Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
What a story, what a legacy, what a man! Thank you Geriaviator, a wonderful tribute to Danny and so succinctly told. It would have informed and amused a newspaper readership if published. It wasn't and they weren't. Very SAD indeed!
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Ah, yes ... that sad time. Thanks for the mention, Geriaviator ... things aren’t quite same without Dennis, somehow!
However, we must truck on. Just as Dennis did!
I note his obit thread has been un-sticked, so for reference it’s here >>> Farewell Danny42C
However, we must truck on. Just as Dennis did!
I note his obit thread has been un-sticked, so for reference it’s here >>> Farewell Danny42C
Last edited by MPN11; 25th Jan 2019 at 17:09.
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Many thanks Geriaviator for that superb tribute to Danny; hard to believe our press did not accept your obit, a fitting tribute to a man who deserved its publication far more than some others which make it into print.
harrym
harrym
This was in my Parish Magazine this month.
GILBERT STEERE CGM - A Rusper, West Sussex village Boy at War In 1944 Gilbert was Flight Engineer in a Halifax plane manned by a Canadian crew on a routine bombing rand of marshalling yards at Acheres near Paris.In Gilbert’s own words his nephew Harold Steere relates the amazing story of his Uncle’s bravery,
“On our way , the day being June 6th 1944, we were hit by fIak. I remember being most surprised that we were hit as the target was supposed to be an easy one. We had seen the shipping in the channel making their way across for the Normandy landings. Much to my surprise Andy our pilot gave the order to bale out. Three of the crew did so. I then realised something which changed the whole course of events and to a large extent changed my life - Andy, the pilot, had passed out and the aircraft was nosing down. A quick check of the instruments toId me that everything mechanical was OK. I leaned over and took hold of the control stick. The aircraft responded, the nose started to come up aid I realised we had a perfectly good aircraft with no pilot and the people who could navigate or operate were gone. I told the remaining two crew members we had a perfectly good aircraft and I would try to fly home to England. It must be appreciated at this point that I had never taken the controls of an aircraft, we were only taught the theory of flight at training school but had no practical experience of flying.
At some point Andy the pilot came round briefly and was able to select the lFF distress frequency on the radio . This probably saved our lives because of the very strict clearance of all aircraft, due to D Day precautions, anything unidentifiable would be shot down”Gilbert needed to sit in the pilot’s seat, which with some difficulty he managed to do only to find that his chest parachute, when sitting in the pilot’s bucket seat, blocked his view out of the cockpit. He had no idea where they were.“I just struggled on flying on the instruments trying to maintain an even height and steer a course due north.”Finally he saw the lights of an airfield but then had a problem explaining to ground control that he was not able to land the plane this was a two man job, to try and land this monster would be madness. Meantime the pilot had been attached to a parachute.“I notified ground control requesting they send out the Home Guard, who found Andy dead - he had been shot through the lungs." The remaining two crew then parachuted out, leaving only Gilbert.“I tried to train the aircraft to fly straight and level and remember praying it would stay that way long enough for me to jump clear. I suppose, because I was so afraid of not being able to get out, to a large degree it overcame my fear of jumping.I remember what a beautiful morning it was once my chute had opened. I watched the aircraft go down in an enormous curve and crash, immediately bursting into flames. I saw this field with buttercups growing and cows grazing by the river. It was the cows who had this surprise person fall amongst them !About a month later I was at a crew gathering at our squadron base when the Wing Commander announced that I had been awarded the CGM and the two gunners the DFM.I was so amazed. All I had done was to try and get home with a perfectly good aircraft when I knew our pilot, Andy, hadn’t a hope of bailing out over France.”
