The Display Area
Facilities
1 Control Point
2 Creche/Lost and Found
3 First Aid Point
xxxx Toilets
Exhibits
4 Hunter
5 Canberra
6 Vampire
7 Provost
8 Helicopter
9 Trojan
10 Dakota
11 Vampire FB9
12 Harvard
13 Tiger Moth
14 Bar
15 Bar
16 Radio Section
17 Mobile Medical Unit
18 Instrument & Electrical Sections
19 Safety Equipment & Armoury Sections
20 Photographic Section
21 Engine Section
22 Hobbies Section
23 Recruiting, Regular
24 Ops Room/VR Recruiting
25 Ops Room/VR Recruiting
26 Terrorist Weapons Display
27 Aircrew Room
28 Air Scouts
Members of the general public are reminded that aircraft in motion
or with engines running are extremely dangerous. For their own
protection visitors should stay within the enclosure boundary and
use extreme caution when returning to the Car Parks. Any
instructions from Air Force Police personnel in this regard
should be obeyed.
Foreword
by the Station Commander
In the static display we have tried to depict for you the full spectrum of our growth from 1947. You will see, for example, some of our earlier aircraft, the Tiger Moth, the Harvard and the Vampire single-seater, all resplendent in their original livery.
Security precludes your visiting the Technical Units on the station so we have erected a "Tent City" to give you an in- sight into what backup services are required to get an aircraft into the air, whether it be on a training flight or on an operational mission.
As a conclusion to today s activities members of our General Service Unit will give you a short display of silent drill, followed by a Retreat Ceremony.
The net proceeds from our gate and bar takings will go towards the
Rhodesian Air Force Welfare Fund. This fund is designed to
assist those Airmen in need of financial assistance and to provide
sports and recreational facilities on our stations and Forward
Airfields.
I would like to record my appreciation to all those people who have worked so hard to make the Air Force 'At Home' to you today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I welcome you to Thornhill to
the Rhodesian Air Force 'At Home'. I hope you will enjoy
yourselves and that your visit will be a memorable one.
(K. A. S. Edwards)
Group Captain
Officer Commanding
The Programme of Events
1200 hrs Static Display opens.
1400 hrs Display by Rhodesian Air Force Dog Section.
1545 hrs Aircraft take-off for main display.
Tarmac runway:
4 Hunters
1 Vampire
Grass runway: 2 Trojans.
1550 hrs Free-fall parachute drop.
1555 hrs Supply Drop by two Trojans.
1558 hrs Tail Chase sequence by four Provosts.
1603 hrs Aerobatics by single Provost.
1609 hrs Formation display by four Hunters.
1615 hrs Helicopter display, including hoisting, cargo sling demonstration and casualty evacuation, by two Alouettes.
1623 hrs One Hunter and six Vampires take-off.
1625 hrs Aerobatics by single Vampire.
1632 hrs Formation display by six Vampires.
1640 hrs Demonstration sequence by one Canberra.
1645 hrs Aerobatic sequence by one Hunter.
1652 hrs Parachute drop.
1656 hrs Interception sequence. Four Canberras carry out a simulated
bombing run on the airfield at 750 feet. Whilst they are
running in, four Hunters descend from 40 000 feet to carry out a
low-level interception over the field. The Radar Controller's
commentary and the radio transmissions of the aircraft will be
broadcast to the public.
1700 hrs Aircraft land in the following sequence:—
Six Vampires break and land,
Four Hunters break and land,
Four Canberras break and land,
Two Dakotas land,
One Trojan lands
4 Provosts
During this landing sequence, which will last until 1715 hrs, the
Eastern taxi-way alongside the Umvuma Road will be closed to
the general public. Please keep well clear of moving aircraft.
The Flying Display will be followed by a Retreat Ceremony
immediately in front of the main enclosure. Members of the
public are invited to show appropriate respect as the National Flag
is lowered during this ceremony.
THE AIRCREWS
The aircrew officers who are flying this afternoon's individual aircraft demonstrations are:—
Alouettes
Squadron Leader M. J. Grier
Flight Lieutenant W. G. Cronshaw
Canberra
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant G. F. G. Dakyns
Navigator: Air Lieutenant H. W. H. Stevens
Hunter
Flight Lieutenant R. I. Culpan
Provost
Air Lieutenant E. O. Lunt
Vampire
Air Lieutenant C. J. Wentworth
THE OFFICIALS
The Officers on duty this afternoon are:—
Station Commander Group Captain
K. A. S. Edwards, MLM
'At Home' Adjutant
Flight Lieutenant T. C. Emsley
Commentators:
Squadron Leader C. G. Tutbs
Flight Lieutenant E. C. H. Phillips
THE GUARD DOGS
The Dog Display included in this afternoon's programme is designed
to show you the scope of the routine training undertaken by
the Air Force Dog Section.
