Historical Pics - bit of a mish-mash but mildly interesting

[Phil Perry]

The underground Bomb dump crater at Fauld, is not far from my location. Some people believed ( at the time ) that the devastating detonation was caused by sabotage and kept secret.

 

Behind-the-scenes' photos of RAF operations | Daily Mail Online

 

 

[Birdseye]

An aerial shot of Fauld shortly after the event.

 

 

 

[M61A1]

The underground Bomb dump crater at Fauld, is not far from my location. Some people believed ( at the time ) that the devastating detonation was caused by sabotage and kept secret.Behind-the-scenes' photos of RAF operations | Daily Mail Online

I noticed the pic of the RAF equipment officers.....looks like nothing's changed in a century. They still stand around looking smug, having their photo taken, usually with captions about how they do soooooo much, but they can't give THAT part, 'cause they've only got one, and if the give to you, they;ll have none left.

 

 

[onetrack]

Phil - I knew nothing about the Fauld disaster, that must rate well up the list, as one of the more devastating accidents of WW2. There would be quite a long list of them.

 

One forgotten local explosives disaster that comes to mind, is the Kapooka RAE training accident in NSW, on May 21, 1945, which killed 24 trainee engineers and 2 instructors. No precise cause for the explosion could ever be identified.

 

Nocookies

 

A comprehensive story of the Fauld bomb storage disaster is in the link below.

 

Tutbury - local history and information

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil - I knew nothing about the Fauld disaster, that must rate well up the list, as one of the more devastating accidents of WW2. There would be quite a long list of them.One forgotten local explosives disaster that comes to mind, is the Kapooka RAE training accident in NSW, on May 21, 1945, which killed 24 trainee engineers and 2 instructors. No precise cause for the explosion could ever be identified.

Nocookies

 

A comprehensive story of the Fauld bomb storage disaster is in the link below.

 

Tutbury - local history and information

Thanks OT,. . .On a visit to Tutbury Castle ten years or so back, I was made aware of the Fauld story by a local person, since many of the casualties were local men. . . and I purchased a locally produced book on the subject of the explosion, with lots of pictures, I still have it in one of my bookcases,. . .the ones that Mrs. P. regularly nags me to sort out ( ! ) I also used fly from, and operate the tower radio ( volunteer - unpaid ) on weekends from Tatenhill Airfield, ( EGBM) at Needwood, not far to the South West of Tutbury town. One of my 'Places of Local Interest to point out to passengers was the Fauld crater.

 

Thanks for the link to the Kapooka tragedy, I had no knowledge of that. Such a shame that those who died were seemingly forgotten. Most strange.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

 

Bomb load code named 'Usual' for a Lancaster 1x 4000 lb HC 'cookie and 12 x SBCs each loaded with 236 x 4 lb incendiaries....

 

 

[onetrack]

Phil - I was trying to remember, or find the story (it's on Wikipedia somewhere), about the aerial firepower demonstration disaster that happened in the U.K. during mid-WW2 - but it escapes me completely.

 

The disaster centred around a new aircraft firepower demonstration for a substantial number of very high-ranking military people, and also a fair number of senior Air Ministry officials.

 

The organisers had lined up a range of decrepit vehicles and other items for the pilot to shoot up. Unfortunately, all the senior officers and officials all pulled their vehicles up in a line parallel to the targets, to watch the display.

 

I don't recall all the precise circumstances, but obviously there were visibility and communications problems - because the pilot picked the wrong line of vehicles as the target, and unleashed his new massive firepower accidentally on the officers and officials, and their line of vehicles.

 

I first read about this disaster in an autographical book by the pilot of a British spotter aircraft (a Taylorcraft, I think?) during WW2.

 

He claimed in his book that up to 75 senior officers and officials were killed - but the official report stated a much lower figure, something like 26 deaths, I seem to recall.

 

As always, of course, this "friendly fire" disaster was not made public until after the War was over.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Phil - I was trying to remember, or find the story (it's on Wikipedia somewhere), about the aerial firepower demonstration disaster that happened in the U.K. during mid-WW2 - but it escapes me completely.The disaster centred around a new aircraft firepower demonstration for a substantial number of very high-ranking military people, and also a fair number of senior Air Ministry officials.

The organisers had lined up a range of decrepit vehicles and other items for the pilot to shoot up. Unfortunately, all the senior officers and officials all pulled their vehicles up in a line parallel to the targets, to watch the display.

 

I don't recall all the precise circumstances, but obviously there were visibility and communications problems - because the pilot picked the wrong line of vehicles as the target, and unleashed his new massive firepower accidentally on the officers and officials, and their line of vehicles.

 

I first read about this disaster in an autographical book by the pilot of a British spotter aircraft (a Taylorcraft, I think?) during WW2.

