| cliff lowe, e-mail, 02.12.2013 20:14 for about 2 years I refuelled and towed Bev's at RAF Abingdon1963-64. that pic at the top is on the BEV washing pan outside the refuelling flight at Abingdon.
backing a Bev into F hanger with a Tug Master was a bit tricky at first.once I took a Bev to the end of a runway for a compass swing. but the Chiefy said lets have a cup of tea first. so as I was driving away someone shouted 'the Bev's moving' so I chased it down the runway, It was without it's back doors [the reason it was moving at about 10mph]
as we chased it the Tower gave it a green to take off. I got up to it and a liney [who had forgot to put on the hand brake]climbed over the bonnet of the tugmaster and got into the Bev.I see that someone told about a landrover made a hole in Saisbury plain. When at RAF Old Sarum I took a coach load of German Air Force Officers to Lark Hill to watch a heavy drop by a Bev. only one of the 6 chutes opened of the land rover pallet and after the dust had settled a bulldozer came out of some woods and filled in the hole.then went back into the woods.the CO'S Marine driver and I fell about laughing the Germans were not amused. reply |
| Revd. Andrew MacKenzie, e-mail, 19.10.2013 19:15 Duly went Fort Paull and saw the only complete surviving Bev. My wife was well impressed. It seemed to be nearly as big as a 747! The floor sockets were well and truly u /s, and will never work again. Brought back a lot of 30 Squadron memories. reply |
| carl mann, e-mail, 13.09.2013 18:10 April 60 - May 62 Served with 84 Sqd Aden avionics tech. close shave June 61 aircraft blown up terrorist Bahrain refuel stop A.M. sec heavy lift short range U.K. Singapore ??? served the country well. reply |
| Revd. Andrew MacKenzie, e-mail, 09.09.2013 18:30 Was a Role Eqpt. Corporal airframe fitter on 30 Squadron Eastleigh from May 1961-November 1963. Just about to pay a visit to Fort Paull to see the last remaining Bev there. I shall give the floor sockets a hefty boot! reply |
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| John Lowe, e-mail, 19.07.2013 12:11 Hi,i did my first plane jump from a beverley in early 1957 when with the parachute regt.I broke my back on a jump from a bev in may 1959.We jumped from 3 exits port,starboard and boom.It is said this was never done but i know it was.I love this air craft and have many happy memories about it.I would love to get a a nice picture of one.We also did rigging courses to load platforms for dropping land rovers.all at abingdon.It has been great to read how other people enjoyed this air craft.Many thanks John. reply |
| Maurice Millard, e-mail, 27.04.2013 17:53 I was an an apprentice at Blackburn's in the 1950's. As I recall the GAL-60 wasn't a Beverly prototype, it was a little smaller, with Hercules engines. The Beverly was bigger, with a large upper rear fuselage. The marketing pitch was that the rear fuselage was larger than a C-47.
The Beverly prototype had a "lash-up" wing center section. One of my assignments was on a team building a production center section with was retro-fitted to the prototype.
