Special BBMF Flypast at The Naze 27 August
Brakedwell has suggested I post this in this thread as well as in the main Mil forum. Not sure I fully understand the thinking behind that, but delighted to oblige. It can always be removed if necessary, I guess. Happy, Mods?
The BBMF has been kind enough to agree to a special flypast (or two-ish) tomorrow 27 August, at about 1430, at The Naze, on the coast a few miles North of Clacton. They will just have completed their display at the Clacton Air Show
They're doing it to commemorate my uncle, Plt Off Gerard Maffett, who died close by after bailing out from his Hurricane on 31 August 1940. You may have seen the wreckage of his aircraft, which lies in the RAF Museum at Hendon as part of the Museum's memorial to the Battle of Britain.
It was a Mk 1 Hurricane P3175, DT S, and Uncle Gerard was flying as Green 2, B Flt, 257 Sqn, detached to Martlesham Heath. He was on something like his 14th operational flight, and he had had one confirmed hit. He was 24.
He was, perhaps, the epitome of Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris'
"common unconsidered man, who, for a moment of eternity, held the whole future of mankind in his two sweating palms, and did not let it go."
This is the first time he has been honoured at the place where he died, and there will be several members of my family present, including, I hope, his surviving younger brother. His elder brother, my father, died in a Beaufighter 18 months after Uncle Gerard.
Any PPRuNers who can make it to The Naze at such short notice will be very welcome. 1400 for 1430?
Sean
Airsound