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Wessexhelo.JPG


Steamy

I found this on one of my PCs. It's not my photo and I can't give credit to whoever it belongs to. But it is a cracker from the old days...

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Rescue Helicopters/Aircraft

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No, but I was crew on Littlestone ILB for a time, that may even be me up for'ad. We did an exercise with Whirlwind helicopters from RAF Thorney Island before Bristows took on the contract after the Varne wrecks.

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Aguila Wren

Posted (edited)

Sorry but this certainly isn't Dungeness, which had the 42ft Watson (Beach) class ON.937 "Mabel E. Holland" from 1957 to 1978 when it was replaced by a Rother, the "Alice Upjohn". The photo shows not a 42ft Watson but one of the earlier class of 46ft or 46ft 9in Watsons built between 1935 and 1950. Eleven of the 46ft and 46ft 9in Watsons from ON.802 (built in 1938) onwards later (from about 1960) had a wheelhouse built over the originally open aft cockpit and the photograph clearly shows such a wheelhouse so it must be one of these eleven boats, so it must be one of ONs 802 (Wick),803 (Selsey),819 (Peterhead), 821 (Montrose), 822 (Bembridge), 828 (Hartlepool), 847 (Holy Island and Sheerness), 849 (Mumbles), 852 (Tynemouth), 853 (Blyth) or 855 (Baltimore). I have this postcard as well but the name on the boat is not readable and there is no information on the postcard as to which boat this is. 

Edited by Aguila Wren
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I am never ceased to be amazed by the depth of knowledge by the members on here.

I see a couple of old boats and a chopper, (a Wessex Whirlwind, cos it ain't a Seaking), so BZ Aguila Wren.:smiley_notworthy::smiley_notworthy:

Edited by Daiball
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On 23/10/2016 at 2:23 PM, Daiball said:

I am never ceased to be amazed by the depth of knowledge by the members on here.

I see a couple of old boats and a chopper, (a Wessex Whirlwind, cos it ain't a Seaking), so BZ Aguila Wren.:smiley_notworthy::smiley_notworthy:

Nearly right Dai, it's a Westland Whirlwind, they also made the Wessex and Seaking.

Bristows flew Whirlwinds out of Manston sometime in the 70's

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Whirlwind operated at RNAS [Royal navy air station] Brawdy would do its party piece at the open air day,halfway through the display motor would be heard to slow down and land at which point the door would open and and an airman jumps out with a giant  key and wind it up.Then as it lifts off another intrepid airman does his witch on a broomstick act dangling on wires below the aircraft with his broom spitting smoke and sparks traveling along the flightline!

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