Build a Bomber in 24hrs WWII

Another excellent programme this week! A welcome alternative to the ‘Spitfire and Lancaster won the air war’ documentaries we’re usually given. Rupert ‘Tiny’ Cooling was excellent, hopefully his memoirs or a book of his service career might be published one day, he contributed to Michael Bowyer’s ‘Wellington, The Geodetic Giant’. What a shame he never got to see the finished programme. The recollections of the ladies and gentlemen and next of kin of those that built the Wellingtons were superb and it was good to see Airbus invite them all back.
It was welcome to have Max Hastings on as the book ‘Bomber Command’ did a lot to bring the survivors of Bomber Command and their contribution to victory out to be seen and heard when it was published over 30 years ago.

Hi – Just come across you posting and hope you won’t mind me mentioning that Tiny Cooling’s story features in my book ‘Five of the Many’. It was a few years ago that I wrote the book; Tiny’s story opens the book, providing an excellent insight into the early days of the bomber offensive. Tiny was extremely helpful and a real gentleman. On quite a few occasions the interview became emotional as Tiny recalled lost colleagues. It was a real privilege to write up his story.
Steve Darlow
www.stevedarlow.co.uk

It is rather sad that the aircraft designer Rex Pierson does seem to get overshadowed by the inventor & engineer Barnes Wallis.
Pierson was already established as a talented aircraft designer and aerodynamicist, who recognised Wallis’ talent in structures and stresses at that time (especially with geodetics), Wallis was then recruited by Vickers.
They worked as a very successful pair most famously on the Wellesley, Wellington, Warwick, and Windsor.
Pierson went on to lead the post-war projects including the Viscount before Geeorge Edwards took over the mantle of Chief Designer, while Wallis was involved in aviation engineering, particularly the swing-wing projects.

Dustyone – yes, true and it was implicit from the film that that was the case but since the challenge had arisen from a 48 hour build in the USA was that too an “assembly”?

As have I.

Moggy

Hate to admit it, but I’ve learnt something today. Thanks Melvyn, I guess I was one of those who perpetuated the myth!

Bruce

I saw the original film on Channel Four years ago and watched this one last night on iplayer. Very well done except they made that old mistake of calling Barnes Wallis the designer. He wasn’t, he was the structural engineer. Rex Pierson was the designer. He should get some credit.

😮 Cheers James. I was just following the thread as posted. Still a fine programme though!

Sorry if its been posted before

About 3-4 threads at one time, this being the main survivor, http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=103386&highlight=wellington+24hr!

Can’t get enough of a good thing though!

Yes i found it fascinating. A programme devoted to a largely forgotten and record breaking bomber and the people who built it.
And it was moving enough listening to that dear ole chap and ex Wimpy pilot ‘Tiny’ Cooling reminiscing about the missions he flew and the close friends he lost in combat, but when it said he had passed away this year that really did bring a lump to my throat.

The Wellington Bomber BBC documentary

Sorry if its been posted before, But I only saw the “Wellington Bomber” programme for the first time last night and thought it excellent, especially as I “was” very narrow minded towards the Lancaster, and had never really learned much about the wellington, and the big part in played in Bomber Command, until I watched this particular programme that is. A very emotional ending too, with the words of the veteran, and the dedication at the very end declaring of his passing…..

24 hour build

The 24 hour Wellington ‘build’ was a wartime propaganda film — it was in fact ‘assembled’ in that time from pre-constructed units, & thus could not be classed as a complete ‘build’ — very good work though, & full credit to all

Dustyone

Future Wimpy?

I totally agree, how cool would that be to see a Wimpy built from scratch and flown!

If we can build brand new Steam locos (Tornado) then we could do it to a Wellington ?? :confused:

This is being repeated on BBC.2 right now, try not to miss it!

Another excellent programme this week! A welcome alternative to the ‘Spitfire and Lancaster won the air war’ documentaries we’re usually given. Rupert ‘Tiny’ Cooling was excellent, hopefully his memoirs or a book of his service career might be published one day, he contributed to Michael Bowyer’s ‘Wellington, The Geodetic Giant’. What a shame he never got to see the finished programme. The recollections of the ladies and gentlemen and next of kin of those that built the Wellingtons were superb and it was good to see Airbus invite them all back.
It was welcome to have Max Hastings on as the book ‘Bomber Command’ did a lot to bring the survivors of Bomber Command and their contribution to victory out to be seen and heard when it was published over 30 years ago.

19 OTU according to A-B serials. The unit started to re-equip with Wellingtons in Aug 1944 so maybe it went into storage for a while? Or else some of its history is missing.

Yes – 19 OTU did operate Wellingtons from 1944

Fascinating programme and for me a great slice of local history. When the Broughton factory was built in 1939 the assembly hall was the largest building of its type in the world, soon surpassed by Boeing’s Seattle plant amongst others. Hawarden, the name of the airfield, was nearly abandoned due to constant flooding problems. Lancaster PA474 was built at Broughton, and postwar Vickers sold the factory to De Havillands…

Repeat Please

BBC2, Sunday 19th, 7.30pm 😀

Brian

A thousand apologies gentlemen (and ladies). By popular demand I was belatedly merging the threads when something glitched and it has disappeared into cyber-nowhere.

I will ask the webbie to look on the floor under his desk and see if he can find it

Moggy
Moderator

Does anyone know what its service history was and what eventually happened to the aircraft?

It’s in the other thread, http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=103435:)
BTW PM inbound!

Another reason why JDK wanted the threads merged

Went to No 19 OTU at Kinloss and was eventually scrapped in 1948, quite possibly at the MU on the other side of Hawarden airfield from where she was built.

I’ve procrastinated long enough, youtube will have to wait for later and the next tea break