STIRLING PROJECT NEWSLETTER NO. 10 (2007/08)

Patron: The Lord Mackie of Benshie, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C., LL, D.
Chairman: Brian Harris D.F.C., Dibdene, The Green, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0UA
Secretary: Dr. Geoff Edwards, Redcroft, St. Nicolas Ave., Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7AQ
Treasurer: Derek Hahn FCCA, 16 Cromwell Place, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7LF
e-mail:info@stirlingproject.co.uk
Registered Charity No.1077113

Please contact:
Brian Harris D.F.C.,Dibdene, The Green, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0UA
Tel: 01483 892626

"TURIN RETURN".

XV Squadron Stirling BF 439 LS-’D’ returning to Bourn on 04/02/43

 The above picture is from an original oil painting by the celebrated artist Philip West, ASAA, below

Mr R. A. Fellows with the original oil painting he commissioned. It is now part of his collection.

Has the Stirling Project reached freezing level in Russia? (See below).

Last February, we were delighted to receive the support of the British Military and Air Attache in Moscow, Air Cdre. Andrew Verdon, who offered to help repatriate the “Russian” Stirling. His support included obtaining a letter for us from the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, RAF, to his opposite number in Russia, Colonel-General Zelin. The letter mentioned that the matter of the Stirling would be raised when the above two met in September. Zelin was to be asked formally to allow the Stirling to be released to us. There was even talk of an RAF C17 being used to transport the Stirling parts. Copies of the e-mails are shown below.

Date: Monday, February 11, 2008 1:31 PM

From: Andy.Verdon@fco.gov.uk Defence and Air Attache Doyen of the Moscow Attache

To: geoff.edwards18@sky.com

SUBJECT The Russian Stirling

Geoff - for Brian.

Dear Brian -

When we spoke today I promised that I would confirm my thoughts in writing.   Thank you for filling in the rest of the story on the Stirling and its recent history.  I am convinced that the best way to get the aircraft back is to go through the Chief of the Air Staff in London.   He can write to his opposite number in Russia - Colonel General Zelin, simply asking to be allowed to recover the Stirling to the UK, pointing it out that it is the only surviving example, and hence is of immense importance to us.  I will translate the letter into Russian and make sure it gets to Zelin, and we can take it from there. CAS is Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy KCB CBE DSO ADC BSc(Eng) FRAeS RAF.  Address is Ministry of Defence, Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB. In your letter to CAS, say that you have spoken to me, and I have advised that this is the best way to go about it.  CAS will want to know what you intend to do with the aircraft once it's back in UK.  Support for this project from the RAF Museum is, I would think, essential.  And you need to have the means to recover it - although the RAF may be able to come up with a C17.   Did I read somewhere that part of the Stirling's specification was that the fuselage had to be transportable in an RAF standard crate of the time (in sections) - hence its square cross-section? Best wishes Andy V Andy Verdon

Tue. Jul 22, 2008 at 12:10pm

Dear Geoff -  

I am still on the case.  The letter from CAS to Col Gen Zelin went out on 2 June, which means it's still a bit early to expect a reply.  The Russians will need to do some research, and the bureaucracy will add to the timeline.    I did actually meet Zelin last week, but it was on an airliner and I didn't get the chance to talk much (he was travelling in the company of 2 deputy defence ministers).   CAS is now set to come to Moscow in early November, so I hope that we will get a reply to his letter long before then.  Whatever happens, when CAS meets Zelin the Stirling Project will be one of the main issues on our agenda.   I am returning to the UK for good on 14 Aug, but don't worry, I will hand over the file to my successor - Air Cdre Mark McGeown.   Please give my regards to Brian Harris.   Best wishes   Andy V 

Andy Verdon Fri. Aug l, 2008 at 12:10pm

Dear Geoff - 

I have bad news to impart.  I have just received a reply to CAS's letter to Zelin.  It is literally a one-line diplomatic note from the Main Air Force Command saying that "the issue of permissions is beyond the authority of the Russian Air Force".  I enclose the dipnote for reference.   So what is the next step?  I leave Moscow on 15 Aug and my replacement has not yet received a visa.  My assistant air attache (AAA) leaves Moscow today (bad planning I know, but impossible to co-ordinate due to factors beyond our control).  The replacement AAA has just been refused a visa in a silly tit-for-tat case and so Defence Section Moscow is in limbo for some time to come.   However, I will be briefing my replacement (Air Cdre Mark McGeown) in the UK in late August and will ask him to visit both Loukhi and Pushkin, to see if he can gain access to the 2 halves of the Stirling.  Where we go from there, I don't know.  Maybe elevate the issue to governmental level or get financial support from one of the oil companies out here once things calm down with TNK-BP.   Sorry to be the purveyor of bad news.  The only thing to have cheered me up today is your pictures of the landing strips.  My e-mail address in the UK is verdons@verdonet.org.uk.  Please keep in touch.  

Andy V

Sadly, the new “freeze” between the Russia and the West has halted proceedings. Naturally, we shall be in touch with the successor of Andy Verdon, and on a more hopeful note, will pursue the ideas mentioned in the above e-mail. We shall request that he visit both Loukhi and Pushkin to confirm that the Stirling remains at the two places mentioned.

