Vickers Valetta

After completing my square bashing at Padgate, I was transferred to Lyneham and given my dream job as an engine mechanic, I was only there few short weeks before, in 1951 - a crisis in Persia (now Iran) cropped up and I was transferred far away from my home in south Wales to Dishforth There I completed my training and was allocated to Valetta DSS (Daily Servicing Section)

I loved my job which entailed the daily servicing of the stations Valletta's Other duties involved refuelling, reoiling, marshalling and tyre and engine checking (mainly for oil leaks) at the end of the runway while they were doing 'circuits and bumps', As the airfield also flew Hastings, they transferred the Valettas night flying to nearby Rufforth, the first aircraft out took the tyre checkers out and the last one brought them back.

I was fortunate to go as a passenger on a training flight to Tripoli (Libya) in August 1952. Almost exactly a year before, on a similar flight - this time from Malta, One of our Valetta's on its way back to Dishforth crashed at Lyneham killing all 10 on board.

My first ever flight was in a Valetta shortly after arriving at Dishforth, I didn't know at the time that it was being flight tested after its major service, it (seemed to) stand on its tail at takeoff, then, after tossing it around – one prop was feathered, then shortly after the other was feathered and we landed on the one engine. Quite an experience for my first flight!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Dishforth where I specialized in replacing bipod brackets (small brackets which held the exhaust pipes) on the Hercules engines; my least favourite job was replacing the wiring looms on their magnetos. my last job was replacing a Rotol airscrew. Then it was back to my office job in civvy street, Life has never been quite the same since..

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I was an engine mech on 216 squadron 53-55. we had eight Pigs to look after, my memories include getting back to Fayid to find that one wheel refused to lock down, and we all had to take turns to manually pump it down. We were lucky in those days to be able to fly in the co-pilots seat on a journey to places like Pakistan or Aden and looking back I wouldnt have missed it for the world

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I flew as a (first tour) Air Signaller on 52 Sqn at RAAF Butterworth Sept. 1963 to March 1966. 52 was the last Sqn operating the 'pig' in the transport role. We were heavily involved in Borneo during the 'confrontation' with Indonesia mostly supply dropping and short range transport. Happy days for a 20 year-old who was a real innocent abroad. The aircraft were by this time very tired and only the skill of the very experienced aircrew and groundcrew kept us all in one peice! My tour ended co-incidentally with the aircraft being scrapped but what fond memories.

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I served in the 10th Hussars from 1955 to 1957.On several occasions I flew in a Valetta between Cyprus and Aqaba. Many of these flights were quite exciting with extreme turbulence over Sinai. On the 17th April 1952 I was in the advance party leaving Aqaba. We were basically divided into 2 on the basis of surnames. As my surname began with a "W" I was on the 2nd flight. We learned on our journey down to Aqaba from Ma'an that the first aircraft had gone down. We were given the chance to stand down but we all wanted to get back to the UK. The flight to Habbaniya was fairly rough. I often think of those I knew who perished.

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I was posted to 30 Sqdn at RAF Abingdon in Jan 1952
Several of the Valletas were in VIP configuration - On return from three months in the Canal Zone I once again joined 30 Sqdn for a short period which at that time had transferred to RAF Benson thus placing the VIP Valletas with the aircraft of the then Queen's flight. From my recollection, they were far more reliable that the Handley-Page Hastings of TCASF which we serviced at RAF Abingdon for the Para Training School,

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I had reason to fly in "pig" in 1954 /5 while serving with the RAF at Car Nicobar - very happy days. See photo's on Flickr. 4114681 cpl ian austin

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HI, I did my parachute jumps at Abbingdon early 1957.Idid two jumps from the Valletta i was 1st out on one and last on the other.The last three had to climb over the spar at the rear.leaving a large gap in the stick.

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I was on Air Movements at Butterworth & Changi late 1955-56 and worked on the FETW Valettas and flown in them many times, I liked them, apart from the incline of the floor when loading heavy freight, same as the Hastings. I did do one trip to Saigon to change the load (FEAF Band) from a u /s aircraft to it's replacement. All the paperwork for the return flight I done as we flew back.

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I did my sac trade test on a pig at kai Tak 1954 ish. As an airframe mech working on Venoms doing a test on a Valetta was a bit strange. They were a wonderful set of blokes in that hanger, always having a laugh.

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tanks and had also fround traces of water in the port engine filter. We did finally arrive back to Egypt in one piece!

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Ken Wallace. kenwallace100@yahoo.co.uk 26.2. 2011
I was a driver in ABU SUEIR,saw off the lads on that York, didnt think it would take off,then got the news it had gone down in Malta,on the 18th.then got a telegram my wife had given birth to a baby "CIRL"!!on the 17th, myself and two others were given a flight home in a valleta, it was supposed to be a training flight,all the other passengers were zobits.there were two windows missing,and when we landed in Marselle the runway was covered in Slushy snow, we took off,and encountered snow clouds over the Channel, as you now we were facing the tail plane, the pilot had to fly down through the cloud to get a fix,as I looked out my window ,Isaw "cloud, cloud, FENCE"!!! To this day,I thank God that I was in a Valleta,because there were no phone homes in those days,I was considered by everybody to have perished at Zurrieg, they even took my wifes headphones away in the hospital, "wemight have called you PIGS but on that day, Iowe my lfe to you"

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HI MY FATHER F /LT JOHN EDWARD MILNER,KNOWN AS JACK WAS A VALETTA PILOT.HE WAS ON ONE OF THE FIRST COURSES AT 242 O.C.U AT RAF DISFORTH TO CONVERT.HE WAS ON NO 23 MEDIUM RANGE COURSE IN 1951.HE LATER WAS SENT TO 52 SQN FOR TWO YEARS AT RAF CHANGI,AND FINALLY 30 SQN AT RAF DISFORTH FOR TWO YEARS.HE LEFT THE RAF IN APRIL 1955 TO BECOME A CIVIL AIRLINE PILOT.DAD IS NOW 86 AND LIVING IN WEST SUSSEX.ANYONE WHO KNEW HIM CAN CONTACT HIM THROUGH MYSELF.

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