By: RobAnt - 20th March 2004 at 20:02
remember Big Show fondly as it was the first wartime aviation biography book I read
Ditto – picked it up in the school library and couldn’t put it down. Sadly it has dimmed from memory since, and I initially confused it as being written by H.E. Bates. Did Bates ever write about his wartime experiences? I have the vague recollection that he was a pilot too.
Didn’t know what a “biography” was then, though – I just loved the images it conveyed.
Was roundly chastised by my teacher, when I quoted a particularly poignant extract, in a project on WWII aircraft – for – would you believe it – COPYING. I mean, I could hardly have had the exeriences myself First Hand – could I.
She was a rubbish teacher, anyway. When I did produce original material she couldn’t recognise, and didn’t believe it.
By: DazDaMan - 20th March 2004 at 18:51
I remember reading this also – always been one of my favourites, even if I did find out later that his score was somewhat exaggerated!
By: mike currill - 20th March 2004 at 18:29
I also read The Big Show many years ago and must say I consider the writing style to be a lot better than some of the other first person accounts around.
By: Firebird - 20th March 2004 at 16:43
Re: Re: Is this correct?
Originally posted by Septic
[QUOTE]Originally posted by RobAntFrom memory he had around 33 confirmed kills.
Septic.
Officially 11 destroyed, 2 probables, 9 damaged, 2 destroyed on the ground. (possibly additionally 7 destroyed, 3 additional damaged, 4 additionally claimed by Clostermann as air victories.)
From 432 combat sorties flown.
The 33 victories is what Clostemann claimed post war in a list drawn up that was signed by AVM Harry Broadhurst, but this list didn’t tally with official Sqn records, and there has been confusion and controversey ever since:rolleyes:
Incidentley, his score is about a 50/50 split between Spitfire IX and Tempest V.
I remember Big Show fondly as it was the first wartime aviation biography book I read when about 10 or 11……:D
By: Stieglitz - 20th March 2004 at 10:55
Yes, Clostermann did fly the spitfire. In 2001 ‘cryingtoto’ made a fs2000 version of his spit. The flightsim plane can be found at www.flightsim.com. Look in the file libraries.
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th March 2004 at 09:19
Under the psuedonym J R Hartley? 😉
By: Snapper - 20th March 2004 at 09:02
He’s still alive and lives in the south of France. I have signed first editions of his 3 wartime books – but he has apparently done books on fly fishing or something too.
By: Dan Johnson - 20th March 2004 at 05:57
Typical book cover. Closterman flew Spit IXs with 341 and then Spit Vs, VIIs and IXs with 602 before flying Tempests at the end of the war.
Naturally its a 72 Squadron Spit on the cover 🙂
Dan
By: Flood - 19th March 2004 at 23:41
The prop looks alright for a painting, if not a little under-bladed…;)
Flood.
By: Septic - 19th March 2004 at 23:35
Re: Is this correct?
[QUOTE]Originally posted by RobAnt
I’ve always considered him a Tempest Pilot, but I guess he started somewhere.
Pierre Closterman flew various marks of Spitfires before getting the Tempest V.
From memory he had around 33 confirmed kills.
Septic.
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March 19, 2004 at 11:01 pm
