Contents of The Tangmere Logbook, from No. 1 (Autumn 2007) through No. 18 (Summer 2016)
No. 1 (Autumn 2007)
Editorial Reginald Byron
Notes from My Logbook Part 1 of an autobiographical memoir, Royal Air Force Tangmere, 1929-1930 Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway, KCB DFC
Brig. Gen. Robin Olds, USAF, 1922-2007 RAF No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron Commander, Tangmere, 1948-1949 Reginald Byron
Flying Spitfires Lettice Curtis
The Water Meadow An SOE flight that got stuck Sir Robin Hooper, KCMG DSO DFC
From the Director Alan Bower
From the Curator David Coxon
Letters, Notes, and Queries Neville Duke anecdotes, Harry Irving’s supersonic conversion, further advice to American GIs, Sunderland miscellany, the Memorial Meteor, the mystery of the Pagham Harbour Typhoon, and Photo Quiz
No. 2 (Summer 2008)
Notes from My Logbook Part 2 of an autobiographical memoir, Royal Air Force Tangmere, 1929-1930 Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway, KCB DFC
An Acquaintance with “Bud” Day, a Remarkable Man Group Captain David Baron, OBE
The Water Meadow An SOE flight that got stuck, conclusion Sir Robin Hooper, KCMG DSO DFC
Letters, Notes, and Queries 2
The Seletar Sunderland, Gordon Mitchell’s true story, our Tangmere gardeners, the National Service (RAF) Association, Argosy mishap, words of advice to American GIs, how the crew of the “Twentieth Century” dropped in for tea with Miss Cheney, the strange story of the Pagham Harbour Typhoon, and Photo Quiz
No. 3 (Autumn 2008)
Editorial Reginald Byron
Notes from My Logbook Part 3 of an autobiographical memoir, Royal Air Force Tangmere, 1929-1930 Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway, KCB DFC
Most Secret The Air Transport Auxiliary ferries very special Lancasters Lettice Curtis
Swallows, Vampires, and a Black Day at Farnborough The development of the de Havilland jet fighters, the achievement of supersonic speed, and the tragedy at the 1952 Air Display Mike Stanton and Mike Jones
The U. S. Navy Spitfire Squadron The story of the 57-day life of Squadron VCS-7 Ron Jones with Robert J. Adams
The Red Albatross An aerial encounter with von Richthofen in 1917 Air Vice Marshal Stanley Vincent, CB DFC AFC
From the Director A German widow’s wishes are honoured after 68 years Alan Bower
Letters, Notes, and Queries Hands across the Atlantic, Nick Berryman: In Memoriam, The flight sergeant’s bicycle, Adventures of a fighter plotter, The AOC’s inspection, Dan-Air remembered, More on the Argosy mishap, Our eagle- eyed readers spot the Hornet, and Photo Quiz
No. 4 (Summer 2009)
Notes from My Logbook Part 4 of an autobiographical memoir, Royal Air Force Tangmere, 1929-1930 Air Marshal Sir Anthony Selway, KCB DFC
Our Brother’s Lancaster The historical and personal story behind the Museum’s model of Lancaster SR-U David and Colin Burleigh
3
RAF Smash Tank Lair in France A Lancaster makes a dead-stick landing at Tangmere Bob Wingrove
Too Late on Target A crashed Lancaster and a 200-mile walk to Switzerland Raymond Barlow
Letters, Notes, and Queries Bombs and scissors, The Far East by Dakota, Running for the RAF, Up a mountain, Geoffrey Page’s embarrassing prang, and Photo Quiz
No. 5 (Autumn 2009)
Silver Wings Learning to fly under the Arnold Plan Flight Lieutenant Fred Pawsey, DFC
Aerobatics for Beginners As taught to RAF trainee pilots in the USA Riddle Aeronautical Institute
Henry Chaney’s Gun Camera A family connection to one of our 1914-1918 exhibits is explained Martin Buley
Tangmere and Operation Bolero A detachment of Lockheed Lightnings, less one, arrives here in 1942 Reginald Byron
My War Story The extraordinary memoir of a Polish soldier and airman Emil Andrzejewski
