May 2025

"V for Victor" was the title of this month's talk; delivered by Ickburgh man, Barry Raphael, virtuoso on the subject of the V bombers and ex-crew member of 55 squadron; he was too modest to say whether or not he was captain. On a previous occasion he has briefed us about his time spent with the Valiant during the Suez crisis but  on this occasion he presented to us a masterful account of his involvement with the Handley Page Victor, an aeroplane that has the distinction of being the longest serving military aircraft on record; over 50 years. Barry’s account was so detailed that one could easily have believed that he might have had a hand in the design of the aircraft itself.

After 1947 the war ministry decided that future peacetime stability should depend on a nuclear deterrent. Adolph Hitler's regime, before this time, had been

preoccupied with ground based missiles. For the best security it was decided that future tactics should involve the delivery of nuclear weapons by air. The Victor was chosen to be the best provider for this purpose and, the bombs would be either Skybolt or Blue Steel. 

Frederick Handley Page had first found fame in 1911 with his legendary 'stick and string' Yellow Peril monoplane, characterised by a convex leading edge to the

wings (re: 1965 film - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines). Barry made a tongue in cheek comparison with this and the leading edge of the Victor wings: in this case, the curve was concaved but, for a very good reason: They were described as 'crescent' and constructed in three separate sections each one having its own effect on the aerodynamics of the aircraft. Its development was an on-going scenario: the empennage, rear section, also came under scrutiny; the dihedral of the “T” tail plane was critical for optimum stability as was the design of the rudder; an extra bolt in a pintle overcame one problem. Barry explained that on-going modifications were always necessary to overcome the price that was being paid for the loss of the lives of many test pilots; in the 1950s this amounted to about one a week.

The assembly of the Victor began in 'Fred's Shed' at Radlett. This was deemed too small and construction was completed at Boscombe Down over 100miles away. For security reasons it was wrapped up and transported by road disguised as a boat. 

Details in the cock-pit design included the use of retractable instrument panels to optimise space and, a livery of white to minimise the glare from bomb blast. Flight tests included controlled loops and rolls. The aeroplane also proved its versatility when its presence was felt in the Falklands war as an aid to reconnaissance and refuelling. And, Barry explained that on one of the trials of his baby, the navigator, facing rearwards, gained the distinction of being the only person in the world to have broken the sound barrier flying backwards.

At the end of the evening the stand-in chairman, Commander Allen, thanked the Bowls Club executive committee for their hospitality, tendered apologies from

absentees and recruited a first-time guest-member, Bob Archer, to provide next month’s talk on the subject of ’75 Years of Aviation at Mildenhall’.

April 2025

"My part in the downfall of Leopoldo Galtieri" unsurprisingly, was the title of Chairman Chris' talk this month. Not only did it give a personal account of fact but it also comprised a considerable mix of pathos and satire; there were no heroics.

In 1982 Chris reported for duty at RAF Conningsby and was informed that the British colony in the Falkland Islands had been invaded and a task force was being mustered to confront an enemy. The immediate reaction of the naive Chris was: "Why would a force from the south Atlantic be interested in attacking Scotland?"

Mmm.... Fair Isle? 

He and his ground-crew colleagues set sail from Southampton on converted hospital ship SS Uganda. Ten days later they arrived at their first stop in the Ascension Islands. They were then transferred to a flat bottomed vessel with stabiliser wings; necessary to survive the hostile force ten winds.

In Fort Stanley there was a reception committee of standby aircraft; a daunting challenge for armourer Chris and his colleagues: Phantoms, Hawks,  VTO Harriers, Sea King helicopters, Hercules freighters and tankers together with the accompanying carriers.

First jobs upon arrival: service and paint temporary floating hotel and move a 30 mph road sign; it was considered a handicap to the speeds necessary for essential services. Chris provided colourful photographic evidence of his primitive living quarters, workshop facilities and bomb storage racks. Other Falkland aficionados in the audience introduced further colourful anecdotes to the proceedings: miniature

punch cards to track elapsed days; cost of phone calls to UK: £15/minute; "if you don't like it here you'll be given a 90 days’ notice to quit". After their victory things changed: a flight to freedom; two Tristars brought Chris and his crew home.

The evening ended with the usual free banquet from Bowls Club hosts, Val and Len and, an announcement that Mick won an extra raffle prize being offered by Steve: An Electric Microlight Simulator Experience.

Next month we welcome back WNAS member Barry Raphael to introduce: ‘V’ for Victor.

March 2025

We welcomed, again, the return of John Blakeley for Part 3 of his fascinating talk on military bases in the Arctic.  As a quick recap Part One consisted of how the Arctic bases originated which was basically during World War 2(WW2). Part 2 followed the Cold War and brought the story up to date. Part 3 were a couple of modern films about what is happening now.  

The first, made in France, followed a floating Nuclear Power Plant and its positioning in a remote part of the Arctic where a specially selected family were ‘allowed’ to give their impressions of the blessings of the power plant; in short an abundance of clean energy on their doorstep compared to a limited and old coal fired power station which preceded the Floating Power Plant. This allowed the family to have unlimited electricity.  Working and living conditions are so extreme that there are numerous incentives to qualified personnel, including cheap housing and electricity.  However even this family were a little concerned with having a nuclear power plant, which was deemed by the politicos as ‘unsinkable’ on their doorstep, or more accurately in their harbour.   Anyone remember how it ended the last time ‘unsinkable’ was a proud boast and of course Russia doesn’t exactly have an unblemished history regarding nuclear accidents.  Interesting though, and to be fair, the French journo’s were given good, although heavily, chaperoned access.  

The second film followed a NATO combined operations force making a foray into the Arctic wilderness for troop training against some home grown Norwegian Troops pretending to be Russian aggressors.  The object was to prove the viability of a Quick Reaction force including French ( Non NATO) troops and to prove and improve operations in deeply inhospitable terrain and climatic conditions.  Overall it was an impressive demonstration of ability but of course those troops who grew up and trained full time had a big advantage.  It certainly demonstrated what needed to be done to operate successfully; a very interesting film.

Mark Burch

Stand In Scribe

10 March 2025

February 2025

Our own member David Allen was the speaker this month with a catchily entitled talk, consisting of his reminiscences of the purest form of flying: gliding.

David was born into an aviation family and spent much of his youth involved with, and later working on, aircraft and airlines way back when Pontius was a Pilate and not a pilot. Nonetheless, after he had settled into something more respectable he still had that urge to fly. His first move was the micro light; a

very small two-seater with an engine. Eventually, after going solo he realised that the only way to continue, without licensing restrictions, was instead, to join a shared ownership group involving considerably lower costs. Then, after another change of heart, he changed direction again and joined the Fenland Gliding Club at RAF Marham.

There are generally 2 ways of launching a glider from a standard flat aerodrome. The first and most common is by winch. This is connected by a very long wire to the glider. At the launch end the winch driver accelerates the glider to around 1200 ft. in a very short time. This is high enough to provide 5-7 minutes of flight training or, if you’re lucky and find a thermal, the sky is the limit.

The second method is by aero-tow: the glider is towed behind a light aircraft. This is more expensive but you can reach around 3000ft.This gives a much longer flight and a better chance of finding a thermal. 

There were a few mishaps. On one occasion he breached security by dismantling a boundary fence which had to be rebuilt after retrieving the glider. The instructor admitted liability. This brought down the wrath of the Station Commander and lead to a full security briefing for all personnel. 

David also had a gliding detachment to Sutton Bank near Thirsk in Yorkshire where the airfield is on a plateau about 1000 ft above the surrounding countryside. This provides very nicely for scenic flying and, hill soaring a distinct possibility. He was most impressed at the slick operation at Sutton Bank and also, that the club house has a panoramic view of the whole airfield. 

Unfortunately Fenland Gliding Club came to an end when RAF Marham began to modernise in anticipation of the arrival of the F35 Lightning 2.

Mark Burch, Stand

In Scribe 11 February 2025

December 2024

Annual General Meetings in many societies are commonly associated with a shortage of enthusiasm but, uncommonly, our attendance figures were surprisingly high (15) despite the absence of the Narborough Museum pack and our Commander who tendered his hush-hush apologies; rank needing no excuses. The more than capable Chairman Chris H, dealt professionally with matters arising, punctuating his delivery with the usual large calibre wit. Some of the topics fit for discussion: membership fees (£10 retained), Kevin C's allegiance badges and, society accounts which can be viewed on line. 

