|
Post by COLIN SHIPTON-KNIGHT on Jul 16, 2010 20:39:08 GMT
Dear All,
Having just returned from Orkney...
....and discovered what a lovely place it is....!
...Any one got anything they can share about RAF/RNAS/Royal Navy aviation in Orkney....?
Photos, books, direction, any thing....?
Most appreciated.
Colin
|
|
|
Post by alfie on Jul 17, 2010 11:11:03 GMT
|
|
|
Post by sanguin on Jul 19, 2010 10:59:55 GMT
Colin, I knew a gentleman, not long dead, who worked on Orkney in 1938-40 building the wooden masts for the Chain Home radar stations. Peter was immensely proud of having survived it; wooden masts flex and wobble considerably and Orkney is scarcely wind-free. He said that he built two stations then rebuilt the first one with much taller masts. Both were under RAF control, he thought. He said that swaying around on a creaking timber pylon trying to bolt in new wooden beams in Force 5-6 winds was probably the most exciting time of his life; more exciting than being a Sapper when he got called up, anyway. A few years ago I gave him printouts from some websites. These amazed him as he never thought that anybody would actually bother to collect and then 'publish' such information. These are some of the current links that you may find interesting: www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/n/netherbutton_chain_home/index.shtmlwww.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=81727canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/3597/details/sanday+whale+head+chain+home+radar+station/www.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-511-503-CI know they don't involve aircraft directly, but radar is part of the overall picture. Orkney was not a very popular posting, I should imagine. Cold, bleak, wet and windy with not a lot to do off duty the brief interlude of warm summer days (however lengthy) must have seemed like heaven. i know that Peter Rook never went back to the islands and happily spent the rest of his life in temperate Kent! John
|
|
|
Post by sanguin on Jul 19, 2010 11:16:10 GMT
|
|
|
Post by COLIN SHIPTON-KNIGHT on Jul 20, 2010 19:45:39 GMT
John, Alfie....
Many, many thanks, just what I wanted......
Colin
|
|
|
Post by sanguin on Jul 22, 2010 8:45:10 GMT
Colin, Answering a question elsewhere I dug out my Kopro 1/72nd Spitfire VII kit to check the colour of the codes. It is Sky for the MSG/PRU blue high altitude variants according to Kopro, who cite no references. However, one of their markings offered in the kit is for MD114 DU-G of 602 Squadron, based in The Orkneys! It shot down a 'recce Bf109' in February 1944, apparently. It is unusual in that its fin flash and fuselage roundels include the white bits, most FVII Spits seemed to have only red/blue national markings. If you want a copy of the instruction sheet with details then please email me. Colin, I know that you normally work in 1/48th but you can have the 1/72nd Kopro transfers if you want, I will be building the 131Squadron County of Kent variant.... John
|
|
|
Post by COLIN SHIPTON-KNIGHT on Jul 24, 2010 19:08:14 GMT
John,
Much appreciated......
decalbank@googlemail.com
Colin
|
|
|
Post by Fatty on Aug 1, 2010 19:57:03 GMT
LoL ust got back from the Shetland Isles my self, took some pickies of the rescue choppers up there. If you go on 'marinetraffic.com' and search 'all' on the vesals for 'SAR' aircraft, it will bring up all the air sea rescue helicopters. For each one there is normally a gallery. Hers a link for the chopper at Lerwick i posted... www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showallphotos.aspx?mmsi=111232500
|
|