Things I would appreciate your help with...

This is a new page I have added in the hope that readers will be able to help me answer a few questions. If you have any questions you would like answering, please let me know and I will add them to this page so hopefully someone out there will be able to help. To contact me regarding any of the queries below, please e-mail via the contact page.

• As ever, I'm always on the lookout for photos, stories, etc of the base. This site wouldn't be what it is without the many contributions of readers who have contacted me. So if you can help me in this area, please e-mail me.

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• Does anyone know about a unique Spitfire that was kept in one of the hangars at Church Fenton in 1947? It had two 3-bladed contra-rotating propellers, had a polished aluminium finish, and displayed its' serial number, roundels and a large question mark just behind the cockpit. Its' name was "The Query". It held a speed record flying from the South to the North of England.

  • Dave Butler thinks that a few years ago someone called Dave Pennel operated a Spitfire Mk IX from East Midlands airport called 'the CO's query' - its' Squadron markings being GZ- ?. He remembers Flypast doing a piece on the a/c in which they explained the '?' (something to do with the CO commanding two Units possibly...?)

  • Dave has supplied me with some more possible answers to my query (no pun intended....!). The first explanation is as follows: On October 9, 1944, MJ730 was transferred again to 32 Sqn., RAF at Kalamaki, Greece (note:  former base of  IV./JG27 and Heinrich Bartels).  The aircraft was chosen by Sqn. Ldr. George Silvester, DFC, as his personal plane. Before its individual code had been assigned, he jokingly said to some of his ground crew that there was "a bit of a question mark" over which identity letter to give his personal Spitfire, because as Squadron Leader, he belonged to neither 'A' Flight or 'B' Flight.  The ground crew as a lark placed a large "question mark" where the individual code letter would have normally appeared.  Sqn. Ldr. Silvester was amused by the gesture and MJ730 was referred to as "The CO's Query".  This tradition continued into the 1950s with 32 Squadron's future commanding officers continuing to also display the "?" on their Vampire jets.

  • Further to this, Patrick Watts wrote to me with a potted history of how MJ730 received its '?' marking, which elaborates on the above explanation. Rather than re-writing the story in my own words, I will quote the text of Patrick's e-mail: "Corporal (later Sergeant) airframe fitter, Graham Tylee, of 32 Squadron, was the groundcrew member who usually painted the Squadron code letters on all newly arrived aircraft. I will quote his account of how the '?' came about, taken from a letter he wrote to me when I was researching this aircraft's history on behalf of its then owner, David Pennell.
    
    Graham wrote:
    
    "I would find out from the engineering officer what letter was allocated to the aircraft. I liked to paint (I had a steadier hand in those days) and normally did this myself. I remember having a template made with small holes in suitable places." When the CO came back from satisfactorily test flying this aircraft, Cpl Tylee asked what code letter should put be put on the Spitfire?
    
    Graham Tylee's letter went on:
    
    "... he jokingly said that there was a bit of a question mark over which identity letter to giver his Spitfire.... because he was neither A Flight nor B Flight". According to the former airframe fitter, the groundcrew took the initiative and Cpl Tyler painted a large 'question mark' (temporarily, using 'whitewash', he later told me) where a code letter would normally be positioned. The CO (Sqn Ldr G. Silvester DFC) was amused by this and said it could stay. Cpl Tylee therefore painted a permanent mark on the aircraft and it was thenceforth known by squadron personnel as 'The CO's Query'. [NOTE I used this as the title of my book on the aircraft's history.]
    
    This 'CO's Query' tradition continued into the jet age, and I have MoD photographs showing a 32 Squadron Vampire in which a black '?' is clearly seen on the tail fin. You might like to know that former WW2 pilots and groundcrew, whom I met at one of 32 Squadron's annual reunions weekends at RAF Northolt, confirmed Graham Tylee's account. So I think we can safely say that the origin of this particular Query code has been firmly established.
    
