RAF DEFFORD REUNION 2011

For many years, the RAF Defford Reunion Association has been run by the indefatigable Albert Shorrock, as a means of keeping in touch with veterans of RAF Defford, their families and friends. Albert is now retiring, and with his retirement the Reunion Association has merged with the DAHG, who from now on will be responsible for keeping in touch with veterans and organising the Reunion event.

This year, the Reunion was held on Saturday, September 10^th, in and around the restored RAF buildings at Croome, as part of the National Heritage event over the weekend of September 10^th and 11th. There was a display of photographs, many of them not shown before, and other material, including the Merlin engine from the crashed Spitfire of Group Captain McDonald, the Station Commander at Defford 1943-46, together with other artefacts and relics from recent archaeological visits to the airfield. The magnificent model of Defford airfield, made by Albert Shorrock and now donated by him to the National Trust at Croome in the care of DAHG, together with other display material, was much admired by visitors in its new location in the visitor information room. Also displayed in that small room next to the Restaurant, but on a temporary basis until they can be moved permanent display in the Reception area, were the Roll of Honour and the Spitfire painting, both presented to the National Trust last year. DAHG members were in attendance with their displays inside the RAF buildings and outside in a marquee, over the whole National Heritage Weekend, which appeared to attract many visitors new to Croome, who showed a great interest in the DAHG displays. Visitors were attracted by community press coverage generated by DAHG, while the Reunion was attended by a good turnout of veterans who served and worked at RAF Defford, together with their families and friends.

The following Saturday, September 17^th, members of the Group were in attendance at ‘Defford Air Day’, a fly-in held at the grass air strip at Croft Farm, which is just off the southern boundary of the former airfield, with access from the Defford to Upton road. This is always a very pleasant event, which takes place annually in aid of the Air Ambulance and the Air Missionary Service. See http://www.defford-croftfarm.co.uk/deffordairday.htm

As in previous years, the wreath laying ceremony at the RAF Defford War Memorial in Defford Village, will be at 11 a.m. on November 11^th, which this year is a Friday. The ceremony will be followed by a buffet lunch for Reunion and Group members, arranged by Sylvia Evans, in Defford Village Hall. This in turn will be followed by the AGM of DAHG now merged with RAF Defford Reunion Association – all current members of the Reunion Association, together with DAHG members are invited. Further information and notice of the AGM will follow.

The planned meeting of DAHG on Sunday, September 25^th, by invitation of our associates the Electronics Restoration Trust, at Cradley, has been CANCELLED owing to unforeseen circumstances. It is hoped to arrange a visit to Cradley and the ERT in the New Year.

The Group operates in support of the National Trust at Croome, and provides expert advice, information and display material to help inform visitors to Croome and the community at large, about this very important chapter in the story of Croome.

Accordingly it is pleasing to report that the role of DAHG has been formally recognised as a National Trust Supporter Group, and individual members of the Group enrolled as National Trust Volunteers at Croome.

Meanwhile, DAHG is working with National Trust officers at Croome, to improve the visitor information room and set up a larger, longer-term display, hopefully in the Court. This will help respond to the considerable interest shown by visitors in the story of RAF Defford and Croome at War.

Albert Shorrock with the Merlin engine of Gp Capt McDonald’s Spitfire, recovered and restored by DAHG members.

Welcome to National Heritage Day visitors to Croome, Sept. 10th 2011!

RAF Defford Reunion 2011

The RAF Defford Reunion this year will be on Saturday September 10th, meeting in the National Trust Restaurant at Croome in the restored RAF buildings from 11.00 a.m.  This year the event will be strictly informal, an opportunity for veterans, their families, friends and supporters to get together for a chat and see the latest moves to preserve the memory of RAF Defford at Croome. These will include photo displays and other exhibits organised by the Defford Airfield Heritage Group. Meals, food and drink for purchase will be available in the normal way in the self-service restaurant. September 10th is the National Heritage Day which means Croome Park and Croome Court will be open free to non-members of the National Trust.  For further information nearer the time, contact Graham Evans on 01684 295327.

Aviation arachaeology at Defford Airfield

Archaeological visits to the airfield by members of the Group, with the permission of the landowner, continue to produce treasures, including an ASV Mark IX radome from a Barracuda, some Merlin engine parts, wing tanks thought to come from an Avro Ashton and what is probably an elevator mass-balance from a Sea Venom. Meanwhile, the Radar Restoration Trust, a constituent of our Group, represented by Tony Waller and Richard Hankins, have restored to working order an “H2S” radar as used by Bomber Command, and added this to their magnificent collection of wartime and vintage radar equipment.

