57 Squadron Marham

hamster100

hamster100

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Doug
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I wasn't quite sure to post this here or the People section but I thought the subject matter might be of interest to the Aircraft togs.

This is a photo of my late father in law during his RAF career. I believe it is 57 squadron taken at Marham in the late 60's. For those of you that don't know your aircraft it is a Victor tanker. He served for 31 years in the RAF and retired at the rank of Chief Technician. We found this photo amongst his belongings as we are in the process of clearing the house. We have also found some shots taken during his posting to Singapore and Malaysia. I will post some on here when I have the time to scan them.

Obviously I'm not after any critique but please feel free to comment if you wish.

Hope you all enjoy looking at this Photo.

Doug

57 Squadron Victor 03 by DECKS Pics, on Flickr
 
I think it's a lovely photo too & it's good & important to post and share photos like these - my late gran was in the waaf in the war and by chance I found a photo of her in a similar type of photo in a ww2 local book, which I wouldn't have if the owner of the image hadn't shared it.
 
lovely photo thanks for sharing , I wonder why the guy on the left middle row is hiding.
 
Bernie174 said:
Going by what it says on the Engine blanks, it's The Tanker Training Flight, I'm not sure if that was a separate entity from 57 Squadron, before it became the only Victor unit.
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Berne, I had hoped that someone on here might have some additional information. I have his RAF documents from when he left and I am going to contact the RAF for his full service record. He told me that one of his first jobs when he joined up was helping to break up Mosquito's, criminal !


springer said:
I think it's a lovely photo too & it's good & important to post and share photos like these - my late gran was in the waaf in the war and by chance I found a photo of her in a similar type of photo in a ww2 local book, which I wouldn't have if the owner of the image hadn't shared it.
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Thanks Springer, That was my intentions as I guess there are loads of family's out there with similar pictures and story's.

sureshot said:
lovely photo thanks for sharing , I wonder why the guy on the left middle row is hiding.
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Thansk Sureshot , not too sure why he is hiding, perhaps he was shy ?
 
Hi Doug
I can't throw anything concrete, but a bit of applied logic may help.

1. The number of people in the photo, specifically the masterac...sorry I mean aircrew in the front row there's only 11 of them, an odd number as a Victor Crew was 5. Only 4 are drivers, so enough for 2 crews. Can't tell the trade of the single wingers, but there were 2 Navs, plotter and Radar per crew with an Air Electronics Officer.
So, there's no where near enough aircrew for a flight, which is between 4 and 6 aircraft and crews. It must therefore be a smaller unit. Not sure if the TTF had an aircraft assigned, or 'borrowed' them from the 2 Squadrons, 55 & 57, however, it does fit the sort of size for the TTF, which would be instructors.

2. The obvious TTF engine blanks. But that's not conclusive.

The camouflage pattern was changed not long after the Falklands war to the hemp overall. This one being 2 tone, means its older than that. Another clue to time period is Airman (as in the NCO's, officers may be aircrew, but were not airmen, unless a Loadmaster, or AE Operator, or Flight Engineer who were both, none of those trades flew on Vulcan!) tunics lost the belt at some point, so it'll be pre that, I'm sorry, don't know when that was.

Lastly it would be unsual for someone to spend their entire career on one unit, it's likely he chopped between the Victor Squadrons, there was a third one from the mid 60's to the mid 70's, 5**, I think, it was a strategic recce squadron. Plus the Victor Training Flight, TTF. a Guess would be this a picture of one of the latter 2.
 
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Bernie, Very interesting information thanks. Had a chat with the wife, she was born in 1966 and lived in Marham until around 1970 when he transferred to Oakington, That why I think it was in the late 60's. They then moved around 76-77 to Leeming, then onto Finningley where he finished his career in 1980. He was always talking about the Victor and 57 squadron and the Victor at Duxford is one of his old aircraft as he liked to call it. I think that was his happiest time in the RAF.

We have had a bit of a time of it recently as the mother in law passed away last week, and she had Alzheimer's so unfortunately wasn't able to supply any details. I intend to write to the RAF to get his full service record, so if I manage to get any further details I will let you know. Me being stupid, although we often talked about his RAF career but I never got him to write anything down. So if there are any of you out in a similar situation then make the most of the time you have with them and get any information you can as you never know when they might not be here any more.

Thanks again Bernie.

PS Just being nosey but where do you get all you RAF knowledge from?
 
Good luck. But don't expect much from the RAF. I tried to get some records out of them for a WW2 Bomber crew shot down over Germany, and they wouldn't play.
My dad was an RAF Police Special Investigator, so I lived with the RAF for the first 17 years of my life.
Plus having always been into aviation, and of course having been a policeman myself.
Your wifes life helps narrow things down as well then. Victors were converted to Tankers and came into service from 1965. The only station that operated them from the list of places were you wife was is Marham. So it would be between 1965 and 1970.
 
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I joined the RAF in August 1970 and was among the first to be issued the new "Best Blue" - no-one liked the styling although the material wasn't as rough on the skin. Some blokes who were odd sizes were issued the old style to use up the old stock! I was at Leeming from 1977-1983 so I may possibly have known your dad in law but I wasn't a "techie".

Alan
 
Alanem said:
I joined the RAF in August 1970 and was among the first to be issued the new "Best Blue" - no-one liked the styling although the material wasn't as rough on the skin. Some blokes who were odd sizes were issued the old style to use up the old stock! I was at Leeming from 1977-1983 so I may possibly have known your dad in law but I wasn't a "techie".

Alan
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Hi Alan, my father in law was called Peter Norton. I don't know if his name rings any bells, but you never know. Just out of interest he is in the second row from the front 8 from the left.

Bernie, I have today sent off to the RAF, so we will see what info if any we get back. I will let you know if there is anything of interest.
 
Sorry, can't say I remember him. I was an Air Traffic Controller and they didn't let us out of our dark rooms much!!
Alan
 
Alanem said:
Sorry, can't say I remember him. I was an Air Traffic Controller and they didn't let us out of our dark rooms much!!
Alan
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It was a long shot Alan. I am just waiting to see if the RAF can provide me with any further info.

Thanks

Doug
 
Post your request for info on the forum, most members are happy to help if they can
 
Glen, already posted, just waiting for the mods to approve it.

Thanks again.

Doug
 
Update, Just had a chat with a family friend of Pete's who was in the RAF with him. He seems to think it was a training unit with 214 squadron, taken around 1966. I am still waiting to here back from the RAF so if I should get any further information I will let those interested know.
 
It looks like Tanker Training Flight to me. My Father is one of the pilot instructors in the front row. He moved fairly rapidly from 57 Sqn at Honington in the bombing role to 214 Sqn (tankers) at Marham and then to Tanker Training Fight when the tanker role was taken on by the Victor.
 
Interesting to see one black face right at the back, little time capsules like this are great
 
Interesting that the pose never changed. I remember being told to sit exactly like that in early 80's

Might be worth a post on Forcesreunited as well.
 
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