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By: - 3rd April 2018 at 16:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've checked 'Cadet Corps Airframes' (MCAS, 1975) and the 1st edition of 'Wrecks & Relics' (MAS, 1961) and neither has an entry for Tavistock, However that doesn't mean that Kelly College didn't have an instructional airframe on site as neither publication claimed to be comprehensive and, apparently, the MoD records concerning allocations, recoveries, etc. are notoriously deficient. What was/is the unit number of the CCF at the school?
By: - 4th April 2018 at 08:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Their page, but no number. Now called Mount Kelly.
http://www.mountkelly.com/Combined-Cadet-Force
By: - 4th April 2018 at 12:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for that. Have emailed the school this morning, so hopefully they might be able to tell more about the aeroplane or at least give us the CCF unit number. Spoke to the gentlemen last night again in the village and they were all adamant that the aeroplane was in the school grounds.
By: - 18th April 2018 at 11:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've received an email from the school today:
I spoke to one teacher who took the Aero Club during this time and he said that the only aircraft they had was an Avro Auster training plane which was in a hangar this side of the College; the hangar was then moved to the other side of the road to house boats.
So, still not sure what it was. The three ex-pupils said it was a low wing aeroplane, but no one knows. Still got some ex Teachers to ask, so might find out what it really was. Someone has got to know.
Martin
By: - 18th April 2018 at 11:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
'Avro Auster'? possibly Avro Athena?
By: - 18th April 2018 at 11:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Avro Anson?
By: - 18th April 2018 at 13:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not an Auster if "low wing" (except the Agricola!)
By: - 18th April 2018 at 13:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Something about this tale sparked a memory and after some digging on the book shelves....It's a Hurricane....and an Auster.
So..which Hurricane was it?
From an biography, Licensed to Laugh by Charlie Woodham. It's a fairly recent book, so Mr Woodham may well be worth contacting to see if he's got anything else or knows anyone that might...
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By: - 18th April 2018 at 15:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well done WebPilot
By: - 18th April 2018 at 15:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Webpilot,
What more can I say....Thank you so much for this. Will send onto the school, but they will be pleased to know. Wonder which ones they were as they couldn't have been many Hurricanes down here in that part of the country and if was an RAF Auster would have been before the AAC came into existance? But wonderful news, thank you.
Best wishes,
Martin
By: - 18th April 2018 at 15:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
You're welcome!
Further perusal has CW at Kelly from 1952- 56 which gives a time frame for the Hurricane's departure. S/L Pearson was also a maths teacher, and an ex wartime Bomber Command nav, and apparently still living at the time the book was published (2015).
By: - 19th April 2018 at 07:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great work to confirm it was a Hurricane :) Now, identity? :)
By: - 19th April 2018 at 13:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
if was an RAF Auster would have been before the AAC came into existance?
The 'modern day' AAC came into existence in 1957, but there was an earlier AAC during WW2, it comprised the Glider Pilot and the Parachute Regiments. The GPR pilots were soldiers but the Horsa and Hamilcar gliders they piloted were RAF aircraft.
Likewise the Austers flown on the AOP Squadrons were RAF aircraft even though their pilots were also soldiers. Apparently it was easier to train an artillery Officer to fly than to train an RAF pilot to plot fall of shot and make adjustments and fly at the same time.
By: - 19th April 2018 at 23:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I alerted Paul Crellin who is studying ATC Aiframes for Air Britain about this thread he replied
Hurricane--no idea
Auster
TJ396 13.2.54---21.8.67 when SFS
Paul
By: - 25th May 2019 at 09:24 Permalink
Have since discovered via a copy of FlyPast that the Hurricane is KZ404 (5908M) and was at Kelly College from March 29 1946 with 507 Squadron ATC.
Martin
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By: T6flyer - 3rd April 2018 at 12:16
Whilst talking in the pub last night about Plastic Spitfires, word got around to talking about a real airframe that was held at the School and used by the Combined Cadet Force there in the 1950s. One of the villagers was a pupil there and remembers what he thinks is was a Hurricane that was displayed in a purpose built building. He reckons it was there around 1955-60.
Can anyone actually pin down what the aeroplane actually was?
Best wishes,
Martin