Duxford was a very active airfield during the Battle of Britain with Hurricane and Spitfire squadrons flying from here. Czechoslovakian and Polish
Squadrons fly with the British from this base. Douglas Bader also flew from Duxford from late August 1940 when 242 Squadron relocate from Coltishall. This weekend was to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of that desperate
struggle, but unlike the September of 1940 the weather was not looking good for flying. This weekend also saw visits from many veterans of the battle and other operations including the 384th USAF Bomber Group
Reunion and members of the Guinea-Pig Club who now number less than forty surviving members. As the flying programme was preparing to begin the weather began to close in and things were not looking good, but the
display pilots were determined to give us a show and that they did.
With the weather closing in just in time for the first display of the day, the Tornado F3 of 56 Squadron performed with its trade mark brutal force,
powered by the two Turbo Union RB199 104 engines. The variable geometry wing long range interceptor has been the mainstay of the RAF air defence strength since the mid 1980’s when it replaced the McDonnell
Douglas F4 Phantom. 56 Squadron saw action over Dunkirk and during the Battle of Britain when it flew Hurricanes, in September 1942 the squadron was re-equipped with the Hawker Typhoon 1A ground attack aircraft.
The French Breitling L39 Team flew in atrocious weather but kept the display tight, the low display was all that was available in the prevailing conditions but still worth watching. Their aircraft the L39 was first flown in
1968 as a Soviet trainer when it replaced the L29 Delphin. Many people including this correspondent headed for cover just before the team took off so much of the display was viewed from within the car. The 4 Hawk
display from 19 Sqadron had to cancel due to the worsening weather and the singleton from 100 Squadron was forced to do a greatly restricted display. 100 Squadron flew Lancaster’s during the 2nd World War.
Based at RAF Leeming 100 Squadron work in the target facilities role and exercise and training.
The Sabre of Golden Apple Operations Ltd is an F-86A and is the last F-86A still flying, based at Duxford this aircraft is a regular participant of the
Duxford displays and never fails to please. A dash 5 version upgraded to dash 7 and flying in the striking markings used by the USAF in Korea. Restored in the 70s by Ben Hall it was acquired by Golden Apple in 1990, In
1991 this aircraft was the winner of the Rolls-Royce/Warbirds Worldwide award for the best jet restoration. The General Electric J-47 engine could generate a maximum speed of 679 mph with a cruising speed of 533 mph
and a great sound to go with it. During the display slot the weather eased a little allowing for an excellent display of the truly historic aircraft.
Arriving at Duxford after displaying in Scotland at RAF Leuchars the Chinook
proved its ability just by getting to Duxford in poor visibility and bad weather. The weather offered no favours to the pilot Flt Lt Karl Zarecky of 15 Squadron based at RAF Odiham, so he displayed in very poor
conditions on the Saturday and even worse conditions on the Sunday when he was the only scheduled display to get off the ground. Just by undertaking the display in these conditions was a statement on the
ability of the machine and the determination of the crew to perform their award winning display. The display itself was as exiting as ever, this is a “must see display” even in bad weather.
The Fighter Collections Bucker Jungmeister performed a very nice display, the Siemens Sh 14A-4 engine gave a taster of what was to come later in
the display when the other WWII aircraft took to the air, a beautiful sound of old engines. An important aircraft to the Luftwaffe, the Jungmeister was a very successful aerobatic competition plane, it was also being used to
train combat pilots as a way around the restrictions of “The Treaty of Versailles”. Today’s example is displayed in the markings of the Luftwaffe aerobatic team of 1938.
Flying in the colours of Wallace E Hopkins P51-D Ferocious Frankie, the P-51D change the fate of many bomber crew’s when fitted with drop tanks. The aircrafts range was increased to 2,055m {3,327km} allowing fighter
escorts to stick with the bombers long after other escorts would have returned to base to refuel. Originally produced with the Allison engine these planes were considered to be great at low altitude but
underpowered at high altitude. In 1942 the P-51 was fitted with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and became a true master of the sky. Later models were fitted with Merlins built under licence by Packard in the USA. In
the colours and markings of 487th Fighter Squadron as flown by 1st Lt William Whisher .The P-51C Princess Elizabeth shows clearly the development process in the P-51 with the visually restricting cockpit that
developed into the bubble canopy.
Designed in only 120 days to meet a British specification the P-51 was half way to becoming the best fighter of the War. When fitted with the Merlin
the P-51 became the best fighter of the war. This particular aircraft was the one that gave its designer Edgar Schmued his first flight in his masterpiece. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt "No Guts, No Glory” a real heavy weight the P
-47 at 7 tons id heavier than a Bristol Blenheim but gained a reputation for taking damage and still getting its pilot home, the “Jug” was well liked by those who flew it. The RAF operated 830 of the 15,000 that were used
during the War. The TFC’s aircraft was built in 1945 at Republics Evansville factory in Indiana and served with the Air Training Command. It was later to become part of the Peruvian Air Force as part of a Military Assistance
Programme, the price paid 1 Dollar. It remained in service until 1967. Now flying in the D-Day markings and the colours of Lt Col Ben Mayo, CO of 82nd Fighter Squadron 78th Fighter Group which was based at Duxford from 1943 to 45.
