Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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When I retired from the RAF I duly handed over my Hamilton issue watch. The young lady storesperson asked if I had removed the battery. My reply that it was a wind up watch produced a look of puzzlement. I had not used it for years relying on my faithful Seiko Belmatic . Her attempt to find it and other items on the computer proved fruitless as I pointed out much of it was issued before the advent of such devices.
I am sure others can relate similar tales.
I am sure others can relate similar tales.
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AA (#10860),
If she couldn't find it on the Computer, then it can't exist, right ? So you've still got it !
Wizzo !
Danny.
EDIT: My £5 cheapo has kept perfect time since resetting for BST in March. Cannot give name, but the C****N has a strong flavour of Lemon. D.
If she couldn't find it on the Computer, then it can't exist, right ? So you've still got it !
Wizzo !
Danny.
EDIT: My £5 cheapo has kept perfect time since resetting for BST in March. Cannot give name, but the C****N has a strong flavour of Lemon. D.
Last edited by Danny42C; 12th Jun 2017 at 15:01. Reason: Addn.
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Danny and Chugalug
Thank you both for your warm words of welcome. At present no tales of interest that I can add to this tremendous thread but who knows maybe something will come. I am, in my spare time (what spare time?), translating an article into English about the defence of Cologne from early 1942 onwards (from the German aspect!). Maybe something there that I could post later.
Thank you both for your warm words of welcome. At present no tales of interest that I can add to this tremendous thread but who knows maybe something will come. I am, in my spare time (what spare time?), translating an article into English about the defence of Cologne from early 1942 onwards (from the German aspect!). Maybe something there that I could post later.
Danny
There were roumours that Harold Wilson was to be the subject of Military coup way back in 1974 - nothing seemed to come of it though - see here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold...tary_coup_plot
A short time ago, on another Thread on another PPRuNe Forum (Which one I know not, God knoweth), I advanced the facetious suggestion that we might escape from our current political imbroglio if the CDS mounted a coup and took over the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold...tary_coup_plot
Goe4, many years ago there was a possibility that Luftwaffe WWII aircrew veterans might post here, and were certainly given a warm invitation to do so. Alas, it all came to naught, but personally I would welcome any such input from the other side, including the article that you are translating. I doubt it will confirm anything other than what is generally accepted here, that war is hell and needs to be avoided if at all possible, or brought to an end as soon as possible if not.
So, yes please, when you are ready your contribution will be most welcome!
Warmtoast, I believe that "Uncle Dickie" was involved so it was doomed to failure from the start, particularly after the plotters were advised that, "It wouldn't be a very good idea, my dears" by the Queen Mother.
So, yes please, when you are ready your contribution will be most welcome!
Warmtoast, I believe that "Uncle Dickie" was involved so it was doomed to failure from the start, particularly after the plotters were advised that, "It wouldn't be a very good idea, my dears" by the Queen Mother.
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Continuing, if I may, the horological diversion ... I've just dug out a cheap watch to take on a beach holiday. My "Shake and Wind" Seiko cost me £6, IIRC, in Changi Village in 1967, and it's just started again at the first shake! Not bad going for 60 years old, and I don't think it's ever been serviced. Although I did once remove the back and tighten the screw that held the 'shaking weight', as it was rattling a bit.... and that was about 40-50 years ago, I suspect! I think I've had good value from the £6 
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Goe4, sea fury45, Chugalug and Warmtoast (#10865 et seq),
Yes, please, I'm sure all our readership will be interested. If it is onerous, you could put a few blocks of the German text onto here: many of us have some knowledge of the language (gained either as unwilling guests of the Third Reich or later in RAFG) and could lend you a hand.
My own view is that the German race survived only by being unterkellert. Some years ago, I read this, and put it on here:
Warmtoast,
Thanks for the link, have not tried it yet, and I think the Q.M. had her finger on the button there ! - although the Lord Protector did have a good run until he died naturally (the Royalists had to dig him up to exact revenge on his corpse - Wiki).
Danny.
Yes, please, I'm sure all our readership will be interested. If it is onerous, you could put a few blocks of the German text onto here: many of us have some knowledge of the language (gained either as unwilling guests of the Third Reich or later in RAFG) and could lend you a hand.
