Bwmt newsletter summer 2013 web proof

NEWSLETTERSummer 2013

Barnes Wallis Memorial TrustCharity Number 518023

ContentsEditorial 2BWMTAnnualReport2012/13 3TheHowdenCivicSocietyR100AirshipTrail 4BrooklandsMuseum-GrantforStratosphereChamber 5HighAltitudeandClimaticSimulation 6TheWorkofBarnesWallisonStampsetc. 11125thAnniversaryofBarnesWallis’sBirth 18Dambusters70thAnniversaryDinner 20GarySaunt-Painter 22

Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust Newsletter - summer 2013

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Editorial

This issue of the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust newsletter includes thechairman’sAnnualReportforthepastyearandarticlesrelatingtothelife

andworkofSirBarnesWallis.DuringtheyearanumberoftrusteesvisitedBrooklandsMuseumandwere

informed of the bid by the museum to restore the Stratosphere ChamberdesignedbyBarnesWallis.Thatbidhasbeensuccessfulandworkhasalreadystartedonthisambitiousproject.Ilookforwardtoreportingontheprogressinfutureissuesofthisnewsletter.Our annual open evening at Howden School was a great success and I

welcomethenewsupportersoftheTrustwhosignedupontheeveningwhenwewereentertainedbytwoexcellenttalksbyJamesHollandandRobertOwen,followedbyaninterestingquestionandanswersessionwithMaryStopes-Roeand‘Johnny’Johnson-theonlysurvivingBritishmemberoftheDamsRaidseventyyearsagoin1943.

Chris HendersonEditor

Contributions of articles and photographs for the Newsletter will be mostwelcome.IdeallytheyshouldbesentbyemailinWordformatforarticlesandacommonimageformatsuchasJPEG(.jpg)forphotographs.However,typedarticles and original photographs can be accepted and will be scanned andreturnedtothesenderassoonaspossible.Pleaseposttotheaddressontherearcoveroremailtonewsletter@barneswallistrust.orgor.Theviewsexpressedbycontributorsofarticlesdonotnecessarilyreflectthe

viewsoftheBarnesWallisMemorialTrust.

Articles for Publication

Cover Photo: The Dams Raid byGarySaunt,availableasalimitededition(25copies)signed,fineartprint-seepage23fororderingdetails.

View this Newsletter in Full ColourAfullcolourelectronicversionofthisnewsletterisavailableasaPDFfile.Torequestacopypleaseemailnewsletter@barneswallistrust.org.


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Barnes Wallis Memorial TrustAnnual Report - 2012/13

Asuccessful andwell-attended exhibitionwas held at SewerbyHall, nearBridlington,between31Mayand24June2012.BarnesWallistookakeeninterest in education and would have welcomed the fact that the exhibitionwasviewedbymanychildren.Twotrustees,KenDeaconandPeterRix,gaveassociatedtalks.OurannualpublicmeetingwasheldatHowdeninJune2012.Thethemeon

thisoccasionwasBarnes Wallis the Man.ThespeakerswereSirBarnesWallis’sdaughterMaryStopes-Roe(BarnesWallisatHome),RichardMorris(BarnesWallistheCitizen),andRobertOwen(Warriors).TheBarnesWallisAwardfor2012atHowdenSchoolwasjudgedbyMary

Stopes-Roe,helpedbyBarryLowe (engineeringmentor fromBeverley) andGerryCarroll (Chairmanof theTrust).Thewinnerof theawardwasRobertShand.TheTrustcontinuestooffertalkstooutsidegroups,societiesandclubs.Peter

RixandChrisHendersongavethesein2012-13;othertrusteescanbecalleduponifspecialistsubjectmattermakesthisappropriate.ThetalksstretchfarandwidebothintopicandgeographyandareausefulformofincomefortheTrust.Ifyouwouldliketoarrangeatalk,pleasecontactusbylettertotheaddressonthebackcoverorbyemailtotalks@barneswallistrust.org.Events to mark the 125th anniversary of BarnesWallis’s birth at Ripley,

Derbyshiretookplaceon26and27September2012.MaryStopes-Roe,guestof honour, planted an oak tree in her father’smemory in theBarnesWallisMemorialPark.Shealsogavetwotalks.MaryopenedthebeerfestivalorganisedbyAmberAles.Thebreweryproducesbeersthatarenamedafterherfatherandhiswork:Barnes Wallis,Grand Slam,andamorerecentlyDambuster.TrusteePeterRix gave two talks, one atRipley Junior School, and another to localresidentsaspartoftheanniversaryprogramme.TheTrustcontinuestobenefitfromactivefamilysupportwiththreemembers

ofthefamilybeingtrustees.Ithaswelcomedtwonewtrustees:JamesHolland,author and TV historian, andMrs ElaineWard representing Howden TownCouncil.TheChairmanthankshisco-trusteesfortheirworkandguidanceoverthelasttwelvemonthsandlooksforwardtogreatprogressintheyearahead.TheTrust’scollectionofdocumentsandartefacts iscurrentlyheld instore

attheMuseumofScience&IndustryinManchester,towhomweextendourwarmthanks.Along-termhomeforthecollectionisunderactivediscussion.