 

He claimed in his book that up to 75 senior officers and officials were killed - but the official report stated a much lower figure, something like 26 deaths, I seem to recall.

 

As always, of course, this "friendly fire" disaster was not made public until after the War was over.

Have not heard about this one OT, but I shall check my military historian sources tomorrow. . .It's now bed time, approaching the witching hour here, and minus 2.7 Deg C. . . . .

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Have not had a response from my Historian friend, nor can I find reference to the 'Firendly Fire incident which you mentioned Mr. Onetrack Sir,. . However, after their roaring success in the design of the 'Swordfish' in WW2, here was their next Best Known design triumph. .

 

Fairey Delta 2 WG774

 

Built as a research aircraft to explore high speed delta wing flight, the FD2 first flew in 1954. Early supersonic test flights over the UK resulted in lots of complaints about sonic booms and claims of broken windows. The Ministry of Supply insisted Fairey take out insurance to cover the costs of any damage. Quotes provided were prohibitively expensive so Fairey instead took the FD2 to Cazaux air base in France where they were hosted by the French Air Force and Dassault. It became apparent that the FD2 was a very fast aeroplane and Fairey wanted to attempt a world speed record. Both the Ministry of Supply and Rolls Royce opposed this idea, but Fairey pressed ahead and on 10th March 1956 test pilot Peter Twiss flew the FD2 to a speed of 1,132mph (Mach 1.73) and took the world speed record from the Americans set in the previous year by the North American F-100 Super Sabre. The FD2 exceeded the F-100's record by more than 300mph. In doing so the FD2 also became the first jet aircraft to exceed 1,000mph in level flight. The FD2's record was beaten in December 1957 by the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo when it was flown to 1,207mph.

 

The FD2's world speed record sparked great surprise and interest in 1956 with the Americans coming to have a close look at the design and undoubtedly was a big influence on Marcel Dassault when he designed what would become the Mirage family.

 

A remarkable achievement given Fairey's most well known design previously was the Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber with a top speed of 142mph.

 

 

 

[JEM]

Have not had a response from my Historian friend, nor can I find reference to the 'Firendly Fire incident which you mentioned Mr. Onetrack Sir,. . However, after their roaring success in the design of the 'Swordfish' in WW2, here was their next Best Known design triumph. .Is this the firepower demo? Imber friendly fire incident - Wikipedia.

 

Regards

 

JEM

[onetrack]

That would be the event I previously mentioned - thank you, JEM.

 

The information in the forward air scout pilots biography spoke of numbers of very high ranking officers and senior Air Ministry officials being killed - but as the event is described as a "dress rehearsal", then it becomes obvious no very high ranking officers or Air Ministry officials would be present.

 

The scout pilots information in his biography, about the disaster, was obviously not cross-checked - but as the event took many decades to be officially recognised, I guess cross-checking would have proved futile at the time he wrote his book (I think that was the 1960's).

 

 

[JEM]

That would be the event I previously mentioned - thank you, JEM.The information in the forward air scout pilots biography spoke of numbers of very high ranking officers and senior Air Ministry officials being killed - but as the event is described as a "dress rehearsal", then it becomes obvious no very high ranking officers or Air Ministry officials would be present.

The scout pilots information in his biography, about the disaster, was obviously not cross-checked - but as the event took many decades to be officially recognised, I guess cross-checking would have proved futile at the time he wrote his book (I think that was the 1960's).

Hi again. A memorial list of those killed has been created and is in a local church. The link below shows the memorial. The header photo is hard to read in part due to the photo angle. There is a straight on photo at the end of the page but it is blurry.

http://www.wiltshire-opc.org.uk/Items/Imber/Imber - 70th Anniversary plaque of friendly fire.pdf

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Operation MARKET I: the airborne operation to seize bridges between Arnhem and Eindhoven, Holland, (part of Operation MARKET GARDEN). Oblique photographic-reconnaissance aerial showing Douglas Dakotas dropping paratroops of 1st Airborne Brigade on to Dropping Zone (DZ) 'X', at Renkum, west of Arnhem. Some Horsa gliders have already landed.

 

The British War Graves cemetery at Oosterbeek is food for thought. . . .about pushing 'Too Far'

 

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Passchendaele.

 

I really like this photo and it is one of my favourites. The eyes do it I think,. . . . eyes that have seen far, far too much.

 

The Battle of Menin Road Ridge: An Australian Battalion have tea and food in the first support trench on the evening before the battle on Westhoek Ridge.

 

 

 

[fly_tornado]

[Phil Perry]

Wrong colour mate. . .the proper one is 'Midnight Blue' ie almost Black. I still have my old one framed.