Read more about Radar Restoration.

TFU Defford survivor in Argentina?

Stephen Reglar has e-mailed Bob and Dennis as follows:

Roger (Wintle)  has pointed out to me that Canberra WH702, which served with RRE, subsequently went to Argentina as B-105, and is preserved there. So a surviving Pershore aircraft. Looking at your list on the DAHG site it doesn’t appear as either a Defford or Pershore resident with TFU/RRFU. He tells me that it came to Defford in 1953 and was a “cinderella” aircraft which quietly got on with her work behind the scenes and didn’t feature or appear in any photos that he knows of. It was purchased by BAC in 1968, reworked and then sold to Argentina in 1969 as a B.62.

Having done a bit more research on her I find that the records show WH702 was delivered new in 1953 to Radar Reconnaissance Flight (see below); taken of RAF charge 25.07.57 (presumably to MoS charge?). Involved in RRE “Red Setter” sideways looking radar trials 1954-56, “Green Satin” trials 1954/56 and later G-Band experimental radar development. SOC 05.09.68 at Pershore. Purchased by BAC and flown out of Pershore 05.11.68. Reworked by BAC and sold to Argentina. Given B Class regn G27-127 at BAC 01.71 and delivered as a B.62 26.05.71.

A friend with a great interest in Argentinian Canberras has sent me the attached picture.

Not quite the same as Roger’s comments but, it shows in both cases, she was a Defford & Pershore based aircraft. and seems to have served RRE for 15 years. However, the records do raise an interesting point – Radar Research Flight. I don’t think this had any connection with TFU/RRFU. From the little research I have done the Radar Research Flight was formed at RAF Benson in 1951 with two Lincolns as an off shoot of an operational squadron. It subsequently appears at RAF Wyton with Victors as something connected with 543 Sqn and, I’m guessing here, seems to have turned into 51 Sqn. However, I need to do some more digging on that when time permits.

Canberra WH702 as B-105 in Argentina

Spitfire EN915

­THE STORY OF SPITFIRE EN915

Author: Dennis Williams

Spitfire EN915 was built at the Vickers-Armstrong aircraft factory, Castle Bromwich, and delivered to the Royal Air Force at 37 Maintenance Unit, Burtonwood, on 17 May 1942. It was issued to 154 Squadron at Hornchurch on 12 June 1942. During its time with 154 Squadron, EN915 was flown by Plt Off Ted Hurt on four operations, the last of which was a sweep over France on 29 June 1942. Hurt was shot down and killed near St Omer on 30 July 1942.

On 19 July 1942, EN915 was transferred to 71 (Eagle) Squadron at Debden. This unit included many American personnel, and took part in convoy patrols, as well as Circus, Rhubarb and Ramrod operations over enemy-occupied territory.

With 71 Squadron, EN915 was flown by various pilots, including: Plt Off S M Anderson, 2^nd Lt D W Beeson, Wg Cdr R M B Duke-Woolley, 2^nd Lt V J France, Plt Off H D Hively, 2^nd Lt A H Hopson, Plt Off R D McMinn, Plt Off R L Priser, Sgt A J Seaman, Capt R A Sprague, Plt Off W D Taylor and 2^nd Lt G H Whitlow. Plt Off Bill Taylor was EN915’s regular pilot, and flew the aircraft on several operations, including three in support of the Dieppe raid, ‘Jubilee’, on 19 August 1942. He was shot down off the Belgian coast on 31 August 1942, and has no known grave.

71 Squadron was transferred from the RAF to the US Army Air Forces on 1 October 1942, and re-numbered as 334 Squadron. On 1 December 1942, EN915 was damaged in a mid-air collision with Spitfire W3636. Capt Bob Sprague, the pilot of the latter aircraft, was killed in this accident.

On 13 April 1943, EN915 was dispatched to Scottish Aviation Ltd for repairs. It joined the Telecommunications Flying Unit at Defford on 1 October 1943. At Defford, EN915 acted as a ‘target’ during radar flight trials, but also had a secondary role, providing air defence for the station.

On 1 February 1945, the Station Commander, Gp Capt John McDonald, took off from Defford on a flight to St Davids in Pembrokeshire. En route, directional control was lost, because a bolt in the control linkage to the rudder had not been properly secured. Gp Capt McDonald headed back to Defford, but decided that it would be safer to abandon the aircraft by parachute than to attempt a landing without the use of the rudder. Over open country, he climbed EN915 to a height of 9,000 feet, then baled out.

