Croydon Control Tower

NEW AND RECOMMENDED to view an updated and expanded library of superb animated colour virtual Croydon films on Youtube click here

here are two stills for tasters

from Barry Davidson: This a rare photo of a British Nederland Air Services Dakota. This is G-AJZX which took part in the Berlin Airlift.

Ian Walker, the Chair of Trustees of the Historic Croydon Airport Trust has sent in a copy of a memo from 1920 requiring the provision of a control tower at Croydon.

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CRYoa

CRYOaa from Barry Davidson

photos via Ray Draper.

Ian Walker  tells us that post WW1 all civilian aviation in the UK was prohibited with ad hoc approvals for individual international flights and temporary suspension of the prohibition.

All UK restrictions on civil aviation were lifted on 25/8/1919 leading to the launch of regular scheduled services between U.K., France and Belgium. Hounslow Heath was temporarily the London customs aerodrome until 28/3/1920 when operations were relocated to Croydon. Lympne ( on the Kent coast) was the designated diversion aerodrome for the cross-Channel route. .The C.A.T.O. at Hounslow was Major S.T.L.Greer. Major Greer moved to Croydon Airport when Hounslow closed. Croydon became operational on 29/3/1920.

Croydon Aerodrome was two aerodromes merged into one- the former RAF airfield know as Beddington and the National Aircraft Factory No.1 testing airfield known as Waddon (Waddon is a Parish in Croydon). The airport was known under various titles. Hounslow and Croydon both had radio on opening. Croydon had D/F on opening with approved radio position fixing in 1922 (from memory Paris implemented radio position fixing in 1926).

CRYOb and c from one of a set of cigarette cards that you see as a bound volume available here. a day on the airway

Once operations were moved to Croydon in 1920 radio and C.A.T.O operations were located in the Control Tower. The Radio Officers at the opening of Croydon were:- Officer in Charge- Mr. W. A. G. Price Radio Operators- Mr. F.S. Mockford, Mr. L. Luger, Mr. F. S. Close & Mr. C. V. Lane.  Mockford became Officer in Charge in 1923-  C.A.T.O’s- Lt. E. H. “Bill” Lawford, G. J. H. “Jimmy” Jeffs (from 22/2/1922), Commander Deacon, Captain Morkam, Mr. Russell and later H. W. Chattaway.

Ian provided this material on major ATC innovations developed at Croydon relating to the work of the Controllers and Radio Officers at the London Airport- many of which are still in use today. Air Traffic Controllers were originally known as Civil Aviation Traffic Officers (C.A.T.O’s) and were supported by the Radio Officers. CATO’s managed and administered the Air Traffic. Radio Officers held the licences to handle wireless and telegraphic communications. Radio Officers were examined and licensed to Class 3 (U.K. standard). C.A.T.O’s and Radio Officers were initially ex-military having served in WWI. Some had worked on developing air/ ground communications during WWI (e.g. F. S. Mockford). Croydon handled 11,888 radio messages in a 6 month period during 1920.

G39MMF Air Traffic Controllers in the control tower at Croydon Airport are in constant telephonic touch with aeroplanes in flight Date: 1927

CRYOcc Radio Officers not the controller who is outside the “window”? This is a coloured close up of the photo below CRYOd

A few examples of Croydon milestones follow –

1920- The term “Control Tower” is a British term and first used to describe the construction of the world’s first Control Tower at Croydon. This was approved in and recorded in the Air Ministry minutes of 25th February 1920. Before there were ATC Towers there were Radio Offices. The ATC Tower was a specific technical building developed for ATC tasks rather than just radio comms. First installed at Croydon in 1920 (timber) and further developed with the more substantive 1928 development of the Croydon terminal and Tower. Comms transmissions were on 900m, Met transmissions were on 1260m, Route Traffic information (between airports) was on 1380m, The First Croydon Airport equipment was Marconi 100W/ CW/ ICW telephone transmitter with Type 55 Bellini-Tosi D/F.

1920 Met Office opened at Croydon on 28/3/1920.

1922- G.J.H “Jimmy” Jeffs became the first licensed Controller on 22/2/1922 with Air Ministry ATC Certificate No.1 (the licence is on view at the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre). It was issued retrospectively.

