Hurricanes of the RATG

[Super Aereo]

Thank you Troy!!!

It was doing my head in...!!!

[galgos]

Yep, Harvard for sure!

Max

[Troy Smith]

Thank you gents for your help to date. Perhaps I can put my query into context. My father was trained as a pilot in 1943 in the Rhodesian Air Training Group and he flew one of the Hurricanes in March 1945 (the 12th to be precise doing an oxygen climb to 20,000') though he didn't record for some strange reason its serial number in his logbook. He took many photographs whilst out there but only one has a Hurricane indistinctly in the background. He was retained out there as a flying instructor at Norton, the CFI was Ted Shipman who formerly had fought in the BoB. I've been in contact with Ted's son, John who has sent me the following serial numbers from his father's logbook, perhaps they may help shed some light on the matter? Below is also a recount from Ted about the Hurricanes.

Hurricane serial numbers flown by Ted Shipman at CFS RAF Norton between 6^th July 1944 and 15^th September 1945. (note ? indicates missing digit or letter)

HK 941

Z 6989 oxygen climb to 27,000ft 12/3/1944

T 9651

Z 4040

T 9531

V 8926 Gold Cup Flypast 21/10/1944

? 9531

N 2477

? 257

? 6787 Battle of Britain flypast over Salisbury 15/9/1944

Hi Max

I just PM you, but then dug this thread out, shame the other pic link has gone, but I found this one my trawls, and looking at this, possibly the BoB flypast?

The bare metal side panel as opposed to Aluminum dope overall are a neat touch, glossy red spinner and nose?

IIRC that's a Sq/Ldr pennant.

Spinner looks to be the Bullet Rotol with and oil ring.

cheers

T

[tonyot]

That pennant looks more like a Group Captains pennant. The Sqn Ldr`s pennant was rectangular and although the Wing Commander`s pennant was triangular it had two thin red stripes whereas the Gp Capt pennant was similar but with a single thick red stripe.

Note that this Hurri has a Vokes filter fitted and what looks to be an early Rotol propeller.

Cheers

Tony

[galgos]

Thanks both Troy and Tony for that info. I'm going to build the 1/32nd PCM Hurricane in the RATG colours as you may remember Tony. I've recently got some Aeromilitaria magazines containing articles written by Dave Newnham which includes info about the Hurricanes including the Met Flight serial AG244 and that excellent picture. I've sent copies of these to John Shipman so he's already "in the frame" Troy.

Regards

Max

[vulcanxm603]

On 12/1/2013 at 8:48 AM, galgos said:

Thank you gents for your help to date. Perhaps I can put my query into context. My father was trained as a pilot in 1943 in the Rhodesian Air Training Group and he flew one of the Hurricanes in March 1945 (the 12th to be precise doing an oxygen climb to 20,000') though he didn't record for some strange reason its serial number in his logbook. He took many photographs whilst out there but only one has a Hurricane indistinctly in the background. He was retained out there as a flying instructor at Norton, the CFI was Ted Shipman who formerly had fought in the BoB. I've been in contact with Ted's son, John who has sent me the following serial numbers from his father's logbook, perhaps they may help shed some light on the matter? Below is also a recount from Ted about the Hurricanes.

 

Hurricane serial numbers flown by Ted Shipman at CFS RAF Norton between 6^th July 1944 and 15^th September 1945. (note ? indicates missing digit or letter)

HK 941

Z 6989 oxygen climb to 27,000ft 12/3/1944

T 9651

Z 4040

T 9531

V 8926 Gold Cup Flypast 21/10/1944

? 9531

N 2477

? 257

? 6787 Battle of Britain flypast over Salisbury 15/9/1944

 

In the July of 1944 we had managed to get several Hurricanes which had been in the Middle East. They were pretty well clapped out and had to be carefully checked and serviced. We used them for communication and to give the instructors advanced experience. Later in October, Group Headquarters held a flypast of Hurricanes at Cranborne in which I took part. This was called the 'Gold Cup Flypast' and took place in front of the civic dignitaries - but I cannot remember exactly what it was for.

The following year, when VE Day had come and gone and the end of the War was in sight, I felt that my instructors particularly, and if possible those pupils who wished to do so, should be allowed to have a trip in the Hurricanes. The majority did and flew the aircraft very well and I felt happy that I had been able to give them some little consolating experience in return for their efforts and because many of them would never fly again once they left Norton. At least they would have had the satisfaction of having flown a Hurricane.

There was one unfortunate accident, however, and that was to one of my more experienced instructors who dived vertically into the ground from a considerable height. Of course, the cause of the crash was never known. It could well have been ammoxia if the chap had gone too high without oxygen - and one must remember that his altimeter if set at ground level would have been reading at least 4,000 feet below his true height above sea level. The fact that he did not attempt to bale out or control the dive rather indicates that he was unconscious.

Steven, thank you for your reference to the Legato kit. I've had a look at the cover illustration and it seems pretty much what I thought it would be apart from the squadron codes which I don't think they had. I'm increasingly going along the route of flat aluminium overall but I'm intending to buff up the nose section a little.

Regards

Max

If anyone is interested I found the following on the CFS Norton, Southern Rhodesia:

http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/memories-of-raf-station-norton.html