2022
March 2022
Our meeting on March 1st was the first with a guest speaker since the start of Covid. The speaker we expected was unwell but, entrepreneur Stuart Samuels from Feltwell came to our rescue and described a pair of Wellingtons to us.
The first one is a pub in Feltwell of which Stuart is the Navigator, if not the Captain. He recalled how he had bought the building, the state it was in, how his crew came together and, his motivation.
This resulted in the second Wellington in our story: the bomber aircraft based at Feltwell during the Second World War and the one after which his pub is named.
He told us that it was a much underrated aeroplane and its story has not been properly recalled. It has now, though, as one can appreciate when first entering his pub which is filled with artefacts and pictures commemorating its action in all theatres throughout WW2. It proved to be robust and able to survive great battle damage due to the Barnes Wallis design's use of geodetic construction; coincidentally the same technique was used in the construction of the Golfball radar scanners at Feltwell now.
A large section of the two part presentation, given without notes for over ninety minutes, was dedicated to the crews of the aircraft. Stuart recalled the actions of James Allen Ward, a New Zealander who in July 1941 climbed out through a hatch onto the wing of his Wellington to beat out an engine fire caused by a night fighter attack, thereby saving the crew and the aircraft. For his gallantry he was awarded the Victoria Cross, but, tragically died two months later during a raid in another Wellington.
Stuart also mentioned how captured airmen made their own survival equipment during escape attempts. An example of which was a compass disguised as a button; this was on display at the meeting with various other artefacts.
All-in-all, the lecture was an excellent start to our new season of guest speakers.
Just one nag: no mention of Copenhagen! Cheers, Stuart!
February 2022
Much of this report about Roger A’s lecture at the Mundford Bowls Club on Tuesday the 1st is a replication of Commander David A’s follow-up notes to the crew.
Roger, membership secretary and one time big wheel in Tesco’s technical data processing department, was praised by the Commander for the competency and enthusiasm he portrayed whilst executing his maiden voyage into lecturing us about the world of flight simulation. Roger’s chosen demonstration model was a Boeing 737 and, with graphics illustrating the nature of the cockpit, went on to explain that, with modern software, every perceivable control in this knob-twiddler’s paradise has a simulated equivalent; even down to collision avoidance sensors.
At the risk of exposing some of his own shortcomings, the modest Commander went on to extol the virtues of a few more of the crew:
“Chris (chairman) made a great Master of Ceremonies, without ceremony but, with good humour”;
“John H extorted a lot of dosh in the raffle without the slightest help from himself (DA): there's a lesson there”;
“John B has a growing list of future speakers already lined up”.
The Commander also invited Steve C to explain his idea about a society logo based on photos he had taken himself. This he would email to members for their edification. The emblem makes its debut above as a trial before approval. It features the silhouettes of three aircraft which have made a presence in our area over the years; examples that have helped to keep everyone safe for almost a century.
David then announced that he had booked a table at Brown’s Restaurant in order to pay tribute to a few designated life members in the village who are no longer able to attend the regular meetings. (He didn’t say that he foot the bill himself).
The Commander then congratulated the rest of the crew for their support and, as always, remembered caterers Val and Len.
January 2022
On Tuesday 11th a healthy crew assembled at the Mundford Bowls Club all prepared for take-off. There were some old-ish faces returning to the fold with the prospect of three potential new members.
Commander, David A, called us all to order and announced the first action for the evening: a quiz presented by Chairman and resident wit, Chris H. Each crew member was given a check list with 10 missions: the brief was to identify the various events, characters and machinery in aviation history. Not one question went unanswered. Chris afterwards revealed the scores: the response exposed a wealth of wisdom among the participant’s knowledge but, the guesswork produced more hilarity.
A film was then shown depicting archive aviation material. For those of us who were less well informed, community contributions made up for what the film lacked in narrative support.
The modest commander then made mention of the fact - as he relinquished his position as raffler and appointed John H as his successor - that the turnover in generosity had almost doubled since his abdication.
These evenings would not be the success that they are, without the stalwart efforts of the MBC stewards, Len and Val; three cheers for them.
Next month the modest commander will present a talk of his own entitled: ‘This Idiot's Guide to Gliding’. We will not be deterred. It is also planned to show the second installment of the Coventry Air Show DVD.
