Duxford :: 9.VI.14

Popped in today for a trog around and caught the arrival of something new for the TFC toy box…

Now confirmed as Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk 41-13357

Some other photos from today…

Call the roundel police...

Apparently letting the kids loose with paints on MH434 has upset some readers over on the Flypast forum!

D-Day +2

From S/L Niven's logbook for 8.6.1944 flying NH321 -

10.40 Weather fair. Nothing much doing. 8-9/10 cloud.

14.45 Weather good. 10/10 7000' No air activity. Emergency Landing Strip ready. Large explosions on beach at Oisetreham.

19.00 10/10 7000' relief late. 5 mins after end of patrol 12+ 109 bombers attacked Caen area from east. Gave chase till cloud of white smoke came from port ex. manifolds. Returned to Caen canal area. 12+ 190 bombers made abortive attack on ships. Chased one into cloud, hitting him twice on port side, then lost him. Flak from ships & land intense! Sqdn got 4 dest. 2 dam. making total 7 dest. 2 dam. since "D" Day. (1 Fw 190 damaged) 

D-Day +1

From S/L Niven's logbook for 7.6.44 flying MK862, MK960 & ML412

05.40 Alto stratus 10/10 9000' & 9/10 cumulus 1500'- 4000'. Battleships shooting at 190 dive bombers as we arrived. Chased 2 which passed over us at 8000' - couldn't catch. Chased several others. Like "good old days". Cumulus cleared 10m inland. 190's had long noses?

14.45 Weather much improved. Normal routine patrol. No activity in air. Caen in flames.

19.00 No cloud, but hazy. Smoke from Caen - 6000' & big blaze S of aerodrome. Warships bombarding Le Havre area. No joy!

6 June 1944 - D-Day.

Image courtesy Niven Family

70 years ago S/L John Niven DFC*, OC 485 (NZ) Squadron, spent the day flying Spitfire MkIXB MK862 on "Beachhead Patrol" - his logbook entries for the day...

05.35 First day fighters on patrol. Cloud over coast 7/10 1500' & hazy. Our troops approaching shore for first landing. Warships bombarding shore & Le Havre. Patrolled out to sea. No flak, no Huns.

10.35 Weather improved slightly. Landings made in St.Aubin area. Transports & tanks ashore. Heavy shelling from ships. Patrolled 1-6000'. No air activity.

18.50 Weather over beaches very clear with high cloud. Masses of bombers heading inland. Many gliders on ground near Bavent. Terrific bombing SE Caen. (Badly knocked about) On way home passed glider train stretching from Le Havre - 10 m. S Worthing.

D-Day poppies...

A local footpath has bloomed with poppies just in time for the D-Day anniversary...

ML407 - an evolving story?

After I grabbed some shots of ML407 last week being "striped up" for the weekend, I asked my wife to pick a couple of copies of the book "2nd TAF Spitfire - The Story Of Spitfire ML407" from the stand at the airshow, as I was away for the weekend.

Having browsed through my copy I have linked the regular pilot of ML407, Johnnie Houlton, to some gun camera film clips I have viewed, mostly during June 1944. I'm not sure of the quality of the footage but it's all material connected to the history of ML407.

S/L John Niven appears in a few photos in the book during it's time on 485 Squadron and I have posted a copy of the book to the Niven family. Until recently, I don't think they realised that two of the aircraft John flew were still extant…

My search for others continues...

Newark :: 24.V.14 :: Reflections...

Popped into NAM during some 'heavy weather' and between downpours took advantage of the puddles…

Duxford :: 21.V.14 :: Another sunny(ish) day…"

Just a few pics from my trog about today…

The year is 1944...

Eastenders….

"Watch your six Red Leader…"

ML407 being prepped for 'invasion stripes'...

HAC's Hurricane was up and about...

TFC's Grumman Wildcat was rumbling around the sky...

Duxford :: 18.V.14 :: Sunny Sunday...

Had a brother visiting over the weekend, and as it was such a nice day, we popped down to show him around and swell the coffers of Wing Co Joe's/The Mess.
Apart from all them airyplaney things there was an outing for Porsche 356 owners -

 As we sat for a cold drink at "Joe's" prior to departing, a Spitfire came into land, and I suggested he hotfoot it over to the barrier next to ATC, as it looked like it may be ML407. Sure enough, ML407 came taxiing by and he managed to catch some video of it.
Rounded off his visit nicely and he'll be showing the video to his friend, whose father flew ML407 in 1944, while it was with 485 (NZ) Sqdn., when he gets back up north….

70th Anniversary of that flight this coming August - next visit may be with John Niven's son, as AB910 is rolled out, and maybe a trip over to Bentwaters!...

Duxford :: 14.V.14

OFMC MH434 with some new stripes...

Nice little 'station hack'...

HACs Hawker Nimrod II K3661

Duxford :: 7.V.14 :: The end of the reel?

After almost eight years of watching gun camera film, I have watched my last reel (until they find some more!).
The last clip on the last reel, coincidentally dated the 7th….

IWM

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

Mk Vb AB910 tail nearing completion.

MH434 and Frankie just before being unleashed for exercise…

The invitation to take some closeup shots of these inside by OFMC staff was ruined in what can only be described as a basic schoolboy error - shooting 'arm-height' using the LCD screen without my reading glasses, while on manual focus, results in out of focus images. 

D'oh…..

Duxford :: 30/4/14

                                                         Shot on GoPro Hero3 Black

Leopard Moth at rest...

Sally gets her tips out...

Duxford :: 25/4/14

Messerschmitt departs Duxford...

1960 Messerschmitt KR200 - sold for £16,000

I fancied this little runabout….

1960 Austin-Healey 3000 MkI - sold for £41,440...

Latest vehicle pass for DX...

Duxford :: 14/4/14

A sneak peek at the new livery for the IWMs latest rafter rat?

44-63620, P-51D, 83 FS 78FG, HL-C, Lt. John A Kirk 3rd.
"Small Boy Here"?

Or are the Hangar Humourista playing around with the local snaparazzi?…

And a couple of snaps from around the site…

Buchon G-AWHE/C-4K-31

TFC Bearcat

TFC Wildcat

TFC Harvard

Auster 5 in desert scheme...

Rumour has it Miss Velma has lost it's US registration...

Duxford :: 9/4/14 :: A short movie...

Caught Spitfire MkI P9374 as she taxied out for a late afternoon 'sortie'…

HD version

Duxford :: 9/4/14 :: Last minute snaps...

Trundled over to the South Side for a quick post work sortie and caught a bit of aircraft movement as a result…

 North American T-6 Texan SNJ-5 3072 taxis in...

Mk Ia  N3200 

Me 108/Nord 1002 taxis out...

Spitfires Mk I/a N3200 & P9374

Spitfire Mk I P9374

Now, have I got everything?...

My Garden :: 1/4/14

The regular visit of AAC Apaches to Duxford is often reported on by others, but this crew obviously felt sorry for me today and spent a few minutes circling my 'base' - cheers lads!