When I was on the Great War battlefields recently......

[Simon]

Si, thats got to be a propeller tip picture frame ?

Well spotted Geoff. As a little aside I have a lot of his letters home too and in one of them, to his sister, he talks about the prop tip picture frame being ready very soon.

I've also found out recently that his older brother James Edwin Booth served with the South Lancs during the Boer War.

[mrclark303]

Here's a few pics of my Granddads Canadian Service book, words speak for themselves...

Also a hand written mission list made by my ex Bomber Command uncle, his (post war) dog tags and his DFC and Bar ribbon.

His FE's mission log and the WW1 medal sets are in the safe, so I will photograph them another day if anyone's interested.

Attachment 96550Attachment 96551Attachment 96552Attachment 96553

[Simon]

Here's a few pics of my Granddads Canadian Service book, words speak for themselves...

Also a hand written mission list made by my ex Bomber Command uncle, his (post war) dog tags and his DFC and Bar ribbon.

His FE's mission log and the WW1 medal sets are in the safe, so I will photograph them another day if anyone's interested.

Attachment 96550Attachment 96551Attachment 96552Attachment 96553

Bloody Hell 42 operational sorties! The bravery of these Men leaves me speechless at times.

I'm guessing the abbreviations NT and DL equate to Night Time and Day Light?

Going off on another slight tangent I was over in the BBMF Hangar a couple of weeks back mooching around the Lancaster, as you do. I watched an old Gentleman being pushed forward toward the aircraft by what I assume was his Grandaughter, her Hubby and one of the BBMF Pilots. As they approached the rear of the Lancaster the chap in the wheelchair, who must have been in his ninetees by the way, seem to discover the fountain of youth as he got up and scrambled up the steps and into the fuselage. In no time at all he appeared in the cockpit and then in the nose of the Lanc. Anyway to cut to the chase I got chatting to the Pilot who told me that the chap now grinning from ear to ear had served as a Bomb Aimer on Lancasters with RCAF in 1943/44. Strange thing was all of sudden, even with the Hangar doors closed, the wind seemed to pick up and it got very dusty in there as I watched him climb out.

[mrclark303]

Bloody Hell 42 operational sorties! The bravery of these Men leaves me speechless at times.

I'm guessing the abbreviations NT and DL equate to Night Time and Day Light?

Going off on another slight tangent I was over in the BBMF Hangar a couple of weeks back mooching around the Lancaster, as you do. I watched an old Gentleman being pushed forward toward the aircraft by what I assume was his Grandaughter, her Hubby and one of the BBMF Pilots. As they approached the rear of the Lancaster the chap in the wheelchair, who must have been in his ninetees by the way, seem to discover the fountain of youth as he got up and scrambled up the steps and into the fuselage. In no time at all he appeared in the cockpit and then in the nose of the Lanc. Anyway to cut to the chase I got chatting to the Pilot who told me that the chap now grinning from ear to ear had served as a Bomb Aimer on Lancasters with RCAF in 1943/44. Strange thing was all of sudden, even with the Hangar doors closed, the wind seemed to pick up and it got very dusty in there as I watched him climb out.

Morning Simon,

Alas the Bomber Command generation have nearly all flown west now.

I lost my uncle back in 1984 from Cancer, but he remained in the RAF until the 1970's.

His 42 missions did have an effect on him though, some of those harrowing missions haunted him in his later years.

like most, he lost many friends, 460 (Australia) Squadron had the dubious honour of the highest losses of an operational Bomber Command Squadron I believe...

I remember him saying the Halifax was an overlooked bomber, he commented on its ability to take a huge amount of battle damage and still get you home.

Yep, an incredibly brave generation, Commonwealth Bomber Command and their US 8th Airforce comrades paid an enoumous price for European freedom.

[Daan Kemp]

I have found an absolute silence on all the battlefields I have visited; there may be other ambient sounds but the absolute real silence of eternal rest remains; often funny gusts of wind with no start or end. Majuba, Spioenkop, Isandlwana, Magersfontein.

[Gil Boyd]

Its creepy, but wouldn't have it any other way. The French want to build the motorway right across several of their battlefields, but thankfully there is still resistance to that, which would ruin the beautiful silence and the sound of song birds which the lads heard too infrequently during WW1

[browningautorifle]

Majuba, Spioenkop, Isandlwana, Magersfontein.

You're lucky, can go visit those without any great crowds and they still lie almost as was. I'd love to go walk them a bit.

[Surpmil]

Strange thing was all of sudden, even with the Hangar doors closed, the wind seemed to pick up and it got very dusty in there as I watched him climb out.

Probably just an old friend blowing through.

[Daan Kemp]

You're lucky, can go visit those without any great crowds and they still lie almost as was. I'd love to go walk them a bit.

I haven't been there for a long time, but my last visit I was the only [living] one there.

[browningautorifle]

I was the only [living] one there.

Exactly, I'd have stood quietly too for a while. You think about the guys that were there...visit the men that stayed.