aviation - the past, present and future of flight

New Memorial to the RAF’s First VC Awardee

The irst RAF pilot to be awarded a

Victoria Cross (VC) was honoured on

July 26 with the unveiling of a new

memorial paving stone in Whitehall

Gardens, London. The Victoria Cross

slab outside the Ministry of Defence

Main Building in London is dedicated to

Captain Ferdinand ‘Freddie’ West, who

was awarded his VC for an action on

August 10, 1918 while serving with the

RAF’s 8 Squadron.

He had been tasked with carrying

out a reconnaissance sortie over the

German front line on the Western Front, in

preparation for a British ground offensive.

Cloud cover made the mission extremely

difficult, but Freddie and his gunner

persevered and secured the required

information. They were attacked by

German ighters and although Capt West

was very seriously injured, he completed

the sortie. He survived the Great War and

served in World War Two, retiring as an

Air Commodore.

Waterloo Warbirds’ former Swiss Air Force
de Havilland Vampire T.55 C-FJRH has been
repainted in Canada. The jet is based at
Waterloo International Airport in Ontario
and now represents RCAF 17021. It sports
the ‘red vampire bat’ livery of the RCAF’s
442 Squadron during the unit’s time at Sea
Island in Vancouver. Andrew H Cline

Former US Navy McDonnell Douglas T-45C
Goshawk 165614 has been placed on ‘gate
guard’ duties at NAS Kingsville, Texas. The
jet was written off after it overran the runway
at NAS North Island and slid into San Diego

Harbor, California, on May 25, 2015. The

pilot ejected safely and was unhurt. The

trainer is now on show alongside North

American T-2C Buckeye 158586 and

Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk 154338.

Goodwood-based North American T-6G

Texan G-TEXN has been repainted to

represent Harvard T.2B KF402 ‘HT-Y’, which

lew with 601 (County of London) Squadron,

Royal Auxiliary Air Force, in the late

1940s. The trainer is owned and operated

by Boultbee as part of its warbird pilot

conversion course/training programme.

Airworthy Vampire T.55 C-FJRH in its new colours. Andrew H Cline

Goshawk 165614 (left) with the Buckeye (centre) and the Skyhawk. Gary Donnison

North American T-6G Texan G-TEXN in its new livery. Boultbee via Andrew Thomas

Vampire

Repainted

Goshawk Preserved in Texas

Smart Livery for

Boultbee Trainer

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 21

Flying Fortress

Rebuild Progresses

Renovation work on Boeing B-17G

Flying Fortress 44-85790 Lacey Lady

is progressing well at the B-17 Alliance

Museum & Restoration Hangar in Salem,

Oregon. The bomber had been on external

display at a petrol station in Milwaukie from

retirement in 1947 until being earmarked for

rebuild to lying condition in 1991.

The nose section and ball gun turret have

now been completely restored and work

continues on the fuselage. There’s still much

to do, but the B-17 Alliance hopes to complete

the overhaul and have the B-17 airworthy by

2025, subject to funding.

Bad Weekend

for US Warbirds

Tragedy struck on July 20 when jet warbird
owner Marty Tibbitts died after his Venom
FB.54 N474J crashed shortly after taking off
from Sheboygan County Memorial Airport
in Wisconsin. Two farmhands, who had
been working close to the impact point,
were also hurt in the accident. The Venom
was destroyed. Marty was a leading light
at the Michigan-based World Heritage Air
Museum and had recently imported former
Classic Air Force Meteor T.7 WA591 into the
USA from Coventry, Warwickshire.
The following day Douglas C-47 Skytrain
N47HL Bluebonnet Belle crashed while
getting airborne from Burnet, Texas.
Thankfully all 13 on board managed to get
out of the aircraft before it was engulfed in
lames. The transport aircraft was operated
by the Commemorative Air Force’s Highland
Lakes Squadron.