Face to Face With History

[classic33]

My uncle fought in Burma during the 2nd world war. He would never talk about it.

I'd a relative in the RFC, who specialised in Zepplin hunting and another that was on the "Cambletown". Both were considered outcasts/black sheep because they fought on the wrong side.

 

[welsh dragon]

But the original post included historical events too, so all is valid.

Could you have imagined even a few years ago having a black President Of The U.S.A for example??

I know all aspect of history was mentioned and included and is valid and respect that.

 

[L14M]

Just avoid those Comets with the metal fatigue....

It'd be a nice dc3 or 4 for met!

That said this year i am doing something i thought i wouldn't do for a good few years, i'm gaining my gliding lisence

 

[Roadrider48]

My Dad was in the Black watch. Saw plenty, never mentioned anything!

 

[welsh dragon]

I'd go back in time to when we could all speak our minds without the fear of upsetting some peanut or two!

I apologise for causing offfense to anyone. That was not my intention. please accept my apology

 

[Roadrider48]

I apologise for causing offfense to anyone. That was not my intention. please accept my apology

If that was tongue in cheek, please forgive me.
You, nor anyone else have ever offended me. I speak my mind and expect it back.
I like ALL people and most seem to like me, but I do stick to my guns. It gets a bit silly sometimes, but that's life.

 

[classic33]

My Dad was in the Black watch. Saw plenty, never mentioned anything!

Seems to be something common to all who saw active service. Friend who went to the Falklands in '82 doesn't say much about what happenned there either.

 

[Roadrider48]

Seems to be something common to all who saw active service. Friend who went to the Falklands in '82 doesn't say much about what happenned there either.

It is quite common, you're quite right.

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

I recently had the great pleasure of meeting and talking to Sir John Hall DFC who was a veteran of 60 sorties as rear gunner in a Lancaster during WW2.

After cheating to join up at 17, he underwent training then joined in a strange selection process where about 120 men were basically left in a large hall and told to form themselves into flight teams of 5 - pilot, navigator, front gunner, rear gunner and bomb-man.

He had lots of funny and poignant stories, with one involving Sir Winston Churchill taking a ride in his plane during which he insisted on sitting on a flight crate to and refusing to move to a normal seat until John informed him that the crate contained explosives which - if jolted- could give Winnie a rather sore posterior.

The most moving story was of a crew-mate and very great friend of his - more like a brother - who had been with John since day 1, however, he had a medical condition which grounded him following his 59th sortie, and both he a John were to return to stop flying after their 60nd flight. The average lifespan for a crew member was 5 sorties!

On johns final flight, his plane's controls/flaps froze over Eastern Europe and the only way they could steer was by throttling on or off the port or starboard engines.
Before ditching the plane, They had to use as much fuel as they could by flying straight across England and Wales then take a slow port steer to bring them back over land toward Devon before jumping out (with parachutes) so the plane would eventually ditch into the channel - amazing!!!

John was then scheduled to work as ground crew and remembers seeing his old crew-mate friend off on his final flight from which he never returned as his plane was downed somewhere over Germany.
For nearly 3-years John kept trying to find out what happened to his friend to no avail.

In 2011 at an old army friends gathering, John was telling another old airman his story, when he was introduced to a lady whose father had been shot down over Germany - she was the daughter of his friend and told John that her fathers plane had been found in Belgium in '47 and that his grave was in a Belgian war cemetery.

A support group for ex servicemen in the North East helped raise funds for John to go over there in 2012 where he was eventually able to say goodbye to his old friend.

A very moving, poignant and heart-warming story of a regular bloke who just did his bit and made a deep and lasting friendship.

Edited: I had the number of missions/sorties wrong

 

[Mattonsea]

The point was people you have come across in your life.

I recently had the great pleasure of meeting and talking to Sir John Hall DFC who was a veteran of 32 sorties as rear gunner in a Lancaster during WW2.

After cheating to join up at 17, he underwent training then joined in a strange selection process where about 120 men were basically left in a large hall and told to form themselves into flight teams of 5 - pilot, navigator, front gunner, rear gunner and bomb-man.

