16 FLYPAST June 2018
NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE
We salute you
Sqn Ldr John Barwell AFC – flew fighters before becoming a test pilot – died on January 25, aged 86; Wg Cdr Henry Cobb DSO DFC
AFC – flew Wellingtons with 458 and 524 Squadrons, later a test pilot – on March 22, aged 95; Gp Capt John Digman OBE DFC – flew
36 ‘ops’ as a 44 Squadron Lancaster navigator, later led the Vulcan Operations Wing at Cottesmore – on December 11, aged 94;
Margot Duhalde – travelled from Chile to join the ATA before becoming a combat pilot with the French Air Force – on February
5, aged 97; Flt Lt Bill Foote DFC – Halifax pilot with 77 Squadron – on December 28, aged 94; Flt Lt Dick Fuller – flew Hunters from
Chivenor followed by 49 Squadron Valiants – on March 21, aged 80; Flt Lt Ron Gould – flew Spitfires with 322 (Dutch) Squadron – on
January 28, aged 94; Wg Cdr Owen Hardy DFC* AFC – Spitfire pilot with 72 and 485 Squadron credited with 6 ‘kills’ – on January
4, aged 95; Wg Cdr Ian Henderson AFC – flew Canberras in Cyprus and then led 12 Squadron – on January 31, aged 81; AVM John
Herrington CB – led 100 Squadron and then commanded RAF Honington – on March 30, aged 89; Capt Ted Maslen-Jones MC DFC- an AOP pilot with 656 Squadron – on March 16, aged 98; Gordon Passmore MBE – a Fleet Air Arm Telegraphist Air Gunner who
served in Barracudas and Avengers – on February 10, aged 94; Flt Lt Alan Payne DFC – bomb aimer on 630 and 57 Squadron who
completed 29 ‘ops’ – on January 24, aged 94; Flt Lt Zbyšek Necas (also known as John Pemberton) – Czech night-fighter navigator
on Beaufighters – on March 15, aged 97; Fg Off Sydney Pigden MID – Hurricane and Typhoon pilot with 164 Squadron – on December
27, aged 95; David Seeney – flight engineer on 617 Squadron Lancasters, later author of At Your Service – on February 11, aged 93;
Flt Lt Rodney Scrase DFC – flew Spitfires with 72 and 1 Squadron – on February 25, aged 96; ACM Sir Peter Squire GCB DFC AFC - commanded 1 Squadron Harriers in the Falklands War and rose to become Chief of the Air Staff – on February 19, aged 72; AVM
Deryck Stapleton CB CBE DFC – led 14 Squadron in Eritrea and North Africa, later AOC No.1 Group – on February 16, aged 100; Wg Cdr
John Tipton DFC – navigator with 40 Squadron from 1941, later flying with 109 Squadron – on January 4, aged 100; LACW Louise Van
Veldan – worked in communications at Biggin Hill from 1941 to 1943 – on December 21, aged 96.
The Shackleton Aviation Group successfully ran the engines of Avro Shackleton MR.2 WR963 (G-SKTN) on April 7 at its Coventry base. The test
lasted for around 25 minutes and enabled the crew to employ the Constant Speed Unit before running the engines up to 1,200rpm. The team is
hoping to begin more regular engine runs soon. JAMIE EWANShackleton roars again at Coventry
The National Museum of World War II
Aviation in Colorado Springs has named
Mustang ace Col Clarence ‘Bud’ Anderson
as the first inductee to its Veterans
Honor Program.
The 96-year-old former USAAF pilot
visited the attraction on March 3, and
was pictured with a P-51D painted to
represent his wartime mount Old Crow.
The museum was celebrating its recent
promotion to ‘national’ status, an
accolade it has pursued for eight years.
It is one of only 13 museums across theUS to receive this designation – awarded
to recognise achievement within its field.
http://www.worldwariiaviation.orgUS fighter legend honoured
at museum celebration
‘Bud’ Anderson (left) talks with fellow World
War Two veteran Donald Stratton in front of
P-51D ‘Old Crow’ on March 3. MUSEUM VIA LT COL
‘CRICKET’ RENNERThe Fighter Collection’s Hawker Sea
Fury T.20 WG655 (G-CHFP) flew with
a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine for
the first time earlier this year. The
aircraft had previously flown with a
Bristol Centaurus unit.
It made its debut flight with the
new powerplant from Duxford in the
hands of Pete Kynsey. It is the first
Sea Fury on the UK civil register to
fly with an R-2800, though several
have done so in the US. DHC-2 Beaver
G-EVMK also made a successful
return to flight at Duxford recently,
getting airborne on February 15 with
owner Thomas Harris and the Aircraft
Restoration Company’s John Romain
at the controls.
Duxford’s Sea
Fury returns
to the air
Hawker Sea Fury
WG655 pictured
prior to its recent
engine change.
DARREN HARBAR