‘Mostly Blue’ – The Oxfordshire Aviation Archive

Balloons to Concorde and Everything in Between (Part 2)

Peter Burton and Peter Davis

Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum is now the home of the Oxfordshire Aviation Archive which was founded in 2024 by Peter Burton and Peter Davis bringing their collections together which have since been delivered to the museum and recorded in the intervening period. It holds records of the history of aviation in the County – from balloons to Concorde and beyond, both military and civilian. It is the first and still the only one of its kind to be based on a single county in the United Kingdom. It provides a lasting record of all aspects of flying in every configuration, together with the inevitable consequences and impact on the lives of both permanent and transient residents in the county as defined by the Local Government Act which came into effect on 1st April,1974, bringing a substantial part of Berkshire within the county boundary, including several airfields which now come under our remit.

Part one of the article looked at Oxfordshire aviation history up to the end of the Second World War, now we look at post-war aviation across the county and an overview of what’s contained in the Oxfordshire Aviation Archive.

HM at RAF Benson

For over 80 years the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Ltd at Chalgrove has been at the forefront in the design and manufacture of ejection seats and fully integrated escape systems, which by October 2026 had saved 7,831 lives. The Royal Flight – King’s and Queen’s took up residence at RAF Benson at the start of WWll but was stood down in 1942, only to be reformed in 1946 and disbanded in 1995.

Only two RAF Stations remain in the county, RAF Benson and RAF Brize Norton. Currently Benson is home to the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron, Oxford University Air Squadron, which operates aircraft owned by the civilian operator Babcock International, No 6 Air Experience Flight which is parented by OUAS and uses their aircraft and 606 (Chiltern) Squadron, a reserve unit of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) and civilian operators, the National Police Air Service and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Brize Norton, the largest RAF Station, is home to the RAF’s Air Mobility Force HQ, encompassing Strategic and Tactical Air Transport and Air-to-Air Refuelling, with six squadrons, No 10 with Voyagers, XXIV with C-17s and Atlas C.1s, 30 with Atlas C.1, LXX with Atlas C.1, 99 with C-17s and 101 with Voyagers. There are four RAuxAF Squadrons and three Wings, No 1 Air Mobility Wing specialising in passenger and cargo handling, the Tactical Medical Wing which trains, equips and deploys Medical Services, as required, worldwide, and the Air Mobility Wing which is responsible for the parachute training of all three services.

VC-10 K.3

AirTanker, a British civilian aviation service provider and joint venture consortium has control over the RAF air-to-air refuelling and transport capacity with a MoD contract. It operates civil-regulated transport flights from RAF Brize Norton and operates regular scheduled and charter flights – most notably the South Atlantic Air Bridge connecting RAF Brize Norton to the Falkland Islands (and Ascension Island) carrying military personnel, civil servants, contractors and civilian quota passengers.

The Airbus UK Maintenance Facility for the Atlas C1 is also a civilian private limited company with an MoD Contract as is Boeing Defence UK Ltd, with an MoD contract supporting the C-17A Globemaster. London Oxford Airport, which has become a significant civil airport is also used by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for helicopter support, fleet modifications, and military pilot training contracts, which also includes military personnel of foreign Allies. Based Airbus Helicopters UK supplies helicopters to the UK military, police and air ambulance services. The airport also handles VIP flights and has companies which can deliver pilot training from PPLs to ATPLs and maintenance companies.

Over the years-based companies have delivered hundreds of aircraft and helicopters and trained numerous pilots for worldwide airlines. Personal drone training is now carried out at the Oxfordshire Drone School at The Oxford Belfry Hotel at Milton Common, with more advanced practical flying at the UAV Hub at Howbery Park, Crowmarsh. The former RAF Harwell has become the Harwell Campus Space Cluster which, among many other things, has become the largest concentration of space organisations in the UK and an important site for Europe and the European Space Agency.

Not to be forgotten, there are many aviation related memorials and road names in the county, and these are frequently added to.

