VICTORY CIRCUIT

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24907, 21 June 1946, Page 8

VICTORY CIRCUIT

CHRISTCHURCH PILOT’S DESCRIPTION

“It was, a hopeless day for flying—low clouds, thick haze, and rain—but the aircraft arrived only five seconds behind schedule. I wondered how they were going to manage to have 307 aircraft flying past at once with Sunderlands, “jets,” and other types all mixed up, but it was wonderfully organised,” wrote a former Fleet Air Arm pilot from Christchurch describing the recent victory parade in a letter to his brother at Ashburton.

The writer added that he had managed to secure an excellent position to watch the victory parade, which was followed by the arrival over the city of a single Hurricane, flown by an unnamed veteran of the Battle of Britain. There was a short interval of about one minute between flights, Sunderlands, Halifaxes, and Lancasters coming next before the more modern fighters. “The 12 ‘lanes’ kept excellent tight formation—horribly tight in fact—and were probably the best ot the whole show, although some of the Spitfire squadrons were very close, too. The Firebrands fairly whistled along, as did the TemSests and Hornets, the latter looking ke a very thin Mosquito. The ‘jets’ were held back to 350 m.p.h. and just purred along at that speed. The Vampires appeared to make less noise and to move faster than the Meteors. A very impressive show indeed,” he said. The aircraft participating in the fly past operated from dozens of airfields and converged into a main stream at Fairtop in Essex. Speeds ranged from 150 m.p.h. for the Sunderlands to 350 m.p.h. for the jet-propelled fighters. Most of the aircraft were scheduled to pass over the saluting base at the Mall at 1000 feet, but because of the weather, went across much lower. The order of the fly past was:—one Hurricane; three Sunderlands, Coastal Command, 201 Squadron (the oldest flying-• boat squadron in the R.A.F.); three Halifaxes, Transport Command; 12 Lancasters, Bomber Command; 18 Mosquitoes, Fighter Command; 27 Mosquitoes, British Air Forces of Occupation in Germany; nine Mosquitoes, Fighter Command; three Fleet Air Arm; nine Mosquitoes, Coastal Command; nine Beaufighters. Coastal Command; nine Firebrands, Fleet Air Arm; nine Fireflies. Fleet Air Arm; nine Seafires, Fleet Air Arm; 72 Spitfires, Fighter Command; nine Hornets, Fighter Command; nine Tempests, Fighter Command; 27 Tempests, 8.A.F.0.; 54 Meteors and nine Vampires, Fighter Command.