May 2022
The WNAS' Visit to the Marham Heritage Centre
"I hope that was cleaned out before they brought it here!"
"Why?"
"It's a Blue Danube, a nuclear bomb, didn't you know?"
Well, that's roughly how a conversation went between two members of the West Norfolk Aviation Society during an evening in May at Marham. My group was wending its way through a tour of the Heritage Centre, beginning at the First World War exhibits, moving through the WW2 artefacts and finally reaching the Cold War area.
Our guides had kindly given up their own time to explain to us what we were looking at. And very successful they were too. They described the aircraft which had flown from Marham airfield over a period in excess of a hundred years: the biplane fighters sparring with Zeppelins, the Mosquitos 25 years later and, the V Bombers and Tornados in more recent years.
But Bunny, formerly an RAF Armourer, and Ken, who used to fly as a Navigator, took particular care to recall the contributions made by other people involved: the aircrews of course, the engineers, the parachute packers, the armourers, the cooks and particularly the relatives of those who were in harm's way when on Active Service.
During the intermission Chris, our Chairman and also an ex armourer, produced refreshments: sandwiches and tea which he had previously made himself. Thank you, Sir!
Our sincerest thanks are due to those two chaps for a fascinating couple of hours which we would like to experience again (our memories are not as good as they were!); perhaps in a couple of years' time.
So, if you find yourself near Marham, check the museum's opening times on their website and spend an hour or two there. You will enjoy a very friendly welcome, a highly competent guide and, a lot to learn!
In the meantime, if you are interested in other subjects aeronautical, do peruse our website to see what we have to offer on the evening of the first Tuesday of each month in the Bowls Club at Mundford.
David Allen
April 2022
This month, Flight Lieutenant Andy Tennant was the star attraction at the Mundford Bowls Club where he held captivated members of the West Norfolk Aviation Society and, a contingency from the Norfolk Aviation Group. The resulting attendance figures soured to new heights.
Andy has modestly entitled his talk: “Some Flying Stuff” and when one hears stories of rags to riches Andy’s own draws some parallels. From a relatively humble beginning and an early interest in flight he soon became an air cadet and, with a later visit to Duxford his sights were firmly set; by sheer determination and hard work he joined the RAF without any assistance from a university education.
From what was available to read in his log book it was soon clear that it might have been easier to list the aeroplane types that he hadn’t flown rather than the ones that he had. Favourite talking points were: Jet Provost, Hawk, Canberra, Jetstream, Hercules, Tucano…..
During his time with the RAF he was invited, with his wife, to spend some time in the US as an instructor. When he was 38 he retired and joined the world of civil aviation and spoke with affection for a number of these giant conquests, his favourite being the Jumbo 747.
Andy lives in Feltwell so it won’t be that far away for us to entice him back to talk about the ‘stuff’ he left out: perhaps a deeper appraisal of the effects of volcanic ash on airworthiness?
The meeting was punctuated by a few side shows: Another record raffle; the auction of a valuable aeronautical tome which went for a song but, to a worthy recipient; a charismatic barman and an equally charismatic fare stewardess. A missing sideshow, unfortunately, was the ever popular Chairman cum Comedian, Chris H, who sent his apologies for absence following a covid outbreak in his family.
June 2022
Our commander, David A, convened the meeting at 1930 hrs on Tuesday 6th June and reported that the Chairman had sent apologies for his absence. He had a sort of excuse; he went fishing in France.
Apologies were also made for the absence of a speaker this month but, to compensate for this an arrangement has been made by John B to visit the Bentwaters Cold War Museum next month. There was a universal vote of acceptance among the crew for this opportunity; details will be posted on the website: www.westnorfolkaviationsociety.org.uk
To compensate further for the disappointments the commander announced that a number of film recordings had been made available. The most popular choice was the story of the WW2 Mosquito, a rival in popularity to the Spitfire, the Hurricane and the Lancaster. Some would say it out-performed the latter three challengers; the film certainly demonstrated the Mosquito’s versatility: with a lightweight wooden fuselage, twin Merlin engines, and a two man crew, the aeroplane dualed as a bomber and a fighter. It had the ability to fly higher, lower and faster than its contemporaries: higher and faster to escape enemy threats and lower to avoid radar detection when flying at ground level and releasing bombs directly into many Nazi headquarters throughout Europe. Archive footage showed that much of this destruction occurred in 1943; an interesting experience for one or two of our members who were born in the same year; a touch of fake nostalgia perhaps. (It’s interesting to note that in a recent Google/Android blog by Botany One there are limited citations recording evidence of the types of wood used for the manufacture of the Mosquito fuselage; there’s a tease. It could be that some of our crew are old enough to remember). The film was a joy to watch and, to listen to, particularly since Steve C had procured a new computer and multiple WiFi controlled speakers - for those of us who find audio communication a trifle difficult.
