Airframes
Benevolens Magister
As most of you know, back in November of last year, I was asked by Group Captain Dougie Barr, the 46 Sqn RFC & RAF Association Secretary, if it would be possible to borrow my 1/32nd scale model of the Beaufighter, which I built, in the Squadron's markings, back in 2009 for the MTO Group Build.
As this was required for the Squadron's 100th Consecutive Re-Union Dinner, an auspicious event if ever there was one, I decided to donate the model to the Squadron Association and, having been informed that they also needed a Mosquito, Stirling and Meteor in order to complete the 'line-up' of models of every type the Squadron flew, I agreed that I would also build these, and donate them to the Association too.
So, since November last year, I have been virtually 'full time', working all hours of the day and night, trying to battle against numerous delays and problems, building the models to an ever-tightening deadline, in order to deliver them in time for the event, which takes place this Saturday, June 3rd, at the Officer's Mess at RAF Benson, in Oxfordshire.
The final model, the 1/48th scale A.W. Meteor NF.12, was only completed at around 23.30 hrs on Tuesday and this, along with the Beaufighter F.VI, Mosquito NF.XII and Stirling Mk.V, were delivered to Dougie yesterday evening, and I got back home late this afternoon, after a round trip of 340 miles in the 'Tin Tent', tired, but relieved that I was able to complete the models on time, and deliver them safely, without even the slightest damage.
The Squadron is the only squadron in the RFC / RAF, to hold an annual re-union dinner, every year, without fail, for the past 99 years, with this year being the 100th annual event. The first such re-union dinner came about when the then Squadron CO, Major (later Air Marshall Sir Phillip) Babington, having returned to the front after a short spell of leave following the month known as 'Bloody April' in 1917, when life expectancy of an RFC pilot could be measured in days, if not hours, told his chaps that, if any of them survived, they could celebrate at his Bachelor party in London the following year. This they did, on 11th February 1918, the day before Maj. Babington got married.
It was at this 'binge' that it was agreed that the Squadron should meet every year, and the first Re-union took place just five months later, on 15th July 1918.
Since forming as Fighter squadron in April 1916, flying the Nieuport, BE2c, Sopwith Pup and Camel, the Squadron disbanded in December 1919, but re-formed in 1936, with the Gloster Gauntlet II, before re-equipping with Hurricane Mk1s in February 1939, taking these to Norway from May to June 1940, and losing its aircraft on the return, when the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, onto the deck of which the Hurricanes had flown (despite the lack of arrester hooks !), was sunk by German battle cruisers. The Squadron was operational again by the end of June, and moved south from Digby, to Duxford, on 18th August , taking part in the Battle of Britain, and it remained mainly in the south of England after the Battle, until December 1940 to July 1941, when the Hurricane MkIIa and MkIIc were operated by the Squadron, first in the UK, and then, from June 1941, on Malta, before a move to Egypt, where a lack of aircraft saw the ground personnel acting as a maintenance unit, until May 1942, when based at Idku, the Squadron was absorbed as a detachment of 89 Sqn, with Beaufighters, and became a night fighter unit, and also patrolled over coastal shipping and the coast of Egypt, by day and by night.
Intruder missions were then flown, over the Greek islands and the eastern Mediterranean, from August 1943, with some Mosquito NF.XIIs arriving in July 1944, operating until December of that year, when the Squadron returned to the UK, reforming again, in January 1945, as a Transport squadron, operating first the Stirling Mk.V, and then the Dakota C.4 (C-47), the latter being used on the Berlin Airlift, and flown until February 1950, when the Squadron again disbanded.
No. 46 Squadron returned in a night fighter role, when it re-formed again in August 1954, at Odiham, flying the Meteor NF.12 and NF.14, and was then the first squadron in the RAF to equip with the Javelin 'all weather' fighter, which it operated from March 1956 until June 1961, when it once again disbanded.