1922- Radio position-fixing (originally known as Wireless position-finding). System developed, tested implemented and controlled from Croydon:-

CRY0d Radio Officers manning a later version of the radio and direction finding room.

1923- Croydon Radio Officer Fred Mockford  developed the “Mayday” distress phraseology. The Air Ministry approved the phrase which was published in the first UK Air Pilot issued in 1924. In 1927 Mayday was accepted as the international standard at the Wireless Radiotelegraph Convention held in Washington USA.

CRY0e F S (Stanley) Mockford inventor of the Mayday call  from Tom Singfield The wicker seat was one of several private enterprise seats first made for and sold to allied fighter pilots in the 1914-18 war

1933- Low Visibility Ops and first Controlled Airspace- Known as QBI procedures implemented at Croydon.

Weather reports were a joint agreement between Britain and France (transmissions at 20 past and 10 to the hour) that was later expanded to include Belgium that transmitted at 25 minutes past the hour.

The first major change to regulations occurred after a 1922 mid-air collision. After the accident a meeting was convened at Croydon with French, Belgium and British pilots and Air Ministry Officials with new Air Traffic rules agreed. Rules included keep to the right of a line feature and aircraft with more than 10 seats were to have radios installed. The U.K. operators were quick to adopt the requirement (with a slower pace from European operators).

Britain was very good at documenting, regulating and approving infrastructure and procedures. Unfortunately, there’s not much in electronic form. For example the Air Ministry produced Annual Reports of the Progress of Civil Aviation from 1919 through to the 1950’s. The early reports detail how many radio transmissions were made, how many weather reports were requested, traffic figures etc.

Croydon has a superb museum in the top of the old tower.

Tom Singfield points us at another site Airport of Croydon. (atchistory warning: this site could easily consume a weekend of online browsing)

CRY 1

John Faulkner has sent some photos in the Museum including Jimmy Jeffs’ ATC licence No1

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CRY2a Tom Singfield sent in this example of an engraved/embossed plate giving an early version of the phonetic alphabet. Its not from Croydon but its a great place to post it.

CRY2b Tom also sent in his photo of Jimmy Jeffs ATCO Licence No 1.  Tom also photographed three cartoons on the tower wall.

Steve Balfour has been in contact his Manchester colleague Nick Phythian. Nick has provided a great set of pictures of the Museum. Once again do please visit the Museum its absolutely fascinating. – see link above.

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Tom Singfield sent in an updated link that shows Croydon operations in the 20s including some period ATC footage late in the film. In the 60s this was often shown at the School, later College of ATC at Hurn

CROYDON OPERATIONS AND ATC 1920s

From Brian Davidson an avalanche of period photos, post cards and philatelic covers. This photos that I have no copyright or other attributable data on I’ve published below. There are also two slides shows featuring postcards that are I think the product of extinct publishers. If you know otherwise please use the comment tab above to contact us and they will be taken of line.

CRY3 1920s

CRY4

CRY4a

CRY4b

CRY4c WRIGHTWAYS Ltd. at Croydon

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CRY5a  Imperial Airways HP42 G-AXXC “Heracles” ,  British Airways   Lockheed L-10 Electra G-AEPO

CRY6 removed (Its not Croydon)

CRY6a

CRY7 Dornier D223 but its suggested it may not be Croydon

CRY8

CRY9 Handley Page HP42

CRY9a a Builder plate from HP42 G-AAXC sent in by Grenville Paget who explained how he got it

“My Dad was an engineer with Imps before the war at Croydon.  During the war he was seconded to the Air Transport Auxiliary.  Wearing one of those uniforms he was despatched to Whitchurch where the HP42s had been sent for the duration.  I have a page from the Silver Wing magazine, retired staff journal of BEA, which tells the story of another engineer feeling a strong gust of wind and looking over to Heracles to see my Dad hanging on for dear life as the aircraft was lifted into the air.  As were others.  When the wind stopped down they came and were somewhat broken.  Dad was then involved in breaking up the aircraft and that registration plate came into our hands.

