Tag: June

Academics, military enthusiasts and interested members of the public are being invited to attend two FREE forthcoming lectures this month focusing on two very different RAF subjects. The lectures form part of the 2017 series of lectures from the Royal Air Force Museum’s Research Programme and will explore the expansion of the Royal Indian Air Force during the Second World War and the RAF strategic thinking during the latter Cold War years.

‘The Expansion of the Royal Indian Air Force in World War II, 1939-46’
Date: 8 June 2017
Time: 6.30pm
Cost: FREE
Location: University of Wolverhampton, MC001, Millennium City Building, Wolverhampton Campus

The first of two lectures is being held on Thursday 8 June at the University of Wolverhampton and is a continuation of the joint partnership between the University’s Department of War Studies and the Royal Air Force Museum. This evening lecture commencing at 6.30pm will examine how the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1933 was a consequence of the colonial Government of India’s policy of handing Indians token military control to forestall popular calls for greater Indian control of the Indian armed forces. The lecture entitled ‘The Expansion of the Royal Indian Air Force in World War II, 1939-46’ will be presented by Aashique Iqbal, a DPhil candidate in History at the University of Oxford.

In this lecture, Aashique will explore how the outbreak of the Second World War led to the reversal of earlier policies and saw the tenfold expansion of the IAF. Though the Indian Air Force would go on to perform well in the war, earning the prefix ‘Royal’ in 1945, the suddenness of wartime expansion had severe consequences. Plagued by a shortage of equipment and personnel the RIAF struggled to expand. Though equipment shortages were eventually overcome by Allied wartime production, personnel shortages remained a problem throughout the war. The RIAF responded to these in a variety of ways including drawing on foreign personnel, lowering recruitment requirements, increasing pay and embarking on the largest recruitment propaganda programme launched by any wing of the Indian military during the Second World War.

The rushed expansion of the RIAF would have two key consequences. First, it would result in the RIAF strikes of 1946. Coming on the heels of the RAF strikes, the Indian National Army trials and the Royal Indian Navy mutiny, the strikes had a destabilising effect on British military control in the subcontinent. More critically it revealed the divide between Indian officers and ranks that had emerged during the war. Further, the process of ‘Indianisation’ or the replacement of foreign personnel with Indians remained incomplete as it became increasingly difficult for the RIAF to tap India’s limited pool of educated labour. This would have significant consequences, not the least of which was independent India’s reliance on British personnel to command the RIAF long after the achievement of formal independence.

‘RAF Strategic Thinking and Doctrinal Vacuum, 1970-1989’
Date: 16 June 2017
Time: 12.30pm
Cost: FREE
Location: RAF Museum Cosford, National Cold War Exhibition Lecture Theatre

On Friday 16 June, Dr Viktoriya Fedorchak, a graduate of the University of Hull (PhD) will be presenting the second 2017 Cold War lunchtime lecture, being held in the lecture theatre at the RAF Museum Cosford at 12.30pm. Entitled ‘RAF Strategic Thinking and Doctrinal Vacuum, 1970-1989’ Dr Viktoriya Fedorchak will look at the development of RAF air power thinking in the late Cold War period.

The Royal Air Force has a long history of using doctrine in its practice. The first RAF doctrine Confidential Document (CD) 22: Operations Manual, Royal Air Force was published in July 1922. This document introduced the concept of strategic bombing and key principles of cooperation with the Army and the Navy. The Air Power (AP) 1300 series followed. The first edition of AP1300 was published in July 1928, followed by a further three editions (1940, 1950, and 1957). However, after 1957, AP1300 was reissued a few times without any substantial changes, thus paving the way to stagnation of strategic thinking and doctrinal vacuum.

Within this lecture, Dr Viktoriya Fedorchak will examine how until 1971, the service was not only without a conceptual framework but also lacked creative and strategic thinking on air power. For the service to get a second life, it required stimulation of intellectual thinking on air power. The starting point was 1977 when the position of the Director of Defence Studies (DDefS) for the RAF was established by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Cameron. The role of this post was ‘to be responsible for reviving and maintaining an interest in the study of present and future uses of air power in its various military applications.’

