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The Royal Air Force as seen by John 'Gary' Cooper
The Handley Page Hastings

Disclaimer. The following photographs are the copyright of John Cooper unless otherwise stated. If I have copied or downloaded any material belonging to a third party please either contact me for full credit to be given or for the photograph to be removed.

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TG508 of 242 Operational Conversion Unit Thorney Island that crashed on landing on 07/03/1962 whilst conducting Circuits and Landings. Photo provided by George Bish the Master Engineer on board at that time.

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                                                                               TG512 a C-1 at Lyneham circa 1955

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WD481 C-2 at Lyneham circa 1955

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One of only four Royal New Zealand Air Force Hastings NZ5803 Mk 3 as seen at Lyneham circa 1955 of RNZAF Transport Squadron.

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A rare view of a Changi based 48 Squadron Hastings C-1 seen at RAF Seletar Singapore in 1958, this one TG571.

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Two Hastings as seen from the underwing float of a Royal Dutch Marine Mariner at Katunayake in 1959, unfortunately the day after I took this photo this aircraft crashed on landing at Goa in India with the loss of all on board.

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WD500 of the Far East Communications Squadron (FECS)seen at RAF Katunayake in 1959. This was a VIP aircraft and by ordinary Hastings standards this was luxurious to say the least!

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Hastings C1-A TG536 seen at Gan after taking on the callsign of TG580 that crashed on landing 03/07/1960.
Photo Alec Keith.

Below: This photo provided by Roger Stevens in charge of the Gan fire section the night TG579 crashed into the sea, this specimen TG577 was used as a 'fire dump' aircraft at RAF Gutersloh and one of Roger's crew is seen to be giving it the foam treatment.

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A trio at Katunayake in 1959.

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The 14 foot diameter Rotol propeller driven by the 1675 horsepower of the Bristol Hercules engine. This is the Port Inner or #2 Engine with immediately underneath the undercarriage system which retracted into the rear part of the engine nacelle. It is known that on the first impact TG579 had with the water that both wheels were torn off followed almost immediately with the detaching of three of the four engines.

There were several Hastings squadrons in existence over the years the more notable were 24,36,47,48,51,53,70,97 (IRIS),99,114,115,116,151,202,297,511 plus a few that were used as development or specialist aircraft for trials or special occasions (FECS)and of course the OCU's. As an example my last flight ever, took place in a RAF Hastings TG505 (one of the first built!) of Strike Command Bombing School on 14.11.1968 for the 40 minute trip from RAF Coningsby to RAF Wattisham some 20 years after she first flew. This aircraft was later used by the SAS at its HQ in Hereford for training purposes regarding the releasing of hostages from Hi-Jacked aircraft.

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