CRY10 1939 G-ACVY

CRY11 1939, G-ADSW, G-ADSY, G-AFDM, G-ACVY

CRY12 1939

CRY13

CRY14 Decca Navigator Company Avro Anson G-AGWE 1950s

CRY15 1950s G-AMYJ

CRY16 originally dated 1957, its now suggested its 1959

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miscellaneous post card and annotated photos slide show

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Pamlin Photos post card slide show includes G-EBLO, G-AAXC, GAGSH, F-ALCS, D-AMHC, F-AOHB, F-AQNP. G-AFDX

below, some of Brian Davidson’s  Croydon philatelic covers. he tells us that the plainest example has the rare “London Airport ” postmark.

Barry says of the one above that “Croydon Airport cover with Airport postmark, very scarce item as Croydon had about 5 different airport postmarks during its life.”

two new photos from Barry Davidson of Croydon in 1928 initially published in the  “London’s Great” magazine

CRY17

CRY18

CRY19 an early photo of a building at Waddon,  one of two airfields that were amalgamated to form Croydon.

CR20  a photo from an 1947 pamphlet on the Ministry of Civil Aviation. the legends says MCA training: a loop aerial being explained to budding radio operators.

CR21 1921, a Handley Page W8B G-EBBH 0f Imperial Airways, named originally Melbourne, later Prince George.

RAF Mildenhall

from John Douglas, transferred from the Wattisham page

The F-4 is a USAAF aircraft wearing the base tail code for Lakenheath. Is it a 48th Fighter Wing aircraft?

and from the Mystery Towers page.

Percival P.28 Proctor I, G-AIWA

RAF Mildenhall MacRobertson Trophy Air Race 1934 de Havilland Comet racers G-ACSP “Black Magic”and G-ACSR . At the end of the line is the Granville Gee Bee R-6 International Super Sportster.

RAF Valley EGOV

three photos via Barry Davidson. Hawk XX232 passes the runway caravan, XX157 passes the current tower and

4FTS Folland Gnat XP516 in front of the previous tower in 1977.

and another shot of a 4FTS Gnat XS106/36

HAWK  ZKO26 over RAF Valley

USAAF operations at the WW2 RAF Valley Ferry Terminal 1943-45. This handled American aircraft arriving from transatlantic flights and on European sorties and in 1945 their return to the USA.

Dunsfold Tower

1952 Dunsfold Control Tower

TD1 this and the next two photos from Barry Davidson

TD2 its been suggested the figure on the right is Neville Duke. One or two photos on line that showed a likeness. A quick search confirmed it is, taken, from published in Picture Post

TD3 I’m guessing this is the lighting panel, in the 1950s?

TD4 obviously the Harrier is the star, but I think the old tower is in the middle of the buildings below, to the left of the long central black hangar.

Paul Robinson tells us that there is a New Dunsfold site including pics of the Control Tower

Dunsfold Tower

TD5 Dunsfold in the 1960s

and now a new collection all received via Barry Davidson

TD6

TD7

TD8

TD9

TD10

TD11

TD12

TD13

TD14

TD15

TD16 HAWK ZA101 MK 50, the BAe demonstrator (?) now preserved at Brooklands.

Stag Lane aerodrome

STAG LANE AERODROME

de Havilland DH84 Dragon G-ACCV “Seafarer” at Stag Lane

Barry Davidson tell us  that Stag lane was used as a private AD 1915-1933. Its location was in Edgware London and was operated by de Havilland. It was used for flying training during WW1 and became the main base for DH in 1920. Former wartime aircraft were sent there for refurbishment. DH moved to Hatfield in 1934, the last flight at Stag Lane was in July 1934.

Did it have a control tower, or any air navigation services do we know?

Stagg Lane aircraft G-EBPR DH.60 Moth, G-EBGT de Havilland DH.9J, G-EBRY DH.60 Moth

RNAS Portland , HMS Osprey

RNAS Portland

Royal Navy Westland S51 Dragonfly at Portland, behind is a Royal Navy S-61 Sea King. The Dragonfly is possibly WESTLAND DRAGONFLY HR1, VX595.

