Bristol Fighter G-ACCG (ex J6790)

By: avion ancien - 17th December 2019 at 12:00 Permalink

'F W Maitland-Emmet had been flying a Brisfit from St Edward's School until about 1936 (I bet you lot can tell me what happened to that) .....'

Thread creep, maybe, but G-ABYE was registered to M.Emmett at Woodley in 1932 before being acquired by UAS at Witney in 1935. It is said to have been withdrawn from use in 1934 (so maybe acquired for spares?) and its registration was cancelled in 1938. Curiously it was rebuilt four times, in 1924, 1925, 1927 and c.1930, acquiring a new construction number each time. However sadly I can't see anything in this that might shine light on the post-war ATC career of G-ACCG. But thank you, Adrian and Comet Guy, for your input.

By: avion ancien - 14th October 2020 at 10:20 Permalink - Edited 14th October 2020 at 10:21

G-ACCG features in the 1945 film 'The World Owes Me a Living'. A trailer for that film shows that when it was made (presumably in 1944 - it was released in January 1945) G-ACCG then was in a good condition and, at least, capable of taxiing. Not until seeing the film - which is being shown next Sunday - will one know, possibly, whether it then still was airworthy. However what it does indicate is that G-ACCG survived the war and so it is feasible that, subsequent to its film appearance, it was donated to the Guildford ATC squadron.

By: avion ancien - 16th March 2023 at 14:28 Permalink

I did watch this film, back in October 2020, but, it seems, I did not note what I saw. I shall have to wait for its next showing on the Talking Pictures television channel!

By: avion ancien - 17th March 2023 at 15:28 Permalink - Edited 17th March 2023 at 15:42

Thank you, Aerotony.

Unless the Brisfit in the film was not but bore the registration mark of G-ACCG (something for which there would be no logical justification), the clear indication from that segment of the film is that G-ACCG was not scrapped in 1939 and was extant and possibly airworthy at least as late as 1944 (I'm assuming that this was the production year as the film was released in January 1945). The film begs the question what was the identity of the crashed and burning Brisfit. One hopes that it was not G-ACCG, but this must be a possibility as I doubt that much value attached to a WWI era biplane in 1944. However I am still led back to the claim, mentioned in my opening post,  that in 1949 G-ACCG was donated by Vokes Ltd. to an ATC Squadron in Guildford, which retained it as an instructional airframe until, at latest, 1951. But the worrying thing about that claim is that, despite my research, I've found nothing to corroborate it.

On another forum I posted on this same topic and its evident that, there, I did so after watching the film. Thus it might be helpful to draw on that to elaborate on what I've posted here.

'The World Owes Me a Living' is an interesting film. But as to the plot, well, let's just say that it left something to be desired! However the aviation content made it well worth watching. In addition to the Bristol Fighter (G-ACCG) and Avro Avian (G-EBWU)(withdrawn from use and transferred to National Studios, Elstree, as 'stage property' in August 1944), the film also featured Klemm L27 (G-ABJX)(whose forward cockpit appears to have been faired over), which is recorded as having been withdrawn from use in November 1939 and scrapped at Burton, Wiltshire, in 1946. However judging by the film, in 1944 G-ABJX was capable of taxying and, it seems, flying. So I wonder what happened to it in 1945/46 which led to it being scrapped so soon after being used for filming? Furthermore, judging by the film the Avian was in surprisingly good condition for something recorded as having been transferred to the studio as 'stage property'. It is shown with its motor running smoothly and taxying. The film also featured an unidentified Tiger Moth and quite a bit of footage of an Airspeed Horsa being assembled (to represent the 'freight glider' on which the latter part of the film majors). Beyond that, the aviation content appears to be mockups and models - the former of a cockpit of a Dragon Rapide (but with two forward seats) or a Dragonfly and the latter of the same and the Bristol Fighter. Also featured is what I presume to be stock footage of a 1930s twin engine monoplane bomber (which I failed to identify).

T

By: avion ancien - 18th March 2023 at 11:26 Permalink

Thank you, MM. It's good to see, little by little, new elements of this story emerging.

I've searched, in vain, for the production dates of 'The World Owes Me a Living'. They may be available at ImdbPro but I cannot access that. But if any forum members are ImdbPro subscribers .... ! Those dates might give an indication of whether the damage to the Klemm was suffered in the course of or subsequent to the production of the film.

The A-B information that the Klemm was 'damaged through exposure' suggests that it was left on some outdoor film lot or where location filming had taken place. I wonder if the same applies to the Brisfit and the Avian? If so, it demonstrates how little value these superannuated airframes must have had in the immediate post-war years.

The CAA records (G-INFO) indicate that Shackleton had the Klemm before British National Films (BNF). It was registered to Shackleton in July & August 1944 and to BNF from August 1944 to June 1945. Thus perhaps it's reasonable to assume that BNF acquired it from Shackleton for use in the film; that it flew in that (if not, why bother to register it?); and that, when filming was complete, it was returned to Shackleton (did Shackleton sell as principal or agent?) to be offered for sale in May 1945. Perhaps it's also reasonable to assume that the Klemm didn't find a buyer or, at least, not one who flew it because its registration history terminates in June 1945 although, enigmatically, its final entry is in the 'change of ownership of aircraft' rather than the 'destruction or permanent withdrawal from use' or 'cancellation by the Secretary of State' column of the CAA records and there is no record of its registration specifically being cancelled. So, perhaps, the Klemm did find a buyer but, perhaps, not one who flew it or not one in the UK.

The CAA records for the Avian also indicate that it was registered to BNF between August 1944 (like the Klemm - does this suggest that production of the film did not commence before this date?) and November 1945. This suggests that it was airworthy and flown at some point between these dates (if not, why bother to register it?). The latter date was that of the post-war ARB 'housekeeping' exercise, to clear the register of aircraft that no longer were extant or airworthy. The registration of the Avian was never specifically cancelled but it has no post November 1945 history.

Oddly, the registration history of the Brisfit differs from that of the Klemm and the Avian. It was never registered to BNF. Its last registered owner was M. N. Mavrogordato, at Hooton Park, and its registration was cancelled in July 1939 as destroyed or permanently withdrawn from use. So if, as the film suggests, it flew in 1944, I wonder how BNF squared that with the ARB?

Finally, still I have found nothing to corroborate the claim that the Brisfit was given to the Guildford ATC Squadron (No. 261?) by Vokes Ltd. or that the squadron kept and used it until, possibly, as late as 1951.

By: avion ancien - 18th March 2023 at 15:58 Permalink

Cecil Packer's grandson posted on another forum, with which I am involved, promising to post photographs of his grandfather's aircraft (of which there were quite a few!) but, unfortunately, it was a promise that was not kept (q.v. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15780.msg74731#msg74731).