The question of speaker procurement and their associated fees was a high ranking topic for debate. We have shown that we are capable of producing our own speakers but to complement our endeavours it was suggested that we, as members, should resource possible recruits ourselves and ‘focal point’ them to our website manager Steve C. New member, Chris P (Sculthorpe Museum) said he would assist in this respect. If anybody out there reading this article should have a story to tell about aviation and, a desire to exercise their oratorical skills, we would love to hear from you. 

Steve rounded off with a short film entitled ‘The Shepherd’, a euphemism for a ghost pilot who escorts another pilot to safety after losing the way, the fuel, and the instrumentation. 

The evening finished with booze and bounty courtesy of Val and Len who received marks of appreciation from the squadron.

November 2024

Military Bases in the Arctic since WW2 - Part One

Our Speaker this month was John Blakeley who presented a very interesting talk (Part 1 of 2) on military bases in the Arctic.  The Arctic has been a hotbed of contention for many years and there is still a very active ‘Cold War’ going on in the latitudes above 66.30 degrees North where temperatures can be as low as minus 40 degrees.  

Thule Air Force Base was built in Greenland and is the highest latitude Air Force base in the USA remaining in use today.  Constructed in 1951, as the Cold war

kicked off, it remains a vital USA and NATO base. John showed us an interesting film of its construction. The Arctic Air Ferry route was established under Operation Bolero to move aircraft across the North Atlantic in WW2 into the European Theatre of Operations.  A series of bases was established to allow a maximum distance between bases of 750 miles.  The route was from Newfoundland via Greenland, Iceland and onto the North of Scotland.  Due to weather, mechanical and navigational difficulties, the many single-engined aircraft attempting the journey needed the assistance of an escort in the form of a well-equipped multi-engined aeroplane. An expected loss rate of 10% was anticipated but, luckily, 5.2% was the reality. However, losses rose

exponentially in the winter and all crossings were suspended from Nov to March. 

There is a number of amazing survival stories including that of a B17 crew surviving or 100 days in the tail section of their crashed bomber waiting for the weather to improve enough for them to be rescued.  There is also the remarkable story of a P38 Lockheed Lightning fighter which crashed in Greenland after returning in bad weather and was very recently recovered from under the ice and restored to flying condition. Appropriately named Glacier Girl, it remains in operational condition;  Google it - it’s a remarkable story.  

Little known facts emerged like: the UK ‘politically invaded’ Iceland and the Faroe Islands to prevent them falling into the hands of the Germans. The USA took over ‘protection’ of Greenland which was semi-autonomous with Denmark.  However Denmark had been invaded and subjugated by Nazi Germany.  The Germans were unable to counter this because until late 1941 the USA was a Neutral country and any action against Greenland would have meant war against the USA.  All highly intriguing.   Meanwhile back in the present the vast majority of populated areas in the Arctic fall within Russia so maintaining a western ‘presence’ in the area is vital, hence the continuing cold war in the region which brings us to the end of Part 1.  

We look forward to welcoming John back in January with Part 2 which John says is even more interesting which makes it a definite do not miss in my book.  

Finally if you like the sound of our group why not come to the West Norfolk Aviation Society meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at Mundford Bowls Club between 1900-2130 where you will be guaranteed a warm welcome with free tea, biscuits and light snacks.  Be sure to check the website (Google West Norfolk Aviation Society) to see what exciting topics await and to ensure we will actually be there and not on an away day.  

Mark Burch, Stand In Scribe

October 2024

Speaker Seeker John B and his recruit, speaker extraordinaire and multi-disciplined aviator Steve d'R, both submitted their apologies for being ill and unable to attend the meeting this month. The chairman, Chris H wished them well for their speedy recovery and once again took over the reins for the rest of the evening. His presentation was simply: "Missiles and their Evolution". 

As is usual with this talented speaker and comedian he is always accompanied by a plethora of assorted props, courtesy of Blue Peter - his words. The first was a spear, fortunately with a rubber tip, which he hurled with gusto down the  aisle between the two ranks of the assembly. He progressed with the description of a number of developments of this missile which, he said, included the arrow, the bullet, the torpedo, heat seeking, TV guided, anti-missile missiles and finally his beloved Side Winder, a weapon with which he had had a personal experience during his time spent at RAF Marham as an armourer. 

To add more glamour to his delivery and, again with some help from Blue Peter, he has built a life size model of the Side-winder (in cardboard) with the three main sections: the control module at the front, the explosive charge in the middle with encompassing shrapnel and, at the rear, the rocket motor. At this end too, are the four wings each with wind turbine inertial stabilisers on their tips. Derisory perhaps but this led to the missile's nickname: 'The Wheelbarrow'. 

There were enlightened guests and members who gave their own account of personal experiences. One such was the story of a Phantom that mistakenly took down a Jaguar over Germany during exercises. There were no casualties apart from the Jaguar. With Chris' inimitable satire he  concluded, 'What's a couple of million quid; the tax payer can afford it. The two pilots were probably congratulating each other in the bar afterwards'.

Because our speaker seeker is temporarily out of action it would appear appropriate here to suggest that any reader of this article who would like to expose their oratorical expertise in front of a very tolerant and good humoured audience (as long as the word 'aeroplane' is mentioned in their delivery) then they should contact any of the officials on the website: www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk 

Thanks again to our hosts, Val and Len for the free sumptuous spread.

September 2024

Temporarily devoid of an official speaker-seeker the WNAS was once again resigned to play the DIY card. Three societies joined forces in the production of a melodrama of  memorabilia and mystery. The Mundford Bowls Club provided the venue. The  hospitality and banquet  were  provided by resident stewards, Val and Len and, the show was produced and directed by the WNAS. This was entitled The Mountain comes to Mohammed.  The Narborough Museum complex provided the cast and the props. The leading roles were played by Bill and Chris; it was Bill who brought the contents from his own museum to the Bowls Club stage. Chris, also a member and, chairman of the WNAS,  provided the narrative. Chris, ex-armourer at RAF Marham and native of Narborough, is gifted with an enthusiasm and humour which brings out the best in any society; so much so that we now have six new members from Narborough all giving good reviews about the hospitality they receive at our club. There was an eclectic collection of artifacts on display, mainly connected with wartime activities and we were allowed to play with exhibits from both world wars: a 303 Lee Enfield rifle, a German replica sten gun, hand grenades and fuses, detonators, bayonets, 150mm artillery shells and, of course, a trench coat, gas mask and ration book; nobody was hurt. When compiling copy for an aeronautical society it is customary to mention the word aeroplane - well, there you have it. If the readers of this epistle are feeling deprived of a picture to accompany this report then they should visit the Narborough Museums and secure a much better one than we can provide. Anyone is eligible to join our club for £10 a year or have a free trial for £1 per raffle ticket

July 2024

Once again the club found itself devoid of a scheduled speaker but, thanks to RAF Marham and another of its one-time protégés, the ‘show went on’ thanks to the resourcefulness of our Chairman, Chris Halliday, ex- armourer, and now, accomplished raconteur, humourist and modeller. He again proved that ‘home-cooking’ can sometimes surpass the performances of the professional caterers of comedy and stage craft. Not only did his job require that he equip aeroplanes with bombs and bullets but he also provided their crews with survival equipment, in the form of: rapid egress for Americans and fast escape systems for the British; commonly known as ejector seats. 

Chris was cautious to mention that whilst his delivery was aimed at fact, anecdotal influences were introduced to add flavour to the moment; the aeronauts in attendance added more to this effect. One time member of our esteemed crew, Chuck Pettit of Crown Road, Mundford, now deceased, flew Mirages and Phantoms in the Middle East and survived a skirmish thanks to, the now famous Martin-Baker ejection system. He proudly displayed the certificate he was awarded on his office wall.

Equally proud was Chris who accompanied his presentation with a home-grown simulator; Mr Martin and Mr Baker would have been impressed by this

Flintstone-Robinson creation. Comprising mainly of wood, string, elastic, cloth and toilet roll tubes all of which cross represented seating, leg straps, bungee

cord, upholstery and rocket motors; not forgetting the sheepskin posterior comforter. Flippancy aside, Chris did display a few genuine trophies from his

past, like: explosive canopy release mechanisms, anti-guillotine sensors, and barometric control sensors to prevent pilots from exploding should they try to

exit at the wrong moment. Flippancy returning, Chris further demonstrated the simulation of an ejection using a puppet on a string. 

The picture shows the drogue, the chute, the seat and the pilot together being deployed above his head.

On the subject of catering we once again thank honorary stewards of the Mundford Bowls Club, Val and Len, for looking after us so well.

