew precisely what it was and what was
not acceptable in terms of unserviceability
and, when the chips were down, were
always there with unfailing ound advice
for the captains. The Shackleton was the
last aircraft to require the servic s of the
trusty, infinitely skilled breed of Flight
Engineers that grew up in the war years.
Modern aircraft technology has eliminat-
ed the need for that type of engineering. It
is now all computerized, black-box wiz-
ardry. When the last Shackleton retired, so
too went this incredible bunch of men,
with their slide rules, infallible instincts
and seemingly limitless knowledge. We
shall never know their like again.
John (Mac) McCubbin, a former 0.206
quadron Met observer on Grapple detach-
ment, tells of the day they gave the Royal
avya present, during the daily meteoro-
logical reconnaissance flight over the Pacif-
ic, looking for weather that never seemed
to be there:
We took off at 0740 on 2 March 1957, in
MR.I A WB 56 flying the first leg at I ,500ft.
On I March, we had found out at briefing that
the aircraft carrier HMS \\'larrior had steamed
through the Panama Canal a few days before. It
was on its way to Christmas Island lknown as
Xmas] with supplies and to observe the forth-
coming tests. We had noted that Warrior was
going to be just 50 miles off our first leg and we
decided to deviate 'slightly' from track and give
the navy lads a big surprise from all the lads at
Xmas. About an hour before take-off, we col-
lected loads of those horrible Christmas Island
land crabs and stuffed them into an old Lind-
holme A R canister. With the help of ground
crew (who had 'found' the canister for us), we
fixed it in the bomb-bay.
ome four hours out on the first leg, the nav-
igators reckoned that we were about 50 miles
away from Warrior, so off we deviated, to drop
our little present. On the run-in, the crew
decided to do one of those low-level radar
approaches - down to about 50ft, up to 1, OOft
for a ten-second radar scan, then back to 5 ft.
uddenly, there she was, 10 miles ahead. As we
shot over the deck at 'nought' feet and did a
tight circuit around the carrier, the navy sun-
bathers jumped up and started waving like the
clappers. We had certainly caught them nap-
ping - and this was true, as they did not know
we were coming. It must have been a marvellous
sight with the mighty hackleton roaring up
from nowhere.
We called up on the VHF and told them to
stand by, as we had a present to deliver from
Xmas and wanted to drop it on the deck. We
were cleared for a low pass. In we came, wheels
down, flaps down and bomb doors open, with
full revs and the Griffons roaring. We dropped
the canister slap bang in the middle of the deck
as we thundered past and it split open, scatter-
ing crabs in all directions. We did one more cir-
cuit of the carrier before coming to our senses,
remembering that we had a Met. Recce. to do.
We bade Warrior farewell over the VHF and
wished them a happy journey to Xmas, as we
disappeared over the horizon.
Master Signaller S. McGinty tells of an
alleged report to the ommanding Officer,
o. 269 quadron, RAF Ballykelly:
if,
I write in haste in reference to an incident
which is currently on your desk for action. I
wish to place it in its proper perspective before
you form any opinions from reports emulating
from other persons, who I'm certain will tend to
over-dramatise the affair.
We were just completing the cockpit checks
and our new signaller was on Wrr watch and,
765
thi being his first trip, was having difficulties
with the mixer box. I proceeded to instruct him
and, on coming to the end of those instructions,
said to him 'Let's go.' The lad, though willing,
was nor very bright and I had to repeat it to him
in a sharper tone.
The o-pilot up front overheard this and,
assuming that it came from the captain, waved
away the chock on his side. The effect of remov-
ing the starboard chock while we were on the
full-power checks, was quite dramatic and I'm
afraid it caused a severe twisting strain on the
port undercarriage, thus causing the brakes to
fail and the captain to jam his hand between the
pitch and the throttle levers. This in rurn
caused the port wheel to jump its chock. This
temporary retardation made the Shackleton
slew rapidly to port, in the direction of the
hangar on the other side of the perimeter track,
towards which we were now approaching at a
considerable rate of knots.
The hangar party, under the Engineering
Officer, showed great initiative in smartly open-
ing the doors, but unfortunately did not have
time to open the rear doors fully. These removed
the wings outboard of number one and four
engines. In his efforts to retard the progress of
the aircraft, the captain retracted the undercar-
riage. This achieved little more than making
the aircraft fallon the Line Chief's caravan
o CE UPON A TIME.
VP263/0, an MR.1 of No. 220 Squadron, performed a wheels-up landing at St
Eval on 22 October 1955 due to hydraulic failure, but it was repaired on site.
Peter Allen
WB836/B-T, seen here flying over Valetta harbour, was an MR.1 that joined No. 206
Squadron in July 1954 and was recoded B-H. George Hart
. the 8 Squadron crews of the five remaining
Shackleton airborne early warning 'planes, now
33 years old and the pterodactyls of modern avi-
ation. But, to the handful of men who fly rhe
unforgiving but memorable Shackleton, there
simply is no other aircraft. . these cold, thlm-
dering flying machines of war, still up there
nightly watching for 'Boris' to come 'over the
top', offer precious little to the nine-man crew
in the way of comfort ... the toilet is a remark-
ahle accoutrement for a mooern fighting force
to lift aloft. It' a species of dustbin, around
which is draped a crude curtain. Twin rolls of
government-issue toilet paper lurch and dance
on bits of string as the four huge Griffon engines
drag the ancient aircraft into the heavens. You
have ro be desperate to use the airborne bog -
I'd been warned and stayed off the liquids for
hours ... at the radar consoles, the team peered
intently into the screens, while another crew
member checked for dangerous ice by using the
patches. True love does not run that smooth.
Why docs he only remember the g(xxltimes! I
know he experienced bad times and they arc
well remembered somewhere in the recesses of
his mind, but he never talks about them.
Memories fade, but not the memory of him
leaving me at some God unearthly hour, to be
with her. I would bury my heau in the pillow to
deafen the sound of them, as they thundered
down the runway together, bound for some far
distant romantic experience that I coulu never
share. ometimes their absences lasted a few
hours, sometimes weeks or months.
I used to pray that she would grow older anu
uglier and would be pensioned off. Silly me, my
prayers were never answered. She just seemed to
go from strength to strength and is still doing it
to other wives, what she did to me 33 years ago.
Gruugingly, I have to admit she has great stay-
ing power for a very old lady.
In 1966, he finally left her, or did he
l
A day
never goe by without some mention of her,
always in loving terms. He wears her picture on
hi, tie, cufflinks and tie tae. There are more p,c-
tures of the not so lovely lady, adornmg the
wall, of our home, than there are of me.
I give in, I cannot compete, she can have
him. To all who kept the hackleton flying, may
I salute you. ot only to the ground and air
crews of years gone hI', hut to the young men
who carry on the trauition today. You cannot be
much (j,fferent from the men of 33 years ago.
Only age separates. But the ties that bind you to
the Shackleton, I will never understanu.
Don Higgs writes of his impressions a a
VIP on a nine-hour patrol with No. 8
Squadron. He marvelled at:
convinced she is the reason my husband suffers a
peculiar deafness - high tone deafness. Her skin
was a mottled grey, with black splotches, as if
somebody had thrown a tin of paint at her. Defi-
nitely she had the most terrible acne. Her nose
was very large, with a peculiar bump underneath
it. The eyes were nothing to write home about
and she had fat, rubbery legs. BO was another
overpowering memory, it seemed as if she tried to
gas all who loved her, though my husband con-
sidered it to he the sweetest aroma, a mixture of
Chanel, Brut anu Joy, all rolled into one.
What had I to fear from her! he was no com-
petition. How naive can one he at 22 years of
agel For he was infatuated, hesotted with an
affaire de coeur, a love that has never dimmed.
In fact, as he got older, it seemed to get worse.
For the next eight years, she was a very
demanding mistress. he took him away from
the family with monotonous regularity - Africa,
Gan, Canada, Gibraltar, Hong Kong and Malta,
to name a few. If my memory serves me correct-
ly. There were many more well publicised assig-
nations. Some destinations were so secret, I
never found out where they went together.
They really had great times, him and her. Their
relationship must have gone through some had
In 1957, I fell in love with the handsomest Air
Signaller on o. 269 Squadron, Coastal Com-
mand. Marrying in 195 ,I went with him to an
RAF station that went by the absurd name of
'Ballykelly'. Bally what! I was told to fall in love
with Ballykelly. eedless to say, being a dutiful
wife, I did. Then came the hitch in our rela-
tionship - Love me, love my aircraft! This I
never did. I was not that dutiful.
195 was the year I began my association
with the Shackleton, an association that lasted
thirty-three years and only death will sever the
ties. I found out that I hau met my husband's
mistre s.
Like all relationships between a wife and a
mistress, I hated her from the minute I first saw
her, sitting fat, squat, c1irty and so ugly, on the
tarmac at BK. She had a terrible voice. I am
The relationship between man and
machine (in this case, the Avro Shackle-
ton) is maybe best summed up by a lady
signing herself Anonymous, who had a let-
ter pu bl ished in the spri ng 1991 issue of
The Growler, the newsletter of The hack-
leton Association. Entitled 'His Grey Lady',
she wrote:
A long pause was followed by 'Malta Control,
please advise depth of water on your runway,
this is a underland.'
The rower's response was unfit for publtcanon.
'Flares' Flares!' barked the skipper. The
whoosh' whoosh! whoosh! lit up the dark,
angry Med. below us.
'Christ, its a frigate with his nav. lights off'
shouted the co-pi lot.
The words' case flares' were followed by an
angry 'Thank you very much Royal Air Force.
ow every EOKA caigue in the area knows the
Royal Navy is here"
Our skipper remained silent, for once.
Roger Marchant explained that 'A Navi-
gator's SE nearly almost always, means
SW.' Its called the 'Graduated suggestion
of available options' or, 'You're
the skipper, surely you don't
need me to tell you which way
is home.'
George Hart recalls o. 206
quadron being detached from
t Mawgan to R AS Culdrose,
used as a war base during exer-
cise. The squadron found it
strange how the Fleet Air Arm
treated a shore base like a hip.
One evening, four of the
detachment decided to go to
Helston for a few hours. As they
passed the Guardroom, they
heard 'Oi! Where you lot
going?' They turned to see a big
pair of shiny boots, white gaiters
etc., which was a little different from the
Wellington boots and sea socks the detach-
ment wore for work. They replied 'Helston'.
'Not on your Nelly. The liberty boat left
fifteen minutes ago, forty-five minutes to
th next.'
The RAF personnel a ked for the mean-
ing of thi and it wa explained to them:
'You are only allowed ashore on the hourly
liberty boat and that 15yd black and white
painted area is c1as ed a water. You are
nearly drowned. You CRAB FAT should
be more careful.'
A taxi pulled up outside the gate at that
moment and one of the RAF quartet gave
the order 'Boats crew, fall in. Right turn.
Row you B-s.'
They walked backwards with a rowing
action, reached the taxi and were gone.
The FAA guard was none too plea ed and
was last seen dancing up and down with
rage, on hi side of the water.
'Malta Control, this is MBOAT. I am 25 miles
north of you at 500ft. Reque t joining instruc-
tions. Over.'
'MBOAT, this is Malta Control. The runway
in use is 24, the wind is 205 at 15 knots. Cloud
8/8 at 1,000ft. Heavy rain falling. You arc clear
ro join at 800ft. Call finals. Over.'
Maurice Pope recall VP257 when it was
an MR.I with o. 220 Squadron at St
Eval, on 12 December 1952. He was work-
ing in the Maintenance Hangar at the
time and VP257 had been in for ervicing.
ext morning she was pulled out and
parked on a hard-standing right outside
the crew room, awaiting a flight test.
When the crew arrived, the Engineering
Officer had a word with them and they
agreed to take him along. They all climbed
in and the EO seated himself on the floor,
with his back on the main spar, facing aft.
Ground chocks were removed, they
started the engines and within a few sec-
onds, VP257 was seen to be buckling at
the knees. This state increased, despite
engines being stopped (in more ways
than one), until the aircraft lay sedately
Brian Ellis recount a couple of message
from the Mediterranean area:
'belly flopped'. The crew hot out like
hurdlers in a race, the EO being the last
man out a , sitting on the floor, he was
used as a mat.
A Company Working Party took VP257
in hand to repair, which took the best part
of a year. The defect was traced to a faulty
electro-hydraulic undercarriage selector
valve. The seals had rolled on the valve
stems and the hydrauliC fluid took the path
of least resistance.
(fortunately unoccupied at the time), the ta-
tion Commander's car and two motor cycles.
At the time the chock was removed, the cor-
poral airframe fitter was in the process of remov-
ing the towing ann, which was in place between
the tail wheel and the small rowing tracror and
was just about ro release the pin from rhe tail
wheel coupling. The slewing action caused a
whiplash movement, which was transmitted ro
the tractor. The prompt action of the corporal,
in leaping lover] the rowing arm like a startled
gazelle, ensured that there was no damage to the
rowing arm and the slow manner in which the
tractor overturned, enabled the driver to evac-
uate it in a safe - if hurried - manner.
I am closing this preliminary report, Sir, as I
find it very difficult to concentrate above the
sound of the navigarors pounding on the door (I
am considering a 'Redress of Grievance' about
this), combined with the sounds of
the Fire and Emergency vehicle's
sirens and the stroboscopic effects of
their flashing lights.
I am, if, your obedient servant.
Sqn Ldr W. J. Howard alo
recalls a o. 204 Squadron crew
returning to Ballykelly after a
long patrol ofsome fifteen hours,
having previously been on duty
many hour before that. The air-
craft had one engine shut down.
It was just dawn and the captain
was clearly very tired. On land-
ing, he misjudged his touch-
down, bounced and attempted
to apply power to go round.
However, with one engine out,
he was unable to control the surge of asym-
metric power. The whole aircraft yawed, a
wing-tip hit the ground and the Shackleton
cartwheeled, shedding engines, whe Is and
parts of the ailframe. As it slithered to a halt,
by this time travelling backwards, the whole
aircraft erupted in flames. Wime e to this
horrendous incident could scarcely believe
their eyes, as a hatch was kicked out at the
rear of the aircraft and a crew member
scrambled out, followed by another, then
another and so on. In all, there had been
twelve souls on board, including two pa -
sengers, and now twelve somewhat alarmed,
but unscathed, individuals stood around on
the airfield, dusting themselves down in the
glow of the inferno. The entire complement
had escaped because the structure of the air-
craft had stayed together; it had not col-
lapsed, been unduly distorted or broken up.
The Shackleton was built to la t. Clearly
the men at Woodford had done their job.
766 767
ONCE UPON A TIME. ONCE UPON A TIME.
'The loneliness of the long-distance aeroplane.' WR960 illustrates what Don Higgs was writing about. Derek James
Eddie Phillips (obviously not a Nav I) pro-
duced this anachronistic but amusing tale:
Americans: 'Please divert your course 15
degrees w the north, W avoid a collision.'
Canadians: 'Recommend you divert YOUR
course 15 degrees to the south, to avoid a colli-
sian
Americans: 'This is the Captain of a US Navy
ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.'
Canadians: 'No. I say again, you divert YOUR
a long weekend off on urgent business. In his
absence, his Flight Commander drew out a new
Bone Dome set from Stores and placed it in the
appropriate flying locker, with a kindly and sym-
pathetic note.
All w no avail, as our be-ribboned hero
returned from his weekend, equipped with a
brand new Mickey Mouse, purchased on the
Edgware Road for a couple of quid. This he wore
for the remaining twelve months of his 22-year
engagement.
He wok his Mickey Mouse into retirement
with him, ignoring all requests from wres for
its return. Per ArduQ.
course.
Americans: 'This is the aircraft carrier USS lin-
coln, the second largest ship in the United
States' Atlantic Fleet. We are accompanied by
three destroyers, three cruisers and numerous
support vessels. I demand that you change your
course 15 degrees north, that's one-five degrees
north, or countermeasures wi II be undertaken to
ensure the safety of this ship.'
Canadians: 'This is a lighthouse - your call.'
And finally, while retaining the nautical
theme, an anecdote that has circulated for
many years, tells of a Shackleton MR.3
Phase III that made a series of low passes
over a United States aircraft carrier. Each
pass was made with an increasing number
of Griffons shut down and was followed by
a rapid climb on full power in order to gain
momentum. The fifth and final approach
was made with just the Vipers on full chat.
When the undercarriage was momentarily
lowered, the story goes that the carrier's
crew frantically started pushing aircraft to
the edge of the flight deck in preparation
for ditching them. Whether it was techni-
cally possible cannot be guaranteed, but it
i lovely to contemplate.
John Grice submitted this to The Growler,
which only has a tenuous connection with
aviation, but is told as an actual radio con-
versation between a US Navy vessel and
the Canadian Authorities off the coast of
Newfoundland, which was released by the
Chief of Naval Operations on 10 October
1995.
retreated behind his scowling visage and rows of
ribbons. What to dol Post him? Too valuable,
who else would go round and round in tight cir-
cles for a living. Steal the helmet? No, he wok it
everywhere with him. An inexperienced young
Adj. had suggested that he be given a direct
order, but this idea was not taken up, wiser heads
realizing that the RAF might be placed in the
unthinkable position of having w back down!
There were eight Signallers on board. We
each wok it in tum w struggle up to the mid-
upper; once into a tight orbit, we would blaze
away at the ground target. The January weather
was vile. We bumped and bucketed around in
tight circles a couple of hundred feet below
cloud base, through a curtain of rain. Come the
smell of cordite, my breakfast decided that it
would rather be out than in. When my tum came,
I somehow fumbled and lurched up inw the tur-
ret, opened fire when wid and stopped when
instructed. Dick B. was the last of the eight w
fire. He looked ashen as he passed me, but mut-
tered that he was okay. Up he got and strapped
. in. Tight circles. 'Captain to gunner. Clear w
open fire' Bang, bang, bang and then silence.
No answer from Dick on the intercom. Our
Master elbowed his way past us, stood below the
turret and, looking up, yelled 'What yer doin'?'
Dick was sining there holding his Bone Dome
in front of him. His meal had also taken a dislike
w being barreled around over the Donna Nook
range. On reaching down w his leg pocket, hor-
ror of horrors, no paper bag. Gorge on the way
up, only solution, use his Bone Dome.
There followed an exchange of intercom.
Invective between Master and Captain about
trainees and life in general. The Captain's
imperative was that Dick should finish his one
minute burst, then we could all go home. Dick
sat in the turret, miserably cradling his Bone
Dome-full. Our Master had twenty-odd years of
avoiding mistakes and making things go his way.
But, in the great scheme of things, occasional
aberrations will occur. ow was such a time.
Reaching up, he wok Dick's Bone Dome full,
with a grimace passing it w us. He wok off his
Mickey Mouse and handed it w Dick, with a
bellowed instruction w finish the exercise.
Our aircraft roared, bumped and slewed into
its next series of tight, gut-dragging turns
around the target. uddenly, from amidships by
the turret, arose a cry so dreadful as w make us
all forget our own sorrows and worries. The
Master was down in a crouch, helmetless iron-
grey head in hands, sobbing with rage. Dick had
again been overcome and honked in the Mick-
ey Mouse. I will not dwell on what happened
next, or on the remainder of the flight.
Years later however, it was recounted to me
that following the trip, the Master had requested
Fine; I understand the principles of air gunnery,
but why did I never hit the target? How come
my projectiles swerved through the air, first this
way, then that, always finally veering sharply
away from the taJget, as if repelled by some
malignant magnetic force 7 My air-to-air Cine
results were similarly baffling, a fifty-second film
revealing a blurred target aircraft, whizzing across
the frame for three or four seconds, then exit
left, gone for ever.
I did not feel too unsettled however, as the
RAF could apparently only afford four gunnery
exercises (i.e. four minutes shooting) on our
OCU course; not much time w become an ace
shot. Three of the trips were directly from Kin-
loss, one 'air-to-ground' via Leconfield. Here we
picked up our gunnery instrucwr, a 1934-vintage
Master. Small, as brown and wrinkled as a wal-
nut, he sported twO full row of colourful medal
ribbons and was none-w-pleased with his life
going round in tight circles, supervising hopeless
trainees, as they blasted away from a mid-upper.
Our Master was of truly awesome vintage, it
being known that his first tour had been on
Hawker Harts on the North West Frontier.
However, what really impressed uS was that he
wore a Mickey Mouse flying helmet, with stick-
out earpieces, incompatible with wearing a Bone
Dome. The laner was a Command introduction
of recent memory and, as such, was a mandatory
requirement. Persuasion and veiled threats had
both been tried but W no avail. He simply
Navigator: 'Never mind, you might get some
good detachments.'
Captain 3: 'Yeah ... to the Shuttleworth Col-
lection!'
The scene of Geoff Corlet's recollections.
flarry flolmes
Geoff Corlet wrote:
o. 205
They found a dead crow in the Navigawr's Office
of one of the Ballykelly Squadrons, one fine day.
The story in the Messes had it that the poor thing
had lost its way and had called in to ask where it
was. By the time the navigators had worked out
its position, the crow had died from old age.
Captain of Crew 3: 'Yippee' Specially selected
from thousands of applicants, w fly a twenty-
year old aircraft for the next twenty years, in
support of an obsolete carrier force, from an
unspecified airfield 'somewhere' in Scotland.
Now that's what I call a career posting!'
Pertama, the magazine of
Squadron, told this tale:
A succinct comment was made by a former
aircrew member, who was chatting to
somebody in No.8 Squadron's crewroom
after a fI ight from Woodford and the per-
son said that one of the tricks used in air
displays was to de-sync the engines, to
make a very distinctive noise that pene-
trated and overpowered. 'Nothing new in
that,' said the ex-aircrew type, 'I flew with
quite a few Captains who considered it
Standard Operational Procedure!'
On the night of 7(8 February 1963. At precise-
ly 03.24 GMT (well, that's what the Nav. said),
an MR.2, Phase II of Ballykelly's No. 210
Squadron, passed over the North Pole. The air-
craft was en route from Thule (Greenland) w
Bodo (Norway), on a gyro-sening, grid naviga-
tion exercise. The avs. were on a winner here,
as nobody would ever check up on this one.
The crew, with commendable concern for
those that would follow, dropped an 'Irish Sur-
vival Pack' at the Pole. This had been made up
at the Squadron after great research and con-
sisted of all the major requirements for the area.
Into it had gone: one copy of 'Desert Survival';
one piece of peat; two hair clips; four cigarene
vouchers and two chocolate biscuits. It can now
be revealed that these were Penguins, the
favourites of the Squadron canteen.
The makers heard of this amazing feat and
approached the Air Ministry for permission w
release the information that there were 'Pen-
guins at the North Pole' in an advertisement.
This was refused.
perhaps working on transport aircraft. Or
maybe fighter?
