By: David Layne - 30th June 2011 at 18:28
Is this the very Spit unearthed this month ?
Interesting video however I’m a little confused as to the background music being Edith Piaf.
By: Creaking Door - 30th June 2011 at 15:13
A couple more fragments.
Blimey, those pedals look in good nick!
By: Sky High - 30th June 2011 at 14:52
CD/Roadracer – yes I was and apologies if the mischievousness was misconstrued.:)
By: BlueNoser352 - 30th June 2011 at 14:49
Crash video of Spitfire recovery on Youtube
Is this the very Spit unearthed this month ?
By: ian_ - 30th June 2011 at 14:02
A couple more fragments.
By: Creaking Door - 30th June 2011 at 13:56
Must be the hour of the day and a lack of sleep last night but i am still confused! 😮
I think Sky High was being a little mischievous by referring to my comments on the article in the Irish Times.
The credit for the mass-production of the Spitfire seems mainly to be given to the Germans for ‘sportingly’ not bombing the Southampton factory…
…which in fact they did very successfully in 1940!
I must also admit that I was quite surprised how Reginald Mitchell was described in the article! 🙁
By: roadracer - 30th June 2011 at 12:52
Must be the hour of the day and a lack of sleep last night but i am still confused ! 😮
It was a very pecular kind of neutrality that released one side’s aircraft & men that had landed while on “training” missions while interning the other sides due to their combative status, allowed free access via the Donegal Corridor, provided intelligence and allowed access to any Axis technology developments that came into their hands, sent on weather reports that were vital on D-day etc, etc….
But then there was the disgrace that was the expression of sympathy on the death of Hitler, not our best hour.
By: Sky High - 30th June 2011 at 12:28
See #20.
By: roadracer - 30th June 2011 at 12:23
CD – perhaps the paper was just trying to reflect the country’s neutrality at the time!!:rolleyes:
In what way ?
By the way the reason the pilot was returned to the Curragh was due to his having given his “parole” prior to escaping.
By: Creaking Door - 30th June 2011 at 11:57
:diablo:
By: Sky High - 30th June 2011 at 11:08
CD – perhaps the paper was just trying to reflect the country’s neutrality at the time!!:rolleyes:
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th June 2011 at 11:04
Very nice finds, Kiteflyer!
By: Kiteflyer - 30th June 2011 at 10:32
The aforementioned helmet and mask, plus rather tidy Merlin XII.
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th June 2011 at 08:52
Standard procedure before jumping was to remove headgear to avoid entaglement in leads and tubes.
Quite a number of flying helmets have been found in wrecks belonging to pilots who have baled out and left them behind.
Ask Xtangomike……!
By: Rocketeer - 29th June 2011 at 10:32
more likely it came off as he jumped out (held by oxy bayonet and mic tel lead)
By: Merlin3945 - 29th June 2011 at 09:39
Fantastic reporting of the dig.
Really funny to see someone comment about the Pilots helmet photo.
It went something like this “Expect the historyguy to hold up the remains of the pilot any second”
The person obviously did not do their homework. We all know that this is a possibility in some wrecks but not when the pilot bailed out. Oh dear someone not paying attention.
Brings aboout another question really. So was the pilot not wearing his helmet in the first case or did he remove it before he bailed out.
How often have we seen a pilot in films or in news reel footage still wearing his helmet after bailing out?
By: Creaking Door - 29th June 2011 at 09:10
I like the glowing endorsement the Irish Times gave Reginald Mitchell! :rolleyes:
The RAF was not impressed by early proposals, including those of Reginald Mitchell, an ailing consumptive with a permanent stoop.
Their grasp of history seems a bit weak too:
The Supermarine aircraft factory was producing hundreds of Spitfires monthly during the Battle of Britain in 1941, helped in no small measure by German failure to bomb the Southampton plant.
By: PaulR - 29th June 2011 at 05:26
Today’s Irish Times.
By: PanzerJohn - 28th June 2011 at 22:46
How soon can we expect to see it flying at Legends then?
Have they found the data plate then?.:diablo:
By: Bruce - 28th June 2011 at 19:18
Yes, I wonder who underwrote it….?
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June 28, 2011 at 7:42 am