Yorkshire Air Museum Mosquito DZ543 remains

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11 years 8 months

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According to the web the Yorkshire Air Museum has the remains of Mosquito DZ543 including a Highball cradle dug up in 1969. Is there a member of the forum who is connected to or lives close by the Museum? I am trying to get photos of the Highball cradle remains to reconstruct a 618 Squadron Highball setup from remains found in Australia. I would be immensely grateful if somebody could photograph the cradle remains from many different angles with as much detail as possible. I am happy to reimburse travel expenses and one warmish Cornish pastie, no sauce. Thank you in anticipation, Ed

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19 years 3 months

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I've copied a link to this post on Blue 2's YAM Meteor rebuild thread - hopefully it will ensure he sees it
Rgds DC

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11 years 8 months

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Thanks Old Eagle, I owe you a pint.

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18 years 4 months

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This might be the very Mosquito parts recovery that almost got my pal Dave Pickles and his Willys Jeep crushed under a prop which gained momentum when being snatch towed from the site !

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I also work at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. I confess I have never heard of,
or saw these remains. Were on the web did this info come from? If they do exist they would be in the archives. They are not on display at the museum that I am aware of. There is a tribute to Barnes Wallis with a replica upkeep on a cradle, and the actual catapult he used with his marble experiment. Does this help you?

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13 years

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Thanks Scot for the link. Interesting read. You probably know Tony's Mossie is live and taxing at East Kirby. I wonder if he has the remains? I haven't seen a high ball carrier on display, But I will look this Sunday and let you know what I find.

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14 years 4 months

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If I remember right, the tailwheel on Tony's aircraft is off DZ543, and the highball bomb cradle is with the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust. I think they moved their collection out of YAM some time ago?

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Thank you Scotavia, IanF, Richw82 and TO23, I have run out of hands to carry pints so you all have to come behind the bar ! Please let me know IanF if there is anything there or what might have become of it.....

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Pleased to try and be of assistance. The Highball topic is something that I've commented on before and here's some previous input from 2013, was in reference to a 2010 thread that the search function couldn't fin:

“The Highball topic reminds me of an early work encounter with a storeman back in 1977 / 78. He was always prone to exaggerate anything he told you, so when he told me of ‘Highball’ Mosquitoes being shipped to the Far East on HMS Fencer and HMS Striker – I immediately questioned the validity of his story!

I was suitably put in my place the following day when he showed me his pictures from on-board, with all the aircraft stored on deck. An interesting aside was that one of the vessels was sunk and that should have been the one he was on, but he had ‘suffered’ a very lucky mix-up with his posting!”

…. and then

“Perhaps his previous exaggerations were still in evidence; as both carriers seemed to have survived!!

There are references to the Highball Mosquitoes on the HMS Fencer link below

http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/FENCER.htm

http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/STRIKER.htm

So what happened to the aircraft and munitions?”

Footnote: the person was still alive last year and attended a staff retirement party where my wife works, sadly he was very frail and forgetful!

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14 years 1 month

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Our Archives department at YAM have been asked about this a few times, and when I asked yesterday are unaware of any such item on site. Perhaps it's time for a YAM website update!

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18 years 4 months

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During the time of Brian J Rapier , 1970s,80 s several informal groups carried out aircraft wreck recovery mostly as part of efforts to supply items for display at Y.A.M although the distribution of recovered items varied. Mosquito items were collected sometimes for Tony Agars project and he likely has the info you seek. Before the start of Flypast, AAA magazine,WWIG news and the internet the journal of the BAPC "Control Column" did carry news of recoveries. I sent in a few reports. My copies in the loft boxes are incomplete but others may have references to the Bransdale recovery.

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Blue2, Twin Otter and Scotavia, thank you for the additional information. I will follow the thread to the Barnes Wallis Trust and report back....

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Powerandpassion I asked at the museum yesterday. The consensus, was they are with the Barnes Wallis Trust. They left the museum over 10 years ago, so I cannot explain why it is on the museum web pages. I hope this helps and you find what your looking for.

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11 years 8 months

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Thank you IanF, I appreciate the effort and will attend the YAM one day bearing a good packet of biscuits.

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Biscuits? Pah! Bring the Meteor team Jaffa cakes; food of Kings! (and allowing for the females in the team, Queens)...

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18 years 2 months

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I have contact details for one of the Barnes Wallis trustees, I will make contact and ask the question for you - he also volunteers at Newark.

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11 years 8 months

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Blue2, if you can get a Derwent fired up, I will bring marshmallows ! Twin Otter, thank you kindly ! Just after detail photos and dimensions, if possible.

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13 years

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As Blue says Jaffa cakes and Apple pie fuel most of the teams at the museum, especially the Victor and Meteor teams! :)