Spitfire chum
I met an aged chap in the course of volunteering at a well known aviation museum several years ago now. Very pleasant, and very unassuming with a twinkle in his eye, but very quiet.
I found out from a mutual friend that he used to fly Spitfires during the war- I was researching the aircraft as part of a tour I was preparing so I asked, would he mind sharing his thoughts about the aircraft (well who better to get an opinion from than a bloke who's flown one).
Over the course of several months, we met up whilst volunteering and he was very patient with me and answered all my questions. He then started talking about his WWII experiences.
It turns out this quiet, unassuming and highly modest man was a Spitfire FR pilot for the SAAF, and served in the Desert, into Italy and ended up in Austria at a Luftwaffe airbase. He was also a DFC and bar, and later went on to serve with the RAF, commanded his own FR squadron in Germany and had various positions at FCHQ and in flying training before leaving the service to run a successful business.
I was very honoured that he took the time to tell me of his experiences (he had not done so very much previously). A typical man of his generation.
He even told me the story of how he won one of his DFC's, which actually made my toes curl a little at the very though of doing what he did.
Sadly missed-a lovely kind, gentle bloke. RIP 'Mac'.