'No question of that, old boy! You can get soup,
pie and peas in a Shack. Try that in a fighter -
it makes a frightful mess"
'North Pole Drop' from The Growler, Sep-
tember 1989:
technological wizardry of shining a wrch OntO
the wings, through a window
'There doesn't seem w be much that's secret
about the Shacklewn,' I bellowed w an indis-
tinguishable face in the gloom.
'No, only how the bloody thing stays up' he
replied. It was time for food, which, like the 100,
is another of 8 Squadron's wonders. On each
sortie, a crew member (but not the pilot) is
elected chef. His galley, between the bobbing
100 paper and the dinene, consists of a suitably
ancient cooking ring and a Lilliputian fridge.
Such miracles as pancakes are possible, but wss-
ing them has apparently never been completely
mastered in mid-flight.
They say 'Age shall not weary them.' I think
that refers w the dead. But age certainly wearied
the Shacklewn on our trip (I was glad w hear).
The pilot reported a slight f1uner in one of the
port engines and ordered it to be shut down.
Such is the antiquity of these machines that,
with one of those droning powerplams off, the
radar screens go blank. Thus our trip to hunt
Boris was ended. The great plane wheeled
around and headed for the warmth (and bar) of
RAF Lossiemouth.
As we prepared for wuch-down, the landing
lights on the port side went 'phun'. So with
400gal of fuel spewed out w reduce landing
fatigue, we were back on Sconish soil. I was
left asking why men stay on these five Shack-
lewns. How much cosier w be in another area,
168 169
APPENDIX [
Shackleton Squadrons
No. 236 Operational
Conversion Unit
Formed at Kinloss on 31 July 1945, by
renumbering No.6 0 U. Initially using
Lancaster ASR.3s and GR.3s, its first
Shackleton MR. I was delivered on 31
May 1951. Rede ignated the Maritime
Operational Training Unit (MOT ) on 1
Octob I' 1956, and it MR.IA aircraft
were gradually replaced by T4s. The Unit
moved to St Mawgan in July 1965 and its
T4 had given way to T2s by July 1968.
The last Shackleton conversion course
passed out on 28 July 1970, but the T2s
remained until 21 December.
Representative Aircraft
MR.!: VP262, VP281
MR.IA: WB824, WB829
T2: WL750, WR964
T4: WB826, WG511
No.8 Squadron
A fighter squadron that was first formed on
1 January 1915, it served until being dis-
banded on 20 January 1920. Reformed on
I October 1920, it spent World War Two
in the Middle Ea t, until being disbanded
on I May 1945. Reformed for a brief peri-
od in the Far East on 15 May 1945, until
being disbanded on 15 November of the
same year. The squadron was back in the
Middle East again when reformed on 1
Sept mber 1946 and tayed there until dis-
bandment on 21 December 1967.
The Squadron was reformed for the
fourth time on 1 January 1972 at Kinloss,
to operate Shackleton AEW.2s. Trans-
ferred to Lossiemouth on 14 August 1973,
it remained th re until 1 July 1991, when
the last AEW.2 retired. Moved to
Waddington on same date, to become the
Sentry AEW.l unit and is still fully oper-
ational.
Representative Aircraft
AEW.2: WL795, WR960
No. 37 Squadron
Fir t formed on 15 April 1916, the unit
operated until being di banded on 1 July
1919. Reformed as a Bomber Command
squadron on 26 April 1937, the unit flew
various marks of Wellingtons and Libera-
tor VIs during World War Two and was
disbanded on 31 March 1946. Reformed
the following month, on 15 April, to fly
Lancasters in the Middle East until 1 April
1947, when it was disbanded.
Reformed again at Ein Shemar as a
Coa tal Command quadron on 14 Sep-
tember 1947, equipped with Lanca tel'
GR.3s, the squadron received its fir t
hackleton MR.2 at Luqa, in July 1953.
The Squadron operated with these in the
Middle East, until being di banded at
Khormaksar on 7 eptember 1967.
Representative Aircraft
MR.2: WL757, WR954
No. 38 Squadron
First formed on 1 April 1916 at Thetford,
the unit operated until being disbanded on
4 July 1919. On 16 September 1935, the
unit was reformed as a part of the Expan-
sion Programme and was transferred to the
Middle East on 12 ovember 1940, where
it flew several Wellington variant during
World War Two, followed by Warwick
A R.ls and Lancaster GR.3s post-war.
On 18 September 1953, while stationed
at Luqa, the squadron receiv d its fir t
hackleton MR.2 and operated with them
until 31 March 1967, when it was dis-
banded at Hal Far.
770
Representative Aircraft
MR.2: WL756, WL785
No. 42 Squadron
From its formation on 26 February 1916,
the unit flew BE.2s, then RE.8s, until 26
June 1919, when it toad down. On 14
December 1936, the squadron was
reformed and, from 18 June 1942, spent
the rest of World War Two in the Far East,
flying Beaufort Is, Blenheim Vs, then Hur-
ricane IICs and [Vs. A short time was
spent flying Thunderbolt lIs, after a tem-
porary di bandment, then it was back to
the UK to fly the Beaufighter TEI0.
Di banding on 15 October 1947, the
squadron was not reformed until 28 June
1952 when, at St Eval, it started receiving
hackleton MR.IAs. In January 1953,
MR.2s joined the squadron, which was
transferred to St Mawgan on 8 October
1958. By ovember 1965, the first MR.3s
had arriv d and the unit flew with the e
unti I eptembel' 1971, when the last
Shackleton departed, leaving the squadron
fully equipped with Nimrod MR.ls. Nim-
rod MR.2s started being delivered in June
1983 and today the squadron is the desig-
nated imrod OCU, tationed at Kinloss.
Representative Aircraft
MR.1A: WG51O, WG526
MR.2: WG532, WR967
MR.3: WR984, XF703
No. 120 Squadron
The unit flew various types for short peri-
ods, following its formation on 1 January
1918, and had started operating with
DH.9s before being di banded on 21 Octo-
ber 1919. Reformed at utts Corner on 2
June 1941, the squadron flew several marks
of Liberator until being di banded at Bal-
lykelly, on 4 June 1945. [t was reformed at
Leuchars, by the renumbering of No. 160
quadron ,on I October 1946 and ren wed
its acquaintance with the Liberator, before
receiving Lancaster GR.3s a month later.
The unit moved to Kinlo on 4 Decem-
ber 1950 and became Coa tal Command's
first Shackleton squadron, when MR.1s
started arriving in March 1951. These
were joined by MR.2s in April 1953 and
MR.3s during eptember 1958. On 1 April
1959, the unit was posted to Kinlo s,
where it started receiving imrod MR.ls
in October 1970. By February 1971, the
last Shackleton MR.3 had departed and
ten years later, in April 1981, the first
Nimrod MR.2 arrived. Today, the
squadron is an element of the Nimrod
MR.2-equipped Kinloss Wing.
Representative Aircraft
MR.1: VP258, WB828
MR.2: WG530, WL745
MR.3: WR987, XF701
No. 201 Squadron
The unit's roots go back to being o. 1
Squadron, RNAS, formed at Gosport on
17 October 1914 which, on 3 December
1916, was redesignated No. 201 Squadron,
RFC. Operating with Nieuport 17s, Sop-
with Triplanes, Camels and Snipes, the
unit became a part of the Royal Air Force
on 1 April 1918, serving as such until
being disbanded on 31 December 1919.
Reformed on 1 January 1929, it flew flying
boats for twenty-eight years, including
Southampton Ils, London I, [Is, Sunder-
land [, II, III and Seaford Is, until dis-
bandment on 28 February 1957.
The squadron wa again reformed, on 1
October 1958, at St Mawgan, by the
renumbering of No. 220 Squadron, and
received its first Shackleton MR.3 in the
same month. On 1 July 1965, the unit
moved to Kinlos and in July 1970, the
squadron became the fir t to receive im-
rod MR. Is, which flew alongsid the
Shackleton for five months until the la t
MR.3 left in December. [n January 1982,
Nimrod MR.2s started arriving and today
the unit operates with them in a maritime
patrol role.
Representative Aircraft
MR.3: WR975, WR979
SHACKLETO SQUADRONS
No. 203 Squadron
An element of o. 3 Wing R AS was
redesignated o. 203 Squadron at St Pol,
on 5 November 1916. The squadron was
flying Camel when disbanded on 21 Jan-
uary 1920 and had the same type when
reformed five week later, on 1 March. Dis-
banded again on 1 April 1923, the unit
was reborn on 1 January 1929, by the
renumbering of No.4 2 F[ight, at Mount
Batten. Th quadron erved in the Mid-
dle East throughout World War Two,
before returning to the K on 19 May
1946, flying Liberator VIlIs and Lancaster
GR. s. [n March 1953, it started receiving
Neptune MR.l , which it retained until
being disbanded for the third time, on I
September 1956.
Reformed at Ballykelly on 1 ovember
195 , by the renumbering of o. 240
quadron, the unit received Shackleton
MR.1As the ame month and MR.3s a
month later. In April 1962, MR.2s took
over from the MR.3s, but four years [ateI',
in June 1966, MR.3s were again taken on
charge. On [ February 1969, the quadron
moved to Luqa with it MR.3, but by
October [971 these started being replaced
by the Nimrod MR.l, which were flown
until the unit disbanded, at Luqa, on 31
December 1977. Today, the squadron is
active again, as the Sea King helicopter
OCU, based at t Mawgan.
Representative Aircraft
MR.IA: WB835, WB848
MR.2: WL738, WL748
MR.3: WR974, WR989
No. 204 Squadron
Another unit formed out of the RNAS,
thi time No.4 (Naval) Squadron, which
had been formed on 29 March 1915. It
became No. 204 quadron on 31 Decem-
ber 19 [6, stationed at Coudekerque, out-
ide Dunkirk. The squadron flew Sopwith
land planes until being disbanded exactly
three year later, on 31 December [919. [t
wa reformed at Mount Batten as a flying
boat unit on 1 February 1929. It operated
first with the outhampton II, then the
capa and London I, [[, before receiving
its fir t Sunderland [ in June 1939 and
serving throughout World War Two with
various marks of the type. Disbanded on 30
June 1945, the unit was reformed on 1
777
August 1947, to fly Dakotas, then Valet-
tas, until another disbandment, on 20 F b-
ruary 1953, when it was renumbered o.
84 Squadron.
The unit was reformed at Ballykelly on
I January 1954, under its old de ignation,
and received its first Shackleton MR.2 at
the same time. [n May 1958, these gave
way for MR.IAs, but only for a year, as
MR.2s were received again in May 1959
and the squadron operated with them
until I April 1971, when it stood down,
till at Ballykelly.
Representative Aircraft
MR.1A: WB826, WB 28
MR.2: WL738, WL740
No. 205 Squadron
One more squadron born out of an RNAS
unit, No. 205 Squadron came from the
redesignation of 0.5 (Naval) quad ron
at Coudekerque, on 31 December 1916.
Equipped with lYz trutters, DH.4s and
DH.9s, the unit took part in conflict on
the Western Front until the end of World
War One, after which it stayed in service
until disbandment on 22 January 1920.
The squadron was reformed at Leuchars
on 15 April 1920, to fly Parnell Panthers
for three years, before it was stood down
again, on 1 April 1923, to be p[it into
Nos 440, 441 and 442 Flights. From being
reformed on 8 January 1929, the squadron
operated with Southampton lIs, Singa-
pore II Is and Catalina [s in the Far East,
until another disbandment wa made, at
Freemantle, on 31 March 1942. Four
months later, on 23 July, the squadron
was re-activated, till in the Far East and
still with Catalina [so Catalina IVs
arrived in May 1944 and Sunderland
GR.5s in June 1945.
The squadron served with these in the
Far East Air Force (FEAF) until receiving
its first land plane for thirty-eight year,
the Shackleton MR.1A. These arrived at
Changi in May [95 and were followed by
MR.2s in February [962, which stayed
with the unit until it final disbanding, on
31 October 1971.
Representative Aircraft
MR.1A: VP254, WB827
MR.2: WL737, WL798
SHACKLETO, SQUADRONS
WB846/B-P of No. 224 Squadron flies past the Rock of Gibraltar in 1953. 1. Prall via A. J. Freeborn
No. 206 Squadron
Like os 203, 204 and 205 quadrons, this
unit's foundations stemmed from the
RNAS. o. 6 (Naval) Squadron, formed
on 1 November 1916, to become No. 206
quadron at Dover, on 1 November 1917.
Flying DH.4s and DH.9, the squadron
operated until 1 February 1920, when it
wa disbanded at Helwan in Egypt and
renumbered No. 47 Squadron. It reap-
peared under it former designation on 15
June 1936, at Manston, first equipped with
Anson Is, then various marks of Hudsons.
It started receiving other American air-
craft, fi rst the Fortress II, followed by sev-
eral marks of Liberators, until 25 April
1946, when it was deactivated. Reformed
at Lyneham on 17 November 1947, the
unit flew York C.ls for nearly two year,
before once more being disbanded, on 31
August 1949. Four months later, on 1
December, another reforming, this time at
Waterbeach, saw the unit flying Dakota
for three months, when yet again it was
stood down, this time on 20 February 1950.
A more settled existence began on 27
September 1952, at St Eval, when Shack-
leton MR.l As started to be allotted to the
squadron. These were joined by MR.2 in
February 1953 and the squadron was relo-
cated at t Mawgan on 14 January 1958. In
the same month, its 'tail-dragger' Shackle-
ton were replaced by MR.3s and the unit
took these with it on 1 July 1965, when
there was another move, this time to Kin-
10 s. In August 1970, the squadron's first
Nimrod MR.l arrived and the Shackleton
MR.3s left two months later, in October.
imrod MR.ls were joined by Nimrod
MR.2s in February 1980, and by February
19 1, all of the earlier variant had gone.
Today the squadron operates in the mar-
itime patrol role with its Nimrod MR.2s.
Representative Aircraft
MR.IA: WB821, WG526
MR.2: WG557, WR952
MR.3: WR981, WR985
No. 210 Squadron
No. 10 Squadron of the R AS formed the
ba is of No. 210 quadron, when it was
formed on 12 February 1917. By 24 June
1919, when it wa disbanded, the unit wa
operating with opwith Camel. At
Gosport, on 1 February 1921, o. 186
quadron was redesignated o. 210
Squadron and flew opwith Cuckoos until 1
April 1923, when it was split into os 460
and 461 Flights. Reformed as a full squadron
again on 1 March 1931, it served as a flying
boat unit throughout World War Two, prin-
cipally equipped with various mark of Sun-
derland and Catalinas. The squadron had
another disbandment on 4 June 1945, to be
reformed a year later, on 1 June 1946, by the
renumbering of o. 179Y Squadron. It
operated with Lanca ter ASR.3 , followed
by eptune MR. Is, until once more being
deactivated, rhis time on 31 January 1957.
1 December 1958 saw yet another
reforming, this time by the redesignation
of o. 269 Squadron. hackleton MR.2s
were flown from Ballykelly for nearly
twelve years, before the next disbanding,
on 31 October 1970, which wa followed
by a reforming at harjah the next day.
The squadron was allotted new MR.2s
and it operated with them until 15
ovember 1971, when there was the final
di bandment.
Representative Aircraft
MR.2: WL788, WR96
No. 220 Squadron
Formed on 1 April 1918 as a reconnais-
sance unit at Imbros, being an element of
the Aegean Group, the squadron wa dis-
banded seventeen months later, on 1 Sep-
tember 1919. It was not until 17 August
1936 that the squadron reappeared and it
flew Hudsons, Fortress Is and Liberators
during World War Two.
It was stood down on 25 May 1945, but
six years later, on 24 September 1951, the
squadron was reformed at Kinloss and
recei ved its fi rst Shackleton MR. Is. On 14
November of the same year, the unit trans-
ferred to t Eval and received MR.IAs. In
March 1953, MR.2s joined the unit and,
following another move, this time to St
Mawgan, MR.3s started to be issued to the
squadron in August 1957. The next year,
on 1 October 195 , the squadron wa
stood down and renumbered o. 201
Squadron, and it MR.3s were pa sed on to
the new unit.
No. 220 Squadron reappeared at Pick-
enham on 22 July 1959, equipped with
Thor ICBMs, which it held until 10 July
1963, wh n the squadron had its final
disbandment.
172
Representative Aircraft
MR.l: VP257, VP294
MR.IA: WB824, WB82
MR.2: WG557, W1737
MR.3: WR975, WR979
No. 224 Squadron
This unit, flying DH.4s and DH.9s, saw
less than a year's service in World War
One, having been formed on 1 April 191 ,
only to be disbanded on 15 April 1919. On
1 February 1937, it was reactivated as a
part of the Expansion Programme, to oper-
ate throughout World War Two as a recon-
naissance squadron, flying Anson I , Hud-
on I, Il and Vs. It then became a
four-engincd operator, with liberator II,
III, V, VI and VIII , which were followed
by Lancaster GR.3s. It was di banded
again on 10 ovember 1947, to be
reformed four months later, on I Mar h
194 at Aldergrove, before moving to
Gibraltar on 18 October of the same year.
There, the squadron flew Halifax GR.6s in
a meteorological role.
In March 1952, the Halifaxes were
joined by hackleton MR.ls for the
squadron to become the econd 'Growler'
operator. In May 1953, MR.2s came onto
their inventory and the squadron flew
them from 'The Rock' until its final dis-
bandment, on 31 October 1966.
Representative Aircraft
MR.l: VP2 7, VP291
MR.2: W1741, WL753
No. 228 Squadron
Another unit formed late in World War
One, it operated from 20 August 191 unti I
30 June 1919, equipped with Felix towe
F.2A and urti s H.12/16 flying bats. On
15 December 1936, the squadron was
reformed at Pembroke Dock for a longer
exi tence. It retained it flying boat status,
operating with the Scapa, London I, Sin-
gapore Ill, tranraer and underland I, JI,
III and V until it was disbanded at Pem-
broke Dock, on 4 June 1945. From 1 June
1946, when it wa reformed by the renum-
bering of No. 224Y quadron, the unit
came onto dry land at St Eval and flew lib-
erator VIIls for three months, before stand-
ing down on 30 September.
till at St Eval, the squadron was born
again on 1July 1954, from a nucleus provid-
ed by 0.206 Squadron, and started receiv-
ing hackleton MR.2s. The unit moved to
St Mawgan on 29 November 1956, then
back to St Eval on 14 January 1958, still fly-
ing MR.2s. It remained at the base until
being tood down on 6 March 1959.
On 1 eptember of the same year, the
squadron became a helicopter unit, with a
succession of various Whirlwinds and
Sycamores. It was renumbered No. 202
quadron on 28 August 1964 and today is
equipped with Sea King HAR.3s at its
main base of Boulmer, with detachment
Flights spread around the UK.
Representative Aircraft
MR.2: WL744, WR962
No. 240 Squadron
From its formation at Calshot on 20
August 191 , until being stood down on
15 May 1919, the quadron flew the Cur-
ti s H.12, Short 184, Short320, Campania
and FeIixstowe F.2A flying boats.
Reformed on 30 March 1937,againat al-
shot, the flying boat tradition was upheld
and, during the eight years before it was
disbanded, on 1 July 1945, the quadron
173
operated with Scapas, Singapore Ills, the
Lerwick (for three uncomfortable months),
Stranraers, plus various mark of atali-
nas. On the ame day as its disbandment,
the unit was reformed from elements of
No. 212 Squadron, still flying Catalinas,
then underland Vs, in the Far East, until
another disbandment, on 21 March of the
following year.
On 1 May 1952, hull and chine gave
way to undercarriages, when the squadron
was reformed at AIdergrove to fly hack-
leton MR. Is. A move twenty-seven days
later, to St Eval, on 27 May, wa followed
on 5 June by a return to orthern Ireland,
but this time, Ballykelly. MR.ls were
SHACKLETO SQUADRONS
APPENDIX II
Shackleton Production
Shackleton production in full swing at Woodford on 27 March 1950.
VP256 First flight 18.9.50. RAF Handling
Squadron Manby 28.9.50. Return Wood-
ford 20.11.50. Return Manby 20.12.50.
VP255 First flight 30.6.50. Manufactur-
er's trials, then demonstrations Ballykelly,
Kinloss, Leuchars, and St Eval in 8.50.
Return Woodford 18.8.50. TFU Defford
3.10.50. A&AEE 31.10.50. B-] 7 turret tri-
als 11.50 to 4.51. 240 qn 31.12.53.
269Sqn 5.7.54. 23M 28.1.58. 5MU
11.4.60. 205Sqn 1.6.60. 23MU 3.10.60.
A&AEE 27.4.61. Langar storage 11.8.61.
A&AEE 14.9.61. 23MU 2.10.61. Sold
scrap 22.8.63.
VP254 First flight 28.3.50. Manufacturer's
trials. Langar IFF10 and S RAH trials
15.12.54. A&AEE equipment trials 6.2.52.
Return Langar 4.4.56. FEAF charge 9.5.58.
205Sqn 25.5.58. rashed outh China ea
9.12.58.
numbers VP254 to VP268 and VP281 to
VP294 (VP253 cancelled).
VW135 First flight 29.3.50. Manufactur-
er' trials, then A&AEE 4.7.50. RAE
17.7.50. A&AEE 7.50. Return Woodford
14.3.52. A&AEE 19.3.52. 49M 8.4.54.
Broken for pares, struck off charge 13.4.54.
Shackleton MR.l
ontract o. 6/ACFT.6062/CB6(a) dated
21 March 1946, covering thirty ShackletOn
MR. 1s. On1) twenty-nine built, serial
then A&AEE 13.2.50 to 3.3.50. Hucknall
engine adjustments 31.5.50. A&AEE offi-
cial trials 9.6.50. Khartoum tropical trials
6.10.50. Return Woodford 18.11.50.
A&AEE performance trials, then Hatfield
propeller trials 5.8.52. Return Woodford
15.8.52. Inspection for omad 18.10.52.
apier 16.1.53. tored Luton, then dis-
mantled 1.56. Fuselage Bracewell Heath
ditching trials 7.2.56. Tested to destruction,
struck off charge 10.5.62.
Shackleton Prototypes
VW131 First flight 2.9.49. BAC Display
6.9.49 to 11.9.49. Manufacturer's trials,
Contract No. 6/ACFT J077/CB6(a) , dated
28 May 1947, covering three protOtypes to
meet Specification R.5/46. Serial numbers
VW126, VWI31 and VW135.
.VW126 First flight 9.3.49. Manufactur-
er's trials 4.49 to 6.49. Hatfield propeller
strain gauge tests 6.49 and 7.49. A&AEE
full load trials 25.3.50 to 31.3.50. Rolls-
Royce exhaust tail pipe tests 13.7.50.
A&AEE performance trial 29.8.50. on-
ver ion to MR.2 aerodynamic trial air-
craft 1.51 to 19.7.51. A&AEE brake sys-
tem and control lock trials 25.7.51 to
1.8.51. A&AEE MR.2 performance trials
14.5.52 to 3.10.52. RRE guided weapons
electronics development trials 9.12.55 to
18.9.57. 23MU storage 29.5.58. No.2
Radio School as 7626M 2.60. Broken up
Yatesbury, sections to 71 MU 10.65.
