Hi all

[gardenisle]

Good afternoon

Thank you for your response about my question about the home- page photo of a Tempest (VI) over the pyramids.

I'll add the following info to the discussion, given by my father who served with 249 Sqn in the canal zone:

When the squadron moved into its' canal zone airfield, a brand-new Harvard was found, crated-up, in a hanger, complete with manuals and tools.
The Harvard was duly assembled and used as a squadron hack/photo-ship.
The photo in question was taken from the Harvard, by an airman in the pupil's seat.
I'll ask my father for more details in the near future and would welcome any feedback via the forum, adding to or correcting my second-hand 'memories' of the story behind this photo.

TTFN
DS

[maceoil]

Hi,

Sounds like your father might be able to add further detail to this interesting picture. I can only identify four flights in a Harvard in my fathers log book while flying with 249. Of these, two could be a possibility if I remember his story correctly. All four flights were in EX814, a Harvard IIa SOC 22nd Nov 1956.
Cheers
PM

[seemar249]

Hi,
My name is Charlie Marshall, I have just joined this site. I served with 249 under Sir John (Sqdn Ldr Sutton at the time) from May 63 to Jan 66. I have many happy memories of my three years in Cyprus and all the detachments from there. Especially two months in Kuantan Malaysia. The thing I remember most about our CO was his favourite saying at that time "Work hard.....play hard" he sure was a great boss. I was an airframe mechanic, Lived in Limassol, and will never forget the drive to work through the citrus plantations Happy days.

[Hurricane]

seemar249 said:

Hi,
My name is Charlie Marshall, I have just joined this site. I served with 249 under Sir John (Sqdn Ldr Sutton at the time) from May 63 to Jan 66. I have many happy memories of my three years in Cyprus and all the detachments from there. Especially two months in Kuantan Malaysia. The thing I remember most about our CO was his favourite saying at that time "Work hard.....play hard" he sure was a great boss. I was an airframe mechanic, Lived in Limassol, and will never forget the drive to work through the citrus plantations Happy days.

Welcome to the 249 Squadron Association forum. Things are a little slow around here, but the people are very friendly. I can picture your drive as I lived in Cyprus in the very early '60s - happy days indeed

[lbendelow]

Hi - My father John Bendelow served with 249 in 56-8 ish in El Adem, Eastleigh and Akrotiri as a SAC on the ground crew. He sprayed many aircraft including Venoms and Vixens while out there. I have number of pictures too if anyone is interested. I'm mainly interested in finding out anything about the squadron and his time as he was a very private man and didn't really talk about his service.

Regards

Lawrence

[yorkyman]

Jun 14, 2006 22:18:02 GMT 1 Hurricane said:

Please feel free to introduce yourself here. You are very welcome.

I'm Colin Westwood, I joined 249 at RAF Coningsby in August 1957, where it re-formed under the Command of Sqn Ldr Ray Motley. My navigator was Flt Lt Mike Greenland. Thus we were two of the original Canberra aircrew. I believe the squadron had 10 crews and 8 aircraft. This was a strange time because uniquely there were two squadrons with the same number, No 249 with Venom FB 4s at RAF Eastleigh and us with Canberra B Mk 2.

After a work-up period, the squadron flew en-masse out to Akrotiri via RAF Idris arriving in October 1957. At the behest of the Boss I designed the badge which was painted on all our aircrafts' tiptanks, which themselves were coloured bright yellow -a far cry from the later camouflage and "toned-down" colour of later years! In 1958 there was an influx of navigators and Fg Off Chris Podger joined Mike and me.

My tour-ex date was January 1960, which was just a few weeks after our B2s were replaced by B6s, ex No 139 Sqn (from RAF Binbrook).

[soren]

Hello.
I'm Soren Parup from Denmark. I have an interest in 249 Sq - especially in Battle of Britain.
For the moment I am trying to puzzel together facts on Albert Lewis who flew with the squadron during that period. Anybody who has any information, pictures etc. are most welcom to cantact me.

[terry]

Jun 21, 2008 13:12:42 GMT 1 yorkyman said:

Jun 14, 2006 22:18:02 GMT 1 Hurricane said:

Please feel free to introduce yourself here. You are very welcome.

I'm Colin Westwood, I joined 249 at RAF Coningsby in August 1957, where it re-formed under the Command of Sqn Ldr Ray Motley. My navigator was Flt Lt Mike Greenland. Thus we were two of the original Canberra aircrew. I believe the squadron had 10 crews and 8 aircraft. This was a strange time because uniquely there were two squadrons with the same number, No 249 with Venom FB 4s at RAF Eastleigh and us with Canberra B Mk 2.

After a work-up period, the squadron flew en-masse out to Akrotiri via RAF Idris arriving in October 1957. At the behest of the Boss I designed the badge which was painted on all our aircrafts' tiptanks, which themselves were coloured bright yellow -a far cry from the later camouflage and "toned-down" colour of later years! In 1958 there was an influx of navigators and Fg Off Chris Podger joined Mike and me.

My tour-ex date was January 1960, which was just a few weeks after our B2s were replaced by B6s, ex No 139 Sqn (from RAF Binbrook).

