Has this Thread a Future ?
To: PPRuNe Pop, Padhist and fredjhh.
Some thoughts now that Reg and Cliff have, sadly, left us, of the few active remaining contributors who gained their pilots' brevets in WWII.
Paddy, you joined the club in October, 2003.
Fred, you joined February, 2010, and you're the Oldest Inhabitant.
I'm the "sprog" here, as I joined only in January this year. It ill behoves me to take the lead, but things have to be said.
Long term, there's no future in this Thread unless we can get more old- timers to join. The only hopes for getting more pilots seem to be for PPRuNe personal publicity at Squadron reunions and the like, and for Mr Nigel Marshall to make it a precondition for the "Project Propellers" guests before he lets them in to the cockpit (only joking ! - but it's not a bad idea: they owe him, after all).
The only other thing I can think of is (as I've previously suggested): the next generation has to buy a dictaphone and make or bribe Great/Gran/Dad into talking - provided always that he is noch geistig (still has all his marbles) - as Cliff's German correspondent delicately put it some time ago. The Clock is Ticking, chaps.
Next, it must be opened to all trades, aircrew and ground - for all have a tale to tell of their first, bewildering days and the years that followed This may well have to lead to a name change ("The Last of the Many") ?
In the long term, we'll all be dead. In the short term, I could do with some back-up (even Horatius didn't have to hold the bridge on his own). Paddy, way back you mentioned dive bombing by night. As one who had some small skill in that art by day, this raises the hair on the back of my neck. Could you please tell us more about it ? And the blind-landing business can't have been roses all the way. Things must have gone wrong. Let's hear about them.
Fred (your #2402 p.121): "I'd been on the run for six weeks". There must be two thousand words there - and then all your POW experiences - we love those, even though we hug ourselves with "there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I" relief.
This is important. Time is pressing. What do you all think might be done to save this Thread ? Or shall we just let it die ? I throw it open - don't just study the polish on your toecaps and say "Good Lord - is that the time ?"
Goodnight, all,
Danny42C