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Sudan in the past, and Wales today


Sandeha Lynch

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When I was a kid in the 1960s I made the occasional Airfix or Revell model. Not that often, I should add, as they were expensive. But there was no particular choice about them, apart from getting hold of the latest, most interesting thing. I have a clear memory of the HMS Hood, Victory and Endeavor sailing ships, and some MTB, but a less clear memory of the aircraft - a Hurricane, a Dakota, and a Junkers JU-52 for certain, but then just any random a/c. 

 

They were fun, but 15+ years back I started scanning some of my dad's wartime negatives. I had them posted on my site, but being a photographer my site grew and there was no more room for them. But just the other year I edited them again and put the folder on Flickr. Lockdown gave me a new reason to spend a little time crafting models, and now I had a purpose in selecting kits - building the ones that my dad had flown in or been involved with in some way.  

 

My dad was a Senior Intelligence office with 47 Squadron from 1939 to the end of 1940. He had been in Sudan for a while before that, and then went on to Greece and Palestine before returning to the UK in 1942. The negatives had sat in their envelopes for years ... 

 

I'm not much of a darkroom printer, but when I eventually put a darkroom together I printed some 8x10 copies of this. 

 

49945322487_386e947e3d_o.jpg
e004 by Sandeha Lynch, on Flickr

 

Just looking at it was inspiring, and I resolved to scan as many as possible and to research the period more closely. Now they are all on Flickr and there are still a few negs I should add when I get around to it - though nothing as dynamic as the shots I've done to date.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandeha/albums/72157714487027898/page1

 

I've built a Blenheim I, a Vickers Vincent, a Vickers Wellesley, a Fiat CR.42, a Hawker Hardy, and am currently working on a Fairey Gordon. Learning as I go along - and after seeing some of the works presented here I believe I will just have to do the Blenheim again to get it more righter !! I built the Blenheim years ago, the others this year.

 

His photographs are a unique collection of snapshots of the place and period. Bit by bit, a number of air historians have helped fill in the details, which has been important, as apart from a hand-written log there a few notes with any of the negatives. He used many different cameras and film types, and I can only assume that any shots he took after he left Africa must have been lost.

 

I sometimes think I should be using my time differently, but lockdown has been long, and building these has been fun.

 

51094493675_89f8a3eff3_o.jpg

IMGP0006a by Sandeha Lynch, on Flickr

 

A Special Hobby Vildebeest kit, but with a sawn-off torpedo to make a long range fuel tank. 🙂

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Welcome!  No, you're definitely not wasting your time, and we really welcome these personal connections to the subject-matter.  Sudan is a tough place to live today, and it can't have been a joy ride then!

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Greetings from Western Canada.

 

I have been through your Dad's Flickr file and I must say, there are some wonderful photos in there.

 

Oh! And welcome to the forum!

 

 

 

 

Chris

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  • 3 months later...

Just spent a good while going through your Flickr album; they are some amazing photos, thanks for sharing. 

 

A warm welcome to the mad house! 

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2 hours ago, clive_t said:

Just spent a good while going through your Flickr album; they are some amazing photos, thanks for sharing. 

 

A warm welcome to the mad house! 

Thanks, Clive. Yes it is all a bit mad here, but the site seems to attract the nicest people. 😁

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On 14/04/2021 at 19:48, Sandeha Lynch said:

Just looking at it was inspiring, and I resolved to scan as many as possible and to research the period more closely. Now they are all on Flickr and there are still a few negs I should add when I get around to it - though nothing as dynamic as the shots I've done to date.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandeha/albums/72157714487027898/page1

 

Hi Sandeha, a belated welcome from me also!

Thoroughly enjoyed looking at your photos on flickr, it is really interesting to see the vintage aircraft in a setting where they were new and normal equipment.

On photo caught my eye as it is of scene I know very well, but far far away from the Sudan or Greece! Whether you know or not, photo a013 (a005 and a006 also look very Norwegian) of the guy on the bike in the city scene, is taken on Karl Johannes Gate in Oslo, Norway.

Modern photo from Wikipedia:

Karl_Johans_gate.jpg

 

Do you have ant more photos to scan? I'd love to see more.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

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32 minutes ago, Viking said:

 

Hi Sandeha, a belated welcome from me also!

Thoroughly enjoyed looking at your photos on flickr, it is really interesting to see the vintage aircraft in a setting where they were new and normal equipment.

On photo caught my eye as it is of scene I know very well, but far far away from the Sudan or Greece! Whether you know or not, photo a013 (a005 and a006 also look very Norwegian) of the guy on the bike in the city scene, is taken on Karl Johannes Gate in Oslo, Norway.

Modern photo from Wikipedia:

Karl_Johans_gate.jpg

 

Do you have ant more photos to scan? I'd love to see more.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

Hi John, yes, if you scroll down a little I have put Karl Johans Gate in the description.

 

I just dug out a pair of postcards from Norway, one of Aandalsnes that my dad had sent in July 1925, and the other from Valdal where I worked for a couple of months in 1977. A mere stone's throw away, but purely by coincidence.

 

"where they were new and normal equipment" yes, that impresses me as well. The Wellesley really was a state-of-the-art aircraft, though only for about one year before it was superseded! So much rapid progress in engineering in those times.

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I’ve just seen this thread and have taken a look at your father’s photos. Wonderful, a glimpse into a bygone era.

They’re all special but I like the one taken out of the window of the engine - quite different from the view you see nowadays!

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