Re-forming for the last time in December 1966, the Squadron then flew the HS Andover C.1 tactical transport, operating from Abingdon and Thorney Island, where it disbanded for the final time on 31st August 1975, the aircrew being dispersed to other transport units, mainly those operating the C-130 Hercules.
By sheer coincidence, the one and only jump I ever did from an Andover (it was normally Argosy and Hercules), was in Germany, from Fassberg, back in October 1973, and Dougie Barr was the Navigator on the Op !!
Saturday 3rd June sees former squadron members gathering at RAF Benson for the 100th annual re-union dinner, and the oldest member of the Squadron Association attending will be a former Short Stirling pilot, who is now 97 years old !
I've asked Dougie to let me know what this gentleman veteran thinks of my model (!), and Dougie has also promised to send me some photos of the models on display, which I'll post in this thread when I get back from the trip to Holland next week (Karl and I fly out tomorrow, and will be meeting up with Marcel for the Oostwold airshow, and also with Sander, for a tour of the Arnhem battlefields). I'll also post some pics of the rather nice 46 Squadron souvenirs which Dougie gave me, on behalf of the Squadron, as I am unable to attend the dinner due to the Holland trip.
Meanwhile, the four models which I have donated to the Squadron Association are shown below, with the 1/32nd scale Beaufighter being based on the old Revell kit, with full scratch-built interior and all hatches opened up (also scratch-built), and the Mosquito NF.XII being a conversion from the Tamiya 1/48th scale kit, using a resin nose from 'Freightdog Models'.
The Short Stirling Mk.V was converted from the venerable (51 years old !) Airfix 1/72nd scale kit, with a resin conversion set from Magna Models, and the A.W. Meteor NF.12 is a 'semi' conversion, using the Classic Airframes 1/48th scale kit of the NF.11 / NF.13, with only the nose being altered, and the fillets added to the fin.
As the deadline for delivery drew ever closer, and the pressure of work increased ( sometimes 22 hours per day !), the standards started to slip and, if I was going to do these again, without the time restraint, I'm sure I'd make a better job, particularly with the Stirling and the Meteor.
But Dougie Barr was more than delighted with the models, and has assured me that members of the 46 Squadron Association will also be very appreciative, so that's good enough for me !!
As this was required for the Squadron's 100th Consecutive Re-Union Dinner, an auspicious event if ever there was one, I decided to donate the model to the Squadron Association and, having been informed that they also needed a Mosquito, Stirling and Meteor in order to complete the 'line-up' of models of every type the Squadron flew, I agreed that I would also build these, and donate them to the Association too.
So, since November last year, I have been virtually 'full time', working all hours of the day and night, trying to battle against numerous delays and problems, building the models to an ever-tightening deadline, in order to deliver them in time for the event, which takes place this Saturday, June 3rd, at the Officer's Mess at RAF Benson, in Oxfordshire.
The final model, the 1/48th scale A.W. Meteor NF.12, was only completed at around 23.30 hrs on Tuesday and this, along with the Beaufighter F.VI, Mosquito NF.XII and Stirling Mk.V, were delivered to Dougie yesterday evening, and I got back home late this afternoon, after a round trip of 340 miles in the 'Tin Tent', tired, but relieved that I was able to complete the models on time, and deliver them safely, without even the slightest damage.
The Squadron is the only squadron in the RFC / RAF, to hold an annual re-union dinner, every year, without fail, for the past 99 years, with this year being the 100th annual event. The first such re-union dinner came about when the then Squadron CO, Major (later Air Marshall Sir Phillip) Babington, having returned to the front after a short spell of leave following the month known as 'Bloody April' in 1917, when life expectancy of an RFC pilot could be measured in days, if not hours, told his chaps that, if any of them survived, they could celebrate at his Bachelor party in London the following year. This they did, on 11th February 1918, the day before Maj. Babington got married.
It was at this 'binge' that it was agreed that the Squadron should meet every year, and the first Re-union took place just five months later, on 15th July 1918.