The first DDefS was then Group Captain Tony Mason. The primary aim of this talk is to look at the reasons why strategic thinking declined in the 1960s, and why the RAF had to establish the position of the DDefS. A connection is made between strategic thinking, the significance of a conceptual component for organisational development and the future of the service. In this talk, institutional scepticism of formalised conceptual framework in the studied time frame is also addressed.

Dr Ross Mahoney, RAF Museum Aviation Historian said:
“In June, as part of the RAF Museum’s Research Programme, we have two fascinating talks looking at different aspects of the RAF’s history. Aashique Iqbal’s talk on the Royal Indian Air Force offers an examination of a much forgotten organisation in British imperial history while Viktoriya Fedorchak’s lecture will highlight some of the challenges faced by the RAF in the late-Cold War period concerning how it thought about the employment of air power. Both talks will be insightful and through our Research Programme, the RAF Museum is pleased to give a platform for emerging and early career scholars to disseminate their research to a wider public audience.”

As spaces are limited to both lectures, organisers advise visitors to book their FREE tickets in advance via the Museum’s website to avoid disappointment www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. Additional information about both lectures and the Museum’s Research Programme is also available online.

Date: 24 June 2017
Time: 1.15pm
Cost: FREE (Register at www.rafmuseum.org/cosford)
Flypast: Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster 2.30pm (weather permitting)

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will once again celebrate the contributions made by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, by hosting an orchestra concert and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster flypast on Saturday 24 June for Armed Forces Day.

The highly decorated Glebe Symphonic Winds Orchestra will be performing for veterans, serving personnel and visitors alike, in a concert lasting 45 minutes. This intimate musical performance will include classical pieces with everything from ‘The White Russian’ by Rob Wiffin, ‘Tchaikovsky Masque’ by Kenneth Hesketh, to ‘The Crown of Roses’ by Piotr Ilyitch and many more.

The concert will take place in the Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition Auditorium with seating for up to 200 guests. Attendance to the concert is free of charge and as places are limited, anyone interested in attending is asked to pre-register now via the Museum’s website in order to guarantee their place.

The annual Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to our heroes past and present, including current serving personnel, service families, veterans and cadets. In addition to performances from one of the UK’s leading orchestras, organisers have lined-up a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster at 2.30pm (weather permitting). This icon of the Second World War will be flying overhead at Cosford and is sure to be popular with visitors young and old.

Abi Betteridge, RAF Museum Cosford Public Events Manager said:
“We are delighted to see that lots of our regular Armed Forces Day visitors have already booked their place for this year’s event and we look forward to hosting them for another special day later this month. We are lucky to have the support of three local cadet squadrons this year who will be on hand to welcome visitors on arrival. With the orchestra concert, Lancaster flypast and craft activities for families, we are sure everyone will have a good time.”

Families can also take part in a free craft activity whereby youngsters can colour in and make their own Armed Forces Day flags ready to show their support as the Lancaster fly’s overhead on the afternoon. All materials will be provided and children get to take their flags home as a memento of their day.

The Museum’s on-site caterers Kudos will be offering all serving personnel and veterans a 20% discount off the lunch menu, on production of ID, which visitors can enjoy in the Refuel Restaurant overlooking the Museum grounds. Concert ticket holders will also receive a 10% discount voucher for the RAF Museum Shop, redeemable on the day.

To guarantee your place at the concert, book your ticket now via the Museum website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. Tickets on the day will be subject to availability. Guests are asked to arrive 10 minutes before the performance starts in order to be seated.

Auf Wiedersehen London, Hallo Cosford!

The most advanced fighter aircraft of the Second World War, the Messerschmitt Me 262, has been transported by road to its new home at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. This particular aircraft, Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a Schwalbe (Swallow) can already be seen by members of the public in its dismantled condition within one of the Museum’s display hangars.

The Me 262 is returning to Cosford after 14 years on display at the RAF Museum London. Prior to the move the aircraft was dismantled by Museum Technicians and Apprentices and arrived safely at Cosford just under a week ago. Over the coming weeks it will be re-assembled and displayed alongside fellow German fighters the Me109, FW190 and the Ju88 night fighter in the ‘War in the Air’ hangar. This fleet of rare Second World War Luftwaffe aircraft is a huge pull for Cosford, which is also home to their rival RAF equivalents.

