Hi all
well this is my 1000th post and I’ve been saving this one up for a little
while.
About twenty two years ago I came across in a second-hand bookshop in
Wymondham in Norfolk a copy of ‘Winged Victory’ by V.M. Yeates.
Not many things One reads alters One’s life but in many ways Winged Victory
has altered mine.
It made me realise, really for the first time that the war before the one my
own father fought in was just as real as the stories I’d been brought up on
about the second war.
Until then I suppose, I’d imagined it as a dark place, full of mud, death and
stupid generals.
Winged Victory started the realisation with me that most of what we saw in
World War Two had it’s roots in 1914-18 and my enduring interest in all
matters about The Great War was born.
As far as I’m concerned Winged Victory isn’t the best book ever written
about flying, it’s the best book ever written!
Victor Yeates flew Sopwith Camels with 46 Sqn. and later 80 Sqn. on the
Western Front in 1918.
Shortly before the end of The Great War he was diagnosed with flying
sickness ‘D’ (the D stood for debilitating) and in Yeates’ case it was, for
it was Tuberculosis, probably made worse by lung damage caused by poison gas during the
war.
It eventually claimed his life in 1934 but not before he’d written his
masterpiece on flying in the war.
To protect the relatives and the memory of those killed Yeates wrote his
book as a novel, changing the names of the characters and some events and
places but the reader can tell almost from page one that this stuff is
written by someone who was actually there.
It takes place in the Spring and Summer of 1918 against the background of
the last great offensives of the German army on the western front.
The last roll of the dice for the Germans before the huge reinforcement that
the Americans will be able to field arrives to make a difference.
It’s a war of split second dogfights, ground strafing, offensive patrols and
instant death for the unwary, the foolhardy or the unlucky.
Yeates quickly dispels the myth that air warfare in 1918 had any element of
chivalry.
The fights he describes are more akin to being ‘bottled’ up a dark alley
than Knights Errant jousting.
All in all an excellent book, all written using the language of the times.
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to fly Camels, Dolphins, Harry
Tates and Bristols this is the best place to start.
It’s currently easily available again as a paperback in it’s
unabridged form.
Also available is a new biography of Victor Yeates called ‘Winged Victor’ by
Gordon Atkin. Published by Spring Water Books and available only from Mr
Atkin himself as it’s a limited print run of 350.
I have no connection with Gordon Atkin but if you read this Gordon you get
11/10 for your excellent work and research.
(If anyone here knows Gordon, please would you be kind enough to pass my
greetings on.)
Apart from using this post to encourage all here to read Victor’s book I
want to pose a question and if it can’t be answered here I don’t know where
it can and it’s this.
If I wanted to get a memorial dedicated somewhere to Yeates, how would I go
about it?
Yeates, wrote his book while he and his family lived in London SE9. The
house is still standing and I’d love one day to see a blue plaque on the
house remembering not only an ace but a great author.
So where do I go next and who do I talk to?
Thanks for taking the time to read my thousandth post.
Later
Andy.
PS I have persuaded two forumites to purchase Winged Victory lately. I now expect Mr JDK to buy it too.
Come on James, you should really have read this by now.
By: John C - 27th January 2005 at 08:39
Oooooh memories – Friday lunchtime meetings in The Feathers were compulsory for my department at Lotus.
JC
By: JDK - 27th January 2005 at 05:36
Never seen a pub called ‘The ****’ before, though some of the guys in some pubs I’ve been in can say **** quite easilly, and a lot.
By: Andy in Beds - 23rd January 2005 at 08:39
Hi all
Just a quick update on my quest to get a blue plaque installed on Victor’s old house.
I’ve written a letter to Gordon Atkin who is his biographer explaining what I’d like to do.
In his biography of Yeates there’s a modern photograph in b&w of the house and I wondered if he’s already been in contact with the present owners and if he has it would give me an introduction. I also considered that if I had him on board it might give the whole scheme more credibility.
I’d like to thank Robbo who kindly sent me the details of the current owners and their telephone number, but as I said I’ll wait to see if there’s already been any contact with them over this book.
Also, Geoff if you get a chance I’d like a colour picture of the house if you get ‘five minutes’ one day, also if you see any life there you could always say hello.
I intend to see this project through as far as I can and I will keep you all up to speed on progress.
Many thanks
Andy.
PS. Tim, I don’t know of a ‘Bull’ in Wymondham. The bookshop is in Town Green, which is at the bottom of the High Street and at that time was next to Standley’s hardware store.
The pubs I do remember in Wymondham are The Cross Keys, The Feathers, The Windmill, The White Hart, The Railway, The ****, The London Tavern and the Green Dragon and a couple I’ve forgotten the name of. I certainly don’t remember The Bull.
(I grew up in Wymondham and went to school there)
Incidentally, to bring this back onto an aviation theme, the 389BG(H) named their assembly ship ‘The Green Dragon’ after the pub when they were stationed at nearby Hethel.
By: merlin70 - 20th January 2005 at 13:31
About twenty two years ago I came across in a second-hand bookshop in
Wymondham in Norfolk a copy of ‘Winged Victory’ by V.M. Yeates.
Would that be the shop directly opposite ‘The Bull’?
By: John C - 20th January 2005 at 11:41
Got it, read it and need to read it again! It’s currently at the front of the “must read when I get a chance” pile at the front of the bookcase..
Congrats on the 1000th – I’m racing towards 500 now.
