Some of you might have heard about or stumbled across a plaque on the Beaulieu Airfield heathland. It’s not too far from one of the perimeter track and runway edges and commemorates two gentlemen, Buskell and Frampton.
The plaque reads:
IN MEMORY OF
P. BUSKELL
1992
L.FRAMPTON
1994
You can see it below in a photo I took in March of 2021.
Out of respect to the two gentlemen and according to the wishes of the family of Mr Frampton who I have spoken to in the past, I will not reveal where the plaque can be found.
However, I can tell you a little bit about who Buskell and Frampton were, and why there’s a plaque in memory of them at RAF Beaulieu.
Contrary to popular belief, they were not airmen and had no military connection to the airfield. They were actually model plane enthusiasts who flew their models from the airfield.
After both men died, their fellow members of the Beaulieu Model Flying Club paid for the plaque to be created and then installed it on the heathland in their memory.
Pete Buskell
Pete Buskell was a renowned power flyer on the UK free flight scene in the 1950s, being very well known and respected. He even designed his own model planes, with his most well known design being the Slick Stick. He flew this model to 4th place in the 1954 World Power Champs. Pete Buskell would have flown at Beaulieu Area meetings on many occasions, hence being remembered with the plaque.
Lewis Frampton
Lewis Frampton was a local man who would testing new model aeroplanes on free flights from Beaulieu Airfield. From what I have heard, Mr Frampton passed away doing what he loved – flying model planes. His ashes were then sent off in a model aeroplane from Beaulieu.
Both Mr Buskell and Mr Frampton are now part of RAF Beaulieu’s rich history.
if you do happen to see their memorial at Beaulieu, please take a moment to think about what this place meant to them, and so many other people. The airfield area not only has memories from wartime, but also has a place in a heart of so many people for so many different reasons.