For those of you who like me are aircraft nuts! here is the history of the Spitfire that used to be displayed on the gate at Norton Aerodrome.
It was a mk 24, service reg PK 724. This was one of the very last marks of Spitfire made, it first flew in Feb 1946 and delivered to 33MU at Lynham. from there it went to 9MU at Cosford in Feb 1950. It was delivered to Norton in late 1954 for instrutional purposes. When Norton closed, it went to RAF Gaydon as gate guardian untill May 1971, when it went to the RAF museum at Hendon, London, where it was extensivly restored and is now displayed there. It was fitted with a huge Rolls Royce Griffon engine developing some 2375 hp, five bladed propellor, and had four mk five cannon. It had a top speed of about 460 mph.
Ironically, it had only 7hrs flying time on it, it was overtaken by developments in jet aircraft, therfore never saw any service.
The plaque in the museum mentions its connection to Sheffield.
I can recomend a visit, very well worth while, it makes a great day out, a cheap National Express ticket to Golders Geen, and tube from there to the museum means a day trip can be done very cheaply.

I was stationed at RAF Norton from 1955 to 1957. The Spitfire was then placed outside the airman's mess. As far as I know it was still there when I left in 1957. I don't remember it being moved. As I was a cook I'm sure I would have noticed any movement. Hope this fills in a little bit more history for PK724.

For those of you who like me are aircraft nuts! here is the history of the Spitfire that used to be displayed on the gate at Norton Aerodrome.
It was a mk 24, service reg PK 724. This was one of the very last marks of Spitfire made, it first flew in Feb 1946 and delivered to 33MU at Lynham. from there it went to 9MU at Cosford in Feb 1950. It was delivered to Norton in late 1954 for instrutional purposes. When Norton closed, it went to RAF Gaydon as gate guardian untill May 1971, when it went to the RAF museum at Hendon, London, where it was extensivly restored and is now displayed there. It was fitted with a huge Rolls Royce Griffon engine developing some 2375 hp, five bladed propellor, and had four mk five cannon. It had a top speed of about 460 mph.
Ironically, it had only 7hrs flying time on it, it was overtaken by developments in jet aircraft, therfore never saw any service.
The plaque in the museum mentions its connection to Sheffield.
I can recomend a visit, very well worth while, it makes a great day out, a cheap National Express ticket to Golders Geen, and tube from there to the museum means a day trip can be done very cheaply.I am a second world war airplane nut too!...............very interesting thread,will try to see it sometime!

My father took me to an air show at Norton Aerodrome in the early 50s and the most vivid memory I have of the visit is seeing the Spitfire standing just inside the main gate.
I seem to remember seeing a Vampire Jet there too but that could be my memory playing tricks. Can anyone confirm this?

A little bit of research produced this http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/supermarine-spitfire-f24.cfm

I,m thinking this should be the aircraft you refer to.I have to say i also an aircraft anorack (lol) but up untill now i,ve mainly been interested in modern fast military types.That said during this summer i visited the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight at R.A.F. Conningsby and i,m sort of getting hooked on these old warbirds and taking a greater interest in them now.

Paul.

also see R>A>F Norton woodseats site

Since being a little kid I have been convinced that I saw an aircraft land at Norton, perhaps it was the mentioned Spitfire and a lot of imagination.

i was in r a f cadets in 1959 based at norton and definately saw a spitfire there could be ayear either side.

Hi, Peter,
Sorry to reply in this manner but I don't have enough posts to answer your message. I've looked at the names you told me about but unfortunatley I don't recognise the names. You didn't say what year it was. If it was the same time as me then I probably new them by sight, that happened a lot. You speak to people in the NAAFI but you don't know much about them.

