English Electric Canberra B.15
Serial WH984

HISTORY

Built at Short Bros Belfast in 1955 under contract 6/ACFT/5790, WH984 was the 100th Canberra built at this site. It was immediately issued to 49MU for Special Fit. On 14th September 1956 WH984 was issued to 9 Sqn at RAF Binbrook with the squadron code of "E". Five months later, on 11 February 1957 it was transferred to 32MU for more Special Fit work before being returned to RAF Binbrook's Station Flight. Still as a B.6, WH984 was then sent, on 12 July 1957, to Marshalls of Cambridge for modifications and returned, once again, to 9 Sqn in January 1958. The modification program continued with WH984 being sent to BAe Salmesbury for a further series of modifications on 25 June 1959. This work lasted around a month and this Canberra was back with 9 Sqn again on 14 July 1959.

On the 18th April 1961 WH984 was transferred to Boscombe Down, possibly for conversion to B.15 (although this conversion may have been earlier). It was transferred to the charge of 32 Sqn Near East Air Force at RAF Akrotiri on 7 March 1962 as part of the package to replace 32 Sqn's B.2s with the more formidable B.15/16's. WH984 was next off to 103 MU (NEAF) on 17 December 1963 (Major?) and back to 32 Sqn by 21 January 1964. Then, on 11 June 1968, it became part of the 32/73 Sqn Air Strike Wing at RAF Akrotiri. It was transferred to No.1 Engineering Sqn, NEAF on 12 March 1969 with 2303 hours "on the clock" and this was effectively its last flight. By August 1970, WH984 was assigned code 8101M and made a Ground Instructional Airframe at No2 SoTT at RAF Cosford. Eventually, the cockpit was sent to RAF St Athan and the airframe scrapped.

WH984's cockpit section was under restoration by the Rolling Thunder Preservation Group and stored undercover at RAF Sealand, North Wales. Before being sold to one of our members in 2006.