Snapper

some more of John's snaps

There are a lot of these snaps. But they are interesting and the location is well off the beaten track to say the least. MB

My good friend John Baker, with whom I organise battlefield trips and who is one of my closest partners in crime; has recently been on a carefree midge survey in the Western Highlands. While there he visited the Liberator crash site at Gairloch dating from 13.06.1945, which is well documented and often visited by the look of things. Although the aircraft wreckage was scattered over a wide area, much of it remains and the following photographs I post in the time allowed will show various aspects, including views of the whole scene. Visit http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/lib_b-24h_gairloch.htm and http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:yeWjhnDGle4J:www.greenharbor.com/ROHPDF/ROH45.pdf+42-95095&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk go to the bottom of this page. I think the site itself will offer plenty of reading. Isn't it cruel that a plane carrying so many combat veterans home on a June day in 1945 should be lost this way. I'm attaching links to two websites with all the details. I think it wrong for me to nick it all. Four of the victims are buried at Madingley, and I am already thinking I'd like to pay my respects to them. The crew came from 66th Squadron of the 44th Bomb Group. I've copied this bit only... Casualties Those who died in the accident were: Crew: 1st/Lt Jack B Ketchum (22), Pilot 1st/Lt J H Spencer (22), Co-Pilot 2nd/Lt R J Robak (20), Navigator Technical Sgt H L Cheek (21), Engineer Technical Sgt J C Stammer (23), Radio Op. Staff Sgt E J Giles (24), Gunner Staff Sgt A L Natkin (20), Gunner Staff Sgt R E Davis (26), Gunner Staff Sgt H Riefen (25), Gunner Passengers (Air Transport Command) : Staff Sgt J B Ellis Jr. (24), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt J D Harvey (30), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt A W Hastings (23), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt E Einarsen (48), 314th T.C.G. Staff Sgt J H Hallissey (27), 93rd B.G. (H) Staff Sgt R J Francis (20), 323rd B.G. (H)

Where is the REME museum??? MB

Never saw an SR71, but remember seeing a TR-1 or U2 take off from Alconbury once. I was impressed. I was in to planes in a big way in those far off days.

Another Ridley Scott masterpiece. There is correspondence about the ad in this month's Stand To! We saw it at the cinema on Saturday when we took the kids to see The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. They'd read the book, so the film was essential. The advert was stunning. The film was a kick in the cods. But my wife and kids say the book is much more subtle. I'd like to see one of these clever directors move away from WWII and give us a decent Great War film to honour the heroes of that time.

Astonishing, but true. MB

Right by Tower Hill tube station. Fantastic chandeliers in there, untouched by Del Boy and grandad. I used to lean on the wall to draw the Tower so I could pass my scouts artists badge in 1972. Our old troop - the 1st City of London (Lord Mayor's Own) were based opposite in Talbot House where the famous Toc H founder Tubby Clayton ended his days (mind your back). Next to Trinity House is the former headquarters of the Port of London Authority, and in the square itself is the Merchant Navy memorial. It's a good spot, you can even find a bit of Roman wall (and the train line from Fenchurch St to Southend - which takes me home at 1820 most days :-D). Have a wonderful day, Vince. I'll watch them tidying the empties on Monday morning :-D

Good call. The War of Independence is a subject well worth deeper learning. The Mark Urban book I reviewed on the front page a while back was an amazing window into it all. There is so much more to learn that sidesteps the propaganda image of the dreaded Redcoats. As for Cromwell, one of my favourite books remains Antonia Fraser's Our Chief of Men; which I think is appropriately "Warts and all"; though a friend of mine who is an Oxford type, says her Roman catholicism creates a bias. Dunno... He was a brilliant soldier of his time. Though how that excuses putting boiling tar on the surviving womens heads was any more acceptable to educated men in 1660 odd than it is now is a moot point. Drogheda is a major blot on his memory to the say the very least. I don't know anything about William Wallace that doesn't come via Mel Gibson - so there's more bias for you.

keep hold of that snap, Baz :cool2:

Lettice Curtis was one of the more prolific writers of her experiences. Amazing stuff when you read any of it. The famous aviator (in the thirties they called ladies an aviatrix) Amy Johnson was an ATA and was killed delivering an Airspeed Oxford in 1941. She bailed out over the Thames estuary in thick fog. She had seen a line of barrage balloons and assumed she was over land, but the balloons were attached to a convoy. So she parachuted in to the Thames. She was seen in the water and, if I remember correctly, the captain of one of the convoy escorts dived in to save her; but they were both drowned. There is a well-known-ish writer called Roy Nesbit who "investigated" the affair years ago. I believe the wreckage of the Oxford has been identified.

I think I need to make diary space for the 2009 event - sounds like an essential place for an HMVF beano.

Yeah Dave,while you're washing your mits you can rustle us up a couple of steaks. I'm on BBQ duty myself this weekend at the Leigh-On-Sea 'Old Leigh Regatta'. The organisers are providing jugs of beer for the BBQ crew. Sometimes things work out well.:-D

Brilliant stuff. :yay:

Sounds absolutely brilliant....I should be totally as one with the MUTT by then. Thinking up places of interest would perhaps be a challenge - but there are bits of fortifications about I expect you already have places in mind. MB:-D:)

YOU'RE RIGHT. a private road run and get together is altogether different.

Wonderful. Congratulations! Clive, have you got any normal clothes?

I hope you told him to use your phone directory....

Agreed. A themed event is a themed event. No arguments. They can be fantastic occasions and all power to them. I'd like to see a PW road run so I can bring my MUTT - but it has to slot in to a full and rich calendar for all to enjoy. Mean time I am completely happy to mix and match at the multi-period events we all enjoy. This is a thread we seem to come back to and I suggest the original basis of the topic is slipping a tad. So, do I favour a totally HMVF only event? Probably not. As soon as we start excluding people and vehicles we get into a rutt. Stay on the road. MB

I am of a mind to call my MUTT Askari, because it's in desert colours and I have an affinity towards the african soldiers who fought for the colonial powers in WW1 and then through the 30s and into WW2. Tough buggers. At work weare just trying to sort out negatives of Italian askari fighting in Abyssinia in the 1930s and the marvellous book Tip and Run will tell you about the German, British, Portugese and Belgian askari fighting in East and south west Africa in the Great War. The Iltis we called Ferdinand, because the registration was FDE and in my strange mind I remembered that all German warships from the Kaiser's time were HE rather than SHE. It kind of made sense at the time...

I note that your future Mrs's lipstick marks can be found on my MUTT. Have a glorious day, Vince, and here's wishing you a long and happy marriage to the future Mrs Locust. MB

Which reminds me, I have a set of snaps a friend of mine took at a Liberator crash site in Scotland which he's offered me to post up....

Welcome to the Friendly Forum. It looks like the northern contingent is in the ascendent at the moment - which is grand. Enjoy yourself in the mad house. MB

Congratulations.....really very nice. MB

artistry. Any chance of an article explaining the basics of bails, liners and d rings for us uninformed people?????? MB