“On our way , the day being June 6th 1944, we were hit by fIak. I remember being most surprised that we were hit as the target was supposed to be an easy one. We had seen the shipping in the channel making their way across for the Normandy landings. Much to my surprise Andy our pilot gave the order to bale out. Three of the crew did so. I then realised something which changed the whole course of events and to a large extent changed my life - Andy, the pilot, had passed out and the aircraft was nosing down. A quick check of the instruments toId me that everything mechanical was OK. I leaned over and took hold of the control stick. The aircraft responded, the nose started to come up aid I realised we had a perfectly good aircraft with no pilot and the people who could navigate or operate were gone. I told the remaining two crew members we had a perfectly good aircraft and I would try to fly home to England. It must be appreciated at this point that I had never taken the controls of an aircraft, we were only taught the theory of flight at training school but had no practical experience of flying.
At some point Andy the pilot came round briefly and was able to select the lFF distress frequency on the radio . This probably saved our lives because of the very strict clearance of all aircraft, due to D Day precautions, anything unidentifiable would be shot down”Gilbert needed to sit in the pilot’s seat, which with some difficulty he managed to do only to find that his chest parachute, when sitting in the pilot’s bucket seat, blocked his view out of the cockpit. He had no idea where they were.“I just struggled on flying on the instruments trying to maintain an even height and steer a course due north.”Finally he saw the lights of an airfield but then had a problem explaining to ground control that he was not able to land the plane this was a two man job, to try and land this monster would be madness. Meantime the pilot had been attached to a parachute.“I notified ground control requesting they send out the Home Guard, who found Andy dead - he had been shot through the lungs." The remaining two crew then parachuted out, leaving only Gilbert.“I tried to train the aircraft to fly straight and level and remember praying it would stay that way long enough for me to jump clear. I suppose, because I was so afraid of not being able to get out, to a large degree it overcame my fear of jumping.I remember what a beautiful morning it was once my chute had opened. I watched the aircraft go down in an enormous curve and crash, immediately bursting into flames. I saw this field with buttercups growing and cows grazing by the river. It was the cows who had this surprise person fall amongst them !About a month later I was at a crew gathering at our squadron base when the Wing Commander announced that I had been awarded the CGM and the two gunners the DFM.I was so amazed. All I had done was to try and get home with a perfectly good aircraft when I knew our pilot, Andy, hadn’t a hope of bailing out over France.”
Now I'm a young guy at 81 - far too young to contribute much, but our elders have largely passed on. Nor was I flight crew, though today in my 50th year as a Private Pilot I passed my bi-ennial Pilot's proficiency check in my kit built Rans S6-116 (80 h.p. 2 seats, VNE 120 mph)
I did 2 years National Service in the RAF & after suitable training at RAF Locking (Somerset) on "Ground Radar" I spent 1960 based in tented accommodation at the tip of Cyprus tending a static "mobile radar station" called No. 280 Signals Unit.
Songs were sung and the following is an attempt to recall the words of one in which - as it rhymed appropriately - we substituted the name of our unit 'Two Eighty' instead of the 'RFC'.
Now I need help to piece together the true wording and any other hints that it really did begin its Airforce Life in WW I.
So here goes. (No laughing in the ranks please !)
Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul
and a merry old soul was he,
He called for his Flight in the middle of the night
and he called for his Bomb Aimers three.
Now all ye Bomb Aimers are very fine folk, and very fine folk are Ye.
Steady, steady, steady, steady, Left, said the Bomb Aimer,
I don't care two F**cks said the Pilot, Merry Merry men are we
For there's none so fair as can compare with the boys of the RFC.
How's your Father, Alright,
How's yer Mother, Half Tight,
How's your Sister, She might !
Oompha oompah stick it up your Jumper........
I did 2 years National Service in the RAF & after suitable training at RAF Locking (Somerset) on "Ground Radar" I spent 1960 based in tented accommodation at the tip of Cyprus tending a static "mobile radar station" called No. 280 Signals Unit.
Songs were sung and the following is an attempt to recall the words of one in which - as it rhymed appropriately - we substituted the name of our unit 'Two Eighty' instead of the 'RFC'.
Now I need help to piece together the true wording and any other hints that it really did begin its Airforce Life in WW I.
So here goes. (No laughing in the ranks please !)
Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul
and a merry old soul was he,
He called for his Flight in the middle of the night
and he called for his Bomb Aimers three.
Now all ye Bomb Aimers are very fine folk, and very fine folk are Ye.