    Furthermore, Betty Silvester, Sqn Ldr Silvester's widow, sent me documents and photographs in which her husband referred to MJ730, in its GZ-? coding, as 'His kite'. Although I am aware of at least one other WW2 squadron using a '?'
    coding on a Spitfire, I do not think it was the start of a Commanding Officer's tradition."

  • After some posts on the "Flypast" forum, Dave also has another possible (and to me, a more likely) explanation (thanks go to Dave for investigating and also to whoever posted this information on the forum): The original contra prop silver Mk 21 Spitfire of 41 Sqd with the red 'Cross of St Omer' in plan and displayed at the 'Blackpool Races' in 1947 is now, after much deliberation, almost certainly LA217 GO-?, formerly of the CFE, and then allotted to 41 Sqd. for just a few weeks coincident with the races. It is interesting to note that RAF Church Fenton was the home base of 41 Sqd at that time.

  So it seems to this little mystery has been cleared up - the Spitfire in question was most likely LA217, a Mk21 from the Central Fighter Establishment, but 'lent' to 41 Squadron for the duration of the air races. Once again, my thanks go to Dave Butler, and all those people who contributed on the warbird forums.

• Does anyone remember a Royal Navy detachment to Church Fenton at some point between 1973 an 1975? There were Sea Kings, Wasps and Gannets operating from Church Fenton for a few weeks. They seemed to be practicing for some kind of flypast, because they often flew the ensign underneath the Sea Kings. Any more information would be appreciated.

  • Graham Moses wonders whether the detachment could have been anything to do with the old HMS Ark Royal exercising its right of the freedom of the City of York? This would certainly explain the flying of the ensign. The lack of Phantoms could be explained by a lack of facilities at Church Fenton, with it only being a training base. Any Phantoms would have probably been based at either Leeming or Finningley.

• Tom Anderson, of Salt Lake City, USA, is the owner of ex-Church Fenton Jet Provost T3A XN593. He is currently restoring it to flying condition, and hopes to keep it in Church Fenton markings. If anyone has any information or photos of this aircraft's time in the RAF, Tom would love to hear from you. To contact him, please click HERE.

• Shortly after World War 2, Church Fenton was home to two Luftwaffe aircraft. They were brought to CF to be renovated (most likely by the resident Maintenance Unit). Does anyone know anything more about them?

  • Dave Butler writes: "The three Luftwaffe aircraft belonged to the Historical Branch of the RAF, who had decided that they should be restored to their former glory for exhibition purposes. The aircraft had been brought back to England for extensive trials after the Second World War and eventually arrived at Fenton in the 1960's. 60 MU set to work on the Maurane Saulnier/Fieseler Storch, Messerschmitt 410 A4/U2 and Messerschmitt 110 G4R6 night fighter, parts that could not be replaced or restored were fashioned in the Unit's workshops, they also researched and reapplied the original paint schemes. Ironically, 60 MU were also restoring a Spitfire Mk 16 in the same hangar!"

  • As a postscript, the Me110 in question is currently at the RAF Museum, Hendon, whilst the other two airframes are at the RAF Museum, Cosford.

• When 72 Squadron was based at Church Fenton in the 1950s, it had for its mascot an alligator. Named "Flying Officer Frederick Lionel Basworthy", he was looked after by someone called Flt/Lt 'Timber' Wood. F/O Basworthy was only a few months old at the time, but does anyone know what happened to him after 72 left Church Fenton? Did he move along with 72 to Leconfield in 1959? Alligators commonly live to 80 years old, so he should (in theory!) still be alive. Any more info would be much appreciated.

  • Dave Butler has yet again been very helpful in answering this question, and in a direct quote from the RAF Church Fenton 50th Anniversary brochure (published 1987), we have the answer: "The alligator was called Flying Officer Frederick Lionel Bass-Worthington and he practically lived at the Bay Horse pub in Cawood. He'd apparently start off the evening with warm milk and stout, usually finishing with a whiskey! The pub used to have a small collection of RAF CF memorabilia, including the alligator which was pickled and kept in a large jar [after it's death!]"

