76 FLYPAST March 2018
MUSEUMS SOUTH YORKSHIRE AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
make further floor space was wisely
ignored.
The interior of this structure
is home to an incredibly
comprehensive engine collection.
Stairs to the roof take visitors to
further airframes and displays and
this ‘mezzanine’ offers excellent
views of the entire display hall.
The scope of the collection is
shown to great advantage inside
this original Bellman hangar: gliders
and microlights, light aircraft,
a DHC Chipmunk T.10, Scottish
Aviation Bulldog T.1 trainer and a
DH Vampire T.11 jet. The amount
of artefacts on display, along with
supporting displays, is exceptional.
Also inside this hangar is another
of SYAM’s specialities – helicopters.
Tail-to-tail stand a pair of Westland
Whirlwinds: HAR.1 XA870 and
HAR.10 XP345. Wearing the
distinctive penguin cartoons and
high-visibility orange colours of
the Antarctic ice patrol vessel
HMS Protector, the Mk.I of 1954 is
partially sectioned. The turbine-
engined Mk.10 wears the markings
of 84 Squadron and a blue band
carrying the United Nations badge
from its days on peacekeeping
duties in Cyprus.
These are just part of the
collection of the Yorkshire
Helicopter Preservation Group
(YHPG), which is based at Doncaster
and works alongside the SYAM
team. Its role is easily summed
up as ‘Protectors of Endangered
Helicopters’ – a headline from a
newspaper article celebrating its
endeavours.
The group started off working on
a Westland Dragonfly at Elvington’s
Yorkshire Air Museum in the early
1990s. The move was made to
Doncaster in the summer of 2002
and since then YHPG has produced
some first class restorations.Eleven weeks in
1982
Inside the main hangar is a display
highlighting the Falklands conflict,
entitled ‘Eleven Weeks in 1982’.
Surprisingly, it is the only permanent
exhibition of its kind in the UK.
Outside the hangar is a memorial
stone with the inscription: ‘In
honour and remembrance of the
255 British service personnel and
three civilians who gave their lives
in the liberation of the Falkland
Islands in 1982.’
Every year, members of the South
Atlantic Medal Association (SAMA)
meet at the museum for a memorial
service. Veterans of all services
have come to regard Doncaster aplace of pilgrimage.
Next to the memorial, and
dramatically mounted on a ‘cairn’, is
Westland Scout AH.1 XV139, which
joined the museum in mid-2009.
This helicopter flew with the Army
Air Corps in the conflict, serving
with 656 Squadron. It was taken to
the theatre on the roll-on, roll-off
vessel MS Baltic Ferry.
The machine was unpacked and
assembled at San Carlos, on the
western side of East Falkland on
June 1, 1982.
Tasked with a re-supply sortie to
a platoon of Scots Guards on Mount
Tumbledown, pilot Sgt Ian Roy and
XV139 narrowly escaped oblivion
on June 9.
A British-supplied Short Blowpipe
shoulder-launched missile was fired
at the ‘chopper’, missing it by as
little as 70ft and impacting into the
gorse. Sgt Roy was later given a
piece of the missile as a souvenir.
During the night of June 13/14,
XV139 was again despatched to
Tumbledown, this time with Capt
Sam Drennan at the controls.
He was on a medevac (medical
evacuation) mission, all the time
under fire from Argentine positions
and fighting terrible weather. He
was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for his exploits.One of the aircraft in the SYAM
Falklands collection belonged to
the Argentine naval air arm. Light
strike jet Aermacchi MB.339AA 076
was deployed to Stanley in late April- After Argentina’s surrender it
was shipped to Britain, although its
battle-damaged forward fuselage
was abandoned and another
substituted from the others that
were captured.
After display at the Fleet Air Arm
Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset, the
Aermacchi was used by Rolls-Royce
for Viper turbojet installation trials,
before moving to SYAM.
The newest Falklands-associated
exhibit is Westland Lynx HAS.3
XZ246, which arrived at Doncaster
in August 2016, having served on
the Antarctic survey vessel HMS
Endurance from 1991 to 2009.
Alan Beattie said: “There are at
least nine aircraft here that have
a Falklands connection and we are
proud to host the SAMA and this
very special exhibition.”
Comprising aircraft and exhibits
old and new, this important
collection at Doncaster is an apt
tribute to veterans while also
detailing much local history. Long
may it continue to thrive. http://www.
southyorkshireaircraftmuseum.
org.uk
“Inside the main hangar is a display highlighting the Falklands confl ict, entitled
‘Eleven Weeks in 1982’... it is the only permanent exhibition of its kind in the UK”
An impressive array of engines in the main
hangar.A replica of a World War Two ‘ops’ room.Part of the Falklands exhibition. The Scout
cockpit (left) has been adapted for wheelchair
access.The main hangar, with the engine hall and
mezzanine in the background. ALL AUTHOR