Danny
Thanks for that interesting set of observations. Remarkable days, for sure! Earlier you mentioned that you'd completed 52 sorties with 110 and 8 Sqns. No doubt the number of vertical dives you did greatly exceeded that number. Arthur, when he was your age, wrote the following in 84 Sqn Association's newsletter:
'Belated physical effects of dive bombing
A medical report appeared in an American aviation journal which stated that dive bomber crews could not safely undertake more than 70 vertical dives,without physical damage due to the adverse effects of high g-forces on the body during pull-out at the bottom of the dive. Yet most of our crews did hundreds of dives during training and operationally; pulling 7g-plus without any special clothing such as 'g-suits'. I sometimes wonder if that verdict has any bearing on the fact that very few of our crews are still living. Several of those still alive have suffered physically in recent years - with severe headaches and strokes.
It's a pity the doctors didn't tell us about this before we dived more than three times the maximum number of dives now recommended. A little late now! However, they were exhilarating days. We were young; we were lucky in many ways; and, most important, most of us survived - thank the Lord.'