MARINE AIRCRAFT EXPERIMENTAL ESTABLISHMENT

MAEE 1 Short Composite

MAEE 2

MAEE 3 Blackburn B-6 Shark K4295 Felixstowe

MAEE 4 Fairey Flycatcher  N9673  of the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe in 1932

MAEE 5 K3577 Fairey Seal Felixstowe 1935

MAEE 6 P6785 DH-87B Hornet Moth Felixstowe

MAEE 7 my marine aviation guru tells me its a Hawker Dantorp H.B. III. This was a Danish torpedo/ bomber of the 1930s, developed from the Hawker Horsley as the ‘Danecock’, then the ‘Dancock for Denmark. 12 ‘Dantorps’ were built by Denmark under licence. Felixstowe.

MAEE 8 Rohrbach BeRo2 at Felixstowe

EGLF FARNBOROUGH (formerly EGUF)

LF0 Concorde G-AXDN Farnborough 9.74 (Meyrick Powell)

LFOa Peter Hamer was an ATCO cadet sent to Farnborough for the Air Show in 1976. He wonders of anyone can identify the guy above in the red cap (second left)

LF0b The recent pictures of Farnborough reminded me that we were sent there for the air show in August 1976 as cadets, and that I have a picture taken through the tower  during the display. The aircraft on the ground is a YC-15 if I remember correctly. No doubt Farnborough controllers will be able to identify the man in the distinctive red cap. I also enclose the view taken from the tower balcony during the show.

LF0c from Barry Davidson  – if ever one photo says it all ?

LFOca dated 1966

LF0cb WG774 and WG777, SBAC show 1956.

LF0d

LF0e also from Barry, Dunlop Aviation Division Dove G-ALVD

LF0f Dragon Rapide G-AHXW

LF0g DH-110 WG240 possibly 1952

LF0h Bristol Brigand TF.Mk.1, RH742. Test aircraft, Coastal Command

LF0g Vickers Supermarine type 508 dated 1951

LF0ga Short SC1 191

LF0h from Barry,  “Mobile Radar Unit for the 1966 Farnborough Air Show. One of the latest developments in air surveillance radar. This mobile unit will be on display. Known as AR1, the unit is a development of a static version already in use in many parts of the world as the first high definition radar. The movable AR1 has been developed for the RAF for easy transportation. Hope the techies like it.”

LF0i

LF0j https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Satellite

LF0k SR1 Blackbird serial 17972 at Farnborough 1974

LF0l

“During the 1970s and 1980s several of us from RAE Bedford were required to get and maintain validations at Farnborough, so as to increase the ATC staffing for over the Air Show period.

 

In September 1974  Robin Baker, Nigel Green and myself were rostered at Farnborough during the air show, when the SR-71  made it’s record breaking Trans-Atlantic run. 

 

 I managed to get a few photos of it ‘cooling down’ outside the ‘black sheds’  by the old ATC tower”.

 

Dave Waddington

 

https://www.wired.com/2010/09/0901sr-71-blackbird-transatlantic-record/

 

Another Malcolm Hemming input

LFOm Airspeed AS.5A Courier K4047/K at the RAE dated 1935

LF0n Argosy dated 1960

LF0o Fairey Delta one dated 1956

LF0p English Electric Lightning F53 G-AWON dated 1966 or1968 probably

LF0q de Havilland Mosquito T Mk III RR299 (later G-ASKH)

 LF1

LF2

ATC Archaeology – Farnborough N1 Building

controllers in LF1 above are Andy Hay, Mike Baggaley, Ted Winstone, Stan Chapman, (someone hidden), Vic Gibson, Ted Van-Dort, taken circa 1981 just before the new Cossor radar displays were bodge-tilted forward because they were too ‘laid back’, The PAR is out of shot on left (an SLA1).

Terry Clark added

“Cossor ‘Compass 9000’ consoles which ended up at Prestwick Centre when they were replaced by the Plessey Watchman consoles.  We retained the AR1 and S232 radars with the Cossor consoles as they were bought so we could have SSR displayed (Heathrow or Pease Pottage – we couldn’t select which one).  The three closest were for Farnborough and the far two were for Odiham.  

CCTV was for met obs, the Farnborough ob. being done by our own met office and the Odiham one had a vertically mounted CCTV camera at the far end of the room; every time we had heavy rain, water would pour from it! Andy Hay designed the workstations based on a visit to Dunsfold and got the ’tilt’ a bit wrong!

 

Farnborough nearly got the SLA3c PAR from Pershore but after sitting in the tower car park for a couple of weeks, it was re-allocated to Llanbedr.”

