CONTROL TOWERTHE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OFTHE SOUTH WEST AIRFIELDS

HERITAGE TRUST

ISSUE No.16 September 2013

www.southwestairfields.com

Welcome to the third newsletter of 2013, sum-mer has come and gone and we should have nocomplaints….except….wings and wheels! It wasa horrible day on the Saturday, Sunday fortu-nately more than made up for it. A full report willbe in Chairman's Chatter.

The Nissan hut at Upottery is attracting quite afew visitors and is just covering costs already.That is such a relief to all the members of theTrust especially all those who worked so hard torefurbish and equip it.

We have some great material in this edition andI thank from the bottom of my heart everyonewho has contributed. It really does become apleasure to put this together when you have theopportunity to choose what you are going topublish. With the welcome addition of RobertTurner from RAF Westonzoyland to the SWAHTfamily. I suspect there are many articles tocome from that source.

The next edition will be the Christmas one so Ineed all articles in by 10th December please so Ihave plenty of time to layout and edit prior todistribution before Christmas Eve.

E-mail it, scribble it on a bit of paper and post it,put it on the blog section of our website, just letme have your stories. Thanks to the Internet wecan flesh the article out if we need to.

For updates on this and many other thingsplease do go to the web site at

www.southwestairfields.com.

Dave Steelnewsletter@southwestairfields.com

The Editor’s column

In this IssueIn this Issue

●●Readers Letters.Readers Letters.●●Wings and Wheels 2013 report.Wings and Wheels 2013 report.●●A membership form for you to fill in and sendA membership form for you to fill in and send

to us.to us.●●A Tribute to the Hawker Hurricane.A Tribute to the Hawker Hurricane.●●Stuff you can buy & e-mail addresses.Stuff you can buy & e-mail addresses.●●Chairman's Chatter.Chairman's Chatter.●●Part 1 of Jack Walker’s World War II Service.Part 1 of Jack Walker’s World War II Service.

The Re-Enactment group in even more action all over the West Country, why not join them.

Chairman’s ChatterA very warm welcome to new members who have joined us since our last newsletter. The Trustis a fast-growing group of like-minded people with an abiding interest in aviation history. In thesouth-west of England we are blessed with an abundance of stories covering the 110 years sincethe Wright brothers claimed the first controlled flight under power in the USA. Progress sincethen has been (and continues to be) rapid, accelerated by the periods of greatest conflict, andhere in the south-west many of the airfields have a strong association with progress in aviationtechnology and the use of that technology in air operations aimed at defending the UK and itsdependent territories.

In any growing organisation there is a constant healthy debate about scope and purpose, andsense of direction. SWAHT is no different and your views matter, whether you’ve been amember for a number of years, or have only recently joined – your views are important to us, soplease let’s hear them.

Even in a modest group with a historical focus, where much of the working material is based onestablished fact, there are a multitude of ways to capture the detail and present the stories fromdiffering perspectives. It isn’t just a matter of collecting artefacts and putting them on display withsome narrative description, although that has a part to play in what we do. Digital media (DVDs,computer-generated imagery and the like) give us the opportunity to make the historical materialmore dynamic and interesting (e.g. the Dunkeswell War Stories project). We are currentlyformulating a strategy for supporting schools with an extracurricular programme aimed atinforming youngsters about the aviation history surrounding them, and the context within whichit sits.

The growth in popularity of re-enactment groups, including SWAHT’s own, provides an opportu-nity to add real and literally ‘hands-on’ detail to the broader picture, with uniforms and restoredweaponry and equipment from the period (generally WWI or WWII) presented by enthusiastswith a detailed knowledge of their subject.

Events such as our annual ‘Wings and Wheels’ weekend provide the ideal stage (weatherpermitting of course!) for these groups and period entertainers to show-off considerable interestand knowledge in their chosen subject. The presence of historic aircraft adds a three-dimension-al aspect to the subject that only aviation can deliver, and we were fortunate this year to beentertained at our Wings & Wheels event by a lovingly restored and maintained PBY-5 Catalinaof the type based for a time at Dunkeswell during WWII

Our monthly talks programme – presented by subject matter experts – provides an additionalopportunity for those able to attend to ask questions and fill in knowledge gaps. This is importantfor all of us, as the passage of time is keenly felt in an organization looking to preserve andpresent material in its historical context.

