i was a keen collector of biggles books as a kid, you used to be able to pick them up for about 5p in jumble sales, along with other classics like eagle annuals. they are all still stashed in my parents loft!
did anyone else read the space books that w.e. johns did?…i thought they were great, and always wished he’d written more of them.

Yes, I enjoyed his Sci-fi books too. All of WE Johns books are worth a read though, as is John Pearson’s “biography” of Biggles. (Surely Biggles is a contender for “the pilots who flew in both world wars” thread?)

Revolvers: In the days when it was possible to, I tried out almost every type of pistol that would have been available in the ETO in WW2 and felt that German, Italian and US product was superior. Only my opinion, though. Webley did make a semi-auto, I felt it was robust and simple but not as good as anything designed by John Browning.

MGs: Which brings me back to the original post. I think that the Browning MG seems to have been an exceptional design and our pilots were lucky to have it. Shame about the rifle calibre at the start of the war though.

& then there is the contamination aspect from the BB’s being in direct contact with *stuff* while inside the sphere… I sure as hell wouldn’t be picking them up…

I am assured that Strike Command provided “Gloves, Rubber, For the use of” to those engaged in this task.

Skomer-u.net.com: “To prevent the bomb “going up” in storage or while on alert, the hollow sphere was filled with hundreds of ball bearings. Even if the explosive detonated the ball bearings would prevent the plutonium sphere imploding, thereby preventing a chain reaction. These were inserted through a hole in the bomb casing. The downside of this was that the balls had to be removed prior to arming the weapon, which meant the hole had to be at the bottom and stopped with a rubber bung. If the bung fell out the bearings would pour all over the floor, with not only the usual comic results, but leaving a live nuclear weapon to deal with while the crews skidded about. Strike Command were unimpressed and most of their comments were unrepeatable.”
QUOTE]

Surely a game for “Extreme It’s A Knockout”?

Reading Alertken’s initial post made my brain hurt. Then I read it again. There are some points of interest concealed within. My favourite is the nuclear missile that had a range of 2km but a lethal radius of 2.5km. That made me laugh out loud.

Perhaps Manchester has some suitable flights? I think it’s no more than an houre from Cosford by rail or road. There’s lots to see up here in the western midlands: Cosford, MAM, Thinktank, Boulton-Paul. Feel free to come over. We’re not all hoolies and pikies (though you may meet some).

I suppose by 1945 the 262’s were operating in a very “target rich” environment and there was plenty to shoot at, despite their operating problems.