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TheTrust thanksGarySaunt for his design and production of our postersandpaintings.Anexampleofhisworkcanbeseenonthefrontcoverofthismagazine. TheTrustcommissioneda limitededition,only25copies,ofhiswork commemorating the events of the night 16/17May 1943 entitledThe Dams Raid. Ifyouwouldliketopurchaseacopyof thissuperbworkofart,pleaseseethedetailsonpage23.Finally,ifyouwouldliketobecomeasupporteroftheTrustordiscussways

inwhichyoucouldassistitswork,weshallbegladtohearfromyou:[email protected].

Gerry CarrollTrust Chairman

The Howden Civic Society R100 Airship Trail

HowdenCivicSociety istryingtoraisefundstoproduceanAirshipTrailwhichwillstretchthroughtheMarketPlace.TheCivicSocietyaimsthat

thisprojectwillencouragethegrowthoftourismtoHowdenandensurethatvisitorslearnaboutSirBarnesWallisandthehistoryofaeronauticalengineeringinthisarea,thesizeoftheR100andthecontributionmadetowardsbuildingtheairshipbythepeopleofHowden.Thetrailwillbe216metreslongand41metreswiderunningthroughHowden,

thatwilloutlinethesizeoftheR100airshipwhichwasbuiltnearthetownintheyears1926-1929.Thetrailwillbeusedbylocalsandvisitors,youngandold,andwillcelebratetheR100,itsdesignerSirBarnesWallisanditschiefengineerNevilShute(Norway).ItisenvisagedthatthetrailwillconsistofmetalpicturesoftheR100insertedintopavingstonesandthattherewillalsobemarkersatstrategicpointstoconveyrelevantinformation.Visitor numbers to Howden will be increased by creating interest in the

town’slinkswiththeR100,SirBarnesWallisandNevilShute.Thiswillhaveabeneficialimpactonlocalshopsandfoodoutlets,therebybringinggreatertradeandmorejobsforlocalresidents.Howdenisasmallmarkettownandthistrailwillenablelocalinhabitants(as

wellasvisitors)togainagreaterunderstandingof,andpridein,thediversityandchangingnatureoftheirenvironment.PublicitygainedwillwidenknowledgeofthedistinctivecharacterthatHowdenpossesses.TheTrustisfullycommittedtosupportingthisproject.

Kenneth Deacon


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Brooklands Museum - Grant for Stratosphere Chamber received from AIM

BrooklandsMuseum hasreceivedagrantof£120,000fromtheAssociationof IndependentMuseums (AIM) to restore and interpret BarnesWallis’

StratosphereChamber.

TheStratosphereChamberwasconstructedbyBarnesWallisin1947asahugelaboratoryinwhichhigh-altitudeconditionscouldbesimulatedforresearchintohigh-speedflight.ItformedpartofhisResearchandDevelopmentDepartment,whichwassetupaftertheSecondWorldWarattheVickersaircraftfactoryatBrooklands.

TheChamber,whichoperateduntil1980,is25ft(7.6m)indiameterand50ft(15.2m)long,andwasabletoaccommodatecompleteaircraftuptothesizeofaDeHavillandSeaVixen,fuselageandcockpitsectionsoflargeraircraftandguidedweapons.Itwasalsousedforcold-weathertestingofobjectsasdiverseasNorthSeafishingtrawlers,dieselenginesandArcticclothing,assnow,iceandblizzardscouldalsobecreated.Itwascapableofgeneratingtemperaturesbetween-65°Cand+40°C,andbeingevacuatedto1/20thsea-levelairpressure.

TheprojectwillincludecleaningandrepaintingtheinterioroftheChamberandinstallationofnewexhibitsanddisplays.Someoftheoperatingmachinerywillberestored, togetherwith theControlRoomof theChamber,whichhasnever before been open to visitors. Until now theMuseum has not had theresourcestorestoreandproperlyinterpretthisuniqueresearchfacility,sowearedelightedtoreceivethisgrantfromAIM,underitsnewNationalHeritageLandmarksPartnershipScheme.ThishasbeensetuptodistributeBiffaAwardfunds to create a high-profile network of projects across the UK that willshowcasethefar-reachingchangesinindustrialdevelopmentthathaveshapedournation’shistory.

Brooklands Museum aims to inspire people of all ages, including youngpeoplewhomaybeconsideringcareers inscienceand technology,using thetechnological achievementsofpeopleatBrooklands,both in thedaysof themotorracingcircuitandduringthe80yearsofaviationonthesite.ThisprojectwillenabletheseaimstoberealisedfurtherbysharingtheinspirationalstoryofBarnesWallis,bestknownforthedevelopmentoftheBouncingBombmadefamousbythefilmThe Dam Busters.

