Herbert Visits The RAF

Written by Anthony Osborne.

Back in 2004 I was grabbed by the PR guy, Kevin, at 'The Austin' who said he wanted to borrow my car. His question confused me as I knew that he had a lovely Rover 75 Management car and I was driving round in a rusty old, but wonderful, Montego Estate (because I was tight-fisted and didn’t want to rent a management car myself). On asking which car he would like to borrow he replied my Austin 12, Herbert. I suggested that he let me know when he wanted to borrow it and I would bring it in. However, having worked for over 30 years at Longbridge I should have known that nothing was simple!

The car was required at RAF Coningsby, home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), on 29th July. My boss had, I was informed, already given permission for me to be kidnapped by the PR department so it was all signed and sealed and the request was made just to be polite! I certainly would not have refused anyway.

I drove from Redditch to Coningsby and arrived on time with only one problem. I had the opportunity to overtake a lorry and in Herbert if it can be done it has to be done, that’s the law. Unfortunately, the lorry was slowing down to take the turn that I was meant to take. Too late; I was past both the lorry and the junction.

​I took the next left off the dual carriageway onto a country lane, then another left and I was heading for the road I should have been on. As I approached the T junction where I was to turn right, the traffic was fairly heavy in both directions. However, as I reached the stop line a car went from left to right as a tractor was holding the traffic up approaching from the right. A large gap allowed me to get out onto the road, the large gap being needed as my 0-60 acceleration takes about three days!

​The car now behind me got closer and closer then started flashing its headlamps. By this time, I was still accelerating but probably doing about 40 mph so I thought it was a miserable git wanting to go faster. It became apparent that it was Kevin in his Rover 75 with a couple of his guests who knew me. When he did overtake me, I followed him to the wrong entrance of the airfield. I then guided them to the BBMF visitor’s car park, having visited previously and knowing the patch, and all was well.

The visit was a PR session with quite a few customers and guests of MG Rover Group there. We gathered in the Visitor Centre from where we were collected and taken to the BBMF operational offices and deposited in the Conference room. Coffee was provided and the Squadron Leader gave a presentation about the BBMF and the aircraft collection. Afterwards we split into groups and had a guided tour.

After the most interesting guide trough the hanger we were ushered onto a coach and driven to the Officers Mess where a Silver Service luncheon awaited us. It was a pity I was driving as the red wine was rather nice and was flowing freely! On arrival back at the BBMF accommodation I was allocated a young flying officer. We collected the Herbert from the visitor’s car park and drove to the main gate where there was a slight issue with paperwork.

​This was cleared before the barrier went up and we were allowed onto the airfield. My escort guided me to the BBMF hanger and apron where I was parked up in front of the Lancaster for a photoshoot. Also parked there were a Rover 75 Tourer and an MG ZTT, both in silver, which were on long term loan to the BBMF (they loved MG Rover as these two cars were so much better than the Government issue Vauxhall Corsas!). 

The Lancaster with the MG ZTT, Rover 75 Tourer and Herbert.

PR Photographs were taken, all products of Longbridge although PA474 was built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd at its Broughton factory near Chester and was therefore just representing the 330 Lancasters built at Longbridge. Everyone was allowed to wander around the aircraft to have a good look. After a while someone shouted 'Cars out of the way please, the Lanc takes off in 10 minutes”. ​​And that is where my troubles started.

I jumped into Herbert, who had been enjoying a lot of attention, turned the ignition on and pressed the Start button (yes Austin got there long before BMbleedingW!) and absolutely nothing happened. Herbert obviously wanted to stay in the sunshine by his slightly younger new, winged, friend! Frustrated, I declined the push start offered by others in the party, as there were quite a few people watching, and got the starting handle out. Herbert fired on the first half turn. I parked the him up out of the way as instructed. That was the only time he played up and, of course, he had to do that with the maximum number of people watching.

Lancaster PA474 taxis out to the runway

Lancaster PA474 with Spitfire MK356 and Hurricane PZ865.

Shortly after we watched the Lancaster fly off, with its escorting Spitfire and Hurricane, we were called over to their Dakota also parked on the apron. 

Dakota ZA947 awaits its passengers on the apron.

We were told to climb aboard and have a look, so our group did just that. It was interesting as the interior was laid out as it would have been when it was used to drop parachutists over France the eve of ‘D’ Day back in 1944. Interest levels were raised even more when we were told to sit down and put a seat belt on. The engines were started and we rolled from the apron onto the RAF Coningsby runway and up into the air!

The pilot and navigator in their ‘Office’.

Whilst in the air we were able to wander round and have a look to the front into the cockpit and towards the rear where we were, one at a time, fitted with a safety harness connected to the line that the Paras hooked up to before jumping out, and allowed to look out of the opening (there was no door) to watch what looked like Dinky toy cars and trucks driving on the roads 500ft beneath.

We were encouraged to look out of the exit hole in the fuselage.

We flew out over Skegness, Cadwell Park motor racing circuit and Lincoln Cathedral before returning safely to Coningsby, without having been attacked by any Focke Wulf FW190 powered by their BMbleedingW 801 radial engines as might have been the case when this Dakota saw action over Europe in the mid-1940s.

Skegness, caravan capital of the world.

Lincoln and its Cathedral from above

The drive home was a bit of an anti-climax and uneventful, thank goodness, with the adrenalin levels still very high. I did, however, follow the advice given to me after a visit to Shell Pit Clipper gas rig in the North Sea. After landing back at Norwich International Airport we were debriefed.

​We were told that we should drive for about an hour and then stop for a cuppa and a short break before completing the journey. Without this break you are more likely to become drowsy and lack the attention needed to drive through traffic. It works and now all my journeys are planned with a break after an hour (repeated at hour and a half interval to get rid of the previous cuppa and have another one!). A cup of tea on the way back was most welcome as was the quiet of the café. Herbert is not as quiet as modern tin boxes are!

​Sadly MG Rover Group were put into the hands of the Administrators before the PR photographs taken were used.
That is the furthest I have driven Herbert in a day on my own. Other than the issue in front of the Lancaster, which turned out to be a problem with many years of spark erosion on the copper contacts of the starter solenoid, Herbert performed perfectly. It was a day I will remember for ever!