 

more pictures now from Tony Mannion

From when he did a couple of detachments therevfor the SBAC in 92 and 94.

 

 LF3

 LF4

 LF5

 LF6

Mark Davenport and ‘Isobel’

 

 LF7

 

 

 

 

 

LF8

Thanks to Andy Amor, Derek Pake, Tony Dann and Malcolm Hemming for sorting out the names on this group photo

This is taken outside RAE Farnborough N1 building (The old ATC tower). The photo was taken in September 1984. It’s a mixture of ATC staff brought in for the Airshow, the one where the De Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo crashed! Some are Farnborough staff, Nigel Green came down from Manchester I think, some are ATCO Cadets. I, as an ATCA was on a secondment from West Drayton, so that’s me, Tony Dann, back row, second from left, Nigel to my right. The chief ATCO was indeed Don Hickson and to his left is Jessie Price. Back row fourth from right is Ken Farthing I think. Tony Dann

Tall fellow in rear row in the middle is John Mayhew – Derek Pake

Back row Dennis Hill (EFSO), Tony Dann, Nigel Green, ?, ?, ?, Ken Farthing (Senior EFSO), Gordon Morehouse, Gerald Larmour (EFSO), ?

Front Row Malcolm Ferguson, Vic Gibson (D/SATCO), Jessica Price (EFSO), Don Hickson, ‘Auntie’ Hilda (Admin), The ‘Mike’ Land Rover driver was an EFSO, Wally Peake (?), Alan Foster (EFSO – Charts Office) – Malcolm Hemming

now from Simon Barry

LF9

Across top L-R
Gareth Parry, Stuart?, Sarah Lee, Dave?, Nicola Cooper, ??, Andy?, Linda Wood, Peter Pennie, Terry Clark
LHS top-bottom
Isobel?, Ian Harvard, Susie Court?, Alister Coffin
RHS top-bottom
Sally Reed, Harry Douglas, Dan Lewis, Dan Pryce
Bottom Row L-R
Colin Wyatt, Jim Scaife, Gerald Lamour, Simon Barry, Adrian Roberts, Neil?, Jonathan Bromley, Neil Turner, Graham Brett

and from Terry Clark trying to fill in some of the gaps in LF9
Top row L to R
Gareth Parry, Stuart Ellis, Sarah Lee, David Thomason, Nicky Cooper, Sarah?(Admin Officer), Andy Foyston, Linda Morrison (didn’t re-marry until after she left Farnborough), Pete Pennie, Terry Clark

LF10 previously posted under Coventry, Barry Davidson’s photo has been relocated after Malcolm Hemming identified the  location about 1952 at the SBAC show – its an AW Apollo G-AIYN

 

LF10a an AW Apollo, fronted by a development Vampire FB5 VV454 fitted with reheat, possibly 1949.

 

 

 

LF10a via Barry

 

 

LF10b Terry Clark says this is Farnborough, SBAC Show c1948. The tower is the third one to be built at Farnborough and is in its Mk1 version; the VCR was re-modelled to its later ‘glasshouse’ Mk 2 form in about ’56 or ’57 and was demolished in 2003; we moved to the present tower (No 4) in late 2002.”

 

 

LF10bb a wide view from the tower (?) of the 1948 show

 

 

LF11 before ATC?   The Astra Torres Airship HMA3 at Farnborough in 1913 Barry Davidson’s photo collection

 

 

LF12 the RAE in about 1945-46? a visual circuit with this lot in the air would have been spectacular. From left to right are (I think) a Junkers 52, a Dornier 335 Pfeil, behind the Pfeil are two types I can’t make out and a V1. To the right a Heinkel 219 Uhu night fighter and two Focke Wulf 190s, one of them long nosed.

 

Our on call Luftwaffe guru, Malcolm V. Lowe, tell us that “Looks like the exhibition of captured German equipment at Farnborough, Oct/Nov 1945. The ‘long nose’ (FW190) is a Ta 152H-1, Werk Nummer 150168, AIR MIN 11. It was a genuine combat veteran from JG 301, and was flown twice by Eric (Winkle) Brown. The Dornier aircraft is a Do 335A-12, Werk Nummer 240112, AM 233. It crashed at Cove killing its pilot, Group Captain Alan Hards, who was CO experimental flying at the time.”