5MU Kemble, Gloucestershire
12MU Kirkbride, Cumbria
23MU Aldergrove, County Antrim
27M Shawbury, Shropshire
32MU St Athan, lamorgan
38MU L1andow, Glamorgan
49MU olerne, Wiltshire
60MU Leconfield, Humberside
71MU Bice tel', Oxfordshire
103MU Akrotiri, Cyprus
137MU afi, Malta
390MU eletar, ingapore
ASF Eastleigh, Kenya
CAPMF St Mawgan, Cornwall
CCMC St Mawgan, Cornwall
Maritime Operational
Training Unit (MOTU)
Representative Aircraft
MR. 1: VP266, VP289
MR.IA: WB822, WB827
MR.2: WG533, WG554
T.2: WL739, WR964
On 1 October 1956, the Unit was formed
at Kinloss, by the renaming of No. 236
OCU, although this nit would come
into existence again when the Nimrod
started entering service. The MOTU took
over the former CU's fleet of MR.l ,
MR.2s and T.4s, which it took when being
transferred to St Mawgan in July of the
next year. A small number of tandard
MR.2s were later delivered, but on 29
December 1967, the fir I' of ten T.2s
arrived, with eight more being delivered
during 1968 and the last in April 1969.
The MOTU continued its Shackleton
crew training until 30 June 1970, when
the final course had passed out and the
Unit was closed down.
RAF Units that Serviced
Shackletons
MR.!: VP261, VP2 2
MR.1A: WB 49, WB851
MR.2: WG532, WG553
MR.3: WG974
The School was officially formed on 30
January 1947, as a joint R /RAF unit.
The Navy's element was based at Eglinton,
flying Barracudas, while the RAF's JASS
Flight had Lancaster GR.3s, a Warwick
and an An on.
On 18 March 1952, the Flight received
its first hackleton, an MR. lA, which was
followed by three more over the course of
the next two years. At the beginning of
1955, the first of three MR.2s was delivered
to replace the MR.1As. The Flight was
unique in having a broad black band paint-
ed around the mid-fuselage, as well as the
outer wing sections. In March 1957, the
JASS ceased operating and its three MR.2
were transferred to the quadrons at St Eva!.
Representative Aircraft
Representative Aircraft
MR.IA: WB849, WB856
MR.2: WR966, WR967
Air-Sea Warfare Development
Unit (ASWDU)
Joint Anti-Submarine School
(JASS)
The unit transferred from Thorney Island
on 27 May 1948, with an assorted collec-
tion of aircraft, many of which represent-
ed types flown by the Fleet Air Arm
(FAA), including Barracudas, Avengers
and Fireflys. Taking up residen e at Bal-
lykelly, the Unit's RAF component main-
ly consisted of Lancaster GR.3 , which
they took with them when they moved to
St Mawgan on 10 May 1951.
There, the Unit received its first hack-
leton MR.l and in March 1952, three
MR.IAs were delivered. They were joined
by two MR.2s in January 1953 and, by
1955, the Unit was back at Ballykelly,
where it received at least one MR.3. The
Unit tayed on at Ballykelly until I April
1970, when the work of the A WD wa
finished and it closed down. This quadron was born at Port Said on 6
October 1918, and flew BE.2Es and DH.9s
until standing down on 15 November
1919, to be absorbed by 0.267 quadron.
Reformed in it own right at Bircham ew-
ton, on 7 December 1936, from 'e' Flight
of o. 220 quadron, the unit had a mix-
ture of different types during World War
Two. The e included Anson Is, Hudson I,
II, Ills, Martin ts, a few Walrus amphib-
ians, pitfire VBs and Warwick Is.
II' was disbanded on 10 March 1946, but
reappeared at Gibraltar on I January 1952,
with a nucleus from No. 224 quadron.
The unit's first Shackleton MR.l arrived
the same month as the reforming, but the
stay at Gibraltar was short-lived, for on 24
March of the same year the quadron took
its MR.ls to Ballykelly, where they were
joined by MR.IAs. In March 1953, the
fir I' of its MR.2s was delivered and the
squadron remained active until] Decem-
ber 1958, when it stood down to be renum-
bered No. 210 quadran.
On 22 July 1959, No. 269 Squadron was
again operational, this time as a Thor ICBM
unit at Cai tor and it remained as su h until
the final disbanding on 24 May 1963.
Representative Aircraft
MR.!: VP289, VP291
MR.] A: WB818, WB860
MR.2: WL748, WL795
No. 269 Squadron
Representative Aircraft
MR.I: VP255, VP287
MR.IA: WB824, WG507
MR.2: WL738, WL748
replaced by MR. IAs, which were joined
by MR.2s in March 1953, but the e had
gone by August 1954 and when the unit
was di banded, to be renumbered o. 203
quadron on I ovember 1958, it wa still
operating MR.I As.
Another change of role took place on I
August 1959, when the squadron received
Thor ICBMs at Breighton, retaining them
until finally being stood down, on Janu-
ary 1963.
774
775
Return Woodford 5.2.51. 3 MU 19.7.51.
224Sqn 30.8.51. 269Sqn 11.2.52. Cat. 4
damage 26.10.54. truck off charge
] 4.4.55 23MU and scrapped 2.63.
VP257 First flight 28.8.50. SBAC Dis-
play 5.9.50 to 10.9.50. DE Wittering
29.11.50 to 13.4.51. 38MU 17.8.51.
220Sqn 1.11.51. at. 3 damage 12.] 1.52.
Repairs on site, return 220 qn 15.9.53.
49MU 23.9.55. Return 220 qn 18.10.55.
23MU 21.1.58. EA, old for scrap
2 .2.63.
VP258 First flight 13.10.50. 38MU
7.3.51. 120Sqn 3A.51. Cat. 3 damage
12.4.51. Repair on site, return 120Sqn
10.5.51. onversion to T.4 prototype,
Woodford 5.55. A&AEE official trials,
then Langar 3.5.57. MaS Air Fleet
27.1.58. MOTU 12.1.59. Langar 6.62 to
5.63. 23M ,return MOTU 6.63. Sold
Board of Trade, to Stan ted Fire chao!
17.7.68.
VP259 Fir t flight 24.10.50. 38MU 3.51.
120Sqn 3A.51. Autolycu in tallation
6.12.54 to 17.1.55. Woodford on loan
3.6.55. Conversion to T.4 28.4.56. 23MU
20.6.57. MOTU 22.7.57. rashed Haldan
Hill, Elgin 10.1.58. Struck off charge
31.5.58.
VP260 First flight 22.1.51. 38M
7.3.51. 120Sqn 30.3.51. rash landing
Talaki 24.10.55. Repairs on site. 23MU
storage 23.4.57. NEA, broken up 1962.
old scrap 29.9.63.
VP261 First flight 13.2.51. Elevator trials
Woodford and A&AEE. 38MU 10.4.51.
ASWDU 27A.51. 120 qn 18.5.51.
Cra hed in sea near Berwick upon Tweed
25.6.52. Mi sing, struck off charge 11. .52.
VP262 First flight 20.2.51. 38MU
27.3.51. 120 qn 13.4.51. Cat. 3 damage
5.51. Repairs on site. Return 120 qn
lA.52. 49MU 'Special fitment' 24.1.53.
MOTU 29.10.56. 23MU storage 22.9.58.
NEA, broken up 1962. old scrap 22.8.63.
VP263 Fir t flight 17.3.51. RAE 18.4.51.
A&AEE 20.7.5 I. Cat. 3 damage 7.11.51.
Repaired A&AEE. 38MU 4.2.52. Allotted
42Sqn 8.10.52. ancelled, 206Sqn 9.10.52.
220Sqn 8.7.54. 'Special fitment 10.54 to
8.55. Cat. 3 damage 10.12.55. Repaired on
site. Return 220 qn. 206Sqn 14.1.58. Met
recce mods 3.58. 269Sqn 29.5.58. 204Sqn
SHACKLETON PRODUCTION
30.5.58. Grapple 6.58. MOTU 10.6.61. Cat.
3 damage 2.2.60. Repaired on site, return
MOTU. 23MU storage 11.9.61. EA, sold
for scrap 22.8.63.
VP264 First flight 8.3.51. (A) 5.4.51.
38MU 17.5.51. 2360CU 31.5.51. Cat. 3
damage 24..51. Repaired on site. Return
2360CU. Hucknall 26.3.53. 38MU stor-
age3.11.53.2360CU .2.55. Mods 9.1.56
to 4.2.56. Return 2360CU, became
MOTU 10.56. 23MU torage 15.3.60.
Sold crap 22.11.62.
VP265 First flight 29.3.51. 38MU
23.4.51. 120Sqn 17.5.51. 23MU storag
28.9.53. 49MU mods 1.11.55 to 8.12.55.
12MU 8.4.57. 23MU 17.5.57. 220Sqn
20.5.57.206 qn 14.1.58. 'Sp cial fitment'
2.2.58. 269 qn 30.4.58. MOTU 2.11.58.
23MU storage 5.10.59. MOT 5.5.60.
23MU 2.10.61. EA, old for scrap
23.10.63.
VP266 Fir t flight 4A.51. 3 MU 3.5.51.
120Sqn 18.5.51. 23MU 28.9.53. 269Sqn
2.12.54. 'Special fitment' 11.55. 204Sqn
5.5.58. MOTU 14.10.58. at. 3 damage
23.12.58. Repaired on site. 23MU storage
17.5.60. EA, sold for scrap 28.2.63.
VP267 First flight 13A.51. 38MU
10.5.51. 120 qn 29.5.51. 23MU storage
6.10.53. 49MU mod 8.55. 23MU 14.6.57.
205Sqn 18.6.60. Withdrawn ervice, Cat.
5 components] .12.62.
VP268 First flight 20.4.5 I. 38MU
25.5.51. 2360 U 15.6.51. Cat. 3 damage
22.3.52. Repaired on ite, then mods
30.11.55. MOTU 10.56. 23MU storage
9.6.59. NEA, old for scrap 23.10.63.
VP281 Fir t flight 24.4.5 I. 38MU
25.5.51. A WDU 19.6.51. Considerable
mods 27.10.54 to 12.4.56, then 2360CU.
MOTU 10.56. 23MU storage 4.5.60.
NEA, sold for crap 28.2.63.
VP282 First flight 1.5.51. 38MU 31.5.51.
ASWDU 14.6.51. A&AEE 6.56. 49MU
mods 20.11.56. Return ASWDU. 49MU
'special fitment' 9.10.5 ,then Orange Har-
vest trials. 23MU storage 19.8.60. EA,
sold for scrap 31.5.62.
VP283 First flight 11.5.51. 38MU
19.6.51. at. 3 damage. Repaired on site,
then 224Sqn 25.7.51. ra hed 12.8.51.
Cat. 5, struck off charge 12.8.51.
776
VP284 Fir t flight 2 3 . 5 . ~ 1. 3 MU
20.6.51. 2360CU 29.6.51. 23MU storage
30.1.53. 204Sqn 26.2.54. 269 qn 9.8.54.
Mods 1.55 to 2.55 and 5.57 to 7.57. Return
269Sqn. 23MU storage 22.8.58. NEA,
sold for scrap 28.2.63.
VP285 First flight 26.5.5 I. 38MU
28.6.51. 2360CU 11.7.51. Cat. 3 damage
30.12.51. Repaired Waddington. Return
2360CU 1.2.52. 3 MU storage 1.8.53.
A&AEE 9.9.54. Blue Silk trials. 49MU
27.1.56. Mod A V21 13.3.56. TRE Def-
ford 14.5.56 to 11.7.56. ASWDU 7.5.57 to
12.6.57 as A&AEE aircraft. ASV21
removed. Return ASWDU, then 23MU
7.1.58. MOTU 20.4.58. ASV21 refitted
7.58 to 8.58. 23MU storage 22.3.60. EA,
broken up. old scrap 2 .2.6 .
VP286 Fir tflighd1.5.51.3 MU2.7.51.
2360CU 17.7.51. Crashed in ea off Tar-
bat Head, Cromarty 8.10.52. at. 5, struck
off charge 27.10.52.
VP287 First flight 7.6.51. 38MU 12.7.51.
224Sqn 25.7.51. Cat. 3 damage 21.9.51.
Repaired on site. 269 qn 11.2.52. 240Sqn
5.6.58. 23MU storage 30.10.58. NEA, sold
for scrap 23.10.6 .
VP288 First flight 15.6.51. Retained
Woodford, sonobuoy trials 12.7.51. RAE
10.10.51. 38MU 3.1.52. A WDU 25.1.52.
Autolycus installation 27.5.54. 220Sqn
19.9.54. Mods 18.10.55. Return 220Sqn,
then Langar, more mods 8.57. 23MU stor-
age 21.11.5 . 205Sqn 12.9.59. Return UK
.60. De Havilland, mods 26.8.60. Return
205Sqn 6.3.61. NEA, sold for crap 5.8.64.
VP289 First flight 25.6.5 I. 38MU
19.7.51. 224Sqn 31.8.51. 269Sqn 7.1.52.
Cat. 3 damage 22.2.52. Repaired on site.
Return 269Sqn. 23MU storage 18..53.
49MU mod 3.55 to 4.55.206 qn 30.7.56.
Met recce mods 1.57 to 2.57. 269Sqn
7.1.58, Gra/)ple. MOTU 12.11.58. 23MU
torage 12.10.59. MOTU 17.5.60. Weston-
super-Mare as 7730M 6.9.61. Scrapped
4.66.
VP290 Fir t flight 25.6.51. 38MU
19.7.51. 224 qn 5.10.51. 269 qn 23.1.52.
23MU storage 5.6.53. RAE West Freugh
17.9.54. 23MU torage 24.9.54. 49MU
'special fitment' 5.55, then 38MU.
2360CU 13.3.56. MOT 10.56. Kinloss,
spar mod 4.60 to 10.60. 23MU storage
14.10.60. NEA, sold for scrap 22.11.62.
VP291 First flight 29.6.51. 38MU
21.7.51. 224 qn 7.9.51. Cat. 3 damage
15.10.51. Repaired on site. 269Sqn
11.2.52. Langar mods 6.57. 23MU 8.9.58.
205Sqn 10.11.58. Return UK spar mods
19.3.60. Return 205Sqn 15.12.60. 23MU
torage 5.4.62. NEA, sold for crap 5.8.64.
VP292 First flight 12.7.51. 38MU
10.8.51. 2360CU 1.10.51. Cat. 3 damage
22. I 0.52. Repaired on ite. Return
2360CU 1.53. 23MU storage 10.53.
2360CU 6.54. 49MU mods 23.12.55.
2 MU storage 10.56. MOTU 5.2.57. Lan-
gar mods 9.57. 23MU storage 23.12.58.
205Sqn 29.8.59. FEAF MU Seletar storage
23.1.61. NEA, Cat. 5 components. truck
off charge 28.4.61.
VP293 First flight 1 .7.51. 38M 10.8.51.
2360CU 7.9.51. 224Sqn 14.1.53. 23MU
storage 22.5.53. 42Sqn 21.4.54. 206 qn
1.7.54. 49MU mod 3.12.54. CCMC 7.1.55
to 12.2.55, then return 206Sqn. Conversion
to T.4 17.8.56. 23MU storage 4.4.58. Phase
[[ mods 2.7.58. A&AEE clearance 22.7.59
to 1.12.59. MOTU 1.3.60. Langar mods
2A.62 to 8.2.63. RAE trials work 6.1.64.
Withdrawn RAE 23.5.75. Id trathallen
Mu eum 3.5.76. Broken up on site.
VP294 First flight 18.7.51. 38MU
10.8.51. 220 qn 17.9.51. 2360CU
19.9.51. 224 qn 13.3.53. 38MU storage
22.5.53. RRE Blue Silk trials 5.4.54. 23MU
storage 9.7.54. 220Sqn 25.6.57. 206Sqn
14.1.58. 49MU met recce mods 13.3.58.
269Sqn 10A.58. Grapple. MOTU
12.11.58. 205Sqn 1.7.59. Return UK.
23MU storage 2.12.59. 5MU repaint, then
MOTU 7.9.60. 205Sqn 19.9.60. Crash-
landing Gan 15.5.62. at. 5 components,
truck off charge 18.5.62.
Shackleton MR.IA
Contract No. 6/ACFT.3628/CB6(a) dated
1 May 1949, covering thirty-eight MR. Is.
Aim'aft built as thirty-seven MR. 1As, serial
numbers WB818 to WB 32, WB834 to
WB837 and WB844 to WB861, plus one
MR.2 prototy/)e, WB833. (WB862 allocat-
ed, but cancelled before construction.)
WB818 First flight 1. .51. 38MU
29.8.51. CAPMF mods 17.9.51, then
269Sqn. 23M 8.57. Langar mods, then
23MU 7.11.58. 205Sqn 20.11.59. Taxiing
damage Gan 20.5.61. Withdrawn from
servic, e1etar torage. Cat. 5 compo-
nents. truck off charge 28A.62.
WB819 First flight 2.8.51. 38MU
23.8.51. 224Sqn 18.10.51. 269Sqn 3.1.52.
38MU storage 18.9.53. 2360CU 11.1.55.
at. 4 damag 25.1.55. Repaired on site.
Conversion to T.4. 23MU 13.6.57. MOTU
10.7.57. Cat. 2 damage 20..57. Repaired
on site. Kinlo station Flight I .9.64.
MOTU 26.4.65. truck off charge, Stan-
sted Fire School 14.6.68. Burnt.
WB820 Fir t flight 14.8.51. 38MU
3.9.51. 224 qn 30.9.51. 269 qn 3.1.52.
'Special fitments' 8.55. 23MU storage
29.8.58. Conversion to T.4 8.9.60. MOTU
29.11.61. Withdrawn from service
22.11.66. Cat. 5 components. Struck off
charge 1.6.67. t Mawgan dump.
WB821 First flight 17.8.51. 38MU
14.9.51. 220Sqn 24.10.51. 2360CU
14.4.54. CCMC mod 3.11.54 to 22.11.54.
Return 2360CU, then storage 12.55.
206 qn 27.7.56. 23MU storage 11.2.59.
MOTU 17.9.59. 23MU 4.2.61. NEA, sold
for scrap 31.5.62.
WB822 First flight 17.8.51. SBAC Dis-
play 11.9.51 to 16.9.51. 38MU 12.10.51.
2360CU 28.12.51. MOTU 10.56. 23MU
storage 16.1.58. Conversion to T.4
8.11.60. 23MU storage, then return
MOTU 8.62. Withdrawn from service
2.4.68. Cat. 5 component. truck off
charge, fire practice 8.68. Burnt.
WB823 Fir t flight 25.8.51. 38MU
18.9.51. 220Sqn 24.10.51. MC mods
12.54 to 2.55, then return 220Sqn.
206Sqn 7.11.56. 240Sqn 17.2.58. 23MU
12.10.58. EA, sold for scrap 29.5.63.
WB824 First flight 30.8.51. 38MU
20.9.51. 220Sqn 10.51. 206Sqn 1.54.
2360CU 9.9.55. MOTU 10.56. Cat. 3
damage 15.8.58. Repaired on site. Return
M TU 6.11.58. 23MU storage 9.6.59.
NEA, sold for scrap 3.1.62.
WB825 Fir t flight 31.8.51. 38MU
9.9.51. 220 qn 24.10.51. at. 3 damage
7.10.52. Repaired on site. ' pecial fit-
m nts' 11.54 to 2.56. Langar mods 10.57.
23MU 3.10.5 . 205Sqn 29.12.5 . Se1etar
storage 7.3.61. Cat. 5 components. Struck
off charge 8.8.61. Sold scrap.
777
WB826 Fir t flight 3.9.51. 38MU
10.10.51. 2360CU 12.11.51. at. 3 dam-
age 10.3.53. Repaired on site, then storage.
Langar mod 1.55. 38MU storage 1955.
206Sqn 31.7.56. 'Special fitIn nts' 1.57.
240Sqn 15.12.57. 269Sqn 7.58. Grapple.
204Sqn 11.11.58. MOTU 21.9.61. 27MU
23.8.67. NEA, old for scrap 20.2.6 .
WB827 First flight 12.9.51. 38MU
5.10.51. 2360 U 7.11.51. MOTU 10.56.
Langar mods, then 23MU 8.5.5 . 205 qn
19.5.58. Return UK spar mod 20.10.59.
Return 205Sqn 17.12.60. 23MU storage
11.6.62. Sold for crap 5.8.64.
WB828 First flight 14.9.51. 38MU
12.10.51. 220 qn .1.52. CAPMF mods
12.5.53. 204 qn 6.1.54. APMF mods
1.4.54 to 27..54. 240Sqn 17.8.54. 38MU
Cat. 3 repair 1.12.54. Return 240Sqn.
120 qn 15.9.55. ' pecial fitment' 1.56.
206 qn 5.11.56. 204Sqn 5.12.57. 204 qn
5.6.58. 23MU torage 24.2.60. EA, sold
for scrap 22.1 I .62.
WB829 First flight 21.9.51. 38MU
25.10.51. 2360 U 14.12.51. Stored 10.53
to 5.54. Return 2360CU 5.54. MOTU
10.56. Cat. 2 damage 15.5.57. Langar mod
7.57 to 10.58. 23MU storage 21.10.58.
FEAF Singapore 21.8.59, but grounded on
arrival due to wing par fatigu. elatar
storage 22.12.60. EA, Cat. 5 compo-
nents. Struck off charge 28.4.61.
WB830 First flight 26.9.51. 38MU
14.11.51. 2360 U 4.1.52. Hucknall on
loan 21.5.54. Return 2360 U 31.12.54.
MOTU 10.56. 23MU storage 7.4.60.
NEA, sold for scrap 31.5.62.
WB831 First flight 27.9.51. 38MU
23.10.51. 220 qn 21.12.51. CCMC Auto-
Iycus installation 28.5.55. 2360C
29.7.55 to 5.8.55. 220Sqn 5.8.55. onver-
sian to T.4 5.2.56. 23MU 2 .10.57.
MOTU 25.11.57. Phase II mods 10.59 to
10.60. MOTU 4.10.60. Crashed t Maw-
gan 17.5.67. Cat. 5 components. Struck off
charge 7.6.67. St Mawgan fire dump.
WB832 First flight 3.10.51. 38MU
17.11.51. 224 qn 23.1.52. 206Sqn
15.10.52. 49MU and CCMC mods 11.54
to 12.54. Return 206 qn. Conver ion to
T.4 23.8.56. 23MU 11.3.5. MOTU
15.4.5 . Pha II mods 10.1.61. Return
MOTU 2.10.61. Withdrawn from service,
WG526 Fir t flight 6.5.52. 38MU 4.6.52.
