NOSTALGIA Page 11
Lee-on-Solent RN Air DAY and Coronation Review .15th June 1953
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The picture above shows four Dragonfly helicopters of 705 Squadron , RNAS Gosport,leading the Review Flypast over the Fleet anchored at Spithead.They are following the Sea Vampire F20 flown by the Flag Officer(Air).The picture was kindly provided by Harold Tokins,at the time an Air Fitter with 705 Squadron.
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The Royal Fleet Review following the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place at Spithead on 15th June 1953.Prior to the actual event ,an open day was held at RNAS Lee-on-Solent .As part of the open day,spectators were treated to the last rehearsal of the mass flypast .
Many of the aircraft that took part in the flypast flew from Lee-on-Solent.In addition,formations came from Culham(Mainly RNVR aircraft) and Ford(Jet types).
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The list below is in four parts.First is a near-complete listing of all aircraft which flew in the Flypast rehearsal from Lee-on Solent.Second are aircraft that took part in Lee's flying display on the 15th. Third is a rundown of the order of the actual Flypast( Squadrons and aircraft put up by each Squadron).Fourth are other aircraft seen in the area during the day(not all of which landed at Lee).
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Note that the aircraft used in the actual Flypast differed from the rehearsals as each Squadron flew spare aircraft which turned back if not needed.
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Aircraft Flying from Lee-on-Solent
DH Sea Hornet FR20 728Sq.Hal Far.
WE238/530.TT197/531HF.VR848/532HF.VR854/533.VR856/534HF
DH Sea Hornet NF21. 809Sq.HMS Eagle.
VW946/481J.VW947/482J.VW955/483J.VW953/484.VW958/485J.VV440/486.VW954/487.VW961/488J.VW959/489J.
Douglas Skyraider AEW1.849Sq .HMS Eagle
WT944/301J.WT945/302.WT946/303JWT948/307J.WT949/308J.WT951/309J.WT954/310.WT950/311. WT952/312.WT953/313.WT956/314.WT955/315.WT960/-.
Fairey Gannet
VR546(prototype).WE488(3rd Prototype).WN339(1st production AS.1)
Fairey Firefly T7.719 Sq.
WJ188/322GN.WJ156/323GN.WJ190/327GN.WJ165/329GN.WM770/330GN. WM761/331GN.WK368/337GN.WJ167/338GN.WK373/340GN
Fairey Firefly AS5.737 Sq.
VT415/205GN.VT466/206GN.VT403/209GN.WB428/215GN.VX429/212GN. WB294/217GN.VT377/222GN.VT408/229GN
Fairey Firefly T7.750 Sq.
WJ168/300MF.WJ189/301MF.WJ192/302MF.WM765/303MF.WJ171/305MF.WJ172/307MF. WK371/308MF.WJ193/309MF.WJ196/310MF
Fairey Firefly F1.766Sq.
PP391/200LM.MB590/205LM.MB524/215LM.MB632/219LM.PP420/220LM. DT985/230LM.MB690/231LM.MB417/234LM.Z2112/235LM
Fairey Firefly TT4.771 Sq.
VG959/502FD.VG962/506FD.VG993/511FD.TW722/513FD.VG974.VH132
Fairey Firefly F1.771 Sq.
MB719/508FD.PP594/509FD.PP605
Fairey Firefly T1.781 Sq.
DK550/226LP.MB718/227LP.DK557/237LP
Fairey Firefly T3.796 Sq.
PP523/264MF.PP657/265MF.PP435/262MF.PP599/266MF. PP432/271MF. PP541/272MF.PP660/276MF.PP425/280MF.PP433/284MF
Fairey Firefly AS5.812 Sq.
VT474/211.WB426/212.WB437/215.VT376/217.WB436/219.VX395/220
Fairey Firefly AS6. 812 Sq
WJ117/214,WD880/216.WD844/218
Fairey Firefly AS5/6.814 Sq.
WB314/280J.VT374/281J.VT470/283J.WB367/284J.VT472/285J.WB359/286J.WB408/287J.WB259/288J
Fairey Firefly AS5/6 817 Sq.
WB424/221.WD878/222.WD869/224.WD911/225.WD908/226.VT404/227.VX368/228.WD914.WJ106
Fairey Firefly AS5/6 824 Sq.
WD910/281.VT396/282.WD852/283.WB435/284.WB263/285.WD907/286.VT475/287.WB254/288.VT402
Fairey Firefly AS5/6.825 Sq.
