Another legend has passed on

RE: Another legend has passed on

Just followed your link, it’s good to know the amount of effort which goes into honouring a fallen comrade. It’s even nicer to know how honoured the crews feel to be able to take part in events like this.

Regards,

kev35

RE: Another legend has passed on

This site about a commemoration for Gabby is worth a peek

http://www.aafo.com/library/mil/gabreski/

Moggy C

RE: Another legend has passed on

Thanks for your kind appreciation everybody. I genuinely do think that every time one of the heroes dies and it does help.

As for extending it into a novel, I can’t see how. Think though it could make a decent short story.

Still working on the novel (For the last twenty years or so) It will be built around a month or so in the parallel lives of an intruder Mosquito crew and a JU88 night fighter crew late 1944, with the opportunity to contrast / liken their families living conditions under the bombing / V1 attacks.

Eventually they meet in the skies, trouble is I haven’t a satisfactory ending yet.

What I’d really like is a German collaborator to write the German side, I’m no Len Deighton I’m afraid.

Cheers,

Moggy

RE: Another legend has passed on

Nice story Moggy, now write a book for us.

TaTa
Mick

RE: Another legend has passed on

Rest in peace Gabby

And a very lovely thought, Moggy

RE: Another legend has passed on

Moggy, real nice sentiment.
Neilly

RE: Another legend has passed on

I must admit Moggy, that is a very nice thought!!

RE: Another legend has passed on

To Moggy,

Please don’t apologise for having the ability to express in words what so many of us feel. The image you have created is, I’m sure, the way in which the majority of pilots would like to be thought of. Perhaps your message could be passed on to Gabby’s family so that they might find comfort in your words.

As always, sincere condolences to all who knew him.

Regards,

kev35

RE: Another legend has passed on

Things like this inevitably make us sad.

I know most of us will never have met him, but we read about his life and take some form of ownership in keeping the memories alive. This becomes more important as they ‘slip the surly bonds’ of life.

I find it helps to picture an airfield bar, packed with all the pilots there have ever been. Bader is there, drinking a lemonade and arguing again with Dolfo the relative merits of the Spitfire and Bf 109. Screwball Beurling sits quietly to one side with a couple of P51 jockeys reworking a really great flight he once took in a T6.
Through the window stand spectral but pristine examples of all the legendary aircraft, fully fuelled and ready beneath permanently blue skies. Only the gunbays are empty.

The door swings open, the air, thick with tobacco smoke is stirred by the breeze from the outside, and a disoriented Gabby stands, baffled and confused in the doorway.

Heads swing round.

One of Gabby’s old wingmen swiftly elbows his way through the crowd to the door mindless of the drinks he’s spilling on the way as he barges past the small groups, now silent. He grabs Gabby in a bear hug and guides him forcefully through to the bar for the first of many beers.

The hubbub gradually resumes.

Another of the great aviators has come home.

Moggy.
Ooh! I came over all Richard Bach for a moment. Sorry.

RE: Another legend has passed on

A great fighter pilot indeed. I didn’t know until recently that he was at Pearl Harbor during the attack! He was attached to a P-40 Squadron but, never got off the ground. WOW he started at Pearl Harbor then P-47’s in Europe and finally F-86’s in Korea. What a life he lead…………

RE: Another legend has passed on

May he rest in piece.

Sadly, yet inevitably, offering condolences at times like these is becoming an all too common occurence. 🙁