Do you remember the Flying Boats at Felixstowe Ferry?

Philip Boak, 35, remembers spending many a happy summer in Felixstowe with his grandparents, who used to own the chocolate shop and café on Hamilton Road, Bonnets.

Now a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, Mr Boak is tracing the history of the flying boats from 1913 to 1962.

For anyone unfamiliar with flying boats seaplanes, their purpose was exactly as you might expect – they were aircrafts which could land and sail on water.

“During World War I, there was a big air station in Felixstowe. Flying boats were used mainly for reconnaissance, flying over the sea and spotting for surface ships and U-boats,” explained Mr Boak.

The Fairey Atalanta, which in 1923 was the world's largest flying boat. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

The Fairey Atalanta at Felixstowe. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

Philip Boak is a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, currently serving onboard HMS SCOTT as Operations Officer. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

Between the First and Second World Wars, Felixstowe was used as the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment.

Here, Mr Boak explained, the flying boats were tested and evaluated to see if they could be used by the Royal Air Force.

However, Mr Boak’s main interest is what happened to the flying boats after 1945, when they were no longer needed.

One of the most bizarre accounts Mr Boak has heard was the case of this flying boat, which was of this Felixstowe F5 nose, which was repurposed as a potting shed in Seaton Road. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

The Vickers Valentia flying boat. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

The Vickers Valentia flying boat repurposed as a houseboat. Credit: Philip Boak (Image: Philip Boak)

Many vessels were taken to Felixstowe Ferry, where they were repurposed as houseboats.

“The variety of flying boats which were taken to the ferry was extraordinary,” he said.

One of these was the Fairey Atalanta, which first took to the skies in 1923. At the time, the Atalanta was the world’s largest flying boat with a wingspan of 139 feet.

The Atalanta was later converted into a houseboat large enough for four people, with a galley, dining area and bathroom.

Do you remember these flyingboats? Mr Boak is interested in hearing from anyone with further memories, information or anecdotes concerning the flying boats, as well as any unpublished images, newspaper cuttings, postcards or other original source material.

Contact him at: swordfish200@aol.com