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UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

A forum for the discussion of Military aviation and RAF Station heritage
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jonf45
Posts: 377
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Cowbit,Nr Peterborough

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by jonf45 » Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:36 pm

Great to see some of these callsigns again!
From these, can anyone remember if the TWU squadrons shared callsigns or did 79/234 and 63/151 have their own? (Eg, I'm pretty sure Hatchet was a 63sqn one etc)
Cheers
Jon

Focal_Plane
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:52 pm

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by Focal_Plane » Sun Dec 12, 2021 6:56 pm

jonf45 wrote:
Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:36 pm
Great to see some of these callsigns again!
From these, can anyone remember if the TWU squadrons shared callsigns or did 79/234 and 63/151 have their own? (Eg, I'm pretty sure Hatchet was a 63sqn one etc)
Cheers
Jon
Hi Jon,

I can`t add much but 63 & 151 Squadron had individual callsigns, the primary ones being "Hatchet" for 63 Sqd (as you mention), and "Wizard" for 151 Sqd. I also have a record of 63 using "Gallant" and "Kelly" and of 151 Sqd using "Scarlet" and "Mogul". Looking through my log books I have C.H.R. and then C.H.Y. in use prefixes for aircraft assigned to 2 TWU at Chiv`.

Other than that i have records of the 4th FTS using c/s "Pheonix" as primary then "Copper" "Jester", "Snapper" and "Taboo", plus of course the familiar V.Y.T. prefix still in use today at Valley. For Brawdy I have "Eagle" and "Condor" for 79 Sqd and "Hawk" for 234 Squadron, plus B.D.Y. and later B.R.W. as prefixes.

I`m sure there were many others so hopefully somone can add to this.

John
PS: Enjoyed looking at your Chivenor page. Brings back a lot of happy memories.

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jonf45
Posts: 377
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Cowbit,Nr Peterborough

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by jonf45 » Mon Dec 13, 2021 10:29 am

Focal_Plane wrote:
Sun Dec 12, 2021 6:56 pm
jonf45 wrote:
Sun Dec 12, 2021 4:36 pm
Great to see some of these callsigns again!
From these, can anyone remember if the TWU squadrons shared callsigns or did 79/234 and 63/151 have their own? (Eg, I'm pretty sure Hatchet was a 63sqn one etc)
Cheers
Jon
Hi Jon,

I can`t add much but 63 & 151 Squadron had individual callsigns, the primary ones being "Hatchet" for 63 Sqd (as you mention), and "Wizard" for 151 Sqd. I also have a record of 63 using "Gallant" and "Kelly" and of 151 Sqd using "Scarlet" and "Mogul". Looking through my log books I have C.H.R. and then C.H.Y. in use prefixes for aircraft assigned to 2 TWU at Chiv`.

Other than that i have records of the 4th FTS using c/s "Pheonix" as primary then "Copper" "Jester", "Snapper" and "Taboo", plus of course the familiar V.Y.T. prefix still in use today at Valley. For Brawdy I have "Eagle" and "Condor" for 79 Sqd and "Hawk" for 234 Squadron, plus B.D.Y. and later B.R.W. as prefixes.

I`m sure there were many others so hopefully somone can add to this.

John
PS: Enjoyed looking at your Chivenor page. Brings back a lot of happy memories.
Thank you for those John, i thought that was the case but i dont have much written down for Chivenor back then as it was "just the local stuff"!!! What id give for those boring Hawks now though!!
Cheers
jon

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phantom23
Posts: 235
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:15 pm

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by phantom23 » Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:19 pm

would anyone know of the Phantom squadron call signs from the early eighties- Wattisham and Coningsby? - I'm aware that there were few scanners around in those days though

Thanks

Focal_Plane
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:52 pm

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by Focal_Plane » Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:29 pm

phantom23 wrote:
Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:19 pm
would anyone know of the Phantom squadron call signs from the early eighties- Wattisham and Coningsby? - I'm aware that there were few scanners around in those days though

Thanks
I had no radio in the early eighties, but I seem to recall a bit later on that the Phantoms tended to use a lot of tri-graph type callsigns, like the Lightnings. However, I do remember 63 Sqd/228 OCU at Coningsby using "Scarab" in reference to their squadron emblem.

I don`t have anything for Wattisham during that era but later on 56 Squadron used "Firebird", then for 74 Sqd I have, "Stampede", "Stingray", "Thunder", "Tiger" and "Warlord".

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phantom23
Posts: 235
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:15 pm

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by phantom23 » Mon Dec 13, 2021 5:15 pm

Thanks for the info, i had my first radio in 1984 and didn't record the formation call signs just a lot of tri-graphs as you say

Hawk6
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Joined: Wed Dec 14, 2022 7:12 pm

Re: UK Callsigns of the mid-1980s

Post by Hawk6 » Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:31 pm

Great knowledge all !! Thanks for sharing .

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