Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
Warmtoast, it seems that a strawberry was indeed a commendation received from above. In this link (obtained from following yours) ia a strawberry from the AOC 221 Group received by 113 Sqn (Hurricanes in Burma):-
F/Lt COLIN J. ELLIS
MPN11, Happy Birthday young man! I hope it is as enjoyable as you could wish for.
BB, were the other 4 pages put to some other good use? ;-) I suspect that the Maria Theresa dollars sometimes carried by aircrew were rather more effective somehow in safeguarding the crown jewels...
F/Lt COLIN J. ELLIS
MPN11, Happy Birthday young man! I hope it is as enjoyable as you could wish for.
BB, were the other 4 pages put to some other good use? ;-) I suspect that the Maria Theresa dollars sometimes carried by aircrew were rather more effective somehow in safeguarding the crown jewels...
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MPN11 (#9638),
"Or Four Score By Reason of Strength" - then that's your lot, mate !
Fags are capricious killers, killed my Dad at 66 (not an easy death !), and here's Duke of E, smokes like a chimney (by all accounts), my age, running around like a two-year old. There's no justice !
Never smoked 'em myself (except as stink suppressors in a Deep Trench Latrine !) - but smoked a pipe, gave that up 40 yrs ago.
Danny.
"Or Four Score By Reason of Strength" - then that's your lot, mate !
Fags are capricious killers, killed my Dad at 66 (not an easy death !), and here's Duke of E, smokes like a chimney (by all accounts), my age, running around like a two-year old. There's no justice !
Never smoked 'em myself (except as stink suppressors in a Deep Trench Latrine !) - but smoked a pipe, gave that up 40 yrs ago.
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 31st Oct 2016 at 15:56. Reason: Add Thread Reference.
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Gentlemen, my sincere thanks for your Birthday greetings. They are really appreciated.
Yes, another year done. As a friend on Facebook said, "Congratulations on your 42,048,000,000 miles trip round the sun." Doesn't time fly!!
Brian 48nav ... it helps when there are 2 wg cdr pensions in the family, even if we were both ground-pounders
Cheers, y'all ... now back to the historical stuff
Yes, another year done. As a friend on Facebook said, "Congratulations on your 42,048,000,000 miles trip round the sun." Doesn't time fly!!
Brian 48nav ... it helps when there are 2 wg cdr pensions in the family, even if we were both ground-pounders
Cheers, y'all ... now back to the historical stuff
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Warmtoast,Chugalug,
Thanks for that, I did wonder but then thought it must be more complicated! Seems rather informal.
STRAWBERRIES
110 Squadron 6th June 1945 221 group D.I.B. No.198
A ground source reports that in an attack on KUNZZEIK many Japs were killed.
D.I.B. - daily intelligence briefing?
Thanks for that, I did wonder but then thought it must be more complicated! Seems rather informal.
STRAWBERRIES
110 Squadron 6th June 1945 221 group D.I.B. No.198
A ground source reports that in an attack on KUNZZEIK many Japs were killed.
D.I.B. - daily intelligence briefing?
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FED ... I think we only got one claim! But we managed for about 10 years to get her paying for the OMQ at sqn ldr rate, with me collocated. She caught up with me eventually, and we enjoyed a huge 1* residence at Bracknell for the last few years when she was Director ISS 
There are many tales of serving senior couples ... IIRC there was a gp capt GD(P) with a wg cdr spouse. NICE PENSION!
There are many tales of serving senior couples ... IIRC there was a gp capt GD(P) with a wg cdr spouse. NICE PENSION!
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Continuing the temporary thread drift, there are lots of TWATCOs ( two ATCOs, man & wife or even the modern trend I suppose! ) in NATS, so with pay for the working grade, ATCO2, almost £110,000 after approx 15 years at Swanwick, there are so very comfortable retirees from there.
Shame I left before some really big pay rises, so my son keeps telling me, and with a wife with only an OAP based on my contributions. All donations gratefully accepted!
Shame I left before some really big pay rises, so my son keeps telling me, and with a wife with only an OAP based on my contributions. All donations gratefully accepted!
Apropos the 'Strawberry' appellation.