Basically, of course, the over-riding responsibility of the dogs and
their handlers is the defence of this Station. In order to
achieve the required degree of efficiency, a surprisingly wide field
of training activity must be undertaken. It is not sufficient
merely to detect and apprehend an intruder; the dog must be
trained to deal with all facets of counter-sabotage operations.
The Air Force Dog Section, which is composed of both European and
African handlers and instructors, trains its charges from
relative infancy with a high degree of success. We must emphasise
that all training activities are serious, and all have a
definite purpose; as you will see from the display, the dogs do not
indulge in "party tricks". The perfect understanding between dog and
handler, which is the end result of this rigorous, yet
patient, training, provides a strong line in our defences, and
therefore plays a part in the defence of our country.
The Aircraft
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| The Alouette |
The Alouette III is built by the French firm, Sud-Aviation. It is a
development of the Alouette II, the prototype of which first
flew in March, 1955. The Alouette II set up five international
helicopter records in June, 1958, achieving a height record of
36 037 nfeet. The Alouette III, which also has an excellent high-
altitude performance, is powered by one 870 s.h.p. Turbomeca
Artouste II B shaft-turbine derated to 450 -500 s.h.p. It was
supplied to the Force in February, 1962.
Performance: Maximum speed 124 m.p.h. at sea level. Service ceiling
13 100 feet. Maximum range 342 miles at sea-level.
Capability: The aircraft can carry six troops or passengers, or two
stretchers and two passengers.
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| The Canberra |
The Canberra is built by the English Electric Company, the first Mark flying in
May, 1949. The Force was equipped with B.Mk.2s in 1958. This aircraft is
powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon 101 engines each developing 6 500 lb.
static thrust at sea-level. The Canberra is still in great demand by the Air
Forces of the world.
Performance: Maximum speed 518 m.p.h. at sea-level, 580 m.p.h. at 40 000 feet. Maximum range 2 656 miles.
Armament: The following stores may be carried:— (1) six 1 000-lb. M.C. bombs; or (2) six 250-lb. M.C. bombs and a variety of other armament stores.
The aircraft may also be fitted with aerial cameras for photographic survey duties.
Performance: Maximum speed 518 m.p.h. at sea-level, 580 m.p.h. at 40 000 feet. Maximum range 2 656 miles.
Armament: The following stores may be carried:— (1) six 1 000-lb. M.C. bombs; or (2) six 250-lb. M.C. bombs and a variety of other armament stores.
The aircraft may also be fitted with aerial cameras for photographic survey duties.
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| The Dakota |
The DC-3C is a civil conversion of the wartime C-47A transport, differing from the original commercial DC 3A in having more powerful engines and strengthened airframe and undercarriage. A total of 1900 commercial DC-3s were requisitioned by the U.S.A.F. in 1942. More than 1 500 of these are currently in airline service. The Force was originally equipped with the Dakota in November 1947. This "Workhorse of the Air" has a short take-off and landing capability which can still compete with many aircraft being designed today. The Dakota is powered by two 1 200 h.p. Pratt and Whitney R-1830-92 radial engines.
Performance: Maximum speed 215 m.p.h. Maximum range 1 200 miles.
Capability: The following payloads are amongst those which can be
carried by the Dakota:—
(1) twenty paratroops; or (2) twenty-seven infantrymen; or (3)
fifteen stretchers; or (4) one Land-Rover and
trailer; or (5) four Steyr Puch vehicles; or (6) 6 000 lb. of
freight.
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| The Hunter |
The Hunter is manufactured by the Hawker Siddeley Group Limited, the
F.Mk.l first flying in May, 1951. This prototype of the F(GA) Mk.9
with which the Force re-equipped in December, 1962, first flew in
July, 1959. The aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon 207
turbo-jet producing 10 150 lb. of static thrust at sea-level. The
aircraft can exceed the speed of sound in a shallow dive. Like the
Canberra, the Hunter is still in great demand by the Air Forces of
the world.
Performance: Maximum level speed 715 m.p.h. at sea-level, 627 m.p.h.
at 36 000 feet. Maximum range 1 854 miles.
Armament: The Hunter is armed with four 30-mm Aden guns. In
addition, the following stores may be
carried:—
(1) eight 3-inch rocket projectiles; plus (2) two 250-lb. M.C.
bombs; or (3) eight 20 lb. fragmentation
bombs.
