Berlin Airlift
Discussion
You think it's good? 
I started a hopeful topic looking for help, and within 24 hours I found out my grandfather was a hero who died in the Berlin Airlift and I'm 1/4 a Kiwi!
Not only that, but thanks to Eric, I now know what the aircraft looked like, have pictures of it and a whole lot of other information to investigate when the weather turns a bit warmer.
I bloody love Pistonheads!
I started a hopeful topic looking for help, and within 24 hours I found out my grandfather was a hero who died in the Berlin Airlift and I'm 1/4 a Kiwi!
Not only that, but thanks to Eric, I now know what the aircraft looked like, have pictures of it and a whole lot of other information to investigate when the weather turns a bit warmer.
I bloody love Pistonheads!
Tyre Smoke said:
You think it's good?
I started a hopeful topic looking for help, and within 24 hours I found out my grandfather was a hero who died in the Berlin Airlift and I'm 1/4 a Kiwi!
Not only that, but thanks to Eric, I now know what the aircraft looked like, have pictures of it and a whole lot of other information to investigate when the weather turns a bit warmer.
I bloody love Pistonheads!
Flight Refuelling Ltd the firm your grandfather was flying with, still exists, as Cobham plc, maybe worth contacting them, they might have more info on your Grandfather, given this article about the Berlin Airlift is on their website.I started a hopeful topic looking for help, and within 24 hours I found out my grandfather was a hero who died in the Berlin Airlift and I'm 1/4 a Kiwi!
Not only that, but thanks to Eric, I now know what the aircraft looked like, have pictures of it and a whole lot of other information to investigate when the weather turns a bit warmer.
I bloody love Pistonheads!
https://www.cobham.com/the-group/news/70-years-sin...
Tyre Smoke said:
I can see I might have to spend some of next Spring and Summer going around Andover area and perhaps another trip to Berlin.
Last time I was at Gatow I had a pleasant evening doughnutting a LHD Hertz Sierra down a closed and very snowy runway.
Tempelhof is also well worth a visit. I was there in the summer, it's now a community park type of set up. The runways, taxiways and so on are still untouched but the grass has been allowed to grow. When you've walked along the runway and are looking at the flats at either end you realise what a tight fit it must have been getting a loaded freighter down bearing in mind the technology of the day.Last time I was at Gatow I had a pleasant evening doughnutting a LHD Hertz Sierra down a closed and very snowy runway.
uncinqsix said:
There are a few mentions of him in NZ documentation. He passed his Public Service Arithmetic at the King Edward Technical college in 1937...
It's quite handy that he has a distinctive name.
Hi, if there is anything else you can find in NZ, I'd be very grateful. It's quite handy that he has a distinctive name.
Yes, his two forenames are somewhat distinctive, my original birth certificate has my middle name as Winstan same as his. I always thought it was a spelling mistake, but not obviously.
Tyre Smoke said:
Hi, if there is anything else you can find in NZ, I'd be very grateful.
Yes, his two forenames are somewhat distinctive, my original birth certificate has my middle name as Winstan same as his. I always thought it was a spelling mistake, but not obviously.
I might be able to see if there's anything accessible in the national archives here (5 minutes walk from my work). Yes, his two forenames are somewhat distinctive, my original birth certificate has my middle name as Winstan same as his. I always thought it was a spelling mistake, but not obviously.
He was the in the RNZAF at the same time and same rank as my grandfather, but my grandfather was older and remained based in NZ so they probably didn't cross paths.
I'm afraid I have nothing to add but this link...
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Flight-Refuelling-...
...but I'm fascinated to see what comes of this thread.
I note with interest the RAF serial ED866 - would be interesting to turn up its military service records. I know ED888, having been assigned the identifier "M for Mother", became known as "Mother of 'em all", having completed more missions than any other Lancaster (Hendon's R5868 included), only to be cut up unceremoniously at the end of the war...
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Flight-Refuelling-...
...but I'm fascinated to see what comes of this thread.
I note with interest the RAF serial ED866 - would be interesting to turn up its military service records. I know ED888, having been assigned the identifier "M for Mother", became known as "Mother of 'em all", having completed more missions than any other Lancaster (Hendon's R5868 included), only to be cut up unceremoniously at the end of the war...
The pictures of G-AHJW have prompted me to start thinking about a possible model project. Many years ago (probably around 30) I bought this little kit.
It is a reboxing of an even older release (1975) by a Japanese company called Crown. Up until fairly recently it was the only Lancaster available in 1/144. I bought it with the vague notion of building it as a Lancastrian as it is in the "airliner scale". However, since then, A-Model has released a genuine 1/144 Lancastrian and I have this now and will (some day) build that kit as a true passenger carrying Lancaster.
However, even though G-AHJW was registered as a Lancastrian, because of its special role as a flight refueling test aircraft, it retained many of its more Lancaster like features. So, I think the Revell kit would be a suitable starting point for a model of "JW".
If I do have a go at this it won't be until after the end of January as work takes over from model building at this time of the year for me.
It is a reboxing of an even older release (1975) by a Japanese company called Crown. Up until fairly recently it was the only Lancaster available in 1/144. I bought it with the vague notion of building it as a Lancastrian as it is in the "airliner scale". However, since then, A-Model has released a genuine 1/144 Lancastrian and I have this now and will (some day) build that kit as a true passenger carrying Lancaster.
However, even though G-AHJW was registered as a Lancastrian, because of its special role as a flight refueling test aircraft, it retained many of its more Lancaster like features. So, I think the Revell kit would be a suitable starting point for a model of "JW".
If I do have a go at this it won't be until after the end of January as work takes over from model building at this time of the year for me.
Eric, you have to build her!
Meanwhile over in the South Coast forum I posted a request and tuffer very kindly went along to the cemetery in Andover for me.
Thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Meanwhile over in the South Coast forum I posted a request and tuffer very kindly went along to the cemetery in Andover for me.
Thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
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