Hello Colin,

There are a good number of Canberra 249-ers in the Association and you may remember me and Jim Smith , who joined in Ray Motley's time and stayed on under Doug Barfoot. I hope we will see you at one of our reunions - either the Canberra one at the end of February or the Association one at North Weald on 04 September, 2010.

[motion32]

Just joined the forum. Have been looking through my Fathers Flying Logs I see he was posted to 249 Sqdn as O/C on April 15th 1946 (I was 4 years old). At that time flying Mosquito which he had flow in the war with 139 Sqdn Pathfinders. I remember we were in Mombasa.
Any info on the squadron at htat time or photo's would be great to see.
Father was My father was Sqdn Ldr L.H.Wakeford.
Hoping to hear something.
Dave Wakeford

[Hurricane]

Welcome to the 249 Squadron Association Forum Dave

If you would like to become an Associate Member, go to the website - www.249sqn.co.uk/ it only costs £8.30 if you are in the UK!

[pml518]

Hello to all on this site, my name is Paul Lovell and I live in Kent a couple of miles from Manston airfield. I have always had an interest in war time aviation living in the area where so much of the Battle of Britain was fought. In 2000 I went on honeymoon to Malta and fell in love with the island and it's aviation history.
I got a very tattered booklet at an airshow show a few years later to add to my growing collection of books on Malta's conflict, it was Spitfires Over Malta printed in 1943 and written by two pilots who had flown during the air battles of 1942, Paul Brennan and Ray Hesselyn. My copy was very tatty so I tried to track down a new copy but found this book was out of print and probably had been so for many years. I thought this a great shame that such a good little book was not available, so I got hooked on the idea of having it reprinted.
I tracked down the relatives of Ray Hesselyn in New Zealand who were happy for me to go ahead, and contacted the books original publishers Jarrolds, who told me that as they had changed hands and buildings several times they had no record of it but had no objection if I did want to reprint.
My idea was to reprint the book as it was originally, but to also add extra details which could not be relaeased during the war when the book was written. I also want to do a small profile of the 15 pilots who flew the first Spitfires off HMS Eagle in 1942 to Malta in Operation Spotter.The Malta Aviation Museum were helpful to me with starting out with some useful contacts so I agreed to a percentage of any profits would go to there excellent museum on the island.
I have been unable to trace anyone from the other original author Paul Brennan's family in Australia to get their consent, although I know they did republish a limited number in 2005 possibly for their own use. ( It had a picture of a Spifire flying over the white cliffs of Dover on the cover !!) So my idea for the reprint at present is on hold as it seems I do not have the rights to go ahead, but I am continuing with doing the profiles of the pilots and may have to do a smaller booklet just on them instead. I am not an author by any means and have a day job so this is more of a hobby which has been on going for a year or so. I have so for managed 10 profiles via records and also help from the relatives of some of those involved which has been great, with e-mail making contact to all areas of the world so easy.
But more information and photographs of the pilots involved would always be gratefully received.
I hope one day something may be published as my own tribute to those involved in the airwar over Malta.

[melanie]

Hi, my dad was in 249 squadron, he does not do the internet, but I have just got back from visiting him (which I really don't do often enough). He luckily met a chap with an RAF squadron badge on, got chatting, and from then on two very interesting things came from that meeting. When my Dad was told about the photo of the tempest flying over the pyramids - he froze - he was the guy who took the photograph (wow!) and 'Doc' Watson - whose brother Geoff was trying to find information about what happened, my Dad was able to phone him and tell him the story - how nice for his brother. My Dad is Jack Smith - I don't know the dates he was in Egypt, but that is where he met my mother (PTI in the RAF). They are both long divorced and remarried, but so what. One of my favourite stories is on my Dad's log books where the statement is 'Smithy beat the instructor at target practice again today' - brilliant. He is now 86 and has only given up flying in the last few years as he could no longer blag the hearing test. He's brilliant and I just so wish I could spend more time with him. Life gets in the way and we are always too busy.

[melanie]

P.S. My Dad's real name is John Smith, but for all my life, everyone calls him Jack. Don't ask me why!

[bootsngaiters]

HI JUST JOINED MY INTEREST IS THAT I SERVED WITH 29 SQDN RAF REGIMENT IN AMMAN AND CYPRUS ALONG SIDE 249 SQDN
AND NEW MANY OF THE CHARACTERS MOSTLY AIRCREW AS WE DID A LOT OF EXERCISES WITH THEM.
REMEMBER CHRISTMAS 56 AND AMAZING AEROBATIC DISPLAY PUT ON BY 249 CO AND GROUPIE FOR THE DEMOALIZASION OF THE SURROUNDING IRAQ AND SYRIAN FORCES.
ANY ONE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE PERIOD I WOULD BE GLAD TO HEAR FROM OR JUST A CHAT ABOUT THOSE TIMES
MIND YOU DONT EXPECT TOO MUCH AS CANT SEE ANY ONES BEEN NEAR HERE FOR THREE YEARS

[royharms]

Hi, My name is Roy and I am doing some research into the ground crew who served with the squadron in Malta for a friend. Hi name was Publius Farrugia a Maltese gentlemen who we believe served with the squadron.