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Fifty Years On
Just 50 yrs ago this week the QRA Squadrons of 2TAF in Germany stood at enhanced alert as the Cuban crisis played out. Equipped with nuclear capable Canberra BI8 aircraft the four RAF squadrons assigned to NATO were tasked with low-level missions ‘somewhere in the East’. With less than 30mins flying time to the then East German border it was a fair bet that the Canberras would be the pointy end of the lance if hostilities commenced.
The image, untouched apart from some filtering, was taken from an accompanying aircraft during the almost daily low level practice missions over the West German countryside - the murky October weather wasn’t a great help for the photography! The camera was, and still is, an Agfa Silette with Ilford HP4 film loaded, home processed. The aircraft is a Canberra BI8 of 3Squdaron based at Geilenkirchen at that time - posted in recognition of all the good and often ’scary’ times that long 50 yrs ago. See you in the bar, guys.
| Recording media: | JPEG (digital) |
| Title: | Fifty Years On |
| Username: | 
patspeirs |
| Uploaded: | 19 Oct 2012 - 11:06 AM |
| Tags: | Photo journalism |
| VS Mode Rating |
100 (46.67% won) These stats show the percentage of wins and the rating score that your photo has achieved. You can go to the VS Mode by clicking on this icon. Signup to e2Signup to e2 to see which photo this has won or lost against in the vs mode |
| Votes: | 12 |
Comments
Thanks for the info..........very interesting, great image from all those years ago..........terrific........
Thanks for the input/comment guys, good to hear from you all. Guess I had gone by the time your brother arrived, Geoff, W/C Ross was CO at my time, after we transferred from 59 Sqdn in 1961. A single malt with pleasure - wish we could get it at RAF Mess prices in Germany - no tax there!!
A great, if somewhat aged, shot Pat.
I was born in 1954 but I can recall the Cuban crisis and watching it unfold on a TV set (one of only two in the street. The other belonging to my Aunt!) at a friend's house.
I can remember my friend's father patiently explaining the situation in terms that we'd understand.
A touch of nostalgia with this image, and I had forgotten how flat the terrain is in that part of Germany. My late father was based at Geilenkirchen at that time working in the Photographic section, my mother and I joined him in October 1963 after my elder brother and sister had left school and embarked upon their respective careers. If I remember correctly there were two squadrons of Gloster Javelins based there as well.
I was reminded this week by the supersonic sky dive, that about 50 years ago, a canberra of 39 Sqn (Pilot Fl.Lt de Sallis) when boosted towards 65,000 feet by a Napier Rocket "exploded" over MoneyAsh Moor in Derbyshire with the 2 man crew doing the highest operational freefall (unintentional) down to about 8000 feet when their chutes, operated on a pressure release, brought them safely down onto the moor. The record drop stood until that of Gary Powers in a U2. Was a good aircraft the canberra.
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