Models of Ouston's Aircraft

Three Gloster Gladiator fighters were the first aircraft to be based at Ouston, even before the new airfield had been fully completed, and possibly as early as October 1940. They initially belonged to RAF Ouston's Station Flight, and from April 1941 were on the strength of 13 Group Communications Flight headquartered in Blakelaw, Newcastle, with air defence responsibility for all of northern Britain and Scotland. The first of these three was Gloster Gladiator Mk.1, K6132 , and this was only the fourth Gladiator built in 1936.  Before delivery to the RAF it  was used for a set of publicity photographs taken by "Aeroplane" magazine, and the one shown below was used by 'Valentines Postcards', thus becoming the most common image of a silver painted Gladiator, even to this day.

K6132 entered service with 72 Squadron in February 1937, serving at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire, but also with a spell at RAF Acklington, Northumberland. During this period it became the regular mount of Pilot Officer James Nicholson, who was later (in 1940 flying a Hurricane) to win Fighter Command's only Victoria Cross of the war.  Nicholson was flying K6132 during the 'Munich Crisis' of 1938, and all the Gladiators were hastily, and somewhat crudely camouflaged. K6132 lost its pre-war silver scheme and colourful markings, to become 'RN-S' of 72 Squadron, as seen in this (unattributed) photograph, Nicholson flying;

This is an early  1936 built Bristol Blenheim Mk.1 light bomber, L1525, of 3 Radio Servicing Section of 72 Wing at RAF Ouston.  The airfield was not officially opened until March 1941, but 3 RSS moved in far earlier and flew off the grass areas from 13th October 1940.  L1525 didn't last long, and crashed on take-off from RAF Horsham St.Faith (now Norwich Airport) on 24th October 1940, the three crew were injured but safe.

What was L1525 doing down in Norfolk?  There is little clue in its unit "3 RSS", nor in it reporting to 72 (Signals) Wing which was based at nearby Hallington Hall in Northumberland. But further research revealed that 72 Wing was part of 60 Group, and the RAF's 60 Group were entirely responsible for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the top secret 'Chain Home' radar system throughout the War, and 72 Wing was responsible for all the radar installations from the Firth of Forth right down to Suffolk, including on the West coast of Britain and the Isle of Man. So L1525 was actually a radar calibration aircraft and "3 RSS" was a spoof designation.

There is no known photo or description of L1525, so reference has been made to Michael Bowyer's two books on Bombing and Fighting Colours, Bowyer being a meticulous wartime spotter.  The colour scheme applied to this model of L1525 is consistent with the many Blenheims that he saw during the 1940 period of rapidly changing and inconsistent alterations to official markings. Basically L1525 retains its pre-War top colours complete with the pre-War practice of displaying the serial on the rudder. As an 'odd' serial number it has the type B camouflage pattern (even serial numbers had the type A pattern, a mirror image). It was initially used by the makers Bristol for trials work, before joining 601 Squadron at RAF Northolt, and this was a fighter unit which used Blenheims for longer range convoy protection. This was during the Battle of Britain period so L1525 would have had its undersides repainted in the 'half black / half white' recognition scheme.  That scheme was soon dispensed with, and 'sky' (duck egg green) undersides were mandated instead. At this time colours would be mixed locally and there was much confusion regarding what 'duck egg green' was supposed to look like, with local shades varying from blue to green. Bowyer describes the previous straight demarcation line frequently being overpainted in duck egg green with a wavy pattern. Also control surfaces were usually painted at Maintenance Units so as not to affect the delicate balance of the controls, but with a 'local' paint job they would be left in their previous half black / half white colours. Bowyer also describes how the supposedly plain underside scheme would frequently have prominent roundels added, if the aircraft was at risk from 'friendly fire'. In general the pre-War bright roundels were retained, but modified locally to add yellow rings, plus a tail flash on the previously bare fin. These locally applied markings rarely conformed to official standards. Finally, L1525 would have carried code letters with its  previous 601 Squadron, and these have been crudely painted out with fresh paint.

L1525 would have retained its armament, given that the enemy was still very active in British skies, and its crash at Norwich confirms that the gun turret was occupied with a third crew member. 

Also part of Ouston's initial, and top secret activity, was the Avro 671 Rota, a licence built Cierva C.30A.  This was a gyrocopter, not a helicopter.  The engine and propellor at the front pulled the aircraft  along, with the rotor blades on top windmilling to provide the lift.  It could not 'hover' like a helicopter, but was capable of flying at very low speeds, or appearing to be stationary in a strong headwind.

3 RSS (radio servicing section) had one on its 1940-41 inventory, in addition to the Bristol Blenheim (shown above).  The actual machine involved has not been identified, and it is likely that all of the RAF's Rotas were based together in the south of England, with examples being regularly detached to calibrate all of the  Radar Stations around the British coastline.  RAF Ouston would be one such base, and the Rota would slowly circle a fixed target that was anchored in the sea at the limit of the Radar Station's range.  This was dangerous work being carried out on the 'front line' of enemy activity, therefore the Rotas were given a fighter escort for protection.  This was easier said than done, as the RAF's Hurricane and Spitfire fighters proved to be useless because their Merlin engines rapidly overheated at slow speeds.  Therefore Gloster Gladiator fighters were used (see above), and this helps to explain why RAF Ouston's Station Flight was initially equipped with three Gladiator fighters.

The Rota was a pre-war civil design widely used in the 1930's, but by 1939 the novelty of it had worn off, and most surviving examples were held in store by the manufacturer.  With the outbreak of War the RAF gathered together the 17 surviving Rotas, and they were put to work on radar calibration, still bearing their civil registration on hastily applied camouflage, green and brown camouflage on top, with yellow undersides, like normal trainer colours.  With very careful maintenance, much rebuilding with spare parts, and given the inherent safety of the design, it is remarkable that 12 of the 17 survived the War to be re-sold onto the civil market in 1946.  This very long service life also means that the Rotas progressively wore the full range of wartime RAF camouflage variations, and the example illustrated here, AP507, is shown in a 1942-43 scheme of green/brown camouflage on top with sky coloured undersides, grey code letters, and dull roundels and tail flashes.  AP507 had initially served with 5 RMU (radio maintenance unit), then 1448 Flight, which in 1943 became 529 Squadron at RAF Duxford, with the squadron code letters 'KX'.  It is not known if it was one of the Rotas to regularly use RAF Ouston, but with less than 17 examples in service there is a reasonable chance that it did so, and it is recorded as having been used at Belfast, far from its base at Duxford near Cambridge.

The small white lettering along the top of the tail is an unusual instruction - "Park tail to wind" - the opposite is true for most other aircraft types, to prevent the control surfaces flapping in the wind and being damaged.  However, if the Rota was parked nose-to-wind the rotor blades could start to windmill and would lift and topple the aircraft.

AP507 had been G-ACWP as a civil aircraft pre-war, and after being one of the 12 survivors sold back into civil hands in 1946, it eventually became one of the four examples to be saved for museum display in the British Isles, and can be viewed in the Science Museum in London.

The first squadron to move into the newly completed RAF Ouston, was 317 (Polish) Squadron who made the short journey from nearby RAF Acklington in April 1941. All of the pilots were members of the Polish Air Force in exile, with an RAF Squadron Leader in command. This Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 is V7013, with the 'JH' codes of 317  "Wilenski" Sqdn and the individual aircraft letter 'L'.  The red and white chequer insignia of the Polish Air Force is displayed under the cockpit canopy. 

This Hurricane is equipped for night flying, with exhaust glare shields in front of the canopy. The Hurricane was used as a makeshift night-fighter during the Winter 'blitz' of 1940-41, and it relied on being directed by ground control and then hoping to pick up enemy bombers caught in search light beams.  Successful interceptions were few.

