The Victory Show nightshoot that wasn’t!

[Ratch]

Michael.Clegg2 days ago

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Welcome to this latest edition of Aerodrome and our regular look at the fascinating world of aeroplanes and the historic aviation scene around the UK.

As an aviation enthusiast of some years standing, there are very few museums and Airshow related events that I haven’t attended since my teenage years, and as I’ve just celebrated a significant birthday, that’s a lot of aeroplanes over that time. For that reason, the opportunity to attend a completely new event is quite the development and specifically because of the birthday thing, I was looking to attend such an event during this current season. The event which caught my eye was the Victory Show in Leicestershire, and more specifically, a specially arranged nightshoot event, where the stars of the flying display element were made available for the photographic pleasure of a select number of paying photographers.

This latest edition of Aerodrome will my review of this event, but as you will see, things didn’t exactly go to plan and there will be as many pictures of military vehicles as there are aeroplanes. At least this means you will be able to share in my failures as well as the events which do go to plan, and if this helps someone else avoid making the same schoolboy error I made on this occasion, then at least my blushes won’t have been in vain.

Moving on to forthcoming editions of Aerodrome, we now have plenty of event content ‘in the can’, so to speak, so the next two editions will be comprehensive reviews of what has turned out to be the most enjoyable event of the year, one which many enthusiasts will be hoping to see return next year, and hopefully becoming a regular on the Airshow calendar, the Sywell Airshow. Split over two editions, we will attempt to bring you a flavour of this magnificent event, starting with the ground displays and following up with the impressive flying display – something to look forward too as the dark nights set in.

Right then, that’s enough delaying – time to own up on my event faux pas!

Foxlands Farm prepares for combat

A 1942 M3 White Half-track dug in and ready for action at this year’s Victory Show.

For one weekend each year, an area of farmland near the Leicestershire village of Cosby is transported back in time around 80 years, as it prepares to welcome an annual gathering of military vehicles, aircraft and an army of suitably attired re-enactors, who are all dedicated to one thing – playing their part in a simulated wartime skirmish. The Victory Show has earned an enviable reputation in transporting its visitors back to the 1940s, creating military camps, vehicle crew vignettes and larger combat dioramas, all with historic authenticity at their heart.

The show relies heavily on the steadfast dedication of a great many groups from around the country who spend a small fortune in securing original and authentic clothing and equipment from the wartime years, or who have spent thousands on buying, restoring and maintaining military vehicles. Importantly, these groups prefer to show their items to anyone with an interest in seeing them, rather than simply having them safely stored away as part of a private collection. Just like actors, when they are in wartime dress, they are very much ‘in character’ and if you didn’t know better, you might think you were actually spending time within the pages of history.

Having never previously attended the show, the many personal recommendations I had heard over the years prompted me to do something about it this year and with an advertised nightshoot promising access to many of the aircraft scheduled to take part in the event, I was determined to break my duck this year. The event itself was sandwiched between work and family commitments for me, however, I was very much looking forward to my first Victory Show experience and lots of aeroplanes basking in blue hour.

Setting off for Cosby in good time, but not too early, as the event had some strict timing parameters to be observed, the weather appeared to be set fair, and everything was shaping up to be an enjoyable few hours at this new venue for me. Arriving with about an hour to spare, I quickly located the venue and drove on to Cosby village, so as not to cause an obstruction, as Friday was set-up day, and everyone looked extremely busy in the reception area. I drove through the village and out the other side, turned around and looked for a suitable spot to park up for half an hour or so. 

Passing the village pub, I saw a young chap coming out wearing full WWII era US battledress, looking as if he might have been in there for quite a while. If it hadn’t been for the modern cars in the background, or the fact he was checking his mobile phone as he walked, I thought how fantastic a view this was, and could almost have been a scene from 80 years ago, as troops were preparing for D-Day.

Something altogether more sinister, this replica Sturmgeschütz was ready to cause some trouble at Foxlands Farm.

Once I had my parking spot secured, it was almost as if a show had been laid on for my own personal enjoyment, as an almost constant procession of military vehicles headed down the road, most full of people and many transporting passengers who were in contemporary dress. The one thing that really did stick out was how happy people looked, almost as if this was one of the most important occasions in their entire year – they all certainly looked as if they were looking forward to an enjoyable few days to come.

Just as with the soldier previously, watching this constant procession of restored military vehicles proved to be a real treat and was just the ticket when it came to killing a little time in advance of gaining access to the event. Once again, if you didn’t know better and could call on a vivid imagination, you could almost imagine yourself being on the same street during the early summer of 1944 and watching a similar procession of troops and military vehicles as they all headed for their embarkation camps down south at the start of their ‘Great Crusade’.

