WW2 LANCASTER.

[blackrodd]

This maybe of interest For those of us with older relatives serving at the time.
My FIL completed 94 trips, 60 with PFF, and crash landed 3 damaged Lancasters.
In colour and very good quality and runs at just over 1 hour.
If you are likely to get offended, then please don't watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7b_w5EX04E
Rodders

 

[Kalimna]

Link? Please?

Cheers,
Adam

 

[Chrispy]

Fantastic film, every morning going to work (workshop is on an old WW11 bomber air field) as I drive round what was part of the perimeter taxi way past the end of the main runway I can't but help thinking of the men and machines that left from here at all hours and in all weathers not knowing if they would be back, respect total.

 

[finneyb]

V. interesting, thanks for sharing.

Brian

 

[blackrodd]

Link? Please?

Cheers,
Adam

Sorry, I forgot the link, A Senior Moment!
Rodders

 

[finneyb]

Rodders

In the first few minutes of the film it mentions USAF and that Memphis Belle was the first USAF to fly on these missions.
RAF Burtonwood at Warrington was a USAF base in WWII there is now a pub/restaurant called the Memphis Belle near to what was the airfield, we go about twice a month. Airfield is now the M62 and an industrial estate; from memory there is a Burtonwood Heritage Centre.

Brian

 

[Jacob]

Fascinating stuff. I was being born about the same time as that Berlin raid so can't claim any part in Hitler's downfall!
They were same generation as my old man - and our teachers at school - many ex services including one dam-buster pilot.
I remember the airfields - not sure which one but we went off to "harvest camps" some years after the war where whole families went to help with farm harvest and give the kids a holiday in the country. We stayed in RAF nissen huts with all the original kit (including fleas) and left-over stuff from the war.

 

[graduate_owner]

I often think how lucky I was to have been born in this era. No world war with conscription, the NHS, and a decent works and state pension. Today's youngsters will have to work until they are 70 or whatever - I had early retirement at 55. I often find things to complain about, but really I can count my blessings in a big way.

K

 

[blackrodd]

I can remember one of my uncles saying they went hop picking in Kent every year as a working holiday.
He was a londoner and I guess he was talking pre war time.
Rodders

 

[t8hants]

A very interesting pair of documentaries, my cousin went down in Lancaster ED603, OL-L, the tail-gunner who lost his contest with a night fighter.

 

[DTR]

Very interesting, thanks for posting.

My grandfather was a wireless op on Lancs in 1944, he flew with 101 Sqd out of Ludford Magna.

 

[hanser]

Thankyou - frightening stat from the commentary....most repairs were carried out in the open apart from a major Lanc overhaul which was unusual as the expected operational life of a plane was only 40 operational hours. Brave men.

 

[blackrodd]

IIRC, Among my FIL flying memorabilia was a plaque from the people of Lincoln that read to the effect that the people of Lincoln had collected and paid for a lancaster bomber, which I read was around £76,0000 in 1944.
Which, according to this,
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bill ... -1900.html

would be £30,197,916.00 Today, A truly phenomenal amount.
Whether this was his, or a Lancaster that he piloted as a "spare" I haven't got around to discovering yet,
This is a different aircraft from "Q" "QUEENIE" that is the Battle of Britain flight today.
Regards Rodders

 

[hanser]

Rodders - think your calc is out by a factor of 10 and should be ~£3.1M. Nonetheless still a staggering amount.

 

[AES]

Very interesting, thanks for posting rodders.

Krgds
AES