On 2nd June 1941, Flying Officer Niemiec in Hurricane V7123, code letters 'JH-Z', and Sergeant Baranowski in Hurricane W9183, code letters 'JH-F' (?) achieved 317's, and RAF Ouston's first victory, when they shot down a Junkers Ju88 off Tynemouth at 2230 hours. At that time of year it was still light, so it was a visual interception. There was nothing subtle about Sgt Baranowski's attack, he closed to point blank range and emptied all eight of his machine guns in one long burst. Two of the four Germans were rescued by a trawler after the Junkers ditched. The celebrations had already started at Ouston before the two Hurricanes had even landed, and both pilots were carried shoulder high from their aircraft.

The vital industrial and shipping centres in the North East were heavily defended by anti-aircraft guns.  The AA gunners needed constant training and practice to remain effective, and this was a role that RAF Ouston helped to provide throughout the war. Illustrated is a Westland Lysander Mk.II, P9099 which served as a target aircraft with no less than three Ouston units. Firstly, from May 1941 with 7 Anit-Aircraft Co-operation Unit [7 AACU], followed by 13 Group  Target Towing Flight [also referred to as 13 Group AACU]; which subsequently became 289 Squadron.  However P9099 was not a target towing aircraft for live firing exercises, rather it was used to calibrate the AA guns for height and speed.

In 1942 P9099 left Ouston to be converted into a Lysander TT.Mk.II, equipped for towing target drogues for live firing. It was then issued to 41 OTU at Old Sarum in Wiltshire, before being crated for shipping to the Middle East. However it never made it, being lost at sea in January 1943, so it presumably just about still exists somewhere on the seabed.

No photographs are known to exist of any of the numerous Lysander aircraft used at Ouston, so the colour scheme shown is a matter of conjecture. It has been assumed that P9099 might have remained close to its former operational configuration and colours, at least initially at Ouston.  These colours are dark earth and dark green with sky under (the duck egg green colour). No code letters were worn by these Lysander aircraft at Ouston, they were identified purely by their serial number.  P9099 is also shown with a yellow 'gas contamination patch' on the left undercarraige fairing, a relic from the desperate days in 1940 when anti-invasion plans included the use of Lysander aircraft to spray mustard gas onto invading enemy forces on the beaches.

The first of many Spitfires to be based at Ouston came with 122 Squadron in June 1941. They briefly moved down from Edinburgh/Turnhouse, and only stayed for a month. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I illustrated is P9500 'MT-P' in the standard colour scheme applied in early 1941. The code letters allocated to 122 Squadron were 'MT', and the individual aircraft letter is 'P'. The 'sky' coloured (otherwise known as duck-egg green) propellor spinner and tail band were standard recognition colours for day fighters.

In June 1941 the RAF's 131 Squadron was reformed at RAF Ouston, and the squadron code letters 'NX' were allocated. Half of the pilots were Belgian, and they formed the squadron's 'B' flight [which is the second letter after 'A' flight, and did not stand for 'Belgians'].  The whole squadron soon moved to RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire in July 1941, and looking at the recorded histories of individual Spitfire aircraft, they show 'July 1941' as their delivery date to the squadron. So despite published histories suggesting otherwise, it is possible that it was only personnel and admin that started at Ouston, with the Spitfires being delivered direct to Catterick?

Nevertheless, 131 Squadron did start life at Ouston, and extracts from a Belgian pilot's logbook show that in October 1941 he frequently flew Supermarine Spitfire 1a P9306 coded 'M', the subject of this model. P9306 had been one of the early deliveries to the squadron in July 1941.  The mark 1 Spitfires were only used for initial training, before being replaced from October by the more capable Spitfire IIa. P9306 had fought in the Battle of Britain in 1940 and scored several victories. It was also shot down, repaired, and fought on. Then in 1943, following a request from the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, it was selected to be shipped to Chicago and remains on public display to this day. It now wears a 1943 colour scheme, and also has various modifications applied to Spitfires after 1941.

The model of P9306 shown here, attempts to portray it as it might have looked soon after delivery in July 1941 to 131 Squadron at Ouston, or Catterick. A photograph of a similarly painted Spitfire 'NX-M' can be found on the website dedicated to 350 Squadron RAF, (and postwar Belgian Air Force), which was formed in December 1941 from 'B' flight of 131 Squadron, latterly of Ouston and Catterick. The markings on this Spitfire are typical of the 1941 period, but also illustrate the variations in lettering styles and positions that were commonplace. The propellor spinner and tail band are painted with 'Duck Egg Blue' which was an attempt by officialdom to describe what the colour 'Sky' meant. Other official documents described 'Sky' as 'Duck Egg Green', and squadron painters did their best to mix the colour accordingly.

131 Squadron has another link to local history, namely that the Newcastle upon Tyne Air Cadets in Windsor Terrace were numbered "131 (F) ATC Squadron". Some ATC units adopted the numbers of RAF squadrons, presumably for some good reason, but the use of '131' seems somewhat strange as the RAF squadron is officially known as "131 (County of Kent) Squadron". Nevertheless, this author was an ATC Cadet with 131 (F) in Newcastle from 1962, and all the cadets did their initial air experience flights, and gliding courses, at nearby RAF Ouston. I can't recall anyone ever mentioning the Belgians.

It can be seen to have a damaged propellor (and probably a shock-loaded engine), but otherwise is in good condition.  Preucil had defected, landing in a field in Belgium  near the Ardennes. He had been recruited by the Gestapo during the German invasion of Europe before joining other Czechs and Poles escaping through France to England. At the War's end he was captured, tried for Treason, and hanged in 1947. W9147 did not last long either, being destroyed during an RAF bombing raid on Berlin on the night of 23rd/24th November 1943.

The full horrible history of the Czech Defector, "the one who got away" can be found on a separate page on this RAF Ouston website, The Czech Defector

Another remarkable story was developing in late 1941 involving the Hawker Hurricane aircraft. 232 Squadron had been at RAF Ouston since July 1941, initially with the Hurricane Mk.1, then receiving new built Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb (Trop.) aircraft from August 1941. This version of the Hurricane had a larger engine, twelve Browning machine guns, and rather curiously for Ouston, the aircraft were fitted with the cumbersome 'Tropical' dust filter under the nose. More noticeable was the 'desert' camouflage scheme where the dark green was replaced with the 'sand' colour and the undersides were painted azure or mid-blue.  The red propellor spinner was a standard recognition marking for use in North Africa. Some 50 pilots were present at Ouston, training to become a new Wing in the Desert Air Force. Thus, on 11th November the aircraft went to be crated for shipping, and the pilots embarked on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, sailing for the Middle East via the Cape of South Africa. However, at Cape Town the squadron and the aircraft were diverted to Singapore where Malaya had just been invaded by the Japanese.

Aircraft BE588 arrived at Singapore on 13th January 1942, crated on the SS Sussex, and by 17th January it was ready for operations with 232 Squadron. On 21st January Pilot Officer John Gorton (Royal Australian AF) took it into combat on his first sortie, and took hits from a Japanese fighter. The engine failed but he managed to make RAF Kallang for a forced landing where the undercarraige collapsed and the aircraft flipped over. P/O Gorton suffered serious facial injuries and was evacuated on the ship 'Derrymore' for Jakarta, which was then sunk by a Japanese submarine. Gorton was rescued with others from a lifeboat and eventually made it to Australia.

Sir John Grey Gorton GCMG, AC, CH became the nineteenth Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1968 to 1971, and his face remained disfigured from his crash in BE588. His published history confirms that he was one of 50 pilots who were trained in England to become a new Wing in the Desert Air Force. 

In searching for photos of 232 Squadron Hurricanes only two were found, taken at Singapore by the Japanese of abandoned aircraft. RAF serials lists show that some 30 Mk.IIb's were issued newly built to 232 Squadron, presumably at Ouston. All 30 had been lost around Singapore and Java by February 1942, eight shot down, eleven crashed, nine lost, and two missing. Complete carnage. There is not much recorded about 232 Squadron, which is hardly surprising given their brief existence, but the story emerged of their sailing to join the Desert Air Force and diversion en-route to end up in Singapore. The Japanese photos confirm that the Hurricanes arrived still in 'Desert' colours, no squadron codes carried just individual aircraft letters. The red prop spinners had been overpainted black, but otherwise the aircraft were 'as built' and delivered to Ouston.

