Aircraft passing through RAF Masirah
This page is dedicated to those transitory squadrons that either delivered our mail, food, spares and everything else for survival on the island or were there for operational reasons or to use the bombing range, such as the Hunters of 208 Squadron.
Photograph on the left was supplied by Derek Gare to the RAF Luqa Remembered website. 39 Squadron on detachment to Masirah from Malta, must have been nice for them!
Derek is sitting on the starboard engine with his foot on the starter cover.
Everyone on the detachment received a copy of this photograph which was also sent to me by Kevin Patience.
Kevin is 9th from the right with the beret stuck in his epaulette.
Photograph is also copied below so it can be clicked on to enlarge.
Photograph on the left was supplied by Derek Gare to the RAF Luqa Remembered website. 39 Squadron on detachment to Masirah from Malta, must have been nice for them!
Derek is sitting on the starboard engine with his foot on the starter cover.
Everyone on the detachment received a copy of this photograph which was also sent to me by Kevin Patience.
Kevin is 9th from the right with the beret stuck in his epaulette.
Photograph is also copied below so it can be clicked on to enlarge.
Ray Hunter, An American passing through in 1965.
Destination, Udorn, Thailand. The aircraft to take part in the Vietnam War which raged through the 60's and 70's.
What a wonderful comment left by Ray Hunter on the website guestbook.
"I visited RAF Masirah in 1965 as part of a four ship C-47 Dakota flight that was headed for various spots in Thailand to be used in the war in SE Asia. My C-47 50887 was headed for Udorn Thailand. I remember the hospitality that was shown by the RAF during that trip. The overnight was interesting... Our next stop was Bombay. The RAF turned on their TACAN for us so we had nav guidance for about 150 miles, then it was fly a heading until we picked up an ADF nav station in India. Five hours over water.
I am now a B-17 Fortress Pilot for the Yankee Air Museum At age 82, I wonder how long I can keep going?
Been flying with the museum since 91 first the C-47, then the B-17.
(N.B. DJR - This was October 2019)
Some of Ray's history;
Enlisted 54-59. Includes postings to RAF Sturgate, Lincs. RAF East Kirkby Lincs, and RAF Chelveston, Northants.
"Demobbed" and went to university and got a degree and a commission in USAF
62-63 - Pilot Training
63-66 - Back to Jolly Old England, RAF Sculthorpe, RAF Mildenhall.
66-77 - Various USAF flying. Includes 1-year in Vietnam flying combat rescue helicopters.
77-88 - Admin assignments, recruiting, etc. then retirement.
Our trip through Masirah went like this. Mildenhall to Chateauroux FR, Naples, IT, Athens GR, Beirut, Dharan, Saudia Arabia, Masirah. Then Bombay, Madras, Bangkok, and the final destination, Udorn, Thailand. Wonderful plane, not a discrepancy for nearly 50 hours of flight! I hated to let her go. Don't know what became of 50887. Our crew then boarded USAF planes from Bangkok to Japan, then California, then New Jersey, and then back to England to complete the round the world flight!
Photograph below of a C-47 from the March Field Air Museum, Riverdale, CA
Yankee Air Museum Website is at https://yankeeairmuseum.org/
Destination, Udorn, Thailand. The aircraft to take part in the Vietnam War which raged through the 60's and 70's.
What a wonderful comment left by Ray Hunter on the website guestbook.
"I visited RAF Masirah in 1965 as part of a four ship C-47 Dakota flight that was headed for various spots in Thailand to be used in the war in SE Asia. My C-47 50887 was headed for Udorn Thailand. I remember the hospitality that was shown by the RAF during that trip. The overnight was interesting... Our next stop was Bombay. The RAF turned on their TACAN for us so we had nav guidance for about 150 miles, then it was fly a heading until we picked up an ADF nav station in India. Five hours over water.
I am now a B-17 Fortress Pilot for the Yankee Air Museum At age 82, I wonder how long I can keep going?
Been flying with the museum since 91 first the C-47, then the B-17.
(N.B. DJR - This was October 2019)
Some of Ray's history;
Enlisted 54-59. Includes postings to RAF Sturgate, Lincs. RAF East Kirkby Lincs, and RAF Chelveston, Northants.
