Steve Bond
23rd Jun 2011, 15:14
My friend Flt Sgt Bob O'Dell died yesterday after a short illness. Bob was a flight engineer who flew his tour on Halifaxes with 408 "Goose" Squadron at Linon-on-Ouse; the only Brit in a Canadian crew. A typically modest man, he loved the Halifax:
“Oh blimey yes, a super aircraft, they really were; the engines were. When they fired up a Merlin it sounded like Heinz 57 beans didn’t it, bloody awful things. But ours used to waffle, ooh a lovely sound they were. And they were reliable, a lot of people had experiences with one or two pots knocked out, and they still kept going.”
His last visit to an RAF station resulted in a never-to-be-forgotten night in the Officer's Mess at Coningsby late last year.
Rest in peace Bob
Steve
“Oh blimey yes, a super aircraft, they really were; the engines were. When they fired up a Merlin it sounded like Heinz 57 beans didn’t it, bloody awful things. But ours used to waffle, ooh a lovely sound they were. And they were reliable, a lot of people had experiences with one or two pots knocked out, and they still kept going.”
His last visit to an RAF station resulted in a never-to-be-forgotten night in the Officer's Mess at Coningsby late last year.
Rest in peace Bob
Steve