Reproduced from www.brooklandsmuseum.com


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High Altitude and Climatic SimulationWeather to Order

by Dagmar Heller of the British Aircraft Corporationreproduced from Engineering 1972

AIRtwiceasrareasatthesummitofMountEverest;temperaturescolderthan at the Poles or desert heat; blizzards, driving rain, ice, snow or

junglehumidity;anyof theseconditionscanbesimulated inBritishAircraftCorporation’sHighAltitudeandClimaticTestChamberatWeybridge,Surrey.Thelargestinthecountry(50ftlongand25ftindiameter)thishugeweldedsteelcylinderhasheldabridge-layingtankandfightertypeaircraftcomplete.The brainchild of Sir Barnes Wallis, the chamber was built by Vickers-

Armstrongs at Barrow and erected in 1947. It differs basically from otherchambers in that thewhole of theworking section is encased in a house ofinsulationratherthaninsulatingtheinside,therebyenablingwatertobesprayedaround, brackets to bewelded on to the sides, and so on, and itsweight of250tonmeansthatthismassofsteelhastheadvantageofbeingaverygoodstabilizedheatsink.Theamountofair tobeevacuatedfromthechamber(atstandardatmosphereandpressure)weighsjustoveratonandmeasures30,000ft3

Fig. 1. Above. The size of the BAC climatic chamber can be judged from the man within it. Temperatures from -60°C to +60°C can be attained and pressures from sea level to 80,000ft. Internal diameter is 25ft.


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equivalenttothatcontainedinaJumboJet-andthepressurecanbereducedtol/20thofanatmosphereoraheightof80,000ft.Designedoriginallyforthetestingofaircraftpressurecabins,itssizeandthefactthatspecifiedconditionsoftemperature(withintherangeof-60°Cto+60°C)pressureandhumiditycanbemaintainedalmost indefinitelyandvariedatwill,havemade iteminentlysuitableforawidevarietyofindustrial,electrical,medicalandotheruses.Theinstallationandremovaloflargetestspecimensiseffectedbythecomplete

removaltoonesideofoneentireendofthepressurechamber(the‘GreatDoor’)whichweighs65tonandismountedonatwo-directionalcarriage.Entryforpersonnelandsmallitemsofequipmentispossibleunderallconditionsthroughoneorbothoftheairlocksatthefixedend.Vaporizedwater,blowninwithcompressedair, isused toproduce iceand

snow toanyquantity.Up to six tonanhourcanbeachieved,butone ton isgenerally sufficient andmore than this would be impractical to shift. Snowdependsontemperature,sizeofdroplet(usingdifferentshapedwaternozzles),distanceof travel andwind speed.Dry, orCanadian type snow,wouldneeda temperature of say, -20°C,whereas the soft, floppy type of snow can beproducedat-7°C.Ateachendoftheworkingsectionarethefourcircularopeningsoftheair

circulationducts,onepairofwhichpasses externallyalongeach sideof themain chamber.Theducts are 6ft 9in in diameter and four-bladed fans - onein each corner of the duct - control the speed of the air flow.The usual airflowspeedisabout6ktwithanormalmaximumof40kt;ifhigherspeedsarerequired,60ktcanbereachedusingspecialnozzles.Thefirstandsecondstagesofrefrigerationarebyammoniagasandmethanol

respectively, the latterbeingcirculated at the rateof20,000gallons anhourthrough16heatexchangerssituatedateachcornerof thefourairducts.Thetotalsurfaceareaofthecoolersis20,000ft2andittakesapproximately30hourstolowerthechambertemperaturefrom+15°Cto-60°C.Toavoidicinginthechamberatlowtemperatures,thecirculatingairispassedthroughanair-dryingplantconsistingofabedofsilicagel.Thisplantiscapableofsupplyingthreecharges(30,000ft3each)ofdryairevery24hours.Test programmesTestscarriedoutinthechamberhavevariedconsiderably.Fromthesimplest-themeasuringofthelightvalueoftwoparaffinlampsat5,000ftforexporttoJohannesburg-toperhapsoneofthemostcomplex,themeasuringoftheicebuilduponfishingtrawlers.Usingcanvasdamsateachend,thechamberwasfloodedwith60tonofwaterinwhich18ftmodels(to1/12thscale)ofthetrawlers


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werefloated.Thetemperaturewasthenreducedtobelowfreezinglevelandairblown through the ducts to simulate highwinds and towhip up thewaves.As the ice built up thiswasmeasureduntil the pointwas reachedwhen themodelscapsized.Thesetests,carriedoutonbehalfoftheBritishShipResearchAssociation, resulted in improvements in the design of the superstructure oftheNorthSeafishingtrawlers,forexample;unnecessaryrailswereremoved,mastsskimmeddown,funnelsstreamlinedandlifeboatsreplacedbyinflatabledinghies.

Line Gear Ltd of Adderbury, Banbury, who manufacture high voltagetransmissionequipmenthaveonanumberofoccasionsusedtheBACClimaticChamberasthisistheonlyonelargeenoughtoholdtheirequipment.Inoneoftheseteststhree8ftlong5ft6inhighisolatorswhichformedpartofsubstationequipmentdestined for theUnitedStates,were tested in rainat -6°Cas theswitcheshavetooperatewithabuild-upofice.A great many cold starting tests have been carried out on diesel engines

associated with electrical generating and air compressing machinery andhavealsoincludedacompletebusforuseovertheAndes.Thislattertestwas

Fig.2. An 18ft model trawler begins its tests under icing conditions; as yet the layer is thin. Driving rain and blizzards can be produced if required.