WJ111/255J.VT468/256J.WJ115/257J.WD890/258J.WJ116/259J. WB425/261J.WB399/262J.WD923/262J.WD886/260J
Fairey Firefly AS5/6 826 Sq.HMS Indomitable.
WJ109/271A.WJ120/272A.WD902/273A.WB438/274A.WD913/275A.WJ105/276A.WB430/277A.WB440/278A.WJ107/279A
Fairey Firefly F1.Unit not known.
MB465.MB614/207LP.MB730.PP415.Z2021
Grumman Avenger 3. 881Sq.RCN
53610/303.53489/304.53687/313.53322/314.53503/315.53626/328.86281/335.53496/339.53420/343
Grumman Avenger AS3. 815 Sq. XB316/351GN.XB312/352GN.XB448/355GN.XB391/356GN.XB390/357GN.XB320/358GN.XB309/359GN.XB311/360GN. XB318/361GN
Hawker Sea Fury FB11.871 Sq.
TG129/114.VR918/115.VX686/127.WG565/131.WG567/133.WG588/134.WG572/138.WG573/139
Hawker Sea Fury FB11.804Sq.HMS Theseus.
WN477/171T.WZ627/172T.VW547/173T.WJ280/175T.WN479/181T.
Hawker Sea Fury FB11.738SQ Culdrose.
WF612/120.WF621/124CW.TF956/125.VX667/127CW.VW700/130CW.VW572/136CW.WE729.137CW. WG603/138CW.VW717/139CW
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Flying Display Lee-on-Solent
Static
Blackburn Firebrand TF5A EK614/103(ex 813 Sq)
Gloster Meteor T7 WL352/442
Grumman Avenger 3 53732/316 of RCN
Hawker Sea Fury FB11 VW231/120 of 871Sq
Percival Sea Prince C1 WF137.
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Flying
DFS/70 Miese (Glider) VS201
DH Sea Venom NF 20.WM500 + 3 others.
DH Tiger Moth NL879
Fairey Gannet.WE488(third Prototype)
Fairey Swordfish NF389
Hawker Sea Hawk F1.WM904/166 of 806Sq.
Hiller HTE-2 XB475
NA Harvard IIB.KF495,KF504/267LP
NA F86E Sabre.19153 of RCAF
Sikorsky S-55 WW339(G-AMHK)
Supermarine Attacker FB2.WP277/154J,WP292,WP293,WP294,WP302/153J of 803Sq.
Westland Dragonfly HR3 WG669,WG751/710GJ
Westland Wyvern S4.VZ757 of 813Sq
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Flypast
The flypast took place in the following order---:
Sea Vampire F20(lead Aircraft)
705 Sq Gosport(12 Dragonflies)
781SQ(Fireflies)
771SQ (Fireflies)
796SQ(Fireflies)
750SQ(Fireflies)
776SQ(Fireflies)
737SQ(Fireflies)
719SQ(Fireflies)
812SQ(Fireflies)
814SQ(Fireflies)
817SQ(Fireflies)
820SQ(Fireflies)
824SQ(Fireflies)
825SQ(Fireflies)
826SQ(Fireflies)
1830SQ RNVR(Fireflies)
1840SQ RNVR(Fireflies)
1841SQ RNVR(Fireflies)
764SQ(Seafire F17)
1833SQ RNVR(Seafire F47)
849SQ(Skyraiders )
738SQ(Sea Furies)
802SQ(Sea Furies)
804SQ(Sea Furies)
871SQ(Sea Furies)
1835SQ RNVR(Sea Furies)
809 SQ(Sea Hornets )
728 SQ(Sea Hornets )
815 SQ(Avengers )
881 SQ(Avengers )
Gannets(3 aircraft)
813 SQ(Wyverns )
787SQ(Sea Vampire F20s )
759 SQ(Meteor T7s )
736 SQ(Attackers )
800 SQ(Attackers )
803 SQ(Attackers )
890 SQ(Attackers )
806 SQ(Sea Hawk FGA1s)
Sea Venoms(four aircraft )
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Other Aircraft
DH Devon VP961,VP974
DH Dominie NF854
Fairey Firefly T7 WM766/324GN 719Sq
Piasecki HUP-2 124916/UR USS Baltimore
Sikorsky S-55 963 RCN.HMCS Magnificent.
Westland S-51 Dragonfly WG669/700GJ 705Sq Gosport
The information here has come from a large variety of sources including various accounts of the review in enthusiasts magazines of the day ,and my own records.Any additions or corrections most welcome.
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