Flt Lt Bill Green 501 County of Gloucester Sqn BoB

I was one of the very fortunate to meet him on the BOB 70th anniversary flight with a few of the other few. he was a very spritely chap and seemed very approachable. He will be missed down here with the BOB museum.

Just read his DT obit. He certainly had some hair raising adventures in two of Hawkers finest.
RIP

A lovely man with a ready twinkle in the eye. I met him a couple of times at Reeds and more recently at an airshow.

From today’s DT, his obituary.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11278211/Flight-Lieutenant-Bill-Green-obituary.html

I have just finished watching the BoB film which I happened to see by chance. But of course it brought the memories back. That horrible thump when a Me109 crashed into the hill in full view about 800 yards away as we were watching the dogfight from our front porch. The scream of aircraft in a terminal dive getting shriller as it came down trailing black smoke before the final thump and cloud of black smoke shooting up. The parachutes drifting down.

I consider myself very fortunate to have lived through that period and to have witnessed what I did. Yes there were some frightening moments but mostly very exciting, don’t forget that I was 8. Somebody once asked me if it seemed unusual to me, but I said that that was life at the time and I knew no different so it was normal life as far as I was concerned.
We had things in the village that a lad could only dream of today. German aircraft that had come down in the area were collected in an old yard across the road, no doubt so they could be examined. We had soldiers in the village who manned the old 12inch naval guns which were mounted on railway units to be used on the German invaders if they tried. We had great fun lining ourselves up with these guns when they were test fired in order that we could hear the shells pass over us. Scrounge cigarettes from the soldiers, etc, etc etc.

Another hero. One of the parachutes I watched as an 8 year old as he bailed out from his Hurricane over Elham in 1940.

Phew, PeterVerney, I caught myself thinking “I wish I’d been there to see that” – then thought, probably wrong sentiments, on a number of counts.

But, you certainly witnessed events that still leave us all in such awe of those times and those who lived through them, and those who died.

Phil

This is one I rather like…

https://www.flickr.com/gp/23579676@N03/463cm5

Great chap.

Tim

R I P and Thank you

Another hero. One of the parachutes I watched as an 8 year old as he bailed out from his Hurricane over Elham in 1940.

Just heard the very sad news this morning.A lovely man.and will be missed..

R.I.P