June 2024

Once again we applaud the initiative of our resourceful Commander for his efforts in filling the vacancy this month’s speaker was scheduled to fill; no, not a film show or a quiz, but a panel game based on television’s ‘Would I Lie to You’. The floor was randomly divided into two teams each member being ordered, nay, elected to recount an aeronautical experience in their life; humorous or dangerous. The stories could either be fact or fiction. Because fact, in most renditions, was so close to fantasy it was difficult for verdicts to have a convincing conclusion. And, because all members and their guests were such honourable individuals it was difficult for them to conclude that their opponents would lie and therefore, their conclusion would have to be ‘true’.

Should this good-humoured shenanigan ever occur again it was decided that, in order to balance the chances of the tales being fact or fiction then, participants should be forewarned such that creativity/lying could be introduced into the equation. As is usual with our quizzes there didn’t appear to be a winner; a good thing; competition can so often be ugly!

It oft times happens that when our club hosts a celebrity speaker the floor is full. There was no exception on this cheerful occasion, thanks to Chairman

Chris’ guests who are all members of another jolly outfit: The Narborough Museum (well worth a visit). 

The evening ended with a party spirit thanks to the kindness of our charming Mundford Bowls Club hosts, Val and Len, who always supply us with such a wonderful spread of delicacies.

May 2024

May 7th dawned bright, sunny and warm after many days of blooming cold and wet days, thank goodness. West Norfolk Aviation Society (WNAS) were up for a day out, well afternoon anyway with a visit to the Sculthorpe Heritage Centre now settled in their new home in the old RC church on the former RAF Sculthorpe base. This wasn’t any old trip however, oh no, we were going to travel by bus, a 1952 AEC Regal Four or AEC RF as its apparently known in the trade. Fortunately one of our members is a member of the group responsible for this vehicle and he drove it beautifully, what an experience in time travel it was. 

For you technophobes it has a 9.6 litre 6 Cylinder AEC horizontal diesel engine and a pre selector gearbox which meant no big gear lever just a small lever on the steering wheel which pre selects the gear required, the actual change is made by operating the ‘clutch’ pedal which selects the pre-selected gear if you see what I mean! Anyway, very clever technology and seemed to work perfectly and very smoothly. First up, literally was couple of steep steps, no kneeling flat platforms here thank you. Once on board, the bus was respectably quiet and pretty comfortable cruising happily on the main roads at 45mph. 

The trip from Brandon to Sculthorpe was about one hour and we all settled happily into chatting about all things aviation. Soon we were at our destination and a fine job they have done as well having spruced up the old RC church with loads of interesting displays and memorabilia, parts of old aircraft, histories of various aircraft flying suits. Operation Jiu Jitsu (see February’s WNAS report) and even some old Air Traffic Control Tower bricks and glass for sale, a subject close to my heart as a former Air Traffic Controller for 46 years. The Heritage centre was opened especially for our visit and included tea and some especially

delicious cake, homemade by the curator’s wife - lovely! 

After about 2 and half hours it was time to go so we all boarded the AEC RF (think I’m getting the hang of the terminology!) for the return trip. It only reminded us to fill the bus with diesel, about 10 mpg on average. We say thank you to our fantastic driver John. The picture opposite is NOT driver John but your ‘stand in scribe’ sitting in the driver’s seat making ‘brum brum’ noises whilst pretending to be driving the bus - another bucket list item fulfilled! 

Mark Burch, Stand In Scribe.

April 2024

‘Commander’ David Allen, founder member of the WNAS (29 years), saved the day by standing in for a speaker who - was unable to be sought. He called his impromptu alliteration Allen’s Airline Anecdotes.  ‘Commander’ is our pseudonym for a confident gentleman with bearing and presence worthy of the rank but, alas, not official. 

He landed in Mundford 40 odd years ago chasing a job as a teacher. Being a polymath and a polyglot it was not surprising that he secured the position. His fascination for aviation began when, at the age of six, his father, a WW2 Curtiss KittyHawk pilot, took him and his mother for a spin in an Avro York (derivative of the renowned Lancaster bomber). A fire in one of the engines did little to dampen his enthusiasm for flight…… nor did the fact that a landing was forced as a result of a strut becoming detached from the undercarriage…..nor did the fact that a priest committed suicide by jumping off the tailgate; one would have thought a mission in the upward direction would have been more appropriate. The strut falling from the undercarriage was eventually recovered from someone’s garden.

David, forever the aficionado, was well supported, with hand-outs depicting thumbnail images of all the civil aeroplanes with which he had been associated. He only mentioned once that he took the helm of an airliner at the age of six but, he did, subsequently, have administrative positions at airports like Luton: loadmaster; ensuring balanced luggage distribution: pumping water to balancing points in the wings and tail. Security was another of his briefs; terrorist control you might call it now. On one occasion at night he apprehended a suspicious looking chappie snooping around a Handley Page Herald. The culprit told David that he had once flown this particular aeroplane. When it was revealed that the culprit was the Duke of Edinburgh, David was discomfited but, was spared insubordination charges.

Our man still has a close association with those fourteen aircraft depicted in the thumbnails; he now holds the honorary title of official guide at Duxford. Since retirement he has now sampled the real thing: he now holds a glider pilot’s licence.   If there’s one aircraft that could be used to personify David’s character it would be the Bristol Britannia (Whispering Giant), it's quick and it's quiet whereas, this reporter is slow and deaf. This is not a good combination if the object of this exercise is to convey the maximum amount of accurate information. www.westnorfokaviationsociety.org.uk

March 2024

Amanda Harrison, latter-day Amy Johnson, was our celebrity guest speaker this month. We say 'celebrity' because she has rubbed shoulders with the famous:- sports personalities, politicians, film stars and royalty, the latter being, in her own words, the least self-opinionated and the least pretentious. The opportunity for this privilege resulted from becoming, later in her career, a commercial pilot instructor.  

Her fascination for flying began when she was a schoolgirl. Her father and brother were both aero-modellers; the seed was sown; it germinated and, now she has her own full grown 1930s Tiger Moth in which she is re-enacting her hero's epic journey, some of it already completed. Much of Amanda's story is common knowledge and references to her achievements are well documented online. Her presentation at our meeting together with the book she has published help fill in the gaps in this incredible saga.

This vivacious but modest 46 year old trod the Mundford Bowls Club boards with confidence, humour and enthusiasm. It seemed, almost, as if she was enjoying the company of the WNAS as much as she does her beloved aeroplane.

There was an underlying message in her story that was not just about the thrill of flying her own aeroplane but by how much the sensation was magnified by circumstances leading up to her success. Amanda wears her heart on her sleeve: as a teenager with few academic achievements and, being diagnosed with dyslexia, her peers regarded her as a 'no-hoper' destined for a career stacking shelves. Now, she seems to have another quest: to right some of the wrongs our education system has over-looked. She gives up some of her precious spare time to children with learning difficulties; to demonstrate that: 'where there a will there's a way'. She encourages them into the belief that learning is exciting rather than a chore. In a rather perverse way facing adversity seems to have strengthened her resolve: after undergoing an operation for a double mastectomy, her father dying a few days later and a broken Gypsy Major engine in Beirut her spirits are still high and she is confident that, after she receives air clearance over the war torn Middle East, Australia is only a step away.

Our society's thanks must also go to Techie Steve for discovering this treasure trove. 

Our chatty chairman, Chris H, addressing the floor, closed the meeting with the pithy afterthought: try not to die before the next installment.

February 2024

The regular meeting convened as usual at Mundford Bowls Club where a near (if not actual) record attendance was recorded to hear a talk by Ian Brown on Atomic Sculthorpe. Ian is the Curator of The RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre and as he explained fell into the roll purely because of his interest in the place having lived close by.

This was a very interesting presentation on the history of RAF Sculthorpe which is really a flag of convenience as in reality its all about the United States Air Force(USAF) and their operations predominantly in the late 1940’s and early 50’s when Sculthorpe was a base for B29 aircraft carrying the various models of Atomic Weapons, bombs to you and I, in defence against the Soviet Union under the appropriately named MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) protocol. This is exactly what it says on the tin, you lob an Atomic Bomb at us and we will lob a bigger one back, ending as it were with a BIG BANG for everyone. Ian has made many interesting discoveries of the history around Sculthorpe inc the various unique installations such a turntables to align the aircraft more accurately with the loading trolleys. Me thinks this is a good idea as I don’t reckon you, or indeed Usain Bolt, could run fast enough to escape a blast if you dropped one when loading…….

Ian explained a number of myths about RAF Sculthorpe of which the 3 main ones were:

Heated Runway ….Absolutely not

Underground Installations ….Nope

Alternative Space Shuttle Landing Airfield….Again No, that was RAF Fairford

So that's put all that to bed then! But wait there was more.