To add to my excitement, the air was soon filled with the sound of Rolls Royce Merlin engines, as a Spitfire and Mustang made a couple of passes over the village, before breaking off into what must have been an unusual landing pattern for them and a landing in what can only be described as a well-maintained farmer’s field. They were followed by a Douglas C-47 Skytrain which adopted the same approach and by now, the excitement levels were proving difficult to keep a lid on – this was going to be a special evening. 

1942 or 2024? Taking their attire very seriously, these enthusiasts can spend many thousands of pounds in securing authentic wartime kit.

As soon as I felt it was polite to do so, I made may way to the main entrance and prepared to check in to event reception – this is where the fun began. The incredibly polite and helpful staff at the show were aware of the event I had paid to attend, but there was nobody available to check me in and provide details. I was directed to a holding point and waited for an official, all the time watching wartime military vehicles entering the site and proceeding into an already packed area which really was starting to resemble a full-on military encampment. Whilst I waited, I checked my camera, unpacked my tripod and exchanged my trainers for a stout pair of walking boots, by which time a show official had turned up to help me.  

As we greeted each other, I thought his first question was a rather strange one – He asked, ‘How far have you travelled?’ As it was now the time indicated on the joining instructions that we should be being checked in, I should have known there was a problem, but as pre-event excitement levels were quite high by now, common sense was definitely taking a back seat. I told the chap that I had travelled from North Manchester, but ended by asking why? His answer was cutting … ‘What’s the date on your ticket?' I still didn’t twig and told him the date, still believing everything was as it should be.

The smile on his face told a different story and it soon dawned on me – I was here a day early ….. what an idiot! I was so keen to break my Victory Show duck that I had added the event to my computer calendar a day early, probably because subliminally, I knew I had a family commitment the following day and wouldn’t have been able to attend on Saturday.

To be fair, everyone was really nice about it and the chap said he felt really sorry for me and went off to see if he could arrange a short period of site access for me, so it wouldn’t be an entirely wasted journey. As he was off speaking to the powers that be, two of the Threshold Aero officials who were running the nightshoot the following day also turned up and on hearing my plight, kindly offered to take me on site and over onto the temporary airstrip section, to photograph the four aircraft which had already arrived. After my stupid mistake, thanks to these extremely kind people, all was not lost and I did get my Victory Show experience, just not the one I was expecting.

Portuguese Chipmunk and covered Warbirds

Once the necessary arrangements had been made, I was escorted to the airfield side of the site, given a safety briefing and escorted down to the far end of the parked aircraft, of which there were only four. I was told to take as many pictures as I wanted and that time wasn’t really an issue, but when the team had to leave the site, I would be escorted to the main showground area, where I would essentially be left to my own devices and free to wander.  

The aircraft furthest away from the entrance and sitting on its own, basking in the beautiful evening sunlight was de Havilland Chipmunk G-DHPM, a lovely machine which was the only aircraft of the four on site not to have covers on. The Portuguese Air Force were and still are major operators of the Chipmunk, so it’s rather fitting that several aircraft currently registered in the UK wear these handsome markings.

Receiving their first Chipmunk Mk.20 trainers at the Military Aeronautical School at Sintra in 1951, the Portuguese would eventually take 76 of these aircraft, replacing Tiger Moths which had been providing the same service for the previous two decades. The first ten aircraft numbered 1301 to 1310, were all manufactured by de Havilland in the UK, however, the following 66 were all licence built by OGMA - Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico (General Workshops of Aeronautical Material) at Alverca, near Lisbon in Portugal. 

Flying with the Elementary Flying Training Squadron, the aircraft were initially presented in a similar scheme to the aircraft flying in a similar role with the Royal Air Force, with natural metal fuselage and wings, with large yellow high visibility bands around both wings and the rear fuselage.

This beautiful aircraft is one of the 66 Chipmunks built in Portugal and saw service with the Portuguese Air Force in these very markings.

After providing 36 years of exceptional service, the Portuguese finally decided to replace their ageing Chipmunks in late 1987, signing an agreement to purchase 18 new Aérospatiale TB-30 Epsilons from France, with the first of these aircraft arriving in early 1989. Delivery of the final aircraft brought about the final withdrawal of all remaining Chipmunks, with seven aircraft being diverted to operate as glider tugs.
 
In 1997, a major round of cost saving measures saw a new lease of life being offered the AFA’s airworthy Chipmunks, as they were seen as a highly cost-effective platform to serve as initial screening aircraft for students hoping to attend the Air Force Academy and be selected for full pilot training. These aircraft were re-engined with the more powerful Lycoming 0-360 engine and also benefitted from new propellers, an uprated braking system and a host of electronic equipment improvements. Incredibly, these aircraft remain in service to this day and are continuing testament to the capabilities of this amazing little aeroplane. 