No squadron code letters ('EF') were applied at Ouston, but the individual aircraft letters may have been. It is not known which letter was given to BE588, so for this model the letter 'G' was chosen, being the seventh letter of the alphabet and BE588 apparently being the seventh new built aircraft delivered. Only after the model was finished was it discovered that Gorton was flying it when it was shot down. The Japanese photos show both sides of the abandoned Hurricanes, and it does seem odd that the individual aircraft letters were painted as if they were part of a full squadron code which had either been removed, or was maybe to be added later. The aircraft in the photos show no sign of any re-painting.

Postscript

Quite by chance, when browsing through some second hand war books, a 1944 hardback titled "Last Flight from Singapore" was found.  This was written by Flt Lt Arthur Gerald Donahue DFC, an American pilot serving in the RAF, his manuscript was found in his papers and published posthumously.  For security reasons at the time he had heavily disguised or omitted details, but it would seem that he was with 242 Squadron which had a parallel history to 232 Squadron, as described (above).  After being decimated the remnants of 232 Squadron were merged into 242 Squadron, thus becoming part of the story told in the book.  Also, with the manuscript were the photographs that Donahue had taken, and these are some of the photographs that enabled this Hurricane model to be built.

In mid-1941 81 Squadron returned from Russia, where they had been one of two RAF squadrons sent to train the Russians to fly Hurricanes.  81 Squadron re-formed at  RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh,  with flights being detached to Ouston for the defence of Tyneside.  Their allocated code letters  were 'FL' and initially they were issued with the Spitfire Mk.Va.  This was one of the rarest versions of the Spitfire, with only some 100 examples being built or converted from earlier marks.  One of these aircraft was P9448 which had initially been built as a Spitfire Mk.1a in April 1940.  It was first issued to Farnborough for medical and negative G trials, and then on 4th June 1940 it joined 72 Squadron based at RAF Acklington, Northumberland. The 'Battle of Britain'  was well underway and P9448, flown by F/O T.A.F. Elsdon of 'B' Flight, participated in 72 Squadron's response to the  major, but ill-fated Luftwaffe raid on the North East on 15th August 1940.  Elsdon claimed a Me110 destroyed.  One of 72 Squadron's other pilots was Ronald Alexander Thomson from New Zealand, and on the night of 26/27th June 1940 he was part of a flight detached to RAF Woolsington (now Newcastle Airport), where he downed a Junkers 88 caught in searchlights, one of the very few night time Spitfire victories.

Thomson was not flying P9448 on that occasion, but he was flying it on 1st September 1940, after 72 Squadron had moved south to RAF Gravesend.  He was attacked and shot down by a Messerschmitt 109, and Thomson received multiple wounds from canon shell splinters, but he managed to glide down for a crash landing. Unfortunately the field he chose had been strung with anti-invasion cables and P9448 was wrecked and subsequently declared a write-off.  Thomson returned to 72 Squadron six weeks later and survived the War to return to New Zealand with his family.  P9448 was returned to the manufacturer and rebuilt  as a Mark Va with the new Merlin 45 engine.  History then repeated itself and P9448 went back to Farnborough for more medical and High G black-out trials.  After that it went to 53 Operational Training Unit at Heston (now an M4 motorway service area), before joining 81 Squadron at Turnhouse and Ouston in June 1941.  Once more it was back in Northumbrian skies, and it lasted until 7th February 1942 when it ran off the runway at Ouston, struck a snow bank and over-turned into the snow.  It was not repaired and was scrapped.

When P9448 became a Mark Va it was painted in the new 'offensive' colours  introduced in mid-1941, of dark grey and dark green, with medium sea grey undersurfaces. Officially the new top colour was 'Ocean Grey' which had a distinct bluish tint, but it was a complex colour to mix, and supplies were slow to appear.  So an alternative was authorised to be mixed at local level, consisting of the undersurface medium grey mixed 7 to one with black, but lacking the bluish tint.  It is impossible to tell from black & white photographs which grey was used on a particular aircraft, but it is likely that P9448  was painted at a time when the official 'Ocean Grey' was in very short supply.  The new recognition markings of yellow wing leading edges, and 'sky' coloured spinner and tail band  were applied, with 'sky' code letters.  The style of the roundels is the same as the earlier markings of 1940-41, with bright red colours, and it would be mid-1942 before they were made to be less conspicuous.

In the Summer months of 1942 it was decided to strengthen the night defences of Tyneside, and so the Canadians arrived. 410 (Canadian) Squadron was based at RAF Drem in Scotland, and their 'A' Flight was detached to Ouston for the months of May to August 1942. They were equipped with the Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.1 and the aircraft illustrated is V1110, wearing the 'RA' codes of 410 Squadron and the individual aircraft letter 'H'.

The Defiant was a somewhat strange concept for a fighter, its only armament being a four gun turret. It had suffered badly as a day fighter in the Battle of Britain in 1940, and was quickly changed to a night fighting role where it was safe from enemy fighters. It had some success as a night fighter, but initially relied on ground control to direct it to targets, and then hope to make visual contact. Later on it was fitted with radar, but this was not at Ouston.

Defiant V1110 is paint overall in a 'smooth night' finish, the official description for black. The markings have had the white and yellow removed to make it less visible in the dark, although the prominent tail flash has just had the white overpainted in grey. Unusually 410 Squadron also retained red and blue roundels under the wings, these were not normally carried on night fighters, and indicate that this particular aircraft was originally in 'day fighter' colours and has been overpainted with the underwing roundels retained, but modified.  The red on the propellor spinner is also a distinctive decoration used by the Canadians.

So EN821 has probably become one of the best known Spitfires, although few realise it. Neither does the story of EN821 end there, and in October 1942 it moved on to 65 Squadron, after which it went back to manufacturers throughout 1943, for updates and modifications. In February 1944 it was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm, but apparently it was not 'navalised' or given a hook, rather just being intended for shore based training. It was issued to 808 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Lee-on-Solent. Then on D-Day 6th June 1944 it was shot down by an enemy fighter over Le Havre, while being used for spotting and gun laying for Royal Navy warships. Sadly the pilot Sub Lieutenant Cogill was killed. There were some 129 allied aircraft lost during the D-Day invasion, but it was rare indeed for one to fall to the Luftwaffe who had largely been neutralised during the invasion. EN821 would have been painted with the prominent 'D-Day stripes', but it is not known if it still wore RAF camouflage colours, or had been repainted in the Fleet Air Arm 'temperate sea' scheme.

The only Bomber Command squadron ever to use Ouston was 226 Squadron, based at RAF Swanton Morley in Norfolk. On 4th August 1942 they were detached to Ouston to take part in an Army Co-operation Exercise called "Dryshod". This day in the history of Ouston then became infamous because 226 Squadron lost three aircraft to accidents that first day, the second of which was this Douglas Boston III, AL275, wearing 226's codes 'MQ-Z'. The aircraft was approaching Ouston to land when the engines cut out and it crash landed about 4 miles to the west of Ouston, in a field at Great Whittington. The pilot was Sergeant W.E.Burns and he and the two other crew members were unhurt. The aircraft was a write off and was not repaired.

The Douglas Boston was a light bomber used for low level attacks on enemy shipping and coastal targets in occupied Europe, and 226 Squadron had already lost it's previous 'MQ-Z' to flak in May 1942, that aircraft crash landing in Holland with the crew taken prisoner.  AL275 was the replacement aircraft, and it had been built by Douglas in the USA before being shipped to Liverpool, towed wingless through the street of Liverpool, and re-assembled at Speke Airfield (now Liverpool Airport). Subsequently 226 Squadron had a very active war, including flying the first bombing raid to include American crews; air cover over the Dieppe Landings;  laying smoke screens on the Normandy beaches on D-day;  and flying from captured airfields in close support of the Allied advance into Germany.