JC
By: trumper - 20th January 2005 at 09:31
😀 It’s a fantastic book,no heros,no fuss just a book written based on his own life without the histrionics,an ordinary [if there’s such a thing] pilots story.
I started reading it many years ago and lost the book whilst halfway through,i then saw it again at a carboot sale and managed to finish it.
If you like thunderous blood and guts books you may find it slow,stick with it though.
If anyone would like to borrow it [preferably UK] i will post it on,PM me. 🙂
By: DazDaMan - 20th January 2005 at 09:18
I have this book, waiting to be read among many. :rolleyes:
By: Mark9 - 20th January 2005 at 09:15
I still have fond memories of meeting Andy and Vanessa at Shoreham Museum last Easter for the first time. Is it only a thousand posts ago that we were treated to this photo?
Sorry Andy.
Andy you look really sweet in the shorts :diablo: :diablo: congratulations on the 1000th 😉 Anna 😀 😀
By: von Perthes - 20th January 2005 at 09:07
Hi Geoff,
I hoped you’d chime in about here.
The address is 569 Sidcup Road, Mottingham SE9.
Cheers
Andy
Would you like a photo of the house?
If so, then I can’t do anything Saturday, as we’re having a ‘Work day’ at the museum getting things ready for the new season (some very nice new exhibits will be going on show), but might be able to get one on Sunday. If not then it’ll be next weekend.
The address falls into the London Borough of Greenwich, so if you’d like any reaearch done at the Greenwich Heritage Centre re the house, let me know.
Geoff.
By: Manonthefence - 20th January 2005 at 07:00
Andy
Happy 1000, now keep posting theres a good chap.
I found Winged Victory in the Fiction section, which makes sense because as you say it was written as fiction. However during my search I found copies of 633sqn in the Military History non-fiction section!!!!!!!!
This wasnt just one shop either, at least 3 were like this.
By: Locobuster - 20th January 2005 at 05:25
Happy 1000th. Andy, and thanks for the book recommendation!
By: Dan Johnson - 20th January 2005 at 05:02
I bumped into “Winged Victory” on a sale table when I was in college at the U of Minnesota back in 1980. It had been reprinted. I’d agree, a very good book. Spent all of 5 dollars on it.
Having just grabbed it off the shelf.
Winged Victory
V.M. Yeates
Jonathan Cape Ltd.
30 Bedford Square,
London WCI
First published 1934
Reprinted 1972
Dan
Added a copy of the cover since my scanner is working
By: JDK - 20th January 2005 at 00:27
Anyone after a copy (of any book…) can do a lot worse than www.abebooks.com – yes, anywhere in the world, price, condition, rarity (advert over…)
Is it a good thing or a bad one that I can remember AiB’s arrival here? Well done old chap!
By: Smith - 20th January 2005 at 00:23
Indeed, happy 1000 Andy. And I shall see if someone is selling Yeate’s book here. cheers, Don
By: Hatton - 19th January 2005 at 23:25
happy 1000th 🙂
By: JDK - 19th January 2005 at 18:31
Hi Andy,
I’m not buying ANY books while shipping the thousands I have halfway around he world. But I will get it and read it when we halt in Aus, promise. As Robbo says, such a reccomendation from Mr AiB counts for a lot!
As regards a memorial. Well, as they say, it’s up to someone to do it. There is a mechanism that works rather well (if slowly!) in London, the origin of the idea – see www.blueplaque.com
And from there for those who’ve not heard of the idea:
“Many famous individuals have lived and toiled at London addresses throughout its illustrious past. BluePlaque.com is dedicated to providing a record of the plaques that commemorate these individuals and their work. We also offer the opportunity for anyone to provide, and be credited with, original research on any plaque. For further information see contribute.
“The first official London plaques were erected in 1867 by the Royal Society of Arts at the instigation of William Ewart MP. By 1901 they had erected thirty-six plaques, the oldest of which now surviving are those commemorating Napoleon III and the poet John Dryden, both erected in 1875. The responsibility for erecting the plaques passed on to the London County Council in 1901, who had extended the total to 298 by the time the Greater London Council took over in 1965. The official plaque scheme was extended further until the GLC was disbanded in 1985. The first plaque set up by English Heritage was erected in 1986, and more than twelve a year have been put up by them since that date. In total there are about 700 official plaques and most of them are blue with white lettering.
Since the early 1900s local authorities and private individuals have erected their own plaques. In the City of London the rectangular blue glazed plaques of the Corporation mark many historical sites. The green plaques set up by Westminster City Council are now a familiar sight, and further afield there is a variety of different types, sizes and colours, to be found in most areas of London.
The unveiling of a new plaque is often marked by a small ceremony, where a celebrity pulls a cord to draw the curtains for a first viewing of the plaque. The occasion is usually marked by speeches about the person or event commemorated and is followed by a small reception. These ceremonies are frequently attended by relatives, descendants or associates of the named person and press photographers to record the occasion.”
Extract from Discovering London Plaques. Reproduced here [the website] with the kind permission of the author Derek Sumeray and the publisher Shire Publications.”
looks like you may have a mission Andy! Good luck.
By: Andy in Beds - 19th January 2005 at 18:23
Whereabouts in SE9? It’s not far from me.
Geoff.
Hi Geoff,
I hoped you’d chime in about here.
The address is 569 Sidcup Road, Mottingham SE9.
Cheers
Andy
By: von Perthes - 19th January 2005 at 18:13
Whereabouts in SE9? It’s not far from me.
Geoff.
Sign In
January 19, 2005 at 6:09 pm