Steady, steady, steady, steady, Left, said the Bomb Aimer,
I don't care two F**cks said the Pilot, Merry Merry men are we
For there's none so fair as can compare with the boys of the RFC.
How's your Father, Alright,
How's yer Mother, Half Tight,
How's your Sister, She might !
Oompha oompah stick it up your Jumper........
Now I'm a young guy at 81 - far too young to contribute much, but our elders have largely passed on. Nor was I flight crew, though today in my 50th year as a Private Pilot I passed my bi-ennial Pilot's proficiency check in my kit built Rans S6-116 (80 h.p. 2 seats, VNE 120 mph)
I did 2 years National Service in the RAF & after suitable training at RAF Locking (Somerset) on "Ground Radar" I spent 1960 based in tented accommodation at the tip of Cyprus tending a static "mobile radar station" called No. 280 Signals Unit.
Songs were sung and the following is an attempt to recall the words of one in which - as it rhymed appropriately - we substituted the name of our unit 'Two Eighty' instead of the 'RFC'.
Now I need help to piece together the true wording and any other hints that it really did begin its Airforce Life in WW I.
So here goes. (No laughing in the ranks please !)
Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul
and a merry old soul was he,
He called for his Flight in the middle of the night
and he called for his Bomb Aimers three.
Now all ye Bomb Aimers are very fine folk, and very fine folk are Ye.
Steady, steady, steady, steady, Left, said the Bomb Aimer,
I don't care two F**cks said the Pilot, Merry Merry men are we
For there's none so fair as can compare with the boys of the
How's yer Mother, Half Tight,
How's your Sister, She might !
Oompha oompah stick it up your Jumper........
I did 2 years National Service in the RAF & after suitable training at RAF Locking (Somerset) on "Ground Radar" I spent 1960 based in tented accommodation at the tip of Cyprus tending a static "mobile radar station" called No. 280 Signals Unit.
Songs were sung and the following is an attempt to recall the words of one in which - as it rhymed appropriately - we substituted the name of our unit 'Two Eighty' instead of the 'RFC'.
Now I need help to piece together the true wording and any other hints that it really did begin its Airforce Life in WW I.
So here goes. (No laughing in the ranks please !)
Old King Cole was a Merry Old Soul
and a merry old soul was he,
He called for his Flight in the middle of the night
and he called for his Bomb Aimers three.
Now all ye Bomb Aimers are very fine folk, and very fine folk are Ye.
Steady, steady, steady, steady, Left, said the Bomb Aimer,
I don't care two F**cks said the Pilot, Merry Merry men are we
For there's none so fair as can compare with the boys of the
How's yer Mother, Half Tight,
How's your Sister, She might !
Oompha oompah stick it up your Jumper........
My recollection is that the song went something like this.
1 Our wingco was a fine type and a jolly fine type was he, he called for his kites in the middle of the night and he called for his pilots 3
Now every pilot was a fine type and a jolly fine type was he.
I just couldn't care less said the pilot, merry, merry men are we. There's none so rare as can compare with the boys of squadron G.
2. As 1 but for pilot read navigator I'm 10 miles of track said the navigator etc etc
3 As 1 but for pilot read bomb aimer. Left left steady, dummy rum said the bomb aimer etc etc.
4 As 1 but for pilot read engineer. I want 10lbs boost said the engineer etc etc
5. As1 but for pilot read wireless op. dah di di dah di di dah said the wireless op etc etc
6.As 1 but for pilot read mid upper. Corkscrew corkscrew port said the mid upper etc etc
7 As1 but for pilot read rear gunner, I'm bloody cold, bloody cold said the rear gunner etc etc.
No idea whether originated from WW 1.
Many Thanks "Taphappy",
The words you have provided fill out a large missing piece in my recollection, as there are the fuller verses & covering every station in a bomber. Certainly there were no such large crewed bombers in WWI but I have a nagging feeling that 'Old King Cole' sired a great many adapted versions to the original more wholesome refrain.