Letters, Notes, and Queries BFTS cadets who didn’t make it home, No. 1 Squadron’s pointed markings, Up in a strange-looking aeroplane, More Aden ditchings, Wapitis over Chichester, and Photo Quiz
No. 6 (Summer 2010)
George Bennions, DFC — Fighter Pilot One of “The Few” Brian Bridges
Tangmere, 16 August 1940 The day Tangmere aerodrome was heavily bombed David Coxon
The Portsmouth Blitz The city is defended by Tangmere’s fighter squadrons 4
Graham Spiller
At Tangmere with No. 145 Squadron How Tangmere’s mechanics and riggers kept them flying Eric Marsden
Seventy Years Ago . . . Recollections of life on fighter stations during the Battle of Britain Fred Pawsey, DFC
Photo Quiz A Spitfire and a Hurricane
No. 7 (Autumn 2010)
A Grand Day Out Bailing out of a Lightning, as told to grandchildren during a visit to the Museum Air Commodore Terry Carlton
“Get a picture of it!” The crew of a Coastal Command Catalina encounter a strange submarine Robert Smallman
Apuldram: An Airfield by Chichester Harbour The colourful life of an Advanced Landing Ground David Coxon and Dudley Hooley
Foxtrot Delta One-Three-Seven, Suez 1956 A neophyte goes operational Colin Richardson
Letters, Notes, and Queries An aircraft carrier gets lost; the Brown Job; Accrington, Church and Oswaldtwistle; Hope or Aitken?; Snippets from our archives; and Photo Quiz
No. 8 (Summer 2011)
Tales from Tangmere Tower Animals and aircraft are generally considered not to mix too well, and other observations M. J. Estall
Mosquitoes in Snow: Memories of Tangmere in 1947 Why a Royal flypast didn’t happen Gerald Coombe
Snapshots from my Father’s Albums Tangmere and No. 1 Squadron’s Furies before the war Ian Hodkinson
Letters, Notes, and Queries 5
Wrong-way moon men; The RAF’s secret heroes; Home on the range; More about Japanese submarines; Memorial poem; Operation Rip Tide; Corrections and clarifications; The Beast with Five Fingers; and Photo Quiz
No. 9 (Autumn 2011)
Who Shot Rommel? A letter found in the Museum’s archives provokes new questions Reginald Byron
Tangmere Remembered Waiting for D-Day with No. 412 (RCAF) Squadron Edward L. Prizer
An Airfield by Pagham Harbour: RAF Selsey Typhoons, Spitfires, and an unscheduled visit by a Liberator David Coxon
How the Battle of Britain Was Won Myths, legends, and facts about three famous fighters, Part One Matt Wright
St Andrew’s Churchyard, A Last Resting Place The first in an occasional series on the war graves at Tangmere George Galazka
Letters, Notes, and Queries My life as a plotter; Christmas on Christmas Island; Other uses for Meteor pilots; Vincent meets Olds; The story of a Hurricane; Arthur and Peggy; and Photo Quiz
No. 10 (Summer 2012)
Tangmere and the Dieppe Raid Seventy years ago and seventy miles across the Channel, Tangmere’s squadrons covered Operation Jubilee David Coxon
Some Jottings by Buccaneer Bill Reminiscences of a favourite aeroplane Bill Walker
The Birth of Radar How two boffins and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force saved our country in 1940 Mike Jones
How the Battle of Britain Was Won Myths, legends and facts about three famous fighters, Part Two: Hurricane and Bf109 Matt Wright
Letters, Notes, and Queries 6
More snow on the runway; Adventures in personnel selection; Lady Hill and me; A Sea Vixen conks out; An Aussie and his flying machine; and Britannia dips her toes in the sea
No. 11 (Autumn 2012)
What Became of the Gallant Dr Willey? Caught in the fall of Singapore, he cared for his fellow PoWs Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork
The Wright Flyer in France, 1909 Rare photographs of an historic event that led to Blériot’s famous feat Mike Jones
Butcher Birds over Worthing Two little-known tip-and-run Luftwaffe attacks on the town in 1943 Tony Gardiner