 

Farnborough captured aircraft exhibition

 

and our modelling guru tells that Frog brought out a kit of this very Dorner 335 in 1/72nd scale.

 

Barry Davidson has been in touch with Stephen Turner of Elvetham Publications. His company publishes a booklet entitled 1942 – Farnborough at War by a wartime French test pilot, Maurice Claisse. The booket is about to go out of print and Stephen has very kindly agreed that we can publish the booket on line. Imagine the work involved on Flying Control in supporting this activity

 

1942 Farnborough at war

 

The book has also been on sale the Farnborough Air Sciences Museum.

 

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust and Museum

 

If you haven’t visited the Museum its a great visit, why not pop in and help support the Trust that runs it. The Trust has vary kindly given us permission  to reproduce their Museum Guide which is a great introduction to the work of the Trust too. Have a look then go visit!

 

I’m told (2022) that FAST now has Spitfire, Harrier & Lightning (EE?) simulators. Min age to use is 8yrs.

 

They also have a vast array of donated items for sale.

 

FAST museum guide

 

 

LF13 from Barry Davidson 74 Squadron Lightnings

 

 

the above slide show photos from Dick Gilbert, taken in 2010

 

 

 

LF14 the first 21st century Farnborough tower

LF14a Bizjet city

LF15

LF16

LF17 Westland Wyvern naval turboprop fighter, probably at the airshow and rather improbably loaded with a torpedo and sixteen rockets

LF18 four Avro 707 research aircraft, presumably at the air show

LF 19 An earlier Farnborough tower
This version was a replacement for a wooden watch office near to ‘A’ Shed and was originally a single storey brick building built in ’42 or ’43, but the occupants quickly realised the south easterly view was inadequate so a second storey was added. details from Terry Clark, photo via Barry Davidson

LF20 Harrier ski jump at Farnborough. Terry Clarke tells us that this ski jump was built as a ‘one off’ at Farnborough and used by John Farley, another being built at RAE Bedford for the use of training naval pilots.

Naval (?) Harrier XZ450

LF20a

LF21 BEA Airspeed Ambassador, Britain’s first post war airliner, early 1950s? Terry Clark tells us “this particular Ambassador was demonstrating as a turboprop version and being in BEA colours, was I believe the prototype Napier Eland version, other power plants used were the Proteus, Dart and Tyne.
If you look closely, you’ll find the aircraft shown at LF21 s doing a flying display entirely on one engine, the other being feathered throughout”.

LF22 export model Canberra B 102 for Argentina

LF23 a Tiger Moth honouring its own, or another’s, history, marked up as a Royal Navy wartime Tiger Moth T8191?

Terry Clark tell us the photo was taken at the ‘Moth Rally’ in 1982 whern he and Don Binks opened up the tower on a Sunday to enable 60 odd Moths of various types to arrive and depart, it being to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Geoffrey de Havillands birth.

LF24 HP115 dated 1962

LF25 Princess, Avro 707s and a Vulcan

LF26

LF 27 Thunderbird MISSILE. It entered service in 1959 and equipped 36 and 37 Heavy Air Defence Regiments, Royal Artillery. It was the first British-designed and produced missile

Farnborough ATC Part 2

                   

I’ve started a second Farnborough post because the first post has become rather large and complex. The trigger was a set of photos from Colin Fisher, whose late father, Jack Fisher, worked in Air Traffic Control at RAE Farnborough from 1947 to 1974.

I’ve started with some general Farnborough material from Colin, followed by some more specific material about his father and a miscellany of related items.

2UF1 The original Farnborough watch office (but see comment below)

2UF2 “Interestingly, the view across the airfield shows two control towers”.

2UF3 The second Farnborough tower.

2UF4 The tower well with the military ops room functionality, two plotting tables – local and wide area.

2UF5

2UF6

2UF7

2UF8

2UF9

2UF10

2UF11

2UF12

2UF13

2UF14 For more on the AMES Radars click here. This link is about the Type 13, There are links from that page to data on the Types 14 and 15.

