Any Battle of Britain enthusiasts?

[Digit]

Well if you get to walking in this area drop in. I doubt that in itself it's any more dangerous, just don't sneeze! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Next time I am due to go around Machynlleth way I'll let yer know.. Have the Welsh-cakes ready...

Regards

John

 

[Digit]

Will do, and welcome!

Roy.

 

[Digit]

When I was at school history was learning the dates of various battles, never a mention of the men who fought in them.
I'm a member of an archaeological forum and you see how in recent years this has changed, the emphasis no longer being on stone tools, but who made them and what these people were like.
So also the emphasis seems to be changing towards WW1 and 2, growing up after WW2 the pilots of Fighter Command were my generation's heroes, but with exceptions such as Bader, we really knew very little about them.
Currently I am reading a book by Jimmy Corbin entitled 'Last of the Ten Fighter Boys', it recounts his life from childhood, through entry into the RAF and his subsequent career.
No list of dates, battles fought, 'kills' claimed, just how he lived and battled to survive. A very human story.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Roy. I will remember to give you prior warning!


As for your points about History it's true that people like Dowding, and Harris are the one's who are remembered specifically. Although there seems to be a slight memory glitch when it comes to Operation Market-Garden, and Browning! (In particular, Montgomery's 'adjustments' as to what happened.) I do hold strong views about Military Leaders who get it wrong, but it's all best left unsaid!

l can't deny that Douglas Bader was an inspiration; an extremely brave and dogged man. Yet I have my own thoughts again; also better kept to myself. I'll just say that Kenneth Moore played him perfectly. :wink:

I never thought of joining an Historical forum, but then few periods of our history interest me, despite the efforts of the likes of Crane, Oliver and the rest of the 'Coast' presenters! Most of the stuff I do feel passionate about is Military orientated, with emphasis on events that directly involved my own family tree. I'm not being selfish here I hope. I just feel a more personal attachment to certain happenings, such as the Crimea and the Boer Wars.

I am certainly passionate about the Normans. but not in quite the same way that most people would think! Now I am becoming far too intense here, even for the 'off-topic' section! so I'll leave it for now! 8)

Regards
John

 

[RogerS]

.....
Currently I am reading a book by Jimmy Corbin entitled 'Last of the Ten Fighter Boys', it recounts his life from childhood, through entry into the RAF and his subsequent career.
.....

Roy.

First Light by Geoffrey Wellum is very good.

Also The Junior Officers' Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey

 

[RogerM]

Again I, happily, stand open to correction but with hindsight, and memory recall, didn't the powers that be route Concorde south to avoid upsetting the masses further north? Devon and Cornwall being considered less heavily populated?

Roy.

Quite possibly - we're expendable down here.

Sonic booms at altitude carry a long way depending on wind and atmospheric conditions. In the mid 1970s when I was training on Folland Gnats from RAF Valley on Anglesey we used to do supersonic runs down the Irish Sea. The Gnat was surprisingly easy to get supersonic in a dive, and on at least 2 occasions we were requested to stop as we were dropping our sonic booms on Dublin, 40 miles away.

I can't think of anything that would get my adrenaline rushing more, than flying an aircraft at supersonic speed, about 100 feet above the water!

I suppose that would be dangerous?

John

:wink:

It would be dangerous for any nearby boats. A lightning pilot I knew was leaving Cyprus in the late 1960s to return to the UK, and as he lined up for take-off was told by the Tower that the circuit was clear if he would like to do a fly-by on departure. **** duly obliged at Mach 1.2 and blew all the windows out of the tower. His posting to Training Command was already through when he landed in Norfolk a couple of hours later.

We also had a USAF exchange instructor - capt John White - who had seen service in Vietnam flying F105 Thunderchiefs which was supersonic at low level. One day his brief was to fly to Hanoi with a camera pod to arrive at dawn and do a straight and level pass over the rail marshalling yards at 2,000 ft and 360 kts with the cameras rolling. This was more or less an invitation to commit suicide bearing mind the heavy air defenses around Hanoi, so it was no surprise when he arrived that the sky filled with flak and the sound of cockpit alarms warning him that ground based anti-a/c missiles had locked on. Unsurprisingly John opened the throttles wide, dived to treetop level and got out of it. On his return the film was analysed and it just showed elongated streaks. He was marched in to see his boss who said words to the effect "your brief was to do a photo reconnaissance pass of Hanoi at 2,000 ft at 360 kts. Analysis of your film shows that you were actually at 50 ft doing 860 kts. Why?"

In his slow laconic Texan drawl, John said"Well sir, that's all I could get out of her!"

 

[woodbloke]

I went to an air show at the then RNAS Daedelus(sp) at Lee-on-Solent in the late 60's where one of the Fleet Air Arm display pilots did a very low pass at well over the sound barrier. The shock wave rebounding off the ground caught under the eaves of loads of surrounding houses and lifted complete roofs off the brickwork.
'Chain of command' not happy - Rob

 

[Digit]

Just started another WW2 book about RAF training pre-war and after the start of hostilities.
It's not a list of fights etc, rather pilots personal stories.
This one I loved.
Having qualified as a pilot and becoming an officer he was fitted out with a dress uniform for use in the mess, which apparently included tight fitting trousers.
Upon being asked, sotto voce, 'which side do you dress Sir?'
was heard to reply, 'oh, just leave them baggy around the knee caps!

Roy.

 

[RogerS]

If anybody has read First Light by Geoffrey Wellum - known as 'Boy' in the Battle of Britain as he was one of the youngest if not the youngest pilot - then you might like to watch First Light this Tuesday on BBC.

 

[Digit]

Wellum served on 72 squadron during the battle Rog, but at a time when many lied about their age, (and recruiting officers had bad eye sight, my F-in-L was only 17), he was unlikely to have been the youngest.
I read some years ago in the press of a boy of 14, his name escapes me, who joined the RAF and went on to pilot a heavy bomber and completed 3? trips over occupied Europe before his horrified father found out and dropped him in it.

Roy.