Snapper

A bit more info: On the 11th of Feb Esmonde was in London to receive the DSO for his part in crippling the Bismarck and returned to Manston in readiness for Operation Fuller. (This was the Admiralty's contingency plan to prevent the breakout of the German capital ships. He had volunteered 825 Sqdn for the task while it was reforming at Lee-On-Solent). 825 had arrived at Manston on the 4th. The squadron had been training to attack the German ships at night, because the Swordfish was considered past it, but was all they had. On the 12th Esmonde was confronted with the prospect of leading a daylight attack. He planned to attack the Germans ships at 50 feet in two vics of three aircraft. Esmonde flew W5984 'H' with Lieutenant William Henry Williams (buried in Aylesham, Kent) and Leading Airman (Petty Officer William John Clinton (buried in Ruislip, Middx. Sub-Lieutenant BW Rose piloting W5983 'G' was No 2 followed by Sub-Lieutenant CM Kingsmill in W5907 'L'. The second vic were W4523 'F' (27 year old Lt John Chute Thompson from Southampton; W5985 'K' (Sub-Lt Cecil Ralph Wood) and W5978 'M' (20 year old Acting Sub-Lt Peter Bligh from Palmers Green in London). Rose's aircraft crashed after making it's torpedo run after Esmonde had crashed in flames. He and his observer Sub-Lt Edgar Lee got into a dinghy, but the gunner AL Johnson was dead. Kingsmill released his torpedo at the Scharnhorst at 1500 yards before ditching. All his crew survived. Edgar Lee was the only unwounded survivor who got back to Manston that evening. As said previously, the fate of the other three aircraft remains unknown. The missing men are recorded on the Lee-On-Solent memorial.

My father in law served as radio officer on the Khedive Ismail during the evacuation of Greece in 1941. He remained with the ship for some time and his knowledge of the terrible deaths of the wrens was one of several pieces of evidence (the story was covered up) used by those gathering material for the memorial to the casualties in the Wrens church in The Strand. He was not on her when she went down. We want him to write his wartime and post war police career story down - but he doesn't agree with memoirs.

It was as a Swordfish pilot that the great Eugene Esmonde won his posthumous VC. In 1940 he wrote: "I can think of no greater honour, nor a better way of passing into Eternity than in the cause for which the Allies are fighting this war". A Tipperary man born in 1909, he came from a very traditional Catholic background and had no love for things English. Having failed to gain a missionary priesthood he did the obvious next best thing and got an RAF commission! After five years as a fighter pilot with 43 Sqdrn and time in the new Fleet Air Arm his commission terminated so he became a pilot for BOAC. He flew the classic Empire air routes and pioneered several before being invited to join the Fleet Air Arm in 1939. On the fateful day, Feb 12 1942, he had volunteered 825 Sqdn for the task. His group of six aircraft set off and were met by Messerschmitts and heavy flak as they attempted to attack the German ships. Esmonde's plane received a direct hit from an AA shell ripping off the port lower mainplaine. Despite this he continued to make his torpedo run on the Scharnhorst, the aircraft crashing in flames after release. Only one man returned unwounded from the whole flight and the fate of the second vic of three aircraft remains unknown! There were only five survivors. They were awarded four DSOs and a CGM. Esmonde's body washed ashore in April 1942. He is buried in Gillingham. He had a line of bullet holes down his back. His mother received the VC from King George VI on 17th March 1942. Esmonde has the unique distinction of being a RN officer who was recommended for a VC by an RAF officer (the great Tom Gleave). The German War Diary for the day records "...the mothball attack of a handful of ancient planes, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other by either side that day".

Absolutely. You have every reason to be at home here - we have a good many ex-servicemen and some serving personnel mixed in with a good bunch of lifelong civvy people. There is little evidence of an "Waltish" behaviour - but plenty of eccentricity. So what more can anyone want? Enjoy the forum. cheers Snapper (Mark B)

Welcome to HMVF Roland. Your ex Foaming Pig looks interesting. I had a look over a very rusty complete version a few years back. It had all the pump equipment in the back. It looked like a nasty place to work. I hope you get to know us all on the forum. Snapper (Mark B)

I love my slippers. I voted for t-shirt, polo shirt, and I am quite taken with the darkish red suggestion in addition to black. I'm happy with green, but figure we need something to set us apart. Having said this the NLBA wear black and I wouldn't want darkish red to mean maroon. Old farts can't jump. I wear a big old Indiana Jones hat to keep off the evils of the sun and skin cancer (been there done that), and even though I wear a baseball cap on occasion, I am sure i look a complete prat in it. Tell me more about the slippers, are they suitable for wearing while eating snorkers fellow TOGs?? I will have to get Stryker to vote. Watch his space...if i can get him away from Medal of Honor or whatever it is he's playing...

Sorry John - false alarm. Stryker had hidden my copy in the kitchen. andsorry Lee - I forgot we had spoken about the snap. It was in focus for a change. Good stuff this month - all that PW armour...top quality, the Bradleys piece is useful for ID purposes and the Saladin is always a winner.

Yeah, watch out for Jack, Matty. He thinks he runs the place.

Hi Ken, Now we've got Kiwis in the clubhouse we'll have to get a bigger beer fridge.

Nice to have you on board, Simon. Take no notice of Jack; he is off his chump.