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| The Provost |
The Provost is built by Hunting Aircraft Limited. The first
Cheetah engined prototype flew in February, 1950. After extensive
trials, the Alvis Leonides-engined Provost was selected as a
standard two-seat basic trainer under the designation T.Mk.l. The
armed version is the T.Mk.52, as supplied to the Force in September,
1954. It is powered by the 550 h.p. Alvis Leonides radial piston
engine and is used in the light ground attack role.
Performance: Maximum speed 200 m.p.h. at 2 300 feet. Maximum
endurance 4 hours. Maximum range 400 miles.
Armament: The Provost is armed with two .303 Browning machine guns.
In addition, the following stores may be carried:—
(1) two 250-lb. M.C. bombs; or (2) eight 20-lb. fragmentation bombs;
or (3) six 3-inch rocket projectiles.
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| The Trojan |
The Trojan is a light transport, support and reconnaissance aircraft
which performs with great versatility in a variety of important
roles. It is particularly suitable for bush operations and can cope
with short, rough airstrips. It is a most useful complement to the
transport capability of Rhodesia's Air Force, and has more than paid
for itself since it was first acquired in 1967.
Performance: Max. speed 125 m.p.h. Maximum range 600 miles.
Capability: The aircraft can carry four persons or 550 lbs. of
freight, and can be flown with doors off for supply dropping.
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| The Vampire |
The Vampire is manufactured by the De Havilland Aircraft Company,
the first Mark flying in December, 1943. The Vampire FB.9 was
introduced into service with the Force in 1954. The aircraft is
powered by the Goblin Mk.35 turbo-jet, producing 3 350 lb. of
static thrust at sea-level.
Performance: Maximum speed 520 m.p.h. at 30 000 feet. Maximum range
1 220 miles.
Armament: The Vampire is armed with four 20-mm Hispano cannons. In
addition, the stores following may be carried in variety of
configurations:—
(1) eight 3-inch rocket projectiles; and (2) two 1 000-lb. M.C.
bombs; or (3) two 250-lb. M.C. bombs; or (4) eight 20-lb.
fragmentation bombs.
Thornhill:
Cradle of Aviation for 30 years
"By His Excellency the Governor of His Majesty's Colony of Southern
Rhodesia ... I do hereby grant unto SAMUEL JEWELL, hereinafter
called the Proprietor, a piece of land containing 453 Morgen and 537
square roods, being the farm THORNHILL..."
These are the opening words of a document, dated in 1939, which
marked the culmination of thirteen years of unremitting toil for Mr.
Jewell. He came to this country in 1926, and worked until he was
able topurchase his land from the Government at a price of 25
shillings per acre. In choosing the name "Thornhill", Mr. Jewell was
reviving boyhood memories as the son of the tenant farmer of Thorn
Launcells in North Cornwall.
At about the same time, a committee was set up by the Government to
locate and survey three sites in the Gwelo district suitable for the
establishment of airfields for the Rhodesia Air Training Group. The
provision of such bases for this Group was Rhodesia's main domestic
effort towards the defence of the Empire during the War years. The
area ultimately selected for the Royal Air Force Station, Thornhill,
by Flt Lt Roxburgh-Smith DFC, the RAF representative appointed to
the committee, comprised a large portion ofthe farm "Thornhill"
together with a part of the farm "Glengarry", the latter being owned
at that time by Mr. Tom MacDonald. This land was commandeered from
the farmers and a nominal rental was paid to them during the war years. Outright purchase of the area did not
occur until after the war, when Mr. Jewell received the princely sum
of eight pounds per acre for prime arable land! Soon after Thornhill
and Glengarry had been commandeered in 1940, building was commenced
and the base was ready for occupation early in 1941.
So begins the story of Thornhill. It was on the morning of the 24th
March 1941, that the first two trainloads of young men arrived at
Thornhill. They could not have realised that they were but the first
few in a continuous flood which was to endure for four and a half
years. For these men Rhodesia was a quiet back-water, far away from
the harsh privations of the European war. One of the major problems
to be overcome by the first Station Commander, Gp Capt J. S. Chick, was
that of the maintenance of morale in a situation far removed from
the glamour and excitement of the front lines. In this he was
supported by the warm hospitality extended by the people of the
Gwelo district. A notable exception was the indomitable figure of
Mrs. Jeannie Bogie who soon fired the first shots in her life-long
war against the progress of military aviation. And yet the reason
for her antagonism was not as simple as one might imagine; she
became an opponent of aviation after witnessing a Harvard crash on
her farm.The result of low flying, it caused the death of a very
young pupil pilot. The event affected her deeply and she resolved to
do all in her power to deter low flying in her vicinity. She used
the fairly standard complaint in that her farm was situated
immediately below the approach to the runway, and it would seem that
her chickens could never synchronise their egg production with the
intermittent roar of low- flying aircraft.
