RAF Leuchars

[MADMUSKY]

Looking for information on colour schemes for the following:

1510 Beam Approach Training Flt, Wellington 1 L4284 and 1c R1666, Airspeed Oxford 1 V3994

18 Group Communications Flt, Percival Proctor, Miles Magister, Miles Mentor

Also 3 Armament Practice Camp, Lysander P1688, and also possibly a Fairey Battle but have not been able to confirm this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Darren

[Test Graham]

For wartime this will be Dark Green and Dark Earth on top for all types, Night undersides for the Wellington but Yellow for the others. The Oxfords in the Beam Approach unit will carry large yellow triangles - I'll have to go digging for the details of these, which did vary with unit.

The Air Britain book Flying Training and Support Units since 1912 provides a good list of other types, and other serials for the ones you mention, but has no mention of a Battle for 3APC

1510 BATF: Wellington R1526, Anson N9641 F.

18GCF: Moth W7976, Hornet Moth AV952, Mentor L4429, Magister, Eagle II ES944, Walrus L2207, Lysander III T1741, other types appear to be postwar or even post Leuchars

3APC: Lysander II P1688, Martinet MS624

[Selwyn]

In addition to Grahams post,

“Flying units of the RAF” lists:

3 Armament Practice Camp

Battle K7644

Lysander III T1741

Lysander IIIA W6943

18 Grp Communications flight

Proctor I P6173

Proctor III LZ684 2V-B

When was the 18 Group Comms Flight at Leuchars? My References show it to be at RAF Turnhouse all its life.

18 Group Armament Practice Flight was formed at Leuchars in October 41 with Battle K9184 and a Lysander II It was only in existence about a month before it became 3 APC.

Selwyn

[MADMUSKY]

Cheers Guys

No 18 Group Communications Flt May 1940 till Nov 1959 information taken from www.raf.org/Stations/Stations-L.htm ,I have Miles Martinet TT1 as JN541 coded E, Lysander II p1688 photo found here and is that a Fairey Battle in the background www.scran.ac.uk/database/records.php?usi=000-000-496-125-c http://www.ebrochures.com/pdf2pageturn/Uploaded/2B23177A9637EA4D8E5A541AC8C92777/text.html also info from I have Anson as N5105 which was destroyed by Mosquito NFII 333SQN DD690 mid air collision on approach. also information taken from book Scottish Airfields in the Second World WAR Volume 2 Fife and Central Region, also can anyone tell me if 206 Sqn operated B17s from Leuchars I know they operated B24 Liberators.

Still Confused

Cheers

Darren

Edited February 10, 2014 by MADMUSKY

[Test Graham]

2V codes are from 1946 onwards - I omitted such examples but could add them if desired.

Coastal etc. Squadrons has 206 returning to the UK to re-equip, and spending time at St Eval before going to Leuchars. This suggests they did not fly B-17s from Leuchars but there may be more in Robert Stitt's book on Coastal Fortresses.

I confirm 18 GCF was formed at Turnhouse but was at Leuchars from 13.5.40 to 18.11.59 (from Flying Training etc....)

[Duncan B]

Interesting stuff although I'm more interested in Leuchars from 1950 onwards. I can add 18GCF to my list of units then, what did they fly towards the end of their time there, I have a vague memory of seeing photos of an Anson?

Duncan B

[Test Graham]

Duncan: Postwar examples quoted for 18GCF are Proctor IV (RM171 2V-B, Dominie (X7417 2V-D), Oxford (T1194 2V-Z), several Anson variants (LS998 2V-H), Tiger Moth (N6800), Dakota (KN649), Devon (VP974), Pembroke C1 and C(PR)1 (WV736). The 2V code was carried 1945-1949.

Darren: Are you also interested in the Leuchars Station Flight, and if so for which period? Examples range from Avro 504N to Hunter.

