Unearthing secret history of rare jet

2:39pm Monday 12th May 2008

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A JET fighter that spent 25 years all but forgotten on a farm near Malmesbury is being restored.

The De Havilland Vampire, manufactured by English Electric back in 1949, was sold to a local family for scrap after ending its life at the Hullavington airbase in 1959.

It is thought to be the only surviving Vampire FB.5 that served with an RAF fighter squadron.

Now aircraft buff David Collins, who is rebuilding the wrecked cockpit, wants to trace the former owners.

He said: "This particular Vampire will be 60 years old in 2009, and nearly half its life was spent in the Malmesbury area, so you can see why I am interested in tracing its former owners if at all possible."

The plane, carrying the identification number VZ193 G served with 247 Sqn in Hampshire for the first three years before moving to 229 Sqn at RAF Chivenor.

Then in 1955 it went into storage at the Hullavington maintenance unit before being declared surplus to requirements and sold off.

"At this point, a local person from the Malmesbury area acquired the fuselage and stored it for the next 25 years, possibly outside owing to its now dilapidated condition," he said.

"According to the staff at the Aeroventure museum in Doncaster, this vampire was donated to one of their members in the mid eighties, with the intention of restoring the cockpit."

It stayed in storage for around 20 years before it was acquired by Mr Collins. As well as restoring it for display at a museum in Essex he is also keen to build a picture of its life.

He has already tracked down two of its pilots, but wants to know more of what happened to it from 1959.

Anyone who has information or pictures can contact him via email at dcollins103@hotmail.com.