Originally Posted by
dook
Bristol Beaufighter ?
Indeed: the RAAF Beaufighter at Moorabbin
Originally Posted by
Self loading bear
Caption intermezzo:
Listen son, When these buggers didn’t want to start, you just shortcutted this green lead onto this brown contact.
Whatever it is I am looking forward to the story behind this photo!
Very droll, SLB
Dad was shot down when a bunch of 109s used him for target practice over the Aegean Sea after his newly delivered Beau didn't produce enough power to join his squadron mates as they took the sensible option and fled from the more nimble fighters. After losing an engine Dad successfully ditched, but was some depth before he thought to undo his seat belt and get out through the overhead escape hatch. 24 hours later he and his observer (Sgt Bob Pritchard) were picked up an Arado floatplane and taken prisoner with the words 'for you, the war is over'. Shot down 10th November 1943 age 21, picked up on the 11th: swapped places with a Fusilier so he could get out on work parties and escape, recaptured, etc and finally got away to the US Army early in 1945.
The spin to the photo was it was his first time in a Beaufighter since being shot down; and the date (unintentionally) was 10th November 2015.