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interestingastheenginewasrequiredtostartat-18°Cat16,000ft,butatthesametimebrakes,grease,oilsandtransmissionwerealsosubjectedtorigoroustesting. Other tests have included the uncoiling of flight refuelling hoses atlow temperatures andminesweepingwinches for theRoyalNavywhich areexposed towindandweather, seawaterand icing.Studieson thebehaviourofanumberofaircraftandhelicopterstructures,controlsurfaces,systemsanditemsofelectronicequipmentundervariouslowtemperatureandhighaltitudeconditions have also been carried out, and the ability to mount an aircraftpressurecabinoracompletehelicopterisanadditionaladvantage.Othercoldstartingtestshavebeencarriedoutonarmouredtrackedbridge-

layers,bulldozersandrecoveryvehiclesfortheMinistry,forwhomworkhasalsobeendoneonpetrolanddieselengines,gasturbinesandoutboardmotors.Otherexamplesarehotandcoldinflationoflife-raftsforRFD,theeffectsoficing on radar scanners for Ferranti, the testing of foulweather clothing fortheMedicalResearchAssociation, andman-madefibres rope for Id.BridgewindowshavebeenfrequentlytestedfortheRoyalNavy,thistakingtheformofheatingthewindscreenundersevereicingconditionsandtestingthewiperswhichhaveslippingclutchestoovercomethebuildupoficeatthesidesofthewindows.Theotherendof the temperaturescale iseasilysimulated,heatingbeingsupplied frombanksof200kWheaters, anddryorhumidheatcanbeproducedatwill.Infra-redandultra-violetlightcanbeusedtosimulatesolarradiationandtemperaturesforanypartoftheworldcanbefaithfullyreproduced.Someofthemachinerytestedissubjectedtoextremesintemperatureduringthesameperiodofoccupationofthechamber,forinstance,thedieselengine-drivenelectricalgeneratorsetshavetheircoldandhotcycletestscarriedoutconsecutively.

When the chamber is not inuse for its climatic function itserves as a vacuum reservoir forasupersonicwindtunnelwhichiscapable of speeds up to Mach 3.The time taken to evacuate thechamber is about 90minutes andwhilst the running time is only amatterofseconds,itoffersacheapandsimplemethodofcarryingoutselectedtests.The Weybridge High Altitude

andClimaticChambertodayhelpsFig 3. Scimitar fighter being tested for the Arctic


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to solvediverseclimatic testproblems inmanyfieldsother thanaeronauticsandoffersdesignersandengineersareadilyaccessibleandinexpensivemeansfor testing equipmentwhichwould otherwise have to be shipped to variousparts of theworldwhere such extremes in temperature and humidity are tobefound.Whilst theseengineerswouldnotclaimthat, inall instances, thesetestseliminatetheneedforonsiteenvironmental tests,anumberof irksomeproblemswhichwouldholdupveryexpensivefieldtestscanbefoundoutverycheaply,andithasbeenknownfortestsfinallytobecarriedoutintheclimaticchamber on equipmentwhich had spent severalmonths in the cold areas oftheworld, suchas theAntarctic,because temperatures lowenoughwerenotforthcomingthatparticularyear.

The Stratosphere Chamber under construction

Preparing part of a Valiant fuselage for testing in the Stratosphere Chamber


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The Work of Barnes Wallis on Stamps etc.Traditionallystampcollectorscollectstampsbycountry.However,manycollectors

combinetheirinterestinstampswiththeirotherinterestsandcollectstampsrelatedtoaparticularsubject,ortheme..ThisisThematicCollecting.Athematiccollectionusually includes a lotmore than just stamps showing relevant illustrations. It couldincludesome,orall,ofthefollowing:Postmarks,FirstDayCovers,PostalStationery,Commemorativecovers,illustrationsonstampbooklets,Coverswithrelevantsignaturesetc.Theaimistotellastoryaboutthechosenthemeusingaswideavarietyaspossibleofmaterialproducedforuseinthepostalsystem.

Popular themes include, birds, trains, ships and aircraft. There are catalogues forsomeofthesethemeslistingallstampswithrelevantillustrationsissuedthroughouttheworld.StanleyGibbonsisprobablythebestknownpublisherofstampcataloguesandtheyhaveissuedacatalogueofAircraftonStamps.It listsmorethan25,000stampsissued by countries fromAbu Dhabi to Zimbabwe. It also has a very useful crossreferencefacilitysothatitiseasytofindout,forexample,whichstampshavebeenissuedshowingaWellington.-TheAscensionIslands(1993and2008),Belize(1990),BritishIndianOceanTerritory(2003),Canada(1999),TheGambia(1990),Guernsey(1998), Jersey (2000), Poland (1941,1943), andTrinidad&Tobago (1991)haveallissuedstampsfeaturingtheWellingtonintheyearsshown..In1941aseriesofstampswasissuedforusebyPolishForcesinExileintheUK.The

1zvalueistheearlieststampissuedfeaturingapictureofaWellington.In1943a5gvaluewasissuedshowingaWellingtonattackingasubmarine(seeFig1).

TheWellingtonalsofeaturedinthecoverillustrationofastampbookletissuedbyRoyalMailin1980whenfirstclasspostwas12pandsecondclass10p.Interestinglythecurrent(2013)ratesareexactly5timestheseratesforbothfirstandsecondclassletters.

TheWellesleywasshownonastampissuedbySt.Kittsin1993andtheWarwickonastampissuedbyFijiin1998.

