https://deadlines101.com/playlist/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/pile-1.jpgpile 1https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/album-covers-1.jpgAlbum covers 1https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/covers3.jpgcovers32025-10-25T10:01:10+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/connections/2025-09-08T09:30:25+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/outtakes/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/f111escape2.jpgF111escape2© Peter Clarke Air Britain Photographic Images Collectionhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/f111escape.jpgf111escapeCopyright2025-06-12T11:51:20+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/contact/2025-06-12T11:29:16+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/about/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/mc-tornado-flt.jpgMC Tornado flthttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/binbrook-1964.jpgBinbrook 1964MC poses in front of the Spitfire gate guardian at RAF Binbrook 1964 (Chapter 5)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/zig-art-1.jpgZig arthttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/zig-art.jpgZig arthttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cartoon-zig-2756881533-e1670763123610.jpgcartoon Zighttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/scarborough.jpgOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/curtis-family.jpgCurtis familyThe Curtis family in the early 1930s. Harold and Lillian have grabbed the deckchairs surrounded by (left to right) Colin, Hugh, Wilfrid, Joyce and Mary.https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tornado-ride.jpgTornado rideG-suited and booted, a quick pose in front of a pile of mud before climbing in a Tornado F3 at RAF Coningsby in June 1992. Another Tornado can be seen in the background to prove it was Coningsby and not a fantasist on a building site (Chapter 22)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/binbrook-1964.jpgBinbrook 1964Better than Butlins - it`s Binbrook! MC assumes the position in front of the Spitfire gate guardian after a tour of RAF Binbrook with his Dad in 1964 (Chapter 5)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/butlins-1955.jpgButlins 1955Hopalong Cassidy and Charlie Drake? And Dad`s the Camp Chaplain? And now I have been exposed as the baby crying in Chalet ZH10 as announced by Radio Bloody Butlin last night during the adults` Glamorous Grandma contest......A quizzical MC muses on life at Butlins at Filey in 1955.2025-02-01T11:32:39+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/lt-stephen-kershaw/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kershaw-2.jpgkershaw-2https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kershaw-1.jpgkershaw-1https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/kershaw.jpgKershawhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/lsg-bucc.jpgLSG BuccThe front page of the weekly `Lincolnshire Standard` a few days after the Buccaneer crash https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/lsg-full.jpgLSG fullThe front page of the `Lincolnshire Standard` newspaper with the story of the Buccaneer crash in November 1974https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/buccaneer-1.jpgBuccaneer 1Buccaneer XV100, in which Lt Kershaw lost his life in 1974, on the launch catapult of HMS Eagle circa 1971. The `plane guard` Wessex rescue helicopter hovers on the port side (Crown Copyright)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/steve-kershaw-cockpit-photo.jpgSteve Kershaw cockpit photoLt Stephen Kershaw in the cockpit of a Royal Navy Buccaneer2025-01-07T12:00:40+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/flights/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/vulcanxh5582.jpgVulcanxh558The last flying Vulcan https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/malayafr1.jpgmalayafrA Tornado F3 takes on fuel from the VC10 tanker of 101 Squadron over Malaysia in March 1990 - see Chapter 9 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/binbrook-flt1.jpgbinbrook flthttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/boston-from-c130.jpgBoston from C130Boston Stump from the flight deck of the RAF C-130 Hercules carrying The Falcons parachute display team and MC in June 1977 - see Chapter 13. (Photo: Eric Spencer LSG)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/scilly-isles.jpgScilly IslesAn S61 helicopter over the Isles of Scilly circa 1980. A similar helicopter crashed just off St Mary`s in July 1983 - Chapter 10. (Photo: F.E.Gibson, Isles of Scilly)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/recruit-2.jpgRecruit 2The cover of an RAF recruiting booklet from the 1960s. It was all about Lightnings then. A young pilot of 74 Squadron (The Tigers) is told to gaze dreamily skywards while posing with his flying helmet and OS map.https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/navy-formation.jpgNavy formationA Hunter and two Sea Harriers of 899 Naval Air Squadron pose for the camera ship over Yeovilton (Photo: Royal Navy)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mirage.jpgMirageA Mirage 2000 of the French Air Force reheats its routine, Mildenhall circa 1989 