Variety at Aboukir

[BorderWarrior]

Apart from the Blenheim I'm not sure what the others are, but I have no doubt they will all be identified very quickly!

The mail plane had just arrived and is taxi-ing past the Hurricane. the seaplane and the smaller bi-plane obviously had their uses but what?

Cheers,
Steve

 

[BorderWarrior]

Right, having thought about it, would I be right in saying the smaller biplane is a Gloster Gladiator?

 

[Airframes]

The sea plane is a Supermarine Walrus, used for Air-Sea Rescue duties, the 'mailplane' appears to be a Hart, possibly a Fury, the other biplane is a Gladiator, a front-line fighter still at the time, and last a Blenheim MkIV.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I knew you would be the one T, no flies on you mate and I also thought the first one was a Walrus.

 

[BorderWarrior]

The sea plane is a Supermarine Walrus, used for Air-Sea Rescue duties, the 'mailplane' appears to be a Hart, possibly a Fury, the other biplane is a Gladiator, a front-line fighter still at the time, and last a Blenheim MkIV.

Cheers for that, yep Walrus, now I remember!8)

 

[Airframes]

You're welcome mate.

 

[imalko]

Beet me to it Terry. I was thinking the same and wasn't sure about the Walrus only. The biplane on the second piture is no doubt of Hawker family - Hart or Fury, etc.
What was the difference between Hart and Fury anyway. There were other Hawker biplane models of same basic design...?

 

[Airframes]

The Hart was a two seat fighter/bomber, the Fury a single seat fighter. The Demon was in the same 2 seat category, a development of the Hart.

 

[timshatz]

IMHO, all the airplanes had many uses, as long as the other guys didn't have any airplanes at all. A lot of the Empire policing was done or supported by Airplanes. No need to use new stuff doing this, you could do it with a Sopwith Camel if you were dealing with tribesman. But that would might not be the exact point presented in the pictures.

Seems those shots were in the dessert, pre-1940. My guess is they were less used for operations and were just second line aircraft sent to Africa where they were more useful than in England.

 

[Airframes]

I believe they are from 1940 to early 1942, although Steve will be able to confirm this. The Gladiator, for example, was still in use in 1941 in the Western Desert, and the Blenheim there and in Europe until late 1942. The Walrus served throughout WW2. Other obsolete types, like the Hart/Fury and transports such as the Bombay, also served as communications aircraft for many years.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[BorderWarrior]

I believe they are from 1940 to early 1942, although Steve will be able to confirm this. The Gladiator, for example, was still in use in 1941 in the Western Desert, and the Blenheim there and in Europe until late 1942. The Walrus served throughout WW2. Other obsolete types, like the Hart/Fury and transports such as the Bombay, also served as communications aircraft for many years.

IMHO, all the airplanes had many uses, as long as the other guys didn't have any airplanes at all. A lot of the Empire policing was done or supported by Airplanes. No need to use new stuff doing this, you could do it with a Sopwith Camel if you were dealing with tribesman. But that would might not be the exact point presented in the pictures.

Seems those shots were in the dessert, pre-1940. My guess is they were less used for operations and were just second line aircraft sent to Africa where they were more useful than in England.

The shots are all taken from 41 onwards, joining in 1938, he was posted there after being based in England from the start of the war and through the Battle of Britain. He remained in the desert until 1945 and was de-mobbed in 1946 and then worked another 35 years for the Royal Navy at various locations, the majority being at R.N.A.W Almondbank,Perth, where he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal for Meritorious Service.

At the end of the war he was offered a commission as an Engineering Officer with the New Zealand Air Force, but had to decline as his wife's mother didn't want her to emigrate! So I was close to being a Kiwi! Ha ha!

 

[Njaco]

Got them all except the Walrus - thought its was a CantZ .501 at first!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BorderWarrior]

Great pics! Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome. my pleasure.