Operation Jujitsu spy missions took place from Sculthorpe in the early 1950’s when the RAF operated USAF B45 aircraft with RAF roundels but no registration numbers. The B45 was never on the inventory of the RAF, but it undertook manned spy missions over the USSR crewed by RAF crews, thus creating ultimate deniability using the argument, sic the RAF; not us ‘gov’ we don’t operate those aircraft and sic USAF; not us ‘gov’ not our aircraft or crews. In the end the arguments weren’t required as the missions were completed successfully! High risk nonetheless and approved by the then PM Winston Churchill as a way for us to get back in the good books of our US allies. The reason why Sculthorpe was chosen was because it was already home to the 91 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing operating the B45 aircraft. A further operation was cancelled due to the risk and eventually manned flights over the USSR were cancelled when Gary Powers in a Lockeed U2 aircraft was shot down from ‘very high indeed’ by a Soviet missile, and amazingly survived to tell the tale.

For further information on Atomic Sculthorpe and Operation Jujitsu a visit to the RAF Sculthorpe Heritage Centre is recommended. On the other hand if you like the sound of our group why not come to the West Norfolk Aviation Society meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at Mundford Bowls Club where you will be guaranteed a warm welcome with tea, biscuits and light snacks provided by our hosts Val and Len and an aviation themed evening amongst like mind individuals. Can’t say fairer than that!

Mark Burch, Stand In Scribe.

December 2023

The Chair, Chris H, called the meeting to order at 19-40hrs and welcomed 16 crew-members; not bad for an AGM; quality being preferential to quality it was suggested, especially when the Lionesses were performing on the same night. Apologies for absence were accepted from Secretary Mark B, so, the minutes taken were scant.

The chairman commended John B the Speaker Seeker’s stalwart efforts in procuring presenters with such well-developed oratorical skills. To this end he received a tumultuous applause and was promised a bouquet of brussel sprouts; to be presented on a future occasion.

For readers who are interested in the liquidity of the society, Commander/Treasurer David A presented a very healthy and detailed balance sheet which can be viewed on our website. He informed the crew that it had been necessary to transfer the account to Nationwide because the dismissed holders, Barclays, were incapable of meeting our needs.

Highly valued ex-Membership Secretary, Roger A, has been forced to resign with the feeble excuse that he would need to travel from the Thames estuary to get to our venue. To replace him is going to be an almost impossible task. Anybody is invited to apply for the position as long as they can reproduce Roger’s qualities: charming, intelligent, innovative, dedicated and exploitative - recruiting new speakers from new and old members.

Then there was a quiz: skillfully choreographed by our very own, youngest member, IT and website technician, Steve C. The room was divided into four teams of unequal players and allocated the names: Avro, Concorde, Phantom and English Electric. The questions Steve asked sometimes had a cryptic flavour (c.f. phantom and opera or Olivia and de Havilland). The setup was supported by a highly sophisticated display system. Each team had its own designated score sheet. The questions asked were related to the names of each aeroplane. If the correct answer to the aeroplane question matched the team name then the score could be doubled. The team with the most players won – we think.

Then, something that should never have happened: a member deserving more recognition than anybody else: Raffler extraordinaire, modest John H, responsible for the treasurer’s figures in black, was omitted from the credits until the very last moment. Our sincerest apologies to you, Sir, especially when we learned that you have offered to drive us to an aviation event in one of your classic buses!

Lastly, another presentation: Val and Len, guardians of the Mundford Bowls Club, our dedicated hosts throughout the year, were given seasonal fare and a bouquet which was, necessarily, far more imposing than brussel sprouts. NT

November 2023

On Tuesday 7 th November at the Mundford Bowls Club the WNAS were delighted to play host to Stewart Samuals: celebrity, historian and co-owner of Feltwell’s prestigious family-run, Wellington Inn.

For an equally prestigious airfield Stewart’s introductory photograph did not pay tribute to its status. The main entrance to the site shows a rather grandiose brick monolith bearing the noble inscription: ‘Liberty Wins’. Unfortunately, undergrowth has recently been given too much liberty.

Stewart soon reset the balance by revealing that everything else about the location could be described as treasure. The infrastructure is almost exactly as it was during WW2: hangers, workshops, schools and even a beautiful timber church built by Boulton and Paul. There is no living accommodation on the site but the houses are regularly maintained and original camouflage paintwork can still be discerned on the property walls. There are veterinary, dog training facilities and schools there. A testimony to this fact comes from WNAS member, Lee, who used to teach there. 

Stewart explained that RAF Feltwell has never been deactivated and a concrete runway was never built. It was designed as a satellite to Lakenheath in 1937. Before that there was a WW1 airfield between Feltwell and Hockwold; evidence of this can be seen there today. The geography of the surrounding area seems to be ideally suited to the construction of airfields and it is not surprising that we see the ‘golf balls’ (radar surveillance scanners) there now. 

This scenario was a development of the Star wars initiative instigated by Ronald Reagan in the days of the Cold War. With radar and the atomic clock together with the Thor missile it would be possible to detect an adversary and counter attack with pin point accuracy. Feltwell was host to the first Thor missiles. They were originally of a German design. The British built the rockets and the Americans built the warheads. Ironically, the rockets were taken back to Vandenburg test site in California and were commissioned by RAF engineers from Feltwell.

Stewart intimated that there is now evidence of the construction of the first purpose built runway; a very short one. Can we see electric vertical take-off  aircraft on the horizon?

Stop press: at an affectionate level Stewart made mention of the bond we have with America. Every day on the base at 4-30pm the National Anthem is broadcast followed by the Star Spangled Banner. At Halloween, children head for the officer’s quarters first where the pickings are more juicy. RAF Watton is not the only base to host its own wartime ghost.

October 2023

Once again the Lindsay Peacock Show returned to the stage at the Mundford bowls club but, this time, his discourse related to the shooting of aeroplanes in Japan; for ‘shooting’ please read, ‘photographing’. His presentation was scheduled for last month but both he and the speaker seeker, John B, had reasons for crying-off. John’s excuse appears to be the result of a being unwell but he had recovered enough to make his presence felt on this occasion, not in the flesh, but via a video link set up by Techie Steve C.  As is usual at these meetings John was still able to fill in the gaps throughout the speakers orations, together with the backing of several hospital appliances.

It seems that whenever Lindsay visits foreign climes he is greeted with rain; there was no exception on this visit to Aruna and the Hyacuri air base.

It is always important to Lindsay that he should have a decent vantage point in order to capture the best pictures and, apart from the regular practice of poking the camera lens through holes in the fencing, an elevated position is always a bonus. The land on which Hyacuri is situated, once privately owned, has a small area which retains its independence. The wily owner decided he could capitalise on this by building a watch tower thereupon and renting its facility to wealthy, professional photographers.

Lindsay is always ready to evaluate other services like food: good in this case; accommodation: not so good; barbering: good and, amusing, eg. [sic]

Hair Saron.

Membership Secretary Roger Alston described how another WNAS member had introduced him to a fellow aircraft simulator buff and television repair man, one Julian Horn of Watton. During their meeting Julian related a ghost story about a WW2 pilot who still haunts the old RAF Watton site. After Roger returned home he received a full account of the story which Julian had published some years ago. Roger made a few copies to share with other members of the WNAS.

Roger also announced that, reluctantly, owing to family commitments, he has to move back to Essex and must therefore resign from the position of MS. We wish him well with his move.

This means that the revered position is now up for grabs and any would-be candidate craving responsibility should attend the next meeting in order to secure an interview.

August 2023

Andy Phipps was our guest speaker this month with special permission from RAF Lakenheath Fire Department who granted him relief from duties in order that he could attend this special occasion. 

Andy exuded confidence and authority which must have developed at an early age; from a determination to succeed. He grew up in Shoeburyness, gained few formal qualifications and after various shore based jobs leading nowhere he became obsessed by the idea of a naval career and eventually got it. He served time in the Falklands safeguarding fuel stations. After he returned home, this newfound experience led him to a fire service training centre in Cambridge which, in turn, led him to the Fire Service at Lakenheath. 

He now spearheads a crew of about 40 Brits and 100 Americans; this might sound like a metaphor for some of the equipment he uses: fire engines with armour piercing water nozzles designed to extinguish fires inside crashed aeroplanes but, with sufficient control to prevent the drowning of the occupants. This equipment together with a number of other fire fighting vehicles, each costing not much less than $1 million apiece, complete the ensemble. Despite the proactive procedures necessary to fight fire, he stressed the point that as much goes into fire prevention as it does into fire fighting. 

There is a close working relationship between the police and the medical teams present on the base and, although there are certain legal procedures to follow, common sense is often used to transcend the law. 