"Demobbed" and went to university and got a degree and a commission in USAF
62-63 - Pilot Training
63-66 - Back to Jolly Old England, RAF Sculthorpe, RAF Mildenhall.
66-77 - Various USAF flying. Includes 1-year in Vietnam flying combat rescue helicopters.
77-88 - Admin assignments, recruiting, etc. then retirement.
Our trip through Masirah went like this. Mildenhall to Chateauroux FR, Naples, IT, Athens GR, Beirut, Dharan, Saudia Arabia, Masirah. Then Bombay, Madras, Bangkok, and the final destination, Udorn, Thailand. Wonderful plane, not a discrepancy for nearly 50 hours of flight! I hated to let her go. Don't know what became of 50887. Our crew then boarded USAF planes from Bangkok to Japan, then California, then New Jersey, and then back to England to complete the round the world flight!
Photograph below of a C-47 from the March Field Air Museum, Riverdale, CA
Yankee Air Museum Website is at https://yankeeairmuseum.org/
Vic Osborne - Recounts the incident when a USAF P3 Orion ditched off Masirah.
The P3 Orion taken not long after she ditched off the coast of Masirah on finals. Pic taken from RAFO SAR helicopter after recovering all 12 crew members. The wreck was successfully lifted some months later and towed away on a barge to Diego Garcia.
UPDATE 07 February 2023 - Photograph of the P3 Orion in it's final resting place. Fujairah, UAE.
This was sent to me by Colin Pomeroy of 203 Squadron (Shackletons & Nimrods).
Fujairah is on the Eastern coast of the UAE, approximately 2/3rd's of the way down the coast from the straits of Hormuz before the border with Oman.
The P3 Orion taken not long after she ditched off the coast of Masirah on finals. Pic taken from RAFO SAR helicopter after recovering all 12 crew members. The wreck was successfully lifted some months later and towed away on a barge to Diego Garcia.
UPDATE 07 February 2023 - Photograph of the P3 Orion in it's final resting place. Fujairah, UAE.
This was sent to me by Colin Pomeroy of 203 Squadron (Shackletons & Nimrods).
Fujairah is on the Eastern coast of the UAE, approximately 2/3rd's of the way down the coast from the straits of Hormuz before the border with Oman.
Peter Molineux - 57 Squadron detachment
Photos from Trevor McMaster - GRSF 1969-70
Vince Vincent - B2 Vulcans scrambling in Masirah June 1972. Very unique photographs, very rare that so many were detached at one time to Masirah.
Thanks to Vince for passing these on.
More from Vince showing aircraft on the North pan, SOAF and even a PIA F27 popping in for oil top up!
All from 1972.
Mike Grierson, Victor Navigator Radar
We met at the Jet Age Museum when he visited and came up into the Vulcan Cockpit (XM569). He very kindly hunted me down through the website to send me the following aircraft photographs from his detachment to Masirah when the Victors were refuelling Phantoms on their way to Singapore for Exercise Bersata Perdu in 1970.
Len Woolley - 1969-70
Len worked in the Commcen, under the tower. There are some general photographs as well and they can be found in Lens' gallery in photo gallery page 5.
Kevin Patience passed through Masirah during 68/69 with 39 Squadron Canberras and also in 72 with a Nimrod from St Mawgan.
These photographs were sent in by Kevin for the RAF Luqa website but very appropriate here also.
In 68 we had the 39 detachment to Masirah and being a ship fanatic I went on board the SS ELETRIC at the top end of the island. I have the story behind its stranding. In 86 when I was back on Masirah it had all gone.. At the same time I visited the Baron Innerdale not Inverdale memorial not far away..
Bob Machin - 1966-67 RAF Masirah.
A good selection of aircraft that passed through, or were detached to, Masirah during this time.
Vic Nugent's Aircraft Photos from 1972-73
Brian King - 1958
Some great photos of historic aircraft in this collection including a Meteor, Venoms, a royal flight dove.
David Rose - Photographs of aircraft during his 1968-69 tour of Masirah.
The Aircraft Photos below are also in the Photo Galleries page and credit for the photographs is given on that page.
Because I had to download these photographs from Dave Cromb's website most of them are very small files and do not enlarge when clicked on
