Just back from an amazing afternoon at the Aces High Gallery in Wendover, Bucks. Probably a unique chance to see the four top selling aviation artists in the world (Taylor, Trudgian, Coulson and Attack) sitting together in one room. Wow, these guys’ original artwork just has to be seen to be believed – if anyone has a spare £29k you can pick up quite a nice Robert Taylor original at the moment!!
One of the Luftwaffe veterans who was there signing prints, books, etc was Lt Gen Gunther Rall. What an honour it was to meet this legend. There I was, chatting to the top-scoring surviving fighter ace of all time when he cadidly recalls his being shot down by Hub Zemke’s wingman on 12/05/44 and how his thumb was shot off!
For anyone who has not yet been to one of these FREE get togethers – you’ll be missing out if you don’t go – just AWESOME!!!
Regards
Skipper
By: Firebird - 26th November 2003 at 18:37
Hartmann and Barkhorn……WOW:eek:
By: Skybolt - 26th November 2003 at 17:07
I rememer meeting Hartmann and Barkhorn at Coltishall a few decades ago along with Johnny Johnson and other RAF aces. It was at a BoB Fighter Pilots reunion coinciding with the, then, annual BoB display.
In the bar that evening I asked Johnson who, apart from himself, was the best fighter pilot he had ever known. His answer was most profound – he said “the best was a guy killed on his first sortie, he had the skill but no luck”.
The phrase that “Old age and treachery will always beat youth and skill come to mind”. Wish it were true in my own case. Sod it.
To have had the chance to meet such a fantastic group of WW2 pilots, now the very best of friends, was one to be remembered always.
By: Corsair166b - 24th November 2003 at 15:36
Let’s see if memory serves….John Cruickshank at far left, moving to the right…next is Bill Reed, then Walker ‘Bud’ Mahurin, then Johnny Johnson, then Gunther Rall. Reed and Johnson are no longer with us, unfortunately.
Mark
By: trumper - 24th November 2003 at 10:18
Originally posted by Corsair166b
Had a chance to meet Rall and a few other folks at Legends in 2000, very cheery lot, he and Johnny Johnson were joking about what kind of plane they were standing in front of, pretending not to be able to recognize it (it was the black Hurricane…Taff Smith’s, I reckon?) They were all fun to talk with, but could’nt wait to get the photo shoot over with and have another Pint…as expressed to us by Bill Reed, God rest his soul….Mark
Could you put names to faces for me please in the photo,i recognise Johnny Johnson,but the others?
By: Steve Bond - 24th November 2003 at 08:03
Yes I agree, it was a great event. Three Luftwaffe pilots (all of whom flew the Me.262), sitting alongside three RAF Battle of Britain pilots – fantastic!
By: mike currill - 24th November 2003 at 07:25
Treasure that moment Corsair as such opportunities can only get fewer given the circumstances, would that I could have been there too
Mike
By: Corsair166b - 24th November 2003 at 02:28
Had a chance to meet Rall and a few other folks at Legends in 2000, very cheery lot, he and Johnny Johnson were joking about what kind of plane they were standing in front of, pretending not to be able to recognize it (it was the black Hurricane…Taff Smith’s, I reckon?) They were all fun to talk with, but could’nt wait to get the photo shoot over with and have another Pint…as expressed to us by Bill Reed, God rest his soul….
Mark
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November 23, 2003 at 8:01 pm