OBITUARY OF A MUCH DECORATED STIRLING PILOT

Wing Commander ‘Tubby’ Baker joined No. 7 Squadron, equipped with the Stirling, at RAF Oakington in March 1943. He attacked Berlin on the 27th of March, when his aircraft was coned by searchlights and hit several times by anti-aircraft fire. One of his engines was destroyed and another seriously damaged. Evading searchlights and flak, he lost height, but was unable to climb, and was forced to take a longer low-level route home, arriving back at Oakington having been airborne for eight hours. His flak-damaged undercarriage collapsed on landing and the Stirling was a write-off.

Over the next few months, Baker attacked all the major targets, including all four raids constituting the “Battle of Hamburg” and a few days later, he was awarded a DFC.
On the 17th of August 1943, he attacked the secret weapons establishment at Peenemunde.

So high were the losses among the Stirling force that he was appointed a flight commander only a few months after his arrival. Returning to Berlin, he attacked targets in the Ruhr, and on raids to Turin and Milan, he was airborne for more than ten hours. After almost 40 operations, he was rested and awarded a DSO.

He then returned to operations and was appointed to the dangerous role of master bomber, directing raids by remaining circling over the target area for 30 to 40 minutes, directing pathfinder crews, and also controlling the main bomber force. Many master bombers were lost in the process.

On the 13th of March 1945, he attacked Wuppertal in daylight and on landing, was informed that he had been grounded, having completed his hundredth operation, at a time when the average life expectancy of a bomber pilot was some ten sorties.

‘Tubby’ Baker died on the 28th of July 2007.

Our New Chapter Begins

A Stirling forward fuselage is under construction.

The cockpit begins to take shape. 

"Part of our aircraft is no longer missing"
Pino Lombardi receives a Stirling control column at Delft. See text below).

Our readers will be aware that since the Second World War, there is sadly no Stirling aircraft cockpit section on display to the public. Despite the fact that there are also very limited surviving original Shorts manufacturer’s drawings, The Stirling Project is planning to address this by building a complete front fuselage section of a Stirling bomber. This will be a full scale, aluminium riveted construction, front fuselage section, as close to the original as possible and will include the cockpit coupe, frame stations, longerons and skinning, as in the original manufacture. 
During our many years of research, we have gathered a vast amount of information with which to build this section for display to the public. Over the years we have been quietly working to collate information and recreate the necessary foundation steps. Using original drawings, large amounts of original data and photographs, we are now also using modern technology and are producing a three dimensional CAD (computer aided design) ‘model’, thanks to our new member, David Collins. This will help us to ‘reverse engineer’ a complete front fuselage section. The finished section will encompass the whole flight deck with our pilot’s instrument panel, throttle box, pilot’s seats & chassis, rudder pedals and control columns, all of which are being worked on at present, simultaneously by members of The Stirling Project. We also intend to install our previously completed FN5 front gun turret. 
Depending on the money we can raise, the section will be extended to include the wireless operator and flight engineer stations as well as the pilot, bomb aimer and navigator stations already planned. This could make it some 25 feet in length! It is not just the funding that we require for this however. It will also depend on enough working space, having sufficient skilled and unskilled volunteers, tools, equipment and materials. 
This is a big undertaking and will need to be planned carefully but with your help it can be achieved. Much work has already been completed on the instrument panels and we have recently acquired from the University of Delft, an original pilot’s control column; we have seat frames and chassis, rudder pedals, throttle box, and various other important items that we have either purchased or restored. Considerable effort has gone into making seat chassis, using Shorts Standard drawings. We are using the Delft control column as a pattern to reproduce the second-pilot’s control column. Many intricate small items are required for this complicated assembly as shown in the pictures below. Most of the items in the right-hand picture are castings we have commissioned, and these now require to be accurately machined and finished. The sourcing of the Imperial-size ball-races and other rare items required considerable research .

STIRLING CAPTION COMPETITION:

“Bomber” Reeves, relaxing at Melsbrook Airfield in Belgium, 26th of February 1946. How does the one-legged Stirling support itself? We all wonder. Send your caption for this photograph, preferably with a donation, to our treasurer, Derek Hahn FCCA, 16 Cromwell Place, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7LF and we will publish the winner’s name in the next edition.

Night Bombers
by O. C. Chave

Eastward they climb, black shapes against the grey
Of falling dusk, gone with the nodding day
From English fields. Not theirs the sudden glow
Of triumph that their fighter-brothers know;
Only to fly through cloud, through storm, through night,
Unerring, and to keep their purpose bright,
Nor turn until, their dreadful duty done,
Westward they climb to race the awakened sun. 

Our Chairman and Flt. Lt, Chave were both on XV Sqdn., based at Bourn, and they attacked the same targets, Hamburg on 3rd Feb. 1943, Turin on the 4th of Feb. 1943, and many others until, sadly, Chave was killed on the 14th of February 1943 attacking Cologne. It happened to be the 11th operational flight for both men.

ITEMS FOR SALE.

    DVD:
Also available are copies of the DVD “Remember the Stirling” produced by our Chairman, which records the progress of the Stirling from 1941, to Arnhem.
Price: £15.99 including P&P in the UK.

Please send donations to our Treasurer:
Derek Hahn FCCA., 16 Cromwell Place, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 0LF

Registered Charity No. 107713