Museum of Berkshire Aviation Newsletter Dec 2001
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fitted on the box frame that they school holidays so we are very constructed and the rest of the thankful to Bob Sale and fuselage frames are complete. Richard Giles for their sterling efforts. We have finally managed to get a chance to start on the painting on the Gannet and it TREASURER’S SCRIBBLES looks as if we managed to get the colours right. The Day-Glo By Rob Wood is a devil to match but we got it mixed at our Dulux supplier with Those of you who were December the aid of a very comprehensive present at the Museum’s AGM paint choice. You may also will know that the annual notice that the rear cockpit accounts for the year ended th 2001 canopy is now fitted and we 30 November 2000 are now decided to take the guards off available. Financially, it was not the other ones as we think the a good year for the Museum, Welcome to our latest aeroplane looks much more the with a loss being recorded. This Newsletter. Once again, we part now that they are all fitted. was due to a number of factors, hope you enjoy the articles. including the installation of the The Student has been a little new alarm system, and also the slow of late because the guys fact that it was the first full year ENGINEERING UPDATE that usually work on it have had of the Museum having to pay its a number of different problems, rent without the assistance of a By Geoff Etridge two with their health and I and donation as in previous years. all the other guys wish them In addition to this, it was I must first congratulate all well, But I am glad to say that decided to write down some of the Wednesday group for we now have Frank Jeal back the shop stock, which was getting the 3rd prize at the on board, his wife has been ill proving difficult to sell, to the Woodley Carnival, and for their but he informs us that she is tune of £2,000. This is superb effort to in getting the making a good recovery, which essentially a bookkeeping Mini-link trainer fuselage built in is very good news. exercise, and will probably time for the show. The enhance the shop’s profits over dedication and the next few time that went into years, as and this project has to when the stock be seen to be in question is believed. The sold. Ironically, chaps are now Margaret has well on the way to already made sorting out the some progress drive assembly on this issue! and actuators for Please let me the motion phase. know if you The wings are would like a about to be copy of the started and Accounts. should not be so complex as the So what have fuselage we learned from hopefully. The rest of the chaps have this? Clearly we need to raise further funds by way of As you will have noticed the done a super job of the gardening and grass, and as donations from the Business Martinet is making very good Community. This is an area progress, thanks to Ian long as we can keep on top of all the rest of the various tasks where John Kite has been an Simmons and the guys who are inspiration with the funds he assisting him. The tail fin that crop up on a regular basis, we will survive. Wednesdays has raised towards the Mini assembly is complete and they Link project; his expertise will have now got the stern post have been very busy during the December 2001 / Page 1 prove invaluable. who had come from the A & ROYAL AIR FORCE UNITS AEE Martlesham Heath, where As we near the end of the he had been a fully qualified OPERATED BY PHILLIPS & current financial year, I am RAF test pilot. An emergency POWIS AIRCRAFT pleased to say that this year landing ground at Sheffield LTD/MILES AIRCRAFT LTD has proved to be much better, Farm, Theale was used almost mainly thanks to Margaret’s By Peter Amos from the commencement of efforts with the shop. I am operations and by May 1937 confident that the Museum and A number of RAF units were the school’s fleet had increased Shop will breakeven, which is a based at Woodley at various to 14 civil registered Hawk huge step forward. Thanks times and Phillips & Powis Trainer Mk.II’s, 7 civil Tiger Margaret, what would we do Aircraft Ltd, later Miles Aircraft Moths, 4 RAF Magisters, 2 without you. Ltd, were contracted by the Hawker Hart Trainers, 2 Ministry to operate their Hawker Hart bombers and 2 One of the issues I am technical services. The first of Hawker Audax army co- dealing with at the moment is these was the Reserve Training operation aircraft. The school establishing a Gift Aid scheme