PC again!

[Digit]

The political type, not computing.
I see that the dog in the remake of the The Dam Busters,' has been renamed 'Digger!'
Oh Lord!

Roy.

 

[Alf]

a) They're remaking The Dam Busters? Why?
b) That's not as annoying as the edited version of the original that was shown for some years that simply edited out the dog's name altogether.
c) They're remaking The Dam Busters? Why?

 

[Digit]

a) Why not?
b) Never saw it.
c) Money?

Roy.

 

[doorframe]

If it's our American friends making it, it'll probably be 3 1/2 hrs long with a rags-to-riches love storey thrown in.

And I bet somebody leaks the Grand Finale to the press! Just like with the film Titanic! No point going to see it once The Sun's critic blurted out that it sinks at the end!

Roy

 

[Digit]

The script is being written by Steven Fry, whether that means anything or not I don't know.
The next thing is the PC brigade will be removing the grave marker, they are a pain in the butt!

Roy.

 

[Alf]

If the 'Murricans are making it, presumably it'll turn out the aircrew were all 'Murricans as well... *glowers darkly at U-571*

 

[Digit]

If they are they'll concentrate on 'Nicky Nilons', after all, he was a Yank.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Where are they going to find someone to act Bill Kerr's part, in the same laid back fashion. There just ain't nobody like him for that 'type'.
But I can't see the point, of a remake. Unless they really are going to do a Titanic on it. In which case I see the point even less!
Although I haven't seen the latest remake of Titanic and the only version I have seen is 'A Night to Remember' (Kenneth More)

Since learning so much more about the Titanic , I just get angry whenever I think about it. :evil:

John

 

[Eric The Viking]

I wonder if they'll show that Gibson was killed shortly after the raid. Doubt it, somehow.

This enthusiasm to re-write history in this way is rather disgusting to my mind. Hollywood did it too, with that film about capturing an Enigma machine from a sinking U-boat. According to the scriptwriters, Americans were the heroes, even though they were nowhere near at the time!

To get back on track, did anyone see Johnny Johnson on the bouncing bomb re-creation programme? Very impressive -- still sharp as a tack even at 90+. So were the team with the Canadian Dakota - nearly lost the tail to a splash, as did one of the original test aircraft (with fatalities, one would think).

I read and re-read Paul Brickhill's book many times as a child. The stuff 617 did later was equally brave and impressive, for example sinking the Tirpitz and destroying tunnels with the "Tallboy" and "Grand Slam", which were also Barnes Wallis' ideas.

 

[Digit]

Gibson died over 3 yrs later on a night intruder raid flying a DH Mosquito. He wasn't familiar with the aircraft and from eye witness reports it has been suggested that he failed to switch fuel tanks, he's buried in Holland.
I watched the programme Eric and IIRC correctly the aircraft was a 'Baker Two Bits' a B25 Mitchell.
At least two aircraft were lost from splash damage during trials, again, IIRC one was a B25 and the other was a Halifax.
The bomb was later adapted to be carried in a Mosquito, which by the way was also fitted at one time with a 3inch? field gun for anti shipping attacks. A chap I served part of my apprenticeship under worked on the prototype fitting. When the gun was fired at the butts it leaped the chocks and careered back down the track.

Roy.

 

[t8hants]

It's a shame Mel Gibson isn't making it, then we could have had the Americans bombing British dams using their specially modified B17's, to prevent us plotting with Hitler to recapture our lost Colonies.

G

 

[Digit]

My wife wanted to buy my grandson a cowboy set, trouble is the PC brigade got there before her.
There are six shops in town that sell toys and we had to traipse round all of them before we found one.
They must be a right miserable bunch!

Roy.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Gibson died over 3 yrs later on a night intruder raid flying a DH Mosquito. He wasn't familiar with the aircraft and from eye witness reports it has been suggested that he failed to switch fuel tanks, he's buried in Holland.

Sorry, it's a looong time since I read all that stuff!

I watched the programme Eric and IIRC correctly the aircraft was a 'Baker Two Bits' a B25 Mitchell. At least two aircraft were lost from splash damage during trials, again, IIRC one was a B25 and the other was a Halifax.

Thanks for that - I realised it wasn't a British design, and the other footage I've seen of the tests was indeed a Halifax.

Wasn't the aircraft they used in the actual programme a Dakota though?

The bomb was later adapted to be carried in a Mosquito, which by the way was also fitted at one time with a 3inch? field gun for anti shipping attacks. A chap I served part of my apprenticeship under worked on the prototype fitting. When the gun was fired at the butts it leaped the chocks and careered back down the track.

Those are amazing ideas! I can't imagine the Mosquito carrying a bouncing bomb - presumably a smaller version?

The Americans have a track record of putting heavy weapons in aircraft. This thing is just terrifying...

E.

 

[Digit]

No Eric, it was a B25 mate.
That cannon armed Mosquito was named the Tse-Tse if you want to follow it up. Yep, the bouncing bomb was down sized for the Mossie.
I was fortunate enough to enter the aircraft industry just when jets were coming on line and a lot of the WW2 personnel were still around.
The amount of 'guess work' that went into some development was amazing, as were some of the foul ups.
Part of the arming gear for the bouncing bomb was constructed from a 5/16 bolt and a cotton reel!
Necessity etc.

Roy.