42Sqn 23.6.52. 206Sqn 1.7.54. CCMC WG531 First flight 21.8.52. SBAC Dis-
Autolycus installation 1.55. Return 206Sqn play 1.9.52 to 7.9.52. CS(A) aircraft cabin
o. 2 oTT as 7885M 8.7.65. Cat. 5,
scrapped Cosford.
WB833 Prototype Shackleton MR.2.
Withdrawn MR.l production. Rebuilt
to MR.2 standard. First flight 17.6.52.
A&AEE pelformance trials 23.7.52. RAE
radio campa s trials 2.12.52. Langar trial
work, then Phase [ mods 30.11.54. A&AEE
service clearance 21.2.58. Langar Phase II
mods 1.10.5 . A&AEE performance trial
22.9.59. RAE onobuoy demon tration
10.11.59. Return A&AEE. ASWDU
17.11.60. Cat. 3 damage 28.3.62. Repaired
on site 8.5.62 to 20.6.62. at. 3 damage
21.10.62. Repaired on site. Phase [l[ mods
15.5.64 to 30.9.66. 210Sqn 16.12.66. Bal-
Iykelly Wing 2.67. Crashed Mull of Kintyre
19.4.68. truck off charge 19.4.68.
WB834 Fir t flight 1l.l0.51. 38MU
21.11.51. 2360CU 11.1.52. MOTU
10.56. Langar mods .57. 23MU 20.1.5 .
205Sqn 3.12.58. Seletar torage 15.4.61.
Cat. 5 components. Stru k off charge
.8.61.
WB835 First flight 15.10.51. Manufac-
turer's trials Mk. 3 lifeboat 17.11.51, then
AIEU 26.11.51. Cabin heating trials,
then more lifeboat trails 3.52 to 4.52.
A&AEE heating clearance 9.52 to 2.53.
Return Woodford 1 .2.53. 2 MU torage
25.8.53. 240Sqn 2.11.56. 269Sqn 2.7.57.
Langar mods 4.12.58. then 23M .
205Sqn 1.7.59. 23MU 11.11.59. MOT
5.8.60. 23MU 11.12.61. NEA, sold for
scrap 23.10.63.
WB836 First flight 18.10.51. 38MU
27.11.51. 224 qn 29.1.52. 206Sqn 7.54.
220Sqn 7.3.57. 240Sqn .58. Gmpple.
23MU storage 21.7.58. 205 qn 25.8.58.
Retum UK wing spar mods 11.1.60. Rerurn
205Sqn 28.3.61. Rerum UK 7.62. 23MU
storage 8..62. NEA, old for scrap 5.8.64.
WB837 First flight 24.10.51. 38MU
21.11.51. 220Sqn 21.12.51. Conversion to
T.4 28.3.56. 23MU 1.8.57. MOTU 8.61.
Cat. 3 damage 21.3.62. Repaired on site,
then returned MOTU. 27MU 27.5.68.
NEA, sold for scrap 3.2.69.
WB844 First flight 31.10.51. 38MU
12.12.51.224 qn 30.1.52. CAPMF mods
6.4.54 to 1.6.54. Rerurned 224 qn 1.6.54.
120Sqn 30.8.54. Conver ion to T.4
10.7.56. 23MU 3.12.57. MOTU 3.1.58.
Phase II mods 23.11.60. MOTU 5.8.61.
HACKLETON PROD CTIO
o. 2 oTT as 028M 30.7.68. Scrapped
Cosford.
WB845 First flight 8.11.51. 38MU
18.12.51. 224Sqn 1.2.52. 23MU storage
9.6.53. 2360CU 21.5.54. 23MU storage
.56. MOTU 3.58. 23MU 20.5.58. Con-
version to T.4 18.10.60. MOTU 2.62.
27MU 5.7.68. EA, sold for crap 12.3.69.
WB846 Fir t flight 14.11.51. 38MU
12.12.51. 224 qn 5.2.52. 120 qn 30.8.54.
MOTU 29.10.56. Withdrawn from service
26.3.58. MOTU as 7561M. crapped Kin-
loss.
WB847 First flight 20.11.51. 38MU stor-
age 20.12.51. 2360CU 11.3.52. Conver-
sion to T.4 22.8.56. 23MU 13.1.58. MOTU
2.58. Phase II mods 4.60 to 11.60. Return
MOTU. Withdrawn from service 6.6 .
8020M 5.6.6 . 'Gate guardian' Kinloss can-
celled. Fire dump 12.3.69. Scrapped.
WB848 First flight 25.1.51. 38MU
28.12.51. 2360CU 26.1.52. MOTU
10.56. 240Sqn 19.9.57. 23MU 10.1.58.
NEA, sold f I' scrap 23.10.63.
WB849 First flight 28.11.51. 38MU
11.1.52. ]ASS 18.3.52. 120Sqn 27.4.55.
MOTU 31.10.56. 23MU 1.4.60. Conver-
sion to T.4 4.8.60. MOTU 10.61. With-
drawn from service 7.68. Planned 27MU
cancelled 17.7.68. ewton a 8026M
30.7.68. Cat. 5, scrapped.
WB850 First flight 8.12.51. 38MU
11.1.52. JASS 26.3.52. 240Sqn 13.12.54.
204Sqn 5.6.58. 23MU 17.12.58. NEA,
sold for scrap 29.5.63.
WB851 First flight 12.12.51. 38MU
6.2.52. ]A S 31.3.52. 269Sqn 16.9.54.
CCMC mods 13.10.54 to 3.11.54. Rerurn
269 qn. 38MU storage 30.9.55. 23MU
18.9.56. 220Sqn 15.8.57. 206Sqn 14.1.58.
269Sqn 29.5.5. 204Sqn 11.11.58.
ASWDU 23.11.59. 23MU storage
18.3.60. NEA, sold for s rap 28.2.63.
WB852 First flight 14.12.51. 38MU
6.2.52.224 qn 7.4.52. 269 qn 19.10.54.
Autolycu in tallation 18.4.55. Rerurn
269 qn. at. 2 damage 13.12.57. 23M
7.1.5 . NEA, old for crap 29.5.63.
WB853 First flight 19.12.51. 38MU
7.2.52. 224 qn 2.4.52. CAPMF mods
31.5.54. 120Sqn 23.10.54. CMC major
inspection 2.55 to 6.55. MOTU 29.10.56.
23MU expiry spar life 13.10.58. EA, sold
for scrap 29.5.63.
WB854 Fir t flight 29.12.51. 38MU
7.2.52. 224Sqn 9.4.52. 120Sqn 10.9.54.
CCMC mods 22.10.54 to 6.12.54. MOTU
16.10.56. Conversion to T.4 cancelled 2.57.
23MU 10.6.5 . 205Sqn 14.7.58. Rerum UK
wing spar mods 20.2.60. Return 205 qn
1.10.60. Withdrawn from service, Cat. 5
components. truck off charge 27.11.62.
Scrapped Seletar.
WB855 First flight 2.1.52. 38MU 8.2.52.
2360CU 15.4.52. MOTU 10.56. 269Sqn
1.8.57. 23MU 11.12.57. NEA, old for
crap 28.2.63.
WB856 First flight 9.1.52. 3 MU .2.52.
A WDU 1 .4.52. 224Sqn 27.9.53. CCMC
mods 9.8.54. ]A S 20.9.54. Autolycu
installation 10.1.55. 240 qn 27.1.55.
49MU 1.57. Gmpple. Rerum 240 qn
15.2.57. 204Sqn 6.58. 23MU 8.2.60.
NEA, sold for scrap 19.12.60.
WB857 First flight 16.1.52. 38MU
20.2.52. 240 qn 28.4.52. CC(A) mod fit-
ments 12.5.52 to 10.9.52. Return 240Sqn.
49MU Grapple mods 11.55. Return 240Sqn
5.12.55. 23MU cracked spar 25.2.56.
49MU then rerum 240Sqn 28.1.57.
204Sqn 25.4.58. 269 qn Gm/)ple 7.58 to
10.58. Manufacturer fatigue investigation
7.12.58. Rerum 204Sqn 30.9.59. 27MU
storage 27.11.59. Sold for scrap 31.5.62.
WB858 First flight 29.1.52. 38MU
27.2.52. 240Sqn 1.5.52. 23MU storage
11.6.53. 2360CU 22.2.55. MOTU 10.56.
A&AEE armament and Lindholme trials
26.8.59. Return MOTU 30.10.59. Con-
version to T.4 31.8.60. MoA Air Fleet
l.l2.61. A&AEE temperate zone trials
24.7.62. 23MU torage 24.8.62. A&AEE
radio trials 1963. 23MU 11.8.63. MOTU
10.4.64. Withdrawn from service, 27MU
12.7.68. NEA, sold for scrap 3.2.69.
WB859 Fir t flight 30.1.52. 38MU
6.3.52. 240 qn 6.5.52. Unit renumbered
203 qn 1.11.58. 23MU storage 18.2.59.
old for scrap 25.9.63.
WB860 Fir t flight 7.2.52. 38MU 12.3.52.
240Sqn 1.5.52. 49MU Grapple mods 10.56
to 11.56. 269 qn for Grapple 6.58 to 10.5 .
203Sqn 1.11.58. 204Sqn 27.1.59. 23MU
storage 18.3.60. NEA, sold for scrap 28.2.63.
WB861 Fir t flight 20.2.52. 3 MU
14.3.52. 240 qn 6.5.52. 49MU Grapple
mods 25.6.56. Return 240 qn. Crash
landing 5.9.57. Cat. 5 components. Struck
off charge 6.9.57.
onnact No. 6/A FT.5047/ B6(a) dated
August 1950, covering twenty MR. lAs.
Aircraft built as ten MR. 1As, serial numbers
WG507 to WG51 1 and WG525 to
WG529, plus ten MR.2s.
WG507 First flight 26.2.52. 38MU
21.3.52. 240 qn 20.5.52. CCMC mods
2.11.54 to 24.1.55. Return 240Sqn. 49MU
Gra/)ple mod 1.57 to 2.57. Return
240Sqn. 203 qn 1.11.58. 23MU storage
18.2.59. NEA, scrapped 31.5.62.
WG508 First flight 8.3.52. 38MU 16.4.52.
240Sqn 4.6.52. 206Sqn 20.10.52. 220Sqn
2.7.54. 206 qn 7.11.56. 23MU 1.4.58.
EA, sold for scrap 29.5.63.
WG509 First flight 13.3.52. 38MU
16.4.52. 240Sqn 4.6.52. 49MU Gra/)ple
mods 11.56 to 12.56. Return 240Sqn.
Withdrawn from service, 23MU storage
28.11.5 . Sold for scrap 25.9.63.
WG510 First flight 30.3.52. 38M
29.4.52. 42Sqn 2.7.52. 206 qn 15.5.54.
CCMC Autolycus installation 27.4.55 to
30.4.55. Return 206Sqn. 23MU torage
2.12.57. NEA, sold for scrap 28.2.63.
WG511 Fir t flight 7.4.52. 38MU 7.5.52.
42 qn 9.6.52. 120Sqn 24.2.53. 49MU
Autolycus 'special' installation 4.55. 23MU
storage 26.4.55. Conversion to T.4 25.5.56.
23MU 7.8.57. MOTU 26.8.57. Phase [I
mods 31.8.60. Rerum MOTU 18.5.61.
'Withdrawn from service, at. 5 compo-
nents 26.7.66. Struck off charge 3.8.66.
71MU Conversion to front fuselage 1968 to
1971. RAF Museum 8.74. Sold Cornwall
Aero Park, Helston.
WG525 First flight 18.4.52. 38MU 9.5.52.
42Sqn 16.6.52. 220Sqn 1.7.54. Langarmods
5.57. 23MU storage 30.7.58. 205 qn
29.9.58. Landing accident Gan 11.1.60.
Repaired on ite. R rum UK wing spar work
24.5.60. Return 205Sqn 28.12.60. Retum
UK 5.62. 23M storage 24.5.62. NEA, sold
for scrap 5.8.64.
25.1.55. 220 qn 7.11.56. at. 3 damage
15.1.57. Repaired on site. Langar mods
11.57. 23MU storage 18.3.59. MOTU
15.9.59. ASWDU 22.6.61. truck off
charge Cat. 5, crapped 11.7.61.
WG527 First flight 15.5.52. 38MU 4.6.52.
42 qn 2.7.52. Conversion to T.4 18.7.56.
23MU 26.11.57. MOTU 12.12.57. 'Special
fitment' 5.59. Phase II mods 3.11.61. Rerum
MOTU 21.5.62. Cat. 3 damage 5.2.64.
Repaired on site. Retum MOTU 5.64. Cat.
3 damage 17.7.67. Repaired on site. With-
drawn from service, 27MU storage 19.4.68.
EA, sold for scrap 12.3.69.
WG528 First flight 18.5.52. 38MU 8.7.52.
42Sqn 18.7.52. 206Sqn 13.10.52. 23MU
storage 13.2.58. EA, sold for scrap
29.5.63.
WG529 First flight 24.6.52. 38MU
I .7.52. 42 qn 15..52. Cat. 3 damage
30.11.53. Repaired on site. 206 qn 15.5.54.
240Sqn 15.12.57. 23MU storage 21.8.58.
NEA, broken up 1962. Sold for scrap
25.11.63.
Shackleton MR.2
ontract o. 6/ACFT.5047/CB6(a) dated
August 1950, covering twemy Shackleton
MR.IAs. Aircraft built as ten MR.IAs
(serial numbers under Shackleton MR. 1A
listing) and ten MR.2s, serial numbers
WG530 to WG533 and WG553 to
WG558.
WB833, MR.2 prototype, see under Shack-
leton MR.IA listing.
WG530 First flight 15.8.52. S(A) air-
craft. A&AEE tropical.temperate perfor-
mance trials and nose-gun firing 25.9.52.
Bombing and gunnery clearance 4.53. CG
positioning, leading-edge spoiler and cam-
era operating completed 1.54. 23MU stor-
age 20.10.54. 49MU mods 14.3.56 to
1.4.56. 120Sqn 16.10.56. Cat. 3 damage
13.12.57. Repaired on site. 49MU Phase I
mod 19.12.58. Cat. 3 damage 13.3.59.
R paired on site. 49MU torage 5.5.59.
224 qn 10.6.59. 49MU mods and Cat. 3
repair 27.4.60 to 29.12.60. 42 qn 18.1.61.
Pha e II mods 5.6.51. 205Sqn 20.8.62.
27MU 28.7.67. NEA, sold for scrap 3.9.68.
heating trials 10.52. 38MU cancelled
25.9.53. St Eval internal conditions clear-
ance 15.12.53. t Eval tation Flight.
42Sqn 5.4.54. CMC mods 29.11.54 to
15.12.54. Believed to have collided with
WL743, mis ing 11.1.55.
WG532 First flight 12.9.52. (A) air-
craft Glow Worm rocket flare trials. 23MU
14.1.53. ASWDU 21.1.53. A&AEE Glow
Wonn trials 9.53 to 5.54. Langar mod
1.6.54. 42 qn 26.10.54. CMC major
inspection 26.1.55. Cat. 3 damage 4.11.55.
Repaired on site. Return 42 qn 7.5.56.
120 qn 9.10.56. Cat. 3 damage 4.4.57.
Repaired on site. Return 120Sqn 15.5.57.
49MU Phase I mod 21.10.58 to 26.2.59.
224Sqn 26.2.59 Phase II mods 26.10.60 to
27.6.61. Return 224Sqn 3.8.61. 205Sqn
22..66. 27MU 23.8.67. EA, sold for
scrap 3.9.68.
WG533 Fir t flight 1 .9.52. RAF Han-
dling Squadron, Manby 10.\ 0.52. 23MU
storage 29.6.53. 42Sqn 25.1.55. Mods
13.5.55 to 6.6.55. Rerum 42 qn 16.6.55.
49MU mods 6.2.56 to 26.3.56 and 11.3.57
to 12.7.57. Return 42Sqn. ASWDU
1.9.58. Phase [ mods 12.3.59 to 27.2.60.
38Sqn 20.3.60. Phase II mods 4.4.61 to
10.1.62. 224Sqn 15.1.62. 38Sqn 25.10.66.
Conver ion to T.2 20.2.67. MOTU
19.7.68. Bitteswell mod 2 .5.69. Rerurn
MOTU 17.7.69. 2360CU 1.8.70. 5MU
removal training equipment 26.10.70.
205Sqn after Phase III mod 21.12.70.
204Sqn 1.11.71. 32MU 10.1.72. NEA, for
scrap sale 10.12.73. Cancelled, t Athan
dump.
WG553 First flight 2.10.52. 23MU
5.12.52. ASWD 1.1.53. CAPMF mod
3.54. Cat. 3 damage at RAE 27.1.56.
Repaired on site 8.2.56 to 15.3.56. Return
ASWDU 21.3.56.' pecial fitment' 5.4.56
to 9.5.56. Cat. 3 damage 15.5.56. Repaired
on site 24.5.56 to 14.6.56. 49MU Phase I
mods 11.2.57. Return ASWDU 12.5.57.
Cat. 3 damage 2.5.58. Repair on site
5.5.58 to 11.6.5 .' pecial fitment' 30.6.58
to 24.9.58. Rerum ASW U 30.9.58.
Phase II mod 2.3.61 to 30.4.62. 205Sqn
16.7.62. Cat 3 18.7.67. Temp rary repair
on site. Return UK, 27MU 5.10.67. EA,
old for scrap 24.6.68.
WG554 First flight 10.10.52. 23MU
5.12.52. 42Sqn 30.1.53. Mods 17.6.55 to
9.7.55 and 26.3.56 to 26.4.56. Phase I
mods 10.1.58 to 27.2.59.224 qn 12.3.59.
778 779
Phase [] mods 11.7.60 to 28.2.61.
ASWDU 3.3.61 Cat. 3 damage 18.62.
Repaired on site. Return ASWDU
10.8.62. Cat. 3 damage 27.5.66. Repaired
60MU. Return ASWDU 13.6.66. 205 qn
5.9.66. Conversion to T.2 16.1.67. MOTU
6.6.68. Cat. 3 damage 14.1.69. Repaired
on site 20.1.69 to 6.2.69. Cat. 3 damage
2.2.70. R paired 71 MU 9.2.70 to 17.2.70.
Return MOTU. 5MU removal training
equipment 10.7.70. Phase III mods, then
St Mawgan Gulf Detachment 25.9.70.
210Sqn 13.10.70. 32MU 1.6.71. NEA,
Cat. 5 16.11.72. St Athan dump
WG555 First flight 21.10.52. 23MU
912.52. 42 qn 12.1.53. Cat. 3 damage
27.4.55. Repaired on site. Return 42Sqn
5.55. Mods 23.5.55 to 10.6.55. Phase 1
mods 6.3.58. 210Sqn 6.4.59. Phase II mods
3.1160 to 5.6.61. 204Sqn 86.61. Cat. 3
damage 27.12.62. Repaired 23MU. Return
204Sqn 14.1.63. Phase III mods 26.11.65.
Return 204Sqn 24.2.67. Majunga Detach-
ment Support Unit 26.3.71 Return
204Sqn 2.72. truck off charge, RAF Fire
Fighting School, Catterick 9.5.72.
WG556 First flight 28.10.52. 23MU
912.52. 42Sqn 12.1.53. Mods 6.6.55 to
20.6.55. Cat. 3 damage 15.7.55. Repaired
on site 19.7.55 to 18.11.55. Return 42Sqn
22.1155. 23MU storage 12.2.56. 5MU
14.3.57. 120Sqn 20.5.57. 37Sqn 13.2.58.
Phase I mods 5.7.59 to 30.6.60. 224Sqn
7.60. MoA Air Fleet, Phase [II trials 1.62.
A&AEE radio. navigation release trials
14.9.65. Langar 7.12.65. RAEJezebelsonic
trials 12.5.66. ASWDU Jezebel trials
1.6.66. Ballykelly Wing 1.4.70. 32MU
storage 7.10.70. Cat. 5 damage 1980. Bat-
tle Damage Repair Flight Lossiemouth,
then Fire Section as 8651M 20.2.81
Scrapped 7.82.
WG557 First flight 5.11.52. 23MU
11.12.52. 206Sqn 27.2.53. Cat. 3 damage
10.12.53. Repaired on site 17.12.53 to
25.2.54. Return 206Sqn. 220Sqn 19.3.54.
228 qn 16.9.54. Mods 29.11.55 to
20.12.55. 38MU storage 25.1.56. 23MU
9.10.56. 5MU 218.57. 23MU 18.10.57.
RAE Armament Flight 20.12.57. ETPS
28.9.60. RAE Armament Flight 17.1.62.
Withdrawn from service 13.5.64. Struck
off charge 28.10.64. Farnborough dump.
WG558 First flight 11.11.52. 23MU
11.12.52 206 qn 3.2.53. Cat. 3 damage
10.11.53. Repaired on site 16.11.53 to
SHACKLETO PRODUCTION
12.2.54. Return 206Sqn 19.2.54. CAPMF
mods 2.7.54 to 26.7.54. 224Sqn 12.8.54.
Mods 13.8.55 to 23.8.55 and 27.6.57 to
6.8.57. Phase I mods 3.7.58. 42Sqn
28.8.59. 204Sqn 11.10.60. A&AEE new
launching chute trials 8.8.61. Phase II
mods 25.1.62 to 13.8.62. 210Sqn 9.4.63.
Cat. 3 repairs 71MU 11.2.64 to 21.2.64.
Return 210 qn 21.2.64. Conversion to
T.2 30.11.66. MOTU 222.68. Cat. 3
damage 3.11.68. Repairs 71MU. Return
MOTU 14.2.69. Cat. 3 damage 19.5.69.
Repairs 71MU 22.5.69 to 8.8.69. Return
MOTU 8.8.69. 5MU removal training
equipment 6.70. Phase III mods, then St
Mawgan Gulf Detachment 10.9.70.
210Sqn 13.10.70. Return UK, 32MU
storage 1.6.71. NEA, Cat. 5 scrap 25.174.
Contract No. 6/ACFT.6129/CB6(a) dated
December 1950, covering fony MR. 2s, seri-
al numbers WL737 to WL759 and WL785
to WLBOI.
WL737 First flight 17.11.52. 23MU
21.1.53. CS(A) 18.2.53. Return 23MU
1l.3.53. 220Sqn 24.3.53. Cat. 3 repairs on
site 12.2.54 to 13.4.54. CAPMF mods 7.54.
42Sqn 25.4.55. Phase I mods 29.10.59 to
30.9.60. Return 42Sqn 10.10.60. Phase II
mods 23.2.62 to 9.10.62. MoA glide path
aerial trials 9.10.62 to 12.11.63. Phase 1lI
mods 4.12.63. RAE Bedford high auw trials
10.65 to 12.65. A&AEE clearance new auw
5.1.66. Return Woodford 7.1.66. A&AEE
Phase 1lI assessments 25.1.66 to 22.3.66.
