'Thumper and Vera', the only two airworthy Lancasters, meet for the first time

A very special day as the only two airworthy Lancasters are about to meet for the first time

Earlier this month I received a rather interesting and exciting phone call. It was from a well known, online news agency, asking if I could attend the truly momentous occasion when the world's only two remaining air worthy Lancasters where to meet for the first, and in all likelihood, only time. The Canadian bomber, 'Vera' had flown thousands of miles to meet 'Thumper', the only other flying Lancaster, based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, U.K. The call came late in the day, the evening before the event. I didn't hold out much hope for the agency securing the required passes to get both me and my girlfriend, Emma, onto the base. Luckily, my father flew as navigator on the Lancaster from RAF Coningsby in the early eighties as part of the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). He made a phone call and we were in!

( I wrote a blog post last year where my father describes one such sortie from his time on the BBMF).

http://brettgardnerphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/battle-of-britain-memorial-flight-16th.html

Arriving the next morning, the base was a buzz with excitement, with press photographers and camera crews from both local and national news arriving. Both the BBC and ITV television crews were present, as well as photographers from some of the well known daily papers. It really was set to be a big occasion. The BBMF aircraft were towed from their hangars and prepared for take off, and there were thousands of onlookers, spilling out across the adjacent road. The planes from the BBMF were due to take off at 13.00hrs and meet the Canadian Lancaster over Lincoln, performing a flypast above Lincoln Cathedral, accompanied by the RAF's Red Arrows. They were then due to fly back to Coningsby, where a huge crowd including surviving veterans and their families were waiting to greet them. More flypasts were planned, including another one by the 'reds', and the very first special formation flypast of the two Lancasters. All this to happen at approximately 13.30hrs.

Moving into position

Veteran Lancaster pilot, Rusty Waughman in front of Thumper

That was the plan anyway. However, not long before the BBMF were due to take off, a huge storm moved in, thunder and lightning, heavy rain,  the whole nine yards. The planes were towed back into the safety of their dry hangar, the red arrows cancelled, and all the tables and chairs, as well as the marquees, that had been put out on the grass for the veterans use, were hastily taken down. Everyone dived for cover.     

When it rains, it pours

The gathered press were then informed that 'Vera' was making a beeline straight for Coningsby, no flypast, no fanfare. The decision had been taken to get the plane down on the ground as quickly as possible, simply because the weather was that bad. A few minutes later, there was a shout, "we have visual". The photographers and camera crews quickly got into position, all wanting to capture the iconic shot when both Lancs were in the same frame. The weather was moody, angry storm clouds above, light bouncing from the rain soaked concrete taxiways. Somehow, the weather conditions suited the moment. The image below, and the one at the very top of the page, seem to convey a real sense of drama. Take away the little white jet, and we almost have a scene reminiscent of those dark, turbulent times during the Nineteen Forties. Lincolnshire was known as bomber county during the Second World War, and moments like these would have been played out thousands of times, day in, day out. 7377 of these beautiful aircraft were produced, only two remain flying today. 55,573 bomber command crew died during the conflict, from a total of 125,000. A 44.4% death rate.

Emma and myself, nailed the shot, I think. We both caught the decisive moment, the one we both had in our mind, long before 'Vera' was visible. Emma's is below, mine at the very top of the page. I think Emma's looks a bit like a Robert Taylor painting, beautiful light, angry clouds, and a lone figure watching the Lancaster from Canada completing it's epic journey, about to touch down, 'Thumper watching on'. Simply stunning.   

Vera about to touch down. Picture credit - Emma Stickley

Everyone was watching on. Some had better vantage points than others.

Brake failure

As the Canadian plane moved closer towards the gathered crowd, it slowed, until finally, it came to a halt, stranded on a working RAF runway. The plane's hydraulics had failed, it's brakes no more, a stark reminder of the arduous and epic journey this vintage World War Two bomber had just completed. The last few hundred metres were completed with the help of a tow truck. But as the plane drew closer, Canadian and Union flag poking proudly from the cockpit, onlookers burst into spontaneous applause. 'Vera' had arrived.
      

The two Lancasters together at last

Jostling for position

A great seat to have

A massive crowd greets Vera

Under the wings at R.A.F.Coningsby

I was allowed to walk amongst the invited guests, which including the last surviving veterans and families. I decided to capture a few candid shots, nothing posed or staged, and I particularly like the photograph of John Mitchell below. Mr Mitchell was a Squadron Leader and pilot on Lancasters during the war, stationed at Langar in Nottinghamshire. I managed to capture him in a moment of reflection, beneath the Canadian Lancaster's vast bomb bay doors.

Veteran John Mitchell caught in a moment of reflection

It was a momentous day, one both myself and Emma won't ever forget. Photographs like these, I'm sure, will become even more valuable in years to come. Future generations won't have the opportunity and privilege to meet and shake hands with these incredibly brave men, men who helped secure are freedom. These images I hope, in some small way, will help keep their memories alive long into the future.