AL275 was painted in the standard day bomber colours of dark green and dark earth camouflage over sky painted undersides. The code letters were originally medium grey, but had been over painted in dull red as per new markings regulations for bombers from May 1942. At the same time the previous fuselage roundel, with its large yellow surround, had been replaced and the outline of the previous yellow surround can still be seen.

The Douglas Boston was also probably the first tricycle undercarraige aircraft type ever to be based at Ouston.

Ouston was under the control of RAF Fighter Command, but its proximity to the military ranges at Otterburn have often made it a useful airfield for Army aviation. Indeed, to this day the Army continue to occupy the Ouston airfield site, as Albemarle Barracks. The first such use by the Army came with 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron, of the RAF's Army Co-operation Command, in August 1942. The 613 Squadron was one of the pre-war auxiliary air force squadrons, composed of civilian reservists. At Ouston they were under Army  control, with the aircraft being serviced and maintained by RAF personnel.

613 Squadron was equipped with the new North American Mustang Mk.1, and the example illustrated here is AG586, with the 'SY' codes of 613 Squadron, and the individual letter 'K'. The British Purchasing Commission had gone to the USA in 1940, to order large quantities of American aircraft 'off the shelf'. Also including a completely new design to British requirements, the NA-83, later P-51A, named 'Mustang'. The Mustang (with Merlin engine) eventually developed into the outstanding allied fighter of WW2, but the early Mustang Mk.1 (P-51A) had the Allison engine, and it gave a poor performance at altitude. So it was rejected by RAF Fighter Command, and the 600+ examples ordered were assigned to Army Co-operation Command for low level tactical reconnaissance. It was faster than a Spitfire, had more than double the range, and was more heavily armed.

All of the early batch of Mustangs were painted in America before being shipped to Liverpool, and the Americans used Dupont paint colors which only approximated to British camouflage colours. Also, the Americans applied incorrect styles of markings in the wrong positions. The 'sky' coloured code letters were painted on arrival in England, and due to the fuselage roundel being in the wrong position, the individual code letter (e.g.'K') was displayed on the nose.

Unusually, the 613 Squadron Mustangs carried on the nose the 'Panda' insignia of the 9th Armoured Division. This was a non-operational force tasked with equipment trials and developing tactics, presumably utilising the military training ranges in Northumberland. The 9th also worked out how best to use the new Mustang in the tactical reconnaissance role. Initially the aircraft (as illustrated here) lacked cameras, had the earlier radio installation, and the early style engine exhausts which caused glare problems for the pilots in poor light conditions.

In January 1943 the Royal Navy arrived at Ouston when 804 Naval Air Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) moved in with Hawker Sea Hurricane aircraft. They only stayed for a month, and this was one of only two short occasion that Ouston ever hosted Navy aircraft. The reason for this month long visit is not known, but it is possible that Ouston's location close to the important ship-building ports of the Tyne and Wear was so that 804 Squadron could participate in warship trials or exercises.

Illustrated is Hawker Sea Hurricane IIc, serial NF700, wearing 804's squadron code 'S7'. The Fleet Air Arm used alpha numeric codes, and the aircraft is painted in the 'temperate sea scheme' of slate grey (the greenish colour) and extra dark sea grey, with sky undersides and spinner. FAA aircraft did not normally wear identification colours of yellow or sky, so their aircraft were well camouflaged against a sea background.

Sea Hurricane NF700 had an interesting history, and was originally built as a Hurricane Mk.IIc for the RAF with the serial number KW921. However it was retained in the factory and together with others was converted to become a Sea Hurricane IIc. They were given new serial numbers, which was unusual because normally any British service aircraft retains its original serial number for life. The conversion to a Naval aircraft involved fitting an arrestor hook and strengthening the fuselage and undercarraige for deck landings. Navy radios, a life raft, and extra navigation equipment completed the conversion. It retained its original armament of four 20mm cannon, and could carried bombs, rockets or fuel tanks under the wings. Together with its six (later nine) companions NF700 was delivered to 804 Squadron and embarked on the aircraft carrier HMS Dasher. In October 1942 they sailed for the Mediterranean to join the American led invasion of French occupied North Africa. This was "Operation Torch", and to try and disguise the British participation, all aircraft taking part were painted with American 'stars' in place of the British markings. The theory was that the Vichy French defenders were more likely to capitulate to their 'friends' the Americans.

HMS Dasher returned to Britain late in 1942 and 804 Squadron disembarked and spent brief periods at two FAA airfields before arriving at Ouston. By then it is assumed that the "Operation Torch" markings would have been removed and replaced with 804's normal codes, as shown on the model above. After spending the month of January 1943 at Ouston, 804 Squadron moved to Northern Ireland at the beginning of February, and handed all their aircraft over to 835 Squadron, including NF700. The story does not end there, because 835 Squadron had the aircraft overpainted in 'Arctic white' and embarked on the aircraft carrier HMS Nairana to join the Arctic convoys to Russia. It was on this voyage in 1943, that NF700 was landing back on the carrier in rough seas, when the pitching ship made it strike the stern, and it ended up crashed on the flight deck with a broken back. It was classed as a write off, and would have been stripped of useable spare parts, and dumped over the side into the sea.

Cold and deep Arctic waters have low oxygen levels, so even salt water corrosion is held at bay, and it is quite likely that the remains of NF700 still exist to this day in its watery grave off Norway.

In 1942 the RAF improved its air-sea rescue service by creating new squadrons within Coastal Command. In March 1942 RAF Ouston was chosen as the base for the new 281 Squadron, and it was initially equipped with Defiant fighters, modified for search duties. In January 1943 the Defiants were joined by the Supermarine Walrus amphibian, capable of alighting on the sea. The model illustrated is a Supermarine Walrus Mk.II, Z1768, wearing the 'FA' codes allocated to 281 Squadron, with the individual aircraft letter 'B'.

The Walrus was one of the oldest and slowest designs to still be in RAF service, but it was a strong and capable rescue aircraft, and the service it provided continued through in to modern times with the familiar yellow Rescue helicopters based at RAF Acklington and RAF Boulmer on the North East coast. 

At Ouston and Woolsington the Walrus aircraft were painted in the 'temperate sea scheme' of extra dark sea grey, and slate grey (the greenish colour). The aircraft undersides were painted sky.

In June 1943 281 Squadron moved to RAF Woolsington (now Newcastle Airport), presumably to be nearer to the sea. It thus became one of the few RAF Squadrons ever to be based at Woolsington, which remained a grass airfield mainly used by a Maintenance Unit.

For a few brief months, March to May 1945, the Vultee Vengeance TT. IV target tug appeared at Ouston. It was operated by 289 Squadron headquartered at RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, with detached flights throughout 13 Group's area. In Northumberland it was at RAF Acklington, and RAF Eshott, as well as RAF Ouston.  Illustrated here is FD335, coded YE-M which was delivered new to 289 Squadron, then was with 1353 Flight, followed by the same sequence again before it joined the Royal Aircraft Establishment and was struck off in February 1947.

The Vengeance was American designed and built to be a dive bomber, but it never entered operational service in Europe, being too vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. It did serve successfully in the Far East against the Japanese, but many hundreds were surplus until they were converted to be powerful target tugs. At Ouston it was used to tow targets for live firing by Anti-Aircraft gunners protecting the North East industry sites. The small wooden propellor mounted on the side was for winding out the towing cable, this propellor being rotated into wind when not stowed as shown. The wires around the tail were to prevent the towing cable from fouling the control surfaces of the aircraft.

The colour scheme was the standard dark green and earth (brown) on top, with the golden yellow and night (black) stripes underneath. The upper wing roundels included the white ring introduced from 1944 to improve recognition by friendly fighters. The sky (duck egg green) tail band was a standard recognition feature, and the code letters were also in sky, with "YE-M" being somewhat appropriate in Geordie land.