MovingontoanotheraspectofBarnesWallis’work–theUPKEEP“bouncingbomb”andOperationChastise.Fig2showstheminiaturesheetissuedbyTheGrenadinesofSt.Vincent in1990. Instampcollecting termsaminiaturesheet iswhere thestamp,orstamps,formpartofalargersheetwhichusuallygivesabiggersceneofwhichthestamp(s) formpart.. Ifyou think theseareproduced largely tosatisfycollectorsandhavelittleornopostalnecessityyoumightwellberight.

Fig 1 a) A Wellington attacking a U-boat b) Wellington cockpit c) Wellington in flight


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Fig 2 Miniature sheet issued by Grenadines of St Vincent in 1990.

In1993GuyanaissuedasetofstampsfeaturingaircraftoftheSecondWorldWar.Aswell asbeingavailable individually thesewerealso issuedasasheetletwithanillustrationoftheattackontheMoehnedamasthecentrepiecealthoughthiswasnotthesubjectofanyoftheactualstamps,seeFig3.

Fig 3 The illustration of the Dams raid did not appear on any of the stamps in this set, only on this miniature sheet which showed the ten actual stamps.


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In2003theBritishIndianOceanTerritory–agroupofsmallislandsintheIndianOceanto thenorthofMadagascar– issuedasetofstampstomarkthecentenaryofpowered flight. One stamp featured theWellington and another theDams raid (seeFig4).2003wasthe60thanniversaryoftheDamsraidaswellasbeingthecentenaryofpoweredflight.Itisaninterestingthoughtthattherewasonly40yearsbetweentheWrightbrothers’flightandtheDamsraid,thatwas40yearsofdramaticprogressinthescienceofflight.

Fig 4 Issued for 60th Anniversary of Operation Chastise.

Guernseyissuedasetofstampsin2003tomarkthe60thanniversaryofOperationCHASTISEandinthesameyeartheIsleofManissuedaminiaturesheetwhichfeaturedRobertTaylor’swellknownpaintingoftheattackontheMoehnedam.InconjunctionwiththepostalauthoritiesinGuernseyandtheIsleofMantheTrustproducedsomecommemorativecoverswiththestampscancelledbytherelevantPostOfficeswithacommemorativecancellationdesignedbyJohnRabbetsfor theTrust.Wethenaskedrelevantpeopletosignthecoversandsoldthemtoraisefunds.Weonlyhad50ofeachproducedandtheysoonsoldout.

In 2008Kiribati, theformerGilbert Islandof theGilbertandEllisIslandsintheSouthPacific, issuedaminiaturesheetfeaturingtheDambustersRaid.Thestamppartoftheminiaturesheetonlyshowspartofoneof theLancastersbut thewholesheet isamorecomprehensiveillustration.

Tallboyisnotforgotten.TheMarshallIslandsissueda series of stamps between 1989 and 1995 tomarkthe50AnniversaryoftheSecondWorldWar.In1994apairofstampsfeatured thesinkingof theGermanBattleshipTirpitz.Onestampshowedan illustrationoftheshipandanothershowedaLancasterdroppingaTallboy bomb. In the bottommargin of the sheetof stampswas a quote fromWinston Churchill, “Itisagreatrelieftogetthisbrutewherewehavelongwantedher.”

Fig 5. The sinking of the battleship Tirpitz


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Movingonfromstampstopostmarksthefieldismuchlarger.PostmarksareusedbyPostOfficesthroughouttheworldtocancelstampssothattheycannotbesoakedoffandre-usedandtogiveinformationaboutwhenandwheretheletterwasposted.Usuallytheyarefairlyboringbutsometimescommemorativepostmarksareused.Theseoftenincorporate somewords explainingwhat is beingcommemoratedand sometimes anillustration.RulesvaryfromcountrytocountrybutforRoyalMailthepositionisthatanyorganisationcandesignapostmarkbutithastoapprovedbyandappliedbyRoyalMail.

Fig6ashowsthepostmarkthatwasproducedforthereunionof40SquadronheldatAbingdonin1988.TheSquadronflewvariousmarksofWellingtonsfromNovember1940throughtoMarch1945.Fig6bshowsacommemorativepostmarkusedin1999to commemorate the 60th anniversary of theMark IIIWellington. The code lettersLFreferto37SquadronwhoflewWellingtonsfromMay1939throughtoDecember1944.ThereferencetoBrooklandsinthepostmarkisinteresting.AlthoughmostofthedesignworkfortheWellingtonwasindeeddoneatBrooklandsproductionwaslargelydispersedwitheachoftheshadowfactoriesatBlackpoolandChesterproducingmoreWellingtonsthandidBrooklands.Fig6cshowsthepostmarkproducedforuseintheIsleofMantomarkthe37thAnniversaryofthefirst1000bomberraid–thatof30/31May1942onCologne.Ofthe1,047aircraftdispatchedonthatraid602wereWellingtons.

Fig 6a Fig 6b

Fig 6c

Fig 6 Various postmarks featuring a Wellington.


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Inadditiontopostmarkssomecommemorativeenvelopes,orcoversasphilatelistscallthem,haveanillustrationonthem.TheearliestrelevantsuchcoverthatIhavecomeacrossisshowninFig7a.Thepostmarkshowsthatthecoverwaspostedon28January1929.TheillustrationisofthemooringmastthathadbeenbuiltatMontrealAirportreadyfortheR100’sflighttoCanada.Fig7bshowsacoverpostedon13August1930,thedaythattheR100departedfromMontrealtoreturntotheUKafteritstransatlanticflight.