Snippets: during WW2 Lakenheath was an unarmed decoy airfield to Feltwell which was where the real action took place; Andy was proud to be able to reveal

that, although he has had to attend quite a few accidental crash landings, there has never been an F15 downed in hostile engagement; fire control is one thing but the mopping-up duties also include the clearance of cockpit residue resulting from the effects of high G-forces on pilot intestines.

It is with great sadness that the WNAS reports the passing of one of our members: Roger Burrows from Watton had a small factory unit at Threxton where he built and piloted 7/10 scale replicas of inter-war biplanes. We were all looking forward to the maiden flights of a Hawker Fury and an SE5 but alas, it was no to be. He gave a presentation a few years ago at our bowls club meeting place and invited members of the society to a party at his workshop

- memories to be treasured!

July 2023

A last minute change of destination saw a small, yet enthusiastic, expedition from the WNAS, head for the heritage centre at the former RAF Bircham Newton.

Our thanks must firstly go to the curator of the heritage centre, Jamie, for accommodating us at such short notice and making everyone feel so welcome.

The heritage centre has recently undergone a revamp that now sees dedicated rooms to WWI, the inter-war years, WWII and post war periods.

Starting at the beginning (always a useful place to start) Jamie explained how RAF Bircham Newton opened just a month after the inception of the Royal Air Force in 1918. Designated as a bomber airfield, it was equipped with 3 Handley Page V/1500s the largest of the British aeroplanes. 

A plan was conceived to use these 4 engined behemoths against Berlin in early November 1918. However, due to a series of weather delays, technical setbacks and other issues, the raid was eventually scheduled for the afternoon of the 11th , take off around lunchtime. At the last minute, some even say, as the aeroplanes were preparing for take-off, news of the armistice reached the Station.

The inter-war years saw RAF Bircham Newton used as a bomber training station where some of the higher echelons of WWII cut their teeth. The status of a training station ensured it was kept operational throughout these years, at one point being the only operational RAF station in Norfolk.

WWII saw Coastal Command take charge and the arrival of Swordfish, Anson, Hudson and Wellington aeroplanes with several other types having shorter stays throughout the war.

Jamie’s passion and knowledge about the aircrews stationed at RAF Bircham Newton throughout this period was obvious. He regaled us with stories of both

heroism and tragedy. The Canadian crews in particular seemed to suffer heavy losses. Jamie explained crews were often asked to carry out operations over the

enemy coast where their slow moving, outdated aeroplanes were easy pickings for the German fighters. There are several recorded incidents of entire raids being wiped out with the loss of nearly all aircrews.

Post war RAF Bircham Newton was hampered by the lack of a hard runway. Never having the capability to accommodate the jet age, operations dwindled. It was somewhat ironic then that the last aeroplane to leave the site was a jet: the forerunner of the iconic Harrier, the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel, completed trials at the station during 1965.

In 1966 RAF Bircham Newton closed and was handed over to the Construction Industry Training Board and latterly West Suffolk College who continue the work of the Construction Industry Training Board

The site itself is remarkably well preserved with many original buildings still intact; however, access is strictly limited due to the on-going activities of the Construction College.

If you get the opportunity to visit, it’s well worthwhile, just to listen to Jamie’s knowledge if nothing else. All who attended expressed a wish to return for a further visit in the future.

Steve C

June 2023

Thompson man, Mark Burch, could easily have headed his CV, ‘Forty Six Years in Air Traffic Control’ before presenting his talk to the WNAS on the 6th

instant.

Like so many boys, Mark had an early ambition to fly. He joined the ATC (Air Training Corps) at Bournemouth in 1976 and learned to fly gliders but his

eyesight would never allow him to fly professionally (Wg Cdr Ken Wallis, late president of the WNAS, might have given him some advice on eye test

dodges). So, Mark became another ATC (Air Traffic Controller).

He gradually developed his career serving at various famous aeronautical locations like: Cranworth and Shawbury. Then he came our way and did

more time at Honington and Watton’s Eastern Radar establishment. He spoke of his time at Mildenhall, helping to organise the annual air shows,

juggling the performances of regular visitors with the encrypted flight plan of a classified arrival: after refuelling in the North Sea it began its return to

Mildenhall at Mach 3. No prizes for guessing: The Blackbird. In one breath Mark mentioned Bloodhound Radar and height finders; one wonders whether he had control over low flying missiles as well?

He spent further time at Wattisham controlling the behaviour of helicopters over the North Sea and proudly boasted that this airfield was a close second

in prominence to Aberdeen in its involvement with North Sea oil fields. He made a personal comment that the army were better helicopter flyers than

the air force (Chuck Pettitt, a former WNAS member, would have loved to hear that). Why did he say this? Perhaps he regretted not having spoken to

Ken first.

Mark offered his services to supervise charity events at Duxford. For the first time in his career he was present during an air accident: a mock dog-fight

between a Mustang and a Skyraider resulted in a collision and a subsequent ball of smoke at the end of a runway. Both pilots walked away from the crash

unscathed and, allegedly, shook hands afterwards. It was never Mark’s fault but he chastised himself for looking in the wrong direction at the moment of

collision.

After retiring from the RAF in 1997 he went back to Bath Flight Training Academy, in an attempt to obtain commercial flight recognition. Here he

found the syllabus identical to the one he had undertaken after joining the RAF. His fame circulated the grapevine and he very soon received an

invitation to attend an interview at Norwich Airport. He was recruited before getting through the door and stayed there until his retirement about a year

ago. He now holds the equally challenging position of Club Secretary at the WNAS.

May 2023

It was about 10 years ago when a group of us invited Lindsay Peacock to sample a hands-on gliding experience at Wattisham Airfield. Last Tuesday, 2nd May, we invited him again to our stage, this time, at the Mundford Bowls Club. He is well known in aeronautical circles as an deputy editor of Jane’s Encyclopaedia of Aviation and has self-penned several books on various fighter types. 

His presentation at our meeting provided an account of his experiences at Fairford over the last twenty odd years. This is where the internationally renowned Royal International Aircraft Tattoo is held each year. He worked there as a photographer/media escort and was often in the privileged position of enjoying free rides in modern fighter aircraft and, meeting some influential people: last year there were four British veterans present, together with one aging WW2 Luftwaffe pilot.The weather is invariably inclement at Fairford and on one occasion the rain stopped when Queen Elizabeth arrived to honour the event; after she left, the rain commenced its invasion.

When it was suggested to Lindsay that he was a bit of a name dropper he seemed somewhat affronted but soon mellowed when it was advised that the targets would have been honoured by his exposés. Not only was Lindsay’s photographic material extensive but also colourful: extensive because some of his aerial shots of stationary aircraft were taken from a cherry picker and, colourful, because the livery of many of the subjects was extreme to the point of psychedelia and animalia, with cues taken from orcas, zebras and, would you believe, peacocks; perhaps the plumage adorning the fuselage of the Indian helicopter display team was an attempt to pay tribute to our speaker.

On the question of extremes it has to be said that Lindsay has experienced a few: let’s not forget the cherry picker which takes off but doesn’t always

come down; let’s not forget the Wattisham glider winch which, during take-off, induced the greatest adrenalin rush he had ever experienced. NJT.

April 2023

At the WNAS AGM in December, relatively new member, John Blakeley, added colour to the proceedings by providing us with an impromptu quiz, ref:

www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk  On Tuesday 4th, this same, very imposing figure, one who gives the impression of having rank and bearing; even without the medals and moustache, delivered us an account of how he ascended the rungs of the RAF. His talk was entitled, ‘Four Chipmunks to Copenhagen’.

From a young boy his appetite for military matters began with a visit to see HMS Victory at Portsmouth and for a while it seemed that his future lay in the navy but, soon afterwards he visited an air show on the Isle of Wight and for two shillings and sixpence he was granted a flip in a chipmunk. From then on he saw his future in the sky rather than at sea.

With a strong will he eventually won a 4 year scholarship to RAF Henlow and later took a Dip Tech course in electrical engineering at Norwich. He met Ian Moyer there, a student with a similar background. Under the sponsorship of the Station Commandant the two of them teamed up with two other students in an initiative to form a squadron of Chipmunks with a mission to fly solo from Manston in Kent to Vœrlose near Copenhagen. They passed through Holland , Germany and Denmark visiting at least ten airfields along the way and reported no mishaps there or back. This they did using the most basic of navigational aids which included spare parts, some of which included crystals for unruly radios. John concluded his presentation with a film clip of four Chipmunks stunting in close formation; he was too modest to say whether he was a participator in this display.

It is hoped that he may grace our stage again sometime soon with tales which could include his experiences with Phantoms and Starfighters.

