Bulleid Pacifics - Past or Present

I was told that three name plates were made for all BoB's & W/C loco's. One set went to the RAF or to the town/city and the other two went on the loco's is this true?


Thanks

 

An interesting story - thanks


Keith

 

To the best of my knowledge that's incorrect. 92 Squadron only got their plates once 34081 was withdrawn. Cannot speak of other squadrons but I'd be surprised if they were treated any different.

 

My pleasure.
I was fortunate enough to be given access to the RAF Museum's collection of plates and crests back in the late 1970s. Most were still in an "as removed from the loco" condition. One thing that did interest me was the variation on background colour of the nameplates over the years. One plate was under restoration and several layers of paint were being removed to get it back to bare metal. A number of different shades of blue layers were plain to see.

 

17 Squadron were presented with theirs after withdrawal. Photos of the presentation were in the Squadron Diaries.

A colleague of mine told me the plate from 92 Sqn spent time under her parents' bed for a while after it was handed over to the 34081 team until the loco was ready to wear it.

 

34055 of course, I met Sir Douglas Bader once through the day job........

 

The first plate/crest set spent some time under my bed too and since not many people had the pleasure of looking after it, I'm wondering who your colleague's parents are.
I must know them.

 

No that was the Merchant Navy class, 2 for the loco and one for the company; and I think I am right in saying that this was actually only the enamal centre badge, it was made into a coffee table and presented to the shipping company whom the loco was named after.

I think 35004 Cunard White Star's coffee table is in the Valencia California office of Cunard lines now (it may be a replica I don't know) but I'm sure I saw it when I went there several years ago for a job interview.

 

See here: http://tinyurl.com/westcountry to see where they all are

Furthest East: 21C102 Salisbury
Furthest West: 34096 Trevone
Furthest North: a toss up between 34099 Lynmouth and 21C138 Lynton
Furthest South: 21C128 Eddystone

Tom

 

So there we have it. The winner of the "most westerly 'West Country' class locomotive" competition is... 34096. I am surprised in a way, as I was expecting it to be 34008.

 

By eck Tom you must have time on yer hands! Good work - confirms my earlier punt at this. Interesting to see Edystone out there in the sea! Even more odd than Trevone as a none rail destination, as is Lundy. Then of course Lynton and Lynmouth wouldn't have seen a WC either. B-t-w, I'd say Lynmouth edges it for the most northerly having been there.

Any chance of doing the BB airfields next?

 

Hmmm - tricky one, as the squadrons tended to move around a bit. I suppose you could pick an arbitrary date (such as Sept 15th 1940) and see where they were based at that time?

Maybe all the Brighton tank engines would be simpler: Stepney, Fenchurch, Poplar, Birchgrove, henfield, Uckfield etc. On second thoughts...

Tom

 

Or castles, manors and granges better still?

 

Heaven forbid!

 

I've been trying to do a map of Battle of Britain pacifics, but trying to tie down a squadron to an airfield during the summer of 1940 is rather tricky. I've been using the RAF's own website which doesn't go into much detail on squadron history.

 

You also have the problem that although a squadron was based at a particular airfield, they often operated out of forward bases such as Hawkinge.
On September 15th 1940 the Fighter Command order of battle was as follows (BB 4-6-2 names only)
34060 Martlesham Heath*
34061 Debden*
34062 Debden*
34063 Northolt*
34071 Filton**
34072 Martlesham Heath*
34073 North Weald*
34074 Stapleford Tawney*
34075 Northolt*
34076 Hornchurch*
34077 Hornchurch*
34078 Hornchurch*
34079 Turnhouse (Edinburgh)**
34080 Witering**
34081 Biggin Hill
34082 Prestwick**
34083 Croydon
34084 Kenley
34085 Kenley
34086 Catterick** and Acklington**
34087 Dyce (Aberdeen)** and Montrose**
34088 Tangmere
34089 Westhampnett (Goodwood)
34110 Gravesend

From this list 34087 was furthest north, 34071 was furthest west, 34060 and 34072 were furthest east and 34088 was furthest south.
IIRC the criteria behind the names chosen was that they had to have flown from an 11 Group airfield in SR territory. To illustrate how squadrons moved around,
those airfields marked * were 11 Group outside SR territory and those marked ** were in other Groups entirely but each must have met the criteria at some stage
during the Battle Of Britain.

 

Try this link to the RAF MOD site http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/units.html and follow the links.

It tells you which squadrons took part and where they were stationed during the summer of 1940. As you will see squadrons served at more than one airfield during the battle and in different Groups.

 

Ah, I was just looking up each squadron's history in the search box

 

A small update On city of wells is on the KWVR website the New high sided tender tank has ben deliverd

 

Mmm - looks good. I can't remember now but I assume the last one was from a rebuilt to replace a missing original - or were they swapped around in service? I ought to know as I was there when it was delivered!