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Aviation History
1956
1956 - 0209.PDF
24 February 1956 207 (Left) Sir Charles AT den -Clarke, Gover- nor of the Gold Coast, after a tour of his territory in one of the Canberras. (Right) At a Government House reception: S/L. Bastard, O.C. No. 9 Sqn., talks with Mrs. Solomon Odamtten, left, wife of a direc- tor of West African Airways, and Mrs. Robert Gardiner,wife of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing. The natural amphitheatre of the mile of curved beach and cliffbetween Christiansborg Castle and the harbour lighthouse pro- vided an ideal setting for the Canberra demonstration on theSaturday morning. A. V-M. Whitley had spoken on the Gold Coast Broadcasting Service the previous evening about the displayand an estimated 50,000 spectators lined the cliffs for 20 minutes of exhilarating flying. Frequently the Canberras were below eye-level as they skimmed the great breakers on the beach. As at Lagos, it was the rolls and steep climbs that brought most acclaim. Watching from the battlements of the Castle were the Governor,Sir Charles Arden-Clarke, the Prime Minister, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and the Cabinet, with the Force Commander andDeputy Force Commander to brief them. On the same sortie No. 9 Squadron gave a similar performance at Takoradi and flewover Sekondi. Two V.I.P. flights were laid on in the afternoon. A. V-M.Whitley flew the Governor over a good deal of his territory and rounded it off by flying His Excellency at over 500 m.p.h. past thebattlements of his Castle. The Prime Minister was flown by F/O. Derek Hopkins, with F/O. David Brown (of Ealing) as navigator.It is understood that Dr. Nkrumah was greatly impressed. In the evening the Force were hosts at a cocktail party at the Officers' Mess of H.Q., Gold Coast Military Forces. The Force regretted having to leave Accra so soon; its cool breezes had proved a great tonic after the steam-bath of Lagos. Yesterday morning, February 5th, the Force moved to Kano, where it will be based until February 17th to give fly-pasts for the Queen and demon- strations over most of the principal cities. Here, although the sun shining from clear blue skies raises temperatures well over the nineties for most of the day, it is dry, with a welcome cooling-off in the evening. The Force is in good fettle, both physically and technically, and The Gold Coast Prime Minister, Or. Nkrumah, about to take oft on a Canberra flight with F/O. D. B. Hopkins. this morning S/L. Bastard led six aircraft to salute the Queen atEnugu, the capital of the Eastern Region, shortly after her arrival there in a Heron of the Queen's Flight (pilot, S/L. BrianStanbridge, D.F.C.). A further fly-past for the Queen has just been agreed—on herinspection of Apapa Wharf on the morning of Feb. 10th. This photograph, taken as the Queen concluded her inspection of the Canberras and their crews at Lagos, shows Her Majesty with the Duke of Edinburgh (in the uniform of Marshal of the Royal Air Force), A. V-M. Whitley, the Force Commander, and (left) W/C. Nicholson, Deputy Force Com- mander.
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