This beautifully presented aircraft was actually one of the 66 Chipmunks built in Portugal, making her first flight in 1959 and is resplendent in the serial number/fuselage codes she inherited on entering Portuguese Air Force service.

By far the largest aeroplane to have landed at Foxlands Farm in advance of my premature visit was the Aero Legends Douglas C-47 Skytrain ‘Drag ‘em oot’, an aircraft I had seen making its approach earlier in the day and one I would have loved to have seen landing at this unusual location. This year has been quite a significant one for airworthy C-47s in view of the D-Day 80th Anniversary commemorations, however, this was the first time that I had actually seen this aircraft in 2024, so I was pleased to be able to spend a little time in her company.

This particular aircraft was originally delivered to the United States Army Air Force on 28th December 1943 and allocated the serial number 42-100882. She was assigned to the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron, 438th Troop Carrier Group, 53rd Troop Carrier Wing of the 9th Air Force and was based at RAF Greenham Common, or in USAAF parlance USAAF Station 486. Her assigned pilot at the time was 1st Lieutenant Orlando Hardin 'Bill' Allin and it was he who christened the aircraft 'Drag ’em oot', which is obviously a slang term for what the aircraft’s crew wanted to do with her compliment of paratroopers once they were over their assigned drop zone.

The 87th TCS flew the first wave of parachute delivery missions over Normandy during the early hours of D-Day', with 'Bill' Allin flying as co-pilot in another C-47 Skytrain, having swapped positions with the regular co-pilot, as 'Drag 'em oot' could not carry paratroopers due to the glider-snatch winch gear fitted in her fuselage. During this mission, paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division were dropped near Sainte-Mère-Église, on Mission ‘Albany’. 

Once they had returned to RAF Greenham Common, 'Bill' Allin would go on to fly another mission that day to the same area of Normandy, this time in 'Drag 'em oot', and towing a glider transporting men and materials for the 82nd Airborne Division, on Mission ‘Elmira’. This and other suitably equipped C-47s were subsequently used to recover assault gliders from the Normandy landing grounds throughout July and August 1944. 

The largest aircraft landing at the Victory Show this year, I would have liked to have seen the crew of 'Drag 'em oot' expertly negotiating the relatively small airstrip at Foxlands Farm on its arrival.

On 2 September 1944, 'Drag 'em oot' was transferred to the Royal Air Force, where she was given serial TS422 and went on to fly with No.1 Heavy Glider Servicing Unit, attached to the 38th Airborne Forces Group, RAF Netheravon in Wiltshire. The RAF formed their own specialist glider recovery unit and TS422 would be used to recover British Horsa assault gliders from the Normandy beach heads. The unit would also tow and collect WACO, Hadrian and Airspeed Horsa assault gliders to and from RAF bases prior to Operation Market Garden.

During this time, the aircraft sustained numerous bullet and shrapnel strikes across her wings and fuselage, damage which whilst repaired, can still be seen to this day, marking her as an incredibly authentic wartime aircraft. In August 1945, the aircraft joined No.435 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force at Down Ampney, Wiltshire and in April the following year, was flown to Canada, where she went on to see service as a trainer, a transport aircraft and a search & Rescue aircraft.

Ultimate Warbird Flight’s pairing of P-51D Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ and The Grace Spitfire ML407 were the only single engined fighters on the ground during my premature whistlestop visit to the airfield site of the show.

After being sold onto the civilian register, the aircraft was acquired by Dakota Heritage Ltd/Patrick 'Paddy' Green in the UK and prepared to make the onward ferry flight to Britain. Flying the famous Northern Ferry Route which took her via Great Falls, MT - Saskatoon (YXE) - Churchill, Manitoba - Iqaluit, Baffin Island - Sondrestrom (Greenland) - Reykjavik (Iceland) and Wick in Scotland. She eventually arrived  in Liverpool at the beginning of June 2005, having made this significant journey without suffering any technical problems whatsoever. Since arriving in the UK, ‘Drag ‘em oot’ has been an Airshow regular and having been repainted in a representation of her wartime USAAF markings, has done a fine job in commemorating the contribution these magnificent aircraft made to the Allied war effort.

The other two aircraft available to be photographed that evening were the Ultimate Warbird Flight’s pairing of P-51D Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ and The Grace Spitfire ML407, but as these both had their covers on and both will feature heavily in the forthcoming Sywell Airshow reviews to come, other than including a couple of pictures as proof, we’ll be leaving details about them until the next two editions.

Let battle re-enactment commence

After the Threshold chaps had chaperoned me on the airfield side of the site for a good 45 minutes or so, I was taken back to the main showground and allowed to roam freely with no further restrictions. Walking between the various displays and temporary dwellings erected for the duration of the show, I was distracted by some shouting coming from a wooded area and went to investigate. At the entrance to the wood, I found an entrenched German mortar crew preparing for action and after shouting some appropriate warnings (in German), they proceeded to unleash a series of simulated mortar rounds, making quite the racket in the process.