21OSqn 3.12.66. Cat. 3 repairs on si te 4.8.67
to 1.9.67. 205Sqn 1.870. Return UK,
32MU 7.10.71. NEA, Cat. 5 scrap 31.8.73.
St Athan dump.
WL738 First flight 25.11.52. 23MU
2.2.53. 240Sqn 31.3.53. CAPMF mods
18.2.54. Return 240Sqn. 204Sqn 11.8.54.
Mods 2.5.55 to 18.5.55. 37Sqn 3.3.58.
Cat. 3 damage 6.8.58. Temporary repair on
site. Return UK 23.12.58. 49MU 1.59 to
3.59. Phase I mods 19.3.59 to 22.3.60.
Return 37Sqn 14.4.60. Phase II mods
1.3.62 to 18.10.62. Return 37Sqn
31.10.62. MinTech. at A&AEE radio
altimeter trials 17.3.67. Ballykelly Wing
27.4.67. Bitteswell mods 20.5.69. Return
Ballykelly Wing 7.7.69. 204Sqn 10.70.
5MU major servicing 1.1.71. Return
204Sqn 24.5.71. 5MU 19.4.72. 8Sqn pilot
training 8.3.74. Cat. 5 scrap, struck off
charge 1410.77. Scrap cancelled, spares as
8567M. Gate guard Lossiemouth 5.4.78.
Scrapped 1991.
180
WL739 First flight 9.12.52. 23MU
21.153. 240Sqn 31.3.53. Cat. 3 repairs on
site 14.5.53 to 11.12.53. 269Sqn 12.12.53.
CAPMFmods312.53 to 12.3.54. 204Sqn
11.8.54. 'Special fitment' 6.4.55 to 4.5.55.
38Sqn attachment 27.4.58. Phase I mods
12.58. 37Sqn 20.12.59. Phase II mods
2.5.60 to 17.4.61. 204Sqn 19.4.61. Cat. 3
damagc, rcpaircd on sitc 3.6.65 to 15.6.65.
Conversion to T.2 date unconfirmed.
MOTU 29.12.67. Bitteswell mods 15.3.68
to 13.5.68. Cat. 3 damage 25.7.69. 71MU
repair 28.7.69 to 7.8.69. 5MU removal
training equipment 1.5.70. Phase III mods,
then St Mawgan Gulf Detachment 4.8.70.
210Sqn 23.10.70. RAF Fire School, Catt-
erick 1.11.71 cancelled. Manston fire-
fighting training 1971.
WL740 First flight 18.12.52. CS(A)
longer exhaust pipe trials. 23MU 5.10.53.
204Sqn 1.1.54. CAPMF mods 3.2.54 to
18.2.54. Returned 204Sqn. 'Special fit-
ment' 26.4.55 to 18.5.55. A&AEE gun tri-
als 11.3.58 to 14.3.58. 38Sqn 27.4.58. Safi,
Malta storage 18.12.59. Phase I and II
mods 15.3.60 to 9.3.61. 38Sqn 15.3.61.
Conversion to T.2 not completed. Cat. 5
components. Struck off charge 28.2.68.
WL741 First flight 18.12.52. 23MU
4.2.53. 224Sqn 20.5.53. CAPMF mods
1.3.54 to 11.3.54. Mods 25.5.55 to
13.6.55. Mods 21.7.56 to 13.8.56. Mods
25.2.57 to 15.4.57. Phase I mods 19.12.58
to 4.12.59. 42Sqn 7.12.59. Cat. 3 damage
9.7.60. 49MU repair 13.7.60 to 13.9.60.
Return 42Sqn. 224Sqn 11.60. Phase II
mods 12.61 to 7.62. 205Sqn 13.9.62.
Phase III mods 29.8.66. 205Sqn 20.11.67.
Return UK, 5MU storage 2.2.71. Conver-
sion to AEW.2 4.72. 8Sqn 4.4.73, named
P C Knapweed. 60MU mods 19.12.74.
Return 8Sqn 13.1.75. Withdrawn from
service 9.1.81. CTE Manston as 8692M
9.1.82. Burnt 6.82.
WL742 First flight 23.12.52. 23MU
4.2.53. 206Sqn 12.353. Cat. 3 6.7.53.
Repaired on site 7.7.53 to 16.9.53. 42Sqn
17.54. Mods 13.6.55 to 30.6.55. Cat. 3
damage 20.9.55. Repaired on site 22.9.55 to
2411.55. Return 42Sqn 2.1.56. Phase I
mods 5.6.59 to 28.4.60. 224Sqn 3.5.60.
Phase II mods 11.7.61 to 28.5.62. 203Sqn
30.5.62. Cat. 3 damage 5.12.62. Repaired
on site 7.12.62 to 21.12.62. Cat. 3 damage
23.9.63. 60MU repairs 29.9.63 to 13.11.63.
Further damage 29.11.65. 60MU repairs
7.12.65 to 13.12.65. 204Sqn 1.12.66. Bal-
Iykelly Wing 2.67. 27MU 21.4.67. NEA,
sold for scrap 26.6.68.
WL743 First flight 20.1.53. 23MU 4.2.53.
220Sqn 16.3.53. 42Sqn 1.7.54. Believed
to have collided with WG531. Mi sing
11.155.
WL744 First flight 15.1.53. 23MU
13.3.53. 120Sqn 21.4.53. CAPMF mods
24.3.54 to 5.5.54. 228Sqn 5.11.54. 'Spe-
cial fitment' 7.7.55 to 21.7.55. 38MU stor-
age 22.9.55. 23MU 7.12.56. 5MU 7.7.57.
23MU 10.9.57. 204Sqn 13.9.57. 42Sqn
22.8.58. 49MU. Phase I mods 23.1.59.
38MU Phase 1 mods completion 4.7.59.
Phase II mods 12.12.60 to 31.1.62. 37Sqn
10.2.62. Cat. 3 damage 25.3.65. Repaired
on site 29.3.65 to 6.4.65. Cat. 3 damage
18.1.66. Repaired on site 20.1.66 to
9.2.66. Cat. 5 20.10.66. Station Flight,
struck off charge, Ballykelly dump 1.11.66.
Scrapped.
WL745 First flight 22.1.53. 23MU
11.353. 220Sqn 30.3.53. 42Sqn 1.7.54.
Mods 6.9.55 to 22.9.55. Cat. 3 damage
20.6.56. Repaired on site 26.6.56 to
18.10.56. 120Sqn 5.11.56. Phase I mods
18.7.58 to 23.7.59. 204Sqn 23.7.59. Phase
II mods 18.5.61 to 9.1.62. 205Sqn 24.4.62.
Cat. 3 damage 24.1.63. Repaired 26.163 to
22.5.63. Cat. 3 damage 6.10.65. Temporary
repair, return UK 25.10.65. Phase III mods
4.11.65 to 4.2.67. 204Sqn 4.2.67, Ballykel-
ly Wing. Cat. 3 damage 1.6.67. Repaired on
site 8.6.67 to 27.7.67. Woodford perfor-
mance trials with AN.APS 20 radar 18.3.70
to 25.3.70. Woodford storage 25.3.70. MoA
Air Fleet AEW trials 12.8.70. Conversion
to AEW.2 A&AEE clearance trials 5.4.72
to 26.2.73. Bitteswell AEW production
standard 2.3.73. 8Sqn 17.9.73, named Sage.
Withdrawn from service 6.81. RAF Fire
Fighting School, Catterick as 8698M
13.7.81. Burnt 1983.
WL746 First flight 28.1.53. 23MU
11.3.53. 269Sqn 8.4.53. Crashed into sea
off Argyll, Scotland 11.12.53. Salvaged.
Struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 12.12.53.
WL747 First flight 5.2.53. 23MU 11.3.53.
269Sqn 3.4.53. 204Sqn 11.8.54. 42Sqn
11.6.58. Phase I mods 18.9.58 to 30.9.59.
210Sqn 30.9.59. Phase II mods 18.4.61 to
22.10.61 37Sqn 4.11.61. Phase III mods
8.5.64 to 19.66. 210Sqn 12.9.66. Bal-
Iykelly Wing 2.67. Cat. 3 damage 30.1.69.
Repaired on site 6.2.69 to 30.3.69. 204Sqn
SHACKLETON PRODUCTIOI
10.70. 5MU 17.12.70. Conversion to
AEW.2 2.2.71. 5MU 8.2.72. 8Sqn, named
Florence, 114.72. Bitteswell major refur-
bishing 20.9.7 . Return 8Sqn 9.11.79.
Withdrawn from service 7.91. Sold Savvas
Constantinides 3.7.91. Paphos Airport,
Cyprus 19.7.91.
WL748 First flight 6.2.53. 23MU 11.3.53.
240 qn 8.4.53. 204Sqn 9.8.54. Mods
2010.55 to 14.11.55. Return 204Sqn.
269Sqn 11.11.58. 210Sqn 1.12.58. 204 qn
10.10.59. Phase I mods 15.1.60 to 10.1.61.
210Sqn 11.1.61. Phase II mods 10.62 to
5.63. Return 21OSqn. Phase III mods
21.4.66. RRE Pershore infrared scanner tri-
als 1967. 205Sqn 20.10.67. Ballykelly Wing
13.1.69. RRE removal infrared equipment
6.69. 204Sqn 10.70. Majunga Detachment
Support Unit 22.3.71. Returned UK,
204Sqn 2.72. RAF Fire Fighting School,
Catterick 8.5.72. Burnt.
WL749 First flight 18.2.53. 23MU
30.3.53. 120Sqn 20.4.53. Cat. 5 damage
14.5.53. Scrap, components 14.5.53.
WL750 First flight 23.2.53. 23MU
30.3.53. 269Sqn 17.4.53. CAPMF mods
1.54 to 2.54. 204Sqn 2.7.54. Mods 23.6.55
to 14.7.55. Autolycus installation 12.55.
120Sqn 1810.56. 269Sqn 30.10.58.
210Sqn 1.12.58. Phase I mods 12.5.59 to
13.4.60. 224Sqn 19.4.60. Phase II mods
19.9.61 to 21.6.62. 203Sqn 25.6.62. Cat. 3
damage 2.1.63. Repaired on site 30.1.63 to
29.3.63. Cat. 3 damage 30.12.64. 60MU
repair. Return 203Sqn 15.2.65. 204Sqn
12.66. Conversion to T.2 11.1.67 to 27.3.68
MOTU 27.3.68. 5MU removal training
equipment 24.8.70. Phase III mods, then
205Sqn 25.11.70. RAFFire Fighting School
15.10.71 cancelled. Central Training Estab-
lishment, Manston 11.71.
WL751 First flight 5.3.53. 23MU 10.4.53.
224Sqn 15.53. CAPMF mods 10.2.54 to
2.3.54 and 29.8.55 to 20.9.55. South Amer-
ica tour 3.57 to 4.57. 49MU mods 30.7.57
to 10.9.57. Return 224Sqn 30.9.57. Phase I
mods 28.1.59 to 13.1.60. 204Sqn 18.1.60
Phase II mods 30.6.61 to 29.3.62. 210Sqn
30.3.62. Cat. 3 damage 13.3.64. 23MU
repair 16.3.64 to 24.3.64. Phase III mods
23.11.65 to 6.2.67. HSA stall warning sys-
tem trials 8.2.67. Ballykelly Wing 25.5.67.
Bitteswell mods 8.7.69 to 17.9.69. 5MU
major overhaul 22.6.70. 204Sqn 18.11.70.
Majunga Detachment Support Unit
31.3.71. Return 204Sqn 2.72. old Shack-
181
leton Aviation, Baginton 4.5.72. Sold scrap
1.75.
WL752 First flight 7.3.53. 23MU 1.4.53.
120Sqn 23.4.53. Cat. 3 damage 16.3.54.
Repaired on site 27MU working party
17.3.54 to 4.6.54. 224Sqn 27.8.54. Cat. 3
damage 1.10.54. Repaired on site 710.54
to 11.2.55. Mod 17.12.56 to 2.1.57.
Return 224Sqn 25.2.57. South American
tour 3.57 to 4.57. Phase I mods 9.6.59 to
19.5.60. 37Sqn 30.5.60. Phase II mods
21.3.62 to 11.12.62. RAF Handling
Squadron, Manby 1.2.63. 23MU 14.5.63.
37Sqn 9.9.64. Cat. 3 damage 29.6.65.
Repaired on site 8.7.56 to 23.7.56. Cat. 3
damage 15.11.56. Repaired on site
17.11.56 to 9.1.57. 27MU 9.9.67. NEA
13.9.67. Sold for scrap 7.10.68.
WL753 First flight 16.3.53. 23MU
10.4.53. 224Sqn 12.5.53. CAPMF mods
9.3.54 to 4.4.54. Mods 410.54 to 10.2.55,
18.10.55 to 9.11.55 and 7.9.56 to 26.9.56.
South American tour 3.57 to 4.57. Mods
8.11.57 to 6.12.57 and 28.3.58 to 15.58.
Phase I mods 10.6.59 to 31.5.60. RAF
Eastleigh tation Flight, Kenya, storage
30.6.60. 37Sqn 24.8.60. Return UK
2.12.61. Phase II mods 2.12.61 to 6.12.61
203Sqn 3.8.62. 204 qn 12.66. Ballykelly
Wing 2.67. 27MU 24.5.67. NEA, broken
up 25.5.67. Sold for scrap 12.3.69.
WL754 First flight 18.3.53. 23MU
8.5.53. Overseas Ferry Unit, Benson
26.8.53. 137MU 1.9.53. 37Sqn 4.9.53.
Cat. 3 damage 7.9.53. Repair 137MU
8.9.53. Return 37Sqn 14.12.53. CAPMF
mods 11.3.54 to 31.3.54. 137MU major
servicing 8.11.54. 38Sqn 27.1.55. Mods
10.2.55 to 24.3.55. Cat. 3 damage
14.11.55. 137MU repair 21.11.55. 37Sqn
13.10.56. Cat. 3 damage repaired 7.157 to
15.3.57. 38Sqn 25.6.57. 37Sqn 1.8.57.
Phase I mods 22.10.59 to 15.9.60. 42Sqn
16.9.60. Cat. 3 damage 22.11.61. Repaired
on site, then Phase II mods, completed
15.6.62. 42Sqn 18.6.62. Cat. 3 repair
6.1163 to 25.11.63. Phase 11 [ mods 25.2.66
to 30.4.67. 205Sqn 30.4.67. Bitteswell
ADDsta11 warning trials 17.1.69. MinTech
trials, Woodford 13.8.69 to 30.9.69. Bal-
lykelly Wing 13.10.69. 204Sqn 10.70.
5MU storage 2.4.71. Conversion to
AEW.2. 22.3.72. 5MU 18.10.72. 8Sqn
named Paul, 29.1172. Withdrawn from
service 1.81. Fi re practice, crash rescue,
Valley as 8865M 22.1.81. Display 'Save the
Shackleton' campaign.
WL755 First flight 30.3.53. 23MU 5.5.53.
Overseas Ferry Unit, Benson 5.8.53.
137MU 27.8.53. 37Sqn 31.8.53. CAPMF
mods 3.3.54 to 23.3.54. 137MU major ser-
vicing 1.5.54. Return 37Sqn 19.6.54. 49MU
Autolycus in tallation 29.3.55 to 21.4.55.
137MU mods 20.2.56 to 15.3.56. 38Sqn
8.7.56. Phase I mods 12.12.57 to 10.2.59.
Return 38sqn 6.3.59. Phase II mod 6.3.61
to 30.8.61. 224Sqn 4.9.61. Phase III mods
22.12.65 to 28.3.67. Cat. 3 damage 29.4.70.
60MU repairs 18.5.70 to 10.7.70. 204 qn
10.70. Majunga Detachment Support Unit
22.7.71. Rerum 204Sqn 2.72. RAF Fire
chool, atterick 9.5.72. Burnt 12.77.
WL756 First flight 1.4.53. 23MU 5.5.53.
Over eas Ferry Unit, B non 28.7.5 .
37Sqn 5..53. APMF mod 1.2.54 to
19.2.54. Cat. 3 damage 7.5.54. 137MU
repairs 7.5.54. 'Special fitment' 21.10.55
to 5.12.55. 38Sqn 16.12.55. 49MU mods
9.10.57 to 19.11.57. at. 3 damage
19.3.58. 103MU repairs 19.3.5 . Phase I
mods, then HQ British Force Arabian
Peninsula 30.4.59. 37Sqn 18.7.59. Phase
Il mods 23.1.61 to 30.4.62. 205 qn
11.6.62. Phase III mods 30.10.66 to
20.10.67. Ballykelly Wing 26.10.67. Mods
29.10.69 to 10.12.69. 204 qn 10.70. 5MU
18.1.71. Conversion to AEW.2 2.4.71.
5MU 22.3.72. 8 qn 5.5.72. Lossiemouth
19.5.72. Return 8Sqn, named Mr Rusty,
21.6.72. Withdrawn from service 1.7.91.
Crash rescue, St Mawgan 7.91. Burnt by
1998.
WL757 First flight 10.4.53. 23MU 8.5.53.
Overseas Ferry Unit, Benson 28.7.53.
37Sqn 5.8.53. CAPMF mods 19.2.54 to
3.3.54. Cat. 3 repair 137MU 20.5.54 to
3.6.54. Langar major service 18.9.54 to
6.11.54. 'pecial fitment' 22.6.55 to
11.7.55. 137MU mods 9.1.56 to 23.2.56.
Return 37 qn 26.2.56. 137MU storage
8.7.57. 38Sqn 1957. Phase I mods 29.9.58
to 29.10.59. 210 qn 30.10.59. Phase II
mod 27.3.61 to 5.12.61. 224Sqn 15.12.61.
Phase III mods 30.3.66. 205Sqn 25.5.67.
Return UK 12.12.70. 5MU storage
14.12.70. Conver ion to AEW.2 26.8.71.
5MU 3.7.72. Lossiemouth 25.8.72. 8Sqn,
named Brian, 29.8.72. Withdrawn from ser-
vice 7.91. Sold Savvas Constantinides
3.7.91. Paphos Airport, Cyprus 15.7.91.
WL758 First flight 17.4.53. 23MU
18.5.53. 120Sqn 22.6.53. CAPMF mods
24.3.54 to 5.4.54. 224Sqn 8.9.54. 49MU
mod 22.9.55 to 13.10.55 and 27.4.56 to
21.7.56. outh American tour 3.57 to
4.57. Pha e I mod 14.11.5 to 10.11.59.
3 qn 26.11.59. Phase II mods 2.5.60 to
15.12.60. Return 38 qn 12.60. Phase III
mods 21.10.66 to 10.11.67. Ballykelly
Wing 15.11.67. 204Sqn 10.70. RAF Fire
School, Catterick 19.5.72. Burnt by 1975.
WL759 Fir t flight 24.4.53. 23MU stor-
age 29.5.53. 37Sqn 2.9.53. CAPMF mods
30.3.54 to 15.4.54. Return 37MU 4.54.
137MU Cat. 3 repairs 19.5.54 to 14.6.54.
Mods 6.7.55 to 19.7.55. Rerum 37Sqn
7.55. Cat. 3 damage 26.11.55. 137MU
repairs. Rerum 37Sqn. 49MU 'special fit-
ment' 6.57. 204Sqn 27.8.57. Phase 1mods
27.8.58 to 24.2.59. 38Sqn 10.3.59. Phase
Il mod 3.1.62 to 30.1.63. MoA loan, Mk
44 torpedo, intercom and new tail-wheel
jack trials. A&AEE Mk 44 torpedo and
marine marker.underwater sound signal
trials 22.5.63. ASWDU 18.2.64. Cat. 3
damage 2 .6.66. Repaired on site. Return
A WDU 21.7.66. 205Sqn 1.8.66. Struck
off charge, at. 5 components 11.11.6 .
Br ken up 1969.
WL785 First flight 10.5.53. 23MU stor-
age 29.5.53. 37 qn 2.9.53. CAPMF mods
1.54 to 2.54. Cat. 3 damage 16.9.54.
137MU repairs 21.9.54 to 9.2.55. Return
37 qn. Langar major service 7.4.55 to
19.7.55. Return 37Sqn 25.7.55. Mods
16.4.57 to 6.6.57. 3 qn 8.7.57. Phase I
mods 10.4.58 to 4.6.59. 42Sqn 5.6.59.
Phase Il mods 28.11.60 to 30.6.61. Rerum
42Sqn 5.7.61. Cat. 3 damage 18.12.63.
Repaired on site 20.12.63 to .2.64.
Return 42Sqn. MoA Air Fleet 7.4.65.
A&AEE sanabuoy trials 12.4.65 to
27.5.65. Phase III mods 1.6.65 to 25.1.67.
204 qn 27.1.67. Ballykelly Wing 2.67.
Bitteswell mods 3.4.68 to 30.5.68. 204Sqn
10.70. 32MU 5.4.71. entral Training
Establishment, Manston 19.5.71. truck
off charge, Cat. 5 component 30.6.71.
WL786 First flight 12.5.53. 23MU
12.6.53. 137MU 9.9.53 37Sqn 26.9.53.
CAPMF mod 1.3.54 to 12.3.54. 137MU
mod 23.8.54 to 7.10.54. Rerum 37 qn.
137MU 'special fitment' 26.5.55 to
16.6.55. Rerum 37Sqn. Phase I mods
11.3.58 to 19.3.59. 38Sqn 8.5.59. Phase Il
mods 23.5.61 to 19.3.62. 205Sqn 21.4.62.
Cat. 3 damage 16.3.65. Repaired on site.
Return 205Sqn 21. .65. Phase Il mods
1. .66 to 23..67. Return 205 qn.
Crashed Indian Ocean 5.11.67. Struck off
charge, mi ing, 6.11.67.
182
WL787 First flight 18.5.53. 23MU torage
30.6.53. 137MU 18.9.53. 3 qn 19.9.53.
CAPMF mods 6.2.54 to 2.3.54. Langar
major service 24.5.54 to 23.7.54. Return
38Sqn. 49MU Autolycus installation
2.3.55 to 13.4.55. 49MU mods 13.3.56 to
23.4.56. Pha e I mod 12.2.57 to 19.8.57.
137MU, then 38Sqn 11.3.58. 37Sqn
19.9.58. Phase II mods 29.1.60 to 31.1.61.
210Sqn 6.2.61. 204Sqn 24.10.66. Conver-
sion to T.2 14.12.66. MOTU 29.9.68. Cat.
3 damage 11.2.69. Repaired on ite. 5MU
removal training equipment 2.6.70. Phase
III mods, then St Mawgan Gulf Detach-
ment 26.8.70. 210 qn 27.10.70. Cat.
damage 14.12.70. Repaired on sit. Rerum
210Sqn 17.2.71. RAF Fire School, Catter-
ick, cancelled 1.11.71. 8 qn crew training,
named M" McHenry 1.1.72. Cat. 3 damage
25.1.73. Repaired on site. Return 8Sqn,
named Dylan, 15.5.73. Withdrawn from
service, fire fighting practice .1.74. Broken
up and destroyed 3.74.