Fig 7a Cover shows the mooring mast for the R100 at St Hubert Airport, Montreal.

Fig. 7b With R100 commemorative cachet. Posted at St. Hubert Airport, Montreal on the day the R100 left to return to Cardington.


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Inmorerecentyearsmanyspecialpostmarkshavebeenproducedtocommemorateparticularevents,especiallyanniversariesoftheattackontheDamsandthesinkingof the Tirpitz. Although these postmarks can be applied to plain covers they areusually applied to speciallydesignedcommemorativecovers.Many suchcovers areproducedbycommercialcompaniessometimessimplyforcommercialgainbutofteninconjunctionwithappropriatecharities.Alsomanycharitiesproducetheirowncovers.OveraperiodofmanyyearsanumberofdifferentseriesofcoverswereproducedbytheRAFMuseumandtheJointServiceCharityConsortium.AnexamplefromtheseriesaboutPlanesandPlacesisshowninFig8.Thisseriesof30commemorativecoverswasissuedbetween1997and2001eachfeaturedatypeofaircraftnamedafteraplaceandshowedapictureoftheaircraftflyingovertheplace.TheseriesincludesWellingtonaswellastheWarwickshown.TheillustrationswerebasedonpaintingsbyTonyTheoboldwhohasproducedmanyoftheillustrationsusedonthecoversproducedbytheJointServicesCharityConsortiumbuthehasalsodesignedmanystamps.

Fig 8 The Warwick - a Warwick flying over Warwick.

Sometimesthedesignofthepostmarksraisesquestions.DoestheoneshowninFig9refertothecorrectDerwentDam?

Fig 9 Did they really mean the Derwent Dam in Cumbria not Derbyshire?


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Anotheraspectofinteresttomaycollectorsistohavecommemorativecoverssignedby relevant people.These are usually produced as limited editions and are usuallyindividually numbered. These signatures are often arranged by the cover producersthemselvesbutsometimesindividualcollectorsmaketheirownarrangements.Oneofthemostpopularsubjectsis,notsurprisingly,OperationCHASTISE.Otheroperationsby617Squadronarealsopopular.BarnesWallishimselfhasalsobeencommemoratedinpostmarksasshowninFig10.

Fig 10 The 20th Anniversary of the death of Barnes Wallis.

TheultimateBarnesWalliscoveristhatissuedbytheRAFMuseumin1976aspartoftheirHistoricAviatorsseries.ThecoverisillustratedwithanimageoftheR100andBarnesWallis.ThecancellationfeaturesanimageofaWellingtonandthecoverwasflowninavariablegeometryaircraft–albeitanAmericanone.TheicingonthecakeisifthecoverhasbeensignedbyBarnesWallishimself,asshowninFig11.

Fig 11 The ultimate Barnes Wallis cover. ImayreturntothesubjectinlatereditionsoftheNewsletter.MeanwhileIwould

be interested to see a copy of any relevant cover that you have found particularlyinteresting.Icanbecontactedbyemailattalks@barneswallistrust.org.

Peter Rix, Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust


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Ripley marks the 125th Anniversary of Barnes Wallis’ birth

Barnes walliswasbornon26September1887inRipley,Derbyshire.Thehousewherehisfamilylivedatthetimestillexistsandhasanappropriate

commemorative plaque on the wall.A number of events were organised inRipleytomarkthe125thanniversaryofBarnesWallis’birth.In themorningof26September2012 representativesof theBarnesWallis

Memorial Trust met representatives ofAmber Valley Borough Council andofRipleyTownCouncilat theCouncilOffices where reduced copies of theexhibition boards that the Trust hadproduced for exhibitions in Goole,BeverleyandBridlingtonwereonshow.In addition the Library in Ripley hadproduced their own exhibition. Thetrusteesandcouncillorsthenmadetheirway to the Barnes Wallis MemorialParkwhere SirBarnes’ elder daughter,Mary Stopes-Roe, planted an oak tree.This public open space already has acommemorative stone marking BarnesWallis’linkstothetown.Theparklooksout over the picturesque Derbyshirecountryside.

IntheafternoonMaryStopes-RoespokeatameetingarrangedbythelocalU3AgroupaboutherparentslifeinRipley.Marybasedhertalkonmanyofthelettersandnotesetcwhichhermotherhadwritten.Hertalkwasentitled‘Thebeginningof a famouscareer’.Barnes’parents,CharlesandEdith,hadonlymovedtoRipleyin1886.CharleswasalocalGP.TheymovedawaytoanewpracticeinNewCrossRoad,London,in1891.AfterabreakforrefreshmentsMary’stalkwasfollowedbyatalkgivenbyPeterRix,oneoftheTrust’strustees,on‘TheWorkofBarnesWallis.’Themeetingwasverywellsupported,indeeditwasasellout,andwasfollowedbyalivelyperiodofquestionsanddiscussions.ThisshowedthatthereisgreatinterestbytheresidentsofRipleyinthelifeandworkofoneoftheirmostfamouscitizens.AmberAles then offered refreshments at their public house, ‘The Talbot

Tavern’.Thiswasanopportunity tosample thenewGrandSlamale.AmberAleshadalsoarrangedforacelebrationcaketohavebeenbaked.