I suspect 'tween original pub drinking refrain and the military it changed from a simple song with a mildly bawdy word or two into more specific spin-offs to suit whatever unit was doing the singing. That multiplication happily seems to have ensured the basic song was preserved (improved on ?) by quite a few succeeding generations.
I'm out of touch with today's equivalent chaps in Rugby Clubs or their HM forces folk, so I can't enquire if the 'Old King' is still extant; never the less the origins surely comfortably precede WWI.
I am therefore convinced the 'King' was likely & as desired overlaid with RFC wording here and there and then he, being a man of the times, quickly adjusted his text to match developing military requirements for a well known (thus singable by all) song with the camaraderie it generated.
It's always a shock to think how very few years - only about a dozen - separate me as an infant school child from those young men at war for us.
Even my brother (91 this year) was just too young in 1945 and yet his airforce career including stunting Meteors was in 'peacetime'.
I hope that with Tarhappy at 93, who is one of the very few of that age contributing to this forum, can inspire we other forum watchers who have manifestly enjoyed the many earlier reminiscences here to find sufficient copy to keep this tribute to the generation before mine going strong !
mike hallam
The words you have provided fill out a large missing piece in my recollection, as there are the fuller verses & covering every station in a bomber. Certainly there were no such large crewed bombers in WWI but I have a nagging feeling that 'Old King Cole' sired a great many adapted versions to the original more wholesome refrain.
I suspect 'tween original pub drinking refrain and the military it changed from a simple song with a mildly bawdy word or two into more specific spin-offs to suit whatever unit was doing the singing. That multiplication happily seems to have ensured the basic song was preserved (improved on ?) by quite a few succeeding generations.
I'm out of touch with today's equivalent chaps in Rugby Clubs or their HM forces folk, so I can't enquire if the 'Old King' is still extant; never the less the origins surely comfortably precede WWI.
I am therefore convinced the 'King' was likely & as desired overlaid with RFC wording here and there and then he, being a man of the times, quickly adjusted his text to match developing military requirements for a well known (thus singable by all) song with the camaraderie it generated.
It's always a shock to think how very few years - only about a dozen - separate me as an infant school child from those young men at war for us.
Even my brother (91 this year) was just too young in 1945 and yet his airforce career including stunting Meteors was in 'peacetime'.
I hope that with Tarhappy at 93, who is one of the very few of that age contributing to this forum, can inspire we other forum watchers who have manifestly enjoyed the many earlier reminiscences here to find sufficient copy to keep this tribute to the generation before mine going strong !
mike hallam
Last edited by mikehallam; 16th Feb 2019 at 10:37. Reason: sp English.
Last living Czech RAF fighter pilot who fought in WW2 Emil Boček has 96th birthday today. I hope it is appropriate to put the information in this thread.
He is the last of the heroes who helped to keep the honour of our nation high in the darkest hours.
He is the last of the heroes who helped to keep the honour of our nation high in the darkest hours.
Dobrý den pane Boček ... Všechno nejlepší k narozeninám!
In Jul 1993 I took a VC10K to the Hradec Kralove air show on static display. On the first day of the show, we noticed a VIP enclosure not far from our jet, in which there were a number of elderly gents in rather faded 'RAF' uniforms. They beckoned us over, so we went to chat with them to discover that these old chaps were members of the Czech Air Force who'd served in the Second World War.
Fascinating old chaps with some tales to tell. At one point a young fellow came over and asked us if we'd like a drink and, if so, please just ask. Not sure of the protocol, after he went away I asked the old boys who he was - "Boss of Czech Air Force", they replied - and indeed he was.
Really good to talk with these brave old chaps who very much still had their marbles - doubly so when enjoying the hospitality of the Czech Air Force!
Fascinating old chaps with some tales to tell. At one point a young fellow came over and asked us if we'd like a drink and, if so, please just ask. Not sure of the protocol, after he went away I asked the old boys who he was - "Boss of Czech Air Force", they replied - and indeed he was.
Really good to talk with these brave old chaps who very much still had their marbles - doubly so when enjoying the hospitality of the Czech Air Force!
