WIX Archives

Halifax W1048

Posted by Steve Tournay on Wed Oct 17, 2001 02:47:08 PM

In reply top Hi Cees, good comments posted by Will Fowler on Tue Oct 16, 2001 08:35:24 PM

Peter, Cees, Will et al--

Nice to see some spirited discussion about Hendon's Hali...I've always thought it a pity that the farmed-out rebuild scheme for W1048 came to nearly nothing. I saw W1048 at Hendon in 1989; of course at that time she was the only more-or-less complete Hali thought extant. The immaculate nose turret looked bizarre fitted to the "freshly beached" hulk. It's interesting that two other museums have caught and passed Hendon re: Hali rebuilds in the years since; YAM's project is an ingenious composite, yes, and Trenton's Mk.VII from Norway is still at an early stage, but both will result in Hallies that look the way Hallies did and should. The sad fact is, though, that the people to whom the Hali means the most are fast passing from the scene...and with them will go much of the impetus for restoring such machines to their former glory. I date to 1965 myself yet am still passionate about these pieces of history: but I fear I'm a bit of a rare bird in that regard!

Still: there must be some inventive way to get W1048 into
a more representative state. I'd love to walk into the Bomber Command Hall someday and see a proud Hali rather than a melancholy hulk...

Cheers

Steve

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