Please forgive this ageing reporter if some of the facts have strayed from the truth. Deficiency in eyesight and hearing are contributory factors. (How does one manage to keep a job like this? (Perhaps, because no one else wants it). The problem is being addressed with the combined efforts of the ever efficient Mundford Bowls Club and the WNAS who have already taken delivery of a new display screen. There are also thoughts of a high tech. communal hearing-aid system too, which might include an induction loop……. comprising modern crystals of course.

March 2023

Andy Moore's talk last September portraying wartime events at RAF Bexwell was such a success that he was invited back to present part 2 of the Bexwell story: a catalogue of events, mementos and first-hand accounts which he has researched over a period of four decades. He began with a brief résumé of part 1 which is available on our website: www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk

Although many references were made to the diversity of wartime technology (much of which is available on the internet), Andy's contribution this time had the human touch: hisown personal accounts of individuals who made such a difference to the war effort. The air force itself at Bexwell had a multinational flavour with input from many European countries: Australia, New Zealand, India and even Sierra Leone in Africa; it also boasts 3 posthumously

awarded Victoria Crosses. The Irish and the Welsh built the runways with help from the local women who also provided much of the accommodation. (Aren't we blessed as a nation that our racial tolerance should have been rewarded by so much support?). The effort stretched across the whole spectrum of social class, from the humblest labourer to royalty. Andy cited an instance when the King and Queen visited the Bexwell Hall mess and their schedule was inconvenienced by a WAF who was unable to convey a royal flight plan by telephone because she had broken her teeth; apparently women’s voices are better suited to relaying information by wire.

One particular character who has become a friend of Andy’s since 2017 is the 102 year old Flt/Lt Colin Bell who often drives up from Kent to visit his young friend. Douglas Bader, Guy Gibson and Bomber Harris are famous names synonymous with WW2 heroism and glory; Colin Bell should be among them. http://www.militaryspeakers.co.uk/speakers/colin-bell-dfc/

Andy learnt from Colin that motivation and moral boosting among the young pilots was an ambivalent process: on the one hand moderate drinking, good food and chasing women was available and encouraged. Low moral fibre, fear and cowardice were punishable offences.

Another dilemma a pilot faced was the choice of whether he should equip himself with a side arm; it was not obligatory. Some thought they would be safer with a gun after they had crash landed or baled out, others thought that having a gun was a temptation for the enemy to shoot before capturing. Whoops, I’m using too many words!

F/Lt Colin Bell DFC

February 2023

It was about ten years ago when Feltwell man Stephen Parker first talked to us about his exploits in Antarctica and this third installment was delivered with the same enthusiasm as the others; audience participation being reflected with the same gusto.

Stephen began his talk, entitled ‘Antarctic Aviation’, by describing the

environment in which he was expected to work: the topography, geography, temperatures, winds and accommodation; all very extreme. He paid tribute to the pioneers of the early part of the last century, the primitive aircraft and machinery that were used to tame this hostile environment. He named numerous aircraft types involved, those he mentioned more than once had greater versatility, like the 1911 R.E.P monoplane that could be converted into a tractor, the DHC Fox Moth that was used to map the peninsular in 1934 and the ubiquitous DC3 Dakota that could be relatively easy to dismantle and reassemble following marine transport. Practically all the equipment had to be transported this way including all the fuel; in 50 gallon drums. As the activity in the region increased so did the interest among many nationalities. All wanted a slice of the cake. There were a few skirmishes at the beginning but remarkably, since the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, all active countries share a cooperative spirit; a bit like the multinational activity we witness now in the space station - science triumphs over politics it seems.

 Stephen saw many other changes after his arrival there in 1990 with more modern aircraft having more sophisticated pollution monitoring technology; even airliners made an appearance. Another difference he noticed: in 1994: women started arriving. On that note it seems pertinent to remark that the most interesting question he was asked all evening was by a lady club member: "Where did you put all your rubbish" Stephen was not fazed, in fact it was almost as if he himself found it the most interesting question and joyfully announced that the rubbish was put in the empty oil drums and shipped back to where it originated.

At the beginning of the evening Commander Allen made the unhappy announcement that a younger member of our club had died and that his

family had very kindly bequeathed all his aviation literature and several framed pictures to the society which they could dispose of as they

wished.

Thanks as always to our hosts, Val and Len.

 January 2023

Methwold man, Tim Flatman RN, Officer Commanding 207 sqn at Marham, very kindly offered his time to present a talk about the revered American F-35 Lightning which is a single-seat, single-engined, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft; often visiting Mundford airspace. After coming into service in 2006 it has evolved into three different variants, A, B and C; less difficult to understand than some of the tech-speak in Tim's repertoire. This data

however, was limited to an unclassified selection.

He explained that the variants could be tailored to suit different requirements: speed, take-off and landing times, vertical take-off, ceiling, aircraft carrier stowage and maneuverability; the best of all these necessities is not available in one aircraft. To demonstrate the popularity of the machine he also gave details of the distribution of end users: 1300 in America, 138 in Britain, some in Canada, Australia and quite a few in a number of European countries; he didn't say whether Lockheed Martin had a contract with Russia; perhaps that information comes under 'classified'.

Tim described the qualifications necessary to produce a modern generation pilot: he or she no longer needed muscle, a seat-of-the pants approach or inertia conscious intuition, but, it is preferable to possess iPhone finger-tip coordination. A pilot can no longer do or go where he/she pleases; the movements are monitored and recorded by base control and, the aeroplane will not allow the pilot to make commands beyond the aircraft's capability. The modern fighter pilot uses avionic technology which allows visual data to be retrieved through monitors in the helmet; information from the ground below can 'come through the floor'.

Combined British and American training exercises take place over the North Sea but much of the expertise is achieved using simulators; about 50% .

It seems this well-composed and imposing matter-of-fact young man (say, 43) was responsible for the record turn-out (37 present, six of whom were ladies; very encouraging) or maybe it was the result of additional website data; maybe a bit of both. There was a barrage of questions at the end of the evening and one in particular asked by a lady who was alarmed by the F35’s fuel consumption: “Was the aircraft ‘green’”? At this point Tim lost a little of his composure and could have said, “No, it’s silver” or, as a politician might say, “It’s thirsty but for the greater good”. Instead he savoured the moment of being part of a comedy double act.

December 2022

The WNAS prides itself on its efficiency and, with Chairman Chris H and Commander David A at the helm, this years AGM was conducted with alacrity, hilarity and brevity: 23mins and 20secs from beginning to end, which, included the endorsement of last years minutes and matters arising therefrom.

Apologies for absence were accepted from two major players: the Secretary Mark B who was unavoidably masterminding movements of air traffic at Norwich Airport and, Technical advisor and projectionist Steve C who was managing paramedical duties in the field.

The treasurer, David A, reported a healthy bank balance and the speaker seeker, John B, has engaged four talks for the coming year. All existing officers were re-appointed except Fred M, website manager, who was unsure whether personal circumstances might limit his future attendance at the meetings.

It was reassuring that recent fiscal fumbling and inflation has had no effect on subscriptions which, still stand at £10 a year thanks, largely, to raffle runner extraordinaire John H and the generosity of most of the members themselves.

The Chair proposed a vote of thanks to the Crew and to our esteemed caterers Val and Len.

The rest of the evening was left in the charge of John Blakely, a guest and member of an alternative aviation society, who had created a quiz involving the depiction of various aerial photographs from all over the world. Teams were soon formed and their remit was to identify the locations of the airfields with the assistance of topical and cryptic clues which John had conjured himself. He also used material he had photographed himself. Seasoned international

aviators did not necessarily have the advantage: hobbyist simulator pilots were also in with a chance. The normal practice of cheating prevented the identification of a winning team.

The splinter group which meets on the ensuing Friday morning were fewer in number but just as vocal. It was interesting to note how a deeper insight into our personalities became apparent. Without the common interest in Aeroplanes we were now different people: either 60s pop stars, racing car drivers or Harley Davidson trike aficionados.

October 2022

Following an assignment he made some years ago to talk to us about his exploits in Antarctica, Steven Parker from Feltwell, paid us another visit to account for the role he played in the handling of the Falklands war, code named operation Black Buck.

Stephen, who spent 23 years in the RAF, was stationed at Marham for 5 years serving as Chief Technician whilst working on Victor Bombers. During his time there, the war broke out and 24 of these bombers were converted into tankers in order to refuel the Waddington based Vulcan (nicknamed the flat iron) which had been chosen to target the Argentine held Port Stanley airport. Steven seemed to have his own rather cynical view about whether this was a wise decision especially when it was revealed that a slide rule bought on Swaffham Market was used to assist with the calculations involved in the planning of the refueling operations. Eighteen of the converted Victors waiting at Wideawake airport on the RAF Ascension Island were to be juggled in training exercises before the actual assault. Steven, now based there too, gave an account of his own personal problems: breathing (dust); accommodation (tents); maneuvering aeroplanes (Vulcan’s weight so great with cargo, bombs and fuel the wheels sunk into the soft runway). 

