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Mosquito and ground crew. RAF
Schleswigland. 1958.
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I
had that morning gone to say my farewells to
Broadhurst and to the RAF. I had made a point of
going to HQ at Schleswig in my 'Grand Charles'.
Coming back I had taken him high up in the
cloudless summer sky, for it was only there that
I could fittingly take my leave.
Together we climbed for the last time straight
towards the sun. We looped once, perhaps twice,
we lovingly did a few slow, meticulous rolls, so
that I could take away in my finger-tips the
vibration of his supple, docile wings.
And in that
narrow cockpit I wept, as I shall never weep
again, when I felt the concrete brush against
his wheels and, with a great sweep of the wrist,
dropped him on the ground like a cut flower.
As always, I carefully cleared the engine,
turned off all the switches one by one, removed
the straps, the wires and the tubes which tied
me to him, like a child to his mother. And when
my waiting pilots and my mechanics saw my
downcast eyes and my shaking shoulders, they
understood and returned to the dispersal in
silence.
— Pierre
Clostermann, 'The
Big Show (Fortunes of War)' 1951.
Mosquito Lineup at RAF Schleswigland 1958
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Eventually the field at Jagel was handed back
and was no longer "R.A.F." It became instead the home of the German No.1
Marine Flying Group (Marineflieger)
equipped initially with FAIREY GANNETS........... well
we had to sell them to someone! |
Fairey Gannet of No. 1
Marineflieger Schleswig 1958
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What happened to the
Mossies? Well, some were flown back to Blighty, some were burned! Can you
believe we did that? Not economical to return home! What would they be
worth now one wonders! More importantly think of all the people who have
never and maybe never will, see one of the most outstanding aircraft of all
time flying. |
R.A.F. Schleswig, or Flugplatz Jagel to give it the more correct local name, was not exactly at
the sharp end was it? We were using B35 Mosquitos modified to TT 35's to tow
target drogues for NATO on the Todendorf Ranges. How were the mighty
fallen! Jim Wingett |
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