Since forming as Fighter squadron in April 1916, flying the Nieuport, BE2c, Sopwith Pup and Camel, the Squadron disbanded in December 1919, but re-formed in 1936, with the Gloster Gauntlet II, before re-equipping with Hurricane Mk1s in February 1939, taking these to Norway from May to June 1940, and losing its aircraft on the return, when the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious, onto the deck of which the Hurricanes had flown (despite the lack of arrester hooks !), was sunk by German battle cruisers. The Squadron was operational again by the end of June, and moved south from Digby, to Duxford, on 18th August , taking part in the Battle of Britain, and it remained mainly in the south of England after the Battle, until December 1940 to July 1941, when the Hurricane MkIIa and MkIIc were operated by the Squadron, first in the UK, and then, from June 1941, on Malta, before a move to Egypt, where a lack of aircraft saw the ground personnel acting as a maintenance unit, until May 1942, when based at Idku, the Squadron was absorbed as a detachment of 89 Sqn, with Beaufighters, and became a night fighter unit, and also patrolled over coastal shipping and the coast of Egypt, by day and by night.
Intruder missions were then flown, over the Greek islands and the eastern Mediterranean, from August 1943, with some Mosquito NF.XIIs arriving in July 1944, operating until December of that year, when the Squadron returned to the UK, reforming again, in January 1945, as a Transport squadron, operating first the Stirling Mk.V, and then the Dakota C.4 (C-47), the latter being used on the Berlin Airlift, and flown until February 1950, when the Squadron again disbanded.
No. 46 Squadron returned in a night fighter role, when it re-formed again in August 1954, at Odiham, flying the Meteor NF.12 and NF.14, and was then the first squadron in the RAF to equip with the Javelin 'all weather' fighter, which it operated from March 1956 until June 1961, when it once again disbanded.
Re-forming for the last time in December 1966, the Squadron then flew the HS Andover C.1 tactical transport, operating from Abingdon and Thorney Island, where it disbanded for the final time on 31st August 1975, the aircrew being dispersed to other transport units, mainly those operating the C-130 Hercules.
By sheer coincidence, the one and only jump I ever did from an Andover (it was normally Argosy and Hercules), was in Germany, from Fassberg, back in October 1973, and Dougie Barr was the Navigator on the Op !!
Saturday 3rd June sees former squadron members gathering at RAF Benson for the 100th annual re-union dinner, and the oldest member of the Squadron Association attending will be a former Short Stirling pilot, who is now 97 years old !
I've asked Dougie to let me know what this gentleman veteran thinks of my model (!), and Dougie has also promised to send me some photos of the models on display, which I'll post in this thread when I get back from the trip to Holland next week (Karl and I fly out tomorrow, and will be meeting up with Marcel for the Oostwold airshow, and also with Sander, for a tour of the Arnhem battlefields). I'll also post some pics of the rather nice 46 Squadron souvenirs which Dougie gave me, on behalf of the Squadron, as I am unable to attend the dinner due to the Holland trip.
Meanwhile, the four models which I have donated to the Squadron Association are shown below, with the 1/32nd scale Beaufighter being based on the old Revell kit, with full scratch-built interior and all hatches opened up (also scratch-built), and the Mosquito NF.XII being a conversion from the Tamiya 1/48th scale kit, using a resin nose from 'Freightdog Models'.
The Short Stirling Mk.V was converted from the venerable (51 years old !) Airfix 1/72nd scale kit, with a resin conversion set from Magna Models, and the A.W. Meteor NF.12 is a 'semi' conversion, using the Classic Airframes 1/48th scale kit of the NF.11 / NF.13, with only the nose being altered, and the fillets added to the fin.
As the deadline for delivery drew ever closer, and the pressure of work increased ( sometimes 22 hours per day !), the standards started to slip and, if I was going to do these again, without the time restraint, I'm sure I'd make a better job, particularly with the Stirling and the Meteor.
But Dougie Barr was more than delighted with the models, and has assured me that members of the 46 Squadron Association will also be very appreciative, so that's good enough for me !!