The last wartime user of Ouston was 80 (French) OTU (Operational Training Unit) during 1945 and early 1946. This is Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX, MH388, coded with the personal initials of their Commandant who was Lucien Montet, still using his 'nomme de guerre' Christian Martell.  The propellor spinner is painted with the colours of the French roundel, and with the war's end underwing serials had been applied to all RAF aircraft, to deter unauthorised low flying. The yellow leading edges to the wings were a standard recognition marking, and the four red squares are fabric patches that are stuck on with red dope, to stop debris entering the gun muzzles.  When the guns are used they just fire through the fabric patches.

Sadly on 31st August 1945, on a routine training flight including aerobatics, his engine started to fail and he attempted to glide back into Ouston. He clipped some trees on the edge of the airfield boundary, and the aircraft crashed and burned. Montet died in the ambulance on his way to hospital, and he was flown to Paris the next day, where he was buried. His memorial stone still exists in Paris, and includes the name Ouston.   80 OTU disbanded at Ouston in May 1946, when French pilot training was moved back to France.

Thus there is a plethora of images for EN398 as 'JE-J', but as far as is known, this is the first time that an attempt has been made to illustrate EN398 as it might have appeared at RAF Ouston.

In May 1946 it was the turn of some Dutch pilots to arrive at Ouston. They came with 22 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) which moved in from RAF Calveley in Cheshire. At least one of the 22 SFTS courses was for trainee Dutch Navy pilots, preparing for the post-war re-equipment of their armed forces, including the aquisition of ex-RN aircraft carriers. 22 SFTS was resident at Ouston until February 1948, when it moved to RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire. It was eventually renumbered as 22 FTS, and later as 1 FTS, which continues to this day as the RAF's only primary flying training school.

22 SFTS had spent most of the War in Rhodesia, being one of the massive Commonwealth Air Training Plan schools. The standard trainer used by the Plan was the North American Harvard IIb, and as there was no need for camouflage most of their aircraft were painted in high-visibility yellow. In 1946 the RAF adopted yellow overall as the standard scheme for its training aircraft. In practice it was not widely adopted, as paint shortages and the imminent retirement of wartime aircraft types led to most remaining in their wartime camouflage schemes. The Harvard was the exception to this as many were already yellow. The advent of jet training aircraft from 1948 meant that a harder wearing 'high speed' paint scheme had to be adopted, and this was 'high speed silver'.

Harvard IIb KF911 wears the code letters of 22 SFTS; the 'F' stands for Flying Training Command; the letters 'CI' are the code for 22 SFTS; and 'T' is the individual aircraft letter.  KF911 served with 22 SFTS  (later 22 FTS) from new in January 1946, through to December 1949. It then moved to 2 FTS until May 1951 when it moved to 3 FTS where it was damaged beyond repair in an accident in  October 1953.

In 1947 the pre-war auxiliaries 607 Squadron reformed at Ouston, and their first aircraft was this trainer, North American Harvard IIb, KF373, coded 'RAN-A'. It retained its wartime camouflage scheme, overlaid with areas of "trainer yellow" paint. Yellow was the nautical colour used to indicate plague on board ship, and it was applied to novice training aircraft to indicate "keep well clear"! It had probably already been based at Ouston in 1946 with its previous user, 22 SFTS (Service Flying Training School).

There seems to have been some overlap between 607 Squadron forming, and 22 SFTS leaving Ouston. So it is likely that 607 Squadron initially trained using the Harvards of 22 SFTS, and that at least two of 607's initial Harvard equipment were former 22 SFTS aircraft, retaining their colours with just the code letters being changed. At least one of the 22 SFTS Harvard aircraft was in a very similar colour scheme (wartime camouflage) to the one shown here.

One of 607 Squadron's first post-war Spitfires was this Supermarine Spitfire FR.14e ,TZ116 'RAN-D' arriving at Ouston in time for the severe winter of 1946-7, where it was photographed in the heavy snow. The FR.14e was a fighter reconnaissance version (note the camera port in the fuselage just behind the cockpit), although it seems that 607 Squadron did not use cameras and the ports were blanked off. The letter 'e' in the designation denotes that it has an 'e-type' wing with two canon in the outboard position and four machine guns.

Initially 607 Squadron were supplied with a mixed complement of Spitfire Mk.XIV and F.22 aircraft, including three 'high back' F.XIVc.  This model shows one of the three, Supermarine Spitfire F.XIVc, NH658 'RAN-F', based at Ouston in 1947. It had previously seen wartime action with the RAF's 322 (Dutch) Squadron in Europe after D-Day. During wartime the RAF's aircraft were designated with roman numerals, thus 'XIV' for mark 14. However from 1947 onwards the system was changed to arabic numerals, thus F.14. Nevertheless earlier aircraft retained their original designation because maintenance manuals and pilots notes were not reprinted. This Spitfire has a 'c' wing with two canon in the inboard location, and four machine guns.

The Supermarine Spitfire F.22 was the substantive equipment of 607 Squadron from 1947 until replaced by Vampire jet fighters from 1950. This example is PK582 'RAN-E', in 607's standard early markings while part of the auxiliary Reserve Command from 1947 to 1949. The 'RAN' code stands for Reserves, Auxiliary Air Force, and the 'N' was for 607 Squadron not 'Northumberland', albeit an appropriate allocation.  The 'RAN' codes were painted in the sky colour.

Spitfire F.22 PK582 has two claims to fame - it was retained by 607 Squadron as a 'hack' until 1954, long after the Vampire jets had replaced the Spitfires. At an RAF 'At Home' display in September 1953 it was still displaying the 'RAN' code even though 607 had become part of RAF Fighter Command, with the new code letters 'LA'. Thus PK582 became the last in a long line of Spitfires to be based at Ouston, and also the last of the Spitfires to have been flown by 607 Squadron from 1943-45 in Burma, and post-war at Ouston.

In 1948 a participant in the Cooper Trophy Races at Lympne in Kent was 607 Squadron, using Supermarine Spitfire F.22, PK553, adorned for the occasion with a red tail band and prominent race number '4'. The aircraft also displays the rarely applied 607 Sqdn badge (nose, port side only). There is a well known photo of this aircraft in flight, which reveals evidence of a recent accident to the airframe - the port aileron is unpainted, and the port wing tip has been replaced (note the unmatched camouflage pattern). In normal squadron service PK553 was coded 'RAN-K', and it didn't win the air race.

In 1949 the auxiliary squadrons were transferred from Reserve Command to Fighter Command, and 607 Squadron at Ouston was allocated the new code letters 'LA'.  In 1950, for only a few months, their aircraft included two Supermarine Spitfire LF.16e, one of which was TE184.  The 'LF' designation stood for 'fighter, low level' with cropped wings to improve manouverability, and bubble canopy for better visibility. These two Spitfires had american built Packard-Merlin engines, unlike all of 607's other Spitfires which had Rolls Royce Griffon engines.

 After its brief service with 607 Squadron, TE184 was grounded and used by the RAF as a 'gate guardian' at the entrance to various RAF camps, including at Long Benton, Newcastle. Then in 1967 it was used in ground shots for the film "Battle of Britain". In 1970 the RAF gifted the aircraft to Northern Ireland for museum display, painting it in the markings shown above, with the code letters 'LA-A'. It is not known if these markings accurately reflect how it had appeared at Ouston in 1950, or whether they were made up. In 1986 the Ulster museum sold TE184 to a private owner who had it rebuilt and made airworthy with the civil registration G-MXVI allocated. It first flew in 1990 at East Midlands Airport, and has been modified to more Spitfire-like 'high back' configuration with pointed wingtips. It still appears at various air displays.

