Thunder & Lightnings

English Electric Canberra - Survivor WK124 (nose)

TT.18 WK124 - Stoneykirk Aviation Museum, Stoneykirk, Stranraer

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Canberra TT.18 WK124 at Manston Fire Training School, 22nd September 2008; Francis Wallace

This B.2 spent the early part of her service career in Germany being delivered first to 103 Sqd at RAFG Gutersloh. She would have stayed with 103 until their disbandment in August of 1956 when she was transferred to the charge of 59 Sqd at RAFG Bruggen.

WK124 is next noted with 213 Sqd - presumably when they moved, with their B(I).6s to RAFG Bruggen in August 1957 and they took over the remnants of 59 Sqd's B.2 Canberras. In January 1969, WK124 was moved to 27 MU (Shawbury) for conversion to a TT.18.

After conversion, WK124 was transferred to the charge of the Fleet Requirements Unit (Royal Navy) at RNAS Yeovilton. She is next noted as reverting to RAF charge when she joined 7 Sqd at RAF St Mawgan. This Canberra's final days in service with the RAF were with 100 Sqd at RAF Wyton with the squadron number of "CR", retiring in March 1991 and performing her final flight into RAF Manston to become a crash rescue training airframe.

With Manston's impending closure, WK124 was disposed of for scrap, with much of the airframe ending up at Newquay in a very poor and hugely damaged state. The nose, thankfully, was saved and is now with Lyndon and Joe at their premises in East Yorkshire. In poor condition, they decided to rebuild her as a 'long nose' B.6 conversion rather than return her to stock TT.18 status. You can find the superb restoration on the WK124 Facebook page.

On the 21st of August 2024, WK124 was placed on loan to the Stoneykirk Aviation Museum where she can now be viewed by the public all year round!

Information on this page current as of 31/08/2024, last updated by Jake

Find other photos of WK124 on the following sites:

Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net