Bovingdon

[Danbuoy]

Just type "recent control tower losses" into Google, and the thread will come up. The post about the tower still being there was posted this morning! However, Wikipedia (always a reliable source, I know!) says it was demolished in August 2010.

[MSgtWilliamsUSAFRet]

These photos are courtesy of Charles Waitkus of West Virginia. He was stationed at RAF Burtonwood and moved to RAF Bovingdon. He worked on the two AACS Flight Check aircraft assigned to him. The C-47 Gooneybird (Dakota) call sign '9250' was one of two used to verify the accuracy of USAF Navigational Aids in the UK. The second photo is of the Control Tower at Bovingdon. Both of his birds had checked my RAF Bruntingthorpe Navigational Aids on numerous occasions.

Meeting these planes and crew was always an exciting event. Jack

9250 Charley Waitkus - RAF Bovingdon.jpgcontrol1.jpg

[Dave Smith]

According to the Air-Britain DC-3 history, 43-49250 went to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1964. After withdrawal from service, it was preserved at Lopburi Thai Army Aviation Centre and was reported there in November 1995. It probably still exists!

[MSgtWilliamsUSAFRet]

Thanks Dave, I must have found the same entry about 49250. During my search I tried to determine if 49250 was still at Lapburi but could find no record of it there. Maybe future searches will solve this mystery. I will pass your entry #28 to Charley Waitkus.

[MSgtWilliamsUSAFRet]

Latest on the C-47 flown out of RAF Bovingdon with tail number 49250:

Email received from Steve Darke:

Hi Jack, as far as I know it is still preserved at Lopburi RTAFB in Thailand. It was certainly still there in 2000. See photos I took in 1995 at

http://www.thai-aviation.net/images/...ri_Nov_95a.jpg

http://www.thai-aviation.net/images/...ri_Nov_95a.jpg

I think from memory that it is the C-47 which can be seen on Google Earth at 14°56'12.70"N, 100°39'8.04"E (image taken Jan-04).

See also an earlier photo of it at

http://www.thai-aviation.net/images/..._1_via_Kok.JPG

Was issued overseas under MAP 07-Nov-63; taken on charge by RThaiAF 26-Jan-64; to Department of Aviation as HS-DOA Nov-66

Regards

Steve Darke
www.thai-aviation.net

Jack

[horrocks]

According to the Air-Britain DC-3 history, 43-49250 went to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1964. After withdrawal from service, it was preserved at Lopburi Thai Army Aviation Centre and was reported there in November 1995. It probably still exists!

I shouldn't be too optimistic. I recently saw some photographs of quantities of Thai C47/DC3 airframes being dumped in the ocean, apparently to form the basis for a coral reef.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Yes, that is so. I used to try and keep track of Thai military airframes but the inventory is so large that it is not possible and I gave up in the 90's.

[Danbuoy]

In the latest edition of After the Battle magazine, there is an interesting article on the making of The War Lover, which was filmed at Bovingdon, accompanied by some nice then and now shots.

[P Bellamy]

USAAF Synthetic Navigation Training in 1943:





TTFN,
PB

[smiler16]

was has become of bovingdon. it looks like a prison or is that me