The Origins of the Second Wave of Remarkable Second World War Fighters Part One: The Hawker Typhoon-Tempest and the Focke-Wulf 190 Matt Wright
St Andrew’s Churchyard, a Last Resting Place Part 2 of an occasional series George Galazka
No. 12 (Summer 2013)
The Central Fighter Establishment at Tangmere Preparations are made for the invasion of Japan in 1945 Reginald Byron
The Origins of the Second Wave of Remarkable Second World War Fighters Part Two: The North American Mustang Matt Wright
Karel Kuttelwascher, My Uncle A personal memoir Mimi Kuttelwascher Chanova
Letters, Notes, and Queries A schoolboy is buzzed by the Luftwaffe, Champagne cascade, and the other Flying Fortress
No. 13 (Autumn 2013)
The Record-breakers of 1953 Four World Air Speed Records are set in a remarkably busy year David Coxon 7
Neville Duke as I Remember Him An acquaintance with our late President David Baron
Adventures of an RAF Cinema Projectionist Chance encounters with Astra cinemas at home and abroad, and one with Ava Gardner Phil Dansie
Pictures from My Father’s Album . . . of some interesting historical moments Stan Hayter
Operation Beef How to provoke official displeasure by pranging yet another pampered Vampire Eric Mold
From Our Archives . . . Three famous photographs the pilots of “A” flight, 161 Squadron, in 1943
Letters, Notes, and Queries Seafires on D-Day; More Vampire engine troubles; and Is it an Me210A or Me410?
No. 14 (Summer 2014)
. . . from Charles Dixon’s Diary A personal record of life on the Western Front in 1917-18 David Coxon
Jet Fighters of the Second World War, Part 1 Meteors, Me262s, Shooting Stars, and their precursors Matt Wright
The Swift Souvenir Book Photographs of the successful air speed record attempt in Libya, 1953 Courtesy of Les Cobbett
Tangmere and Operation Neptune The air cover plan for D-Day, and Tangmere’s part in it Andrew Smith
Letters, Notes, and Queries The Hunter that wouldn’t land, and Over the Andes
No. 15 (Autumn 2015)
The Wrong Side of the Channel How my Spitfire was shot down, and how I got back home, Part 1 James Atterby McCairns
8
Getting My Feet Wet Wading ashore on a Normandy beach in the wake of the invasion Molly Keen
Jet Fighters of the Second World War Part 2: Gloster Meteor and Lockheed Shooting Star Matt Wright
Letters, Notes, and Queries A visit with Tim Elkington; A query about air raid sirens; and witnessing Tangmere’s last days of operational flying
No. 16 (Summer 2015)
Wet Day at Tangmere My initiation into the curious ways of the RAF Robin Olds
Operation Exodus In which hundreds of Lancasters landed at Tangmere and Ford in May 1945 Reginald Byron
Beaverbrook’s American Merlins The story behind the famous Packard V-1650 George Galazka
Third Time Lucky Part Two of an account of my escape from captivity James Atterby McCairns
Letters, Notes, and Queries The officer proximity detector; A meeting with a living legend; Firefly makes an impromptu landing; and Photo Quiz
No. 17 (Autumn 2015)
Getting Used to It And trying to keep up with the other chaps Robin Olds
Making Tracks Part Three of an account of my escape from captivity James Atterby McCairns
MiG Alley Jet fighters meet in combat for the first time Matt Wright
Letters, Notes, and Queries Korea: the RAF’s presence; answer to our last Photo Quiz; and a new brain teaser 9
No. 18 (Summer 2016)
All for a Caterpillar I survived a mid-air collision over Germany Ray D. Stebbings
A Pilot’s Wife’s Tale Waiting at home for news of Ray Effie M. Stebbings
Danish Spitfires at War The Danish pilots who few with the RAF, and their aircraft Mikkel Plannthin
Donavon Smith Tangmere’s second USAF squadron commander Reginald Byron
Jets over the Atlantic The story of a historic event in 1948
Letters, Notes, and Queries Life at Tangmere, 1954-55; and The Fastest Woman on Earth