Gp Capt McDonald landed safely near Stoke Orchard airfield, while EN915 dived steeply into the ground at The Leigh, to the south of Tewkesbury. Surface wreckage was cleared from the crash site, but all parts forward of the cockpit were left buried there. When these remains were unearthed at Leigh Court Farm nearly 50 years later, the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was found to have penetrated the ground to a depth of 12 feet as a result of the Spitfire’s high speed impact.

Note by Bob Shaw:

The Merlin engine from EN915 and other parts recovered from the crash site are now preserved by DAHG.

The Merlin engine from EN915 on display at the RAF Defford Reunion 2010

EN915 in squadron service

EN915 in squadron service

Spitfire EN915, which Group Captain J.McDonald was forced to abandon over Defford in 1944 - painting by David Shepherd. See report on RAF Defford Reunion 2010 in NEWS section

 

 



Canberra WT333 and the TFU

Canberra WT333

Canberra WT333 is one of the few, perhaps the only aircraft still “alive” extant which can be connected with TFU Defford, admittedly probably at one stage removed.

This Canberra is co-owned by DAHG members Roger Wintle, Clive Davies and Stephen Reglar plus one other person. It is maintained and preserved in a “live” condition at Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire, where the engines are run and the aircraft regularly undertakes ground runs – see http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=26783

Canberra WT333 was completed and supplied directly to the Ministry for Supply, for trials work at RAE Farnborough, in 1956. At this date the TFU at Defford was still active, the airfield did not close until 1957, so it is just possible WT333 visited Defford in 1956 or 1957.

In 1957, when Defford airfield closed, radar research on behalf of what was now the Royal Radar Establishment (RRE) moved to Pershore airfield. In 1969, after a varied career in research and development at Farnborough, Boscombe Down, Woomera and elsewhere, WT333 was assigned to the RRE Flight at Pershore in 1969, moving on to RAE Bedford in 1977, before disposal and preservation at Bruntingthorpe in 1995.

For the full story of Canberra WT333, see http://on-target-aviation.com/heritage/

“Walrus” paintings presented to DAHG

At the annual RAF Defford Re-Union in Croome Court on July 17th, Lloyd Griffiths who is the son of Group Captain Frank Griffiths, gave to the Defford Airfield Heritage Group for display and safe keeping, a set a paintings by Wally Hammond illustrating an episode in Frank Griffiths’ flying career with TFU at Defford.

Lloyd Griffiths (right) views one of the paintings with Albert Shorrock (left) of the RAF Defford Re-Union Association and Graham Evans, Chairman the Defford Airfield Heritage Group.

The story behind the paintings is as follows.

THE WALRUS AND THE SUBMARINE

One of the responsibilities of TFU at RAF Defford was to work with the Royal Navy, perfecting airborne radar for ASV (air-to-surface-vessel) and anti-submarine work, in support of RAF Coastal Command and of the Fleet Air Arm.

In January 1943, Frank Griffiths (later Group Captain and o/c Flying at Defford) flew a Walrus amphibian flying boat from Defford to Northern Ireland for trials in co-operation with an elderly Royal Navy Submarine, H33.

On the last day of the trials, the submarine H33 suffered a loss of control and was immobilised as a consequence of a collapse of part of the deck plating on the hull. Frank Griffiths observed the problem from the air, and unable to break radio silence, decided to make a landing on the calm open sea alongside the submarine, to establish the extent of the difficulties.

While the submarine crew repaired the damage, Griffiths enjoyed a convivial lunch in the wardroom of H33. When he emerged however, he found the sea had risen with breaking waves which would make take off impossible. He hatched a daring plan with the captain of the submarine, for the vessel to steam at full speed into wind to create a slick of calm sea in its wake in which the following Walrus might take off. This required precise timing. Starting too early, and the Walrus might hit the submarine – too late, and returning high waves would make take off impossible.

In his reminiscences, Griffiths wrote: “I was unhappily aware this was one of those cases where if things went wrong it would mean a court martial. Their Lordships…… took the poorest possible view of those who broke aeroplanes in this kind of lark. On the other hand a successful take-off would be regarded as a good show”.

“I opened up and we roared over the crest of the first swell, and I could see the submarine going up the slope of the next one ahead – unpleasantly close… as soon as we were at the bottom of the swell the sub vanished again.  We got to the top of the next one – and we were airborne…..”

This story was related in his inimitable style by the late Group Captain Griffiths in his book “Angel Visits – From Biplane to Jet”.

The paintings of the incident of the Walrus and the submarine, were kindly loaned by Captain Lloyd Griffiths, the son of Frank Griffiths, for display to the RAF Defford Reunion Association and for safe keeping by the DAHG.