Upper Heyford F-111Es

Subjects, Items and Sources

All items were collected by the Co-founders from the early 1970s and encompass every aspect of the county’s aviation activities, from ballooning to the present day, both military and civilian. There is military memorabilia from the RFC, RAF, Royal Navy, USAAF and USAF and that for the civilian aspect covers all aviation related companies, flying clubs and gliding clubs, maintenance companies and military contracts.

It is not intended to be a static collection but the basis for an archive that will develop from donations of military and civil memorabilia and information over the coming years, to record the continuing story of aviation in the county and to be an educational database with credible evidence based information.

NOTE: Peter Davis retains most of the RAF and company records and photos as these are constantly being added to and updated.

ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF OAA ITEMS UNDER SUBJECT HEADINGS IN THE OAA

Air Ambulance

Adverts

Christmas Cards
Cuttings Invitation cards
Leaflets
Letters
Newsletters
Stickers
‘Thank You’ Cards

Air Show / Display Memorabilia

Adverts
Badges
Calendar
Cuttings
Checklists
Flyers
Leaflets
Newspapers
Passes
Posters
Press Notes
Programmes
Stickers
Tickets
Cap badges
Lapel badges
Medallions
Pin badges

Ballooning (see also: James Sadler)

Cuttings
Flyers
Leaflets
Posters
Print Outs

Bar/Desk/Mugs/Plates/Table and Smoking Wares

Ash Trays
Book Matches
Cigarette Boxes
Cigarette Lighters
Cups
Decanters
Dishes
Goblets
Mugs
Plates
Tankards
Twizzle Sticks (USAF)

Books / Booklets

Air Publications
Autobiographies
Biographies
Pilots Notes
Station histories
Unit histories
Christmas Memorabilia
Cards
Menus
Pantomime Programmes
Station Event Programmes

Civil Aircraft Accidents

AAIB Bulletins
Cuttings
Board of Trade / Dept of Trade Accident Reports
Department of Transport Accident Reports
Ministry of Aviation Accident Reports

Civil Airfield Memorabilia

Adverts
Articles
Booklets
Books
Cuttings
Flyers
Guides
Leaflets
Press Releases
Tickets

Civil Aviation Company Memorabilia

Adverts
Aircraft brochures
Aircraft Identification Plates
Articles
Boarding Passes
Brochures
Compliment Slips
Cuttings
Downloads
Flyers
Flying Manuals
Information Packs
Journals
Leaflets
Letterheads
Letters
Logos

Miscellaneous:
Blazer Badges
CD-ROMs
Flight Plotter
Manuals
Neck Ties
Newsletters
Protractor
Posters
Shoulder Epaulettes
Tickets
Uniforms
Water Bottle

Clubs and Societies
Adverts
Event Dates
Forms
Flyers
Journals
Leaflets
Newsletters
Posters
Programmes

Films – DVDs and Videos
Documentary
Fiction

Flying Clubs

Adverts
Articles
Business Cards
Cuttings
Etchings
Flyers
Handbooks
Letters
Photos
Pictures / Paintings / Prints
Posters
Print Outs

Gliding / Gliding Clubs

Address slips
Adverts
Articles
Booklets
Cuttings
Flyers
Leaflets
Letters
Log Book
Membership Cards
Newsletters
Print Outs
Rules and Constitution
Trial Lesson Invites

Hardware and Large Objects
Advert panels
Aircraft camera
Aircraft wreckage
Dingy box kite
Gauntlets
Helmets
Instrument Panel
Respirator
Training Bomb

James Sadler – The first English Aeronaut/Balloonist
Articles
Books
Booklets
Cards
Cuttings
Medal
Medalion
Memorial
Paintings
Postcards
Prints
Trade Tokens