Steven also gave an account of the part played by other support aircraft. Among them were: Sea Harrier jump jet, Nimrod and Hercules. The latter was another aircraft adapted for tanker duties, but, Steven remarked, ‘owing to its speed limitation it needed to adopt an unconventional flying attitude’: once connected to its recipient the pair would descend in a shallow dive in order to transfer fuel more efficiently.

At the end of his talk Steven, very modestly, revealed that he and an associate of his, Brian Martin, had written a book entitled ‘Marham Tankers’. So impressed was our base Commander, David A, that he suggested our society buy three of these to present to worthy stalwarts of our crew: twenty one strong on the night.

The Speaker Meetings are usually held at the Mundford Bowls Club on the first Tuesday of the Month at 1900hrs. As well, our Commander has organised a morning splinter group meeting at 1100 hrs on the following Friday to chat about fascinating trivia and provide succor to some of our veteran members who find it difficult to attend the speaker meetings in the evening.

September 2022

Seldom does the WNAS play host to such an enthusiastic speaker as Andy Moore who, at the age of 7 years, became fascinated by the history of RAF Bexwell near Downham Market. From this early age he has had the opportunity to forage for buried relics, trawl various archives, study the remaining buildings and interview various people who lived through WW2. 

To accompany his presentation he had two community hall tables full of memorabilia together with photos past and present.

Bexwell became a satellite station to Marham. Staff and crew transferring in 1942 were welcomed by the local community who often invited the airmen into their homes, as Andy’s first-hand knowledge will attest; one can easily see how this camaraderie helped towards promoting Andy’s ebullient delivery.

He highlighted the presence of some remarkable individuals at the time. When the airfield was being built in 1940 by W C French and the assistance of Irish and Welsh muscle there was a need to run power and communication services along the length of the runway. The conduit was so small that a very small Irish lady was requested to crawl along its length with a tow line. The airfield was also equipped with the first FIDO installation which consisted of giant blowlamps creating two, twenty foot walls of fire on each side of the runway; this was designed to clear fog for safer landings and could be seen from as far away as Peterborough.

There were two notable airmen, now commemorated by a plaque on the church green. They were both, posthumously, awarded a Victoria Cross. Details of this can be found on:  https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/20939/RAF-Victoria-Cross-Memorial-Bexwell.htm 

A number of squadrons made a presence on the airfield: Lancaster, Halifax but mainly Mosquitos and Stirlings.  Andy has a soft spot for both of the latter; the Stirling was more maneuverable than the Hurricane and the Mosquito was good at multitasking.  

During one of Andy’s guided tours for veterans in 2017 he met one Ft/Lt Colin Gell who flew Mosquitos from the airfield. Colin’s story is long and he remembers many things: chasing the Germans out of Kiel harbour and dropping provisions for the starving Dutch; dropping little parcels of chocolate ‘voor de kinder’ and, he remembers the building at Bexwell where a tasty bevy of beauties packed the parachutes. Superstition played a part in his survival; he always knew that he would complete his 50 operations. It seems that he has survived more than that: he is now 103 years old and occasionally drives up from Tunbridge Wells to see his new friend Andy Moore.     

Nigel Tooth

July 2022

Commander David A opened the meeting with a welcome to two new members David B and David C. The Commander proceeded to offer the apologies of the scheduled speaker who, through illness, was unable to present his talk. However, an ad hoc double/double act came to the rescue in the form of Steve C and Steve dR, both of whom gave separate accounts of their experiences whilst attending the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) last month at Fairford near Swindon.

Steve C, a paramedic, donated his time and expertise as a volunteer and, provided 5 ambulances to oversee the health and safety of the 200,000 attendees (you’ve a long way to go: Girls of the England Women’s Football Team, before you can beat these attendance figures). 

Every year many separate groups get together on this occasion in a charitable endeavour to promote funding for children’s science education. 

Steve’s paramedic team gave demos of medical response initiatives; even being provided with a mock-up field hospital as part of their showpiece equipment. 

There were many ground based side shows associated with the flying displays during the day and the fun didn’t stop there: a live jazz band accompanied all of the other activities associated with night time revelry.

Howver, there were some casualties; about 100; mainly suffering from the effects of freak weather conditions but, Steve made it clear that the safety of everyone was paramount and the organisation of the event had to meet with the approval of at least three protection agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration.

Then, it was Steve dR’s turn: Steve is a photographer extraordinaire and no stranger to this stage. With evidence to illustrate the point, using his own 10 foot screen, he gave an account of the performances of the star attractions at this same event. What appeared to be his favourite among the aerobatic display teams were the South Korean Kia formations flown with breath-taking precision. It seems the Red Arrows are losing their lead.  

The Commander finalised proceedings by congratulating the impromptu speakers, the catering staff and, reminded all that their presence would be welcome at the senior officer group meeting at the same venue on the Friday of the same week, 11-00 Hrs.

More information at:   www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk 

Nigel Tooth

June 2022

Our commander, David A, convened the meeting at 1930 hrs on Tuesday 6th June and reported that the Chairman had sent apologies for his absence. He had a sort of excuse; he went fishing in France.

Apologies were also made for the absence of a speaker this month but, to compensate for this an arrangement has been made by John B to visit the Bentwaters Cold War Museum next month. There was a universal vote of acceptance among the crew for this opportunity; details will be posted on the website: www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk 

To compensate further for the disappointments the commander announced that a number of film recordings had been made available. The most popular choice was the story of the WW2 Mosquito, a rival in popularity to the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster. Some would say it out-performed the latter three challengers; the film certainly demonstrated the Mosquito’s versatility: with a lightweight wooden fuselage, twin Merlin engines, and a two man crew, the aeroplane dualed as a bomber and a fighter. It had the ability to fly higher, lower and faster than its contemporaries: higher and faster to escape enemy threats and lower to avoid radar detection when flying at ground level and releasing bombs directly into many Nazi headquarters throughout Europe. Archive footage showed that much of this destruction occurred in 1943; an interesting experience for one or two of our members who were born in the same year; a touch of fake nostalgia perhaps. (It’s interesting to note that in a recent Google/Android blog by Botany One there are limited citations recording evidence of the types of wood used for the manufacture of the Mosquito fuselage; there’s a tease. It could be that some of our crew are old enough to remember). The film was a joy to watch and, to listen to, particularly since Steve C had procured a new computer and multiple WiFi controlled speakers - for those of us who find audio communication a trifle difficult. 

Thanks again to the catering crew and please don’t let any of the aforementioned ramble deter any teenagers from becoming members; only £10 a year. Over and out.  Nigel Tooth

May 2022

The WNAS' Visit to the Marham Heritage Centre

"I hope that was cleaned out before they brought it here!"  

"Why?"

"It's a Blue Danube, a nuclear bomb, didn't you know?"

Well, that's roughly how a conversation went between two members of the West Norfolk Aviation Society during an evening in May at Marham. My group was wending its way through a tour of the Heritage Centre, beginning at the First World War exhibits, moving through the WW2 artefacts and finally reaching the Cold War area.  

Our guides had kindly given up their own time to explain to us what we were looking at. And very successful they were too. They described the aircraft which had flown from Marham airfield over a period in excess of a hundred years: the biplane fighters sparring with Zeppelins, the Mosquitos 25 years later and, the V Bombers and Tornados in more recent years. 

But Bunny, formerly an RAF Armourer,  and  Ken, who used to fly as a Navigator, took particular care to recall the contributions made by other people involved: the aircrews of course, the engineers, the parachute packers, the armourers, the cooks and particularly the relatives of those who were in harm's way when on Active Service. 

During the intermission Chris, our Chairman and also an ex armourer, produced refreshments: sandwiches and tea which he had previously made himself. Thank you, Sir!

Our sincerest thanks are due to those two chaps for a fascinating couple of hours which we would like to experience again (our memories are not as good as they were!); perhaps in a couple of years' time. 

So, if you find yourself near Marham, check the museum's opening times on their website and spend an hour or two there. You will enjoy a very friendly welcome, a highly competent guide and, a lot to learn!

In the meantime, if you are interested in other subjects aeronautical, do peruse our website to see what we have to offer on the evening of the first Tuesday of each month in the Bowls Club at Mundford.