As those involved directly in making the history take their leave of us, so direct access to thestories goes beyond our reach. Next year we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Daylandings in 1944, and the subsequent operations in Europe that led to the end of WWII. Onlythirty years before that of course, a greater conflict had begun, and we also commemorate nextyear the beginning in 1914 of ‘the Great War’.

In the Blackdown Hills there is a cluster of three airfields within a few short miles of each otherand all operational in the early months of WWII that have distinct stories: Dunkeswell, home toanti-submarine operations and operated for the most part during WWII by the US Navy; Upottery(actually closer to the village of Smeatharpe) - best known for its part in launching US AirborneDivisions on the invasion of Europe in 1944; and Culmhead – a fighter base sufficiently remoteand secure for the RAF to locate its first jet training squadron there flying Meteor 1s.

To the east, lie Yeovilton and Merryfield – both associated with the Fleet Air Arm, to the north,Weston Zoyland, and to the south-west Exeter, Harrowbeer, Bolt Head, and Plymouth – to namea few. Some of these fields are already associated with their own historical groups, and theWeston Zoyland group, under the leadership of Robert Turner, has recently become affiliated toSWAHT.

Cooperation with other organisations is an essential part of the Trust’s future. We are represent-ed on the Blackdown Hills Heritage Working Group, and through that associated with theBlackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, whose team is veryactive. We also work with the Airfield Research Group (ARG), which has a national presence.We are working hard to reinforce relationships with our contacts in America – both in the USNand US Army. At the Wings and Wheels event this year we were privileged to have US Air ForceCol Travis ‘Flak’ Willis, the current US Air Attaché in London.

In June this year, Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, opened our firstArchive and Heritage Centre in a restored Nissen Hut at Smeatharpe. The current exhibitionthere is focused on the history of RAF Upottery, and is open to the public on Sundays andotherwise by appointment via David Bunney or Trisha Knowles. Please make a point of visitingthe centre and talking to David or Trisha.

All this activity (and much more) is the result of substantial effort and commitment on the part ofa small group of people – too small a group, and I make no apology for once again encouragingyou to participate in what we do. For those interested in becoming a trustee, or taking a moreactive part in the Trust’s programme through one of its subcommittees, please let either VictorBowsher (Trust Secretary) or myself know. We look forward to hearing from you.

Graham Weller - Chairman September 2013

WESTONZOYLAND AVIATION MUSEUM(Affiliated to SWAHT)

● A ‘virtual’ museum in that it is yet to acquire permanent premises butmaintains a growing photographic archive displayed at talks and an ex-hibition tent alongside a very active Facebook page.

● As reported in a recent Daily Mail Online article – a permanent build-ing would also act as a memorial centre for the nineteen pilots who losttheir lives in the jet age.

● It was the West’s leading Meteor Jet training base and wasn’t decom-missioned until 1958.

● RAF WESTONZOYLAND is one of the country’s oldest small airfields which started itscareer in the early

● 1920’S.Negotiations are in progress with Westonzoyland Parish Council for placementof a suitable building taking a ground lease is secured so a suitable grant applicationcan be made.

Readers lettersWe love getting your letters, so keep them coming please.

Good morningI have come across your newsletter and haveread with great interest

During the war I used to 'play' near Exeter Air-port and remember getting under the fence andgetting into a Sea Otter parked in a far corner ofthe airfield. To our surprise a small van arrivedwith the crew to fly it. they said to us how didyou get here?We were surprised with the dark blue uniformwith the badge Australia. They did not report us.I have several Exeter Airport stories.I later joined 1169 City of Exeter Sqn ATC justopposite St Luke's School. Sqn Ldr Greensladewas the CO. I used to wonder about Dunkeswelland Upottery but they were too far away for me.

Is there a 1169 website or anyone with memo-ries for me?

Lovely newsletter

Best wishes

Dennis Ginger ( N. Notts)

Does anyone know of any contact informationfor Dennis? If so please let us know. Denniskindly followed up with a second letter.