As the years rolled on, the enmity between Mrs. Bogie and the Air
Force became legendary both in scope and frequency. Because of her
reputed ferocity, no figure in uniform would dream of approaching
her homestead. However, towards the end of her life, in the early
1960's, the CMC of the Airmen's Mess, Cpl Antel, took courage and
invited her to a Mess dance. Her answer was to protest that she had
mislaid her false teeth. Cpl Antel promptly removed his own false
teeth, slipped them into his pocket and promised to escort her in
that condition. To this she happily agreed and it appeared that she
thoroughly enjoyed the evening. However, back in 1941 Mrs. Bogie
protested alone; very few of the local people had cause for complaint. Thornhill provided some 1 500 additional consumers to the
local market and the wide-spread beneficial effects on both commerce
and industry continue to this day.
Many well-respected figures of present day Rhodesian life had their
introduction to this country as members of the Rhodesian Air
Training Group (RATG) at Thornhill. At this time the Womens'
Auxiliary Air Service was formed, largely of local girls, and
amongst the first recruits was Sgt (Mrs.) Coleman, who to this day
lives opposite the Station entrance. The "Waasies" undertook tasks
in almost every field of ground support, ranging from the clerical
to the mechanical, and often including those of a surprisingly
masculine nature. In addition, they did a lot to brighten the social
scene throughout the spectrum of Station activities. These included
the complete range of sports plus numerous hobbies, including a
thriving amateur theatrical society complete with full-scale
theatre. In its day the theatre occupied half of the hangar which is
now used by No. 2 Sqn, whilst the other half was used as a
roller-skating rink. The people of Gwelo naturally integrated with
Station life in these activities and likewise many RAF memberstook
an active part with such local groups as the Green Room Club. The
bustle and activity, humour and tragedies of Thorn- hill life were
recorded in a remarkably well-produced station magazine
named"Slipstream", which was produced with- out fail, every week
between 1942 and 1945.
During the war years Thornhill physically occupied a far greater
part of Gwelo than it does today, and the married quarters were
scattered about in an area which ranged from the Kopje to Riverside
and Clonsilla. This accounts for the many stree tnames which
originate from the famous aircraft of this era, such as the Spitfire
and Hurricane.
Throughout the duration of the war, the production of trained pilots
continued at a constantly high flow. Batches of some thirty LAC
pilots graduated at fortnightly intervals. By the conclusion of
hostilities, 1 810 pilots had received their wings at this Station,
having recorded about 314 000 flying hours. These figuresspeak for
themselves in terms of effort by both the ground and air crews. It
is inevitable that, through the years, Thornhill has become
associated with numerous tales of tragedy and human anguish. From
the time that the Station was re-occupied by our own Air Force,
stories have circulated, telling of eerie footsteps, doors
slamming and sensations of cold clammy oppression to various
individuals. It is known that at least two men committed
suicide by hanging in Mess buildings, but perhaps the most
substantiated tales emanate from the Station Sick Quarters. The
happenings here occur only when there are no patients in
residence and the 'medic' is enduring his turn of duty in solitude.
It is recorded that on one such occasion the incumbent of the
duty room was accompanied by his Alsatian dog. When the usual
phenomena started, the dog responded by leaping out through the
window, taking the glass and the shattered window frame with
it. Attempts at exorcism have been made by both the Anglican and the
Roman Catholic clergy, but with no apparent success.
The Post War Years
In September 1945, the Station fell into disuse for some months
until it re-opened as No. 3 Air Navigational School the
following year. Amongst the people associated with the Station at
this time are some who are still serving with the Rhodesian
Air Force and whose associations with Thornhill stretch back
almost thirty years. These include the present Chief of Air Staff,
who was instructing at Thornhill at the cessation of hostilities in
1945, Harvey Quail, Sqn Ldr Tubbs, Wg Cdr Brenchley and Fit Lt Basil
Miles. For the next seven years, Thornhill was just an- other of the
many overseas postings available to an RAF airman, and there
was a correspondingly high turnover of personnel. But the decision
was again taken to close down the station in 1953 — and also
to hold a closing-down sale. Housewives flocked in from miles
around to snap up vast quantities of linen and cutlery at absurdly
low prices, whilst many highly complex pieces of technical
equipment were simply sold to the highest bidder. Amongst the
legends of Thornhill is the one concerning the reputed burial of a
large cache of valuable tool kits at the time of this closure,
but the location has never been established. Shortly afterwards,
Thornhill was divided amongst the Ministries of Agriculture
and Education, the Public Works Department and Gwelo Municipality.
