Hiya,
Have invited, and received a positive reply, from a very old family friend regarding legends on the Sunday. I have known George for over 25 years.
George is well into his eighties and fitter than me (a fitter fitter?) having worked until past retirement as a farm labourer. Since then he has been caretaker to our village hall (Haddiscoe is still ‘home’), Legion poppy-day collector, village ‘do-er’ and so on.
My wife, a few years back, once said ‘I bet he’s never even left Norfolk’.
‘On the contrary’ says I, ‘He’s been to India, Ceylon, Thailand, Burma etc’. ‘What? When?’ ‘During the war’.
George was in the RAF. He worked on Liberators, Wimpeys, Thunderbolts (his MU reassembling 3 crated SEAC P47’s per day, testing the guns etc), and others during his war, predominantly in the Far East. he told me once of diving into a slit trench stripped to the waste as Jap bombers came over, for example. You would not imagine it when you look at mild, bald 5-footer George – and you don’t imagine it of the doddery old sod in front of you at the supermarketr either. But the stories inside…
Now, i asked George tonight if he wanted to come – an invite to the memorial do, and also on to Legends. Apart from my mum saying he had to play bowls (‘I haven’t put my name down yet’) he said that Duxford was somewhere he had always wanted to visit, but never had. So, my dad is bringing him along. george has a very small pension, and the cost has also been a deciding factor in his not having been before. In this case, it’s already been taken care of. However. I’m tied up most of the weekend, and my dad is a bit concerned at having to spend the whole day with George (a: George is a talker (this is a good thing!). B: My dad isn’t into aircraft (this is a bad thing!). C: it’s a 2 hour trip each way). So, I want to ask a favour: Please oh wonderful, helpful, fantastic chums, Please, can I beg, borrow or steal a good day out for George? I want to make his day really special. I don’t know quite how, but if anyone can offer a bit of extra special enjoyment to George, it would be really, really appreciated. He’s an absolutely first class chap, and really would be chuffed to bits.
Thanks in advance for anything,
Mark.
(Forgotten Army? Forgotten Airman! Make an old boy really happy!)
By: kev35 - 3rd July 2004 at 13:49
Looking forward to meeting Mr. Ford, certainly sounds like he had an interesting and varied career, would be very interested in talking to him about Welleingtons.
i’m sure he’ll have, as Wallace and Grommett said, ‘A grand day out.@
Regards,
kev35
By: Snapper - 26th June 2004 at 18:11
We should be finished by 9:30 – 9:45. It’s a little over a mile if the worst happens, but we are on the right side for the entrance. If the A505 is not moving (and usually I arrive in the area around 9ish and stop for McDonalds breakfast and have no problems at all) then by the time a coffee has been ordered and drunk it should have cleared sufficiently. The D-Day show was a shambles and had far greater numbers turn up than Legends will I think, plus the North side car parks will be in use. I don’t anticipate major problems personally – but it is certainly a valid point.
By: trumper - 26th June 2004 at 12:28
On a practical note,how are you getting through the anticipated traffic problems ,surely the traffic along the Whittlesford A505 road and M11 will/could be bad by the time the ceremony finishes,not wishing to be pessimistic but forewarned.
By: Snapper - 26th June 2004 at 12:02
Thanks mate. I thought you were from Yarmouth – please take back all bitchy comments I’ve made before! Ormesby is far more cultured.
My dad is bringing George up to Duxford, and both will be attending my memorial service at the Red Lion beforehand (all welcome btw). It’s just a case of what can be done to make Georges day extra special, especially as I am going to be unable to do much if anything being involved on a stand full of 609’ers (again, all welcome!). He can walk quite well, though he’s not obviously going to be able to do loads and loads of walking, especially as he is now using a stick regularly and hasn’t got his own hips anymore. He’s also pretty fit (probably fitter than me; I kid you not).
I guess George will be in need of a pint by the end of things, so perhaps Legends should end at the Red Lion too, on Sunday night….. anecdotal cabaret by George perhaps?!
By: Auster Fan - 26th June 2004 at 10:44
Snapper
As I live not so very far away (Ormesby), if I can help just shout.
By: Snapper - 26th June 2004 at 08:03
Hmmm, that sounds interesting. Does anybody know him that would be able to offer an introduction on the day perhaps?