2UF15

2UF16

2UF17

2UF18 is this a predecessor of the D&D triangulation system? There seems to be a light projection of a line between Gloucester and Bedford.

Terry Clark quickly replied “This certainly was a predecessor of Auto Triangulation. Farnborough operated its own VHF ‘fixer’ system from 1948 using manually operated D/F stations at Cove (just north of the airfield), Medstead (Hants), Leckhampton (Gloucester) and later Twinwoods Farm (Bedford). Bearings from these stations were sent to Farnborough where they were projected, via selsyn powered projectors, onto a map of southern England etched onto a ground glass screen thus providing an accurate ‘fix’.”

2UF19 This is a largish file so when downloaded the names are easily read. Some I recognise; Ken Pearson, Len Vass (later SATCO Boscombe Down), John Termehr (was at Pershore in 1968), Ron Gee (later senior Civil ATCO at JATCRU Northern Radar, RAF Lindholme)

Jack Fisher

2UF20 “His favourite place was the runway caravan with Jack Ellison and Geoff Norrish. In the caravan might be Jack Ellison. It might be my Dad.”

2UF21 “My Dad in the Control tower. As a child visiting on air show week, I was always impressed by being allowed to turn on the tap which washed the control tower windows and also the magnificent binoculars. Next to the tower was the ‘Fido’ installation – a dog kennel.”

2UF22

2UF23

2UF24 “My Dad is pictured with the original short wheelbase ‘Mike’ with ‘tropical’ roof. I have no idea why he’s wearing a silly hat and ‘mucking about’.”

2UF25 “Wally Pilbeam in the later version (long wheelbase) of the ATC Land Rover ‘Mike’ (after my Dad’s time). Bird scarer loudspeaker and ‘follow me’ signs in evidence”.

2UF26 “Here’s one of the RAE Homer Stations. My Dad used to be seconded to a Homer Station on (I believe it was) Birdlip Hill just outside Cheltenham. My Dad used to rig me up a bed under the bench where the wheel which turned the DF aerial was situated. Breakfast was always a fry-up. A snared rabbit often made tasty evening meal.

I remember a Hunter pilot calling the Homer for a fix. My Dad said ‘transmit for fix’ The pilot said ‘Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was black as soot, and everywhere that Mary went, his sooty foot he put’. I don’t know why I remember that, but somehow it stuck.”

“I certainly remember the air show in 1952 when John Derry and Tony Richards died in the DH110. I was 9 years old. My Dad was working in the ‘Homer’ station on Observation Hill in the audience area. He let me walk down to the crowd line on my own. When the DH110 broke up over the Cove radio station, I watched the two engines whizz over my head at about 50′. The nose section crashed to the ground about 100 Yards in front of me. Luckily, I didn’t realise that the pilot and the observer were still in the nose section. I guess I thought it was all part of the show. I decided to return to my Dad and witnessed a lot of carnage – which didn’t really register. I also remember the flattened motor bikes and a very neat hole right through an electronic equipment caravan. For about twenty minutes after the crash (what I realise now was foil insulation) it seemed to be snowing. My Dad was extremely relieved when I returned.”

2UF27

2UF28 love the model aircraft hanging from the ceiling in the two pictures above; a P-38, Beaufighter, SR53 and another unidentified.

2UF29

Jack Fisher Miscellany

“I believe that the track which ran between the tower apron and the bottleneck at the beginning of runway 25 was named ‘Fisher Track’ in honour of my Dad.”

2UF30

2UF31 Jack and Iris Fisher at Jack’s retirement ceremony 1974

“My Dad’s retirement card. My Dad’s leaving card was signed by everybody in ATC Farnborough at the time (1974).”

2UF32

2UF33

2UF34 from Barry Davidson as are 35 and 36 below

2UF35

2UF36

2UF37 from Pete le Gros

“This picture is the Farnborough ATC staff, we had one taken at each airshow. I’m sure this was 1978 as I graduated (33) in 1977 and in the photo I’m wearing the course tie – probably the only one I owned at that time!  Probably over half in the picture are no longer with us, but Terry Clark etc will recognise themselves.”

and from Terry Clark……….