July 2022
Commander David A opened the meeting with a welcome to two new members David B and David C. The Commander proceeded to offer the apologies of the scheduled speaker who, through illness, was unable to present his talk. However, an ad hoc double/double act came to the rescue in the form of Steve C and Steve dR, both of whom gave separate accounts of their experiences whilst attending the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) last month at Fairford near Swindon.
Steve C, a paramedic, donated his time and expertise as a volunteer and, provided ambulances to oversee the health and safety of the 200,000 attendees (you’ve a long way to go: Girls of the England Women’s Football Team, before you can beat these attendance figures).
Every year many separate groups get together on this occasion in a charitable endeavour to promote funding for children’s science education.
Steve’s paramedic team gave demos of medical response initiatives; even being provided with a mock-up field hospital as part of their showpiece equipment.
There were many ground based side shows associated with the flying displays during the day and the fun didn’t stop there: a live jazz band accompanied all of the other activities associated with night time revelry.
Howver, there were some casualties; about 100; mainly suffering from the effects of freak weather conditions but, Steve made it clear that the safety of everyone was paramount and the organisation of the event had to meet with the approval of at least three protection agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration.
Then, it was Steve dR’s turn: Steve is a photographer extraordinaire and no stranger to this stage. With evidence to illustrate the point, using his own 10 foot screen, he gave an account of the performances of the star attractions at this same event. What appeared to be his favourite among the aerobatic display teams were the South Korean Kia formations flown with breath-taking precision. It seems the Red Arrows are losing their lead.
The Commander finalised proceedings by congratulating the impromptu speakers, the catering staff and, reminded all that their presence would be welcome at the senior officer group meeting at the same venue on the Friday of the same week, 11-00 Hrs.
August 2022
WNAS took a break for the summer
September 2022
Seldom does the WNAS play host to such an enthusiastic speaker as Andy Moore who, at the age of 7 years, became fascinated by the history of RAF Bexwell near Downham Market. From this early age he has had the opportunity to forage for buried relics, trawl various archives, study the remaining buildings and interview various people who lived through WW2.
To accompany his presentation he had two community hall tables full of memorabilia together with photos past and present.
Bexwell became a satellite station to Marham. Staff and crew transferring in 1942 were welcomed by the local community who often invited the airmen into their homes, as Andy’s first-hand knowledge will attest; one can easily see how this camaraderie helped towards promoting Andy’s ebullient delivery.
He highlighted the presence of some remarkable individuals at the time. When the airfield was being built in 1940 by W C French and the assistance of Irish and Welsh muscle there was a need to run power and communication services along the length of the runway. The conduit was so small that a very small Irish lady was requested to crawl along its length with a tow line. The airfield was also equipped with the first FIDO installation which consisted of giant blowlamps creating two, twenty foot walls of fire on each side of the runway; this was designed to clear fog for safer landings and could be seen from as far away as Peterborough.
There were two notable airmen, now commemorated by a plaque on the church green. They were both, posthumously, awarded a Victoria Cross. Details of this can be found on: https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/20939/RAF-Victoria-Cross-Memorial-Bexwell.htm
A number of squadrons made a presence on the airfield: Lancaster, Halifax but mainly Mosquitos and Stirlings. Andy has a soft spot for both of the latter; the Stirling was more maneuverable than the Hurricane and the Mosquito was good at multitasking.