On public display at the September 1951 Battle of Britain air display at RAF Acklington was this North American Harvard 2b, KF193 wearing the 'LA' code letters of 607 Squadron at Ouston.  It was newly painted in 'airframe silver' overall with modern 'D type' RAF roundels in bright colours.  However, normally this postwar scheme included yellow 'T bands' around the wings and rear fuselage, denoting that the aircraft was a Trainer.  It is likely that 607 Squadron had decided to remove (or not apply) the yellow bands, to show that the aircraft belonged to a fighter unit.  It was used for instrument rating checks on the squadron's pilots, and to provide regular flying experience for ground based personnel.

KF193 , although recently painted in the new colours, was in fact a long standing resident at RAF Ouston, originally with 22 SFTS from 1946 before being transferred to 607 Squadron when 22 SFTS left Ouston.  Thus from July 1947 until October 1953 it carried 607's code letters, probably initially  as 'RAN-C'.  In 1953 it was sold for spares, and as 607 had converted to Vampire jets, it would have been replaced by a Gloster Meteor T.7 jet trainer.

Marking a transition between wartime RAF colours, and brighter post-war markings is this Supermarine Spitfire F.22, PK556. Before joining 607 Squadron in 1950, this aircraft had served with 73 Squadron in Malta, and they had applied the new post war roundels (D-type) to all of their aircraft. So PK556 arrived at Ouston thus painted, and the size of the roundels is that of wartime aircraft, having been overpainted.  PK553 also wears the post-1949 code letters 'LA' (in white paint), allocated when the Auxiliary squadrons were transferred from Reserve Command to Fighter Command. White painted propellor spinners had also started to appear at Ouston by 1950, although their significance is not known.

From 1942 onwards the standard camouflage colours for wartime-era day fighters was 'ocean grey' and 'dark green' on top, with 'medium sea grey' undersides. By 1945 the 'ocean grey' was being replaced by 'dark sea grey' which was a darker colour and lacked the bluish shade, but all colours would weather and fade in use, and different batches of paint could vary.

The new post-war RAF colours took a long time to appear, mainly due to paint shortages and priority being given to newly produced aircraft. So it was circa 1950 before a silver painted Supermarine Spitfire F.22 appeared in 607 Squadron service at Ouston. It was PK 603, and it displays 607's new code letters 'LA-Q' following the transfer of Auxiliary squadrons from Reserve Command to Fighter Command in 1949. In September 1950 it was photographed for the Newcastle Chronicle, leading a formation practising for the 10th Anniversary flypast for the annual Battle of Britain Display.

The overall 'silver' finish was painted with an official paint known as 'high speed silver', or 'aluminium', with a lacquer top surface which gave a high gloss. In service use the finish would soon become dull and weathered. 

Army flying re-appeared at Ouston in 1949 when 1965 Flight of 664 Squadron was formed. It was one of four detached flights of 664 Squadron which was headquartered at RAF Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.  The pilots were Army reservists but the aircraft belonged to the RAF and were maintained by them. The initial equipment of 1965 Flight was the Taylorcraft Auster AOP.5, and this mark is easily identified by its American Lycoming 'flat-four' engine.  From September 1949 to April 1951 the squadron codes were 'ROD' (Reservists, Observation) but thereafter only individual letters were carried.  1965 Flight was probably allocated the individual letters 'F' to 'J' for their five aircraft at Ouston.  The flight remained at Ouston until 1954, by which time the Auster AOP.5 had been replaced by the Auster AOP.6. 

The aircraft shown here, TW456, was sold onto the civilian  market in 1954 and became G-AOHA, before being sold to Paraguay. It's subsequent fate is not known. At Ouston in 1949-51 this metal-tube construction aircraft with fabric skin covering  was painted in 'airframe silver', quite a dull finish as high speed flight was not a requirement for Army battlefield observation and communication aircraft.

For 607 Squadron the long awaited re-equipment with Vampire jets started in 1950. For a short period the first arrivals adopted the same 'LA' codes as worn on the Spitfires, and this is a De Havilland Vampire FB.5, serial number WA421, coded 'LA-N', with the individual letter 'N' repeated on the nosewheel door.  For some unknown reason this particular Vampire was one of the few Mark 5s to be fitted with the Mark 9 air-conditioning system, in an enlarged starboard engine intake fairing. Northumbrian summers must have been better in those days!

The model is shown as fitted with underwing fuel tanks, although they were usually only added for ferry flights, as they greatly restricted the manouverability of the aircraft.

The painted finish is again 'high speed silver' with lacquer gloss.

The Vampires of 607 Squadron soon joined the rest of the RAF fighter squadrons in re-adopting their pre-war colourful squadron markings. For 607 Squadron these were officially described as 'stone and mauve' interlocking triangles. So painted and seen in 1952 is this DH Vampire FB.5  serial number VX472 with the individual code letter 'F'.  The paint finish of the aircraft is once again 'high speed silver' with  lacquer gloss.

There was an interim phase in 607's markings where the colourful squadron bars replaced the former 'LA' code letters. At that point the individual aircraft letters (e.g. 'F') were moved to the rear of the tail booms, in quite a small size. However, for great visibility and ease of identification, within a year the code letters were also repeated on each side of the nose, in larger script.

In addition to the Vampire fighter aircraft, 607 Squadron were allocated two Gloster Meteors for instrument training, etc. Initially the Meteors carried normal training colours, but the aircraft were regularly changed and circa 1953-4 one of the replacements was in this very unusual colour scheme. It was Gloster Meteor T.7, WH225, and it had previously served with the 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany. The day fighters of the 2 TAF were camouflaged in 'ocean grey' and 'dark green' with 'PRU Blue' (photo reconnaissance colour) undersides, and this Meteor trainer adopted the same scheme. Camouflaged Meteor trainers were very rare, with only a few known examples, all with silver painted undersides. So 607's WH225 was a very rare machine indeed, and in 607 Sqdn service it was coded 'N' and painted with their newly adopted colourful squadron markings of stone and mauve triangles. These having been 607's pre-war squadron colours.

Sadly, in October 1954 this Meteor crashed after a single-engined asymetric overshoot at Ouston, with fatal results for the two crew.

From February 1954 camouflage was re-introduced for RAF day fighters, a sign of deteriorating tensions in the Cold War. The Vampires of 607 Squadron were flown to maintenance units for re-painting with ocean grey and dark green on the top surfaces, but the original silver finish was retained on the undersides.  The upper surface camouflage pattern was often varied in style, and VV617 did not have the 'standard' pattern.  Also kept were the bright national and squadron markings (in mauve and stone colours),  and these would have been rapidly over painted in the event of hostilities.

DH Vampire FB.5, VV617  coded 'A' of 607 Squadron is seen in these markings circa 1955, and a black & white photo taken at the time shows that it had a coloured shield on the port side only of the nose, plus coloured tips to the external fuel tanks.  It is difficult to establish the colours used, but it is likely that 607 Squadron would have used their squadron colours, so 'mauve' has been used on this model.  It is also likely that their 'stone'  (a sandy  colour, not yellow) would have been used for the letter 'A'.

VV617 had a long history,  serving with 613, 502, 23, and 151 Squadrons , then the Station Flight at  RAF Thornaby-on-Tees, followed by RAF Ouston's Station Flight, before joining 607 Squadron.  It later went to 3/4 CAACU at Exeter before being sold for scrap in May 1959.

607 Squadron at Ouston was under the  charge of a Wing Commander who was also responsible for 608 Squadron at RAF Thornaby-on-Tees.  Wing Commanders were allowed to display their own initials in place of normal code letters, and this DH Vampire FB.5, VZ305 was flown by Wing Commander R.L.Smith from September 1954 to March 1955.  "RLS" was repeated in the 'stone' or yellow colour on the nose wheel door.  It had previously served as a normal squadron aircraft with 607 Squadron at Ouston, coded 'O', and 'S'.  Smith then had the aircraft painted with 607 squadron colours on the port side, and 608 squadron colours to starboard, and the rudders were further embellished with the squadron colours.   Some three Vampires at Ouston received similar 'dual' markings at various times, but VZ305 was the most colourful.