Back row L – R
Ken Colvin, Dennis (Chopper) Hill, Les Kemp, Rod Wilde, Ray (The
Colonel)Tanton, Ken Farthing.
Centre row
Haydn Roberts, Terry Clark, Frank Cassidy, Reg Ford, Jack Ellison, Norman Hewitt, Joe Tolley, Pete le Gros, Andy Hay
Front row
Stan Chapman, Allan Foster, Vic Gibson, Cliff Hudson (SATCO), Hilda Willats, Byron Jones, Alan Hayes, Don Binks.

“They were a mixture of ATCOs and assistants, the ATCOs in those days were employed by NATCS (later NATS) and the assistants (Experimental Flying Control Assistants later re-named Experimental Flying Support Officers) by RAE. All the RAE staff were awarded Imperial Service Medals (ISM) when they retired whereas the ATCOs got nothing.

I should add there should be another photo showing the rest of the ATC team who were actually on duty indoors when the first photo was taken, many of these being ‘guest artists’ who were detached to Farnborough just for the airshow; these were from RAE Bedford, RAE West Freugh, the ATCEU and the College of ATC and they should have at least a mention”.

2UF38 Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 BBMF Aircraft in 92 Squadron markings about 1966 ish.

2UF39

2UF40

2UF41

2UF42

2UF 43 Avro Vulcan prototype VX777 possibly at the SBAC show inn 1952.

EGDM Boscombe Down ATC

early photos of the watch room/control tower at Boscombe Down

from Tim Prince. “EGDM in the 70s . John Sweeney on the phone with trainee (?) to his left, to his right EFCAs Gil Patrick and Rick (?) on the binos. Many loudspeakers and desk mics, central runway road crossing lights, Safeland arrestor barriers and RHAGs to manage unlike the equipment the ‘School’ at ‘Hurn we’ Airport trained us to expect!”

A&AEE BOSCOMBE DOWN -1976 ( Tony Mannion and Stuart Dunlop)

Tony Mannion sent in the above from when at Boscombe Down as a cadet (“an interesting ‘training’ post”),

We believe this is Boscombe Down. The white building is a wartime build control tower. Is the brick building to its left a late tower. Any extra info available from you folks?

ATC at Boscombe Down in peacetime after 1945

Traditionally the service was provided by civilian controllers and assistants employed by a variety of civil service departments, including the Ministry of Supply and the Ministry of Technology. It had its own procedures based around military, not civil, procedures and documents. The service was managed by a department known as Flying ATC.

The service was quite separate from the mainstream civil ATC service provided by the National Air Traffic Control Service (NATCS) under the auspices of various ministries including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Board of Trade and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Following the creation of the new Government agency, the Civil Aviation Authority, civil ATC was moved into the CAA and was renamed the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) and responsibility for the provision of ATC at R&D airfields migrated to NATS.

Overtime NATS became subject to commercial competition for its airfield contracts. NATS lost the contract at Boscombe Down to Airwork who provided ATC at neighbouring Middle Wallop. In the event Airwork were unable to honour the contract whilst NATS were not invited to continue. RAF Controllers shadowed NATS in the last days and on July 1992 assumed responsibility for ATC on NATS’ departure.(note: the technique for RAF shadowing civil operations was also carried out at Aldergrove in the event NATS staff couldn’t get onto work during a Loyalist strike in the 1970s. In the event they were not needed.)

Richard Elwell tells us that

“in 1980 a squadron of F111s deployed here from the States. And not long after that a HAS site was built.

One of our controllers at Cranwell was the daughter of a Tory life peer. The peeress served in the WRAF as a controller at Boscombe Down in the fifties

The RAF manned control tower at Boscombe down won the Cossor trophy for 1992, despite their only being on site for less than half the year. It was considered to be a very political award“.

WH640 Canberra B2 at EGDM. York and an MR Mk1 Shackleton in the background

from Terry Clark “It could be XW986, one of three Buccaneers painted yellow/green delivered in 1974 with ‘987 going to Farnborough, ‘988 staying at Holme on Spalding Moor and ‘986 going to West Freugh where it spent most of its time until West Freugh closed in 2001. XW987 remained at Farnborough until Experimental Flying Wing moved to Boscombe Down in 1994; Holme on Spalding Moor closed on Jan 1 1984 so I presume ‘988 was transferred to either Bedford or Boscombe Down at this time”.