Morning David

I have a short boys' story re Exeter Airport circa1943 aged 12We used to cycle up to the Airport from HonitonClyst. the lane was heavily patrolled by police-men on bikes, we were constantly challengedand we said we lived in Rockbear!One day we stopped at the 'crash exit' with wind-sock the Honiton Clyst side of Airport entrance.There stood a Marauder or Boston just acrossthe perimeter track in a 'f'rying pan'. We decidedto chance it and waited till the coast was clearthen ran over open ground to the Aircraft. Therewere 3 of us. We climbed the ladder andopened the door and climbed in. I sat in pilotsseat and we enacted a bombing run until bombsgone, then someone called we are hit bale out..We staggered to the door which said, 'in emer-gency pull' which we did and the door ejected !

There stood a Policeman with bike who dodgedthe door and made us get out.He told us off and walked us to the guardroom.Instead of being frightened we were so excitedbecause we walked past the large hangar opendoors and looked inside .In the guardroom they took our names and ad-dress's and then put us in a cell with iron barsfor a while!When we were released we walked out of thegate which had a large sign which read 'YOUARE LEAVING THE AIRPORT. WHILE HEREYOU HAVE LEARNT A LOT. WHEN YOUPASS THIS SIGN FORGET IT '

Happy memories

Best Wishes

Dennis Ginger (N. Notts)

Thank you Dennis

Douglas DB-7 Boston

The Sea Otter stood just like this I assume it was forAir Sea Rescue and D-Day The sign in cockpit read

by window ‘beware of Prop'

Jack Walker’s World War II ServiceBy

Andrew Walker

IntroductionIt is a privilege to share my father’s World War II

story. Jack Walker was proud of his World War

II service and 28-year naval career. Like most

veterans, he was humble about his contributions

and did not talk much about his war experiences.

But as we both got older, I asked more ques-

tions and he became more interested in telling

his story. I have been fortunate to visit

Dunkeswell three times. A Fleet Air Wing 7 reun-

ion and a visit to Dunkeswell in 2000 with him

are among my fondest memories of my dad.

This story is based on my father’s memories,

original source material left to me by my father,

reference books in my possession, and some

Internet research.

Getting to DunkeswellLike many of his generation, Jack Walker was a

product of the Depression. Born in 1923 in Michi-

gan, he graduated from high school into an un-

certain future. Working for the telephone

company, World War II gave him and millions of

others an opportunity to serve and create a fu-

ture with careers not thought possible before the

war.

After the United States entered the war, my Dad

enlisted in the Navy for pilot training. With the

training pipeline full, he made the most of his

wait by learning to fly a Taylorcraft at Wayne

State University in Detroit. In November 1942,

he entered Officer Candidate School/Pre-Flight

Training at the University of Iowa. Following

three months of basic military and pre-flight train-

ing beginning in California, he went on a coast-

to-coast training program that culminated in his

commissioning as an Ensign in the United

States Naval Reserve and earning his designa-

tion as a Naval Aviator in September 1943 at

Corpus Christi, Texas. Sometime during his

flight training, because of his particular flying

aptitude or because he felt the airlines would

offer flying opportunities after the war or both,

he was assigned to fly multi-engine aircraft.

In December 1943, then-Ensign Walker was

assigned to VPB-210 flying antisubmarine pa-

trols in the Caribbean Sea in the Martin PBM

flying boat (coincidently, my father-in-law was a

flight engineer in PBMs flying antisubmarine pa-

trols in the Pacific). My dad told me he didn’t

care for flying seaplanes and was granted a

transfer to PB4Y-equipped VPB-103. Following

conversion training, in October 1944, he and

other PB4Y pilots began ferrying aircraft across

the Atlantic. Flying to Britain was a 9-day, multi-

stop affair with stops in New Hampshire, Cana-

da, Iceland, Wales, St. Mawgan’s (Cornwall),

and finally into Dunkeswell. My father said the

trip across the Atlantic was made in company

with a large number of US Army Air Forces B-

17's and B-24’s. He felt the Army squadrons

were not as well trained in long-range naviga-

tion and fuel conservation and that they benefit-

ed from accompanying the Navy airplanes.

Flying the PB4YThe PB4Y was the US Navy designation of the

Consolidated B-24 Liberator. My father’s aircraft

was the Navy version of the M model with the

ball turret suppressed in favour of air-to-surface

radar. Defensive armament below the aircraft

was thought unnecessary because antisubma-

rine patrols were flown at low level, making at-

tack from below difficult. My father’s crew

occasionally saw German JU-88 aircraft in the

distance but those planes kept their distance

and likely had no interest in tangling with a well

armed PB4Y.

