Defford Airfield Heritage Group
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CONTACT ! The Newsletter of the former RAF Defford Reunion Association, now merged with the DEFFORD AIRFIELD HERITAGE GROUP in partnership with THE NATIONAL TRUST, CROOME http://deffordairfieldheritagegroup.wordpress.com Editor Mike Mullins - email [email protected] Number 135, May / June 2020 Canberra Spotlight see pages 2 to 6 Michael Barnard We look at the work of research Canberra WT333 (above) at It’s sad to report the death of Michael Barnard. Pershore. We also look at nuclear fallout gathering tests in the Prolific Defford wartime artist Pacific. Harry Badger recalls his work on the Canberra at – see pages 9 and 10 Defford, involving emergency “two wheel” landings. The Canberra first flew in 1949 and after a long career was withdrawn from RAF service in 2006, but three are still flying, doing vital space research in the U S A For NASA. (below). Mary Berners-Lee Wartime TRE Malvern Mathematician, pioneering computer scientist and women’s rights activist. See pages 7 and 8 Photo with her husband Conway in 1954. Inset photo of their son, Tim Berners-Lee who invented the World Wide Web X-Plane 11 Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra 1.0 Canberra Spotlight 1– Canberra WT333 part 1 Canberra WT333 holds a special place in DAHG, as it is owned by members Stephen Reglar, Roger Wintle, Clive Davies, and Tony Waller. The aircraft is kept at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire. Although it doesn’t have a permit to fly, it can perform taxiing runs, so many of its systems have to be kept in good working order (engines, brakes, hydraulics, electrics, fuel, controls etc.) This is only made possible by the work of dedicated enthusiasts and financial donations. The aircraft has a long and varied 64-year history, which we would like to publish, however it is beyond the scope of just one Contact newsletter, so Stephen Reglar has kindly written a brief overview (below) and we will return to the story of Canberra WT333 in subsequent newsletters. In the meantime Stephen would be pleased to hear from you if you require more details about the aircraft. Stephen’s Email is [email protected] Canberra WT333 was built by English Electric at Samlesbury, Lancs as part of a batch of 30 Canberra B(I)8s. She first flew on 30th January 1956 in the hands of Desmond de Villiers, and was ready for collection by the RAF on 21st March 1956 but, two days later, she was transferred to the Controller Aircraft of the Ministry of Supply and the same day, delivered to Marshalls of Cambridge for various trial installations for RAE Farnborough. Subsequently delivered to Farnborough she was involved in Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) development. She was then further modified and used by A&AEE at Boscombe Down for rocket firing trials. After further trials she was flown out to the Weapons Research Establishment at Woomera, Australia in May 1966 where she was given an overall white colour scheme. Returning to the UK on 21st July 1969 she was assigned to the Royal Radar Establishment at Pershore, Worcs for further trials. After a period of storage she was fitted by RRE engineers with the cockpit of a Canberra B.2 WK135 as well as having a long nose grafted on to that. Moving to RAE Bedford in 1977 she was painted in her raspberry ripple colour scheme at RAF Kemble later that year and continued on trials work until retired in May 1993. She was purchased privately and on 9th January 1995 was registered as G-BVXC. Treble Three made her last flight from Farnborough to Bruntingthorpe on 28th January 1995. With her engines removed she became a source of spares for, initially XH568 and then WK163. In July 1997 Roger Wintle and Arthur Perks purchase the airframe the airframe from Classic Aviation Projects with the intention of preserving her at Bruntingthorpe. A pair of Rolls Royce Avon 109 engines was subsequently purchased and installed into the aircraft to return her to a taxiable condition, a popular feature of the regular open days that take place at Bruntingthorpe. Arthur Perks’ place on the team had been replaced by three more enthusiasts; the aim is to keep Treble Three in taxiable condition and demonstrate her as a tribute to all the Canberras and crews that provided such sterling service to the RAF and other air arms worldwide. Page 2 See also Facebook www.facebook.com/CanberraWT333 Canberra Spotlight 2 - Nuclear fall-out gathering in the Pacific in Canberras The first British atomic tests conducted on the Australian mainland were code named Totem 1 and Totem 2 (in October 1953). It was decided that a Canberra aircraft should fly through the atomic cloud as soon as possible