Stan Purdy Photos of 641 Gliding School
Stan Purdy was a Gliding Instructor with 641 Gliding School at RAF Ouston, and from 1966 to 1974 he took photographs of his colleagues. These photos are reproduced here with his kind permission, and were supplied via John English, another 641 GS Instructor. Any other photographer is identified in that caption.
Stan Purdy is seen here in the cockpit of Slingsby Prefect TX.1, WE985, the only example to serve with 641 Gliding School at Ouston. The photo was taken in late 1966 or early 1967. The semi-enclosed cockpit of the Prefect glider is accessed by rotating the hinged top section forwards.
This Austin K9 , military registration '58 AA II', was formerly an RAF ambulance, now used by 641 Gliding School as a general crew bus, and for towing cables from the winches, back to the glider launch point. Stood alongside (left) is John Young, with John Danskin, both Gliding Instructors. The photo was taken in late 1966 or early 1967. John Young did this author's spin lesson - flight number 8 on the Air Cadet gliding course, in Slingsby Cadet TX.3, WT873 on 3rd August 1963.
641 Gliding School was housed in H Block 'C', and posing (precariously) over the entrance doorway for this photograph are (from the left), Bob Robertson; Martin Fenwick; Ken Ruddick; Fred Fulcher; and Martin Brooke. The photo was taken in late 1966 or early 1967.
Taken by Stan Purdy from a glider, this photo shows the glider launch point alongside Runway 14. Three gliders can be seen towards the top of the photo, just left of centre, together with the associated vehicles. The vehicles had accessed the launch point using the PSP track from the top left corner of the large concrete aircraft parking apron. Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) was a wartime expedient whereby interlocking metal tracking could be laid over grass, sufficiently robust and strong that vehicles and aircraft could use it without becoming bogged down in soft ground. It was extensively used during the War to create temporary airfields, for example during the invasion of Europe after D-Day.
Also of note in this photo are a group of military vehicles parked at the top right hand end of the aircraft parking apron. This is where the radar tracking trailers and 'soviet' jamming station were located during the V-bomber years at Ouston, such use finishing in 1965. See Ouston and the V-Bombers
This photo is dominated by the large J-type hangar, the only one built at Ouston. However, Ouston was designed to be a standard fighter airfield, and provision was made to erect further large hangars, if required. So in the photo the empty grass areas diagonally left and right would have been used for additional hangars and their associated aircraft taxiways and aprons. Such groups of hangars can still be seen at many former wartime and 'Expansion Period' (1930's) RAF airfields.
In this photo, taken circa 1970, a Slingsby Prefect TX.1 glider, probably WE985, can be seen using the eastern taxiway, alongside the derelict farm building that was incorporated into the wartime airfield. The view is looking north, with Stob Hill Farm on the rising ground. Just in front of the right hand end of the old farm building is an airfield windsock, indicating a light southerly wind. On the extreme right of the photo one of the prominent airfield radio masts is just visible.
Taken circa 1971, Winch Driver David Kirkpatrick is in 'Top Gun' pose on top of a 641 Gliding School winch. Note the yellow aircraft style 'chock' under the rear wheel. David Kirkpatrick is now the Finance Director for the Solway Aircraft Museum at Carlisle Airport.
This 1973 photo shows 641 GS Commanding Officer Mark Scott in the centre, leaning on his white Jaguar Mk.2. To the left is Instructor Roland Adams, with Instructor Colin Sword on the right. Scott and Adams are understood to have emigrated to Canada after RAF Ouston closed and Gliding moved to RAF Dishforth in North Yorkshire. Colin Sword is now the Chairman of the Board of Chief Flying Instructors for the British Gliding Association, and he still flies gliders from the former RAF Milfield, near Wooler in Northumberland.
Taken by David Kirkpatrick circa 1970, is the Winch and the Austin K9 ambulance '58 AA II', used as a crew bus and for towing cables. The bright yellow colour of the Austin may be the same as the black & white photo of it above, which could appear dark coloured if orthochromatic film was used. However in the black & white photo the metal disc mounted above the far end of the bumper is a lighter colour, probably yellow. So it does appear that the Austin was repainted bright yellow, and that its original colour was RAF blue-grey.
Note also the wooden 'boom' pole stowed on the side of the Austin, this would be swung outwards to enable up to four winch cables to be towed. Presumably there was also a boom pole on the other side of the Austin.
The identity of the individual in the centre of this photo is unknown.