That aircraft again

[browningautorifle]

We've had a LOT of very cool days like that.

I knew lots of those guys. They're thinning now. One friend of mine flew Lancasters, I took a book of aircraft artwork to share with him and he reminisced over the pics. He left us about 5 years ago, I miss him every day...specially this time of year at the annual gunshow as he was a fixture there... I'd have loved to have met Subaru Sakai.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Mr. Sakai was a small, polite/quiet man not unlike many of our greatest generation. He spoke broken English but his grandson spoke perfect English. I felt honored just to be a small part of an organization that has kept so many of these WARBIRDS in flying condition, and all the CAF pilots who do everything possible to get them back in the air.

You are completely correct Jim, most all of the last of them have passed in the past 15 - 20 years from natural causes. Mr. Sakai passed shortly after visiting.

[Bob Womack]

My dad was chatting with the British fellow who rented him a summer cottage for a week, talking about their WWII Navy experience. His acquaintance turned out to be the captain of one of the Royal Navy destroyers that took part in the raid on St. Nazaire (Operation Chariot). That conversation turned into many and eventually the fellow gave my dad a book that he felt explained what happened well. I'll have to pick through my dad's books and find it.

Bob

[CINDERS]

When the Campeltown's delayed explosives went up as she lay wedged in the front gates of the dry dock it caught allot of sight seer's as well as German troops "The Greatest Raid Of All" a very good read and a similar one from WWI is "Zeebrugge" even used a submarine in that lot as well as block ships and from memory a cruiser with drop ramparts over the side to get the troops onto the docks, see attached pic

[Paul S.]

Cinders, the Royal Marines celebrate Zeebrugge Night.

Many years ago, I had the honour of being invited by a mate, an old 'Bootneck', to the Zeebrugge Night formal Dining In at the British Legion club in Sydney. Coincidentally, the next day was ANZAC Day for us.

[Merlin266]

Currently in my 19th year in the RAF, probably the highlight to date is my three and half years on BBMF. Working on the Flights Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster brought me into contact with many veterans with tales of heroism and suffering. My grandad was an Armourer, based at Waddington, he worked on Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters. Unfortunately he passed away before my time on BBMF, having flown in the Lancaster and Dakota many times alongside the fighters, you can't help but imagine what it was like during those days when young lads operated and maintained these aircraft.
Here is a pic of my grandad, sucking up to the officer types at Waddington 1941

[Bob Womack]

Very cool!

In 1996 I was in London when audio console manufacturer Solid State Logic sent a car to take me to Oxford (Stonesfield) to see their pant. I rode up front with the driver and we started talking. He found out that my uncle was a Spitfire pilot in WWII and let me know he was an RAF pilot in retirement, driving to keep himself busy. In the sixties he was posted to the BBMF and flew one of their Spitfires during filming of the Battle of Britain movie. While we were visiting the plant he ran home and brought back his log books, pilot manuals from the Spit and Hurricane, and pictures from the film shoot. We were able to spend a couple of hours talking back and forth. Given my vested interest in the subject and the fact that the Battle of Britain movie was my favorite, it was a very fortuitous meeting.

Bob

[CINDERS]

Thats a great story how things work out from memory I think Galland flew and ME-109 for the film, the hardest part was getting the HE-111 bombers one from Argentina I recall could be wrong but it rings a bell.
Beautiful air shot of the Duck Egg blue of a what I think PR19 Spitfire this may be a Griffon powered one gathered by the rocker cover bulges on the top cowling stand to be corrected if wrong in my observations.

[Bob Womack]

Yes, they had a two-cockpit dual-control Hispano HA-1112 Buchon (Bf-109) on the film and on one of the days of filming in England Dolpho (Adolph Galland) went to the field and was invited to take the plane for a spin. The film's pilot took the plane up and then Dolpho beat up the field with aerobatics for about thirty minutes and impressed everyone.

The CASA 2.111s (Heinkel 111s) were still in service with the Spanish Air Force and Spain was in an uncomfortable period of relations with England. It was amazing to all that Spain place their entire fleet of bombers at the disposal of the film company in Spanish airspace and allowed them to repaint the planes to Geman colors. One of those planes was Franco's personal plane that ended up in the Commemorative Air Force's fleet until it crashed on landing. My boys and I were able to tour it before that crash.


The clowns

Two bombers were allowed to fly to England and eventually France to allow interaction between the film company's British planes as well. Two interesting sidebars:
1. All of the "German" planes used in the filming except one were powered by Rolls Royce Merlins engines, the engines that powered the British planes. My understanding is that one actual BF-109 was used and it retained its Daimler-Benz engine.
2. There were only three flyable Hurricanes at the time of shooting so spare Hispano HA-1112 Buchon (Bf-109) were repainted to British colors and markings and placed at a distance in Hurricane formations to fill them out.

Bob

[Merlin266]

Did an American receive payment for work he did during filming in the form of a few buchons, P51 and a mk 9. I remember him having a two seat buchon too.