Can anyone tell me the history of how the RAF Museum’s Fiat CR42 Falco came into their possession? Ws it captured on British soil or elsewhere?
The reason I ask is because I’m trying to see if there’s a connection between it and an incident involving Spitfire ace EP ‘Bill’ Wells from my home town.
Bill was the first RAF pilot to encounter Italian aircraft over Britain when he attacked a squadron of CR42s on the 11th of November 1940. He thought that he’d sent four of them down, damaged, but could not confirm anything due to clouds.
I read somewhere that this was the only occasion CR42s were sent to attack England. Is this true?
And was this aircraft perhaps one of the ones he sent down damaged?
Did he in actuality destroy or damge any of the CR42’s? Did someone go back after the war and do a countback of records to find out exactly what planes were shot down where and by whom so all the ‘probables’, and ‘possibles’ were cleard up (and the lies and exagerations made by some pilots exposed!) Was such a process ever done?
I know for example the officil line is that RNZAF P40’s shot down 99 Japs. But some sources say it was actaully more like 120 when all told – how do they know this? Did someone check the Jap records after the war?
By: Dave Homewood - 12th April 2004 at 22:27
Cheers Flood. When I read your post and replied to it last night I’d just got in from the pub, so must have misinterpretted.
I’d had a few drinks to celebrate having spent the whole day in Auckland seeing aircraft in two museums there. A fantastic day. Almost made up for not making it to Wanaka.
Dave:)
By: Flood - 12th April 2004 at 20:26
Originally posted by Dave Homewood
Sorry Flood, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought the colours in your photo look more accurate than in mine. I believe I probably used a flash too, but my photo even after enhancing post-scan is very dull. Cameras have advanced a lot since I was there.What is BLAT by the way?
Whether or not the real lighting was better when you were there or when I was there, I simply thought the lighting in your photo looked better – it is obviously due to your camera, not the place, but my comment was about the lighting in your photo.. I didn’t mean to cause offence.
Dave! No offence caused – nor intended by me! Sorry if you think I meant it that way!
I am a photographer – to me my pictures are bad because of the direct flash I had to use because of the complete lack of light there.
Blat is the use of full power on a flash – much akin to the shadows on the wall from the Hiroshima atomic bomb…:rolleyes:
Flood.
By: Dave Homewood - 12th April 2004 at 15:11
Sorry Flood, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought the colours in your photo look more accurate than in mine. I believe I probably used a flash too, but my photo even after enhancing post-scan is very dull. Cameras have advanced a lot since I was there.
What is BLAT by the way?
Whether or not the real lighting was better when you were there or when I was there, I simply thought the lighting in your photo looked better – it is obviously due to your camera, not the place, but my comment was about the lighting in your photo.. I didn’t mean to cause offence.
I do recall thinking at the time how dim it was there and I have often wondered if it were a preservation reason, ie not to use bright lights so as not to fade the paint. If it is even dimmer now, I;ll have to take your guys word for it. But it was not too good on the 7th of December 1993, I can say that as a fact.
Lancman, when I was there that lady with the projected face was right near the entrance to thje BofB hall. She probably was called Gertie as she was a very cliched cockney character.
And she would have been looking almost straight at the Home Guard dummy. She was nowhere near the Sunderland when I was there. You walked in, saw here and her mates, she told a story, and then you moved on past the HG dude, and there was the BofB planes like Gladiator, Hurricane and Spittfre, and across thev way from thema were the JU88. Stuka, ME109, He111 and CR 42.
That’s how I remember it, though it was a very long time ago now.
By: Flood - 11th April 2004 at 15:21
Originally posted by Dave Homewood
At least the lighting looks better in your shot.
Do me a favour! That is my BLAT flash technique – combined with high ISO rating and slow shutter speed!
The place is a pit.
Flood.
By: Bluebird Mike - 11th April 2004 at 13:53
All the figures were new when it was relaunched as the ‘BoB Experience’ some years ago now-while others play sounds etc etc, the only two with the projected faces are Winston (upstairs, by the entrance to the Sunderland) and the lady downstairs, who’s name I do believe is ‘Gertie’.
By: Dave Homewood - 11th April 2004 at 11:40
I don’t remember Churchill, the one I recall was a war worker woman, with scarf on her head. I think there were one or two others two, but she sticks in my mind.
By: Dave Homewood - 11th April 2004 at 10:40
At least the lighting looks better in your shot.
One thing that did impress me when I visitied was they had a diorama thing of the Home Front and people in the Blitz, etc. Their full sized Home Guard figure looked superb, and also there was a display where when you walked near it you must have triggered a beam. The dummies in this part had smooth faces but the beam triggered an ingenious projection system that shone film of real faces onto the dummies, and they seemingly come alive and tell you about the war. A great idea I thought. Is that still there? I’ll bet the kids enjoyed that one.
By: Flood - 11th April 2004 at 10:32
And this is it on the first of this month… At least you could see it side on.
Flood.
By: Dave Homewood - 11th April 2004 at 10:09
Thank you Flood,
that’s a great comprehensive site. I shall have to have a good read of it.
Here’s a picture of the CR42 that I took at Hendon, Nov 93 (even then the lighting was poor, I’ve had to enhnace this shot to make it look better!
Dave
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April 11, 2004 at 9:53 am