A large aircraft in its day, the PB4Y was not an

easy plane to fly; when fully loaded for a combat

patrol, it was a handful. The flight deck crew had

no power assistance on the controls and instead

relied on muscle to fly the airplane. When taking

off under maximum gross weight, climbing was

slow. At Dunkeswell, the advantage of Runway

40L was that the ground fell away rapidly on

departure, helping the long, slow climb to alti-

tude. The twin tails were structurally weak and

vibrated under full power. The airplane was cold

and damp on long 12-hour patrols over the Bay

of Biscay. Weather obviously affected naviga-

tion, and my father said the prominent Welling-

ton Monument located at the highest point of the

Blackdown Hills in Somerset provided an impor-

tant visual cue for finding Dunkeswell in fog and

low cloud.

Training at Chincoteague Naval Auxiliary AirStation in July 1944

(Ensign John S Walker, front right)

Pilot LT Dwight Knott (left) and Co-Pilot LT (jg)Jack Walker (right)

Part 2 of this article, the sinking of U-326will be in the next edition, our grateful

thanks to Andrew Walker.

A Tribute to the Hawker HurricaneBy Kenneth Grimward

Air Chief Marshall, Sir JohnSalmond and Air Vice Mar-shall Hugh Dowding wereconvinced that a modernfighter aircraft was neededby the RAF specifically anaircraft with an enclosedcockpit, retractable under-carriage carrying eight ma-chine guns with a speed ofover 300 mph.

This resulted in an Air MinistrySpec 5/34. Aircraft Manufactur-ers Super Marine and Hawkerbegan working on this projectas early as 1933. Hawker’sdesign was following closelythe traditional building methodswhich had been tried and test-ed over many years, knowingthat these methods made pro-duction of aircraft reasonablyeasy as they already hadskilled and experienced engi-neers and fitters of long stand-ing ready to start the project.

The urgency for this new andmodern fighter that made both Dowding andSalmond anxious was because of the recentdevelopment of the Super Marine S6B for theSchneider Trophy race, which was won for Brit-ain in 1931. This aircraft was a monoplanewhich averaged a speed of 340 mph over thecourse, when our best RAF fighters like theHawker Fury and Demon just touched 200 mph.

It was becoming quite clear at this time that Ger-many were not following the rules laid down bythe Versailles treaty drawn up at the cease ofhostilities in WW1. No arms or tanks or militaryaircraft should be produced under this treaty.The treaty, drawn up by Britain, France and theU.S.A. was to last some 30 years.The newly formed Nazi party now lead by Hitlerrejected this Treaty with their own Party Manifes-to. Thus the BF109 prototype was manufacturedby the summer of 1934 and flown in 1935 thesame year as the Hurricane, its major adversaryduring the Battle of Britain.

Both Dowding and Salmond were correct intheir assumptions that the Fury and Demon air-craft were dated.When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936Hitler (nowRiche Chancel-lor) sided withFranco and aid-ed Spain withmilitary vehicles,German bomb-ers, arms andammunition.This was thenwhen the StukaPilots andBF109 pilots cuttheir teeth in bat-tle with the Span-ish Republicansuntill early 1939,by which timetheir pilots werebattle hardened.The Hurricanewas on the design board in 1934 to comply withan Air Ministry Spec for a fighter

Monoplane, single seat with enclosed canopy, 8machine guns, 4 in each wing, retractable un-dercarriage with a speed of 300 mph in levelflight. Hawker’s Chief Designer, Sidney Cammwas designing this around the newly developedRolls Royce engine C class offering 1,023 HP at15,000 feet. The design of the Hurricane was oftried and tested methods and followed closelywith that of the Hawker Fury biplane, its pedi-gree was impeccable. Its tubular metal and fab-ric covered fuselage gave it clean lines, itswings were fabric covered, but later metalskimmed. No welding was required in the fuse-lage, making the aircraft reasonably easy to pro-duce and giving a continuous line for theproduction. Also there was a team of veryskilled and gifted technicians who were familiarwith this type of construction, a very powerfulconsideration when a country is put on a warfooting, as we were becoming aware of Germa-ny’s sabre rattling in 1934.The Hurricane’s first test flight was on 6 Novem-ber 1935 and was later sent for official trials. So