VZ305 had the standard Vampire camouflage pattern on top of dark green and ocean grey, but underneath it was unusual (for a UK based Vampire) in having PRU blue undersides. This normally indicated that the aircraft had served in Germany, but VZ305 had previously served  only with 72 Squadron, and 25 Squadron in the UK.  So perhaps it had been earmarked and painted ready for service in Germany, but never made it?

After service at Ouston, the aircraft went on to 2 CAACU for target work, eventually being withdrawn from RAF service and scrapped in 1959.  It should be noted that there is still a "VZ305" Vampire flying today, but it is a former Norwegian Air Force example, now operated as a civilian display aircraft and painted in a spurious RAF colour scheme.

In the winter of 1955-6, two Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 aircraft were issued to Durham University Air Squadron at Ouston, the only UAS in the country to receive any.   Illustrated is WG220, and the other was WN128.  There were Balliols in service at nearby RAF Acklington at this time, so that was probably why two were allocated to Ouston, where they could share servicing and maintenance.

The Balliol was designed to be an advanced trainer for pilots destined for powerful single-propellor fighters, and it did this job very well with its Merlin 35 engine, side-by-side seating, and challenging flying characteristics.  However the jet fighter age had rapidly arrived, and the RAF had many surplus Balliols with no job for them to do.  The use of two by Durham UAS seems to have been an unsuccessful experiment, as it was not an aircraft for inexperienced and novice pilots and after only a few months both were retired and scrapped in 1959.  

No unit markings seem to have been worn at Ouston, and the high-speed silver with yellow T-bands was the standard trainer scheme of the 1950s.  The red propellor spinner was probably a relic of previous service with 238 OTU at RAF North Luffenham, where the Balliols had acted as targets for trainee radar operators destined for night and all-weather jet fighters.  This was a training role that RAF Ouston had previously undertaken with 62 OTU from 1943-45.

From early 1957 until 1961, a single example of the Avro Anson T.21 navigation trainer was based at Ouston with number 2 Civilian Fighter Control Co-operation Unit (2 CFCCU). This was VV901, and as far as is known it did not carry any other markings. It is finished in the standard production scheme for trainers, of airframe silver with yellow 'T' bands.

This aircraft previously served with Durham University Air Squadron at RAF Usworth, Sunderland, and is likely to have been a visitor to Ouston during that period.

It was retired in 1961 and donated to a children's playground, before being rescued for preservation. It is currently under restoration for museum display with the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington.

RAF Ouston was the nearest airfield to the RAF's 13 Group HQ at Kenton and Blakelaw in Newcastle upon Tyne. 13 Group was one of the three famous Groups responsible for the defence of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain, and 13 Group's fighter squadrons covered the north of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. 13 Group was disbanded in 1946, but was reformed in 1955 and their Communications Flight aircraft were based at RAF Ouston. This small flight of aircraft were used for visiting the Group's various airfields, and for keeping their senior officers proficient in instrument flying on jets.

From 1957 to 1960 one of the flight's aircraft was this Gloster Meteor T.7, WL419. It was painted in high speed silver with lacquer gloss, and the only indication of its ownership was the 13 Group official crest painted on the nosewheel door. At the time there was nothing remarkable about this particular aircraft, and when 13 Group was disbanded again in 1961, WL419 went into storage until April 1964 when it was allocated to the Martin Baker Aircraft Company at Chalgrove airfield in Oxfordshire. In October 1965 it was converted to have a Meteor mark 8 tail, thus becoming what was known as a Meteor 7 and a half. It flew on general duties with Martin Baker for another 10 years, until in November 1975 it was further converted with new cockpits and strengthened upper fuselage for live ejection seat testing.  It is still flying on this work today, and has carried out over 200 ejection seat tests. It is one of only two Meteors worldwide that are still at work.

Avro Anson C.19, TX224, was a long term resident at Ouston, firstly with 13 Group Communications Flight until it disbanded, and then with 11 Group.  It is seen here as it was circa 1960, and when 11 Group moved to RAF Leconfield, TX224 was sold for scrap in May 1962.

It is painted overall with airframe silver  and the national markings are in the standard positions. No unit markings were worn. It was an eight seat passenger aircraft, and it will be familiar to many former Air Training Corps cadets, as it was often used for initial air familiarisation flights.

The last in a long line of the many Anson aircraft based at RAF Ouston from 1941-1963 was this Avro Anson C.19, VM365.  In 1962 it was operated by 11 Group Communications Flight as an eight seat light transport used to visit the Group's other airfields, for VIP duties, and was also available for air experience flights for local Air Training Corps squadrons.  The author recalls seeing it in the hangar at Ouston in 1962.

It was painted in the normal Transport Command colours of the early 1960's, but 11 Group's aircraft were distinctive in having broader dark blue trim, swept up the fin.  The propellor spinners were also dark blue, rather than the normal black, and the engine cowlings and front part of the nacelles were polished metal, rather than the silver painted finish of most Ansons.

In the early 1960s most RAF airfields had an Anson or two for general duties.  Most were embellished with the names of their airfields or units, and by 1960 many were sporting gaudy day-glo red or orange high visibility schemes.  Not so RAF Ouston's Ansons which retained their muted but smart trim right up to the end.  VM365 had left Ouston in 1963, moving with 11 Group to RAF Leconfield in Yorkshire,  before going into open storage and eventually being sold for scrap in 1967.

In August 1961, at nearby RAF Acklington in Northumberland, number 6 Flying Training School replaced earlier fighter squadrons. The initial equipment of 6 FTS was the Hunting Provost T.1 advanced trainer, and these remained in service until circa 1963, being gradually replaced by Jet Provost trainers. Shown above is Provost T.1 XF889, coded 'B' of 6 FTS, as seen at an Acklington 'at home' display in September 1963. Throughout the time of 6 FTS at Acklington from 1961 to 1967, nearby RAF Ouston was used as a 'satellite' airfield to relieve the pressure of intensive flying at Acklington, and the 6 FTS Provosts were regular users of Ouston.  Furthermore, in 1966 Ouston can lay claim to the last ever RAF Provost T.1 flying training course, when a handful of Provosts were gathered together to train the last group of foreign students being converted onto the Provost. At that time the Provost T.1 was being supplied to the Air Forces of Rhodesia, and Oman, but it is not known which nationalities were on the last training course at Ouston.

This model of the Provost T.1 is shown painted in the standard RAF trainer scheme from circa 1964 onwards. Namely 'high speed silver (or aluminium)' with strips of self-adhesive fluorescent red tape, otherwise known as 'dayglo red'.

From June 1958 this Percival Proctor 3, G-AIHD was owned and based at RAF Ouston by Mr T.G.Knox, the Airwork Ltd manager responsible (as a civilian contractor) for maintaining the RAF Chipmunks.  It was fairly commonplace for RAF and certain civilian staff to be allowed to keep their private aircraft where they worked.  G-AIHD was eventually grounded in September 1963, probably due to the wooden airframe structure having deteriorated,  but it continued to languish in the back of the main hangar for a few more years.  In August 1967 it was being dismantled, and by 1968 it had been given to the RAF Firemen to burn on the fireground, where it expired. 

An ignominious end to an aircraft with an interesting history.  It was built in 1942 as an RAF radio trainer with the serial DX241, and at the War's end it was demobbed and converted for the civil register as G-AIHD in September 1946.  Its first owner was the Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Ltd (LAC), possibly operating on air taxi and joy-ride work out of Blackpool.  It served with LAC throughout the period of the Berlin Airlift 1948-9, and while there is no record that it participated, it seems to have been the favourite mount of LAC's Chief Pilot and Operation Manager, Squadron Leader W.I."Wally" Lashbrook DFC, AFC, DFM, and it was he who organised the legendary participation of 24 of LAC's Halifax freighters in the Airlift.  He commuted regularly between Bovingdon and Wunstorf in Germany, and may have used this Proctor to do so?

