39.Linley Road,Southam,Nr Leamington Spa.
Hi Simon,
I have just found your e mail to the Whitley Group ;and thought it warranted a reply.
I am a group member ,and also an ex Armstrong Whitworth apprentice and British Airways engineer; my aviation career coming to a sudden end. when a mystery illness was diagnosed as facial cancer in 1988.But that's another story.
With a life time in aviation behind me ; I have within the group; taken it upon myself ;to search for whatever technical information I can find. I was involved locally ;in the 1970s with a Spitfire restoration project ( TB 863. now flying in New Zealand) and during that project ; we were always desperate for technical info. I am certain this will be even more of a problem with the Whitley ; so I am hopeful that maybe within the families of those that worked on the Whitley; there may still be technical data gathering dust on shelves and in cupboards etc.etc .I have informed the A.W.A ex apprentice association but as yet; nothing has come to hand.
I intend shortly to do a letter to the Coventry Telegraph; in the hope that this may bring in some details, I know it.s a shot in the dark; but you never know your luck.I hope this week to establish exactly what company drawings were deposited at the R.A.F. museum at Hendon; on the closure of Baginton.Some confusion surrounds these, but as my old apprentice supervisor took them down personally; and he is still alive and well and living in Kenilworth. then we hope to know exactly what was deposited at Hendon..
As of now; I am trying to locate a copy for photo copying, of the Whitley Air Publication.This being a sort of maintenance manual.I think a copy exists in the British Library; but they require the AP Ref number before they can do a search; and I do not know it .They apparently do not have the resources to do this for me; so I am trying to find this also.I have been in touch with the Avro Manchester;Lancaster and Whitley Bomber group Association in Canada, but again nothing has come from my efforts.
I thought you maybe interested in hearing a bit about the group ; hence my e mail.Although a new comer to the group;I am lead to believe that a large amount of Whitley wreckage has been collected, and other crash sites are being looked at ;all of this being held somewhere in East Anglia
.As a local man to both myself, Baginton and Whitley;I will try to keep you informed as to progress. Kind Regards,
Respectfully Yours,
Bill Griffin.
----- Original Message -----From: lion_in_winter_ukSent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 1:21 PMSubject: [Whitley_project] Hello and Good LuckI would just like to wish you all good luck in your project. I live
in Whitley in Coventry about 300 yards from the current Jaguar
Engineering plant, which is where I believe the original Whitley
factory was situated. From the point when I saw the wreckage at the
Baginton air museum I have been intrigued by the history of this
plane and the history of my local area.
I was at the Royal Air Tattoo at the weekend helping with the RAF
Benevolent fund, greeting and looking after air veterans. There I met
an airman who had flown Whitley Bombers, and others who had fond
memories of Bagington at that time. The whole day was very enjoyable.
So again good luck with your endeavours and I shall follow your
progress keenly.
All the best
Simon Drew
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