He had lots of funny and poignant stories, with one involving Sir Winston Churchill taking a ride in his plane during which he insisted on sitting on a flight crate to and refusing to move to a normal seat until John informed him that the crate contained explosives which - if jolted- could give Winnie a rather sore posterior.

The most moving story was of a crew-mate and very great friend of his - more like a brother - who had been with John since day 1, however, he had a medical condition which grounded him following his 31st sortie, and both he a John were to return to stop flying after their 32nd flight. The average lifespan for a crew member was 5 sorties!

On johns final flight, his plane's controls/flaps froze over Eastern Europe and the only way they could steer was by throttling on or off the port or starboard engines.
Before ditching the plane, They had to use as much fuel as they could by flying straight across England and Wales then take a slow port steer to bring them back over land toward Devon before jumping out (with parachutes) so the plane would eventually ditch into the channel - amazing!!!

John was then scheduled to work as ground crew and remembers seeing his old crew-mate friend off on his final flight from which he never returned as his plane was downed somewhere over Germany.
For nearly 3-years John kept trying to find out what happened to his friend to no avail.

In 2011 at an old army friends gathering, John was telling another old airman his story, when he was introduced to a lady whose father had been shot down over Germany - she was the daughter of his friend and told John that her fathers plane had been found in Belgium in '47 and that his grave was in a Belgian war cemetery.

A support group for ex servicemen in the North East helped raise funds for John to go over there in 2012 where he was eventually able to say goodbye to his old friend.

A very moving, poignant and heart-warming story of a regular bloke who just did his bit and made a deep and lasting friendship.

Amazing .Thank you

 

[Roadrider48]

I recently had the great pleasure of meeting and talking to Sir John Hall DFC who was a veteran of 60 sorties as rear gunner in a Lancaster during WW2.

After cheating to join up at 17, he underwent training then joined in a strange selection process where about 120 men were basically left in a large hall and told to form themselves into flight teams of 5 - pilot, navigator, front gunner, rear gunner and bomb-man.

He had lots of funny and poignant stories, with one involving Sir Winston Churchill taking a ride in his plane during which he insisted on sitting on a flight crate to and refusing to move to a normal seat until John informed him that the crate contained explosives which - if jolted- could give Winnie a rather sore posterior.

The most moving story was of a crew-mate and very great friend of his - more like a brother - who had been with John since day 1, however, he had a medical condition which grounded him following his 59th sortie, and both he a John were to return to stop flying after their 60nd flight. The average lifespan for a crew member was 5 sorties!

On johns final flight, his plane's controls/flaps froze over Eastern Europe and the only way they could steer was by throttling on or off the port or starboard engines.
Before ditching the plane, They had to use as much fuel as they could by flying straight across England and Wales then take a slow port steer to bring them back over land toward Devon before jumping out (with parachutes) so the plane would eventually ditch into the channel - amazing!!!

John was then scheduled to work as ground crew and remembers seeing his old crew-mate friend off on his final flight from which he never returned as his plane was downed somewhere over Germany.
For nearly 3-years John kept trying to find out what happened to his friend to no avail.

In 2011 at an old army friends gathering, John was telling another old airman his story, when he was introduced to a lady whose father had been shot down over Germany - she was the daughter of his friend and told John that her fathers plane had been found in Belgium in '47 and that his grave was in a Belgian war cemetery.

A support group for ex servicemen in the North East helped raise funds for John to go over there in 2012 where he was eventually able to say goodbye to his old friend.

A very moving, poignant and heart-warming story of a regular bloke who just did his bit and made a deep and lasting friendship.

That is a cool story; thanks.

 

[welsh dragon]

[QUOTE 2953373, member: 1314"]The Welsh now being not very good at rugby. [/quote]

Sarky begger and im not welsh.

 

[classic33]

How many on here can say they spent their holiday making hay. Cutting, turning & tramming it by hand. I have, alongside those who'd been doing it that way for their lifetime.
The old ways are going, and the people that lived those lives are for the most part nothing but faded pictures and memories.

 

[welsh dragon]

Next you'll be telling us you're not really a dragon either.

Dont be silly man. of course i am

 

[Dave 123]

We all live through history every single minute of the day.

We are history and leave our own mark in very different ways.

http://twitpic.com/568ks8