Mark Stringer Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Just a mention really about a little seen plane that my father flew during the even less known Malayan conflict / uprising. After years of nagging there is now a web site with some of his memories .. it is accurate as he kept a diary which was updated regularly and being a navigator it was pretty accurate too. So despite flying Avro Ansons, Mosquitos and even Canberras his primary memories are his Brigand years. There are none left now .. just a fuselage in a poor state at Cosford but as it is locked away in a hanger they won't let him see it .. health and safety you know ... he is 85 with his own health problems and survived 218 air strikes .. what do they think a manky hanger will do to him And now the RAF have apparently asked him to help write the Squadron history for that period...which jogged me to putting this on here Anyway .. a bit of reading for anyone interested http://www.brigandboys.org.uk/ Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 04/06/2015 22:38:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 It's a long shot but if you head over to PPRune, sign up and post your dad's plight on the Mil Aviation thread, someone might just be able to get a few strings pulled, Mark..... I sincerely hope he gets a chance to visit his former steed! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Thanks Pete ..i will take a look. I have tried in the past via the museum and RAF but without luck .. just got him a meeting with the curator on the last visit... but then there was very little of the promised follow up as far as i know which was a shame. I don't think there are any of his flight left now .. most were buried in Kranji anyway .. i did a load of pictures for him when i went to Singapore a few years back .. had a meal in Raffles too and gave him a ring while we were there. ...it was special as he went there for his 21st birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 That's a fascinating site your Dad has written up, Mark - it might keep me busy for a while... Seems that there was more chance of getting killed by the aircraft than the CT's! Well worth a link on PPRune, too - I'm sure it would get a very favourable response from the ancient warriors over there Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mowerman Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I seem to remember, back in 1955/58, there was a Brigand on the airfield at R.A.F.Halton, parked among other old redundant aircraft, probably intended as instructional aircraft for us 'Brats' (RAF. apprentices). The Brigand may also have been the basis for the "cockpit classrooom" This was a wing center section complete with engines attached to a small wooden shed, the aircraft engineers pannel and engine controls being inside the shed which was a small classroom from where the engines could be started and adjusted etc. Sadly none of this is still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Hard to find much about them .. my father was a photographer so has a fair few pictures but it took me years to find any flying footage .. which I only found 2 years ago .. some cine film put on dvd and offered for sale .. "West Malling 1956 - DVD" .. wrong model of course but I liked it!My father hopefully will add the "stories" too .. like when he was lying in the barracks and a Tiger stepped through an open window at one end, walked the length of the room and out of a window at the other end .. a lesson in holding your breath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 It's worth remembering that the Brigand was one of three planes based on the same wing and tail, the others being the Buckingham light bomber and Buckmaster trainer. All of them interesting, little known and good model candidates. The Brigand had a poor accident record and I believe one of the problems was internal explosions caused by a build up of un-expelled fume when the guns were fired. A formidable and exciting plane though, seeing one of those go by at low level with a pair of Centauras radials at full belt must have been a blood-curdling sight, rather more menacing than a Blenheim! I'm old enough to have seen them around as a kid, but I have no recollection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Part of why my father did the web site was to clear up all the stories about why they crashed so much .. I think he covers it all on the site. To give an idea of the size of a Brigand I have uploaded a few pictures .. the first is one of my fathers (hope you don't mind dad!) .. the others are just screen shots of that cine film I mentioned to give an idea of the filming which was done really nicely. The Brigands were part of the meteorological wing so had large blacked out noses for radar and the rear of the canopy covered over to keep it dark for the operator to use the equipment (If I have gained that information correctly!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miketgd Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I remember seeing Brigands flying over Bath almost daily when it was based at RAF Colerne in the early 50s. Very distinctive in the way it sat in the air and also the sound. Also remember seeing the Brabazon flying quite low over the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Surely someone must build a model of the Brigand....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 KC, I think you are dead right. Just for further interest, here's a great picture of the wonderfully aggressive looking Brigand, plus the other two variants of the same basic design, the Buckingham bomber and the Buckmaster advanced trainer version of it. Edited By Colin Leighfield on 05/06/2015 18:29:02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I just noticed that the header on the Buckingham photo says 1940, it actually first flew in 1943. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hardaker Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I'd have thought it was hard enough having to fight the enemy without doing "aircraft development " at the same time !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 That's exactly how it was though David. You never knew exactly what the other guy was up to, but you knew that he was always trying to move on and our excellent Photo Reconaissance work gave us some insights. You had to constantly bust a gut to advance the technology and try to pre-empt any superior move on the other side. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hardaker Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Sounds challenging ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB GADD Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 HI MARK. The Brigand was the first aircraft that I worked on when I did my aircraft apprenticeship in 1955, at Marshalls in Cambridge. Great memories. BOB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I think we should all be encouraging Mark to build a Brigand! I reckon his dad would appreciate seeing even a simple scale model Brigand flying........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Posted by BOB GADD on 06/06/2015 00:39:32: HI MARK. The Brigand was the first aircraft that I worked on when I did my aircraft apprenticeship in 1955, at Marshalls in Cambridge. Great memories. BOB. Wow! Glad someone remembers them ... thanks for the info .. don't suppose you have any pictures from back then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Posted by kc on 06/06/2015 19:41:08: I think we should all be encouraging Mark to build a Brigand! I reckon his dad would appreciate seeing even a simple scale model Brigand flying........ Do you not think that I have planned on doing that I have gathered a few drawings so should be able to build one. . I was planning on using depron but I have never built using that so it won't be my first depron model....i will practice with a couple of others first. Having said that my parents have now moved a long way from me so i don't know how I will ever be able to show him it flying anyway. .. i guess YouTube would be the answer. If i do it i will be sure to do a thread on here for the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.A. Barry Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Mark, interesting.... I'll keep an eye out for this one Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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