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Flight in Miles M-18 to Bulawayo, Rhodesia by Brian Iles and Sandy Sanderson - 20Jul to 30Aug54. Part 4 - Return Flight. |
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 Route of Return Flight from Bulawayo to Jever - this time via Paris. (Thanks to Toby Iles and Microsoft Autoroute.)
Logbook entries for the start of the return trip on 16th August 1954.
1st leg of the return journey from Bulawayo, Rhodesia to Mwanza, Tanzania on Monday 16th August 1954 to Thursday 19th August 1954.
Receipt for Landing Fees at Belvedere, Southern Rhodesia, their second stop on 17th August 1954 on the way back. Charge was 5 shillings (£5.18 in Nov09).
Receipt for Landing and Parking Fees at Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia their third stop on 17th August 1954 on the way back. Charge was 5 shillings and sixpence. (£5.70 in Nov09).
Receipt for Landing Fees at Ndola, Northern Rhodesia their fourth stop on 18th August 1954 on the way back. Charge was 5 shillings and sixpence. (£5.70 in Nov09). Video showing M18-9 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954 and starting their return on Monday 16th August 1954. The clip opens with shots from the M-18 as it gets airborne from Bulawayo and circling over the farewell party by the hangars on the ground. It then shows shots of Bulawayo from the air with the distinctive power station cooling towers. Then there are various shots flying back up Africa including a refuel at some place on the route. They are welcomed by uniformed officers and there are Harvards seen in the background. This might be Kisumu. Chris Stone suggested antio-Mau Mau operations of Harvards from Kenya. Research on the Internet revealed the following piece from the Flight magazine for 8Apr55. about 8 months later: "SECOND BAR to D.F.C. W/C. G. G. St. David Jeffries, D.F.C. and Bar. On October 31st, 1953, W/C. Jeffries assumed command of No. 1340 (Harvard) Flight in Kenya. For the next eight months he led the Flight from advanced landing fields on anti-Mau Mau strikes. By September 30th, 1954, W/C. Jeffries had personally completed 410 strikes in the Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya areas, where violent and unpredictable weather often prevails. He carried out flying investigations of dangerous downdraughts in the area. In September 1954 his Flight, with eight aircraft and an average of seven pilots, flew 508 sorties and 577 flying hours. W/C. Jeffries personally led 89 strikes and flew 95 hours." If anyone can confirm where they were operating Harvards in 1954 in this part of Africa, please let me know. (1 min 13 secs/15 mins 23 secs/1 min 40 secs/50 secs/25 secs) Video showing M18-10 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954 and starting their return on Monday 16th August 1954. The clip may have been assembled in the wrong order as it finishes with a landing at Tabora, yet the previous clip finished at Kisumu. I have placed it in what I hope is the right order but if anyone has local knowledge I would be delighted to put them in the correct order. It starts with shots of a large river and a very distinctive bridge. Then there are shots of Brian in the cockpit and then an early morning start. The only early start before Tabora was at Lusaka when they were airborne at 04:25 hours on the way to Ndola. There are shots of the prop being turned over by hand and an early take-off. The airfield looks rather large from the air so it may have been Lusaka. There are shots of Sandy in the cockpit and scenes of roads, rivers and wild life. Then there are scenes of refuelling at, what looks like, a fairly remote location which apeears to have a thatched roof airport building. This could be Ndola or Abercorn, both in Northern Rhodesia. There is a shot of a cat on the tailplane, then Sandy applying lip gel, presumably as sun and slipstream protection. Then they are airborne again with shots over some fairly hilly terrain. An airborne shot of an airfield appears and there is a picture from the air of the name Tabora where they landed on 18Aug54 at 14:30 hours. The clip finishes with ground activity at presumably Tabora, in Tanzania showing the airport buildings. (3 mins/33 mins 4 secs/3 mins 37 secs/1 min 49 secs/54 secs)
2nd leg of Return Flight from Bulawayo to Jever - Mwanza, Tanzania to El Adem, Libya. (Thanks to Toby Iles and Microsoft Autoroute.) Video showing M18-7 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954. They began their return journey on Monday 16th August 1954. This clip shows them refueling at one of the stops on the way back. Then there are some wonderful shots of the wildlife that they were flying over, finally racing a train. (1 min 4 secs/13 mins 4 secs/1 min 26 secs/43 secs/21 secs)
Receipt for Landing Fees at Juba, Sudan their seventh stop on 19th August 1954 on the way back. Charge was 5 shillings. (£5.18 in Nov09).
Receipt for Hotel accommodation at Juba, Sudan their seventh stop and third night stop on 19th August 1954 on the way back. They landed at Juba at 14:15hrs and left at 04:40hrs early on the morning of 20th August 1954. So they probably had to pay their bill the night before! Charge was £Egyptian1 and 700m/ms. (£14.50 in Nov09 assuming £Egyptian1 = £1 UK) for the room, 400 m/ms Egyptian (£8.29 in Nov09) for lunch and 170 m/ms Egyptian (10%) (£3.52 in Nov09) for gratuity, Total £Egyptian2 270 m/ms (£47.03 in Nov09).
Receipt for landing Fees at Khartoum, Sudan their tenth stop 20th August 1954 and their fourth night stop on the way back. Charge was £Egyptian0 and 500m/ms. (£10.36 in Nov09 assuming £Egyptian1 = £1 UK).
Receipt for landing Fees at Atbara, Sudan their eleventh stop 21st August 1954 on the way back. Charge was £Egyptian0 and 500m/ms. (£10.36 in Nov09 assuming £Egyptian1 = £1 UK). Video showing M18-11 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954. Airborne again over some flat territories on what looks like a large lake. There is a built up area alongside a large river and a substantial airfield - it might be Khartoum? There are some shots from the cockpit of Sandy and a close up of Brian. The flat plains give way to some rocky outcrops and shots of a fairly large river - maybe the Nile? There are some low flying shots alongside the river and then they have landed and are refuelling at a not very large airfield. (3 min 59 secs/47 mins 45 secs/4 mins 41 secs/2 mins 20 secs/1 min 10 secs) Video showing M18-12 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954. More flying over the plains with plenty of shots of rhinoceros, elephants, giraffes and buffalo. They fly over many small villages near the river, some of which appear to be flooded. They fly past what looks like a large country house with a large oval drive. Finally landing at a fairly large airfield, where they get help with the map reading from the local natives, show the airfield building, a steam roller and some long grass clearance. The final shots are of the control tower and the signals square. (3 min 13 secs/40 mins 5 secs/4 mins 23 secs/2 mins 12 secs/1 min 6 secs) Video showing M18-13 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954 and starting their return on Monday 16th August 1954. This leg includes flying over a large river with steam boats as well as dhows. There are scenes of flooding. The shot finishes with a re-fuelling in front of an audience of the locals. (1 min 1 sec/12 mins 12 secs/1 mins 20 secs/40 secs/20 secs) Video showing M18-14 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954 and starting their return on Monday 16th August 1954. Another leg flying alongside what is presumed to be the River Nile. There is a strange white pointed building and some signs of flooding. There are views over a much larger city on the banks of the river, which maybe Cairo? Finishes with yet more locals watching the refuelling. (2 mins 7 secs/23 mins 15 secs/2 mins 33 secs/1 min 16 secs/38 secs) ..And after a long round trip - 10 days flying each way.
Brian ILES and
Sandy SANDERSON on arriving back from Rhodesia in Brian's Miles-18 on 30Aug54. (Click to go on to next part.) |
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