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/f3-over-lincs-coast.jpgF3 over Lincs coastA Tornado F3 of 5 Squadron at Coningsby over the Lincolnshire coast circa 1990 - see Chapter 22 (Photo: Sgt Rick Brewell, RAF)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/reds-747.jpgreds-747The Red Arrows lead British Airways Boeing 747 `City of Lincoln` in a flypast over the city in 1993. The aircraft was delivered to BA in March 1991 - see Chapter 23 (Photo: MC)2024-07-29T13:25:49+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/raf-binbrook/2023-10-12T07:52:59+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/airfields/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hemswell.jpghemswellCanberra from 139 Squadron overflies its home base at RAF Hemswell in Lincolnshire. It was setting off on an overseas tour in the mid-1950shttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/akrotiri-1992.jpgAkrotiri 1992Two of the Red Arrows taxi out for a full team practice over RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus in 1992 as a Tornado, on detachment from the UK, gets airborne. No sign today of the CIA`s `bird` - Chapter 21 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/lincs-underground.jpglincs undergroundThe Underground map of Lincolnshire, put together by MC and Sonia Haines circa 1988. I endeavoured to include all the RAF bases as well as the villages with interesting names - Chapter 11. The tulips marked the towns where Radio Lincolnshire had a studio. The map got used as the radio station Christmas card that year.https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/bin-road.jpgbin roadhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/greenham-twr.jpggreenham twrThe abandoned control tower at Greenham Common, home to the commentary team and the air traffic controllers at the International Air Tattoo circa 1980 (see Chapter 26). The building now has Grade II listed status and there is a plan to turn it into a visitor centre (Photo: MC) now GraDE - thttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/chipmunk-wadd-07.jpgMINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAA former RAF Chipmunk - now in civilian ownership - heads for the runway at the end of the Waddington airshow 2007. This was the type in which MC did his first aerobatics - Chapter 3 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mstg-dep.jpgMstG depLightnings of 226 OCU leave Middleton St George (now Durham Tees Airport) for Coltishall, 1964 - see Chapter 5 (Photos: Rev W.Curtis)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/heyford.jpgheyford`It`s an aardvark! Can`t you see that, your Highness, it`s a bloody aardvark!` (with apologies to Edmund Blackadder and Dr Johnson).   An F-111E Aardvark on finals to Upper Heyford circa 1982 - see Chapter 9. (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/farn-02.jpgfarn-02A BAC 111 of the Defence Research Agency takes off at the end of a trade day at the Farnborough Air Show circa 1988. An RAF Hercules waits to line up. Two of the Reds Hawks can be seen on the dispersal in front of the famous Black Sheds (Chapter 14) (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nellis2.jpgnellis2Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, USA. A B-52 wheels over the Las Vegas skyline as it comes into land. The evening sun glints off a Coningsby Tornado, at Nellis for the Ref Flag exercises (Chapter 14) (Photo: MC)2023-07-23T12:01:13+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/airshows/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/punch-barrows2.jpgPunch Barrows2Cover of Punch magazine circa 1981https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/binbrook.jpgBinbrookhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/at-home-1963.jpgAt home 1963The RAF stations `At Home` to the public to mark Battle of Britain Day in 1963. Only Waddington is still.........(sigh)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/awacs-formation.jpgAwacs formationA Boeing E3 Sentry, made in Seattle (Chapter 23), a Shackleton like the one whose tail wheel went whoosh (Chapter 23) and two Tornado F3s (similar to the one in which MC went supersonic - Chapter 22) get together for an air defence publicity photo, circa 1990 (Photo: Cropwn copyright)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/reds-wt-1.jpgReds WT 1Winter training. Seven of the Reds captured in March 2017 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/crewup.jpgcrewuphttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/concorde-fairford.jpgconcorde-fairfordAlways an evocative sight and shape, Concorde emerges from the early morning mist to offer a treat to the early starters at RIAT at Fairford 1996. Much of the British flight testing on Concorde was done out of Fairford (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vulcan-mild.jpgvulcan-mildThe last flying Vulcan gets airborne at the Mildenhall Air Fete in 1987 when it was still on the RAF`s books. See Chapters 2 & 23 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nimrod-mild.jpgnimrod-mildA Nimrod tucks up its gear straight after take-off at a Mildenhall Air Fete circa 1986. The smoke from the BBQs can be seen below it. See Chapters 10 & 23 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nim-lanc.jpgnim-lancA