The King’s and Queen’s Flights (TKF and TQF)
Aircraft Servicing Forms
Air Travel Arrangements – for various tours
Books
Diary – TQF
Envelope – OHMS – TQF
Flight Safety Cards
Flown covers
Forms, examples
In Flight Information Cards
Leaflets
Letter Headed Paper
Models – Diecast
Neck ties
Patches
Photos
Postal Cover
Post cards
Prints
Stamps

The Queen’s Flight Association
Annual Dinner Menus and Tickets
Newsletters
Souvenirs – TQF Emblem, Key Ring, Playing Cards

Logbooks
Logbooks
Copies
Extracts

Maps
Airfield locations
Ordnance Survey
War Office

Medals – See under Sporting Memorabilia

Memorials
Acts of Remembrances
Articles
Cuttings
Flyer
Order of Service – Service of Dedication

Military Aircraft Accidents
AAIB Bulletins
Accident Reports
Articles
Cuttings
Ministry Defence Accident Summary

Miscellaneous
Articles
Booklets
Brewery Beer Pump Labels
Flyers
Invitations
Neck Ties
Programmes
Signs

Police – Oxford City and Thames Valley
Compliments slips
Cuttings
Unit histories
Postal Memorabilia
Flown Covers
Registered Mail Stamp (Bicester)
Post Box Plate (Abingdon)
Post Cards
Stamps

RAF General
Articles
Books
Booklets
Brevets
Cuttings
Ensigns
Greeting Cards
Leaflets
Magazines
Pamphlets
Posters
Yearbooks

RAF Parachuting
Articles
Articles – RAF Falcons
Books – RAF Falcons
Brochures – RAF Falcons
Compliments Slips – RAF Falcons

Cuttings – RAF Falcons
Leaflets – RAF Falcons
Magazines
Paintings – RAF Falcons
Photos
Posters – RAF Falcons
Reports
Stickers

RAF Squadrons / Units
Articles
Books
Magazines
Patches

RAF Stations
Approach Charts
Articles
Authorisations
Badges
Baggage Label
Boarding Cards
Booklets
Books
Brochures
Car Bumper Plate
Certificates
Citations
Clubs
Coasters
Compliments Slips
Cuttings
Families Day Programmes
Flyers
Guides
Greeting cards
Headed paper
Histories
Information Handbooks
Insignias
Invitations
Invoices
Landing Plates
Lapel Badges
Leaflets
Letters
LP Records – RAF Brize Norton Singers
Met Office – miscellaneous
NAFFI Ration Cards
Passes
Patches
Plaques
Phone cards
Photos
Plans, Airfield
Post cards
Posters
Press Packs
Programmes
Rail Passes
Safety Briefing/Information Cards
Sales Brochures
Secret – Station Descriptions
Site Plans
Station Cinema / Theatre Programmes
Station Magazines
Stickers
Tags
Tickets
Toy bear
Unit Magazines

Royal Navy / Fleet Air Arm (RNAS Culham – HMS Hornbill and RAF Benson)
Adverts – Culham No 1 Site sales
Articles
Calendar – HMS Hornbill
Cap tally/band
Certificates
Leaflet – Southern Air Division RNVR
Poster – RNVR Recruiting
Programmes – Naval Air Day

Royal Observer Corps
Files
ROC Posts

Space Age
Articles
Booklets
Cuttings
First Day covers
Leaflets
Posters

Soft Patches / Stickers
Clubs
Squadrons
Stations
Units

Sporting Memorabilia
Magazines
Medallions
Medals
Patches
Posters
Programmes
Wall Plaques

Toys
WWll Metal aircraft toys

USAAF

USAF – RAF Brize Norton / RAF Upper Heyford
Articles
Badges
Booklets
Books
Citations
Coins / Tokens
Cuttings
Headed paper
Information cards
Information Handbooks
Letters
Leaflets
Medalions
Menus
Misc: Mirror, Trinket box
Pamphlets
Passes
Plans
Plaques
Programmes
Soft Patches
Stickers
USAF Yearbooks

Uniforms
Brevets
Patches

Wall Plaques
Squadron
Unit