Stirling Photo - Any thoughts?

Hi all - a visit to my mother turned up this photo of my grandfather, Alex Marketis. He was a ex-regular (RAMC) who served 1918-1941, and was discharged after the 1940 campaign. He latterly worked in an unknown capacity as a civilian attached to the RAF. The caption on this photo is 'Rivenhall, 1945'.

Any thoughts on the aircraft, location etc?

Alex is front row, second from left, with the glasses.

 

A quick Google for RAF Rivenhall found this..
10/44 to 01/46, RAF 295 Sqn Stirlings, flew night operations to Holland and Denmark in support of resistance units and 04/45 ,took part in Operation Varsity, the Rhine crossing. 04/45 to 01/46, 570 Sqn Stirlings.
Post-war the airfield was used to house ex-PoW Polish soldiers and by Marconi.

As it says, by this late stage in the war the Short Stirling had been withdrawn from bomber activities. They were used as parachute dropping aircraft in support of resistance fighters and SOE. Also they acted as heavy glider tugs.

 

The Airfields Of Essex Rivenhall

RAF Rivenhall north of Witham, Essex.

RAF Sqadrons operating from Rivenhall -

No.295.
Arrived Rivenhall 11 October 1944 - Disbanded Rivenhall 21 January 1946 - Stirling IV.

No.570.
Arrived Rivenhall July 1944 - Disbanded Rivenhall 28 December 1945 -Stirling IV.


Looking at the photograph the letter Z can be seen on the fuselage, No.295 Squadron's code was 8Z.

 

Thanks for that - most interesting. In 1945 were these still being used as bombers or just glider tugs, or both?

 

No.570 Squadron

In July 1944 the squadron re-equipped with Short Stirlings, and in September 1944 participated in Operation Market Garden, the ill-fated attempt by the allies to capture the Arnhem bridge, during which time the squadron was engaged in glider towing and supply drops. The squadron also took part in Operation Varsity in March 1945, a major allied airborne offensive across the Rhine.
When the war finished, the squadron transported troops to Norway, and was then assigned to various overseas mail routes.

 

I know I'm quoting Wiki so you can take this whatever way but it states that by Dec 1943 the Stirling was being withdrawn as a bomber and used as a tug and also to drop Radar Jamming "window" during D-Day.

Here is a link to a website devoted to this beautiful plane:

The Stirling Bomber Pages

Sorry if this is going off-topic Paul.

 

No, great stuff. Many thanks to you all.

 

Lovely photograph, something very '1940's' about the blokes, and that plane looks like it's had a rough old life.
Trying to make out the numbers,

Seems to be a Z to the left of the roundel which (and planes are not my thing so I'm rather unclear on this). Whether that's a B, D, C or even an 8 suffixing the roundel I'm not sure.


Posted this earlier Adam, I believe you are right.

Looking at the photograph the letter Z can be seen on the fuselage, No.295 Squadron's code was 8Z.

 

Its Ok Adam, I'm the same with tanks

 

Please don't take this as 'proof positive', but this may be a photo of Stirling IV LK246 '8Z-S' as flown by Wing Commander H E Angell, DFC - the C.O . of 295 Squadron.

The additional glazed panels which can clearly be seen above the bomb-aimer's panel are unusual. There is a photo of the port side of LK246 in the most interesting little book 'Rivenhall - The History Of An Essex Airfield' by B A Stait ( Alan Sutton Publishing, 1984 ) which contains much information about 295's activities.

 

Thanks for that lead, Martin. I will get a copy of the book you mention.

I wonder if this aircraft is just back from the Rhine Crossing, given the damage?

 

Short Stirling IV serial No. LK246. One of 360 delivered between January 1944 and January 1945 by Short & Harland, Belfast.
Struck off Charge 5 June 1947.

 

If you look closely at the aircraft in the rear of the pic on the right....you can see the towing gear mounted where the rear turret should have been?

 

The Stirling was used as a frontline glider tug for all NWE ops.

Steve W.

 

Thanks for those additional comments - you've reminded me this is something else I need to chase up!

 

If you look closely at the aircraft in the rear of the pic on the right....you can see the towing gear mounted where the rear turret should have been?


Are you sure, Looks like a canvas cover over the perspex to me, see the twin guns????

Kev

 

There's TWO objects protruding; the top might be the guns, but the lower, shorter "thing"....?

 

The Stirling had a number of design deficiencies and inadequate performance return which eventually, as new squadrons, particularly Lancaster squadrons were equipped, ruled the Stirling out of front line bombing squadron duties.Nevertheless it fitted in well into secondary duties of the range already mentioned.It was an aircraft which could be readily released for SOE duties whose "directors" often were denied the use of the main core bombers, namely the Lancaster and the Halifax.

The Stirling had a restricted service ceiling due to its very low aspect wing of 17-18000 feet which along with its disavantage of being only able to carry a 400lb bomb as its maximum bomb size due to the bomb bay being "sectionised" resulted in its demotion from front line bombing operations.

The Stirling was last used on Bomber Command operations on 8 September 1944 when 4 aircraft from No 149 Squadron,operating out of Methwold bombed the "fortress" of Le Havre.I am sure that our Aussie members will note that it was a RAAF pilot who was flying the last Stirling to bomb over Le Havre.

The most famous squadron and the first to be equipped with the Stirling was No 7 Squadron at RAF Oakington.There is a well known publicity photograph of Winston Churchill visiting the squadron which we now know was at Oakington to view this new bomber which must have been shot about October- November 1940 (they received the aircraft at RAF Leeming the previous August.) In the background is a Stirling whose steep ground angle is remimiscent of the obsolete HP Heyford.

Overall, a bomber that the RAF was pleased to utilise at a time when it did not have anything much better.It filled the gap until the Halifaxes and Lancasters entered squadron service.Its entry to the RAF heralded the requirement for a different dimension in flight training, requiring a Flight Engineer to assist the Pilot by the undertaking of engineering duties associated with the close supervision of the power plant, fuel tanks and rate of consumption.