My own view is that the German race survived only by being unterkellert. Some years ago, I read this, and put it on here:
..."When USAAC General "Hap" Arnold (the instigator of the eponymous Scheme in which I learned to fly in '41-'42), toured the German cities in 1945, even he was shocked by what he saw. "One gets a feeling of horror," he wrote on seeing Cologne: "Nothing, nothing is left." (D.Tel. "Review" on 19.10.13.)"...
Thanks for the link, have not tried it yet, and I think the Q.M. had her finger on the button there ! - although the Lord Protector did have a good run until he died naturally (the Royalists had to dig him up to exact revenge on his corpse - Wiki).
Danny.
There seems to be two threads on this accident, wider scope at http://www.pprune.org/accidents-close-calls/595774-spitfire-f-azjs-crash-france-2.html#post9801117
I referred earlier (#10838 on p542) to the later Spitfire's tendency to pitch uncontrollably onto its nose, and have managed to find the reference, an excellent talk entitled Handling Qualities of WW2 Fighters and delivered to the RAE in 2004 by test pilot Dave Southwood. The relevant passages are quoted in my post #22 on the above thread.
I referred earlier (#10838 on p542) to the later Spitfire's tendency to pitch uncontrollably onto its nose, and have managed to find the reference, an excellent talk entitled Handling Qualities of WW2 Fighters and delivered to the RAE in 2004 by test pilot Dave Southwood. The relevant passages are quoted in my post #22 on the above thread.
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Thanks, Geriaviator ... I had guessed the problem lay somewhere in that area, but the almost immediate impact of it was rather startling in the videos.
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Geri,
Found it ! (a minor miracle) Your chap Southwood knows his stuff ! From the earliest days, a full power run-up on the ground needed an erk or two grimly hanging on over the tail, as well as full back stick, to hold your kangaroo down.
One well known WAAF did not hear (or did not heed) the call to dismount: the pilot took off from where he was, got airborne, looked in the mirror - and got the shock of his life ! He got it down with both unharmed. ("trims a bit tail-heavy today, rigger ?")
The lady died only a year or so ago: it was in here. She had a tale to tell her grandchildren !
Heads-up ! (only 4 yrs late !) Came across a BBC2 programme (Which I don't ever remember seeing before) by Griff Rhys Jones: "Burma, My Father, and The Forgotten Army", available on iPlayer and (maybe) on YouTube overseas. A very fair summary of "my" war. Well worth a tune-in, IMHO.
If you do see it, do not mind the odd pics of Us helmets supposed to be our troops. The Jap twins shown (brief glance) are "Bettys", I reckon. A thing the size of a Wellington, it was used as the Naval torpedo bomber which sank the P.O.W. and the Repulse off Malaya.
Danny (what did that little devil you write about do next ?)
Found it ! (a minor miracle) Your chap Southwood knows his stuff ! From the earliest days, a full power run-up on the ground needed an erk or two grimly hanging on over the tail, as well as full back stick, to hold your kangaroo down.
One well known WAAF did not hear (or did not heed) the call to dismount: the pilot took off from where he was, got airborne, looked in the mirror - and got the shock of his life ! He got it down with both unharmed. ("trims a bit tail-heavy today, rigger ?")
The lady died only a year or so ago: it was in here. She had a tale to tell her grandchildren !
Heads-up ! (only 4 yrs late !) Came across a BBC2 programme (Which I don't ever remember seeing before) by Griff Rhys Jones: "Burma, My Father, and The Forgotten Army", available on iPlayer and (maybe) on YouTube overseas. A very fair summary of "my" war. Well worth a tune-in, IMHO.
If you do see it, do not mind the odd pics of Us helmets supposed to be our troops. The Jap twins shown (brief glance) are "Bettys", I reckon. A thing the size of a Wellington, it was used as the Naval torpedo bomber which sank the P.O.W. and the Repulse off Malaya.
Danny (what did that little devil you write about do next ?)
Danny - yr last
"From the earliest days, a full power run-up on the ground needed an erk or two grimly hanging on over the tail, as well as full back stick, to hold your kangaroo down"
My old Mum (will be 92 in August) a Wren Air Mech. (E) 747 Squadron RNAS 1944/5 was doing just such a run-up in a Seafire. She brought it back to idle for a little while before opening it up again without looking in the mirror to check that the two matelots who had been tasked with sitting on the tail were still in situ. Alas, they had unilaterally decided to go behind the hangar to have a fag, so my mum and her Seafire tipped over the chocks and an embarrassing splintering of prop and shock-mounting of Merlin ensued. She has never told me if she got the rap for this - or if the nicotine cravers took responsibility. C'est la guerre non?
