Pilot officer penketh hornchurch aerodrome historical trust. Royal air force wyton wyton airfield has been associated with aircraft and flying for close on 100 years. Raf wyton and pathfinder force veterans are honoured bbc. I checked dads log book as i do every time a date is mentioned for a bombing mission and found that dad was indeed on that very same mission when he. Unfortunately my uncles flying log book was missing so the next contact was the national archive tna at kew, london. Pathfinder flying club hangar 2 raf wyton pe28 2ea 01480 452451 ext 8733 general aviation membership secretary and personal data enquiries. Originally established as a royal flying corps station in 1916, the station was renamed raf wyton in 1918 following the formation of the royal air force. Im a finance manager based at raf wyton in cambridgeshire. Enjoy lunch in refuel with views overlooking the airfield. Aug 30, 2014 thus, on the 15 th august 1942, the pathfinder force pff was formed. Later in the month pathfinder hq moved from raf wyton to castle hill house in huntingdon. The cold war cafe in the national cold war exhibition is ideal for morning coffee and a cake. Raf wytons history dates back to april 1916 and it is still in use by the armed services today. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860.
The role of the pathfinder force was to locate the target and lay down fire markers for the mass of bombers following behind them. Contact pathfinder flying club a member of the royal air. Bicknell and baker, who flew together, remembered by their families and by the pathfinder collection of bomber command. Raf wyton news newspapers books scholar jstor april 2012 learn how and when to. A look back at proud history as raf wyton marks 100 years. Cambridgeshire aviation heritage trail alconbury and wyton. Media in category raf wyton the following 64 files are in this category, out of 64 total. Visiting the pathfinder flying club raf wyton youtube. Please provide your rank, name and unit along with a brief statement of your training requirements and previous flying experience. The pathfinder force was formed here and wyton aircraft took part in the last bomber command raid on germany. The pathfinder force was formed at raf wyton and aircraft from the base took part in the last bomber command raid on germany. Dec 29, 20 bicknell and baker, who flew together, remembered by their families and by the pathfinder collection of bomber command. This website commemorates all pathfinder aircrew, but it particularly remembers the thackway crew because.
This change in purpose meant that the photographic facilites were no longer needed. Other residents at raf wyton were 100 sqn with a mixture of canberra types in the targeting role also resident but never officially present were the three nimrod r1s belonging to 51 sqn used in the elint and sigint role. Mar, 2016 raf wyton historical time line looking at the history of raf wyton from 1916 to the present day. The research carried out for the book became the genesis of the archive. By drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving veterans many speaking for the first time and combining these with official records and exclusive access to contemporary documents and exhibits at the pathfinder museum at raf wyton, sean feast looks to answer these questions and more, seeking to put these mens achievements in.
A temporary display for pathfinder sunday an annual event each august for the benefit of the pathfinders and their families generated overwhelming interest, which led to the creation of the museum. Working in dio is a world away from my previous job working with corporate clients. The finance team provides support to service accommodation in the uk and also to overseas read more about this topic. More information about the bases history can be found on wikipedia the recon role of the base wound down in the 1990s and is now used for logistic purposes. Pathfinder aircrew, their friends, their families, and the world they knew. Jan 01, 2008 raf wyton was home to the strategic reconnaissance force after ww2. Pathfinder companion ebook by sean feast rakuten kobo. The crew had briefed and had been duly authorized to complete their sortie with a night double asymmetric two engines at idle landing at wyton. Pathfinder companion by sean feast overdrive rakuten. Raf wyton end of march to midmay 1943 narrowed down the search. How to find us and travel to the raf museum cosford by car, train, bus or bike. A new group, the friends of the pathfinders, has recently been established, not only with the aim of raising funds for both all saints church, offord cluny and the pathfinder museum at raf wyton, but also to raise awareness of the pathfinder history.
