Yep right mate, of course the airlines were born from this era, and I had the privilege as a very young F/O, to fly with these legends of pilots. Hard bastards, to young to have seen what they saw, but mate, could they fly. Some had been POW's, some had survived their tour of duty, but all were affected in one way or another. A privilege to have anything to do with them, even if they would and could, smack you over the head or hurl bloody manuals at you if they were incensed by your youthful stupidity. Short fuses many of them, and do you wonder. would not do with the diddums of today.