Piece of Cake - Geoff Taylor

[kevmusic]

Mr-AEO, your post is more ironically aposite than its inanity suggests, as starvation conditions loomed large in the lives of these 'kriegies'. The title actually comes from the briefing officer's summing up before the raid on which the author was shot down.

[Mr-AEO]

Of course, I had not meant any dis-service to those poor buggers kept in the Stalag Luft.

Mission = 'Piece of cake' = well understood.

I hadn't heard the term Kriegies now but a short and interesting dive into Google (while I still can before the IT police ban that as well!) showed them to be "kriegsgefangenen" or, in short, - Kriegies. Some awe inspiring stories, a world apart from the glamourous WW2 films on prison camps I have seen.

[pontifex]

I was very much involved in the preliminaries for the BBMF involvement in the Piece of Cake production and, of necessity, read the book. I have to say I remember being unimpressed with both the book and the people I had dealings with, but at this distance in time the details elude me. I was quite relieved, therefore, when the MOD put the Kybosh on it.

[karengray1902]

Don Duff

Originally Posted by kevmusic

Dean - thanks to your Dad for the info. I've looked it up on Amazon & there are a couple of copies.........

Orac, that's a great bit of work! In the book Taylor is unsure whether Duff survived the bale-out. From this info it appears he did.

Just to let you know that Don did survive. He married Cis who was my Dad’s elder sister. They did have 1 son who sadly died when he was about 3. He was a very much loved uncle to 7 nieces and nephews. He passed away around 1983 and Cis died about 6 years ago.

[dduxbury310]

Am I correct in thinking that the original "Piece of Cake" film was supposedly based loosely on the antics on No. 1 Squadron RAF, and that the accident which took out the commanding officer actually did occur? (Fell out of his overturned Hurricane in real life, by releasing his harness in a rather dramatic way - and landed on his head, thereby breaking his own neck!
David D

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by Tombstone

This Spitfire was being flown by the late Ray Hannah IIRC. Canopy open, must have been some ride!

The late Gp Capt Reg Hallam, at that time CO Experimental Flying (COEF) at Farnborough, flew one of the Spitfires in the TV series due to his friendship with the late Charles Church.

[POBJOY]

Piece of !!!!!!

Originally Posted by dduxbury310

Am I correct in thinking that the original "Piece of Cake" film was supposedly based loosely on the antics on No. 1 Squadron RAF, and that the accident which took out the commanding officer actually did occur? (Fell out of his overturned Hurricane in real life, by releasing his harness in a rather dramatic way - and landed on his head, thereby breaking his own neck!
David D

Many decades ago I read P o C by DR, and immediately thought (hang on ive' been here before) which of course I had because I actually had an original copy of Fighter Pilot by Paul Richie. Only good thing to come out of it were the 'real' flying scenes down on the south coast airfield 'reactivated for the purpose'. At the time there was a lot of (Key) forum activity around this because of the obvious copyright issues.

[Martin the Martian]

Derek Robinson's quartet of RFC/early RAF novels are stonking reading as well.

[nobby clark]

Lancaster LM326

Hi. I was involved in digging up LM326 from a field in AERZEN in Germany whilst I was stationed in Hameln. The dig took place in 1975.
I think this Aircraft was piloted by Geoff Taylor when it was shot down in 1943. I have photo of the German pilot who shot it down and the Canadian Gunner. Both were present at the the dig.
Nobby Clark.

[nobby clark]

Lancaster LM326

I was involved in digging up this Lancaster which I believe was piloted by Geoff Taylor when it was shot down Oct 1943 over Aerzen near Hameln in Germany.
I have a few photos of the dig, the Canadian gunner and German Pilot who shot it down was present at the dig.