Ives, cambridgeshire, england in terms of organisation raf wyton was part of the combined station raf brampton wyton henlow, a merger of wyton with two previously separate bases, raf brampton and raf henlow. Fire by night, the story of one pathfinder crew and black thursday, written by jennie mack gray, the daughter of joe mack, was first published in 2000, with a second edition in 2011, and a third one now in preparation. Ives in cambridgeshire, on sunday th may to collect various pieces of spitfire x4593, which have been kindly donated to our society by the museum. The raf wyton hosted pathfinder march will be held this year on sat 23 rd june 2018. The whole collection comprises several hundred thousand objects ranging in size from aircraft to lapel badges, and spanning more than a century of aviation history. Raf wyton in cambridgeshire is a joint force command station and home to. The pathfinder collection, raf wyton the collection is dedicated to no. Welcome to the collections which underpin the raf museum. Members of the hornchurch aerodrome historical society went to the pathfinder museum at raf wyton near st. The royal air force museum celebrates and commemorates the story of the royal air force. Author, and aviation historian, martyn chorlton has written a gripping account of the raf s pathfinder squadrons, recalling the challenges faced in the smokefilled skies over occupied europe between 19421945. Raf wyton photos, maps, books, memories francis frith.
The event is a long distance endurance event in which walkers, runners and relay teams have to complete 46 miles inside 20 hours. At the outbreak of the war it was based at raf wyton equipped with fairey. The pathfinder collection, raf wyton the pathfinder building at wyton in 2007, one of the many historic buildings on the station we are delighted to be partnered with the pathfinder collection at raf wyton, near huntingdon, cambridgeshire, who have on display some of our best material, in particular the deverill collection. In 1938, 150 acres of open fields on alconbury hill were leased by the air ministry for use as a satellite airfield. Raf wyton hosts the annual pathfinder march, a 46 mile walk which starts and finishes at raf wyton. Local, 20th anniversary flight captain wg cdr w h bonner raf wyton to hatfield then special flight captain gp capt cunningham hatfield to nice to hatfield. We used to attend the 35 squadron reunions at offord every year, and the pathfinder sundays at raf wyton. Captioned no 156 pathfinder squadron, raf wyton, huntingdon. Fl lt colin bell, a pathfinder force veteran, said. Apr 07, 2014 hi, im rob dawson and i was principal project manager for the. The first sortie of ww2 took off from raf wyton as well as the first aircraft of the bomber raids on germany. The operational record book simply stating this aircraft failed to return a rather. Wyton was chosen for the pathfinder forces headquarters.
Originally just being a grass airstrip, but in the 1930s a dramatic change took place at wyton with four new hangars, taxiways and runways being built. Raf wyton has continued to operate a small private flying club pathfinder flying club, from a small grass strip runway within the raf wyton land boundary. Specially adapted valiants, victors and canberras routinely took off from the base, flew over the iron curtain or the current hotspot and took hundreds of aerial pictures. Throughout 1951 and 1952 raf wyton was used as a transit base for american b50 bombers.
The pathfinder collection, raf wyton raf pathfinders archive. Flying into the grass strip at raf wyton in a eurofox 912is. This portal gives you super fast access to local news, events and info around wyton and the cambridgeshire area plus the very best of the internet. By drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving veterans many speaking for the first time and combining these with official records and exclusive access to contemporary documents and exhibits at the pathfinder museum at raf wyton, sean feast looks to answer these questions and more, seeking to put these mens achievements. The collections are run by military personnel as a secondary duty and civilian volunteers, therefore does not have fixed opening times and all visits are by appointment only. Mar 17, 2018 visiting the pathfinder collection at raf wyton march 17, 2018 by raf pathfinders archive the raf are currently completely revamping their whole website and, as part of this, the old pathfinder collection page is no longer accessible. Royal air force wyton or more simply raf wyton is a royal air force station. Visiting the pathfinder collection at raf wyton march 17, 2018 by raf pathfinders archive the raf are currently completely revamping their whole website and, as part of this, the old pathfinder collection page is no longer accessible. The pathfinder companion by feast 2012, hardcover for sale. Buy the pathfinder companion first edition by sean feast isbn. As arranged by forum member 156squadron, and hosted by shack aka chief technician johnny clifford a small group of enthusiasts were given a private viewing earlier today of the the pathfinder museum at raf wyton. Trail 2 lincoln borders newark museum and cranwell.
Assuming, of course, you book the right dates to stay or visit. Raf pathfinders archive pathfinder aircrew, their friends. Our first stop is the former raf warboys, once home to the pathfinders. Air mechanics tropical working dress, royal naval air service. Running log book which includes briefing, targeting, crews and methods of prosecution. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. Raf wyton fulfilled a unique role during the cold war as the home of bomber commands strategic photographic reconnaissance squadron. I am currently writing a chapter on david dushman for my new book, and joe. Logistic supply section and by the raf museum at hendon who use wyton for storage. Raf wyton hosts the annual pathfinder march, a 46mile 74 km walk which starts and finishes at raf wyton. Enter any full uk postcode into the box and all the local news, events and links currently set for raf wyton will relocate for you. See raf museum reference book notes 2 the proceeds of this cover were used to purchase the battle of britain locomotive no 34081 92 squadron which will eventually be placed on permanent exhibition at the raf museum hendon. Certified no 20 of 198 signed john stride backstamped hatfield birthplace of the comet and received at nice airport and mosquito aircraft museum.
