“G-NADZ? Currently somewhere around my ears I think, Constable…”

While visiting Bletchley Park I have clearly overheard visitors telling each other that the panels explaining the first capture of Enigma machines are incorrect, because BP displays say it was RN personnel who captured it first, but the visitors ‘know‘ it was first captured by USN because they ‘remember seeing it “on TV” somewhere…‘

Ah, U-571 (link). I remember a mate and I going to visit another mate who was living and working on his own in a small town in the depths of winter, years ago. We went out and had a meal and a couple of beers and then, given the lack of other entertainment options, went and watched that film in a multiplex cinema about the size of a postage stamp. I think we were the only ones there, which was just as well – a genuinely laugh-out-loud awful film. Hilariously bad. If you think the description sounds bad – it’s even worse. :highly_amused:

Hi Ian,

A small update to the incident on 29 Mar 1940 you refer to; this involved two 263 Sqn aircraft from Filton, piloted by 33466 P/O Darrell Edward David Milson in N5690 and 33483 P/O Patrick John Muriel Nettleton in N5588.

They were part of a flight of four a/c with 565278 Sgt. Ernest Frederick William Russell and P/O J.W. McKenzie in N5679. Duty was carrying out practice attacks, P/O McKenzie flying as the ‘target’ aircraft. During practice of a standard ‘No. 2 Attack’ it seems that Nettleton inadvertantly closed on Milsom during the approach, and their aircraft collided as Milsom broke away. The two aircraft crashed at Alverston (Grid P.1010) at 1217, ‘wtihin 300 yards of each other’ and burst into flames.

AIR 81/1954 covers the above.

Regards,

Jeff

Hi Mike,

IIRC, AIR 27 is Squadron ORBs, AIR 28 is Station ORBs, and AIR 29 is everyone else. The content is very variable depending on the diligence of the officer assigned – I have seen OTU ORBs with class lists, course scores, and all sorts of information, and those with little more than the basic ’40 men posted in, weather damp’. This one says it has photographs and all sorts of appendices, so you may be lucky.

Unfortunately, I was at Kew a few weeks ago, or I’d have a peek for you. Good luck with your research!

Cheers,

RR

Cracking day out, blue skies, little wind, 25 degrees.
Getting in was a bit of a bear, but made it in the end. It took about an hour from the Biggleswade turn, not helped by a car boot sale not far away.
A few thoughts:
We tended to stay towards the hangars where there was some modicum of shade, but still got a very nice view of the displays.
The Typhoon certainly woke everyone up.
The Blenheim and Lanc in formation are quite a sight, and I enjoyed the Blenheim giving a more energetic solo display.
The Hurricanes were a particular highlight – a great display, and two of ’em in formation!
I hadn’t realised the Maggie was quite that agile.
There’s just something special about the Demon, Tomtit, and other silver biplanes.
Lysanders are always bigger than you expect, for some reason.
A couple of extra food wagons and maybe an icecream van would have been very welcome – particularly the latter on a day like today.
Special mention to the old boy on the ‘boneshaker’ bicycle going up and down, up and down, in front of the hangars. He must have got some miles in!
We left about 5 as the lovely Mrs. Rat had run out of go, and getting away was untroubled (probably for that reason).
All in all, very enjoyable

searches on the CWGC site came up blank

Hi Alan,

I can’t help on the rest, but:-

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2073562/BLACK,%20JOHN%20MORTON%20BURROUGHS

It appears from that that his grave was concentrated at Sage from ‘Heldenfriedhof, Wittmund’.

From this, it seems that he was part of a crew

NZ 411912 Sgt C P Lund, RNZAF
615462 Sgt J H White, RAF
748714 W/O J M B Black, RAFVR
1109242 Sgt F E Lawson, RAFVR
631675 Sgt F A Murphy, RAF
1126302 Sgt V Anderson, RAFVR

All have date of death noted as 28.7.42 and Lund is annotated ‘Pilot’, so I am assuming they are all a crew.

Hope this helps

ETA:- More info including first names, courtesy RAFCommands roll of honour

It’s possible. Two encounters I’m aware of:

27 May 1940. Bodo, Norway. F/Lt. C B Hull, 263 Sqn. claimed 1 Ju 87
02 Jun 1940. Narvik, Norway. F/Lt. A T Williams, DFC & Sgt. H H Kitchener DFM, 263 Sqn. claimed 1 Ju 87 shared

I suspect they just picked something at random, though.

ETA: They were Gladiator Mk IIs, though!