I have hardly shed tears on matters such as My wedding,birth of My 3 children,other important life related events,etc.,
However I sat watching the BBC film,Spitfire',with soundtrack by Chris Roe,I sat there transfixed I'm not going to spoil it but please please download and watch it and if You don't feel a surge of pride and respect for the Young Men(And Women of RAuxAF)then You are not human perhaps its already been mentioned on a previous thread but I am even more happy that I changed tack from being a perspective Doctor to flying in the Air Force but I am totally nothing compared to the great Men & Women in this film.
Im not sure why but i have never given it that much thought about what it would have been like back then taking off for real and flying towards the enemy.
It must have been truly frightening but i think perhaps everyone just assumes pilots are these super macho brave types who were itching to fly towards the enemy and have a dog fight.
Thank you for the recommendation - I’ll check it out!
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Thanks for the heads up. I was planning on heading to bed but may have to watch this now.
Seems fitting after seeing this today:
Didn’t know about this until this evening after speaking of the bravery of the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary during WW2 who delivered the aircraft and was told to watch this.
Thanks for the timely reminder.
Mr Tetley i am soooo jealous!Thankyou for sharing such gorgeous photos.Originally Posted by Mr Tetley
Thanks for the heads up. I was planning on heading to bed but may have to watch this now.
Seems fitting after seeing this today:
That’ll be something to look forward to. As a kid I would cycle down to White Waltham a few times a week to see if I could help out with anything in exchange for just being around stuff, or just to sit by the railway as planes drifted over on final approach. When I moved to Brighton, I’d still go and sit at Shoreham and do much the same. Here Headcorn is a bit of a distance, but there’s a real chance of a Spitfire and their intermittent Proctor is a grin every time. There’s an air show...
https://www.headcornevents.co.uk/Events/Battle%20of%20Britain%20Air%20Show/
Another picture from yesterday as the Spitfire flew past Scrabo Tower, Newtownards.
(Photo taken by a work colleague on the golf course)
Being Coningsby based, I get to see (and hear!) the BBMF regularly, people generally keep their heads down and carry on with their business when the Typhoons are up, but everybody looks skyward when the Spitfire is out.
I’ve heard many of the stories from the people who give the hangar tours, stories that themselves have had to be passed down now sadly, but the bravery, heroism and also humility of the pilots still has a big impact on people.
I got to sit in one at Southport Airshow a few years ago.
I've been in love with the Spitfire ever since I saw 'reach for the sky' as a kid and my dad made my first Airfix Spitfire.
I took my mum and dad round RAF Conningsby (where they'd met) in 1990 and saw numerous Hurricanes and Spitfires and the Lancaster.
WoW
The Merlin roar is unbeatable and I can understand anybody being moved to tears
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I'll never forget the day I took my mum and dad there and the tour guide mentioned my dad being an ex Lancaster rear gunner and the look of admiration on the other peoples faces.
My dad didn't notice as he was looking at the Lanc fondly.
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He deserves to be admired, I only mentioned pilots as I was talking Spitfires, but the Lancaster aircrews deserve special recognition along with all the bomber types.
I’ve been down the back of the Lanc, feeling trapped and exposed at the same time was a unique feeling!
I went in the one from East Kirkby when it was at Squires Gate in Blackpool.
My dad and I went it and I can remember looking through the astrodome.
Unfortunately it has a different turret than the one at Conningsby which was the same as my dads.
My dad and his mate in the mid upper turret had got back in touch the year before when they'd both signed the visitors book at East Kirkby.
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Gents I am absolutely loving the photos and RD200 You lucky so and so one of My ex Squadron CFIs became BBMF CO at that time He was CFI when I started advanced flying training on the Hawk T Mk.1.
I queued up with a load of kids to get in the Spit but that's what I felt like.
I remember seeing a big framed photo of Douglas Bader sat on his Hurricane in the local library when I was about 6 and I asked my dad who he was ??? and that was it, I was hooked.
I think actually being a pilot has me beaten though.
I've seen the Hawks and Typhoons flying when I've been out walking round the Lakes, Dales and nearer home round Rivington.
Woweeee I could never see them too much.
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Last edited by RD200; 19th September 2020 at 09:55.
My dad was a bomb aimer in Lancaster's in WWII and he was full of admiration for the rear gunners!
What squadron was your dad in ??
According to my dad's mate in the mid upper turret their plane had a painting of a monkey carrying a bomb commemorating the bomb aimers baby daughter on it.
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