English Electric Canberra - Survivor WH984
B.15 WH984 - John Sheldrake, City of Norwich Aviation Museum, Horsham St. Faith, Norwich
 |  |  |
Canberra B.15 WH984 at City of Norwich Aviation Museum, 3rd December 2022; Jake Wallace
Built at Short Bros Belfast in 1955 under contract 6/ACFT/5790, WH984 was the 100th Canberra built at this site. She was issued to 49MU for Special Fit. On 14th September 1956 WH984 was issued to 9 Sqn at RAF Binbrook with the squadron code of "E". Five months later, on 11 February 1957 she was transferred to 32MU for more Special Fit work before being returned to RAF Binbrook's Station Flight.
Still as a B.6, WH984 was then sent, on 12 July 1957, to Marshalls of Cambridge for modifications and returned to 9 Sqn in January 1958. The modification program continued with WH984 being sent to BAe Salmesbury for a further series of modifications on 25 June 1959. This work lasted around a month and this Canberra was back with 9 Sqn again on 14 July 1959.
On 18th April 1961 WH984 was transferred to Boscombe Down, possibly for conversion to B.15 (although this conversion may have been earlier). She was then transferred to the charge of 32 Sqn, Near East Air Force, at RAF Akrotiri on 7 March 1962 as part of the package to replace 32 Sqn's B.2s with the more formidable B.15/16s.
WH984 was next off to 103 MU (NEAF) on 17 December 1963 (for a Major service?) and back to 32 Sqn by 21 January 1964. Then, on 11 June 1968, she became part of the 32/73 Sqn Air Strike Wing at RAF Akrotiri. She was transferred to No.1 Engineering Sqn, NEAF on 12 March 1969 with 2303 hours on the clock and this was her last flight. By August 1970, WH984 was assigned code 8101M and made a Ground Instructional Airframe at No.2 SoTT at RAF Cosford. Once Cosford has finished with her, she was scrapped with the cockpit getting acquired by Pheonix Aviation who moved it to their base at Bruntingthorpe in 1992. In 1995, the cockpit made a brief visit to No.198 Sqn ATC at Hinckley, Leicester before returning to Bruntingthorpe in 1996. 4 months later, she was moved to Sealand in Cheshire where she spent several years, before moving to her current home, City of Norwich Aviation Museum.
The cockpit today belongs to John Sheldrake who moved it to the City of Norwich Aviation Museum on the 30th of November 2005, where it can be seen on display alongside a few other cockpits. Over the years WH984 has been getting restored and is now seen to be in the preparation works of a repaint.
Still as a B.6, WH984 was then sent, on 12 July 1957, to Marshalls of Cambridge for modifications and returned to 9 Sqn in January 1958. The modification program continued with WH984 being sent to BAe Salmesbury for a further series of modifications on 25 June 1959. This work lasted around a month and this Canberra was back with 9 Sqn again on 14 July 1959.
On 18th April 1961 WH984 was transferred to Boscombe Down, possibly for conversion to B.15 (although this conversion may have been earlier). She was then transferred to the charge of 32 Sqn, Near East Air Force, at RAF Akrotiri on 7 March 1962 as part of the package to replace 32 Sqn's B.2s with the more formidable B.15/16s.
WH984 was next off to 103 MU (NEAF) on 17 December 1963 (for a Major service?) and back to 32 Sqn by 21 January 1964. Then, on 11 June 1968, she became part of the 32/73 Sqn Air Strike Wing at RAF Akrotiri. She was transferred to No.1 Engineering Sqn, NEAF on 12 March 1969 with 2303 hours on the clock and this was her last flight. By August 1970, WH984 was assigned code 8101M and made a Ground Instructional Airframe at No.2 SoTT at RAF Cosford. Once Cosford has finished with her, she was scrapped with the cockpit getting acquired by Pheonix Aviation who moved it to their base at Bruntingthorpe in 1992. In 1995, the cockpit made a brief visit to No.198 Sqn ATC at Hinckley, Leicester before returning to Bruntingthorpe in 1996. 4 months later, she was moved to Sealand in Cheshire where she spent several years, before moving to her current home, City of Norwich Aviation Museum.
The cockpit today belongs to John Sheldrake who moved it to the City of Norwich Aviation Museum on the 30th of November 2005, where it can be seen on display alongside a few other cockpits. Over the years WH984 has been getting restored and is now seen to be in the preparation works of a repaint.
Information on this page current as of 06/12/2022, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of WH984 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net