Goat on Spitfire

When Britain was at her lowest ebb in 1940, ACM Dowding issued an Ultra Top Secret order instructing Training Command to investigate the training of superflous middle rank Civil Servants to be fighter pilots. This was the genesis of Operation Goat. Dowding felt that the selection of the code name was obvious, and many years after events in Brussels and elsewhere have proved this to be as prescient then as it is now.

The new recruits were a little reluctant to give up their quiet comforts of White Hall so to encourage esprit de corp or is that esprit de goat the new squadron became known as Goat Squadron, and a mascot was selected and and this is the only known photograph of him.

Goat Squadron did not perform at all well in the Battle of Britain because their one attempt to intercept a German raid was hanpered by their reluctance to scramble unless quote “… the orders were signed in quintuple and issued 14 days in advance so that the request be processed in accordance with Air Ministry Regulation 735, paragraph 27, sub- paragraph 19, section 3”.

ACM Dowding ordered that Goat Squadron be disbanded and the personnel be discharged to resume their civilian duties as this would be of less hindrance to the war effort than retaining them in the RAF. The mascot went on to serve, or is that be served, in a rather delicious ragout de goat.

So tragic. Why didn’t he just say “Mmeeee”?

He actually used to do it, actually described by some as a very arrogant “mmmeee”. He did not do it when he was shot. Maybe he just got TOO arrogant to even bother. 😀

he refused to answer to a “Halt, who goes there”

So tragic. Why didn’t he just say “Mmeeee”?

I’m sorry to say the goat was killed one night at North Weald. After one of his nightly trips around the local area he refused to answer to a “Halt, who goes there” from the guard on duty and was shot. 😀

Maybe the guard should have said: “halt, who goat there”! I know that it’s a very poor joke. Oh well…………………

Here are a Spitfire, a stuffed goat (332 Sqn mascot) and the dog Varg (331 Sqn mascot) in Bodo aviation museum, which is well worth a visit, by the way.
A picture to celebrate my birthday, since I become officially an old goat today and can use my bus pass (which I have already received)!

I’m sorry to say the goat was killed one night at North Weald. After one of his nightly trips around the local area he refused to answer to a “Halt, who goes there” from the guard on duty and was shot. 😀

Blimey, just when I was giving up all hope of finding any pictures of goats on Spitfires – and look what turns up!

Even intensive Googling couldn’t find me a goat on a Spitfire either ! Snake in a Tomahawk, donkey in a B24, yes, but nadah for a goat!:rolleyes:

Nonsense! If you look at the way the goat is standing, it’s an early thrust-reverser, for rearward taxiing into blast pens under propeller power, to save ground crew man-hours.

Ah, so that’s why the Hucks goat starter never went into production!

That prop looks to be a bit crumpled, did the goat had a go at it perhaps?

Cheers

Cees

Is there any truth in the rumour that the company which produced the Hucks Starter were market testing the goat as an environmentally sensitive replacement for their earlier product (“…………..OK, so when I say go, goat, start to run like blazes!”)

Nonsense! If you look at the way the goat is standing, it’s an early thrust-reverser, for rearward taxiing into blast pens under propeller power, to save ground crew man-hours.

Is there any truth in the rumour that the company which produced the Hucks Starter were market testing the goat as an environmentally sensitive replacement for their earlier product (“…………..OK, so when I say go, goat, start to run like blazes!”)

Blimey, just when I was giving up all hope of finding any pictures of goats on Spitfires – and look what turns up!