We all miss him, reefrat. Our virtual crewroom wasn't built to last so it is crumbling away with the years, damp seeping through its asbestos roof, condensation on the single-skin brickwork, glass cracked in its metal windowframes, our old stove cold and rusting, beside it a worn armchair that cannot be filled again. We're fortunate to have known Danny and those who went before, and we treasure our memories.
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Agreed completely ... it's been the literal end of an era as far as this thread is concerned. Where will we find his like again?
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The sun sets on a generation.
I read these posts with interest and sadness knowing that living history is turning the pages. Personnel memory is becoming dusty paper work in the archives, with no feeling for the times merely hard type on paper. In my brief service of her Majesty during my final months as a gash PO awaiting my release date after being chopped from the JP course in Linton on Ouse I was assigned to a station visit detail. So me and my fellow choppie arrived at the guard room to meet the coach. On board was a motley group of RAFA gentlemen, so off we proceed for the standard station visit. On about the third stop, this being the tower, where my colleague is rattling off his standard spiel I note that we are not really holding the attention of the group. So I politely enquire of one of the group as to what is wrong, "Oh your doing fine its just this is our third visit", "Third visit! why come again?". Well says the RAFA man " We only really come for happy hour". "Would you rather go straight to the bar?", I leave you to guess the answer. So a quick phone call to the mess Sergeant and a brief explanation of the situation I was told the shutters will be up in 5 minutes.
Well what an evening. Apart from being the standard Happy Hour, we had a Hawk pair divert in with a senior with a big fat stripe who was very much of the old school when it comes to beer. However my abiding memory of the evening, tinged with an excess of beer, was chatting to a Lancaster tail gunner who was the only surviving member of his crew which had attempted to crash land after getting to low to bail out after flack damage and engine failure and the oldest member of the group who I did not talk to until the end of the evening, a WWI Sopwith Camel pilot.. I look back and think how privileged I was to be able to talk to these gentlemen and how much more I would like to have done.
Clear skies and good beer to all you fine aviators.
Well what an evening. Apart from being the standard Happy Hour, we had a Hawk pair divert in with a senior with a big fat stripe who was very much of the old school when it comes to beer. However my abiding memory of the evening, tinged with an excess of beer, was chatting to a Lancaster tail gunner who was the only surviving member of his crew which had attempted to crash land after getting to low to bail out after flack damage and engine failure and the oldest member of the group who I did not talk to until the end of the evening, a WWI Sopwith Camel pilot.. I look back and think how privileged I was to be able to talk to these gentlemen and how much more I would like to have done.
Clear skies and good beer to all you fine aviators.
I miss Danny too but hopefully this thread can be maintained in his memory.
I've met many veterans & have always been very humbled by their stories & experiences, often told with great humour & character, yet they all said they were " just doing their job". They're all heroes in my eyes & long may their services be remembered & recorded for history
I've met many veterans & have always been very humbled by their stories & experiences, often told with great humour & character, yet they all said they were " just doing their job". They're all heroes in my eyes & long may their services be remembered & recorded for history
Geriaviator, re the state of our crewroom. If The Clerk of Works/Ministry of Public Blunders and Wonders are unable to fix the jobs apply to your friendly SATCO. I knew an ATC Sqn that could do most jobs in fact it tendered to sort out the Officers' Mess garages at a very competitive price!
It is surprising how many people had extra strings to their bows, artists/DIYers/engineers.
It is surprising how many people had extra strings to their bows, artists/DIYers/engineers.
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I think we all miss the first hand stories from Danny et al, but there are quite a few stories worth reading on the WW2 People's War site. For example;
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peo...a3210616.shtml
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peo...a3210616.shtml
Heaven
Heaven for Danny may have been a Spitfire, but there's probably room there for a VV or two!
http://warbirdsresourcegroup.org/pix...psec48dce4.jpg
(From a thread of photos of WWII aircraft production on the Warbird Information Exchange.)
http://warbirdsresourcegroup.org/pix...psec48dce4.jpg
(From a thread of photos of WWII aircraft production on the Warbird Information Exchange.)