The field at Brough was a little tight for an aircraft this size, the prop 'auto-reverse' was very handy. reply |
| Ronnie Claassen, e-mail, 27.04.2013 09:50 Forgot to mention the date we South Africans did the cours at Abingdon. October 1960 to December 1960. Completed only 15 jumps due to adverse weather conditions. Jumps were made from Balloon, Beverley, Hastings as well as two jumps from a helicopter reply |
| Ronnie Claassen, e-mail, 27.04.2013 09:28 I am a South African Ex Paratrooper who with fourteen other South Africans did a jumping course at No 1 Parachute Training Scool at Abingdon. After two balloon jumps, our first Ac jump m was from a Beverley. Grand Aeroplane. Greetings to all. reply |
| Robert Garrett, e-mail, 06.04.2013 17:24 I was a RAF PJI at Abingdon during the 60's and worked despatching trainee Paras from Bevs - Hastings - ect would like to hear from anyone who was there during this time - I now live in Aus reply |
| Bob Garrett, e-mail, 04.04.2013 13:41 Was a PJI at Abigdon throuthout the 60s - Dispatched many Paras from the 'Old Flying Elephant' Now live in Aus - Anyone remember me ?? reply |
| Vince (John) Nolan, e-mail, 30.03.2013 13:26 Loved this old 'Flying Elephant' did my first jumps from it at Abingdon - It was roomy and easy to exit for para - I can smell the arcid fuel now just lookig at the pic - Loved Abingdon including the food and the RAF girls - Went back later on a APJI course and made a lot of friends Army and RAF as I stayed in the Sgt Mess there - I am still in contact with one RAF PJI who now lives in Australia - Bob Garrett if anyone remembers him let me know as I am in daily contact on email - Happy Days - PS Did not like the Hasings reply |
| A Michie, 15.03.2013 22:22 The beverly moved the 1 st bn the Gordon highlanders from Kenya to Swaziland in the early sixties great air craft reply |
| A Michie, 15.03.2013 22:20 The beverly moved the 1 st bn the Gordon highlanders from Kenya to Swaziland in the early sixties great air craft reply |
| jack, e-mail, 12.01.2013 21:16 The Beverley boom was my first aircraft jump on para course back in the early sixties great aircraft slow but sure. Flew in the Beverley many times and my final Beverley flight was from Butterworth via KL to Singapore in 67. An RAF friend in Singapore told me they were stripping bits off aircraft just to keep 1 or two flying. Not sure when they finished in service? reply |
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| john benton, e-mail, 18.08.2012 23:14 Imagine this aircraft with turboprops. What a piece of kit it would have been. reply |
| john perryman, e-mail, 17.05.2012 11:56 Para's training 10th bat 1962 Abingdon door came off so we had to land.Does anyone remember Sooty RAF sargent instructor realy thick jump boots used to be a drifter.
Up 800 ft five men jumping! reply |
| martin ( jock ) leslie, e-mail, 03.05.2012 16:58 I had two years on 84 sqdn, 1963 to 1965.
learnt more about my own abilities keeping these monsters servicable, from Aden to Kenya, Southern Rhodesia ( as it was then )Swaziland and all points south, great times. reply |
| billd766, e-mail, 26.01.2012 16:16 Actually Norman the Beverleys were usually only 4 in number and 2 came from 30 Sqdn at Eastleigh and the other 2 came from 84 at Khormaksar.
I worked on them from June 1963 to June 1964 so if you were there at the time we probably know each other.
RAF Norman, fostekew=btopenworld.com, 04.11.2011
Whilst serving in the RAF in the Middle East, there was a squadron of Beverley's based at RAF Muharraq in Bahrain in 1964. Flew in this aircraft on many occasions delivering machinery for MPBW to distant outposts, Para drops, air sea rescue (The Beverley was used in the search for survivors including that of the MEA Caravelle which crashed into the sea whilst attempting to land at nearby Dahran in April 1964. I have Such Fond memories of this incredible versatile aircraft. reply |
| RAF Norman, e-mail, 04.11.2011 19:56 Whilst serving in the RAF in the Middle East, there was a squadron of Beverley's based at RAF Muharraq in Bahrain in 1964. Flew in this aircraft on many occasions delivering machinery for MPBW to distant outposts, Para drops, air sea rescue (The Beverley was used in the search for survivors including that of the MEA Caravelle which crashed into the sea whilst attempting to land at nearby Dahran in April 1964. I have Such Fond memories of this incredible versatile aircraft. reply |
| Keith Greenwood, e-mail, 27.10.2011 08:17 Back in the late 50's I was a balloon operator at RAF Abingdon and sent up many jumpers in the gondala for there first jump. On sports afternoon some of us would try and get a flight in the Beverley air craft,great way to spend an hour or two.Love abingdon camp, food not great, but company was good. reply |
