Piece of RAF history leaves county (From Western Telegraph)

Piece of RAF history leaves county

A 234 Squadron Hunter has left Brawdy for the final time and travelled to its new home in Leicestershire - in pieces on the back of a lorry.

The aircraft has stood guard on a plinth at Brawdy since 1986, but was recently put on the market due to its deteriorating condition.

There were fears that the plane would go to scrap merchants, but the Phoenix Aviation Museum, in Bruntingthorpe, South Leicestershire, stepped in and its bid was accepted.

Volunteers from the museum travelled to Pembrokeshire last week to dismantle the plane. Helped by members of the 14th Signal Regiment, the plane was loaded onto the back of a lorry for transportation, before the restoration work begins.

Nev Martin, who runs the museum, said: It will take about three or four years for us to put everything back together and restore it completely. Therell be about five of us who will work on it. Were all ex-servicemen who are now mostly in our seventies. Were not in a rush, well just work on it when the mood take us.

The Hunter played a big part in Pembrokeshires military aviation history. The first Hunters came to the Brawdy in 1963-64 with the Royal Navy and were there until 1970. When the RAF took over the station, the Hunter returned in 1974 with the Tactical Weapons Unit. The aircraft retired from Brawdy service in 1984.

John Evans, of the Pembrokeshire Aviation Group, said: The Hunter which stood guard outside the gates of the base is a genuine Brawdy veteran, having flow in the skies above Pembrokeshire. It is sad to see a little bit of the countys aviation history go. But you cannot leave a metal aircraft outside for ever because it will just deteriorate. We are glad that it has gone to a caring home. Bruntingthorpe has a splendid collection of aircraft.

And Squadron Leader Dave Warneford, the last commanding officer at RAF Brawdy, commented: It is a little sad that the aircraft has left. But while it was in the care of the Royal Air Force there were facilities to deal with its upkeep. Unfortunately, its not within the normal engineering remit of an Army unit to deal with that kind of problem. The aircraft has now gone to a home that will prolong its life more than it would have achieved standing outside in the maritime environment of Pembrokeshire.

CAPTION

On the move - The Hunter aircraft which stood guard at Brawdy base is pictured by Western Telegraph reporter Matthew Jenkins as it is lifted on to a lorry, and inset, the Hunter ready to take off from the runway. This picture belongs to John Evans.