During one of Andy’s guided tours for veterans in 2017 he met one Ft/Lt Colin Gell who flew Mosquitos from the airfield. Colin’s story is long and he remembers many things: chasing the Germans out of Kiel harbour and dropping provisions for the starving Dutch; dropping little parcels of chocolate ‘voor de kinder’ and, he remembers the building at Bexwell where a tasty bevy of beauties packed the parachutes. Superstition played a part in his survival; he always knew that he would complete his 50 operations. It seems that he has survived more than that: he is now 103 years old and occasionally drives up from Tunbridge Wells to see his new friend Andy Moore.
October 2022
Following an assignment he made some years ago to talk to us about his exploits in Antarctica, Steven Parker from Feltwell, paid us another visit to account for the role he played in the handling of the Falklands war, code named operation Black Buck.
Stephen, who spent 23 years in the RAF, was stationed at Marham for 5 years serving as Chief Technician whilst working on Victor Bombers. During his time there, the war broke out and 24 of these bombers were converted into tankers in order to refuel the Waddington based Vulcan (nicknamed the flat iron) which had been chosen to target the Argentine held Port Stanley airport. Steven seemed to have his own rather cynical view about whether this was a wise decision especially when it was revealed that a slide rule bought on Swaffham Market was used to assist with the calculations involved in the planning of the refueling operations. Eighteen of the converted Victors waiting at Wideawake airport on the RAF Ascension Island were to be juggled in training exercises before the actual assault. Steven, now based there too, gave an account of his own personal problems: breathing (dust); accommodation (tents); maneuvering aeroplanes (Vulcan’s weight so great with cargo, bombs and fuel the wheels sunk into the soft runway).
Steven also gave an account of the part played by other support aircraft. Among them were: Sea Harrier jump jet, Nimrod and Hercules. The latter was another aircraft adapted for tanker duties, but, Steven remarked, ‘owing to its speed limitation it needed to adopt an unconventional flying attitude’: once connected to its recipient the pair would descend in a shallow dive in order to transfer fuel more efficiently.
At the end of his talk Steven, very modestly, revealed that he and an associate of his, Brian Martin, had written a book entitled ‘Marham Tankers’. So impressed was our base Commander, David A, that he suggested our society buy three of these to present to worthy stalwarts of our crew: twenty one strong on the night.
The Speaker Meetings are usually held at the Mundford Bowls Club on the first Tuesday of the Month at 1900hrs. As well, our Commander has organised a morning splinter group meeting at 1100 hrs on the following Friday to chat about fascinating trivia and provide succor to some of our veteran members who find it difficult to attend the speaker meetings in the evening.
November 2022
No report was issued for November
December 2022
The WNAS prides itself on its efficiency and, with Chairman Chris H and Commander David A at the helm, this years AGM was conducted with alacrity, hilarity and brevity: 23mins and 20secs from beginning to end, which, included the endorsement of last years minutes and matters arising therefrom.
Apologies for absence were accepted from two major players: the Secretary Mark B who was unavoidably masterminding movements of air traffic at Norwich Airport and, Technical advisor and projectionist Steve C who was managing paramedical duties in the field.
The treasurer, David A, reported a healthy bank balance and the speaker seeker, John B, has engaged four talks for the coming year. All existing officers were re-appointed except Fred M, website manager, who was unsure whether personal circumstances might limit his future attendance at the meetings.
It was reassuring that recent fiscal fumbling and inflation has had no effect on subscriptions which, still stand at £10 a year thanks, largely, to raffle runner extraordinaire John H and the generosity of most of the members themselves.
The Chair proposed a vote of thanks to the Crew and to our esteemed caterers Val and Len.
The rest of the evening was left in the charge of John Blakely, a guest and member of an alternative aviation society, who had created a quiz involving the depiction of various aerial photographs from all over the world. Teams were soon formed and their remit was to identify the locations of the airfields with the assistance of topical and cryptic clues which John had conjured himself. He also used material he had photographed himself. Seasoned international aviators did not necessarily have the advantage: hobbyist simulator pilots were also in with a chance. The normal practice of cheating prevented the identification of a winning team.
The splinter group which meets on the ensuing Friday morning were fewer in number but just as vocal. It was interesting to note how a deeper insight into our personalities became apparent. Without the common interest in Aeroplanes we were now different people: either 60s pop stars, racing car drivers or Harley Davidson trike aficionados.