Mary Stopes-Roe planting the commemorative oak tree


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The nextmorning, 27 September, theBWMTtrusteeswere invited toaspecialassemblyatStJohn’sPrimarySchool.AtthisAssemblytheYear6 children put on a presentation about BarnesWallis. This was impressive;the children wereclearlyverywellrehearsedandseemedtoenjoywhat theyweredoing.After theassembly,PeterRixspoketotheYear6childrenaboutsomeoftheinventionsofBarnesWallis.Becauseoftheworkthat thechildrenhaddone inpreparingfor theirpresentationtothewholeschoolassembly,Peterstartedbyaskingifanybodyhadanyquestionsas

aresultoftheirresearches.Thereweremanyandthissuggestedthatthechildrenhadfoundtheirresearchesinteresting.Peter’stalkseemedtobewellreceivedandtheheadteacherdidsaythatshewouldliketodothesamethingnextyear.IntheafternoonMaryrepeatedhertalkofthedaybeforetoanaudiencein

thetownhall.A leading light in organising and co-ordinating

these events was Jayn Sterland of Amber Ales.ThesebrewersalreadyhadaregularbrewofBarnesWallis ale but for this anniversary theybrewed alimited edition of ale which they named GrandSlam.ThisnewbeerwaslaunchedbyMaryStopes-RoeattheopeningAmberValleyRailAleFestivalat theMidlandRailwayCentre in the evening of27thSeptember.

Coincidentally Peter gave a talk to ReptonVillage Society on 4 October,closetotheanniversarydate.Reptonisabout15milessouthwestofRipley.TheVillageSocietyhaddonequiteabitofpublicityandtogoodeffect.Theynormallygetabout50memberstomeetingsbutthistimetheyhad65plustenvisitors.Overall these various activities provided a fitting celebration of the 125th

anniversaryofBarnesWallis’birthand theTrust isverygrateful toall thosemanypeoplewhohelpedorganisethemparticularlyAmberales,AmberValleyBoroughCouncil,RipleyTownCouncil,theU3AgroupandtheteachersandstudentsofSt.John’sPrimarySchool.

Peter Rix

The Transport Trust red plaque on the house where Barnes

Wallis was born


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Dambusters’ 70th Anniversary Commemorative Dinner

On Wednesday 15th May 2013, forty eight paying guests attended afundraising dinner, hosted by Sir Gerald Howarth MP, Member for

Aldershot.Thebeneficiarieswere theBarnesWallisMemorialTrust and theLeonardCheshireDisabilityCharity.AchampagnereceptionwasheldontheTerrace of the Palace ofWestminster,with guests later enjoying a deliciousmealinthediningroom.

Leonard CheshireDisability is the officialcharity partner forRAF617 Squadron as theycommemorate the 70thanniversary of theirfamous Dambusters’raid this year. Thepartnership honoursGroup Captain LeonardCheshire, one of themost decorated WorldWar 2 bomber pilotswho was awarded the

VictoriaCrossandcommandedtheDambustersin1943-44.Afterdinner,ClarePelham,theChiefExecutiveofLCDgaveanemotionalthoughtprovokingtalkabouttheworkofLCD.JamesHolland,author,

historian and Trusteeof the Barnes WallisMemorial Trust gave avalediction.The Parliamentary

Commissionerhadgivenconsenttoholdacharityauction foranumberofexquisite items relatingto the Dams Raid, inaidofLeonardCheshireDisability. The Raffle,

Wg Cdr David Arthurton, OC 617 Sqn (second from right), members of the Squadron and senior RAF officers

James Holland giving the Valediction


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in aid of Barnes WallisMemorial Trust, includedbespokechampagneflutesand a bottle of House ofCommons Champagne,kindlysignedbythePrimeMinisterandaprintoftheWellington, featuring thegeodetic structure devisedby Sir Barnes Wallis,which had been donatedbytheTrust.The print of the

Wellington, Over the Fence by John Rayson, was much admired by theassembledguestsasitwassignedbytheartistandanumberofwartimemembersof617Squadron.TheBarnesWallisMemorialTrust,inconjunctionwith617SquadronAircrewAssociation,hadarrangedfor50copiesoftheprinttomarkthe70thanniversaryofthefirstflightoftheprototype.

Helen Varey, a BarnesWallisTrustee, representingthe Trust on this occasion,presentedthemuchadmiredprint to the successfulwinner.Onherreturntoherseat learned thatshewas totake home the champagneandtheflutes-awonderfulendtoamemorableevening.

Helen Varey

Helen Varey presents the Wellington print

Sir Gerald Hawarth MP, Helen Varey, Clare Pelham and Wg Cdr David Arthurton, OC 617 Sqn

Trust ActivitiesTheTrustiscurrently(June2013)exhibitingitsdisplayofthelifeandworkofSir

BarnesWallisattheMerchantAdventurersHallinYork.MembersoftheTrustareavailabletogiveillustratedtalkstointerestedgroupsthroughouttheUK.ForfurtherdetailscontacttheTrustattalks@barneswallistrust.org.Details of future exhibitions and open evenings will be published on the Trust’s

websiteatwww.barneswallistrust.org.