Bf 109 flying at Duxford July 2007

AVM Hugh Dowding

ACM Sir JohnSalmond

successful were these trials, Hawker went intoproduction on their own accord and geared upto produce 1000 aircraft.By June 1936 the Air Ministry order came in for600 aircraft in time for what lay ahead for ourcountry.The prototype of the Hurricane was first complet-ed in conjunction with Rolls Royce and the de-velopment of their new engine known as thePV12 under the Air Ministry SpecificationF36/34. This engine later became named as

“Merlin”. The first flight of the prototype was on 6November 1935 with Chief Test Pilot GeorgeBulman at Brooklands.

This aircraft was highly characteristic of Camm’searlier designs. At a later stage the wings weremetal skimmed. In 1936 the aircraft was sent forofficial trials, its maximum speed achieved 315mph at 16,000 feet. Also reaching an altitude of20,000 feet could be attained in 8.5 minutes andwith eight Browning 303 machine guns, four fit-ted in each wing. One of the good design fea-tures of the Hurricane was its retractableundercarriage with its wheels closing into thewing roots and fuselage, when open for landingthey are well spread offering a wide track mak-ing landings safer and easier for low time pilotsafter battle. The Spitfire, of course was the oppo-site to this offering a narrow track for landingand could be extremely tricky.No aircraft has been brought into service for theRAF more rapidly after production, than theHawker Hurricane.Deliveries were made to 111 Squadron atNortholt before the end of 1937. InFebruary 1938 the Hurricane wasflown from Edinburgh to Northolt atan average speed of 408 mph de-spite a hefty tail wind, thus clearlydemonstrating the aircraft’s capa-bility and worth.

On 3rd September 1939, 500 Hurricane’s weredelivered to the RAF. These aircraft were Hurri-cane Mk I with the RR Merlin Mk II engine, giv-ing a maximum speed of 320 mph and fittedwith a two bladed wooden prop.The battle order was for 30 Squadrons of Hurri-canes and 18 Squadrons of Spitfires.It was the Hurricane that took the brunt of thebattle of Britain and was responsible for shoot-ing down more enemy aircraft than any otherfighter aircraft or ground anti aircraft guns duringthis battle between July and November 1940.

Now at the early part of the war the Hurricane’sproduction became a priority and incorporateddesign changes. As previously stated the wingswere metal skimmed and were now given athree bladed prop, increasing its speed to 328mph. The Hurricane was the first monoplaneaircraft adopted by the RAF and the first combataircraft to exceed 300 mph in level flight.The Hurricane served in more theatres of warthan any other type of aircraft. Over 14,000were manufactured during the WWII.

The Hurricane deserves its rightful place in avia-tion history often described as the workhorsetaking on any job and any conflict. It had a verysteady gun platform and in a fight it could out-turn a BF109.It was one of the first “tank busters” fitted with

cannons. It could become a Hurricane bombercarrying two 250 lb bombs. It also operated offof aircraft carriers protecting convoys.The Spitfire was indeed a beautifully designedaircraft with both unique and complex construc-tion. It required new skills and techniques to bedeveloped, thus initial production was slow.

Eventually the Spitfire in battle took on the BF109 leaving the Hurricane the German Bombers.I can only think of these two aircraft as flyingside by side, never separated. Indeed bothicons of our aviation history.

Anyone who has been involved in the Trust’sannual W+W event knows that even the best laidplans are unable to compensate completely forthe weather. Our first priority of course is thesafety of our visitors, and our plan for the event issubject to a rigorous examination and risk assess-ment. The cooperation not only of the airfieldoperator, but a large number of independent par-ticipants in the guise of exhibitors, traders, andentertainers is key to making the whole event asuccess. If it is hot and sunny, care is focused onprotecting visitors from exposure, dehydration,and effects of the sun, but if it rains - and it usuallydoes – we fend off the feelings of despair andproject our stiff upper lip and British stoicism inthe knowledge that it will change for the better.