• Church Fenton was home to a Folland Midge (forerunner of the Gnat) for a long period in the 1960s. It was a static display aircraft, was red in colour, and was kept in one of the hangars. Chris Edghill remembers sitting in it during a station visit with his dad in 1964, and he remembers it was also still at Church Fenton in 1968/69 when he flew from the base as an Air Cadet. Does anyone have any information on what happened to it, or indeed any photos of this aircraft?

  • The only Folland single seat aircraft that Brian Davidson has ever seen at Church Fenton is Folland Gnat F1 XK740, which was not airworthy, and was kept at Church Fenton for a while. The confusing factor, however, is the fact that this aircraft was not painted red, it was in standard camouflage colours! The plot thickens....!

  • Brian also correctly says that there was only ever one Midge built, and this aircraft crashed in 1955, so it would seem that the aircraft Chris remembers sitting in wasn't a Midge.

  • Jeremy Flack photographed Gnat F1 XK740 at 71MU, RAF Bicester, on 10th November 1972. He remembers that it was a static airframe, painted in Red Arrows colours and taken around the country to various air displays. As Church Fenton had been home to 7FTS in the intervening period, it seems likely that the aircraft was transferred to 71MU when the resident MU at Church Fenton left.

So the mystery of the Gnat at Church Fenton would seem to be cleared up! It was more than likely Gnat F1 XK740, which was initially in standard RAF camouflage colours, later being re-painted in a Red Arrows scheme to represent the recently formed (mid-60s) RAF Aerobatic Team. When Church Fenton became home to 7FTS, with the Jet Provost T3, the resident MU will have moved out, and it would seem that XK740 moved to 71MU at RAF Bicester.

Thanks to all who have contributed to solving this particular mystery.

To the right can be seen a photo Brian sent of Folland Gnat F1 XK740. This aircraft was with the resident maintenance unit at the time. He also remembers a Hunter, Javelin and Vampire T11 being resident. Photo © Brian Davidson
To the right can be seen a later photo of static Gnat F1 XK740, whilst with 71MU at RAF Bicester. Photo © Jeremy Flack

• Does anyone have any information on a Blenheim from 54OTU that crashed from 22,000 ft after a spin, at 11:35 p.m. on the night of Sunday 22nd February 1942?

  • After receiving e-mails from Philip Shields and Eric Barton about this crash, it turns out that the date was actually 29th March 1942, and the aircraft was Blenheim 4 N3561. The aircraft crashed into the ground near Sherburn-in-Elmet, at full throttle, after possible oxygen failure at altitude or sudden illness.

Corporal Alfred Hawney, stationed at Church Fenton in 1939, recalls working on Blenheims (including the long-nosed version). Alfred and his son, Kevin, would like to know which unit he would have likely been serving with at the time. He thinks it might have been 119MU (or 11MU?). A quick scan through my literature on the base doesn't list any Maintenance Units as being on strength in 1939. Can anyone shed any light on this?

Adam Lavery would like to know more information about his grandfather Gerald Voice, who was stationed at Church Fenton. Unfortunately he doesn't know where abouts on the camp he worked, or when he was stationed here. If you have any more information on Gerald, please click HERE.

I have received the following query from Ron Muggleton:

My father was stationed at Church Fenton sometime immediately before the D-Day landings and he told me he belonged to a unit which he called 21 Sector which was a mobile radar unit with which he went to France (Utah beach!)on or just after D-Day. On his service record there is a mention of 21 Base Defence Wing which could conceivably have been that he referred to as 21 Sector (the OC was Group Captain Mobsley if that helps). Can you advise if there was any such unit at RAF Church Fenton and if there is any information available about it please?

If you can help Ron, please contact him by clicking HERE.