Moving a little deeper into the woods, there were various encampments and diorama settings gathered at several locations, all expertly crafted and all helping to give the impression that we were in fact in something of a WWII time-warp. There were troops preparing their positions for the night, others just relaxing in authentic attire, waiting for other members of the group to turn up and even some freshly dug graves, presumably for some unfortunate re-enactors who couldn’t handle the excitement of it all.

The most impressive exhibits were definitely the beautifully prepared military vehicles which were dotted about the showground, most effectively dug into their own entrenched positions, and all looking like they were ready for action. Keeping a close eye on them, there were also a great many people preparing their camps for the weekend, all going about their business still wearing their wartime attire, as if this was just a normal Friday evening for them – it really was all rather impressive.

Not so close Englander!

With British, American and German troops all sharing the same showground space, it really was a treat to be allowed to wander amongst these people who were making such an effort to make this a memorable occasion for thousands of visitors over the weekend to come, but prior to the show being open to the public, were just going about their business. It was quite a surreal experience really, and made you think about all those millions of people who fought during both world wars. They were all just ordinary people, but required to do extraordinary things.

Putting my modelmaking head on for a moment, I was particularly impressed with a scratch-built Goliath tracked mine on display, which had been built by a father and son team. These fearsome looking weapons were essentially disposable demolition vehicles and were packed with high explosives and intended to deal with anything from suborn Allied troop positions to tanks. Expensive and often difficult to operate, Goliaths didn’t actually prove to be a roaring battlefield success, however, they do look impressive and would have caused more than a little concern had one been trundling towards your position.

I was fortunate enough to be shown around this impressive metal model which had been built by a father and son team and was fully operable. They showed me the internal electronics which powered the craft and the radio control unit and long wire coil which would have allowed the operator to deploy the weapon effectively, without fear of being blown up himself. I did ask if the Goliath was going to be featuring in the battle scenarios planned for the weekend, but was told that it probably wasn’t, because whilst it was in working condition, they had a problem making it stop once it was on the move and that could create some problems when battle commenced.

An impressive model build, this scratch-built Goliath tracked mine could be used to take out a Sherman, or bring its creator back from a heavy night at the beer tent.

Nevertheless, it was great to see something so unexpected on display and to inspect the handiwork of two extremely talented enthusiasts. They did joke that if one of them had one too many at the bar later, they might hitch a ride on Goliath, even though that isn’t what they built it for – I would have loved to have seen that!

Despite my rather catastrophic ticketing error, I was extremely fortunate to come across a very kind group of people who didn’t want to rub my nose in the mistake I made, but instead allow me to sample a taste of what the Victory Show was all about, and I am very grateful to them. Even from the short time I spent at Foxlands Farm, I could see that this was a very special event and one I had most definitely been missing out on. I’m going to call this shorter visit than I was expecting my show reconnaissance sortie, but will be looking forward to enjoying the full Victory Show experience next year. 

Once again, could I thank the show organisers and the Threshold Aero team for being so understanding and supportive, and for allowing me to come away with at least a few pictures of my trip to Leicestershire. 

Please enjoy this final selection of images taken during my short time spent at the pre- Victory Show event this year.
 

This Buick M18 Hellcat created its own nest for the show – perhaps it was unnerved by the sight of all the German equipment on show.

Even German military motorcycles have a sinister look about them, as illustrated by this desert Zundapp.

The low profile of the Hetzer made it a menace in combat situations, especially when it was concealed and lying in wait for an unwary Allied tank commander.

Another look at the beautiful replica Sturmgeschütz.

This is a rather interesting Half-track. If you know the story behind this appealing scheme, please do drop us a line to let us know.

The German equivalent, an Sd.Kfz 251 Hanomag armoured personnel carrier.   

I’m afraid that’s all we have for you this time, but we will be back again in four weeks’ time with more news and pictures from the world of aviation. Thank you for your continued support and as always, if you would like to comment on anything blog related or suggest a subject you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aerodrome, please do drop us a line at aerodrome@airfix.com, where we would be delighted to hear from you.

Should you wish to continue the aviation discussions between editions, you will always find something of interest over on the Airfix Aerodrome Forum and if social media is more your thing, please use the respective official social media icon links at the foot of the main Airfix and Corgi website homepages to access our official sites.

The next edition of Aerodrome is scheduled to be published on Friday 11th October, when we will be bringing you the first of our two-part Sywell Airshow reviews.

I hope to see you all back here then.

Michael

[modeling maniac]

It was good, and I should know as I was there.