David Bunney, Trisha Knowles and their organiz-ing team did a tremendous job this year in mitigat-ing the consequences of the bad weather with agreater variety of exhibits, displays, traders andactivities than we have achieved before, so thateven a measure of graceful degradation (no-shows, early departures, etc.) could be toleratedwithout losing the strength of the show. A verybig thank-you to them, to their team, and all thoseinvolved, for making this year’s event a successdespite the weather.

Late last year, because we were commemoratingthe 70th anniversary of Dunkeswell going opera-tional in 1943, we decided the show should havea substantial centrepiece. The only availableaircraft type in the UK with an operational link toDunkeswell was the Catalina based at Duxford.At the time we were very hopeful of financialsupport for the event from the Heritage LotteryFund, and accordingly confirmed the booking inanticipation. Sadly the HLF bid was unsuccessfulthis year, but sufficient funds became availablefrom donations to protect the arrangement.

The Catalina had arrived from Duxford, Cam-bridgeshire, early on Friday evening and cheeredeveryone with its graceful arrival and sheer size.We couldn’t have asked for a better centrepiecefor the show. Capt. John Warman and his crewfrom Plane Sailing Ltd. were efficient and friendly,and clearly very proud of their PBY-5 – resplend-ent in its brilliant white colour scheme with US‘stars-and-bars’ and ‘Miss Pick-Up’ nose art.

The choice of centrepiece was an easy one:PBY-5s were stationed at Dunkeswell duringWWII on anti-submarine operations, and this par-ticular PBY-5 is painted in the colours of a USAAFSearch-and-Rescue machine, similar to those ofits US Navy forebears.

We were fortunate also to have Andy Foan’sBeech C-45 Expeditor (a version of the Beech18) on display, sporting its brand new Royal Na-vy ‘Admiral’s Barge’ colour scheme. These twoaircraft side by side on static display (and onSunday in the air together) provided an unusualand interesting photo opportunity for thosearmed with cameras. Andy’s Beech is residentat Dunkeswell and is a regular sight in the skyabove the Blackdown Hills.With an event that is of necessity held outdoors,and therefore largely weather dependent, every-one holds their breath as the day draws near.During the week leading up to the preparation forthe event on the Thursday and Friday beforehand,

Wings & Wheels, Dunkeswell’s 70th

17th-18th August 2013

Airborne shot of Duxford-based ‘Miss Pick-up’

A period shot of of VPN-63’s PBY-5’s at Dunkeswellduring WWII.

the BBC weather forecast became a hot topic ofconversation and every hint of optimism from theforecaster was grabbed as an indication that itwould be ‘all right on the day’.

We tried changing the date from August to Julylast year – but that didn’t help. Moving it backagain this year was equally ineffective. And so itwas that Saturday 17 August produced a goodsoaking for everyone, with heavy showers andhigh winds (sufficient to take at least one tent offits poles) interspersed with occasional periods ofhope.

By 13:00 however, we decided to abandon anythought of putting on an afternoon programmeand continuing through to the official closingtime. The team remained on duty just in case,but it wasn’t until the end of the afternoon thatthe weather improved.

The PBY-5 was then towed across the airfield topark adjacent to The Aviator café for the ‘40sdance in the evening, with lively period entertain-ment from Steve Lane. With the Catalina illumi-nated against a clearing night sky, everyoneagreed the dance was a great success andshould be repeated.

Sunday began looking hopeful, but it wasn’t untillate morning that the mood and the clouds liftedand we were blessed with bright sunshine – well,some of the time! By early afternoon thenumber of classic cars and bikes had swelled,the military vehicles were putting on their owndisplay to accompany the re-enactors, ourguests from the ‘Band of Brothers’ cast werebusy autographing photos, and the visitor num-bers were close to filling the main parking area –a much better day was in prospect.

We were joined by the current US Air Attaché inLondon, Colonel Travis ‘Flak’ Willis, as our guestof honour along with his two sons, and during thebrief commemorative service on Sunday after-noon Col Willis talked of the enduring ‘specialrelationship’ between the US and the UK, and thecontinuing need for close cooperation betweenour two countries to deter the threats of the 21st

century.

