A brief update!

Vulcan XM594 was a 44 Squadron aircraft when it was flown on a short delivery flight to the museum from RAF Waddington near Lincoln on February 7, 1983. The museum is very proud of its connections to this historic RAF squadron, which extends back to RAF Waddington in October 1942 when 1661 HCU [Heavy Conversion Unit] was formed as part of 5 Group. 1661 HCU took over the roll of 9, 44 and 49 Squadron bomber conversion flights and was tasked with converting 5 Group OTU crews onto flying Manchesters and Lancasters ready for Ops. 1661 HCU moved to RAF Winthorpe.

No 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron Association has just published an Operational History of the Squadron entitled ‘The King’s Thunderbolts’ copies of which are now on sale at the Museum. Group Captain John Laycock, Chairman of the Association and Station Commander of RAF Waddington at the time of the delivery of XM594, will be at the event on July 19th to promote the book.

The book records operations throughout four periods of conflict; it comprises first hand accounts of night fighter engagements over London during WW I, Hampden and Lancaster bombing operations in WWII; Vulcan operations during the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Black Buck missions to the Falklands in 1982. The text is supported by photographs from the Squadron records, many unseen by the public until now.