Edit: Smiley removed.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Graham Boak

[MADMUSKY]

Duncan: Postwar examples quoted for 18GCF are Proctor IV (RM171 2V- , Dominie (X7417 2V-D), Oxford (T1194 2V-Z), several Anson variants (LS998 2V-H), Tiger Moth (N6800), Dakota (KN649), Devon (VP974), Pembroke C1 and C(PR)1 (WV736). The 2V code was carried 1945-1949.

Darren: Are you also interested in the Leuchars Station Flight, and if so for which period? Examples range from Avro 504N to Hunter.

Graham

With the closure of RAF Leuchars approaching ive decided to model in 48th aircraft based there from 1938 to present, I have most info but some info is hard to find, your info helped a lot, can you tell me if 18 GCF aircraft undersides are standard sky or are they trainer yellow, also can you tell me if the Wellingtons guns were removed for 1510 BATF.

Cheers

Darren

Edited February 11, 2014 by MADMUSKY

[MADMUSKY]

In addition to Grahams post,

“Flying units of the RAF” lists:

3 Armament Practice Camp

Battle K7644

Lysander III T1741

Lysander IIIA W6943

18 Grp Communications flight

Proctor I P6173

Proctor III LZ684 2V-B

When was the 18 Group Comms Flight at Leuchars? My References show it to be at RAF Turnhouse all its life.

18 Group Armament Practice Flight was formed at Leuchars in October 41 with Battle K9184 and a Lysander II It was only in existence about a month before it became 3 APC.

Selwyn

Selwyn

This info helps a lot, would these tugs be yellow/black all over or just underneath and cam upper? now all I have to do is track down Classic Airframes 48th Battle Target Tug now.

Cheers

Darren

[Test Graham]

The tugs would just have the yellow/black undersides. Comms Ansons seem to have had Sky undersides - there is a thread here about ATA Ansons that has a colour photo showing just that.

Leuchars Station Flight had Avro 504N K1801, Gordon I K2727, Hart Trainer K3158, Tutor K3354, Seal K3518 which I presume to be all pre 1938. Then Henley L3325, Oxford N4843, Lysander II,III T1693, Proctor 1,III P6195, Martinet MS849 G, Anson I, C19, T21 K6295, Mentor L4399, Magister L8088, Tiger Moth N6800, Envoy III P5629, Spitfire VII, XVI,XIX TB916, Mosquito III, PR34, TV984, Auster AOP6 VF640, Meteor T7, F8 VZ468, Chipmunk T10 WB647, Vampire T11, XD391, Hunter F4 XF993 DFS.

The combat types will probably have been detached from units on the station.

An additional unit was the Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews University Air Squadron Bulldog XX522 06 and Tutor G-BYUY

[Duncan B]

Graham

With the closure of RAF Leuchars approaching ive decided to model in 48th aircraft based there from 1938 to present, I have most info but some info is hard to find, your info helped a lot, can you tell me if 18 GCF aircraft undersides are standard sky or are they trainer yellow, also can you tell me if the Wellingtons guns were removed for 1510 BATF.

Cheers

Darren

Oh boy, you've got your work cut out there but what a great collection it'll make when complete. I've been slowly working my way through the types and units that have operated at Leuchars since it became a Fighter base in 1950, all in 1/72. Great fun doing the research, even when Leuchars' own records appear to contradict other sources. I think I've got models of all the operational types in the stash now and probably have most decals but will have to be creative for some, i.e the Javelin Squadrons have proven to be problematic.

Sorry for hijacking the thread into another timeframe.

Duncan B

[MADMUSKY]

Thanks folks, that's why i like BM so much someone can answer any questions posted.

Cheers all

Darren

[MuHT]

Further to Graham's post on 11 Feb 2014 could I ask if anyone has, or knows of a photo of Magister L8088?  The aircraft was based at what was then known as Vaagar (Faroes) between 1942 and 1944, and made the first Faroes landplane flight on 1 August 1942.