Aug 17, 20 the pathfinder force was formed at raf wyton and aircraft from the base took part in the last bomber command raid on germany. As soon as he was 18 he followed his older brothers eric and arthur into the raf. Visiting the pathfinder collection at raf wyton raf. Apr 27, 2016 originally established as a royal flying corps station in 1916, the station was renamed raf wyton in 1918 following the formation of the royal air force. I have all the operational record books for 83 squadron during ww2 and. Alconbury and wyton cambridgeshire aviation heritage trail. Raf wyton was home to the strategic reconnaissance force after ww2. The idea for a pathfinder museum at raf wyton took root in the summer of 1995. The raf pathfinders bombers commands elite squadrons. The captain was flying in the rh seat with an experienced copilot, having intermediate captaincy status, allowing him to sit in the aircrafts lh seat. I have all kinds of things that my father kept, all the pathfinder marker magazines, the reunion of guinea pigs in canada etc. Aug 01, 2012 by drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving veterans many speaking for the first time and combining these with official records and exclusive access to contemporary documents and exhibits at the pathfinder museum at raf wyton, sean feast looks to answer these questions and more, seeking to put these mens achievements in. Royal air force wyton or more simply raf wyton iata. The first sortie of ww2 took off from here, as well as the first aircraft of the bomber raids on germany.
During the second world war, raf station wyton was the main pathfinder airfield. The pathfinders were targetmarking squadrons in raf bomber command during world war ii. A short history of the raf pathfinder force let let let warplanes. The pathfinders were normally the first to receive new blind bombing aids like gee, oboe and the h2s radar the early pathfinder force pff squadrons was expanded to become a. The legendary pathfinder force was created on 15 august 1942 and raf wyton was chosen to be the headquarters as well as one of the flying stations.
On the 3st if january 1944 they went to pathfinder force navigation training. In 1953 the first photographic reconnaissance units prus arrived. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of raf wyton. Jun 08, 2016 flying into the grass strip at raf wyton in a eurofox 912is. The area around wyton has been associated with aviation for over 90 years a period that embraces almost the entire history of aviation. The pathfinder companion by feast 2012, hardcover for. Exmembers of pathfinder force meeting at raf wyton for. He had always kept his interest in the pathfinders alive and was a member of the pathfinder association council. By drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving veterans many speaking for the first time and combining these with official records and exclusive access to contemporary documents and exhibits at the pathfinder museum at raf wyton, i have tried to answer these questions and more, seeking to put these mens achievements in. Although nonoperational, the base is still owned by the raf so getting in is subject to strict security. In fact the first sortie of world war ii was carried out from wyton. Several aviation milestones have been recorded from raf wyton.
The pathfinder collection, raf wyton raf pathfinders. A short history of the raf pathfinder force let let let. Author, and aviation historian, martyn chorlton has written a gripping account of the rafs pathfinder squadrons, recalling the challenges faced in the smokefilled skies over occupied europe between 19421945. We have launched, at our london site, 3 new innovative galleries that explore the first 100 years of the raf, its role today and invite visitors to imagine its future contribution and technology. All raf flying at raf wyton ceased on the 25 march 20. A temporary display for pathfinder sunday an annual event each august for. The station has a proud aeronautical history and, though military flying has now stopped, the pathfinder flying club continues the flying tradition at raf wyton. Plan your visit, see when the raf museum cosford is open. Pathfinder sunday raf wyton 19th august 2012 how do i put into words a weekend that was so memorable in every way and one i will treasure in my heart always, the highlight being pathfinder sunday at raf wyton which we shared with our wonderful guest, dirk. Thus, on the 15 th august 1942, the pathfinder force pff was formed. Specially adapted valiants, victors and canberras routinely took off from the base, flew over the iron curtain. Raf wyton historical time line looking at the history of raf wyton from 1916 to the present day. Raf pathfinders all saints offord cluny with offord darcy.
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