Ian BB
"From the earliest days, a full power run-up on the ground needed an erk or two grimly hanging on over the tail, as well as full back stick, to hold your kangaroo down"
My old Mum (will be 92 in August) a Wren Air Mech. (E) 747 Squadron RNAS 1944/5 was doing just such a run-up in a Seafire. She brought it back to idle for a little while before opening it up again without looking in the mirror to check that the two matelots who had been tasked with sitting on the tail were still in situ. Alas, they had unilaterally decided to go behind the hangar to have a fag, so my mum and her Seafire tipped over the chocks and an embarrassing splintering of prop and shock-mounting of Merlin ensued. She has never told me if she got the rap for this - or if the nicotine cravers took responsibility. C'est la guerre non?
Ian BB
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It shouldn't nappen to a Dawg !
Ian B-B (#10876),
I reckon you could "do" each of the two lads on whatever is the Naval Equivalent of Section 40 of the AFA. ("WOAS, acting in a manner prejudicial to Good Order and Naval Discipline" in that he did, improperly and without authority, vacate his place of duty without having been told to dismount" (is there anything you can't get a man on under Section 40 ?)
As for your dear old Mum, was there anything specific in the S.O.P. that required a mirror check ? If not, she's in the clear !
In a gusty, wet, early refresher (after 7 yrs) trip in a Mk.XVI, got caught out on a sharp t/way corner and ran onto muddy grass. Thing heaved it self up and I saw divots flying
.... Flopped down again, engine still ticking-over.
Crestfallen, took it back to the line. Flight Commander gave me a roasting, then Chiefy (bless him) came in and said his lads had cleaned mud off tips and no damage done.
Mollified, Flight Commander told me to go out, not be such a bloody fool again, and fly my sortie as briefed.
But they were good days ..........
Danny.
I reckon you could "do" each of the two lads on whatever is the Naval Equivalent of Section 40 of the AFA. ("WOAS, acting in a manner prejudicial to Good Order and Naval Discipline" in that he did, improperly and without authority, vacate his place of duty without having been told to dismount" (is there anything you can't get a man on under Section 40 ?)
As for your dear old Mum, was there anything specific in the S.O.P. that required a mirror check ? If not, she's in the clear !
In a gusty, wet, early refresher (after 7 yrs) trip in a Mk.XVI, got caught out on a sharp t/way corner and ran onto muddy grass. Thing heaved it self up and I saw divots flying
.... Flopped down again, engine still ticking-over.Crestfallen, took it back to the line. Flight Commander gave me a roasting, then Chiefy (bless him) came in and said his lads had cleaned mud off tips and no damage done.
Mollified, Flight Commander told me to go out, not be such a bloody fool again, and fly my sortie as briefed.
But they were good days ..........
Danny.
Danny,
I had the honour and pleasure of serving alongside the lady in the Royal Observer Corps in the early '60s. The lady was a lovely person, despite a marked stoop that necessitated the use of a walking stick, she had a very lively sense of humour and a wonderful glint in her eyes that twinkled and left a marked impression on this callow teenager! I also remember her wearing her beret 'Chiefy' fashion. 
One well known WAAF did not hear
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That unintended circuit with the Spit with poor gel clutching the fin . . think the Spit in question was AB910. The occasion mentioned here of her visit years later, seem to remember reading she was reunited with the very same aircraft. (But declined to take part in a re-enactment.)
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During a tour of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight hangar with my father ( a war veteran) we were told that one of the spits there was the actual aircraft that had inadvertently taken off with the WAAF attached to the tail. Also that the lady and the pilot of the aircraft had both been reunited with the aircraft. Quite astonishing that all 3 of them survived the war intact, and indeed for many years afterwards.
Back to watches in India - from February 1946 comes a scan of some advice on buying and looking after them, taken from a Squadron magazine published in Poona that month.
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...v/Watches.jpeg
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...v/Watches.jpeg