Civilian A/C impressed into RAF service WW11

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17 years 10 months

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From 1940 hundreds of various types of civilian A/C were impressed into RAF service, possibly the most famous being the Percival Gull Six G-ADPR used by Jean Batten in her pre-war record breaking flights, which in service became AX 633.

Some of those A/C were never used or were scrapped, others suffered in the hands of some of the wartime pilots.

Any photographs or histories of these A/C would perhaps make up an interesting thread --- I realise that many pics. of DPR as she is today are on the threads. therefore it would be great to see only the old editions --- please search the 'shoe boxes'

Dustyone

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18 years 10 months

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One of the Taylorcraft Plus C's, impressed into service and used during the Battle of France, is in storage with the Science Museum in Leicestershire, owned by Leicestershire County Council with four other Auster's and the Reid & Sigrist Desford RS4

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

Any photographs or histories of these A/C would perhaps make up an interesting thread --- I realise that many pics. of DPR as she is today are on the threads. therefore it would be great to see only the old editions --- please search the 'shoe boxes'

Dustyone

"Complete" History on each one is in Air Britain Impressement Log Series from the 1960's

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19 years 5 months

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Sidney Cotton flew all over Europe on the eve of WWII secretly taking photographs of the German military build-up in an Electra.

Here's one that survived impressment...I understand the plane survives restored in Texas...I recently saw it advertised in Trade-A-Plane.

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19 years 9 months

Posts: 1,777

Plenty of photos out and about on these - off the top of my head I can think of pics of Jean Batten's Gull, Fox Moth, Ford Trimotor, Percivals etc. Unfortunately, most I know of are in books so are copyrighted.

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15 years 3 months

Posts: 5

Here are some details of Miles Aircraft if anyone is interested, although they might me a little out of date. I will try and find a few photogrphs out:

Hawk Major M. 2F G-ACWY NF748 Struck Off Charge
Hawk Major M. 2F G-ACYO NF752 Crashed
Hawk Major M. 2F G-ADCI NZ587 Crashed
Hawk Major M. 2H VT-AGH NZ578 Crashed
Hawk Major M. 2H G-ADMW DG590 Stored
Hawk Major M. 2H G-AENS DP848 Crashed
Hawk Major M. 2P G-ADDK BD180 Struck Off Charge
Hawk Major M. 2P G-ADLO NZ588 Struck off Charge
Hawk Major M. 2P VP-KBT NZ589 Crashed
Hawk Major M. 2R G-ADLN DG664 Struck Off Charge
Hawk Trainer M. 2W G-ADWT NF750 Awaiting Test Flights
Hawk Trainer M. 2X G-AEAX DG666 Damaged Beyond Repair
Falcon Major M. 3A G-ADHG A37-3 Airworthy
Falcon Major M. 3A G-ADFH HM496 Dismantled
Falcon Major M. 3A G-ADIU A37-6 Dismantled
Falcon Six M. 3D G-AEAG A37-1 Stored
Falcon Six M. 3D G-AECC DG576 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AERS ES922 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A OO-UMK BD168 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AERV EM999 Rebuild to Airworthy
Whitney Straight M.11A ZK-AEO NZ576 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AETS DR611 Scrapped
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEUX DJ713 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEVF BS814 Scrapped
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEVA DR612 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEWA DJ714 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEVL DP855 Scrapped
Whitney Straight M.11A ZK-AFG NZ579 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEVM BS815 Scrapped
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEWK AV970 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEYA DP237 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AFAB BD145 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AEXJ BS818 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AFCN V4739 Scrapped
Whitney Straight M.11A ZK-AGB NZ577 Crashed
Whitney Straight M.11A G-AFJX BD183 Rebuild?
Whitney Straight M.11B G-AERC AV971 Scrapped
Mohawk M.12 G-AEKW HM503 Rebuild
Hawk Trainer Mk. III M.14 G-AFBS BB661 Display
Hawk Trainer Mk. III M.14A ZK-AEZ NZ585 Destroyed
Monarch M.17 G-AFCR W6461 Crashed
Monarch M.17 G-AFJU X9306 Display
Monarch M.17 G-AFJZ W6462 Scrapped
Monarch M.17 G-AFRZ W6463 Stored

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

Air Britain's Aviation World 60th anniversary issue of Sep 2008 included a cover CD of historical AB issues as pdfs, including Impressments Log Vol 1 to 4 plus Index.

May be available as a complete back-issue from AB.

I am sure they are running a current propmotion in that you get the Cover CD 'FREE' if you join as a Member

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19 years

Posts: 2,895

Air Britain's Aviation World 60th anniversary issue of Sep 2008 included a cover CD of historical AB issues as pdfs, including Impressments Log Vol 1 to 4 plus Index.

May be available as a complete back-issue from AB.


I have a set of AB Impressment Logs in my little library - as they seem to have been highly sought after I guess that means the 'value' of my library has taken a tumble :eek::D

Roger Smith.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,598

"I have a set of AB Impressment Logs in my little library - as they seem to have been highly sought after I guess that means the 'value' of my library has taken a tumble "

Well the data is available virtually now and well as physically. I would expect serious book collectors though would still want the Phyical over the Virtual, but the 'serial hounds' would have left the market

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19 years

Posts: 797

There's a set of Impressments Log going for £50 on Abebooks. Don't own one but I know a man who does. Lovely 1960s-vintage A-B style.