F+W EMMEN Vampire (N23105)

Manufactured in 1959, registered in the US in 2018, but with British rondels on the wings and a Canadian one on the tailboom.

I remember as a kid RAF Linton on Ouse 1959 circa

gwapo santa… awwww RAF Linton. This is a name very familiar to a couple of generations of Canadians. Every Christmas eve since 1979, Frederick Forsyth's novella 'The Sheppard', has been broadcast on CBC Radio. It gives a first person (pilot) account of a Vampire flight gone wrong on Christmas eve 1959. The reader of the story is famed CBC broadcaster Alan Maitland (fireside Al), and he speaks the part of all the players in this story. Countless families across Canada have made it a tradition to listen to this story every Christmas eve, sitting around their radio or live streaming this story. (best listened to in the evening with the lights turned down low). Hope this is accessible internationally. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-the-shepherd-edition-2017-1.4455219/fireside-al-maitland-reads-frederick-forsyth-s-the-shepherd-1.4458378

Nov/Dec 1965. Arrived Dominican Republic with Air Force Task Force 121. Dominican AF had some of the Vampires, a few AT-6s, and about half a dozen P-51s. They only flew in the first few days of each month because of fuel allocation limits. One Vampire gave us an impromptu airshow with high speed passes, steep climbs, and aileron rolls. On his last roll, the canopy fell off and he returned for an emergency landing! Will never forget being told to block taxi and takeoff of a P-51 with my crash truck. Rolled up in front of the aircraft about 6 ft from the nose to be met with a view of the six 50 cals being armed with a pilot already in the seat. I could have easily been swiss cheese but cooler heads prevailed and he did not fire. Thank you Lord!

Great Photo John !!

5* Thanks for posting.

Ohhh... Blast from the past. I had a model of one of these when I was a kid. Wow... Memories..