The Sally B was one of the last B-17’s to be made at the Lockeed vaga plant in California, she never saw action in WWII. She was modified and
used as a training aircraft and then as a research unit until being restored to her original configuration and sold to France in 1954. She served with the Institut Geographic National successfully until the 1980’s when a
shortage of spare parts and a increasing cost of operations made the B-17’s prohibitively expensive to operate. She arrived in the UK in 1975 under the ownership of Ted White who brought her to the Imperial War
Museum Duxford and named her Sally B after his long-time companion Elly Sallingboe. The Sally B has been thrilling airshow audiences since then, perhaps her finest hour was when in one of her many movie and television
appearances she was transformed into the “Memphis Belle” for the film of the same name telling the story of the first American bomber crew to complete 25 combat missions from the UK.
For today’s display she took off in driving rain to the surprise of many in the crowd, her graceful display was well received by the audience even when
during her taxing she raised even more water than we were already bearing with. Later Checksix caught up with some members of the 384th Bomb Group of the USAAF who were stationed at Grafton Regis near Corby
during the war. They were at Duxford as part of a reunion that took them back to the remains of their old base and to the IWM Duxford air show. We asked Vern Arnold how he felt about the B-17.
“I am convinced that the major factor in my making it through 30 missions
over Germany alive in WWII was my good luck in being assigned to a bomb group that was equipped with B-17s. Most of our damage was from anti-aircraft
shells which, in many cases, was major. We had engines destroyed, oxygen system knocked out, controls damaged ,personnel wounded and still were able to limp back home every time. I loved that plane! “
We also asked Vern how defensible was a formation of B-17’s and did he have any anecdotes on the fighter escorts that made such a difference to the later bombing raids.
“ No, I really don't have any comments on the escorts, the P-51s, P-38s and P
-47s. The reason being, I arrived at the 384th Bomb Group shortly after Col.Dale O. Smith was assigned to take over command of the group. He was a very strict commander and one of his major assignments was to reduce our
losses to enemy fighters. He was convinced that if he could teach us to fly a really tight box formation, that the enemy fighters would not be tempted to
attack such a tight cluster of 50 cal. guns. I can personally testify that his theory worked. In my 30 missions, my squadron was never attacked by a
German fighter! On many occasions I saw 17s being shot down in sloppy formations ahead and behind us in the bomber stream but our tight little squadrons just slid on through! He wrote a book describing his time with us
called "Screaming Eagle" published by Agonquin Books. The title came from an event on one his many practice
flights where he would take us up and drill us holding really tight formations and one of the pilots, upset with his constant yelling at some pilot who wasn't keeping tight enough, yelled "I wish that screaming eagle would shut up
!" Obviously, the pilot thought he was on intercom, but was actually on radio and Col. (he was then a Bird Col.,
hence the "Screaming Eagle") heard the comment. Instead of getting angry, he thought it was funny and named
his plane the "Screaming Eagle". Smith is now deceased but used to come to our reunions and on one occasion I
got a chance to tell him that I believe that I, and a great many other 384thers, made it through our missions alive
because of his efforts. He said: "It was just a theory." I said: "But It worked!"
Vern Arnold Squadron Lead Bombardier 384th Bomb Group
The Hurricane group made up by Peter Vachers R4118, the BBMF’s PZ865 “Night Reaper” and the Fighter Collection’s KZ321. Took to the gray sky’s
and were soon lost in the rain. On returning the group performed in driving rain and were watched from under umbrellas and the wings of the static aircraft. The finale of the show was a mass Spitfire formation of 15 Spitfires
of varying marks. With the weather easing a little in the afternoon things were looking good for the big event. With a couple of aircraft going tech we ended up with a still impressive 11 ship formation flypast and tail chase,
with a mix of Merlins and Griffen engines producing a wonderful growl over the Cambridgeshire country side. Not quite the Bader “Big Wing” but still a breathtaking site with a tight formation in still poor weather.
The show concluded with a veterans and Guinea-Pig Club members drive bye parade in vintage military vehicles, the last of the few and even fewer
of the Guinea-Pig Club members. To warm hearted applause the few and fewer waved from the authentic vehicles to an appreciative crowed who all wanted to say thank you for what they did. The Guinea Pig Club was a club
formed by injured airmen being treated at the East Grinstead Hospital by Mr A Mclndoe. The treatments were largely experimental hence the name Guinea Pig’s, the club President was Mr Mclindoe and he served in this role
until his death in 1960 then Sir Archibald McIndoe.The post was filled by H.R.H. The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the club still meet at events around the country, strong bonds made in desperate times. From the
original 649 members, less than 40 are still with us, the few become fewer still.
Having the Guinea Pig Club members with us today is a timely reminder of the reality of the Battle of Britain and the war years. Although this
generation can look in awe at the undoubted beauty and power of military aircraft old and new we need no other reminder of what the purpose of military aircraft was and is than the cheerful chaps of the Guinea Pig Club.
As always at UK air shows the weather is the undisputed boss, and the Sunday weather was just to much for safe display flying. Even with a tremendous amount of hard work and organising even the Duxford team
had to submit to the British climate and cancel all but the Chinook display on the Sunday. A taxi past of the war birds and the Veterans parade still made for a interesting day and a unannounced display from the weather
spotter “chipmunk” put a smile on everyone’s face. The Duxford team generously offered a entry deal to the next show for people who paid to attend on the Sunday, this too put a smile on many faces.
Our thanks to Tracey Woods and the Duxford team for another great show, even if it did suffer from the weather it was a great collection of war birds and personalities, well done to Duxford Team.
Will Moore / Checksix UK
Release 4.0/2008
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