A rare sight!
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 832
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From: East Anglia
This is just one panel of the memorial at Duxford. Each aircraft represents one aircraft of that type and its crew lost in WW2. It is the most thought-provoking, superbly designed memorial I know of; the other is the memorial to all the female pilots of WW2 which is located at Elvington and is, as far as I am aware, the only one of its kind
The sheer size of each one and the small size of each name make it difficult not to stand in silence for a few moments taking it all in.
But I do love the Lancaster, in some ways, perhaps a better memorial to have it flying round.
On a lighter note, in 2003 we had a reunion/visit to our airfield by veterans of 388th Bomb Group and their relatives. We had a little fly in and took as many as wanted for a flight around the area. I had the good luck to take one of the veterans for a flight. He knew more about the area than I did. He kept asking about a wood shaped like an arrow. I thought it must have long gone. As we took off he pointed it out, very clear and just like an arrow only 1 mile north of our airfield. He said that they would be fined if they landed back at the wrong airfield (easy to do as there are 5 or 6 within a 5 mile radius). So they had this wood memorised to make sure they kept all their pay.
He had a lot of other remarkable stories and had bought his old flying jacket with a picture on the back "Skipper and the kids". I have some photos of my son wearing it so hopefully the memory will pass down the generations.
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 236
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From: Looking for the signals square at LHR
D120A that just made me cry reading it!! Thank you.
(and I'm still covered in goosebumps)
D120A - you are very fortunate to have that splendid example in the Auckland museum.
GQ.
(and I'm still covered in goosebumps)
D120A - you are very fortunate to have that splendid example in the Auckland museum.
GQ.
Humus Motor
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
From: A little place called Samsonite
Well you absolute S0DS ... I'm sitting here writing a manual entry for my airline and I now have tears coursing down my cheeks causing the chap who just came to the front door to give me a very old-fashioned look indeed.
At work, I once took a group of ex USAAF guys on a trip to Italy to see where their comrades had fallen. I ended up in tears on that occasion too (and this is not a regular occurrence for me) although there was a nasty little incident , after I'd given a little speech on the PA about our gratitude to these guys, when one of our Cabin Crew (22 yrs old) mockingly stuck her finger down her throat. It was the only occasion in 38 years when I have really let go with both barrels to another crew member.
Some of the threads on PPRuNe often move me to despair and anger. This is the only time one has moved me to tears.
At work, I once took a group of ex USAAF guys on a trip to Italy to see where their comrades had fallen. I ended up in tears on that occasion too (and this is not a regular occurrence for me) although there was a nasty little incident , after I'd given a little speech on the PA about our gratitude to these guys, when one of our Cabin Crew (22 yrs old) mockingly stuck her finger down her throat. It was the only occasion in 38 years when I have really let go with both barrels to another crew member.
Some of the threads on PPRuNe often move me to despair and anger. This is the only time one has moved me to tears.
