New gate guard for Colchester Barracks

Image Crown copyright/Cpl Rupert Frere RLC

22 January 2010

A Dakota transport aircraft is to be placed on the gate at Merville Barracks in Colchester.
 

January 22: A Second World War Dakota transport aircraft is to be placed on the gate at Merville Barracks in Colchester, Essex UK, home of 16 Air Assault Brigade (AAB) of the British Army.

The Dakota was formerly on display at Aldershot, the former home of Airborne Forces and the Parachute Regiment, but since the creation of 16 AAB in 1999 it had always been intended to move the aircraft to Essex.

Colonel Hugo Fletcher, Deputy Commander of 16 AAB said “We are pleased and proud to have the Dakota at Colchester. It is a potent symbol of our heritage, our current role as Very High Readiness forces and our very close relationship with the RAF. It has finally come home.”

This Dakota is a 1946 model and has been at North Weald for the last year where it has been cleaned and received a new paint scheme representative of the time of the D-Day landings in 1944. It was moved to Colchester on January 20 by the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron, consisting of RAF and Royal Navy personnel, based in St Athan in Wales. It will be reassembled and placed in position over the next few weeks.

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