School, which was formed by became No.8 Elementary & to replace the previous system Phillips & Powis Aircraft Ltd on Reserve Flying Training School of covenants, which was far too 25th November 1935. Following in mid 1938 and the fleet was cumbersome and never worked increased by the for the Museum. It addition of 1 appears that once Hart Trainer, 4 set up, the new Hart bombers system is much and 2 Hawker easier to Hinds. On 3rd administer and we September should receive a 1939, the school significant cash dropped the boost from this. I ‘Reserve’ from hope to have this its title to operational in the became No.8 early part of next Elementary year – details to Flying Training follow. School and the fleet was further The extension enlarged by the to the Museum the expansion of the RAF which addition of 3 Fairey Battles and site is moving closer, with a had commenced in 1934, it was 2 Avro Anson Mk.I’s. On 25th legal agreement to be signed felt that the five existing full-time January 1941, due to the shortly. In addition, we have elementary flying training increasing demand for pilots, asked our Landlords, schools would not be able to No.8 EFTS was upgraded to a Wokingham District Council, to cope with the extra pilots 'B' type establishment, which consider a number of other needed and the Air Ministry also meant that the existing changes to the lease of the site, therefore awarded contracts to facilities at Theale had also to which should make it more selected civilian companies be improved. On the 3rd acceptable to the Lotteries already experienced in flying February 1941, a second 'Relief Commission in the event that training to undertake the task. Landing Ground' was opened, we applied for a grant. I will at Upper Culham Farm on keep you posted as matters i) The Reserve Training Crazies Hill, near Henley-on- progress. School, which was operated by Thames. This was also known Phillips & Powis Aircraft Ltd, as Henley RLG and consisted Enough waffle from me, was officially opened on 25th of just a large field with some although I hope some of the November 1935 with a fleet of temporary huts. A new ELG above has been informative. If 13 civil Hawk Trainer Mk.II’s was brought into use at anyone has any questions or and 8 civil Tiger Moths and was Waltham St. Lawrence, near suggestions, I am all ears! under the command of the Maidenhead about September Chief Flying Instructor, New 1941 when the use of Theale Zealand born F/L James F Moir, was lost, following the formation December 2001 / Page 2 by Phillips & Powis of a new unexpectedly announced the Germans invaded the EFTS there. No.8 EFTS closure of 7 of the 21 Reserve Netherlands in 1940 and had disbanded at Woodley on 15th Flying Schools in February been completed by Fokker at October 1942. 1953 and after almost 18 years the request of the of continuous training of pilots Reichsluftfahrtministerium ii) Phillips & Powis Aircraft for the RAF, 'an unfamiliar (RLM) for use as advanced Ltd secured the contract to silence descended on the trainers for the Luftwaffe. Work operate a new and separate locality'. had proceeded slowly due to elementary flying training the uncooperative attitude of school at Theale, No.26 EFTS, vi) RAF Flying Training the Dutch personnel and almost which was formed at Theale on Command Communications a year was to elapse before the 14th August 1941 with some 36 Flight. This unit was formed at last aircraft was to be loaded Tiger Moths and No 8 EFTS Woodley on 27th May 1940, aboard a barge for ferrying to assisted with the formation of soon after the H.Q. of RAFFTC Schipol for re-erection and flight the new school. No.26 EFTS arrived from Bruntingsdale Hall, test. disbanded at Theale on 9th July near Market Drayton, 1945. Shropshire to a new RAF camp Fokker engineering test pilot in the grounds of Shinfield Park, Hidde Leegstra and Ir Piet J.C. iii) No.10 Flying Instructors two miles south-east of Reading Vos, in charge of domestic School (Elementary) was and it stayed at Woodley until sales began planning the hijack formed at Woodley on 22nd the closure of the RFS on 31st of an aircraft in which to fly to July 1942. This unit was tasked March 1953. It then moved to England and eventually they with the training of selected White Waltham and became concluded that their best pilots as flying instructors absorbed into the Home chance of escaping was in one mostly on obsolete Tiger Moths, Command Communications of the last two G 1’s which were with just ten Magisters and Squadron.