Garrinchas---Dog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 14 Sep 2008
- Messages
- 1,376
Thanks for that,just got a bit emotional when I heard that,which is odd,brave men indeed
Amazing. My dad was a wireless opp in lancs...sends a shudder down me.
Apparently my grandad was also, alas he died before I was born. Grandma was also at Scampton, so I'm told. Had a good friend as a child though, and his gramps lived a few doors down from his house. He was a tail gunner in a Lanc, and captivated 10 year old me with tales. Gave me all kinds of books which I lapped up. Heroes, on both sides to be fair.
That typical British accent though, where did that go?
Edit:
Here's a longer recording of chatter..
I have had the good fortune to meet many RAF veterans who flew all manner of aircraft, as brave as the Lancaster crews were, they were flying a state of the art bomber that could take a great deal of punishment, and was far more maneuverable than most realise...you dont get to see that when the BBMF Lanc flys today, imagine those who were on operations in such things as Whitleys, Wellingtons, Stirlings, and even the Halifax, all obsolete and sitting ducks.
Those who were lucky enough to get on Mosquitos had the best of it as losses on that type were low....mind you they would be that thing was faster than anything else could fly low level high level was made of wood and had two spitfire engines to power it.
I have said to many veteran that I really dont know if I could have done what they did, the reaction is the same mostly, they say had you been there at the time you would have been no different to them, in one sense I am mighty relieved I wasnt....but just a little part of me wishes I had been.
Always makes me laugh when we call footballers heroes.....
These men are heroes. The young people of today could not accomplish what our grandfathers/fathers did in this war.