David Allen

April 2022

This month, Flight Lieutenant Andy Tennant was the star attraction at the Mundford Bowls Club where he held captivated members of the West Norfolk Aviation Society and, a contingency from the Norfolk Aviation Group. The resulting attendance figures soured to new heights. 

Andy has modestly entitled his talk: “Some Flying Stuff” and when one hears stories of rags to riches Andy’s own draws some parallels. From a relatively humble beginning and an early interest in flight he soon became an air cadet and, with a later visit to Duxford his sights were firmly set; by sheer determination and hard work he joined the RAF without any assistance from a university education.

From what was available to read in his log book it was soon clear that it might have been easier to list the aeroplane types that he hadn’t flown rather than the ones that he had. Favourite talking points were: Jet Provost, Hawk, Canberra, Jetstream, Hercules, Tucano…..

During his time with the RAF he was invited, with his wife, to spend some time in the US as an instructor. When he was 38 he retired and joined the world of civil aviation and spoke with affection for a number of these giant conquests, his favourite being the Jumbo 747.

Andy lives in Feltwell so it won’t be that far away for us to entice him back to talk about the ‘stuff’ he left out: perhaps a deeper appraisal of the effects of volcanic ash on airworthiness?

The meeting was punctuated by a few side shows: Another record raffle; the auction of a valuable aeronautical tome which went for a  song but, to a worthy recipient; a charismatic barman and an equally charismatic fare stewardess. A missing sideshow, unfortunately, was the ever popular Chairman cum Comedian, Chris H, who sent his apologies for absence following a covid outbreak in his family.

Next month there are plans afoot to visit Marham. Details are on the Home page.

March 2022

Our meeting on March 1st was the first with a guest speaker since the start of Covid. The speaker we expected was unwell but, entrepreneur Stuart Samuels from Feltwell came to our rescue and described a pair of Wellingtons to us.

The first one is a pub in Feltwell of which Stuart is the Navigator, if not the Captain. He recalled how he had bought the building, the state it was in, how his crew came together and, his motivation.

This resulted in the second Wellington in our story: the bomber aircraft based at Feltwell during the Second World War and the one after which his pub is named.

He told us that it was a much underrated aeroplane and its story has not been properly recalled. It has now, though, as one can appreciate when first entering his pub which is filled with artefacts and pictures commemorating its action in all theatres throughout WW2. It proved to be robust and able to survive great battle damage due to the Barnes Wallis design's use of geodetic construction; coincidentally the same technique was used in the construction of the Golfball radar scanners at Feltwell now.

A large section of the two part presentation, given without notes for over ninety minutes, was dedicated to the crews of the aircraft. Stuart recalled the actions of James Allen Ward, a New Zealander who in July 1941 climbed out through a hatch onto the wing of his Wellington to beat out an engine fire caused by a night fighter attack, thereby saving the crew and the aircraft. For his gallantry he was awarded the Victoria Cross, but, tragically died two months later during a raid in another Wellington.

Stuart also mentioned how captured airmen made their own survival equipment during escape attempts. An example of which was a compass disguised as a button; this was on display at the meeting with various other artefacts.

All-in-all, the lecture was an excellent start to our new season of guest speakers.

Just one nag: no mention of Copenhagen! Cheers, Stuart!

February 2022

Much of this report about Roger A’s lecture at the Mundford Bowls Club on Tuesday the 1st  is a replication of Commander David A’s follow-up notes to the crew. 

Roger, membership secretary and one time big wheel in Tesco’s technical data processing department, was praised by the Commander for the competency and enthusiasm he portrayed whilst executing his maiden voyage into lecturing us about the world of flight simulation. Roger’s chosen demonstration model was a Boeing 737 and, with graphics illustrating the nature of the cockpit, went on to explain that, with modern software, every perceivable control in this knob-twiddler’s paradise has a simulated equivalent; even down to collision avoidance sensors.

At the risk of exposing some of his own shortcomings, the modest Commander went on to extol the virtues of a few more of the crew:

“Chris (chairman) made a great Master of Ceremonies, without ceremony but, with good humour”; 

“John H extorted a lot of dosh in the raffle without the slightest help from himself (DA): there's a lesson there”; 

“John B has a growing list of future speakers already lined up”. 

The Commander also invited Steve C to explain his idea about a society logo based on photos he had taken himself. This he would email to members for their edification. The emblem makes its debut above as a trial before approval. It features the silhouettes of three aircraft which have made a presence in our area over the years; examples that have helped to keep everyone safe for almost a century.

David then announced that he had booked a table at Brown’s Restaurant in order to pay tribute to a few designated life members in the village who are no longer able to attend the regular meetings. (He didn’t say that he foot the bill himself).   

The Commander then congratulated the rest of the crew for their support and, as always, remembered caterers Val and Len. 

January 2022

On Tuesday 11th a healthy crew assembled at the Mundford Bowls Club all prepared for take-off. There were some old-ish faces returning to the fold with the prospect of three potential new members. 

Commander, David A, called us all to order and announced the first action for the evening: a quiz presented by Chairman and resident wit, Chris H. Each crew member was given a check list with 10 missions: the brief was to identify the various events, characters and machinery in aviation history. Not one question went unanswered. Chris afterwards revealed the scores: the response exposed a wealth of wisdom among the participant’s knowledge but, the guesswork produced more hilarity.

A film was then shown depicting archive aviation material. For those of us who were less well informed, community contributions made up for what the film lacked in narrative support. 

The modest commander then made mention of the fact - as he relinquished his position as raffler and appointed John H as his successor - that the turnover in generosity had almost doubled since his abdication.

These evenings would not be the success that they are, without the stalwart efforts of the MBC stewards, Len and Val; three cheers for them.

Next month the modest commander will present a talk of his own entitled: ‘This Idiot's Guide to Gliding’. We will not be deterred. It is also planned to show the second installment of the Coventry Air Show DVD.

All welcome.

December 2021

It was a dark and stormy night when the crew of the WNAS returned to the Mundford Bowls club base last Tuesday evening. The few that didn’t make it back for fear that their high sided vehicles would be overturned in the wind deprived themselves of entertainment they will regret for weeks to come.

Steve and Jean again, provided the ammunition to shoot at the ten foot screen. It took the form of long range stills that Steve had shot himself with a camera that could compress an image from two miles into two feet; the same distance that existed between participants’ wing tips. The fighter squadrons in the field of view were multinational: those represented were British, French, Spanish, Italian, American and Jordanian. It was the consensus of opinion in the mess that the Italians were best and, having met all crews, it was Steve’s opinion that the Jordanians were the friendliest.

After the Fare-stewardess’s banquet Steve returned to the cockpit with a period movie demonstrating how pilot training and experience was paramount to an aircraft’s safety, particularly when it was landing. The scenario was proven by a series of clips of battered B24 Liberators making various attempts. The film showed how a skilful pilot could not only cope with an aircraft’s inherent foibles but also the way he adapted his landing strategy to the type of damage the aircraft had suffered. 

To demonstrate the society’s appreciation for the caterers’ culinary qualifications Val and Len were presented with a rose bush in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. 

Nigel Tooth

November 2021

     The image one received when first arriving at the Mundford Bowls Club this month was not that of a band of riotous aeronautical enthusiasts but instead, gave the impression one had mistakenly joined a gathering at a catering exhibition with tables adorned with mouth-watering morsels all created by the Fare-hostess, Val.

     After our last meeting it had been anticipated that we would be brandishing our own cinema environment but, unfortunately, this was not to be. Following a delivery hitch the problem was overcome by crew members Steve and Jean who came to the rescue with their own set-up consisting of a ten foot screen with hi-fi sound and vision equipment. This, in conjunction with David’s video recording of ‘The World's Greatest Air Shows’ compensated for any disappointments.

     Not only did the film depict clips of barnstorming pioneers in action – some out of action -- but also, aeronautical participants from all periods leading up to the modern day. 

      Described as well, were the comments made about the psychology of entertainment; a PR exercise in allowing exponents to show off and provide an audience with what it seems to need: thrill producing images of risk-taking aeronauts challenging themselves, their machinery and the environment but, not each other; a team of performers working together without animated opponents.

     It was interesting to contrast this with other thrill producing scenarios. Take    football for instance: another spectacle with audience appeal but, with a difference; losers as well as winners. It has to be asked whether it is as satisfying to witness humiliation as it is to witness victory.

     Wikipedia sites the figure of 90,000 paying supporters at Wembly on FA cup final days whereas 185,000 tickets were sold to spectators at the Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford. Perhaps this is an unfair comparison if one doesn’t take every parameter into account.

     We would also like to thank bartender Len who always fronts an exemplary side-show on our behalf.

Nigel Tooth