Hi John,
Don't have enough posts yet to reply to your message. It's nice to talk to people who were in at the same time as you especially the same station and similar trades. Don't really remember the names but Cpl Johnston does ring a bell. I floated between the Airmans Mess and the Sgts Mess with regular trips with 3GRSS to RAF Worksop where I had to cook for the guys working there. We had W.O. Cross and a CPL Parker at the time we also had a very well built Sgt but can't remember his name. The trouble I find today is that people who done their National Service at that time are now knocking on and a lot don't have computers, so it makes it difficult to contact old buddies. Hope you see this, nice to have heard from you. Jim

I had a friend here in Florida, now deceased who told me he had a brother both Canadians who was stationed at Norton and flew out of Norton. They were both Hurricane and Spitfire pilots and the one I knew also flew Lancasters towards the end of the war. I've been told also that no aircraft flew from Norton, what is the truth.

I had a friend here in Florida, now deceased who told me he had a brother both Canadians who was stationed at Norton and flew out of Norton. They were both Hurricane and Spitfire pilots and the one I knew also flew Lancasters towards the end of the war. I've been told also that no aircraft flew from Norton, what is the truth.

I wonder if he meant Brize Norton.

911wasalie R>A>F>Norton sheffield was a non flying station the only thing flying out of there was helicopters the first one in 1955 a medical flight bring in a wounded soldier back from far east for treatment at lodge moor hospital sheffield for spinal injuries

your info could be correct as there is a lot of stations with NORTON in the title
the one we hear of most in these days is BRISE NORTON bringing our lads back from afganiston (TEARS IN MY EYES NOW)
If you get on to friends united site there is a list of all stations past and oresent

jasdell recieved your message hurry up and get some posts in (service)
and i will send you more info about norton and mr Reads book

Hi 911 Wasalie,
There seems to be a lot of confusion whether RAF Norton had a runway. When I went there in 1955 I don't remember seeing a runway or any of the other tell tale signs like a Control Tower and supporting buildings. Even the hangers didn't look like your nomal aircraft hangers. If there ever was a runway it must have been grass and not very big. When I was there it was a non flying station under the control of 90 group which I believe was signals. A runway takes up a lot of space and if you look at a map of Norton and it's surrounding areas in Google, it is difficult to see where a runway would have been. hope this helps.

I know Canadians were stationed there during the war. my teacher, miss Kendall, was engaged to one and they took the whole class at St Mathias to Castleton one Sunday. He also, when I told him I came from Sheffield told me about his brother who was a bit of a renegade and could have landed there as a stunt. But I read it was a barrage balloon site during the war so although I believed him I wonder if he hadn't got mixed up with Finningley.

By the way anybody remember the Barrage balloon site in Meersbrook park near the museum.

Hi,
RAF Norton was definately a barrage balloon station during the war. The problem with your Canadian friends is that there were several stations with Norton in the name, like Brize Norton, Norton Disney, Norton Woodseats and Norton itself. I think they were all flying stations apart from Norton in Sheffield. The problem today is that we have to rely on peoples memory and I'm not sure that is very reliable after so many years. Jim

jasdell recieved your message hurry up and get some posts in (service)
and i will send you more info about norton and mr Reads book

Hi seem to have enough posts now. I found the book you mentioned and have sent an E-mail to mr Read. Hope he replies.

As I recall the old runways at Norton Aerodrome used to be always the first port of call for new would be drivers. I can remember going there for a bit of practice myself.

Hi Joan,
This is one old potty pensioner to another. I believe RAF Norton Woodseats was not far away from RAF Norton although I have never been there. Woodseats I am told was an airfield. At RAF Norton we used to guard the perimeter fence and compared to a station with a runway it was quite small. You didn't mention the year you were there.