WL788 Fir t flight 4.6.53. 23MU storage
8.7.53. 137MU 2.9.53. 37Sqn 11.9.53.
CAPMF mods 26.3.54 to 7.5.54. 137MU
and Langar mods 15.7.54 to 2.9.54. 49MU
Autolycus installation 2.5.55 to 19.5.55.
Return 37 qn 5.55. Cat. 3 damage 2.7.55.
137MU repairs 15.7.55 to 26.4.56. R turn
37 qn. 49MU mods 28.5.56 to 6.7.56.
38Sqn 8.7.57. 137MU mods 16.10.57 to
30.11.57. Return 38Sqn. Phase I mods
29.9.58 to 8.10.59. Return 38Sqn 24.10.59.
Cat. 3 damage 10.8.60. 137MU repairs.
Phase II mods 16.11.61 to 15.6.62. 42Sqn
20.6.62. 2 MU storage 29.11.62. 210Sqn
20.11.64. at. 3 damage 2.2.66. Repaired
on site 3.66 to 10.66. 37Sqn 10.66. 27MU
12.9.67. EA, struck off charge, Cat. 5
scrap 12.9.67. Sold for crap 28.3.69.
WL789 First flight 10.6.53. 38MU
15.7.53. MAD tail boom in tallation 7.53
to 8.53. CAPMF mod 10.9.53. A WDU
MAD trials 30.9.53. CAPMF mod
10.9.54. Cat. 3 damage 14.9.55. Repaired
on site. Return ASWDU 1 .11.55. Mods
13.1.56 to 7.2.56 and 7.3.58 to MAD
boom removal 9.4.58. 49MU Phase I mods
8.12.58. 224 qn 13.4.59. Phase II mods
29.11.60 to 31.1.62. Rerum 224Sqn
2.2.62. 38Sqn 18.10.66. 205 qn 23.1.67.
Return UK, 27MU 24.8.67. NEA, Cat. 5
scrap, broken up 12.68. Sold for scrap
28.3.69.
WL790 Fir t flight 23.6.53. 38MU torage
7.8.53. 240 qn 6.10.53. at. 3 damage
31.3.54. Repaired on site. 204 qn 9.8.54.
49MU Autolycus installation 1 .5.55 to
7.6.55. Return 204Sqn 10.7.55. at. 3 dam-
age 9.8.57. Repaired on site, Aston Down
23.8.57 to 30.1.58. Return 204 qn 10.2.58.
Cat. 3 damage 31.7.58. Repaired on ite
27.8.58 to 6.11.58. 269Sqn 11.11.58.
210 qn 1.12.5 . 49MU Phase I mods 7.1.59
to 16.4.59. Return 2l0Sqn 12.5.59. Phase Il
mods 10.1.61 to 28.5.62. 205Sqn 21.6.62.
Phase III mod 10.66 to 8.67. Return
205Sqn. Cat. 3 repair 21.3.68 to 16.5.68.
5MU storage 4.1.71. Conversion to AEW.2
30.9.71. 5MU 3.8.72. 8Sqn, named Mr
McHenry (later renamed Zebedee), 23.9.72.
Bitteswell re-sparring 1980. Return 8 qn
28.7.81. Withdrawn from ervice 1.7.91.
Air Atlantique, Baginton torage 10.7.91.
old Shackleton Preservation Trust to Polar
Aviation Museum, Minnesota, delivered as
N790WL 7.9.94.
WL791 First flight 16.6.52. 23MU stor-
age 18..53. 38Sqn 22.12.53. 137M stor-
age 1.3.54. 37Sqn 17.11.54. 49MU
Autolycus installation 14.6.55 to 7.7.55.
Return 37Sqn. 38Sqn 8.7.57. Phase I mods
14.2.5 to 14.4.58. Return 38Sqn. 137MU
storage 22.12.59. Phase II mods 25.1.60 to
16.2.61. Cat. 3 damage 20.3.62. Repair d
on ite 22.3.62 to 16.4.62. Cat. 3 damage
22.6.66. Repaired on site 27.6.66 to
26.7.66. Ballykelly Wing 13.2.67. 27MU
23.5.67. EA, Cat. 5 scrap 23.5.67. Bro-
ken up 12.68. old scrap 28.3.69.
WL792 First flight 1.7.53. 3 MU 20.8.53.
204Sqn 5.1.54. 49MU Autolycus in talla-
tion 14.3.55 to 6.4.55. Return 204Sqn.
38MU storage 30.9.55. 5MU 22.1.57.
224Sqn 30.3.57. Mods 29.5.57 to 27.6.57.
Rerum 224Sqn. Cra h during air display,
Gibraltar 14.9.57. Cat. 5 components
11.11.57.
WL793 First flight 15.7.53. 23MU 4.9.53.
3 Sqn 1 .12.53. 137MU mods 21.5.54 to
8.6.54. R turn 38 qn. Fuselag damage
10.5.55. Repairs 18.5.55 to 10.6.55.
137MU major service 2.12.55 to 16.2.56.
Mods 14.11.57 to 23.12.57. Pha e I mods
10.4.5 to 20.7.59.204 qn 21.7.59. Phase
II mods 28.4.61 to 21.2.62. 2l0Sqn 28.2.62.
at. 3 damage, repaired on sit 10.6.64 to
19.6.64. Return 2l0Sqn. Phase III mods
25.11.64 to 31.12.66. 210 qn 1.67. Bal-
lykelly Wing 2.67. Cat. 3 damage 25.8.67.
Repaired on site 5.9.67 to 22.9.67.
Bitte well mods 7.2.68 t03.4.68. 5MU stor-
age and major overhaul 2.4.71. Conver ion
to AEW.2 5.6.72. 5MU 12.1.73. 8Sqn,
named Erminrrude, 23.3.73. MoA Air
FI et.A&AEE 16.8.73. Return 8 qn
29.. 73. Bitteswell re- parring 28.4.77.
R rum 8 qn 29..78. Withdrawn from ser-
vice 19 1. Battle Damage Repair Fleet,
Lossiemouth a 8675M, but dumped 7. 1.
crapped 7.82.
WL794 First flight 7.8.53. 23MU 8.9.53.
38Sqn 4.1.54. Cra hed into Mediter-
ranean off Gozo 12.2.54. Cat. 5 missing
12.2.54.
WL795 First flight 17.8.53. 23MU storage
8.9.53. CAPMF mods 30.10.53. 204Sqn
6.1.54. at. 3 damage 13.3.54. Repairs
1 .3.54 to 13.9.54. Return 204 qn.49MU
Autolycus installation 22.2.55 to 22.3.55.
269Sqn 11.11.5 . 21OSqn 1.12.58. 204 qn
23.11.59. Phase I and II mods 15.12.59 to
6.12.60. 38Sqn 20.12.60. Pha e III mods
21.6.66 to 13.7.67. 205Sqn 1.8.67. 5MU
storage and overhaul 2.2.71. Conver ion to
AEW.2 4.2.72. 5MU 5.9.72. 8 qn, named
Rosalie, 20.10.72. Withdrawn from service
1981. Fire practice and crash rescue, St
Mawgan, as 8753M 24.11.81. Cancelled,
stored St Mawgan, th n refurbished for dis-
play 3. 9 to 4.89.
WL796 First flight 23.8.53. SBAC Dis-
play 5.9.53 to 11.9.53. 23MU 6.10.53.
3 Sqn 13.1.54. Mods and major servicing
12.7.55 to 17.10.55. Return 38 qn
24.10.55. 37Sqn .7.57. Cat. 4 damage
2.11.57. Repair on site 3.11.57 to 10.6.58.
Return 37 qn 22.8.58. Phase I and II mods
31.7.59 to 22.5.61. 204Sqn 25.5.61. Cat. 3
damage 24.6.63. Repair on site 26.6.63 to
6..63. Return 204 qn .8.63. at. 3 dam-
age 8.7.64. 71MU repairs 15.7.64 to
5.8.64. at. 3 repairs on site 18.1.65 to
25.1.65 and 19.10.65 to 17.11.65. 205 qn
13.10.66. 27MU 11.10.67. EA 1.11.67.
old for scrap 7.10.68.
WL797 First flight 15.9.53. 23MU
6.10.53. 38Sqn 1.12.53. 137MU mods and
major service 15.2.55 to 19.4.55. 37Sqn
19.4.55. 49MU Autolycus installation
27.4.55. Return 37 qn 10.5.55. 38 qn
26.7.55. Cat. 3 damage 21.11.55. 137MU
repairs, then 27MU torage 7.8.57. 23MU
16.5.58. RAF North Front, Gibraltar
19.12.5 . 224Sqn 31.12.58. 49MU Phase I
mods 6.4.59 to 4.11.59.204 qn 5.11.59.
at. 3 damage 13.9.60. Repaired on site
29.9.60 to 23.1.61. 210Sqn 23.1.61. Phase
II mods 20.5.63 to 19.2.64. 42Sqn 21.2.64.
183
37Sqn 22.4.64. Cat. 3 damage 2.2.67.
Repaired on site 9.2.67 to 7.3.67. 27MU
12.9.67. EA 12.9.67. Cat. 5 sold for scrap
7.10.68.
WL798 First flight 17.9.53. 23MU
9.10.53. 38 qn 18.12.53. Cat. 3 damage
29.7.54. 137MU repairs 1.1 1.54 to
22.11.54. Return 38Sqn. 49MU Autoly-
cus installation 8.6.55. 137MU storage
19.12.55. Mods 4.1.56 to 28.3.56. 38Sqn
4.4.56. 'pecial fitment' 19.12.57 to
17.2.58. at. 3 damage 11.3.58. 137MU
repairs. R turn 38Sqn 10.4.5 . Phase I
mods 10.58 to 4.59. Return 38 qn 4.59.
Phase Il mods 18.5.60 to 28.4.61. Return
38Sqn 20.5.61. Phase III mods 3.67 to
5.68. 205 qn 16.9.68. Return UK, Bal-
lykelly Wing 7.7.70. 2SoTI, Cosford as
8114M 4.12.70. Lossiemouth spares for
8 qn.
WL799 First flight 18.9.53. 23MU stor-
age 19.10.53. 3 Sqn 8.1.54. 49MU
Autolycus installation 15.4.55 to 5.5.55.
Langar, special mods 10.55 to 12.55.
Destroyed hangar fire Langar 22.12.55.
WL800 First flight 1.l0.53. 23MU
3.11.53. 137MU 9.2.54. 38 qn 4.3.54.
49MU Autolycus installation 12.2.55 to
26.2.55. Langar, mods and major service
10.7.56 to 31.10.56. Return 38Sqn
7.11.56. 37Sqn 1.8.57. Phase I mod
23.7.58 to 8.9.59. 42 qn 9.9.59. 224 qn
24.10.60. Phase II mods 11.7.61 to
13.2.62. ASWDU trial 16.2.62. 203Sqn
15.5.62. at. 3 damag 14.8.63. 23MU
repairs 16.8.63 to 23.8.63. Cat. 3 damage
3.6.64. 23MU repairs, th n return 203Sqn
12.6.64. Phase II 1 mod 12.1.66. 204Sqn,
then Ballykelly Wing 3.67. Bitteswell
mods 17.9.69 to 7.11.69. Return Ballykel-
Iy Wing 7.11.69. 5MU major service
1.10.70. 204Sqn 3.2.71. Majunga Detach-
ment Support Unit 29.3.71. Return
204Sqn, then RAF Fire Fighting School,
atterick 19.5.72. truck off charge
19.5.72. Burnt.
WL801 First flight 10.10.53. 23MU stor-
age 10.11.53. 137MU 4.2.54. 38Sqn
15.2.54. 49MU Autolycus installation
24.1.55 to 8.3.55. Rerum 38Sqn. Langar
mods and major service 2.3.56 to 14.5.56.
Return 38Sqn. 37Sqn 8.7.57. Cat. 3 damage
26.11.57. Repaired on sit. 37 qn 28.2.58.
Phase I mods 19.3.58 to 27.5.59. 38 qn
17.6.59. Phase II mod 25.6.61 to 21.2.62.
42 qn 26.2.62. Phase III mods 28.4.64 to
2 .7.66. A WDU 1.8.66. 5MU storage
5.5.70.8 qn crew training 15.8.74. With-
drawn from service 6.79. A rospace Mu e-
um, Co ford. Scrapped 1991.
Contract No. 6/ACFT6408/CB6(a) dated
8 February 195/ , coveringfony MR.2s, built
as nineteen MR.2s, serial numbers WR95/
to WR969, and twenty-one MR.3s.
WR951 Fir t flight 20.10.53. 38MU
20.11.53. 204Sqn 4.1.54. CAPMF mods
7.54.228 qn 7.54. Cat. 3 damage. Repair
18.9.54 to 12.10.54. Return 228Sqn
14.10.54. 42Sqn 2.1.55. 49MU Autolycus
installation 22.8.55 to 6.9.55. Phase 1
mods 26.9.58 to 15.12.59. 204Sqn
16.12.59. Phase II mod 10.3.61 to
10.10.61. 224 qn 13.10.61. 204Sqn
7.10.66. Ballykelly Wing 2.67. Phase III
and T.2 conver ion 5.4.67, but cancelled.
truck off charge, Cat. 5 component
28.2.68.
WR952 Fir t flight 27.10.53. 38MU
27.11.53. 206 qn 10.2.54. 42Sqn 1.7.54.
49MU Autolycus installation 30.6.55 t
14.7.55. Mods 26.4.66 to 4.6.56. Cat. 3
damage 29.9.56. Repaired on site 9.10.56
to 2.1 1.56. Pha e I mod 31.3.58 to 5.5.59.
Return 42 qn 5.5.59. Phase II mod
19.1.61 to 31.8.61. Return 42 qn 6.9.61.
205Sqn 10.12.65. 204Sqn 1.11.71. Return
UK, St Athan 10.1. 72. EA 10.1. 72. Cat.
5 scrap 26.9.73. Broken up.
WR953 First flight 6.11.53. 38MU stor-
age 31.12.53. 228 qn 16.2.55. South
American tour 11.55. 'Special fitment'
4.57 to 5.57. Cat. 3 damage 13.7.57.
Repaired on ite 16.7.57 to 26.9.57.
224Sqn 2.10.57. 49MU 'special fitment'
11.11.57. Return 224Sqn 17.12.57. Mod
1.5.58 to 31.12.58. Return 224 qn, then
British Force Arabian Peninsula 1.7.59.
Return 224 qn 6.8.59. 49MU, Phase I
mods 11.4.60 to 21.10.60. 42 qn
21.10.60. Langar, permanent oxygen y-
tem trials 12.6.61 to 21.10.61. Stayed for
Phase II mod, completed 4.63. 224 qn
9.4.63. Mods, electrical and torp do-bat-
tery warning systems 21.10.63. 42Sqn
19.2.64. 205 qn 19.4.66. at. 3 damage
12.10.66. Repaired on site (Gan). Return
UK, 27MU 10.11.67. NEA 10.11.67. Fire
Fighting Training, Kinloss 20.11.67.
Struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 1968.
WR954 Fir t flight 19.11.53. 23MU stor-
age 14.1.54. 37Sqn 1.4.54. 49MU Autoly-
cus installation 24.3.55 to 19.4.55. Return
37 qn. 137MU mods 20.4.56 to 29.5.56.
R turn 37Sqn. Langar, major service
24.9.56 to 14.2.57. Return 37Sqn 23.2.57.
38Sqn 8.7.57. 'Special fitment' 24.7.58 to
1.10.58. Phase 1 mods 12.6.59 to 22.6.60.
210Sqn 24.6.60. 37 qn 3.2.61. Phase II
mods 24.10.6 I to 26.6.62. 205Sqn
25.7.62. Phase III mods 11.4.66 to 14.6.67.
Return 205Sqn. Return UK, t Athan
17.9.71. EA 21.9.71. Struck off charge,
Cat. 5 scrap 9.5.73.
WR955 Fir t flight 27.11.53. 38MU stor-
age 12.1.54. 120 qn 8.4.54. 224Sqn
1.9.54. Mods 7.7.55 to 23.7.55 and 1.3.56
to 20.3.56. 120Sqn 21.11.56. 210 qn
11.2.59. 204Sqn 30.10.59. Phase I mods
27.11.59 to 14.11.60. 42 qn 16.11.60.
Phase II mods 1962. Return 42 qn. Pha e
III mods 1.66 to 4.67. Ballykelly Wing,
then 204 qn 10.70. A&AEE landing per-
formance trial re AEW.2 30.3.71 to
4.5.71. Fire fighting training, Brize orton
7.6.71. Struck off charge, at. 5 scrap.
WR956 First flight 10.12.53. 23MU
17.2.54. CAPMF mods 27.4.54. 228Sqn
6.7.54. at. 3 damage 2.11.54. Repair on
ite 5.11.54 to 23.3.55. Return 228 qn.
49MU Autolycu installation 26.4.55 to
25.5.55. South American tour 10.55 to
11.55.120 qn 9.10.56.269 qn 27.10.58.
210 qn 1.12.58. Phase I and II mod
9.5.60 to 31.3.61. 38Sqn 13.4.61. Phase 1Il
mods 12.11.66 to 12.1.68. Ballykelly
Wing. Crash-landing Ballykelly 1.4.68.
Struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 1.4.68. Bal-
Iykelly dump.
WR957 First flight 21.12.53. 38MU stor-
age 3.3.54. CAPMF mods 17.5.54. 228 qn
6.7.54. 49MU Autolycus installation
6.4.55. Return 228 qn 27.4.55. South
American tour 10.55 to 11.55. Cat. 3 dam-
age repaired 3.5.56 to 16.5.66. Phase I mod
1 .2.59 to 20.1.60. 204Sqn 20.1.60. Cat. 4
damage 19.4.61. Repaired on site 24.4.61 to
30.6.61. Return 204Sqn 3.7.61. 224Sqn
13.7.61. 203Sqn date unknown. 204Sqn
6.12.66. 27MU 23..67. NEA, Cat. 5 scrap
23.5.67. Sold 26.6.68.
WR958 First flight 8.1.54. 23MU storage
17.2.54. CAPMF mods 26.5.54. 228Sqn
8.7.54. 49MU Autolycu in tallation
18.4.55 to 6.5.55. Return 228Sqn. 42 qn
21.1.58. Phase I mods 7.10.59 to 28.10.60.
Return 42Sqn 4.11.60. Phase II mods
12.61 to 11.62. Return 42Sqn. Cat. 3 dam-
784
age 6.12.62. 71MU repair 7.12.62 to
20.12.62. Cat. 3 damage 2.4.64. Repaired
on site 6.4.64 to 21.5.64. Ballykelly Wing
7.2.67. 27MU 30.3.67. NEA 23.5.67. Cat.
5 crap, sold 3.9.68.
WR959 First flight 20.1.54. 38MU stor-
age 3.3.54. CAPMF mod 1.6.54. 228Sqn
.7.54. 49MU Autolycus in tallation
8.3.55 to 6.4.55. Return 22 qn. outh
American tour 10.55 to 11.55. 42Sqn
19.2.59. Phase I mods 8.9.59 to 28.7.60.
37 qn 7.10.60. ASF East! igh, Kenya,
major service 26.4.61 to 15.7.61. Phase Il
mods 8.11.62 to 9.10.63. 203Sqn
14.10.63. 23MU storage 12.12.63. 42Sqn
19.1.65. 203Sqn 21.3.66. 205Sqn 28.6.66.
truck off charge, Cat. 5 components
3.9.68. Broken up Changi.
WR960 First flight 5.2.54. 23MU 8.3.54.
CAPMF mod 24.6.54. 228 qn 22.7.54.
49MU Autolycu installation 1.6.55 to
17.6.55. Return 228Sqn. 49MU mods
5.2.57 to 12.3.57. 42Sqn 9.3.59. Phase I
mods 8.9.59 to 3.7.60. 49MU mods 4.8.60
t09.12.60. 210Sqn 19.12.60. Phase II mods
28.3.62 to 30.1.63. MoA Air Fleet.
A&AEE Phase III armament trials
15.12.65. Langar service 16.6.67. 205Sqn
2.2.68. Return UK 8.11.70. 5MU storage
9.11.70. Conver ion to AEW.2 27.5.71.
5MU 5.72. 8Sqn, named Dougal, 8.6.72.
Bitte well re-sparring 17.3.78. Return 8Sqn
12.3.79. Withdrawn from ervice 11.82.
Cosford as 8772M. Greater Manchester
Museum of cience and Industry 27.1.83.
WR961 Fir t flight 12.2.54. 38MU stor-
age 9.3.54. CAPMF mods 16.6.54. 228Sqn
6.7.54. 49MU Autolycus installation
12.5.55. Return 228Sqn 1.6.55. Cat. 3
damage 28.9.5 . Repaired on site 28.11.58
to 22.12.58. 224 qn 6.1.59. 204Sqn
29.4.59.37 qn 8.2.60. Phase I and Il mods
19.5.60 to 18.5.61. 38Sqn 31.5.61. Phase
III mods 30.9.66. Ballykelly Wing 30.9.67.
Bitteswell mods 31.5.68 to 27.6.68. Return
Ballykelly. Bitteswell mods 7.11.69.
204Sqn 10.70. Majunga Detachment Sup-
port Unit31.3.71. Return UK, 5MU stor-
age 19.4.72. EA 23.9.77. at. 5, old for
crap 1.2.78.
WR962 First flight 2.3.54. 23MU 7.4.54.
228Sqn 7.7.54. 49MU Autolycus installa-
tion 12.8.55 to 30.8.55. Return 228 qn.
220Sqn 6.3.57. at. 1 damage 24.4.57.
Cat. 2 damage 10.9.57. Cat. 3 damage
23.4.58. R paired on site 28.4.58 to
17.6.58. 228 qn 18.6.58. (A) 6.2.59.
A&AEE armament and Lindholme gear
r lease trials 25.2.59. 204 qn 12.6.59.
British Forces Arabian Penin ula 27.7.59.
37Sqn 29.7.59. Phase 1Il mods 24.9.60 to
28.2.62. Return 37Sqn 19.3.62. Cat. 3
damage 27.7.66. Repaired Muharraq
2.8.66 to 24.8.66. 27MU 9.9.67. NEA
13.4.68. Cat. 5 scrap, sold 28.3.69.
WR963 First flight 18.3.54. Retained
Woodford, larger oil cooler. A&AEE
tropical cooling trials 14.4.54. Khartoum
21.4.54. Trial abandoned 20.5.54. Return
A&AEE 1.6.54. Woodford, manufactur-
er's trial 9.6.54. 38MU storage 16.11.54.
49MU Autolycus installation 13.6.55 to
30.6.55. Return 38MU storage. 38Sqn
15.3.56. 49MU 'special fitment' 26.9.57.