Just a guess, but perhaps another fruity RAF word for a type of air attack ?
viz. "Rhubarbs" for the Cross Channel strafing sorties.
mike hallam
Just a guess, but perhaps another fruity RAF word for a type of air attack ?
viz. "Rhubarbs" for the Cross Channel strafing sorties.
mike hallam
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C'm on chaps - one more push, an' we can still beat "F-35 Cancelled...." to the 10,000 Post mark, and restore this, our wonderful Thread, to its rightful position as the Thread with the most Replies and the most Views on the Military Aviation Forum (if you exclude Stickies and the "Caption Competition", which by its very nature is bound to attract a huge number of one-liners).
Even "Capcom" can only attract on average 139.5 Views per Reply, and "F-35 Cancelled..." only 167.5, against our 237.7 (a sure indicator of its popularity).
Let's make Cliff (RIP) proud of us !
(Yes, I know, Mr Moderator, "Mea Maxima Culpa" !.......but: "Jube, Domine, absolvere")
Danny42C.
Even "Capcom" can only attract on average 139.5 Views per Reply, and "F-35 Cancelled..." only 167.5, against our 237.7 (a sure indicator of its popularity).
Let's make Cliff (RIP) proud of us !
(Yes, I know, Mr Moderator, "Mea Maxima Culpa" !.......but: "Jube, Domine, absolvere")
Danny42C.
Faraway places
Danny wrote:
Indeed, Danny, I heard this one on 'golden oldies' last year and I was instantly transported back to Binbrook and the hit parade of 1950. We lived in what is now called Windsmoor Road (still there although runways have long gone) and next door lived the delectable Margaret whom I fancied very strongly.
She had a beautiful voice, but when Faraway Places with Strange Sounding Names are Calling, Calling to Me 20 times a day I'm afraid both Places and Margaret became less attractive. Fickle I transferred my attentions to the equally delectable Ann, who went on to marry a Vulcan navigator, while next year my Faraway Place with Strange Sounding Name became RAF Khormaksar.
The tubular time machine will take you back .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO6HXrQP9S0
Ah....................those.. ♫..Far Away Places with Queer Sounding Names..♫...which tug at our heartstrings as they recall our lost youth.
She had a beautiful voice, but when Faraway Places with Strange Sounding Names are Calling, Calling to Me 20 times a day I'm afraid both Places and Margaret became less attractive. Fickle I transferred my attentions to the equally delectable Ann, who went on to marry a Vulcan navigator, while next year my Faraway Place with Strange Sounding Name became RAF Khormaksar.
The tubular time machine will take you back .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO6HXrQP9S0
Last edited by Geriaviator; 2nd Nov 2016 at 12:49. Reason: Added: link to the 1948 song
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Days of Old.
Brian 48nav (#9659),
A volunteer's worth ten pressed men !
Set me to re-reading the article with a red marker pen, overall a fair summary, but they got some things wrong (IMHO):
p.28: (not an error - but for those who've got the mag, but not seen these Posts before, pic at top left (taken at Madhaiganj, not Digri) shows all six pilots of 'A' Flight standing on wing (plus "Topper" [Flt.Lt. Topley, Flight Commander] up on top of cowling). Bashful youth about to be bisected by prop blade is new boy Danny.
All Navs and AGs (plus dog "Spunky") sitting on leading edge. Hunched next to fuselage on port side is Keith Stewart-Mobsby ("Stew"), my back-seat man on most of our trips. Obviously not crewed-up yet, or he would've been perched below me on other side.
Note only two officers, "Robbie" Robertson (Nav), who flew with me on the first three 'ops', and "Topper". All the rest are SNCOs.
Big lad draped around propellor boss is "Chiefy" (F/Sgt Darling). All rest of scruffy mob are our groundcrew.
p.28: "....4,000 ft... and allowing for a suitable margin to descend further...." No way !
p.29: "Unwanted Child".....only too true !
p.29 (end): "....each successful 'op' was greeted with a "Strawberry".....[from] army/navy HQ...." (this has been the subject of some debate here).
p.30: "....Flak remained the greatest danger......Japanese fighters appeared only occasionally..." Only place we met any 'proper' flak was Akyab (ineffective). Rest was pot-shots with rifles and LMGs from Jap troops. Never saw a Jap fighter on any 'op' (bar one, special case).
p.31: "....enemy fighters seemed unwilling, or unable to engage...." I would say that the "Oscars" were more than "ready, willing and able" to make mincemeat of us any time, if only their mutton-headed ( army) Command would let them ! But they had been allocated to do "Army Support", and that was all they were allowed to do.
