The starboard Merlins of an Avro Lincoln from the RAF College at Manby beat out their rhythm en route to the North Pole on a special navigation exercise in July 1951.

Groundcrew on the tailplane of Lincoln RE347. Left to right: LAC Fitzgerald; the author; LAC Glover; foreground LAC George Smith.

The author, LAC Ron Swain, left, with engine mechanic LAC Alan Glover waiting to climb aboard Lincoln RE347 in February 1954.

Lincoln RE418, originally equipped with four Merlins, later became a Bristol Theseus testbed.

Another shot taken during Exercise Sunrise at Wyton in December 1948. Groundcrew prepare one Lincoln for ops while another, RF482 QR-R of 61 Sqn, waits outside the hangar.

An early Avro photograph of the Lincoln, released to the Press in the summer of 1945. Note that the aircraft lacks spinners.

Lincoln B.2s of 148 Sqn taking part in a rehearsal for the Coronation Review of the RAF in July 1953. On the weatherworn aircraft in the foreground, groundcrew footprints are visible along the top of the fuselage.

An OCU gunner poses in a Lincoln’s tail turret.

Chadderton-built Lincoln B.2 RE380 being refuelled.

Lincolns of the “Blueland" air force at Wyton during Exercise Sunrise in December 1948. Note the chutes for "Window" radar-jamming foil strips on the starboard sides of the noses.

A view from the flight engineer's seat of Lincoln SX983 of 148 Sqn en route to Odiham for the Royal flypast on July 15, 1953.

Lincoln interiors: an OCU pilot at the controls

Lincoln interiors: a signaller and navigator at the radio operator's station.