Cat. 3 repairs 18.10.57 to 2.12.57. Return
38Sqn. 37 qn 31.3.59. Pha e I and II mods
23.7.59 to 3.3.61. 204 qn 8.3.61. Cat. 3
damage 19..63. 23MU repairs 22..63 to
29.8.63. Return 204 qn 3.9.63. Conver-
sion to T.2 10.2.67. MOTU 23.5.68. Cat.
3 damage 9.10.69. 71MU repairs 23.10.69
to 17.1.70. 32MU 29.7.70. NEA 27.11.70.
Cat. 5 scrap, old 15.11.71.
WR965 Fir t flight 7.4.54. 23MU storage
13.5.54. 37Sqn 5.11.54. 49MU Autolycu
installation 9.7.53 to 23.7.53. Return
37Sqn. Langar major ervice 13.6.55.
Return 37 qn 4.11.56. 38 qn 8.7.57.
49MU ' pecial fitment' 5.6.5 to 23.7.58.
Pha e I mods 23.5.59 to 31.3.60. 224Sqn
6.4.60. Phase II mods 28.8.61 to 29.3.62.
A&AEE redesigned flam float launching
system trials 29.3.62 to 5.4.62. 203Sqn
9.4.62. at. 3 damage 9.6.64. 23MU
repairs 12.6.64 to 23.6.64. Return 203 qn.
Cat. 3 damage 12.8.65. 60MU repairs
20.8.65 to 21.9.65. Return 203Sqn
22.9.65. Phase III mod 17.3.66 to 22.5.67.
205Sqn 24.5.67. Ballykelly Wing 2.12.68.
Bitteswell, new tadplan de-icing panels
18.12.68. Flow rate trials 24.3.69 to 9.5.69.
Return Ballykelly Wing 15.5.69. 204Sqn
10.70. 5MU 2.4.71. Conversion to AEW.2
28.4.72. 5MU 28.11.72. 8Sqn, named Dill,
31.1.73. Later renamed Rosalie. Bitte well
re-sparring 1.9.76 to 19.10.77. Return
8 qn 21.1O. 77. Crashed Outer Hebrides
30.4.90. Struck off charge 30.4.90.
WR966 First flight 2 .4.54. 38MU stor-
age 19.5.54. Ballykelly 24.1.55. 49MU
Autolycus installation, then ]ASS Flight
18.3.55. 220Sqn 6.3.57. 228Sqn 22.7.57.
37Sqn 20.7.58. Phase I and II mods
30.7.59 to 7.5.61. 204Sqn 7.5.61. Cat. 3
damage 13.4.64. 23MU repairs 14.4.64 to
29.4.64.210 qn 12.66. Converion to T.2
26.1.67. MOTU 30.4.68. Mod 18.7.69 to
29.9.69. Return MOTU. at. 3 damage
24.6.70. Repaired on site. Return MOTU
(now renamed 2360CU) 2.10.70. 5MU
removal training equipment and Phase III
mods 20.11.70 to 1 .1.71. 204 qn
1.11.71. Return UK, 32MU 10.1.72.
EA, Cat. 5 crap 22.6.73.
WR967 First flight 17.5.54. 23MU storage
16.6.54. ]AS Flight 6.1.55. 49MU Autoly-
cus installation 24.3.55 to 21.4.55. Return
]ASS Flight 22.4.55. Cat. 3 damage 7.2.56.
Repaired on site 9.2.56 to 29.6.56. 42Sqn
2.3.57. Cat. 3 damage 8.5.57. Repaired on
site 10.5.57 to 27.6.57. Return 42Sqn
1.7.57. 49MU Phase I mod 3.3.59 to
11.6.59. Return 42Sqn 9.7.59. Phase II
mods 7.10.60 to 2.7.61. 38 qn 4.7.61.
205 qn (loan) 20.12.65. lZeturn 38Sqn
ZZ.6.66. Conversion to T.2 22.3.67. Bal-
lykelly Wing 5.9.68. Bitteswell mods
21.11.68. Return Ballykelly Wing 6.1.69.
MOTU 28.4.69. Cat. 3 damage 19.5.69.
7lMU repairs 22.5.69 to 31.7.69. Return
MOTU. Cat. 3 damage 24.3.70. 71MU
repairs. Return MOTU 29.4.70. 5MU
10.7.70. 210Sqn 6.11.70. Return UK
23.11.71. RAF Fire Fighting School po ting
cancelled. 8 qn, crew training, named
Zebedee, 1.1.72. Cat. 3 damage 7.9.72.
Wings removed, fuselage converted AEW
training simulator. 8 qn as 8398M 14.8.75,
named Dodo. Scrapped 1991.
WR968 First flight 17.6.54. 38MU stor-
age 5.7.54. 224Sqn 11.10.54. CCMC
Autolycu installation 10.5.55. Return
224Sqn 25.5.55. Cat. 3 damage 3.7.56.
278MU repairs 5.7.56 to 17.10.56. 120Sqn
2.11.56. Cat. 3 damage U.57. Repaired
Port Lyautey 20.3.57 to 8..57. Return
120Sqn 16.8.57. 23MU 29..57 as Cat. 3.
Repaired 17.9.57 to 29.11.57. Return
120Sqn 9.12.57. 49MU Phase I mods
23.7.58 to 23.1.59. C(A) loan, IFF Mk 10
requirements trials 27.1.59. A&AEE IFF
Mk 10 clearance trials 20.2.59. 224Sqn
25.3.59. 37 qn (temporary allocation)
1.7.59. Return 224 qn 6.8.59.
49MU.Langar Phase II mod 25.4.60 to
31.1.61. ra h-landing Ballykelly, burnt
out 20.10.61. truck off charge, Cat. 5
scrap 20.10.61.
WR969 First flight 10.5.54. SBAC Dis-
play 6.9.54 to 12.9.54. 23MU storage
785
24.9.54.]A Flight 3.12.54. 49MU
Autolycus installation 24.1.55 to 8.3.55.
220Sqn 6.3.57. 228 qn 7.10.57. 224 qn
12.12.58. 49MU Phase 1 mods 25.2.59 to
9.9.59. 210Sqn 23.9.59. Phase II mods
unknown to 31.5.61. 204Sqn 5.6.61. Cat.
3 damage 25.4.64. Repaired on site 28.5.64
to 5.6.64.224 qn 23.5.66. 3 Sqn 27.9.66.
Converted to T.2 14.2.67 to 28.6.68.
MOTU 28.6.68. Cat. 3 damage 11.2.69.
Repaired 3.69. Mods 14.4.69 to 23.5.69.
Return MOTU. 5MU removal training
equipment, then Phase III mods, before
205Sqn 10.11.70. Return UK, t Athan
10.9.71. NEA 17.9.71. Struck off charge,
Cat. 5 scrap 22.7.74.
Shackleton MR.3
omract o. 6/ACFT640B/CB6(a) dated
8 February /95/ continuation, covering
twenty-one aircraft, serial numbers WR970
to WR990.
WR970 First flight 2.9.55. BAC Dis-
play 5.9.55 to 11.9.55. C(A), manufactur-
er's trials Woodford. A&AEE handling tri-
als 7.9.56. MaS charge 8.9.56. at cleared
for service. Return Woodford, stall warn-
ing trials 28.11.56. Crashed Foolow, Der-
byshire 7.12.56. Struck off charge, scrap
28.11.57.
WR971 First flight 28.5.56. Manufactur-
er's trials 29.5.56 to 12.12.56. C(A),
A&AEE armam nt trials 14.12.56. Devel-
opment trials, then return Woodford for
production standard 12.5.58. Production
standard trials 14.6.58 to 17.10.58. Pha e I
mods. 120Sqn 7.10.60. Phase II mod 4.62
to 5.62. Return 120Sqn 22.5.62. Phase III
mod 9.63 to 4.65. 201Sqn 4.65. Langar,
Viper installation 11.66 to 6.67. Kinloss
Wing 23.6.67. Bitteswell mods 6.8.68 to
7.10.68. Return Kinloss. 60MU 7.69.
Bitteswell mods 25.11.69 to 5.1.70. 32MU
21.12.70. No.2 SoIT, a 119M. Sold,
fuselage only, Welle ley Aviation, Narbor-
ough 1988.
WR972 First flight 6.11.56. (A). A&
AEE radar, radio, navigation and photo-
graphic trial 28.12.56 to 24.5.57. Return
Woodford 24.5.57. Autolycu , various sys-
tems trials, then A&AEE official release
29.7.58. Return manufacturer, radio mod
trial 11.2.59. Purchased MoA for RAE
13.3.59. A&AEE sonobuoy, mixed bomb
load clearance 23.3.60. Langar, aerial vibra-
tion trial 15.12.60. A&AEE radio, Orange
Harvest ECM, onobuoy trial 31.1.61. RAE
towing, parachute drag trials 13.4.61. Struck
off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 31.l.73. Fire fight-
ing.rescue training, Famborough.
WR973 First flight 18.l.57. Manufactur-
er's Mk 10 autopilot trial. MoS Air Fleet
1.2.57. A&AEE testing 22.2.57 to
28.2.57, then autopilot trials 10.7.57.
49MU service 2.10.57. Woodford, perfor-
mance, ventilation and vibration trials
cancelled. Allocated Armstrong Whit-
worth fuel sy tem trials 24.12.57, arriving
Baginton 3.2.58. Return Woodford,
removal trials quipment 3.3.59. Phase I
mods, then 203 qn 25.2.60. 49MU Phase
II mods 7.60 to 9.60. 23MU 9.60. 203Sqn
unknown. 206 qn 29.1.62. Phase III mod
and Viper in tallation 7.63. MoA Viper
flight trials 29.l.65. A&AEE performance
trials 19.5.65. Return Woodford 9.6.65.
A&AEE service, hot-weath r trials USA
28.7.65. Return Woodford 30.9.65. Lan-
gar, removal trial equipment 31.12.65.
MoD{Air) 28.1.66. 206Sqn 25.5.66. Kin-
loss Wing 2.67. Bitteswell mods 3.68 to
5.68, 12.69 to 2.70 and 10.70 to 11.70.
42Sqn 11.12.70. Fire fighting practice,
Thomey Island 14.6.71. truck off charge,
Cat. 5 scrap 6.71.
WR974 First flight 1.5.57. C{A) loan
31.5.57. A&AEE tropical and winter trials
5.7.57. Armament in tropical conditions
trial, Idris 7.57 to 8.57. 49MU winter tri-
als equipment 27.8.57. R turn A&AEE
20.9.57. CEPE, Canada 8.10.57. Cat. 3
damage 19.11.57. Repaired Canada, th n
trials continued. Return A&AEE. 49MU
Phase I mods 16.4.58. 23MU 27.8.58.
203Sqn 25.9.58. Cat. 3 damage, Dart-
mouth, ova Scotia 18.8.59. Repaired,
Fairey Aviation of Canada 11.59 to 6.60.
Retum 203 qn. Langar, Phase II mods,
then MoA Air Fleet Phase III trial in tal-
lation. Cat. 1 damage 20.4.64. A&AEE
navigation, radio trials 7.9.64. Return
Langar 3.3.65. A&AEE tropical trials
Phase III equipment and Griffon 58 oil
cooler mods 21.6.65. Return Langar
10.9.65. A&AEEstand-by bomb-bay heat-
ing, sonobuoy homer and photographic
flash unit acceptance trials 23.3.66.
A WDU 20.6.66. Bitteswell mods 7.66.
MinTech loan, sonobuoy trials 17.2.67.
RAE radio trial 12.5.67. A&AEE arma-
m nt trials 12.7.67. ASWDU trials 8.2.68.
Phase 1II mods 5.4.68 to 27.8.6 . 203Sqn
9.68. 42Sqn (loan) 9.68 to 1.69. Return
HACKLETON PRODUCTIO
203Sqn. Bitteswell mods 1.70 to 3.70.
Retum 203Sqn 26.3.70. Kinloss Wing
6.4.70. No.2 SoTT, as 8117M 11.12.70.
old Peter Vallance Collection, Charl-
wood, 1988.
WR975 Fir t flight 26.6.57. RAF Han-
dling Squadron 7.57. Emergency landing,
Exeter, due to fuel leak, 29.7.57. Return
Woodford 8.57. Sale tour Portugal .57.
Return RAF Handling quadron 8.57.
23MU 14.10.57. 220Sqn 11.57. Cat. 3
damage 5.5.5 . Repaired on site 5.58 to
2.59. 201 qn 3.59. 49MU Phase I mods
8.59. 203Sqn 11.59. 49MU Pha ell mods
1960 to 1961. Return 203 qn. 201Sqn
8.62. Phase III mods 3.63 to 1.65. 206Sqn
1.65. 120Sqn 3.66. Langar, Viper installa-
tion 1.67. Kinlos Wing 7.67. Bitteswell
mod 5.69. Return Kinloss Wing 6.69.
32MU 24.8.70. Struck off charge, Cat. 5
scrap 1.1O. 71.
WR976 First flight 19.7.57. 23MU
9.8.57. 220Sqn 30.8.57. Cat. 3 damage
2.5.58. Repaired on site 5.58 to 12.58.
20lSqn 12.58. 49MU Phase I mods 4.59 to
9.59. 206Sqn 10.59. Phase II mods 1960,
then return 206Sqn. Langar, propeller
strain-gauge trials 13.5.63 to 30.8.63.
Phase III mod .63 to 4.65.201 qn 4.65.
Langar, Viper installation 4.66 to 10.66.
Return 201 qn. Kinlos Wing 2.67.
Crashed into sea off Lands End 19.11.67.
truck off charge, Cat. 5 missing 19.11.67.
WR977 First flight 31.8.57. SBAC Dis-
play (static) 2.9.57 to 9.9.57. 23MU
14.9.57. 220Sqn 10.57. 201 qn 1.10.58.
Phase I mods 5.59 to 11.59. 206Sqn 11.59.
Phase II mods l.62 to 4.63. 201Sqn 4.63.
Langar, Phase III mods and Viper installa-
tion 7.65 to 4.66. 42Sqn 5.66. Bitteswell
mods 5.68. 203Sqn 7.68. 206 qn (loan)
7.69. 42 qn (loan) .69. Return 203Sqn
8.70. Allocation fire fighting practice,
Thomey Island cancelled, Finningley
Mu eum a 186M 8.11.71. Newark Air
Museum 1.5.77.
WR978 First flight 9.57. 23MU 4.11.57.
220Sqn 11.57. 201Sqn 1.10.58. 49MU
at. 3 r pair and Pha e I mods 5.59.
206 qn 10.59. Pha e II mod 4.62 to 6.63.
Return 206 qn 6.63. Phase III mods 12.64
to 11.65. 42 qn 11.65. Woodford, Viper
installation 7.66 to 11.66. Return 42Sqn.
Kinloss Wing (loan) 7.69 to 9.69. RAF
Fire Fighting School, Catterick 29.11. 70.
Struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap.
786
WR979 First flight 1.1 1.57. 23MU
15.11.57. 220Sqn 12.57. 201Sqn 1.10.58.
Phase I mod 4.59 to 9.59. Return 201Sqn.
Langar, Cat. 4 repair and Phase II mod
1.61 to 1.63. 206 qn 1.63. Phase III mods
11.64 to 9.65. 120Sqn 10.65. Kinloss
Wing 2.67. Langar, Viper in tallation
10.68 to 12.6 . Return Kinlo sWing.
32MU storage 30.7.70. Struck off charge,
Cat. 5 crap 1.10.71. Broken up St Athan.
WR980 First flight 13.11.57. 23MU
26.11.57. 220 qn 1.58. 20 ISqn 1.10.58.
Phase I mods 3.59 to 12.59. 206Sqn 12.59.
Phase II mods 11.61 to 3.63. Return
206Sqn. 201 qn 3.64. 120Sqn 5.65. Lan-
gar, Phase III mod and Viper installation
6.65 to 3.66. 206 qn 3.66. Kinloss Wing
2.67. Bitteswell mods 8.69 to 9.69. Return
Kinloss Wing. 5MU 3.4.70. RAF Fire
Fighting School, Catterick 26.11.70.
truck off charge, Cat. 5 crap.
WR981 First flight 12.57. 23MU
24.12.57.206 qn 1.58. Cat. 3 repair 5.59.
49MU Phase I mods 11.59 to 1.60. 120Sqn
2.60. 49MU Phase II mods 5.61 to 9.61.
203Sqn 9.61. 23MU Cat. 3 r pairs 10.61
to 11.61. Return 203Sqn. 23MU Cat. 3
damage repairs 1.62 to .62. Return
203Sqn. 20lSqn 6.62. Phase III mods 1.64
to 7.65. 120Sqn 7.65. 201 qn 5.66. Viper
installation 9.66. Kinloss Wing 2.67.
Bitteswell mod 10.68 to 11.68, 6.69 to
8.69 and 6.70 to 8.70. 32MU storage
27.11.70 Topcliffe as 8120M 17.12.70.
Cat. 5 GI.
WR982 First flight 2.58. 23MU 4.3.58.
206Sqn 3.5 . MoA, Woodford ngine fad-
ing research 4.5 to 6.59.206 qn 13.6.59.
49MU Phase I mods 11.59 to 1.60. 203 qn
1.60. Phase II and Phase III trial mods
11.61 to 1.62. MoA Air Fleet 1.62.
A&AEE C{A) Phase III armament, auxil-
iary fuel tank j tti on and vibration trials
14.4.64 to 20.5.65. Langar, refurbishment
25.5.65 to 12.11.65. 120 qn 11.65. Viper
in tallation 3.66 to 7.66. 201Sqn 7.66.
Kinloss Wing 2.67. 60MU radar altimeter
installation 3.67 to 5.67. MinTech 4.8.67.
A&AEE Viper water methanol take-off
and radar altimeter clearance trials 7.8.67
to 28.11.67. Return Kinloss Wing. With-
drawn from service 9.70. No.2 oTT, Co -
ford a 8106M 6.10.70. old . Martin,
Lutterworth 198 .
WR983 First flight 3.58. 23MU 17.3.58.
206Sqn 4.58. 49MU Phase I mods 6.59 to
11.59. Return 206Sqn. Phas II mods 1.60
to 2.60. Return 206Sqn. Cat. 3 damage
2.63. Repaired on site 2.63 to 5.63. Return
206Sqn. Phase III mods 11.64 to 10.65.
120Sqn 10.65. Kinloss Wing 2.67. Viper
installation 4.67 to 6.67. Bitteswell mod
6.68 to 8.68. Return Kinlo sWing. 5MU
9.3.70. at. 5 scrap, broken up 1970, with
parts to 39MU.
WR984 First flight 6.3.58. 23MU 4.4.5 .
206 qn 4.58. Cat. 3 damage 6.59.
Repaired on ite 6.59. 49MU Pha e I mods
11.59 to 2.60. 203Sqn 16.2.60. 49MU
Pha e II mods 10.60 to 12.60. Return
203Sqn. 201Sqn 7.62. Phase III mods 3.64
to 8.65. 120Sqn 8.65. Viper installation
8.66 to 12.66. Return 120 qn. Kinlos
Wing 2.67. 42 qn 11.67. Bitte well mods
2.68 to 5.68 and 6.69 to 9.69. Topcliffe as
8115M 9.11.70. Cat. 5 GI 7.71.
WR985 First flight 4.58. 23MU 23.4.58.
206Sqn 6.5 . A&AEE Maritime Tactical
Position Indicator clearance trials 3.4.59 to
22.5.59. Return 206Sqn 29.5.59. 49MU
Phase I mods 10.59 to 12.59. 203Sqn 12.59.
Cat. 3 damage repaired on ite .61, then
49MU Pha e II mods. 206 qn 2.62. Phase
III mods 6.63 to 2.65. Return 206 qn. Cat.
3 damage 13.9.65. 60MU repairs 10.65 to
11.65. R turn 206 qn. 120 qn 5.66. Viper
installation 6.66 to 10.66. 20 ISqn 10.66.
Kinloss Wing 2.67. Bitteswell mods LO.68
to 12.68. 0.2 SoTT, Cosford as 103M
25.9.70. old Jet Aviation Pre ervation
Group, Long Marston 1988.
WR986 First flight 4.58. 23MU 13.5.58.
206Sqn 6.58. Pha e I mods LO.59 to 12.59.
203Sqn 12.59. 49MU mods 7.60 and Cat. 3
repairs 5.61. 201 qn 10.61. Phase II mods
7.62 to 9.63. 120 qn 9.63. Phase 1II mods
10.65 to 9.66. 203Sqn 9.66. Bitteswell
mods 7.69 to 1l.69. Cat. 5 scrap, due to rat
infe tation 1.9.7l. Broken up 132MU.
WR987 Fir t flight 5.58. 23MU 28.5.58.
220Sqn 6.58. 20lSqn 1.10.58. 120Sqn
2.11.58. 49MU Phase I mod 6.60 to 7.61.
Return 120 qn. Phase II m ds 2.62 to
4.62. Return 120 qn. Phase III mods and
Viper installation 9.65 to 12.66. 203 qn
12.66. Bitteswell mod 5.68 to 8.68 and
10.69 to 12.69. 5MU torag 12.1.72. Fire
practice, Honington 17.6.72. truck off
charge, Cat. 5 scrap.
WR988 First flight 5.58. 23MU 9.6.58.
120 qn 7.58. Mod and repair 10.59 to
6.60. R turn 120 qn. 49MU Phase I mod
.60 to 8.61. 203 qn 8.61. Phase II mods
7.62 to 10.62. 201 qn 10.62. Phase 1II
mods and Viper installation 6.65 to 6.66.
203 qn 6.66. Mods 1.69 to 7.69. 42Sqn
(short loan) 1970. 5MU storage 1.72. Fire
fighting practi e, Macrihani h and struck
off charge, at. 5 scrap 25.4.72.
WR989 First flight 6.5 . 23MU 3.7.58.
120 qn 8.58. Cat. 3 damage, repaired
11.59 to 1.60. 49MU Phase I mod 6.60 to
8.61. Return 120Sqn. Phase II mod 10.61
to 12.61. Return 120Sqn. Phase III mods
12.63 to 6.65. 201Sqn 6.65. 120Sqn 11.66.
Viper installation 12.66 to 4.67. Kinloss
Wing 4.67. 60MU radar altimeter installa-
tion 5.67. MinTech (loan), A&AEE Viper
high-humidity and low-temperature flight
trials 8.4.68 to 3.7.68. Return Kinlo
Wing. Bitteswell mods 8.68 to 10.68 and
.69 to 10.69. 203Sqn 3.70. Bitteswell
mods 1.71 to 2.71. Return 203Sqn. 5MU
storage 12.1.72. Fire fighting practice
Leeming, struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap
14.7.72.
WR990 First flight 7.58. 23MU 18.7.58.