1959ish. I was in the queue for my provisional licence on the 17th Birthday so about then.
I can only remember the name Norton being mentioned though, not the Woodseats bit. Perhaps I am way off course then :huh:

Joan you quiet right the old camp after it was close became a training ground for learner drivers, there was no runways as such as it was never a flying station but had a big lay out of very wide roads can not understand why it was closed down some time in the 90s ,again poss health & safety

There used to be an air show held at Norton in the 1950s. I remember going there as a kid, but I don't remember if any aircraft actually took off from there, or if they flew over from elsewhere.

the RAF camp as the local kids call it now has been fenced off for about 3 or 4 years now its directly across the dual carraigeway from herdings park, i think a tesco would look great there instead of it just being waste ground

There used to be an air show held at Norton in the 1950s. I remember going there as a kid, but I don't remember if any aircraft actually took off from there, or if they flew over from elsewhere.
My father used to take me to the airshow at Norton and any planes flew from elsewhere to do flypasts at the show. However I remember the Spitfire being parked just inside the main gates and also a Meteor jet also parked for close veiwing.

I seem to remember seeing a Vampire Jet there too but that could be my memory playing tricks. Can anyone confirm this?

On the subject of Vampires my father used to fly them in the 1950s. On the 22nd January 1957 he took off from RAF Oakington 9.15a.m. Soon after he had a engine failure (which i believe weren't uncommon in them days) due to the compressor blade disintegrating.
As ejector seats hadn't become prominent he had no choice but stay with the plane. The Vampire went down in some fields near some woods. Luckily he got catapulted out of the cockpit as the plane went up in flames. A farmer working nearby found him. Saved his life keeping his airways clear etc. Broke every bone in his body and never flew again but so lucky to be alive. However a good few of his friends didn't make it.
Saw this plane at Waddington and fell in love with its agility. Still goes like stink and gives me goosebumps as much as the sound of a Rollsroyce Merlin.

The Vampire fighter that Event Horizo mentions was one of the few early jets that had a cockpit too small to alow the fitting of an ejector seat, the cockpit was built of a plywood-balsa-plywood shell like the mosqito, his Dad was very lucky to get out of that in one piece. However, I have seen it at air shows and it is indeed a nimble little machine with the characteristic scream of the early jet engines.

Is this the place?

http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?349-RAF-Norton

My father took me to an air show at Norton Aerodrome in the early 50s and the most vivid memory I have of the visit is seeing the Spitfire standing just inside the main gate.
I seem to remember seeing a Vampire Jet there too but that could be my memory playing tricks. Can anyone confirm this?

Ooh! That brought back memories. Yes, I too remember the Vampire, seen on my way to visit grandma in Chesterfield. That must have been around 1957. Lovely aircraft.

Hi Joan,
This is one old potty pensioner to another. I believe RAF Norton Woodseats was not far away from RAF Norton although I have never been there. Woodseats I am told was an airfield. At RAF Norton we used to guard the perimeter fence and compared to a station with a runway it was quite small. You didn't mention the year you were there.There were no runways in Sheffield anywhere until Shefield City, and that's been closed. Norton was used for a time as a bus skid pan, I believe.

Remember at RAF Waddington in 53 when we occasionally had Vampires in, if one had a false start with no ignition two of us had to sit on the tail and tip it up so that the unburnt fuel could run out onto the concrete before trying to start again. The engine exhaust was low down and if it was started on tarmac and not concrete it would tear blazing lumps of tarmac all over the place.

Remember at RAF Waddington in 53 when we occasionally had Vampires in, if one had a false start with no ignition two of us had to sit on the tail and tip it up so that the unburnt fuel could run out onto the concrete before trying to start again. The engine exhaust was low down and if it was started on tarmac and not concrete it would tear blazing lumps of tarmac all over the place.we had the same problem in the navy with the Attacker. When Supermarine evolved the Spiteful from the Seafire 47, the navy didn't want any more prop jobs using petroleum on Carriers, Supermarine came up with a jet version using the Spiteful wings and empennage. However they also retained the tailwheel. They destroyed every runway they encountered, and would have done the same to the flight decks, until Admiralty refused to allow them on board. Talking about Vampires, a Vampire was the first jet ever to land on an RN carrier, wheels up on purpose, and the deck coated with a film of rubber. DeHavilland twim boom jets would serve with the fleet for years, firstly with Sea Venoms, then Sea Vixens, until replaced by McDonnell F4 Phantoms.