Gaydon at Home Day 1963. Vulcan, Valiant, Victor.
Photograph (c) Graham Richardson
Gaydon at Home Day Programme, 1963.
Photograph courtesy of Graham Richardson
The photo of the planes was taken by my Dad in September 1963, and I’ve also attached the programme of the actual day. The aircraft pictured are left to right: Vulcan; Valiant; and Victor.
Gaydon opened in June of 1942 and was selected to become a V Bomber base between 1953-54. The base closed on 31st October 1974, and British Leyland bought the site in 1974.
Battle of Britain Home Days
The RAF had what they called Battle of Britain at Home Days held each September at a number of stations up and down the UK, and the Gaydon show was our nearest. It continued through the 1960s and early 70s. The aircraft are in their anti-dazzle white paint, as the threat from a nuclear attack was very real then.
An article on the base’s time as a V bomber base can be found here.
Comments
I remember as a very young boy being taken to Gaydon Air show with my family as a birthday treat. I got separated from the family and was taken to a hanger where I was looked after by some RAF lads. I probably had a better time than if I had stayed with my dad. I had sweets, ice cream, comics and a toy. Thought this is a good lark getting lost is profitable.
I remember I was sent on detachment from RAF Cosford to RAF Gaydon for a month or so before my training course started. About 20 of us spent our days cleaning the static display aircrafts prior to Battle of Britain event in September. The SWO was a great bloke who used to let us kids go home early on a Friday. Happy days!
Can anyone remember the 50th Anniversary of the RAF celebrations at Gaydon? I clearly remember the aircraft being scrambled during a social function during the cold war, but maybe my memory is playing tricks.
Hello Paul Pickering!
That SWO was W/O Allen – my next door neighbour then. My Dad W/O Corbett was i/c Hanger 2, Valiant servicing. I lived there 1955 to 1963.
My father, generally called Artie or Ray, was the ground Engineer for XA935, he was a Warrant Officer and received the MBE (Milt) before leaving the RAF and emigrating to Australia in 1965. He died in 1976. Seeing thi page reminded me of Kineton High School and the cinder path to the Gaydon village and the Bank Holiday Ban The Bombers.
I can remember cycling to Gaydon for the air days which must have been late 50s. My best memory is of the Vulcan taking off. The runway had a slight dip and it didn’t appear until well under way and then suddenly appeared and deafened everybody. Well before Health and Safety.
I have just come across this site and read both Richard Corbett and Christine Shaw comments. My dad was Chief Tech Pete Stickels and our back garden backed onto the Corbetts garden. I was in the same class as Richards youngest brother Graham. I also remember your dad’s old Hunter car it always seemed massive against our old Hillman Minx.
I remember Christine Shaw for she was always singing. She was in the class above me at the school on camp. I must however correct her on the cinder path went down to Lighthorne village and not Gaydon. I too remember the Ban the Bomb groups that used to turn up at the main gates.
We lived at Gaydon from 1958 to 1965 when dads 22 years service to an end. Most of my school friends went to Marham so lost contact with them.
I lived at Gaydon from 1958 to 1965 as dad was based here. How was Chief Technician Peter Stickels working on A flight Victors. He left the RAF in 65 after doing 22 yearsenal service. I went to school on the camp and was in the same class as Richard Corbetts youngest brother Graham. Our gardens backed onto each others. I also knew of Christine Shaw and remember she was always singing. However I must point out that the cinder, or as it was known as the ash path went down to Lighthorne village and not Gaydon village.
I remember looking out of my bedroom window at about 11pm at all the cars leaving the air shows. This was a regular annual sight. The kids at school came not only from the camp but also Lighthorne, Gaydon and the Army camp at C.A.D Kineton who came over by a bus driven by a soldier with another as an Escort.
Having lived there for 7 years made quite a few friends at school. One of my class friends was a certain Glen Torpy. Don’t know what he went on to do or become. Probably doesn’t remember any of us in his old school class.
In 1965 I lost contact with my old friends as their dads were posted to Marham and we went into Civvy Street.
I could write quite a few tales here but would take up too much space.
There was a group of us who were very interested in aircraft. There was Steve Grudgins ( whose dad was the only male teacher at Gaydon besides the head Mr Timmis) David Slight, Russell Smith and myself. I think it was Russells 10th birthday and as his treat his dad a Squadron Leader navigator on the Valiant arranged for us to visit some of the various sectionsizes on camp. We went to the Met Office were we were shown the weather station and how to record the minimum and maximum temperatures of the previous day. How they produced the weather information for the fliers for that day. Then taken by a crew bus down to the Control Tower. Shown around upstairs in what was like a greenhouse. Glass all around and baking hot. Then as a complete contrast we went down stairs into virtual darkness where the radar screens were. We could see the radar blips for all aircraft flying around both military and civil. Then it was off to the Survival Room. Here we were shown and allowed to go into a dinghy. Also the ration kit for a V Bombers crew. I can recall the dinghy being up on a massive table which we had to climb onto before getting into the dinghy. Next and last part of our tour was to the Victor Flight Simulator. Brilliant for a 10 year old pre computer games. We spent quite some time here. Each taking turns as being pilot, Co pilot and the bit I liked navigator. I never wanted to be a pilot I always wanted to be a navigator. All the maps and things. Our trip in the Victor took us out over Northampton and the various places around there. Had some major problems in that 3 out of our 4 engines caught fire so we had to make our way back to Gaydon as fast as we could. Only in a simulator can you travel at over 400mph in a single engined Victor bomber.
It was a great day out. I often wonder where Steve Russ and David are now. Steve went down to Tytherington in Gloucestershire because his dad became a head of a school that way and the other two went to Marham like most of the Gaydon people went to.
Does anybody else remember the ATV midday live show LUNCHBOX. The main star was Noele Gordon who presented and sang on the show. They broadcast from Gaydon in 1959. I remember Mr Timmis the head at the school telling us that the programme would be broadcast from one of the hangars. We could go but must be back for afternoon school. I went up and as a 5 year wasn’t impressed so went back to school. I told my brother Keith that I was going so he needn’t worry about me. When I got back to school the bell was ringing for start of lessons. Don’t know how many didn’t come back that afternoon including my brother. Needless to say Mr Timmis wasn’t too pleased next day in assembly.
Anyway back to the show. There was one part where Noele Gordon was sat on top of Canberra aircraft with a chaperone sat with her, my dad. She was singing away ton him and he just sat there with not a silent on his face. Mum watched the show at home on the tele and gave my dad such an ear full when he came home from his shift. She wanted to know why he was a miserable so and so for not smailing especially as he was on live TV. His reply was ” I was ordered not to smile by my senior officer. As orders are orders I carried them out.” She used to go on about it for years after that.
I have found a still of the scene on Google but wondered if any out there remember it?.
Hi Roy
My son has just forwarded this link to this site. I was at RAF Gaydon from 1956 to 1966 and was on the servicing team for the Victor Simulator. Now in my mid 80s at the moment I am trying to jot down in both writing and photos something of my life . You are the first that i have come across to recall the Victor flight simulator, i have been going on sites to see if there are any aircrew that passed through but with no response.
I have related many times of the TV event that ATV did at Gaydon. For the time it was very slick and completely live. The pre-flight checks and engine start was completely done live in the simulator and at start of take off camera was switch to the actual Victor on the runway.
The Pilot in the simulator was the guy ( Peter Sallis) who was doing the Walls sausage ads at the time and did the voice overs on the Wallace and Gromit films also Cleggy in Last of the Summer Wine.
I have a photo of the ATV camera inside the simulator. I will post it when I find it.
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