Beech C-45 Expeditor in Royal Navy colours, andsporting an Admiral’s flag

Event Manager, “Lieutenant, USN” Dave Bunneyin front of PBY-5 Miss Pick-Up, and a sky-full of

threatening cumulus

Members of the cast from the Band of Broth-ers TV Series autographing photos while

Dave Bunney, Event Manager, in US NavalAviator's uniform, looks on.

Colonel Travis 'Flak' Willis, USAF, speaking at thecommemorative service with Trust Vice-Chairman

Mike Venn in the background

The Trust’s Padre, Reverend Rik Peckham, gavea short blessing, and the British Legion providedthe standards for the short remembrance ceremo-ny. An additional guest joined us representingthe Chelsea Pensioners, ex-Army Air Corps pilotDavid Jackson, seen here next to Rev Peckham:

This poignant break in the afternoon’s proceed-ings provided pause for thought, and put thewhole event into context. The climax of theafternoon was the short aerobatic display provid-ed by Rob Mott in his Christen Eagle, a fly pastby Andy in his Beech C-45, and then John War-man’s regal display of the Catalina in clear blueskies.

As we waved goodbye to the Catalina at the endof Sunday afternoon, there were a lot of exhaust-ed people saying ‘never again’, but knowing thatthis event is a keystone in the Trust’s annualprogramme, and that planning for next yearwould begin more or less straight away.

The stalwarts who surfaced on Monday morningthe 19th, to take care of the site clearance, werethe same core team as always, and they deservenot only a special vote of thanks but an undertak-ing of more support next year from volunteers. Ifyou are a member reading this and would like tosupport the 2014 event – or any other events inour calendar – please contact one of the trusteesand join the organizing team.

A final note: had both days been as bright andwell attended as Sunday the 18th was, this year’sevent would have undoubtedly covered its costseasily and produced a respectable surplus forreinvestment into our operating costs andprojects. As it was, gate receipts, donations and

sales of merchandise all contributed well to deliv-er a break-even situation. Whilst disappointing,it left us with the confidence that the event isbecoming better established and recognized inthe south-west’s annual calendar.

Dates for next year’s programme will be pub-lished on the web-site during November, and inthe next edition of the newsletter.

Graham WellerSeptember 2013

The Royal British Legion Colour Party - in brightsunshine

A Catalina if flight during a Duxford air show.

RAF DUNKESWELL. 70TH ANNIVERSARY of OPENING. 17/18 AUG, 2013

THE SWAHT SALES POINT

The allocation of a dedicated SWAHT sales point within the Main Marquee and locating it close tothe main WI Refreshments area ensured there was a good footfall of visitors in the sales area.Tent furnishings consisted of three folding tables for placement of items for sale and 2/3 chairs atthe rear from which the sales persons could conduct their activities.A banner with large SWAHT letters was displayed above the tent entrance to announce the pur-pose of the alcove.Diana Scorer brought her own clean table cloths and David C-A brought flags for the front decora-tion of tables.Items for sale were collected beforehand in cardboard boxes and were arranged by Diana on thetables in an attractive manner. Diana also brought essential stationary items and wrote out explan-atory captions and sale prices on display cards. Used books were displayed on the tables and inboxes laid on their sides in an attractive manner alongside the donated items.Sale of Programmes with a Raffle ticket for a flight on the vintage Beech Aircraft was done careful-ly. A contact name and a phone number of all buyers was written onto the ticket counterfoils.When the ‘Wings and Wheels’ event commenced at 10:00 hrs on Saturday - sales were modestdue to the poor weather and few visitors. On Sunday the sun shone and sales improved with theincreasing visitor numbers. By early afternoon the ‘Wings and Wheels’ event was buzzing andsales of all items were flourishing. The two persons selling programmes and Tickets were fully oc-cupied.When the Draw for the Winners was announced – all the available programmes in the tent hadbeen sold.

Proceeds from the Sales tent were handed directly to The Treasurer,After deduction of the ‘Float’. £245.20

Late Sales after the Air Flight Raffle - handed to Patricia Knowle. £19.50

At the SWAHT Nissen Hut Meeting –Wed 4th Sept Diana Scorerhanded to Treasurer -a packet of misplaced coins from the sales days. £15.00

Total Sales £279.70

Diana Scorer & David Chapman-Andrews

SWAHT Members – ‘Wings and Wheels’ Sales

PS. A note to all SWAHT members.

