Not all take-offs were good ones. 98th Bomb Group B-24D Liberator Shanghai Lil was carrying a 2,000lb bomb load when this misfortune befell it. The fact that the starboard inner propeller blades are feathered suggests that the problem emanated from that particular engine.

Miles M.2 Hawk G-ACMH photographed at New Salts aerodrome in 1934, flown in by one of the Miles brothers from Woodley, Reading.

The Miles Hawk Speed Six G-ACTE photographed at the opening of the new Shoreham Airport on June 13, 1936. First registered in July 1934, the Hawk was first owned by Sir Charles Rose. Following a period with Bill Humble, ’TE was sold abroad in September 1937.

Avro 504K G-EBJE was one of several used by the Shoreham-based Southern Aero Club for club and pleasure flying. This postcard was purchased by Hugh Scrope in the clubhouse; it is signed on the back by Fred Miles and dated August 27, 1929 - the date he and brother John had their first flights. G-EBJE is now exhibited in the RAF Museum at Hendon.

This unidentified Avro 504K was also operated for a while by the Southern Aero Club at New Salts aerodrome, at the western end of the present Shoreham Airport. This card too has been signed by Fred Miles. Lancing College may be seen in the background.

Percival Mew Gull G-AEXF at Blackbushe on arrival from Lyon on July 2, 1950, a journey made by the grace of God and Doug Bianchi - actually Hugh Scrope was the pilot! The 3 1/4 hr flight was the aircraft’s first since 1939. There was no luxury of a local test flight and it was Scrope’s first flight in the racer. Doug Bianchi’s view was that if the pilot was going to crash it was better to do it landing at home! The Mew is seen here still in its Cape record configuration.

The T.K.2 G-ADNO photographed at Hatfield on the occasion of the 1938 King’s Cup air race, in which it was unplaced. Built as a single-seat long-range racer by de Havilland Aircraft Technical School students, ’NO was first flown on August 16, 1935. After a long racing career and surviving several go-faster modifications, the T.K.2 was finally scrapped in December 1947 - shortly after Pat Fillingham had broken the 100km closed-circuit class record on August 31 that year, achieving an average speed of 178 m.p.h. in the aged aircraft.

A lone B-25H Mitchell from the 12th Bomb Group over Burma in 1944. The B-25H fairly bristled with guns. In addition to a 75mm T-13E1 cannon, dorsal turret and two forward-firing 0-50in blister guns beneath the cockpit, four 0-50in guns were carried in the nose and the waist hatches were equipped with one apiece. The tail gunner manned two further 0-50ins.

A 12th Bomb Group B-25H over the Bay of Bengal heading for a Japanese target in Burma. The three shadows on the water below testify that the aircraft is not alone.

12th Group “Earthquakers”, B-25Hs and B-25Js heading for Japanese targets in Burma in 1944. Note that some of the aircraft are camouflaged while others are in natural-metal finish.

A 12th Bomb Group B-25J coming up from a target run over Burma in 1944.