The Me 262 was the only jet fighter to see air-to-air combat in the Second World War and its appearance was a great shock to the Allies. It was a significantly more advanced design than its British counterparts and many of its aerodynamic secrets were eagerly incorporated in later post-war combat aircraft.

Preliminary design work on what was to become the Me 262 began in 1938. Persistent problems with the turbojets intended for the aircraft delayed the project and the first flight by a Me 262 using jet power alone did not take place until July 1942. In December 1943 Hitler decreed that the Me 262 Schwalbe (Swallow) should only be manufactured as a fighter bomber. Senior Luftwaffe officers believed that the Me262 was more valuable as a fighter, and Hitler’s wishes were initially ignored much to his subsequent fury.

Small numbers of Me 262 fighters and fighter bombers were used operationally by the Luftwaffe from mid-1944. Allied pilots found the Me 262 a formidable opponent and special tactics were adopted to meet the new threat. However, chronic supply shortages meant that few Me 262s saw combat and the true potential of the Me 262 was never realised.

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections at the RAF Museum said:
“The first Messerschmitt Me 262’s entered service in the autumn of 1944, as the first turbojet fighter to do so it heralded a new era in aerial warfare and represented a step change in technology. Today very few original examples survive so we are delighted to present this significant aircraft to our visitors at Cosford. Following the RAF Cosford Air Show on 11 June, the Me 262 will be reassembled so now is a good opportunity to catch a rare glimpse of this famous aircraft in its dismantled state.”

The new arrival isn’t alone….a second aircraft to move up to Cosford from London in recent weeks is the Hawker Hart Trainer, an advanced trainer version of the original Hawker Hart bomber. The Hart was introduced in 1930 and immediately became a great success; its performance exceeding that of contemporary fighters. The basic design was readily adapted for other roles including a fighter variant (the Demon) and an Army Co-operation version (the Audax). Aviation fans can now view the Hart in Hangar 1.

Both new arrivals are in addition to the six aircraft transported to Cosford at the end of 2016/early 2017 which include the Messerschmitt BF109G-2, the de Havilland Tiger Moth II, the Junkers Ju88 and the Gloster Gladiator 1, all four aircraft are now on display. The Wolverhampton built Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.1 will be joining the new line-up in the ‘War in the Air’ hangar soon and will be positioned alongside the Gladiator, whilst the Westland Lysander III will remain in the Conservation Centre and will undergo some minor repair work to its fragile linen skin.

The aircraft moves come as the Museum prepares for the Royal Air Force’s centenary celebrations in 2018 that will see the Museum transform its London site with a series of new permanent exhibitions opening in the summer of 2018. The multi-million pound development programme will see investments in new exhibitions, improved education and volunteering opportunities, and landscaping that will emphasise the site’s importance as a heritage airfield. It will improve the visitor experience, extend the Museum’s reach to new audiences and create a lasting legacy to mark the Centenary.

The enhanced aircraft collection at Cosford will enable the RAF’s story to be more comprehensively represented to Museum audiences in the Midlands. In addition, plans for 2018 will include displays exploring the first 100 years of the RAF, the role it plays today and its future contributions. Making the RAF story available to a global audience there will be a huge investment in the Museum’s online offer.

Aviation fans can keep up to date with the centenary aircraft moves and on-going developments by signing up to the Museum’s free e-Newsletter http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/contact-us/newsletters.aspx

The Museum is open daily from 10am until 5pm and entry is FREE. For further information, please visit the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

A young student from London is nearing the end of a week’s work experience placement at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, working on her Great Grandfather’s aircraft.  Beth Halbard, aged 16 has spent the last few days working alongside the museum’s Technicians and Apprentices, helping to restore the wing box section with seat from the Handley Page Hampden P1344.  This particular section of the aircraft has close family links and was the seat where her Great Grandfather, George Shepherd, sat on the Hampden’s final flight on 4 September 1942.