By: JDK - 26th June 2004 at 02:59
Could you line him up with Smudge Smith at ARCo, Master of metal bending and refurbisher of Blenheim Mk.1 nose? Just a thought.
By: Snapper - 25th June 2004 at 22:45
Back to the matter in hand. George is excited! He’s really looking forward to Legends Sunday. I asked my mum to get a few questions answered by him. She gave up by the time he started the anecdotes – bless her, she’s doing well. I had her typing ORB entries a few months ago!
1173410 LAC George Ford. Fitter / Armourer. Enlisted 9th July 1940 aged 20, Demobbed August 1946. Trained at Morecambe (Square Bashing) then Melksham, Wiltshire.
Posted to 149 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall working on Wellingtons, George was posted in July 1941 to 27 Squadron in Northern Malaya, flying Blenheim Mk1’s. From there he went to Ceylon where 160 Squadron were equipped with B24 Liberators before transferring again to 320 Maintenance Unit on which he worked on various aircraft including Thunderbolts.
During his time in the Royal Air Force, George travelled from the UK to Northern Malaya, through Singapore and the Dutch East Indies to Ceylon and India over the course of 4 years, all the while with Far East Command. He now lives in a quiet village in Norfolk where he spent his working life as a farm labourer.
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 20th June 2004 at 10:28
Oh, you’re going to be sorry for that…
Not as sorry as you’ll be when everyone on the forum is using it!
By the way, I am quaking in my boots.
What are you going to do? Bite my legs off?
M
By: srpatterson - 20th June 2004 at 00:48
… Patty Stephenson and lil’ ol’ me went to Yeovilton…
Melv
Oh, you’re going to be sorry for that…
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 19th June 2004 at 23:02
Keep the Patterson chap off the roundabouts and let him buy the petrol.
Oh Clapton! that made me laugh.
For those not in the know James, Patty Stephenson and lil’ ol’ me went to Yeovilton. At the FAAM Patty went to pay and James told him in no uncertain terms that he was our guest. In the canteen he tried to buy lunch but was told he was a guest. Then we stopped for fuel and both James and I stood back and said “You are an American, you need to learn all about this!”
His comments on the fuel bill were proof of his understanding of Anglo-Saxon terms relating to various forms of boduly function!
Melv
By: Andy in Beds - 19th June 2004 at 16:09
Breweries.
I actually understand that several UK brewers have put staff on double time in anticipation of your visit. 😀 😀 😀
By: srpatterson - 19th June 2004 at 16:01
We can prop Patterson up in the beer tent if nescessary.
Andy.
There’s a beer tent at Legends? Excellent!
By: JDK - 19th June 2004 at 13:30
You are right Andy, I’m playing with the planes in the Great White North through July. There may be reports. You’ve got Leg Ends to yourselves chaps. Be careful with it, and make sure No of Landings = No of Takeoffs please. Keep the Patterson chap off the roundabouts and let him buy the petrol.
Enjoy the Airacobra!
By: Andy in Beds - 19th June 2004 at 13:26
Will you be there??
James,
I was under the impression that you wouldn’t be in the UK at Legends time.
Is that in fact the case?
If not will you join us?
Andy.
By: JDK - 19th June 2004 at 13:21
We can prop Patterson up in the beer tent if nescessary.
He’s even able to pull his own pints!
Snapper, PM me…
By: Andy in Beds - 19th June 2004 at 13:15
Legends–Sunday.
Snapper
I might be able to help a bit.
On the Sunday I’m bringing along my old mate Ernie. He too is ex-RAF.
Early in his carrer he was on Sunderlands in the Battle of the Atlantic but later re-trained as a glider pilot. He was actually on his way to Arnhem when the Halifax tug was shot down.
His RAF career ended when a Warwick he was hitching a lift back to the UK onboard crashed at the end of the runway in the Azores. I think only him and two others survived.
He was demobbed strapped to wooden board because of spinal and neck injuries.
Mr Patterson is also with me on the Sunday and he’s already said above he’ll help so why don’t we get these two togeter? I don’t mind walking round with them in fact I’d consider it an honour.
We can prop Patterson up in the beer tent if nescessary.
You thoughts would be welcome as ever.
Andy.
By: srpatterson - 19th June 2004 at 00:22
In spite of the ridiculous title of this thread I would be happy to help in any way I can.
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June 18, 2004 at 11:51 pm