Photos of the paintings below:

RAF Defford Reunion 2010

The annual RAF Defford Reunion took place in Croome Court on Saturday 17^th July, at the same time as the National Trust’s ‘RAF Defford at 70’ themed weekend at Croome Park.

Veterans who had served at Defford gathered with their families and friends in the Court’s Tapestry Room to enjoy the event, which was organised principally by Graham Evans (Chairman of the Defford Airfield Heritage Group) and Albert Shorrock of the RAF Defford Reunion Association – Albert himself is a true veteran of RAF Defford having served there from 1942 onwards.  A splendid lunch was prepared and served by Sylvia Evans and her team.

The Tapestry Room housed a fine series of display boards by Mike Dean of the Purbeck Radar Museum Trust, illustrating the development of aviation radar during and after World War Two. There was also a display of  radar equipment of the Electronics Restoration Trust, organised by DAHG member Tony Waller, and other wall displays that included an introduction to the newly-formed Defford Airfield Heritage Group

Guests attending the Reunion mingled with National Trust visitors, who were also able to see a fine display by Graham Evans of photographs of the glory days of RAF Defford in the Dining Room, where also on display were three paintings presented to the Trust by Lloyd Griffiths, son of Group Captain Frank Griffiths, illustrating ‘The Walrus and the Submarine’ episode so memorably described by Frank Griffiths in his book ‘Angel Visits’.

Elsewhere, Albert Shorrock’s scale model of RAF Defford was on display in a marquee on the South Lawn, where Antony Whitehead and Dennis Williams of DAHG exhibited a variety of fascinating relics recovered from the Defford Airfield site, including Antony’s latest prize discovery, an almost intact radome thought to be from a Fairey Barracuda.  Outside the marquee was the star of the show, the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine recovered from the crash site of Spitfire EN915, which Group Captain J.A. McDonald was forced to abandon south of Defford in 1945 after rudder control was lost.

In a ceremony after lunch at the Reunion, in the Saloon overlooking the South Terrace, Mike McDonald, the son of Group Captain McDonald, presented a framed copy of the superb David Shepherd painting of Spitfire EN915, which was accepted by Albert Shorrock on behalf of the Reunion Association and passed to Christian Walker of the National Trust for safe keeping and permanent display at Croome. Mike spoke movingly of his father’s time as Station Commander at Defford and his very hands-on approach to piloting the great variety of aircraft used for radar trials and development by the Telecommunications Flying Unit.

A second presentation then followed when Bill Sleigh, formerly Chief Engineer at the Royal Radar Establishment air station at Pershore, donated to the National Trust a Roll of Honour listing all those who gave their lives flying with the Telecommunications Flying Unit, and its successor, the Radar Research Flying Unit. The Roll of Honour is framed alongside an illustration of the Memorial Window at Goodrich Castle, which is close to where Halifax V9977 crashed in 1942, killing all eleven on board, including the gifted scientist Alan Blumlein. When making the presentation to Christian Walker of the National Trust, Bill Sleigh was accompanied by Squadron Leader Nic Shelley, who served at Defford as a navigator, and whose brother’s name is among those recorded on the Roll of Honour.

The displays for the Reunion remained on show to the public for the whole of the ‘RAF Defford at 70’ weekend, which included a rally of WWII vehicles, a brass band in the Temple Greenhouse, a re-enactment of an RAF Operations Room in the Long Gallery of the Court, and amplified music with a rather good lead singer, who performed songs from the 1940s on the South Terrace.

The weather for the event, with a southerly breeze, sunshine and high clouds, was perfect for the occasion. The only disappointment was the non-appearance of the scheduled flypast by the Lancaster, perhaps coupled with earlier regret that Lloyd Griffiths was not able to arrive, as had been hoped, in his autogiro which was out of commission – like Spitfire EN915 it had lost its rudder!

Altogether a great day and a great weekend, thanks to the hospitality of National Trust, supported all the way by DAHG and the Reunion Association, and all the volunteers who worked so hard to ensure a successful event.

Albert Shorrock and Graham Evans welcome veterans and familes to the RAF Defford Reunion, 2010, in the Tapestry Room of Croome Court

‘RAF Defford at ’70’ celebrations at Croome Court

Michael McDonald (left) presents the painting of his father’s Spitfire to Albert Shorrock of the RAF Defford Reunion Association

Bill Sleigh (right), accompanied by Nic Shelley (centre),  presents the Roll of Honour to Christian Walker of the National Trust (left)

Albert Shorrock and Graham Evans inspect one of the ‘Walrus’ paintings donated to the care of the Defford Airfield Heritage Group by Lloyd Griffiths (right), the son of Group Captain Frank Griffiths

News

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