I have been looking through a few posts, and it sends the mind into the past...and the 'big circle' of events that surely comes to pass...
My late father was in the RAF (Spitfire & Hurricane) as a tiffy and after a stint in South Africa he was posted to the Far East and collected the Burma Star.
After the War, and well into the early 60's he worked at the Hawker plant in Blackpool, Lancashire on the Hunter. I spent many days watching the testing. In later years I spent time watching the P1 (Lightning) at English Electric in Warton near Blackpool. My father moved on to Broughton, Chester where he worked on the DeHavilland Comet 4B (forerunner to the Nimrod). In the 60s and 70s my Brother was in the Fleet Air Arm as a tiffy on the Bulwark and Hermes. My Mothers Brother (Uncle James) was in the South African Airforce, and was in the ferry crew that flew the Shackeltons from the UK. He died in December 1979. The month I arrived in South Africa.
Anyway. Here we are in Cape Town, a guy called Beachy Head has a flleet of Aircraft which include Hunters, Lightnings, Buccaneers and he has a Gloster Javelin for a Gate Guard. The Hunters and Lightnings fly over my house on a regular basis. I pass Ysterplaat Airforce Base on a daily basis, the home of the Shackelton (they have one as a gate guard) and in the Museum, they have an S55 (whirlwind) that my Brother worked on during Korea! He also worked on Buccaneers, but not these particular ones.
Big circle of events........
My late father was in the RAF (Spitfire & Hurricane) as a tiffy and after a stint in South Africa he was posted to the Far East and collected the Burma Star.
After the War, and well into the early 60's he worked at the Hawker plant in Blackpool, Lancashire on the Hunter. I spent many days watching the testing. In later years I spent time watching the P1 (Lightning) at English Electric in Warton near Blackpool. My father moved on to Broughton, Chester where he worked on the DeHavilland Comet 4B (forerunner to the Nimrod). In the 60s and 70s my Brother was in the Fleet Air Arm as a tiffy on the Bulwark and Hermes. My Mothers Brother (Uncle James) was in the South African Airforce, and was in the ferry crew that flew the Shackeltons from the UK. He died in December 1979. The month I arrived in South Africa.
Anyway. Here we are in Cape Town, a guy called Beachy Head has a flleet of Aircraft which include Hunters, Lightnings, Buccaneers and he has a Gloster Javelin for a Gate Guard. The Hunters and Lightnings fly over my house on a regular basis. I pass Ysterplaat Airforce Base on a daily basis, the home of the Shackelton (they have one as a gate guard) and in the Museum, they have an S55 (whirlwind) that my Brother worked on during Korea! He also worked on Buccaneers, but not these particular ones.
Big circle of events........