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Gary Saunt - Painter

Gary sauntisapainterlivinginEastYorkshire with his wife Janet and

daughter Kate. He was born (1951) inGrimsby into a fish curing family. Butforgoingthedelightsoffilletingandsmokehouses,Garyescapedthefamilybusinessand took up art instead.He firstwent toartschoolin1966andstudiedpaintinganddrawinginGrimsby.In1970heobtainedaplaceinArtCollegeinSunderlandtostudythesametopics,plusarthistory. HeandJanetweremarriedinSeptember1973andhe completed his postgraduate studies in1974,addingateachingcertificate.Promptedby thedeathofhis father,he

moved back to Humberside area to benearhisstepmotherandtwoyounghalf-brothers.Withnoimmediatevacanciesinteaching in the area,Gary foundhimselfapplyingforthefirebrigade.Havingavoidedthehardshipofthesmokehouse,Garywasnowafireman.HewasoperationalforfiveyearsridingfireenginesinandaroundGrimsby.Subsequently, he was promoted into the fire prevention department and

policedfire safety in public and commercial buildings for someyears.Garygainedpromotionmovingbetweenfront linepostsandfire investigationandfirepreventionintheGrimsbyarea.HewasStationOfficer(redwatch)whenhewaspostedtoBrigadeHeadquartersinHessle.TherehedidstaffworkandbranchedoutintoDivisionalManagementinHullandHoldernessareas.Afteraspellofrisk/resourceplanning,backatBrigade,Garystudiedfireengineeringandwent through thecommandandmanagement trainingsystemat theFireServiceCollege(Gloucestershire).IntheninetieshewasputinchargeofFireSafetyenforcementforNorthHumbersidethengivencommandof‘A’Division–thewesternhalfoftheEastRidingandthecityofHull.Aftercompletinghis30yearservice,GaryretiredfromtheFireServiceinNovember2004.ThroughouthisFireServicecareerGarycontinuedtodrawandpaint.When

heretiredhisaimwastothrowhimselffull-timeintooilpaintingonceagain.However,hisdaughterKate(BAHonFineArt),urgedhimtogetintocomputer-

Gary Saunt - digital self-portrait


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based artwork. Since then he has never returned to conventional paints andcanvas.Garysaysthatiftheoldmasterswerealivetodaytheywouldnotbeusingthe

oldmethods–butbeusingmodernmedia:“Thoughoilpaintisactuallyeasiertoworkin,itislimitedandlackstheflexibilityandcreativepotentialofdigitalpainting.Oneoftheoddest thingsaboutit ishowmypersonalstyleremainsexactlyasifIwasstillusingoils–Iwouldhavethoughtsuchadifferentmediaandtechniquewouldoverridemystylebutitdoesnot.Iwillneveragainuseoilpaints(orsawcowsinhalforpicklesharks).”Gary feels lucky that his artwork has proved popular – every painting he

hasshownhassold.Hefeels thathis realisticstyleand the familiarsubjectsseemreadilyaccessibletothepublic.Someworkissomewhatsurreal;dream-like townscapes often containing a strangemix of objects but there are alsocelebritiesandlocalfiguresandfamiliarscenesportrayed,sothatpeoplecanstill readily identifywith thesepaintings.Garyalsomaintainsaseparateandverydifferentthemeinhispainting–AviationArt.“Aviationisanunder-ratedsubject.Youarefreetocomposeyourpicturewith

the aircraft arranged in anyorientation. It is also an interesting challenge tocapturethevariedsurfaces–metallic,canvas,Perspexorflatcamouflage.Thenaturalluminosityoftheskycanprovidegreatlightingtoo.”Gary regularly showsat theFerensArtgallery inHull,where thisyearhe

exhibited(andquicklysold)threepaintingsintheopenexhibition.HealsosellsworkthroughthesmallMytonGalleryinHull.WithregardtotheBWMT,Garyclaimshecannotrememberhowheactually

became associated the Trust; though he has vague recollections involvingalcohol,photographsandblackmail.However,heismorethanpleasedtohelpBWMTwithgraphics/artworkofanykind.“I feel I have a bold imagination, tempered by plenty of practical and

engineeringexperience.However,IknowthatIwouldneverhaveconceivedofbouncinghugespinningbombsoverthewavestobreachmajordams.NorwouldIimaginedeliverysuchweaponsusingheavybombersattwentymetrealtitude-attackinginthedark.Nowthatreallyisbold.”

Limited edition A2 fine art prints of Gary’s The Dams Raid signed by Mary Stopes-Roe and Sqn Ldr George ‘Johnny’ Johnson DFM are available from the Trust at £50 plus £8 p&p - cheques made payable to BWMT, orders to:

Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust, Springfield Farm, Old Church Lane, Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, HG3 5LY.

PublishedbytheBarnesWallisMemorialTrustSpringfieldFarm,OldChurchLane,PateleyBridge,Harrogate,HG35LY

©BarnesWallisMemorialTrust2013www.barneswallistrust.org

Charity Number 518023

Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust

Trustees(at31March2013)

Elected TrusteesGerryCarroll(Chairman)

WgCdrChrisHendersonRAF(Retd)(Treasurer)ProfessorRichardMorrisOBE

JamesHollandRobertOwenPeterRix

DrMaryStopes-RoeJonathanStopes-Roe

HelenVareyAndrewWallis

Nominated TrusteesKenDeacon,HowdenCivicSocietyElaineWard,HowdenTownCouncil

Documents

Bwmt newsletter summer 2013 web proof