I have become aquainted with a chap who claims that he was an ENGINNER on the Red Arrows, did,nt give the years but advised he was ay Rissington on the Gnats. I was a Corporal Elect Fitter(air) at RAF Valley for...

BobBrown

I have become aquainted with a chap who claims that he was an ENGINNER on the Red Arrows, did,nt give the years but advised he was ay Rissington on the Gnats.

I was a Corporal Elect Fitter(air) at RAF Valley for 4 years and to my knowledge the Gnats were never based at Rissington but at Fairford, Valley and Kemble and you were either a Fitter or a mechanic.

Annomalies,
Won't give the rank he was.
Won't advised what other bases he visited other than Rissington and Valley, Never went abroad.
Seems to be a Walter Mitty
Does anyone Know of a Chris Ellis

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replied to: BobBrown

PaulJ

Replied to: I have become aquainted with a chap who claims that he...

Hi there, Bob. I didn't know any Chris Ellis, but he was correct in saying the Gnats were at Rissy: I was posted there in March of 1962, leaving for overseas at the end of '64, and within three or four weeks I was transferred from ARSF over to the 'Gnat Flight', where a new crew room had been built. Initially I remember three aircraft, upping to five after a few weeks, then more over the next year or so. These aircraft were the basis of the Red Arrows, and were eventually painted all-over Dayglo Red. At that time we unofficially called them the 'Red Arrows'. In '63 we carried out night flying sorties at Valley, Thorney Island and Gaydon. At that time Kemble was a satelite base and mainly used for rollers, and a temporary base when re-paving the runways at Rissy.

Regards,

pj

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