In any event G-AIHD became his favoured mount in subsequent air races, and his first success with it was on 22 August 1950.  He flew it in the Air League Challenge Cup at Sherburn-in-Elmet but was unplaced.  He then flew it later the same day to Yeadon and won the Yorkshire Aeroplane Cup Trophy Race at an average speed of 161.5 mph.  He also entered the Proctor in the Daily Express Air Race at Hurn on 20 September 1950, beating the only Halifax ever to air race, G-AKEC (averaging 267 mph at sea level!), but losing out to some stiff competition including the famous Supermarine Test Pilot Jeffery Quill in a Spitfire F.22.  On 11-12 July 1952 Lashbrook entered the Proctor in the National Air Races at Woolsington, competing in the Kemsley Challenge Trophy, but again losing out to some illustrious competitors including the famous night fighter 'ace' Group Captain John 'Cats Eyes' Cunningham in a jet  Vampire FB.9 WR211. The prizes were presented by Field Marshall Viscount Montgomery.  On another occasion at Sandown on 18 June 1950, Lashbrook had raced the Proctor against others including Peter Townsend in Princess Margaret's Hurricane G-AMAU/PZ865 (also painted bright blue overall).  Lashbrook gave up flying in 1953, but the Proctor was still racing in April 1959, being seen as race '66' at Oxford in that year. At other times it had carried the air race number '89'.

Also of note in the 1952 Woolsington air races, was a Mr.T.G.Knox, flying Proctor G-AMBS to win the Kings Cup Handicap Race.  He subsequently became the final owner of Proctor G-AIHD.  Knox also won the Air League Challenge Cup Trophy Race on 20 August 1955, this time flying Proctor 3 G-ALCK which is now preserved at Duxford wearing  its original RAF serial LZ766.

Lashbrook deserves a book in his own right, and suffice to mention that he also flew 29 bombing raids over Germany in Halifaxes;  managed to crash land a shot-up and engineless 35 Squadron Halifax near Tollerton in complete darkness with only minor crew injuries;  led the first airbourne paratroop raid 'Operation Colossus' in Whitleys to destroy an aqueduct in southern Italy;  was shot down in a Halifax in 1943 over the French Belgian border, but escaped through the French resistance 'Comet' escape line over the Pyrenees to Gibraltar, helping to bottle the Champagne harvest on the way;  was a close friend with fellow 1930's Aircraftsman "Ross", later Lawrence of Arabia;  and lived to the age of 104, collecting an MBE on the way for sports services for the Ayshire Army Cadet Force.

Proctor G-AIHD was sold by LAC in June 1953, and became part of Airwork Ltd's fleet, and in 1956 was based at Sunderland/Usworth with fellow Proctor 3 G-ALCK.  When Airwork closed their Sunderland base, G-AIHD was sold in June 1958 and moved to RAF Ouston. It is also known to have appeared at air displays including RAF Acklington Battle of Britain Display on 20 September 1958, and Coventry on 15 July 1961.

On 5th May 1963, as an Air Cadet with 131 (Newcastle) Squadron ATC, the author had an air experience flight in this De Havilland Chipmunk T.10, WD388. The flight lasted 30 minutes, overflying the author's home in Fenham and with some 'hands-on' piloting experience on the way back to Ouston.

WD388 had the badge of Durham University Air Squadron on the nose (port side only?), but as of March 1963 Durham UAS had been renamed Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron. To confuse matters further, the Air Cadet flights were operated by 11 Air Experience Flight, but 11 AEF just seemed to use whichever Chipmunks were available at Ouston.

The aircraft is painted 'high speed silver' overall (also known as 'aluminium') with day-glo red strips, which were stick-on fablon. The propellor spinner was painted black, but silver spinners could also be seen at Ouston at that time. Also, it was common for the fuselage serials to be in the 'stencil' style.

The Chipmunk T.10 aircraft had transferred with Durham UAS to Ouston from RAF Usworth (Sunderland) in 1957. They remained in use with the UAS (renamed Northumbrian from March 1963), 11 AEF, and Ouston's Station Flight until the closure of RAF Ouston in 1974. This period of 17 years made the Chipmunk the longest continuous serving aircraft type at Ouston. Most were subsequently sold to civilian owners, and The Survivors page lists many that are still airworthy to this day. WD388 became G-BDIC in August 1975, later sold in Germany as D-EPAK, and is airworthy  at Bienenfarm airfield. It served twice with Durham UAS at Ouston, and then with Northumbrian UAS, circa 1960-64. 

From 1962 onwards 6 FTS at RAF Acklington was making extensive use of the more advanced Jet Provost T.3 trainer, and RAF Ouston continued to be used as a satellite airfield, relieving the pressure on Acklington. This Jet Provost T.3 is XN605, coded '9' of 6 FTS. Each morning some 6 FTS students would be bussed from Acklington to Ouston, where they would undertake a days flying training, before returning to Acklington in the evening. They reportedly preferred Ouston, with its permanent and well built buildings and facilities, unlike the more rudimentary 'wartime only' facilities at Acklington.

This model of the Jet Provost T.3 shows the standard RAF trainer scheme used from circa 1958 to 1963. Namely 'high speed silver' with orange/red dayglo paint applied liberally to try to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions. The dayglo paint was originally an orange colour, but was soon changed to a red colour, as shown. In practice any dayglo would rapidly fade in sunlight, often weathering to a pale yellow or even off-white on the upper surfaces of the aircraft.

The 1960's were characterised by many aircraft of many nations being adorned with liberal amounts of 'dayglo'. It is perhaps no coincidence that the 60's were also the era of psychedelic pop, magic mushrooms, and dazzling fashion designs. Military aviation was no exception.

641 Gliding School was a long term Ouston resident, training thousands of Air Cadets up to solo standard, including this author.  Unfortunately, 1/72 scale models of Air Cadet gliders are very difficult to obtain, the exception being this Slingsby Prefect TX.1 which the author has converted from the earlier Grunau Baby 2b glider. The Prefect was a single seat advanced glider, capable of soaring in thermals, for more experienced Cadets.  Only some 16 examples were supplied to the RAF, and WE985 was one of these, the sole example to be based at RAF Ouston.

It is shown as it appeared in 1967, wearing the standard Air Cadet colour scheme of airframe silver with day-glo red high visibility markings.  No individual markings were applied, just its serial number.

Included in the photo, above, is a model of the Land Rover that this author worked with during his gliding course in 1963.  This model came from the original Airfix Bloodhound Missile kit and was made not long after 1963, rather crudely, but in its Ouston colours and with the Ouston motor transport number T/23.  The air cadet figures also came from this Airfix kit. The used vehicle tyre is a more recent addition, and such heavy tyres were a standard part of the gliding equipment, being placed on the wing tip to stop the glider rocking in the wind when on the ground.

This Prefect survives in use at Challock Airfield on the North Downs in Kent, in civil use as BGA2333 / DSA, and now painted yellow and white.

The De Havilland Chipmunk T.10 was the last aircraft type to be based at RAF Ouston, and illustrated is WG474 of Northumbrian Universities Air Squadron. This is how it looked in August 1972, wearing the standard RAF trainer scheme of light aircraft grey overall, with day-glo red stick-on fluorescent strips. Northumbrian UAS Chipmunks also had distinctive and unique markings, consisting of a very dark blue fin and spine, with the same colour wingtips. The UAS badge was carried on the fin, both sides. Each of the Northumbrian UAS Chipmunks had a different colour spinner, and WG474 was yellow. In August 1972 it carried the name of its regular pilot, Fl.Lt. T. Ware, on the fuselage below the cockpit, as shown on the Photographs at Ouston page.

WG474 stayed at Ouston until it closed to flying in 1974, when it was sold on the civilian market, becoming G-BCSL. It was subsequently painted overall blue, and later, overall red. It remains airworthy and is based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.