after the explosion to assess the aircraft’s behaviour under such conditions and to gain information on types and levels of contamination. It was called "Operation Hot Box". For the very first time a manned aircraft would fly through the atomic bomb mushroom cloud only 6.5 minutes after explosion, gathering radiation samples. G eoffrey Dhenin (left) and crew before their flight in Canberra WH738, to gather samples after the 1953 Totem 1 test Canberra WH738 was commanded by RAF pilot Geoffrey Dhenin, who flew the plane at 30,000 feet above the Australian desert north of Woomera, for the Totem 1 test—after testing the level of radioactivity with sensors mounted on the wing, Dhenin made an initial pass through the mushroom cloud, followed by two more: one through the base and one through the top. This was hazardous work. The Canberra suffered severe buffeting. On return to base, the aircraft was tested and found to be contaminated with radioactivity. Despite shielding on the aircraft, Dhenin and the two other crew members received high doses of gamma radiation, which equated to their yearly limit. Subsequent tests were carried out by different crews. However many more tests were carried out in Canberras, by Geoffrey Dhenin throughout the 50’s at Woomera. For this and other work he was promoted and later he became Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Dhenin. He died aged 93 Britain’s most powerful Hydrogen Bomb Grapple Y was dropped on Christmas Island in the Pacific, on the 28th April 1958. On the day of the test, Squadron Leader Robert ‘Bob’ Bates piloted the Valiant bomber XD825 (left) carrying the hydrogen bomb. Five Canberra aircraft of 76 Squadron were also deployed: three planes circled the proposed drop zone while two others were sent downwind to track the mushroom cloud and collect samples. Flight Lieutenant Eric Denson (above) captained Canberra WH980 and flew though the dispersing mushroom cloud of Grapple Y, 49 minutes after the detonation. Because of a fault on one of the dosimeters, Denson was ordered to keep the plane inside the cloud for six minutes; four minutes longer than the aircraft should have been inside. His logbook showed he was in the air for 1 hour 55 minutes. Denson and his crew were subject to very high levels of radiation. He said later that he had almost lost control as the plane went into the mushroom cloud. They were tossed about by the most incredible forces. Page 3 Nuclear fall-out gathering in the Pacific by Canberras continued….. Denson and his crew are estimated to each have collected 13,000 rads (the equivalent of 6,500 full body X-rays). After making several passes through the mushroom cloud, Denson’s plane returned to the airstrip, but, when it landed and taxied to a halt at the far end of the runway near to the contamination pits, the Canberra “sent every radiation counter crazy”. Flight Lieutenant Eric Denson suffered severe radiation sickness. Although he flew Canberras again, his health never really recovered. He died 18 years later aged 44. Technically the Grapple Y nuclear test was a success for Britain. It proved to be Britain’s largest nuclear explosion ever, with an output of 3MT, but it came at a high cost in terms of the health of the aircrew and the ground crew and sea-based service personnel involved. The Canberra aircraft and crew did all they were asked and much more besides. They flew in, dangerous, extreme and unknown conditions to bring back vital data. The article was based on extracts from the book “Grappling with the bomb” by Nic Maclellan. If you would like to read more from the book then open up this link http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n2626/pdf/ch11.pdf Alternatively if you require a paper copy, then please phone me, Mike Mullins on 01905 421740 and I will post more of the article to you. High Altitude Canberra As nuclear bomb yields increased so did the height of the mushroom clouds. In order to reach these new heights a Napier Double Scorpion rocket engine was fitted in the bomb bay of newly-built Canberra B2 WK163, and on the 28th August 1957. It attained a height of 70,310 feet, a new world altitude record. Note - WK163 went to Pershore (and later Bedford) for radar trials once its rocket motor days were over. The Aluminium alloy skinning on the underside of the rear fuselage had been replaced with stainless steel to resist the heat of the rocket motor exhaust. Another Canberra WT207 which was undertaking high altitude trials in 1958 crashed in Derbyshire after the rocket motor caught fire and blew up. It was piloted by Flt Lt Peter de Salis, who was from RRE Pershore but on detached duty at the time. Both he and the navigator ejected and survived, after a nine mile drop.