George Shepherd was a Corporal Engine Fitter on 144 Squadron Royal Air Force and serviced the Hampden currently being restored at the museum.  As a Technician, he rarely had the opportunity to fly in the aircraft he serviced, but the lack of Ground Crew in Russia meant there was a need for each aircraft to carry a technician as fifth crew member. George ended up flying on his aircraft, P1344, which turned out to be the aircraft’s final flight.

Hampden’s were required to provide aerial protection for Arctic Convoy’s and to meet this demand, 16 aircraft from 144 Sqn and 16 from 455 Sqn RAF flew out to Vaenga, northern Russia. After departing from Sumburgh, Shetland Islands on the evening of 4 September 1942, the museum’s Hampden example, with George aboard, suffered with icing problems and diverted slightly north to find lower ground, avoiding the mountains. This action took the aircraft directly above a Luftwaffe base at Petsamo in northern Norway and was subsequently hit by ground fire from anti-aircraft battery, followed by attacks from two Messerschmitt 109 fighters who helped bring it down. 

This air battle resulted in Flight Sergeant Miller and Sergeant’s Robertson and Garrity’s loss of life, and whilst Pilot Officer Perry and George both survived the crash landing; Perry was badly injured.  George covered him in cloth to help keep him warm before going on the run for over 30 hours, eventually being captured.  He spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft V111b and was involved in the long marches, where he walked over 500 miles in 52 days in temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius.  Eventually liberated by the US Army, George returned to the UK and was demobed at RAF Cosford, just a stone’s throw away from the museum where his aircraft now lives. 

Six decades later, Beth visited the RAF Museum Cosford with her parents and Great Grandfather to view the Hampden.  She was studying the Second World War at school and George surprised the whole family when he wrote notes to help with her project, detailing what happened during his flight in the Hampden back in 1942, something he had kept from the family for over 60 years. 

Almost a decade after first viewing the Hampden and with an interest in aviation and engine mechanics, Beth was on the lookout for a hands-on, engineering work placement and the RAF Museum Cosford was her number one choice.  Beth has now spent five days in the museum’s Conservation Centre, temporarily part of the team, helping to restore the aircraft to its former glory.

Beth Halbard said:

“There is a huge respect within the family for my Great Grandfather about everything he went through.  Seeing the aircraft being restored to its former glory and playing even just a small part of that is a huge honour.  My Great Granddad didn’t really speak about his experiences in the RAF, but I remember how emotional he got when he was reunited with his Hampden and it was after this that we could appreciate what he went through.”

 Beth has been put to work in a variety of roles during her placement, including helping with aircraft moves, the removal of aircraft wheels from the Catalina as well as bench work learning how to work with various metals.

RAF Museum Conservation Centre Manager, Darren Priday said:

“I first met Beth aged 9, when she visited the project with George and other family members.  Last year Beth approached me about attending work experience with us as she is interested in completing an aeronautical degree. How could we refuse such a request with her connections to our Hampden. Hopefully after spending time with us she will have a better understanding of the aviation industry; she will always be welcome back.”

The Hampden is one of the museum’s longest running conservation projects, which has progressed considerably over the last year.  As one of only three examples of the type remaining, the significance of this project is huge and is being led by one of the museum’s skilled Aircraft Technicians.  This work includes manufacturing a forward fuselage (above the lower longeron) hand built and where possible, incorporating existing fixtures and fittings from the original cockpit.  Another major component manufactured on site has been the aircraft’s tailplane which now has an operational flying control system (elevator and rudder) and the surfaces have been covered in Irish Linen and sprayed into Bomber Command green/brown camouflage pattern.  The rear fuselage external structure is close to being finished with just a few small tasks to be completed on the bomb bay sidewalls.  Internally, the wooden floor is being fitted; once installed this will allow for further rebuilds to be progressed. 

From 9-14 November visitors will be able to get up close to all of the current conservation projects undertaken by the team at Cosford, which include the Wellington bomber, Dornier Do 17 and the Range Safety Launch.  For more details on the open week, visit www.rafmusuem.org/cosford.