RAF ABINGDON 15.06.1968 'QUEENS REVIEW FLYPAST'

[Everett1285]

Hi,
Can anyone please help identify those aircraft participating in the Queen review flypast held on the Saturday 15th June 1968. I have visited the Scramble list for the day but as you can see there are quite a few gaps.

Formations Flypasts

31x JET PROVOSTS (Royal Cypher formation)
XR644, XR656

24x VICTOR/VULCANS

VICTOR B.2: XL511, XL169, XL192,

VULCAN B.2: XH557, XH562, XL317, XM571, XL427

24x WESSEX HC2 of 18/72 SQ.

XT673/Y, XT670/U, XR498/M, XR520/B, XT675/Z, XT607/P, XR517/G, XR506/H
XV720/T, XT606/O, XV721/K, XR525/G, XR509/N, XR524/F, XT678/L, XV725/A,
XT669/T, XR516/E, XT681/Q, XV722/U, XV724/S, XS678/K, XR501/C, ...../N

24x LIGHTNINGS: XM171, XM214.

12x HUNTERS:

Role/Individual Demonstrations:

4 X Lightning Reheat Climb Demonstration
38 Group Tactical Demonstration
3 x Argosy
8x Hunter FGA9: XE597/A, XE624/B, XG195/C, XG228/D, XG130/E, XG251/J, XE651/L, XE650/U
1 x Shackleton
1 x Nimrod
1 x VC-10
1 X Belfast
1 x Andover
2 x Hercules

Thanks in anticipation
Regards
Everett1285

[ZappaFan]

This may be another pint you owe me! ;-) Courtesy of good old "BAR" I found the display report listed below.
Cheers,
Rod.

In the morning 58 Sq Canberra PR.7’s arrived and made several passes at various levels over the airfield; noted during the day were WJ815, WJ821, WT512. B2 WK116/H 85 Sq appeared later and landed. Benson Wg Argosy C.1 XN819 and Queen’s Flt Whirlwind HCC.12 XR486 also arrived while LTW Hercules C.1’s XV196 and XV217 were seen overhead.

The display proper started in the afternoon with a flypast of 31 Jet Provosts in Royal “EIIR” formation. The following 30 a/c are “reasonably confirmed”:

1 FTS XP626/39, XP627/40, XP633/41, XP637/42, XP662/48, XP668/50, XP676/47, XP681/53, XR656/54, XR637/37, XR674/44.
2 FTS XP617/49, XP620/43, XP628/47, XP630/50, XP641/34, XP664/42, XP665/38, XP677/35, XS183/46.
3 FTS XP581/43, XS185/54, XS220/47.
6 FTS XP585/45, XP634/40, XP636/42, XR644/51, XR659/55, XR706/62, XS182/48.

Next came veteran aircraft which were already on the field (can be supplied if I find time), followed by flypasts by Spitfire “N3319/CD-K” (AB910 ?) and Hurricane IIC “H3420/F” (port)/”H3422/H” (stbd) – actually LF363 – both from BoB filming at Duxford; then Mosquito T.3 RR299 and Lancaster B.1 PA474/KM-B.

Strike Command was next with a formation of 24:
Victor B.2 Wittering Wg XH673, XL160, XL189, XL192, XL511, XM717.
Vulcan B.2 Scampton Wg XL317, XL360, XL384, XL388, XL427, XM595.
Vulcan B.2 Cottesmore Wg XH562, XJ781, XJ823, XL445, XM569, XM571, XM599.
Vulcan B.2 Waddington Wg XH557, XM605, XM607, XM650, XM657.
Note that Cottesmore/Waddington continually exchanged a/c so the above are ‘last known’.

CFS “Tomahaks” Sioux HT.2 XV314/M, XV315/W, XV317/Z (plus spare XV323/L).

Coastal Command – Shackleton MR.3/3 WR979/D; Nimrod XV148 A&AEE.

38 Group: Argosy C.1 XN853, XP437, XR141 Benson Wg; Hercules C.1 XV178 A&AEE and XV214 24 Sq; Andover C.1 XS603 46 Sq; Belfast C.1 XR368 53 Sq.
Hunter FGA.9’s 1 Sq XE597/A, XE624/B, XG195/C, XG228/D, XG130/E, XG251/J, XE651/L, XE650/U – provided top cover while the following Wessex moved in:
18 Sq XV725/A, XR501/C, XR516/E, XR504/F, XR517/G, XV721/K, XT678/L, XR509/N, XT681/Q, XV724/S, XV720/T, XV722/U.
72 Sq XR520/B, XR524/F, XR525/G, XR526/H, XS678/K, XR498/M, XT606/O, XT607/P, XT669/T, XT670/U, XT673/Y, XT675/Z.

Following this assault there was another flypast:
Lightning F.1A 226 OCU XM171, XM182, XM189, XM215.
Lightning F.3 111 Sq XR713/C, XP706/D, XR716/F, XP762/M.
Lightning T.4 226 OCU XM968, XM970, XM987, XM997.
Lightning T.5 226 OCU XS420, XS452, XS458, XS459.
Lightning F.6 5 Sq XS903/A, XS923/C, XS894/F, XS898/K.
Lightning F.6 11 Sq XS904/A, XS918/B, XS928/D, XS933/J.
12 x Hunters of 299 OCU of which the following were obtained: F.6 XE608/32, XE653/28, XE656/56, XF515/60, XG197/39, XG199/44; FGA.9 XF430/N, XF456/S; FR.10 XF426/12, XG596/13.

The Lighhtnings of 23 Sq climbed away above the formation using reheat. Solo demos followed by Harrier XV276 and 226 OCU Lightning F.1A XM216. Wessex HC.2 XV725 dropped a car onto the airfield, and Argosy C.1 XR143 dropped “The Falcons” paras. The Red Arrows completed the display.

[ZappaFan]

PS Just realised there's no mention of a VC-10....

[Everett1285]

Thanks very much ZappaFan for a very comprehensive list it's very much appreciated.

Regards
Colin

[jmhenderson]

Have just come across this thread and have found the reports most interesting. However, I was there on the day before, 14 Jun; can anyone provide me with, or point me in the direction of, similar information for this, the Royal day. I would think a lot of the aircraft were the same but not all.

One small correction JP T4 XR637/37 of 1 FTS should be XR657.

Yours

Martin

[SteveW62]

Hi Guys,

I just found this thread & have an ( unhealthy) interest in the JP serial numbers.

I started the website www.Linton-GIN.com & one of the pages covers this flypast. I've had contact with most of the 1FTS pilots & list the serial numbers ( confirmed by their log books where I can ) on this page
http://www.linton-gin.com/misc/EIIR.html

Please feel free to add more Info if you can.

All the Best
Steve

[BIFFOVSKI]

HI.
This is possibly the answer to my request of 30 March , when i asked about formations for trooping the colour in the mid-late 60's .
I said that i had seen large formation of Victors and Vulcans during the Whit half term holidays .
It was possibly the start of the work up for this event that i saw .

M