September 15th. |
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Stanforth
Senior Member Joined: January 08 2017 Location: Oxford England Status: Offline Points: 773 |
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Posted: September 15 2020 at 12:26am |
September 15th. is 'Battle of Britain Day' here in the UK and this year it is the 80th. Aniversary.
Many years ago I knew an older guy and we got talking about police restrictions and he told me that he was refused a Firearm Certificate for a .22 rifle at the age of 19 the police reasoning was that he was too young to be in charge of a firearm. His response was that in his day job he was in charge of 8 .303 Browning machine guns. He was a fighter pilot flying a Hurricane. |
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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Did he get his permit??
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Stanforth
Senior Member Joined: January 08 2017 Location: Oxford England Status: Offline Points: 773 |
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Yes his Commanding Officer contacted someone.
I got to know him 44 years later and he had an impressive collection of firearms.
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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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That's hilarious. He should have buzzed the copshop in it.
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Thank you for reminding me Stanforth. I was watching a documentary on the battle of the 15th of September last week (on Youtube). It certainly was a very busy day for those young lad's in the RAF.
We owe them !
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Stanforth
Senior Member Joined: January 08 2017 Location: Oxford England Status: Offline Points: 773 |
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It was the culmination of several months fighting over Britain.
It was not only British and Commonwealth pilots. There were others from occupied Europe and a few from the USA, in fact they had their own (Eagle) squodron.
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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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This one by any chance? Interesting video. Mostly modern footage from the movie of BofB, so theres Merlined "Spitterschmitts" & "Heinkspanos" in plenty. Its also the 50th anniversary of me being obliged (on duty for RAFA) to watch "Perfesser Dumbledore's" bare butt 3 times in one day! We were collecting at the cinema & the movie was "A Man Called Horse"! |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Oncxe the Staes enterd the 2nd twirl at war..the American personel were obliged (& orderd) to return for duty in the American forces.
Many didn't go. Inspite of the MUCH lower pay etc they wanted to stay with the crews & mates they were serving with. In the late Doc Hannah's case - the only crew member he lost was a "kid" named Parker. He was from Chicago. Doc crashed on the airfield with Parker still in the rear turret. Plane broke in 1/2 & caught fire. (The fact that he even got it down in 1 piece was a miracle according to the reports). So hats off to those that serve as bretheren!! |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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hoist a pint to those young men and with those that became old men , i wonder at what might happen today should the young be asked ,
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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I think we would be in deep sh*t today if faced with the same situation. Unless you can fight with a smart Phone!
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Not "Battle of Britain"; but we stopped at this memorial last Saturday on the road to Orleans.
This B26 crashed into the wheat fields just outside this village in June 1944; with the loss of all the 6 crew. It had been caught by German flak! In 1970 a local farmer dug up a prop' blade from the plane when ploughing the field; it had remaind buried since the crash. He donated it to the village and they built a very fitting memorial. |
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Bear43
Special Member Donating Member Joined: August 11 2010 Location: Doland, SD Status: Offline Points: 3059 |
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Zed, that is one thing that has always amazed me is how all over France and Belgium are small memorials to people and events from the war that would have been otherwise forgotten with time. It's one of the reasons I want to get to Europe one day, to see a lot of things like this.
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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If you get the opportunity to visit Europe, you'll need a good plan to get the most out of your trip.
WWII the priority is Normandy and for WWI probably Ypres in Belgium would be a good start. If you do get the chance to come over, let us know, so we can meet up.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Bear, I was there a year ago June. we had a map showing Commonwealth grave sites. we stopped at quite a few along the way. Its moving & a tribute to the society that preserves these burial sites, & maintainjs the memory.
I had hoped to hook-up with Zed during that time, but the timing was a tad off. Well worth the trip. |
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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We arrived on the Saturday 8th of June and I think Hoadie sailed out Friday evening. So he missed the French Display team! He'll have to come back because he didn't see it all. Far to busy around the 6th of June.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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If you can find a copy or download there's a Made for TV movie called "A Foreign Field". Great little movie on this topic with a skilled ensemble cast! (Caution, contains spoilers)
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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