How much do you know about the war between the Axis and the Soviet Union? Most people should know about Barbarossa, Leningrad, Stalingrad and Kursk and of the immolation of the Nazis in Berlin. We know about Stalin, Zhukov and Konev and maybe Rokossovskii. Professor Evan Mawdsley is an expert on the military history of the USSR and brings us a weighty tome in Thunder In The East - The Nazi-Soviet War 1941-1945.This book is heavy going at times, but the whole canvas of events from 22.06.1941 to the end of the war is covered in plenty of detail. Professor Mawdsley dispenses with personal accounts and has no interest in weapons or kit in detail; but he is at pains to highlight the war winning nature of the Soviet armaments industry and the crucial influx of Lend-Lease lorries, armour and aeroplanes. We've all been wrapped up in the death of one soldier in the Iraq War in recent days. In this book we see how losses like telephone numbers occured on both sides and how brutal the two states were to people of all genders and ages. Perhaps the most interesting fact to appear is that, for the Russians, the complete history is still not written. So many facts were buried or misrepresented to suit passing regimes after Stalin's death. These mostly centre around losses and gains or about the military accumen of Uncle Joe himself. There are a few other books giving some insight in to the life of the Frontovikibut they are just numbers here. Millions of them swarmed into Germany to kill off the fascist beast in his lair, as Stalin and the Stavka demanded. I found chapters regarding the fate of the lesser partners of the Axis to be very educational and above all sympathy for Poland and the Baltic states remains strong. Professor Mawdsley tells us something else too: For the Soviets it was The Great Fatherland War. I hadn't heard that name for it before. He asserts that far too many western histories of this war were written based on the recollections of the Germans. Prevailing circumstances dictated this. Even now Zhukov's writings are not available in English and they are not complete, even in Russian. Fascinating stuff - but not a light read.

Oi John, I haven't got mine yet! I was looking forward to a read and scive today. Never mind. Hey Lee, didn't I get you in the centre spread snap of the two Foxes last month or so??? One of my few good moments at Beltring last year. Hopefully I'll do better this year. MB

Stryker's bedroom is a bit like the HMVF clubhouse - nothing a 75mm HE shell wouldn't put rignt. Things just disappear into it, like a Bermuda Triangle of tut. But the occupant is a good lad and is always smart on ATC parade. He is good to his mother, not terribly violent towards his sister and is my oppo on the MV circuit. He plays keyboards and bass and wants to fly army helicopters for a living. Watch this space.

You've found the right place, Alfred. Welcome aboard.

Good stuff Clive, I think you've just doubled the Canadian contingent - and the other bloke makes documentaries. Too clever by half.

Welcome aboard, Les. I agree with the others - please tell us more about your Humbers. all the best!

Welcome Roy, We had a work party in cleaning the HMVF club house this morning. Someone left a kebab down the back of a sofa and there were a few bits of the Napoli floating around in the Mess; though that might have been the other way round. Jack is to blame, as always. So, look out for your name on the cleaning rota. If anyone finds my Douglas Haig biography, I'd be very pleased to get it back. If my son Stryker asks you for guns, tell him to sod off. His mother always does.

no point in spoiling anything for a few snaps. The weather would need to be very clear anyway.

Fantastic. I've added it to my favourites.

here's a who's on first base? moment, but am I the Mark from Essex on the list or am I another Mark from Essex? confused? Play the theme tune to Soap.

My body is a church hall

This all sounds like an amazing offer from Adrian. I have to concentrate on snapping for CMV and if this is commercial purposes then someone else should be in the air. I would like to get some aerials if possible - maybe put them out as event handouts for Clive's press coverage??? But it doesn't have to be me doing them by any means. This whole events seems to be developing into something very special. Must remember to book the time off!!!

I'm going - for CMV. Not sure if the boss isn't coming too. I will be using a modern car as my office (presumably) - don't think it is appropriate to use my Iltis - unless I can work out logistics some other way. Field Marshal Jack did offer his GMC as a press vehicle which sounds great, but nothing firm is arranged. I need to be able to keep ahead of things and cover all the angles. I want to meet as many of you as possible and take lots of pix (in addition to thinking up lots of words chosen at random). There is plenty of time. I hope....!

Definitely do the Azeville tour if it is on. Fantastic. The whole battery is brilliant. Longues battery is great - the command bunker is a genuine Longest Day location where Pluskat first sees the armada. Lots of great photography here - the classic down the barrel gun emplacement pic must be in everyones album. I like the Merderet river and the Iron Mike statue - you can see Gavin's fox hole and walk over the bridge - afternoon contrasty light is magic. There is a little church further down the road well worth visiting too. St Aubin on Juno is great. Lovely beach, good bunker with a PaK in it and it all matches the contemporary pix. The Churchill AVRE at Graye sur Mer is always worth it because it has so much history. I don't rate the Centre Juno Beach at all - far too PC and not enough stirring stuff about Canadian valour for my liking. My Canadian mate's grandad Archie is one of the sponsors names on the pillars outside. He was there, God bless him. Go to Grainges and see the site of a little known Alamo stand by US Paras, all were murdered when they surrendered. Heartbreaking. Le Cambe is always worth it for the scale of the place, and you have to visit the grave of Michael Wittmann. The German general Dollman and his staff killed in an air attack are in there somewhere too.

This sounds like another HMVF roadshow to me. Can we see any of this stuff on Op Bolero???? Brilliant stuff Clive and all you other aerodrome experts. More please.