World War Two Centenary Commemorations

All the men who carried out the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942 have passed away (Richard E. Cole died in April 2019), and the last living member of the Flying Tigers died in 2020. John Hemingway is the only living RAF airman who fought in the Battle of Britain, and Jiří Pavel Kafka is the last living Czechoslovak airman who fought for the RAF in World War II.

With the centenary of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria coming up in 2031, I can only speculate that a number of Chinese veterans of the Pacific theater of World War II who regard the Japanese conquest of Manchuria in 1931 as the true start of World War II may hold a commemoration honoring Chinese Nationalist Air Force pilots and Flying Tigers crews who defended Chinese airspace from Japan in the war.

I’m hoping people will still care. I think they will – they have for the Great War. But nothing for the Boer War that I was aware of sadly.

Moggy, I’ve been thinking along those lines for a while now, nice to know there are other people pondering the same. If it can ever happen it would be fascinating – Dornier X anyone ?
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Instead of heading off down spurious “It’ll all be banned” sidetracks, let’s look at what might be possible.

My own wish would be that hologram and virtual reality technology will have progressed to the point where in suitable buildings (I’m thinking large and dark) it might be possible for Bader, Tuck, Johnson, Galland and the like to be recreated and for them to narrate a Battle of Britain documentary played out with hologram fleets of aircraft in the ‘sky’ above the audience

Wouldn’t that be something to see?

Moggy

Glad to hear it Mike. Happy to help or be involved

2020 will be the 80th Anniversary of the Battle Of Britain. A couple of us are building a memorial/relic-based display with the substantial remains of a Spitfire from that conflict.

Detail plans not yet complete but the major parts have been brought togetrher with a determined start next year.

Anon.

Why do people try and invent and stoke these stupid anti EU stories to further their bigoted agenda, or make ill informed or completely uniformed comment.

One only needs to look in the past few days as the Dutch and Belgians place candles on the graves of those buried in their countries who lost their lives in WW2, which they do every Christmas, to understand how important it is to them.

You’ll be pleased to hear J Boyle that the allegation was actually confirmed as fake news and not true at all.

Something not to look forward too…if the recent news report (seen in a reputable UK paper) is correct in saying university students at a well known school in the UK did not want to commemorate Remembrance Day because it glorified war.

As far as Aeroplanes go, I fear the eventual banning or unavailability (due to limited demand) of aviation-quality gasoline will mark the eventual end of “warbird” flying.

Not something I’ll be around to witness – I hope it’s good for those of you who make it.

Moggy

My prediction , is we will not be allowed to celebrate the events of WWII for fear of upsetting our European neighbours, or maybe I’m being too synical.