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On Guard: Britain’s Military ‘Gate Guardians’ and Air Cadet Airframes Since 1940 by Ken Ellis (Author) at Abbey's Bookshop,
On Guard: Britain’s Military ‘Gate Guardians’ and Air Cadet Airframes Since 1940
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Ken Ellis (Author)

On Guard

Britain’s Military ‘Gate Guardians’ and Air Cadet Airframes Since 1940

Ken Ellis (Author)

$70.95   $64

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
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English
Crecy Publishing
30 April 2025
Aviation & space medicine
In the hey-days of the 1960s through to the 1980s, almost every UK military aviation base was graced by a 'gate guardian'

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a retired military aircraft that stood guard at the main entrance to the base. These airframes, often rare and historic, have always fascinated enthusiasts yet over the decades, there have been very few books on the subject, and none which have told the whole story. Even more scantily treated have been the vast number of airframes used for instruction and display by the Air Cadets. On Guard addresses this gap in aviation history in a location-by-location manner, presenting 'biographies' of significant airframes and details of over 300 aircraft that have been displayed at military establishments across Great Britain and its Crown Territories. The heritage of British bases - many long since forgotten - is also examined. Each entry is cross-referenced enabling readers to follow the most mobile 'guardians' as they moved from base to base, their disposals and fates. For example, in 1988 it was realised that keeping historic aircraft, particularly the Spitfires, on external display was wrong.

Full-size replicas took their place on gates, allowing many Spitfires to be restored and go back into the air. These amazing transformations are revealed. In addition, over the decades rare types 'On Guard' were saved for museums - greatly boosting the RAF Museum in its formative years. Some former 'guardians' were used as collateral in worldwide bartering to fill gaps in Hendon's collection. Also charted are over 500 airframes used for instruction and display by Air Cadet squadrons since the early days of World War Two. Their provenance, disposals and fates are comprehensively charted. On Guard commemorates these much-loved landmarks at RAF, Fleet Air Arm, Army bases and the machines that turned air cadets into future pilots. It is copiously illustrated with over 300 images including previously unseen 60-plus year-old colour.
By:  
Imprint:   Crecy Publishing
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 210mm,  Width: 148mm, 
ISBN:   9781800353305
ISBN 10:   1800353308
Pages:   296
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Child-of-the-Fifties and Scouser Ken has written on aviation topics since 1972. He edited Britain's top-selling aviation monthly, FlyPast, from 1985 in two sessions, totalling 24 years and continues to scribble for the magazine. Outside of FlyPast, he is best known for Wrecks & Relics, the biennial 'bible' of the UK preservation movement and produced since 2008 by Crécy. In 2024, having clocked up fifty years and 26 editions - surely some sort of record - he handed over control to David Willis. As well as W&R, Ken has also penned for Crécy: Lost Aviation Collections of Britain, Great Aviation Collections of Britain, Local Aviation Collection of Britain, the two-volume Testing to the Limits profiling Britain's test pilots since 1910 and Britain's Aircraft Industry - Triumphs and Tragedies since 1909. He is author or co-author of a dozen other titles and has many more up his sleeve! Ken achieved his private pilot's licence in 1991, driving a variety of 'puddle-jumpers' and, very occasionally, bigger metal. Aviation commentary is something he's enjoyed over the last 30-odd years; his favourite event is the award-winning Old Buckenham Airshow. An avid gardener, Ken is killing less plants year-on-year. He lives and works in the People's Republic of Rutland with former wing-walker Pam and a cat called Rascal.

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