NX611 AVRO LANCASTER "JUST JANE" TAXY RIDE • LINCOLNHSIRE AVIATION HERITAGE CENTRE EAST KIRKBY

After streaming at RAF Coningsby, talking about the history of Bomber Command along with RAF Coningsby’s history and the importance why we should never forget (and to pass it on to generations) those who fought during WW2, we packed carefully and travelled over to East Kirkby, the home of Just Jane. With just 30 minutes to go for Just Jane to commence her taxy run, Nikos rushed over carrying his camera, battery pack, some light equipment and of course myself. We hurried over to the rest of the TCS crew and it went all silent. “The raffle is about to begin” we heard and it all went quiet. “Salmon 339” called out the lady of the raffle! With absolute delight in her face, Margo shouted with joy “yay it’s me”. I was so happy for her and she went over to organisers. Seconds later I heard Alex say “I know what she’s gonna do” and then a TCS fan said to me “you deserve it, after everything you do for us and the RAF”. I still didn’t quite understand. The message then became clear, Margo pointed at me to come over and said “Nikos and Ted will take my place”… We could not believe I was getting on board the very aircraft we were just talking about, the men that flew it and the sacrifices they made.

Just Jane is Mk. VII Lancaster Bomber, built in April 1945 at Longbridge, which for those that don’t know was a car factory. Put together at Longbridge and took her apart and put on a trailer known as a “Queen Mary” and transported her to RAF Elmdon. Many of us have either from or landed at RAF Elmdon because it is in fact Birmingham International Airport. RAF Elmdon was where Just Jane first flew. She was intended to be part of the Tiger Force and fly in the far east in April 1945. So due to the climate of the far east, she is equipped with larger radiators and other modifications to cope with a warmer climate.

The fate of Just Jane did not intend for her to go to the far east at all but South Wales and stayed in storage until 1952. She was sold to Aero Naval, French Naval Aviation Service for £50,000 under the Western Union Agreement and went off to Morocco. She carried out Coastal and Border Surveillance in Morocco. In 1960 she set off to New Caledonia in the Pacific to carry out the same surveillance work.

By 1964, she was one of the last three surviving operational Lancasters. The Historic Aircraft Preservation Society, put in a request to the French Government to have the Lancaster when it finished its service. Not expecting confirmation that they could acquire Just Jane, but the were not expecting to pick it in Sydney, Australia. So they did just that, in 1965 they did their checks and took 9 days flying to get it back to the UK. Just Jane was put into a plan to fly her at airshows.

Just Jane’s next home was Blackpool she was laid to rest at a museum in Blackpool but sadly it went bust and put into auction. At the auction, the Panton brothers were present at the auction. Bidding didn’t go well as she didn’t meet her reserve. Lord Lilford purchased the Lancaster after the auction and allowed the RAF to borrow her as a gate guardian at RAF Scampton. The agreement was for 10 years but after this period was over, Fred and Harold Panton, had a discussion with Lord Lilford which then led to the agreed purchase for Just Jane. This is how she came to East Kirkby.

The Panton brothers wanted a Lancaster Bomber as a memorial to their older brother, Christopher who was a flight engineer for 433 Squadron in Halifax’s. During the war, on the night of the 30th-31st March 1944 he flew in one of the worst raid of WW2. He flew into Nuremberg, and they lost 94 aircraft were lost that night. Christopher Panton was in one of those Halifax’s lost and was sadly killed. So his brother wanted something to remember him by with a Lancaster BOMBER as a memorial along with other crew members who were lost.

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