Some of the first Norwegian Vampires, diverted from delivery to the RAF. P42454 was to have been VV188. Photo from: Hawker Siddeley

Probably belonging to No 71 Sqn, the jet was on its way from Gütersloh to Britain when the pilot had to make an emergency landing on Highway 43 - today's A7 - between Bolsward and Sneek, Friesland province. He steered into a ditch to avoid running into a car. VZ325 was repaired, and fatally crashed in 1955 when it dived into the ground near Aberdeen. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

VV190 retained by the factory to test an uprated Goblin 4 engine. Competed in SBAC Challenge Cup race from Elmdon on 1 August 1949, wearing race number 86. A Blackburn Firebrand, a Sea Fury, a DH.103 Hornet, and two Spitfires lost out to three jet contenders. The winner was the Hawker P.1040 prototype, with VV190, flown by John Cunningham, ending in second place and a DH.108 Swallow in third place.

Original colour photo of a Hampden of No 455 Sqn, RAAF, the first Australian squadron in RAF Bomber Command. At this time, the unit had just been transferred to Coastal Command and from Wigsley to Leuchars to train for torpedo bombing. AT137 had been delivered to the squadron in November 1941. The aircraft bunt at Leuchars on 8 June 1942. It had flown 20 operational missions, initially coded UB-O and UB-C. Photo from: Imperial War Museums

A Vampire of No 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn, presumably at Filton. Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons used squadron codes RAA, RAB etc. in the late 1940s. Photo published in December 1949. VF271 overshot landing at Filton on 5 March 1950 and was a write-off.

Accommodation for the four-man crew was cramped in the Hampden, a disappointing medium bomber which entered service in 1938. This one was probably built in January 1942. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

Vampire FB.5 of 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based at Manchester Ringway and wearing the unit's Q3 code on its nose plus individual code 'C' on its boom. Built by English Electric at Preston in April 1949. Served 613 Squadron from 12.02.51 until crashing near Harrogate Yorkshire on 22.02.53.

The fifth production Vampire soon after completion by English Electric at Samlesbury near their Preston works complex. EEC built nearly 1300 Vampires between 1945 and 1952. The Goblin in TG278 was replaced by a Ghost and extended wings fitted. On 23 March 1948, DH test pilot John Cunningham set a world altitude record of 59,446 feet. Obtained from EEC over 50 years ago.