PLEASE start gathering together some items such as Air, Navy, and Military books etc, into abox in preparation for the next SWAHT event.

PUBLICATIONS

Out of Dunkeswell, published by South West Airfields Heritage Trust, 2010Price £7.50

Illustrated is the front cover of ‘Out of Dunkeswell’, published by the Trust in2010 in its second edition, with additional material by Trustee and our News-letter Editor, Dave Steel.  It sells at £7.50 (£5.00 to Members). It tells the storyof the anti-submarine units which operated from RAF/NAF Dunkeswell duringWorld War II, and represents very good value for anyone interested in thesubject.

USAAF antisubmarine units played a minor role in the Battle of the Atlantic,but made a far greater contribution in assisting British forces on patrol in theBay of Biscay.   To reach patrol areas in the Atlantic from July 1940 untilOctober 1943, almost a year after the USAAF ceased antisubmarine opera-tions, most German submarines sailed from four French ports through the Bayof Biscay.

Approximately 300 miles from north to south and 120 miles east to west, theBay of Biscay was a relatively confined transit area that could be patrolled bylong-range aircraft flying from bases in Britain.  RAF Coastal Command, incharge of Britain's aerial antisubmarine effort, patrolled the bay and was subsequently joined first by theUSAAF Antisubmarine Group and subsequently by the US Navy's Fleet Air Wing 7, which replaced it.

Both organisations flew versions of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator (PB4Y-1 in US Navy service) andoperated variously from RAF St Eval in Cornwall, RAF Dunkeswell and RAF Upottery in Devon.  The bookdraws on historical material from various sources under the authorship of Mike Jarrett, Bernard Stevens andDavid Steel.

Mudville Heights, by David Earl, 2011

Price £16.95

This paperback - published by its author, David Earl - presents a well-illustrated picture of life at Dunkeswell during WW2. The base opened underthe control of the RAF, but was populated mainly by USAAF and later USNpersonnel. Responsibility for the base eventually passed from the RAF tothe USN and it became the only designated US Naval Air Facility in the UK.

Conditions on-base were far from adequate, with roads and paths aroundthe living quarters just a sea of `mud`. It was those conditions, combinedwith harsh winters that resulted in the nick-name “Mudville Heights". As onecrew member put it "The name just kinda stuck!".

This well illustrated book tells the fascinating story of the air- and ground-crews resident at WW2 Dunkeswell, with first hand accounts from the menwho served there.

This book is now unavailable at Amazon but it is still advertised at waterstones.com

DVDs

The Airman - Memorial Sculpture Unveiling at RAF Exeter

On March 27th 2012, the Mayor of Exeter, and the Head ofDevon County Council, together unveiled a life-size bronzesculpture of a WW2 fighter pilot by local artist Frances Margaret.The event was the culmination of years of effort by a smallgroup within the Trust led by Robin Gilbert and, thanks toDavid Chapman-Andrews, was captured on video. David hascompiled his footage into an edited programme that includesclips from WW2 operations at RAF Exeter and published it on acommemorative DVD.

Available through our web-site at £10.00 or contactpublications@southwestairfields.com

The South West Airfields Trust – D-Day 60th Anniversary 2004

Copies of this DVD are still available at £5.00. All proceeds will go to the 70th

Anniversary Event being planned for 2014.

Upottery Airfield Memorial Dedication

Copies of this DVD are still available at £5.00 each. All proceeds will go towards the70th Anniversary of D-Day Event being planned for 2014.

Contact e-mail addressesWe have had a bit of a revamp of the contact addresses we use for members andofficers of the trust. This is to make it easier and a little more logical to contact us.

Chairman: chairman@southwestairfields.comAnything to do with events: events@southwestairfields.com

Membership: membership@southwestairfields.comThe Website: webmaster@southwestairfields.com

Publications: publications@southwestairfields.comThis Newsletter: newsletter@southwestairfields.com

Research and Historical information: research@southwestairfields.com

We will be adding more addresses as and when we sort them out. Any general en-quiries please send to either the chairman or newsletter addresses. They will bedealt with.

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Contact Details:

The South West Airfields Heritage TrustUnit B24 (WW II Flight Office)Marcus RoadDunkeswell AirfieldDevonEX14 4LB

The South West AirfieldsHeritage Trust