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65 squadron meteor F.8


JMSmith

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From Roger Lindsay's 'Cold War Shield', Vol 1: 

 

T - WK827, between Jul 53 and Jul 58. (There's a photo of it in 1953, in silver finish. It's got the fully glazed canopy.)

G - at various times, WA981, WA985, WF703, WK801

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thank you kind sir, i keep looking for Rogers book hoping someone my sell theirs, but i ain't holding my breath , this is the image i am using but just could not make out the last one

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That's one of the photos in the book and if my specs are to be depended on, 'G' is WA981. There's also another one, dated November 1953, where it's in a line up of Meteors at Duxford. It's a bit clearer from that picture that it carried the chevrons on the fuselage which are very hard to make out here.

 

Roger's 'Cold War Shield' trilogy is up there with the very best in aviation history writing. Unfortunately, quality, special interest books like that often seem to be as rare as hen's teeth a year or two after they've been published.

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Roger and I discussed this image at great length and it depicts the squadron aerobatic team - 'The Fabulous Four' - during November 1954 and led By Flt Lt Jack Fryer

 

Four Meteor F.8s of No.65 Squadron, Duxford, Flts J A Fryer, M Gill and D J Lethem, and Fg Off S W Bainbridge.

 

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14 hours ago, JMSmith said:

thank you kind sir, i keep looking for Rogers book hoping someone my sell theirs, but i ain't holding my breath

No harm in being an optimist but aviation lovers will be selling off stashes, children and wives first.  RIP Roger: a worthy legacy.

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I have just found the correspondence I had with Roger about this formation, which is indeed the squadron aerobatic team. The image is a 'Flight' copyright 29567S and the aircraft are WA981/G (Flt Lt Jack Fryer), WK827/T (Flt Lt Mike Gill), WK681/H (Flt Lt Angus Lethem) and WK987/D (Fg Off 'Wally'' Bainbridge). Although not clear from the image the team aircraft featured red rudders '

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I must agree with how good Roger Lindsay's books are. Real labours of love!

 

I bought the third volume recently from his website. After some delay, his son got in touch to inform me that his father had recently died, but sent me the book. I don't know what this means for availability, but as they were privately published by him, I don't imagine these are going to be more easy to get hold off.

 

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I sold Volumes 1 and 2 of Cold War Shield to The Aviation Bookshop a few weeks ago, along with all of my other aircraft tomes.

Both books were in 'Very Good' condition and my Vol 2 was signed by Roger when it arrived from him, an unexpected surprise.

I had bought Vol 1 from the Aviation Bookshop a few years ago, second hand but in very good condition.

It was not cheap then!

However both were well worth the money and invaluable references.

I must say that £20 for Vol 2 is less than I would have expected but it may not have been the copy I sold them.

Then again it is a weighty tome to lug around at Telford...

 

Currently their website is down for rebuild/restoration but as they were selling Vol 2 at Telford it may be worth giving them a call re. Vol 1.

They either still have it or they had a buyer within days of them getting it from me.

 

John

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