It does not seem to have occurred to that Command that a good way to support their army was to swat all these pesky Vengeance, which must have been hurting the army quite a bit. Luckily for me (and the rest of us), they were never allowed to try. How they must have ground their teeth in frustration !
(On our training "Fighter Affiliation" exercises, the Hurricane pilots had told us that our chances, if attacked, were slim. Whatever our "box-of-six" did, they could easily keep their sights on us - [our rear guns ?] - loud guffaw !)
p.32: ".......attacking the target in two 'vics' from opposite directions...." Goodnight, nurse !
do. "........caught in the blast from the bombs of the aircraft in front....." Our technique was designed to exclude that possibility.
do. "......The Vengeances swept down through thick cloud to register a direct hit....." What a load of bovine-droppings !
do. ".....ammunition dump....the bombs and incendiaries...." Why incendiaries on a bomb dump ? Fuel dump or tank farm, certainly. (Never dropped anything except H.E. myself).
do. ".....Trials were even undertaken to use the Vengeance to carry poison gas......" Step forward, Danny.
do. ".....and that the men who crewed them....." Probably all dead by now, 'cept me, I suppose.
Danny.
A volunteer's worth ten pressed men !
Set me to re-reading the article with a red marker pen, overall a fair summary, but they got some things wrong (IMHO):
p.28: (not an error - but for those who've got the mag, but not seen these Posts before, pic at top left (taken at Madhaiganj, not Digri) shows all six pilots of 'A' Flight standing on wing (plus "Topper" [Flt.Lt. Topley, Flight Commander] up on top of cowling). Bashful youth about to be bisected by prop blade is new boy Danny.
All Navs and AGs (plus dog "Spunky") sitting on leading edge. Hunched next to fuselage on port side is Keith Stewart-Mobsby ("Stew"), my back-seat man on most of our trips. Obviously not crewed-up yet, or he would've been perched below me on other side.
Note only two officers, "Robbie" Robertson (Nav), who flew with me on the first three 'ops', and "Topper". All the rest are SNCOs.
Big lad draped around propellor boss is "Chiefy" (F/Sgt Darling). All rest of scruffy mob are our groundcrew.
p.28: "....4,000 ft... and allowing for a suitable margin to descend further...." No way !
p.29: "Unwanted Child".....only too true !
p.29 (end): "....each successful 'op' was greeted with a "Strawberry".....[from] army/navy HQ...." (this has been the subject of some debate here).
p.30: "....Flak remained the greatest danger......Japanese fighters appeared only occasionally..." Only place we met any 'proper' flak was Akyab (ineffective). Rest was pot-shots with rifles and LMGs from Jap troops. Never saw a Jap fighter on any 'op' (bar one, special case).
p.31: "....enemy fighters seemed unwilling, or unable to engage...." I would say that the "Oscars" were more than "ready, willing and able" to make mincemeat of us any time, if only their mutton-headed ( army) Command would let them ! But they had been allocated to do "Army Support", and that was all they were allowed to do.
It does not seem to have occurred to that Command that a good way to support their army was to swat all these pesky Vengeance, which must have been hurting the army quite a bit. Luckily for me (and the rest of us), they were never allowed to try. How they must have ground their teeth in frustration !
(On our training "Fighter Affiliation" exercises, the Hurricane pilots had told us that our chances, if attacked, were slim. Whatever our "box-of-six" did, they could easily keep their sights on us - [our rear guns ?] - loud guffaw !)
p.32: ".......attacking the target in two 'vics' from opposite directions...." Goodnight, nurse !
do. "........caught in the blast from the bombs of the aircraft in front....." Our technique was designed to exclude that possibility.
do. "......The Vengeances swept down through thick cloud to register a direct hit....." What a load of bovine-droppings !
do. ".....ammunition dump....the bombs and incendiaries...." Why incendiaries on a bomb dump ? Fuel dump or tank farm, certainly. (Never dropped anything except H.E. myself).
do. ".....Trials were even undertaken to use the Vengeance to carry poison gas......" Step forward, Danny.
do. ".....and that the men who crewed them....." Probably all dead by now, 'cept me, I suppose.
Danny.
