Shackleton WR977 - Dedication To Duty
Location of the Newark Air Museum Shop
By Robert Lindsay, Andy Otter & Howard Heeley
The Avro Shackleton aircraft was a familiar sight at airfields around the world including south Nottinghamshire, where over several years many different Shackletons underwent various conversions at the Avro factory at Langar airfield.
The book Shackleton WR977 – Dedication To Duty, which is published by the Newark Air Museum provides additional insights into the aircraft’s service career, before moving on to how it came to the air museum.
During 1977 the Her Majesty the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee and the Review of the Royal Air Force took place just over Nottinghamshire’s northern county border at RAF Finningley. Shackleton WR977 had been part of a small collection of aircraft stored in a museum collection at RAF Finningley and was originally earmarked for scrapping.
However it was saved from the scrap man’s torch when Stuart Stephenson purchased the aircraft and placed it on loan with Newark Air Museum. A six-week race against time started on 11 March 1977 to dismantle and move the aircraft. This was successfully completed with just hours to spare on 1 May.
This move, rebuilding and eventual restoration of WR977 by staff and volunteers at Newark Air Museum is covered in detail in the book.
Copies of the 146 page book (ISBN 0 9500341 4 2) can be obtained from the Newark Air Museum Shop; cost £5.95 each; for further details please telephone 01636 707170 or email admin@newarkairmuseum.org