120Sqn 9.58. 49MU Phase I mods 3.60 to
4.61. Return 120 qn. Cat. 3 repairs 1.62
to 2.62. 49MU Phase II mods 10.62 to
1.63. Retum 120 qn. Pha e III mods
11.63 to 4.65. 20ISqn5.65. Viperinstalla-
tion 4.66 to 9.66. Kinloss Wing 2.67.
60MU radar altimeter trial 10.6 . Return
Kinloss Wing. Newton as 8107M, Cat. 5
GI17.10.70.
Contract No. 6/ACFT6408/ B6(a) Exist-
ing contract amended in September 1953 to
cover seventeen additional MR.3s. Only thir-
teen built, serial numbers XF700 to XF7 I I
and XF730. (XF73 I to XF734 cancelled
before construction.)
XF700 First flight 9.7.58. 23MU 18.8.5 .
120Sqn 9.58. 49MU repairs and Phase I
mods 4.60 to 4.61. Return 120Sqn. Phase
II mods 10.61 to 7.62. R turn 120Sqn.
Phase III mods 8.63 to 3.65. 206Sqn 3.65.
201Sqn 5.66. Viper installation 12.66 to
4.67. Kinloss Wing 4.67. Bitteswell mods
5.68 to 6.68. 203Sqn 1.69. Fire fighting
training, ico ia, struck off charge, Cat. 5
scrap 26.10.71. Spares to 103MU, then
scrapped 1.72.
XF701 First flight 8.58. SBA Di play
(static) 1.9.58 to 7.9.58. 23MU 17.9.58.
120Sqn 9.58. Repairs and Phase I mods
787
4.60 to 6.61. MoA (loan) C{A) various
trials, then A&AEE acceptance trials
18.5.62 to 22.6.62. Phase II mods 6.62.
A&AEE mod retrial 28.8.62 to 31.8.62.
206Sqn 31.8.62. 201Sqn 2.65. Phase 1II
mods and Viper installation 5.65 to 4.66.
206Sqn 4.66. Kinloss Wing 2.67. A&AEE
detachment during 1968. Bitteswell mod
1.69 to 4.69. 42Sqn 6.70. Bitte well mods
10.70 to 11.70. Central Training Estab-
lishment, Manston 13.8.71. truck off
charge, Cat. 5 crap 13.8. 71.
XF702 Fir t flight 9.58. 23MU 26.9.58.
203 qn 11.58. 49MU Phase I mods 1.60 to
3.60. 120Sqn 3.60. 49MU Phas II mods
8.61 to 11.61. 206Sqn 11.61. Phase III
mods 1.63 to 8.64. MoA (loan), RAE
Safety Study Group review during 8.64.
A&AEE GM7 compass trials 15.1.65 to
1.2.65. Return 206Sqn 2.65. 120 qn 6.66.
Viper installation 11.66 to 3.67. Kinlo s
Wing 3.67. Crashed Creag Bhan, Inver-
ness 21.12.67. truck off charge 21.12.67.
XF703 First flight 9.58. 23MU 8.10.58.
203 qn 1.59. 49MU Phase I mods 1.60 to
4.60. 120 qn 5.60. 203Sqn 5.61. Phase II
mods 11.61 to 4.62. 206Sqn 4.62. Phase 1II
mods 3.63 to 12.64. Return 206Sqn. HSA
(loan) 1.65 to 2.65. 20lSqn 3.66. Kinloss
Wing 2.67. Viper installation 4.67 to 9.67.
Return Kinlo Wing. A&AEE ATN-71
and TR-40A radio altimeters in tallation
and flight testing 2.8.68 to 13.8.6 . Return
Kinloss Wing. Mods 8.69 to 10.69 and
12.69 to 4.70. 42Sqn 6.70. Bitt well mods
2.70 to 8.70. Return 42Sqn. Henlow, for
RAF Museum 23.9.71.
XF704 Fir t flight LO.58. 203Sqn 12.5 .
23MU mods and storage 6.59. Return
203Sqn 9.59. 49MU Phase I mods 2.60 to
5.60. 120Sqn 6.60. 49MU Phase II mods
8.61 to 11.61. 203 qn 11.61. 20 I qn 6.62.
Cat. 3 damage repaired 8.62 to 10.62.
Return 201 qn. Phase III mods 3.65 to
4.66. 206Sqn 4.66. Kinloss Wing 2.67.
Bitteswell Ferranti stall-warning system
(ADD) installation 1.2.68 to 14.3.69.
Woodford ADD flight trials 14.3.69.
A&AEE ADD cI arance trials 12.6.69 to
31.7.69. Return Kinlos Wing 27.8.69.
42 qn3.70.Bitteswellmod 9.70 to 10.70.
Wi thdrawn from ervice 20.8.71. Central
Training Establishment, Manston 8.71.
truck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 8.71.
XF706 First flight 12.58. 203Sqn 12.5.59.
49MU Phase I mods 12.59 to 3.60. 120Sqn
APPENDIX III
Shackleton Conservation
3.60. 49MU Phase II mods 8.61 to 10.61.
203Sqn 10.61. 23MU mods 3.62. 201Sqn
8.62. Phase III mods 11.64 to 12.65. 42Sqn
12.65. Viper installation 9.66 to 1.67.
Bitteswell mods 11.68 to 1.69. Kinloss
Wing (loan) 7.69 to 9.69. Return 42Sqn.
Withdrawn from service 2.70. In truction-
al Airframe Number 8089M allocated, but
not is ued. Fire fighting practice, t Maw-
gan 3.70. Burnt.
XF707 First flight 1.59. A&AEE cooling
of A V21 radar assessment 2.59. Phase I
mods, then 201Sqn 2.59. Cat. 3 repairs
3.60 to 5.60. Phase II mods and repairs
4.62 to 6.63. 206Sqn 7.63. Phase III mods
2.65 to 12.65. 42Sqn 1.66. Viper installa-
tion 5.67 to 1.68. Return 42Sqn 1.68.
Withdrawn from service 28.4.71. Fi re
fighting practice, Benson 28.4.71. Struck
off charge, Cat. 5 scrap.
XF708 First flight 1.59. Phase I mods,
then 201Sqn 1.3.59. Phase II mods 5.62 to
8.63. 120Sqn 8.63. Phase III mods and var-
ious mod trials, all completed 6.2.67.
203 qn 2.67. 5MU torage 1.72. Imperial
War Museum, Duxford 23.8.72.
XF709 First flight 3.59. Phase I mods,
then 201Sqn 4.59. Phase II mods 7.62 to
10.63. 120Sqn 10.63. Pha e III mods and
Viper installation 10.65 to 7.66. 203Sqn
8.66. HSA new tailplane de-icing system
trials 5.3.69 to 6.5.69. Kinloss Wing 5.69.
Bitteswell mods 10.69 to 11.69. 32MU
30.7.70. NEA 30.7.70. Struck off charge,
Cat. 5 scrap 1.10.71.
XF710 First flight3.59. Phase I mods, then
201Sqn 4.59. Cat. 3 repair 1.60. Phase II
mods 8.62 to 11.63. 120Sqn 11.63. Crash-
landed Culloden Moor, Inverness 10.1.64.
Struck off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 1.64.
XF711 First flight 4.59. Phase I mods, then
20lSqn 5.59. Cat. 3 repair 12.59. SBAC
Display, take-off for 22-hour patrol, return-
ing next day, throughout week 5.9.60 to
11.9.60. Phase II mods 12.61 to 1.62. MoA
Air Fleet (loan) new Phase III trials, then
Woodford for rebuild 11.1.62. A&AEE
tropical trials, Idris 17.7.64 to 5.9.64. Return
SHACKLETON PRODUCTION
Woodford handling trials, then St Mawgan,
take-off perfonnance trials 5.9.64 to
28.4.65. A&AEE handling techniques
28.4.65 to 9.6.65. Phase III mods 9.6.65 to
6.12.65. 42Sqn 22.3.66. Viper installation
6.67 to 9.68. Kinloss Wing 9.68. 42 qn
2.70. Bitteswell mods 12.70 to 2.71. Return
42Sqn. Withdrawn from service 6.71. Fire
fighting practice, Abingdon 7.6.71. Struck
off charge, Cat. 5 scrap 6.71.
XF730 First flight 5.59. Phase I mods, then
206Sqn 6.59. Cat. 3 repair 7.60 to 8.60.
201 qn 12.61. Phase II mods and repairs
9.62 to 12.63. 120Sqn 12.63. Phase 1II mods
and Viper installation, then A&AEE trials
6.65 to 6.66. 42Sqn 6.66. Bitteswell mods
8.68 to 9.68,5.69 to 7.69 and 9.70 to 10.70.
Withdrawn from service 24.6.71. Fire fight-
ing practice, Kinloss 6.71. Struck off charge,
Cat. 5 scrap 6.71.
Contract No. 6/A FT.III06/CB6(a) dated
July 1954, covering thirteen MR.3s, serial
numbers XG912 to XG924, was cancelled on
14 February 1956.
Contract No. BI/8129 dated March 1954,
covering eight MR.3s for the South African
Government, serial numbers 1716 to 1723.
1716 First flight 29.3.57. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 16.5.57. St Mawgan work-up
21.5.57. Left for Cape Town 13.8.57.
Arrived 18.8.57. Phase mods incorporated
over years. Wing re-sparring 3.73 to 4.76.
SAAF Museum, Swartkop 4.12.84. Air-
worthy 1994. Crashed Sahara Desert, en
route to UK, 13.7.94.
1717 First flight 6.5.57. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 16.5.57. St Mawgan work-up
21.5.57. Left for Cape Town 13.8.57.
Arrived 18.8.57. Phase mods incorporated
over years. Wing re-sparring 9.75 to 10.77.
Withdrawn from service, Ysterplaat AFB
storage. Natal Parks Board Museum 10.87.
Sold private businessman, Stanger, Kwazu-
lu, Natal.
1718 First flight 13.5.57. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 16.5.57. St Mawgan work-up. Left
for Cape Town 13.8.57. Arrived 18.8.57.
188
Wheels-up landing D. F Malan Airport
9.11.59. Repaired 59.60. Crashed Wem-
mershook Mountains 8.8.63.
1719 First flight 6.9.57. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 1.58. Left for Cape Town 8.2.58.
Arrived 13.2.58. Return d UK, training
with Coastal Command 25.2.63. Return
South Africa 1.4.63. Phase mods incor-
prated over years. Withdrawn from service
24.4.78. Ysterplaat AFB storage. Stellen-
bosch airfield display outside clubhouse.
Cape Town Waterfront complex 1991.
Later scrapped.
1720 First flight 26.9.57. Accepted
35Sqn SAAF 1.58. Left for Cape Town
8.2.58. Arrived 13.3.58. Damaged D. F.
Malan Airport 18.9.61. Repaired on site.
Phase mods incorporated over years.
Withdrawn from ervice 10.3. 3. Yster-
plaat AFB Warrant Officer's Club, 1719's
markings. Correct markings later restored.
1721 First flight 12.12.57. Accepted
35Sqn SAAF 30.1.58. St Eval 13.2.58.
Left for Cape Town 14.2.58. Arrived
26.2.58. Wheels-up landing Ysterplaat
AFB 10.9.62. Repaired. Phase mods incor-
porated over years. Retirement flight D. F
Malan Airport 23.11.84. SAAF Museum
Swartkop 12.84.
1722 First flight 7.2.58. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 10.2.58. Left for Cape Town
14.2.58. Arrived 26.2.58. Nose-wheel col-
lapse Langebaanweg 7.6.60. Repaired.
Phase mods incorporated over years.
Return UK, JASS course 28.6.64.
Returned South Africa 30.7.64. Retire-
ment flight D. F Malan Airport 23.11.84.
35 qn retains aircraft in flying condition
for SAAF Museum.
1723 First flight 10.2.58. Accepted 35Sqn
SAAF 4.2.58. Left for Cape Town 14.2.58.
Hydraulic failure, divert Ysterplaat AFB,
ran off runway 26.2.58. Repaired. Phase
mods incorporated over years. Withdrawn
from service 22.11.77. Ysterplaat AFB stor-
age. Sold Vic de Villiers, mounted on roof
'Vic's Viking' garage, Johannesburg.
The Shackleton has not fared very well, so
far as conservation is concerned, mainly due
to the attentions of the scrap merchants
and official arsonists. Only one guaranteed
flying example is left in the world. The fol-
lowing aircraft, or parts of them, have been
confirmed at the time of writing.
Shackleton MR.2
WL798 Private collection, Elgin, Scotland
(front fuselage only)
Shackleton AEW.2
WL756 Last heard of on dump at RAF St
Mawgan, Cornwall
WL795 RAF t Mawgan, Cornwall
WR960 Museum of Science and Industry,
Greater Manchester
WR963 Air Atlantique Historic Flight,
Baginton, Warwickshire
WR963 AEW.2 shares the sunshine with Dakotas at
Baginton.
Shackleton MR.3
WR971 Wellesley Aviation, Narborough,
Norfolk (fuselage only)
WR974 Peter Vallance Collection,
Charlewood, Surrey
WR977 Newark Air Mu eum, Winthorpe
Show Ground, Newark, Nottinghamshire
WR985 Jet Aviation Preservation Group,
Long Marston, Warwick hire
XF708 Imperial War Museum, Duxford,
Cambridgeshire
Shackleton T.4
VP293 Avro Heritage Society, Woodford
Airfield, Manchester (fronc fuselage only)
WG511 Cornwall Aero Park, Helston,
Cornwall (front fuselage only)
A small number of Shackletons still exist
outside the UK, with South Africa being
the principal country of conservation
(their preserved Shackletons represent
62.5 per cent of the total number that they
received). The following aircraft have
been confirmed at the time of writing:
189
Cyprus (both AEW.2s)
WL747 Paphos International Airport
WL757 Paphos International Airport
South Africa (all MR.3s)
1717 Private collector, Stanga, Kwazulu,
Natal
1720 Ysterplaat Air Force base
1721 SAAF Museum, Swartkop
1722 No. 35 Squadron, SAAF, on behalf
of SAAF Museum, Swartkop
1723 'Vic's Viking' garage, Johannesburg
United States of America
(AEW.2)
WL790 Polar Aviation Museum, Anoka
County Airport, Blaine, Minnesota
(N790WL)
Index
Airborne Early Warning (AEW) radar 135-8,141,142
Airborne Lifeboat 72, 73
Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) 141, 146
Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE)
40,41,51,60,69-71,82,97,105,151
Air Sea Warfare Development Unit (A WDU) 48,57,77-9,
91, 174
Aldergrove 46,58,62,70,77,81,101,161,172,173
AN/AP -20 radar 138,139,150
Armstrong Siddeley Viper 102-4, 107
A V radar 17,18,20,21,32,34,57,60,67,74,86,102,136
A.V. Roe & o. Ltd (Avro)
Anson 10, II, 14,21
Ashton 29,36
LalKa ter 15,26.27,31,43,46,54,73,87
LalKa trian 25, 27, 2 ,30, 58
Lincoln 2 ,29,31, 133, 134
Manchester 23, 26
Tudor 25, 28-30
Type 534 Baby 6, 24
York 25-7
Avro Shackleton:
AEW.2 106,134, 141, 145-53, 155-60, 167, 170, 189
MR.I 41,43-7,49,52,53,56,57,59,65-9,88,89,106,
119,130,131,162,165-7,170-2,174-6
MR.IA 47-52,54-8,60,62,65,66,70,71,74,77, 87, 88,
127,130-2,164,165,170-2,174,177,179
MR.2 6,7,42,49,55,57,5 ,67-93, 102, 106, 113, 119,
120, lZZ-8, 130-2,148-50,161,163,170-4,177,179,
180, 1 4, 189
MR.3 61,93-108,119,132,169-72,174, I 4,185,187-9
MR.3 (SAAF) 110-12, 114-16, 118, 132, 188, 189
MR.4 project 134
MR.5 project 134
Prototypes 30,31.34,35.37-43,67,134.175
T2 82, 92, 170, 174
T4 58,60.62-6,84,85. 103, 106, 129, 133, 170, 189
BAe Nimrod 107, 135, 140-2, 144-7, 170-2
Baginton 152
Baker, Johnny 37,38
Ballykelly 48,49,52,56,77.81,89,91, 102, 108, 123, 124,
128,129, 131, 161, 156,167, 170, 171,173,174
Beira Patrol IZZ, 123
Bitte well 60, 62, 98, 150, 152, 156
Blue Danube 129
Boeing E-3 (NATO) 140,141,144,146,155
Boeing Sentry 141, 146,147, 149, 159
Borneo Confrontation 128
Catterick, Fire School at 150, 152
Central Servicing Development Establishment (CSDE) 56
Chadwick, Roy 6, 7, 10, 11,23,24,34, 155
Christmas Island 129
hurchill, Winston 9,15,18,21,135
Consolidated Catalina 16,17,20,21,46, 127
onsol idated Liberator 16, 18, 2 I, 46, 151
o ford. Aerospace Museum 152
Curtiss H.4 8, 9
De Havilland Comet 142
Douglas DC- 141
Douglas kyraider 138, 150
Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) 70,81,99, 103
Exercise Encompass IZ1, 1ZZ
Fairey Gannet 138, 139, 149, 150, 152
Far East Air Force (FEAF) 77,89,92, 127, 128, 171
Felixstowe F2 8, 9
Fleet Air Arm (FAA) 9
Focke Wulf Fw 200 135
GEC Marconi/Avionic 142, 145,146
General Aircraft Hamilcar 136, 137
Gibraltar 7,46,76,79, 7, 127, 130, 159, 172
Glow WOlin rocket flare 111, 113
Greater Manche ter Museum of cience & Industry 152
Green Satin radar 102
Green Silk radar 102
Heinkel He 115 15
HzS radar 17
Hucknall 40, 54
Institute of Aviation Medicine (lAM) 93,95
190
Joint Anti- ubmarine School (JA ) 48,49,56.65.77,82,
9, 174
Khormaksar 77-9,84,91, 1ZZ-5, 161,170
Kinloss 49,50,57,60,105- , 149,151,163.168,170-2
Langar 43,46,58,60,62,70,82, 4, 5,97
Leigh Light 18,48
Lindholme Gear 73,74,82,99,111,114,131
Lockheed Hudson 10, 14, 17, 19,20
Lockheed N ptune ZZ
Lockheed Type 14 9, 10
Lo iem uth 58,147,152, 156,157,170
Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) 78-80
Majunga Detachment Support Unit 49
Maritime Op rational Training Unit (MOTU) 55, 56, 58,
60-2, 82, 85, 174
Middle East Air Force (MEAF) 78
Mini try of Aircraft Production (MAP) 26
Ministry of Aviation (MoA) Air Fleet 151
apier omad 133, 134
orth Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) 49,141,142,
144, 146, 156
Operation:
Buffalo 129
hallenger 1ZZ
Globetrotter 132
Grapple 49,52,77, 129, 130
Hawk Moth 128
Hurricane 129
Mizar 123
Mosaic 130
Musketeer 12 I, 1ZZ
Orange Harvest radar 78,86, 102
Orrell, Jimmy 34,36,40
Radar Research Establi hment (RRE) 69, 70, 143
RAF Bomber Command 9, 17
RAFCoastalCommand 9,11,15.17,1 ,21,ZZ,41,43.46,
62,71,73,77,81,85,89,163
RAF Handling quadron 46,59,70,99
RAF Maintenance Units (MUs):
5MU 107, 150, 152, 160, 174
12MU 174
23MU 46,62,70,81,99, 174
27MU 81,82,127,174
32MU 92, 152, 174
38MU 46, 55, 78, 82, 174
J DEX
49MU 60,77,79,81, 101, 103, 130, 174
60M 174
71MU 174
103MU 174
137MU 77, 174
390MU 174
RAF Operational Conversion nit (2360CU) 4 ,54,57,5 ,
61,159,170
RAF quadrons:
Sqn 58,85,125,126,147, 149-56,158,160,163,164,
167, 170
37 Sqn 77,78,82,83, 9, 119, 1ZZ, 123, 125-7, 161, 170
38Sqn 74,79,81-3,85,91,119,120,123,170
42 Sqn 52,61,77,84,89,98,110,120,121, 123-5, 127,
131,170
120 Sqn 46,50,65,66,77,89, 100-2, 105,107, 163, 170
201 qn 61,102,106,107,171
203 Sqn 22,80,91,101,105,107,128,171
204 Sqn 11,49,77,81,82, 9,91,92,110, 1ZZ, 123,
128-32,14 ,166, 171
205 qn 55,77,81-3,92,123, 1Z4, 127, 128,131,14 ,16 ,
171
206 qn 51,55,71,75,77, 1,89,100-2,105,106-, 1ZZ,
132,165-7,171
210 Sqn ZZ,77, 2,87, 9,91,101,106,123,125,127,12 ,
131.132,150,161,167,171
ZZO qn 10,50,61,77,82, 7,89,99,106, 162, 163, 166,
171
ZZ4 Sqn 10,46,49,51,52,57,71,76,77,79,80,82.87,
89,90,127,131.171,173
ZZ8 Sqn 71,82,89,92, 1ZZ, 163, 171
240 qn 26,49,50,65,66,77,89,101,129,130,132,162,
173
269 Sqn 46,49,53,55,65,66,77,89,129, 130,162,165,
171
RN Squadrons:
849 qn 138, 152
892 Sqn 153
Rolls-Royce engines:
Griffon 7,27,30,33,41,43,54,58,86,92,95,98, 103,
105, 108, 114, 116, 130-4, 156, 161
Merlin 26
Vulture 25
Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) 17,23,41,63,65,70,71.
73,10
Sahara desert crash 116-18
aunders Roe London 11, 12, 14
Search & Rescue Automatic Homing (SARAH) 43, 114
Shackleton, Sir Ernest 6, 7
hort Singapore 11,13,14
191
Short Sunderland 11, l3-15, 20, 93,107,109,110, 11L
ociety of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) 38, 56, 74,
94,96,99, 142, 144
outh African Air Force (SAAF) L09-L6, LI8
specifications:
42/46 37
B.I/35 20
B.12/36 23
G.18/35 10
GR.17/45 138
P13/26 23
R.5/46 30, 3L, 4 ,67,119
R.24/ L 11
St Eval 55,81,82,89, 124, 166, 170, 172--4
t Mawgan 48,54,57,61,78,79,82,84,85,98,122,123,
152, 166, 171, 173
II DEX
upermarineStranraer 11,12, L4
TA ticaL Air Navigation (TACA ) 70
TeLecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) 135-7
Thor ICBM 172, 174
Trenchard, Sir Hugh Montague 9
Tupolev Tu-20 Bear 153, 154
Vickers-Armstrongs Vildebeest 14, 15
Vickers-Armsrrongs Warwick 19-22,32
Vickers-Armsrrongs Wellington 18, 19, 21, l35, 135
Waddington 147, 160
Westland Sea King 139, L71
Woodford 27,37,40,41,58,60,67,69,70,85,94,95,97,
102,104,133,151,160
192
JI'