~ THINGS - PHOTO ALBUM 2 ~
Hawker Hind K6631 at Heliopolis
Note the roof vents and fence, this photo was taken in the same place as the one below.
The odd thing about that is there is what appears to be English style cottages in the left background. Could this and the photo below actually be Grantham before they left for Heliopolis?
Source/Copyright Martin Carter / (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey
A magnificent photo of Hind K6796 HELIOPOLIS 1939
This aircraft belonged to either S/Ldr Cator or S/Ldr Keily but likely Cator. Note the Squadron Leaders flag painted on the tail. This is the only known example of this flag. Note there is someone in the cockpit, and the cockpit cover has been thrown back over the Observers cockpit, the engine is running but the wheel chocks are still in place. Getting warmed up possibly? Note the elaborate eaves trough set up on the building, seems odd for such in a dry desert climate.
COPYRIGHT Corp Stan Harrison SOURCE Jim Newton
NOTE: S/Ldr Cator was Squadron leader from Apr 1938 to March 1939, Alexandria Egypt / Heliopolis. Subsequently promoted W/Cdr.
Photo on left is a closeup of the cockpit area of K6796 with someone sitting in it. Note the cockpit cover has been thrown back over the observer / gunners cockpit. On the right is closeup of tail section showing the Squadron leaders flag painted on the tail. Martin Carter states the man in the cockpit is Sgt (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey and that he often flew with S/Ldr Cator. This being the case it is likely that the aircraft was S/Ldr Cator's and not Keily's. This is supported by the fact that Sgt Bill Whittlesey's name does not appear in S/Ldr Keily's log book, neither does K6796 show up in Keily's log.
S/Ldr (Curly) Cator 's Hind K6802 on it's nose at Heliopolis December 23 1939,
Another fantastic photo of Corp Stan Harrison, Stan has titled this photo "Curly Misjudges"
At a guess it would seem the pilot landed hard and collapsed the port undercarriage or it could be
the aircraft ground looped.
COPYRIGHT Corp Stan Harrison SOURCE Jim Newton
Note: Martin Carter / Sgt (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey has this identical photo in his collection titled: How not to do it, S/Ldr Cator Heliopolis Egypt 23/12/1938. By this we can safely assume that S/Ldr Cator's nickname was Curly.
Close up view of the bomb rack. According to Corp Stan Harrison the racks were designed to carry 125 lb bombs and were modified to carry 20 lb practice smoke bombs which were painted white. Stan cannot remember if it carried 2 or 4 bombs nor how it fixed to the normal rack. The bombs were released electrically by the pilot and could be released individually. He remembers filling the practice bombs outside in the open by 216 Squadron hanger just before they were put on the plane. They were not stored filled. The bomb case came apart into two halves and the liquid and detonator were put in the rear half [he thinks] whilst it was stood on its fins. There was a rod in the front half that set off the detonator when it hit the ground, there was no other explosive, and the liquid burned to cause the smoke. The liquid, the name of which he is trying to remember, was very corrosive and thick rubber gloves had to worn when handling it.
Note the tents in the background lining the perimeter of the airfield at Heliopolis.
ADEN 1930 A great shot! (Sqd unknown)
Source/copyright: collection of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen, son John Allen
JIM NEWTON: The aircraft are Fairey III (3) but they are, I'm sure, 'F's. The IIIF was the most numerous built British aircraft between the wars, over 600 were built, many for the Fleet Air Arm and most with floats. It was a general purpose plane for the RAF serving all over the world. The 'F' was developed in the late 1920's from earlier III's but has a more rounded fin and was a more modern constuction with a Napier Lion engine. The Fairey Gordon was developed from the IIIF. The naval ones, I believe, were serial numbered S...... but possibly not all. I believe the serials are from front to back, J4(9?)168, J9163 and J956(8?)
(Squadron No. 8 was at Aden in 1930 and they were equipped with Fairey 111F's.)
113 SQUADRON HIND'S OVER EGYPT
Source/copyright: collection of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen, son John Allen
(The boys strutting their stuff, an amazing display of formation flying leaving little room for error. You
can just make out what appears to be the S/Ldr's flag on the tail of the fourth aircraft from the front)
113 SQUADRON HIND'S OVER EGYPT - NILE DELTA CAIRO
Source/copyright: collection of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen, son John Allen
(Note the stark contrast between the desert and fertile areas)
NOTE: Martin Carter / Sgt (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey has this identical photo in his
collection titled 113 in Formation over the Nile Delta Cairo
113 Squadron In Formation
The desert is not all flat, a snap from 3000 feet.
Source/Copyright Martin Carter, Sgt (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey
(Note: John Allen, son of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen has this identical photo)
NOTE: In all the formation photos that can be read, K7634 is always on the Port side of the formation, outside aircraft. This seems to indicate that even back then each aircraft had it's own spot in the formation.
113 SQUADRON HIND'S OVER EGYPT
A spectacular photo!
Source/copyright: collection of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen, son John Allen
FRIDAY THE 13th
The caption for this photo reads:
Views of 113 (B) Squadron formation flying on January 13th 1939. I was in K6734 which provides two combinations for that unlucky number apart from date and squadron number. Fortunately the superstition proved to be groundless. According to Martin, his dad told him that the reason for the formation flights was because it was sqdrn Leader Cator's last few days with the sqdn and he wanted some shots of all the sqdn together on one of its last flights under his command.
Source/Copyright Martin Carter, Sgt (F/Lt) Bill Whittlesey
(Note: John Allen, son of F/Sgt (W/O) Bernard (Dick) Allen has this identical photo)
