Death of the Red Baron

[Vincent]

[henry r]

Gil, going back to your '15 comment on the rod system.
I'm pretty sure they used rods with papermache heads to locate snipers in the trenches.

[Gil Boyd]

Vincent,
Nice footage

Henry r,
Yes I have seen a few clever ideas like that within the IWM system.
It musn't be forgotten of course, with the lens technology used in the early sniping scopes of WW1 the maximum they were apart in each others lines was about 3-400 metres and in many cases a lot closer.
Ideal for any good shot with a scope mounted that had been zero'd.
Deadly place to be, having any part of your head above the parapet!!
Even to try and set an opposing sniper up by watching where he was firing from must have been a tad risky.
Again in those early days they weren't taught to fire once and move location.

[CINDERS]

Gil in #59 you talk about "Fatty" as that's what the fighter pilots called him as to them he was just a gong hunter who only wanted the Blue Max.
He used to like slipping cigars into the pockets in their tunics then whilst shaking their hands he would deliberately & continually pat & scrunch the pocket that held the cigar ensuring that it was crushed(Excerpt from The First & The Last By Galland" my italics).
After Gallands remark about wanting a squadron of 'Spitfires' to win the Battle Of Britain the die was set between them, Adolf Galland could not stand him at all but true to his profession he fought right to the last with what he had left of his squadron of ME-262's until they had no fuel to fight with.

[Gil Boyd]

I just reckon, it was his life jacket under his tunic, and noone told him you have to wear it on the outside...........God he was fat.
How can you go from the WW1 picture to the WW2 picture as a fit fighter pilot and still fly as he did. I know one thing he wouldnt have got back in his WW1 biplane

[CINDERS]

[Gil Boyd]

..............................and I know he desperatley wanted a photo shoot sitting in a Messchershmidt 109, and again they could'nt wedge him in for that one either