The building which was originally erected as the Officers' Mess
shortly before the departure of the RAF was established as Glengarry
School. In a similar fashion, Thornhill High School was founded as a
boys' boarding school, and inhabited the former domestic area of the
station, whilst the hangars were utilised by the Grain Marketing
Board for the bulk storage of mealies. The married quarters, which
were also built in the early 1950's, were now occupied by the
families of government and municipal workers and the surrounding
area gradually reverted to a state of primeval bushveld.
During these early post-war years, the Rhodesian Air Force was being
reestablished as a separate fighting force, its primary task being
Imperial Defence. As it expanded, it became apparent that
Salisbury's "Kentucky" Air Force Base (now known as New Sarum)
would be unsuitable for flying training with the advent of the civil
air terminal, and again the decision to re-open Thornhill was
announced.
Easter, 1956, saw the arrival of a detachment of some forty men,
with Sqn Ldr Doug Whyte in command. Of these men, Warrant
Officer "Spike" Owens and Master Sergeant "Taff" Lewis have served
continuously on the Station since that time, in apparent
blissful ignorance of the postings procedure! The sole task of the
new unit was the initial training of pilots on the recently-acquired
Provost aircraft. The pupils then returned to Salisbury to complete
their advanced flying training on Vampire jets. The first to be
trained under this new scheme were the cadets of Number 9 Course who
were subsequently presented with their wings by H.M. Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in 1957.
Following major reconstruction of the airfield and dispersal area
Thornhill was reopened as a Full Station by the then Wg Cdr
Wilson in 1957 and the following year the Vampires moved in. During
this year, the process of restoring all the buildings on loan
to other departments was completed and the base was expanded
to its present dimensions. The only exception to this exodus of
lodgers was Glengarry School which continues to occupy the
quarters originally designated as the Officers' Mess. The first
detachment of aircraft and men actively to take part in
Imperial Defence operations left Thornhill during 1958, bound
for Aden which was then a British Protectorate. Subsequently,
several squadron detachments were made to Aden and Cyprus as
annual training exercises, and these continued until 1963. Visits
were made to the Station during these years by the Royal Air Force,
the French Air Force and by a number of other friendly Air Forces.
At the break-up of Federation, the era of close co-operation with
the Imperial Defence scheme ended, and the need for a sharper focus
on internal security arose. It was not long before air-strikes were
made against infiltrating terrorists in the Western Matabeleland
area. A number of similar air-support operations were carried out by
Thornhill-based aircraft in the early days of terrorist
infiltration, and theresident Squadrons remain poised to meet any
threat.
If one of the original airmen of 1941 were to wander into the
precincts of Thornhill today, he would find little changed
geographically. The purpose to which some buildings have been put
may have changed over the years. Some have disappeared entirely,
whilst those which have proved inadequate for present-day conditions
have been demolished to make way for those of contemporary design.
However, the utilitystructures of corrugated iron and fibre board,
originally designed to have a useful life of five years, still form
three-quarters of the accommodation of the Station. The essential
corporate spirit of Air Force life our visitor would find unchanged,
save that it may be expressed in a less demonstrative fashion than
was the custom during the wartime years. The neat rows of
standard-issue headstones in the Gwelo Cemetery bear silent
testimony for those who would reflect on the cost in terms of human
effort in the making and the preservation of peace during
Thornhill's history.
Notes for Visitor.
The name of Jeannie Boggie comes up fairly often in this article. Yes, Mrs. Boggie took on the Air Force but I would like to suggest you to please read the story of the Boggie family, they certainly played their part in the development of Gwelo and Rhodesia, Read their story by visiting the link below.
ORAFs is currently extracting a copy of Slipstream and it should be loaded shortly
To whet you appetite, why not take a look at the magazine "Fledgling" dated September 11, 1942 printed at the Hillside RAF station in Bulawayo.
Visit the link
http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.com/2012/08/fledgling-magazine-september-11-1942.html
Eddy Norris
Eddy Norris
 |
| Back Cover |
Source: Made available by Bill Sykes and Bruce Harrison.
Extracted and recompiled by Eddy Norris for use on "Our Rhodesian Heritage" blog.
Thanks to the author, the photographer, the publishers for the use of their material.
Thanks to the author, the photographer, the publishers for the use of their material.
Comments are always welcome, please mail them to Eddy Norris at orafs11@gmail.com
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