Nimrod puts on the power above the BBMF`s Lancaster, Mildenhall Air Fete circa 1986. See Chapters 10 & 23 (Photo: MC)2022-08-08T08:54:23+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/2017/08/01/first-blog-post/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/telegram-colour.jpgtelegram colourThe telegram received by Colin`s mother on the 21st January 1942 after his Wellington failed to return from a mission the previous evening (Chapter 16)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/orbat-final.jpgOrbat FinalThe Order of Battle (Orbat) for 101 Squadron for the evening of Tuesday 20th January 1942. The crew of Z1110 (Chapman, Curtis, Hancox, Spackman, Dunn and Mantle) were the only one of the six that failed to return. There has been no news of the bodies or the aircraft for 76 years (Photo: Tom Curtis)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/xmas-card-text.jpgXmas card texthttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/deadlines-frontback.pngDeadlines front&backhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/contents-jpeg.jpgContents jpeghttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cover-front-jpeg.jpgcover front jpeghttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bc-memorial.jpgBomber Command Memorial, LondonThe Bomber Command Memorial, unveiled in Green Park, London in 2012 and 70 years after Z1110 disappeared with all on board. (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/wellington-101.jpgwellington-101Wellington 1c of 101 Squadron https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/c5c17.jpgC5 over C17 Mildenhall circa 1997A C-5 Galaxy framed by the right wing of a C-17 Globemaster lands at Mildenhall circa 1997 (Photo: MC)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/colin1.jpgP/O Colin Curtis P/O Colin Curtis, 101 Squadron, January 1942. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Bomber Command 2020-05-15T15:54:15+00:00monthlyhttps://deadlines101.com/ww2-francis/2019-11-18T17:43:09+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/ww2-peter/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/peter-chapman-newspaper.jpgPeter Chapman newspaperEight days after Wellington Z1110 captained by Sgt Chapman disappeared, The Newark Advertiser carried the story.https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pl-chapman-log-book-last-pages.jpgPL Chapman log book last pagesPeter Chapman`s Pilot`s Flying Log Bookhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/peter-chapman-raf.jpgPeter Chapman RAF2019-01-31T16:51:11+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/ww2-memorials/2018-10-31T20:34:47+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/photographs-2/https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/le-curtis-25-9-1944.jpgLE Curtis 25-9-1944https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/le-curtis-19-9-1944.jpgLE Curtis 19-9-1944More than two and a half years after Colin Curtis failed to return, his mother Lilian wrote to his old college in London. The two letters to the Principal of Borough Road College have come to light in the archives of Brunel University in London. The archives cover Brunel`s predecessor colleges and the British and Foreign Schools Society (BFSS). They date from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present day. The University is currently preparing an exhibition (online and physical) about former students of Borough Road College who died serving in WW2, including of course Colin Curtis (Ch 4)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/rhoda-frank.jpgRhoda & FrankRhoda Best, a nurse, and Francis Smith during their engagement before their wedding on 28th April 1941. Ten months later, with Rhoda three months pregnant, Francis was killed when his Sunderland flying boat crashed off Ireland (Ch 24 and see Updates off the main website menu).https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/smith-canada-cuttings1.jpgSmith Canada cuttingsCuttings from Canadian newspapers reporting the loss of Flt Frank Smith in February 1942 (Ch 24)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/medals.jpgmedalsThe medals that Colin received posthumously at the end of the war - the 1939-1945 Star, the 1939-1945 War Medal and the Air Crew Europe Star (Chapter 27)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/aircrew-europe-star.jpegAircrew Europe StarColin`s posthumously-awarded Air Crew Europe Star, presented in 1945 to all Commonwealth air crew who took part in operational flights over Europe from UK baseshttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/poppies2.jpgpoppies2https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/201sqn-1-e1505730878357.jpg201SQn 1The 201 Squadron records detail the loss of Sunderland W3977 in February 1942 (Chapter 24)https://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/raf-trades-4.jpgraf-trades-4From an RAF recruiting pamphlet at the beginning of the warhttps://deadlines101.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/raf-trades-3.jpgraf-trades-3From an RAF recruiting booklet at the beginning of the war2018-10-31T20:26:29+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.com/more-photos/2018-04-24T16:33:06+00:00weekly0.6https://deadlines101.comdaily1.02025-10-25T10:01:10+00:00