I keep returning to this thread with a certain morbid fascination, my one and only comment on the ‘Bader Enigma’ is that if someone provided verifiable evidence of his being in the UK in 1942 then it would have some historical interest. In the absence of that hard evidence further speculation on the matter is a total waste of time

Moggy this thread has really been done to death, can we not put an end to it!

Regards

Eric

I’ve decided it’s time to upgrade to a serious digital SLR. My current 3.1 megapixel camera gives me decent shots, but I want to move into the serious photography realm. Naturally, I first looked at the top-of-the-line stuff, and my wallet promptly ran for cover. $3500 or more? DAMN! That’s, like, custom guitar money! Anyway, I’ve done some reading and some browsing, and I think the EOS 30D might be the way to go. Does anyone have experience with this camera? I’d like ot hear from anyone who has hands-on experience. My primary questions are if it can shoot well in low-light or at night (like, can I take a shot of the moon), and does it do well with fast moving targets (airplanes, duh). And what’s a good zoom lens to get. Any help is appreciated, and if you have an alternative camera that you’re a big fan of, I’d like to hear about that as well.

I must admit to regarding the 30D as the 20D Mk2, in other words slightly improved performance. Regarding use at night, that is going to come down to the skill of the photographer.

As to lens sizes, for the sort of subjects you are talking about an image stabilized 75 to 300 mm zoom would be a good starting point, but at the end of the day it will come down to where you take photographs and how much money you have.

My experience with the 20D makes me feel that you will not go far wrong with the 30D>

I took both of the attached with a 20D

Should perhaps read SOME of the rest of the war?

I have!

The issue was always a minor detail of history, I doubt that anyone will ever know the truth with total certainty and to be honest in this instance it does not really matter!

It’s considerably more than a rumour, but well documented fact. One incident I recall was Kenneth More speaking after dinner at an RAF mess after Reach For The Sky came out – he told the OC that he had a few Bader stories and was specifically told “not to mention that B******’s name in this mess”. He was a god to many, but a devil to others and that is often the way of people of his ken.

I think personally Bader was a hero, but a flawed one.

I have used the above as a quote really because it seemed a good point to start from.

Let me declare my position right from the start, Douglas Bader was one of my boyhood hero’s, like all people to whom we append the title of hero he was flawed, he was after all human. The theory that has driven this whole thread is that ‘DB’ was brought down by friendly fire, in the context of this theory I have heard Buck Casson’s name mentioned.

Now to be honest I have no idea about the truth of the hypothesis, the fog of war obscures many things after 64 years, the only certainty in this whole matter is that incident put ‘DB’ in various prison camps for the rest of the war. Is the doubt surrounding this particular incident so important that we wish to somehow lessen the memory of these brave individuals, I think not!

My own opinion is that Dilip was correct in leaving well alone during the mid 1990’s, sixteen some years later I suspect that the raking over of old history could have been left alone for a while longer.

As to the rights and wrongs of who researched what, the two historians involved are both adults and I hope that in time they can sort out perceived differences

Regards to All

We can all live in the past..plenty of Irish served and died in Singapore and the far east as well…..plenty of Irish died fighting Germany as well …

But people have to try to get over their hatred before it eats them alive, unfortunately not enough of my Countrymen up north think the same way…but then this is a bit off topic isnt it!!

My brother’s late father in law was captured in the Dutch East Indies and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner; from what he told me he and his companions went through hell!

The funny thing is that he seemed to hold no hatred towards his former captors, indeed he corresponded for many years with one of his former guards.

Mind you what this has to do with ‘D B’ beats me!

This question is directed at those at the thick end of the preservation movement, how much does your airfield charge you for storage/pan space?

Does £143.00 per day sound expensive to you???

If it is for a Bucc stuck in some otherwise unused corner of some windy airfield, then I think a charge like that is a bit unfriendly!

Regards to all

From a Northern Ireland Bucc Fan.

‘XV361’ Lives!

I heard the sad news on the way home this evening!

I was lucky enough to meet Raymond some years ago when he gave a talk to our local aviation society; the talk was of course on his love of the Spitfire. However my first memory of him goes back a great deal further, to one evening 44 years ago when he provided local commentary for the first live television broadcast received via satellite from the good old US of A. The satellite was Telstar and the flickering images were received via the receiving station at Goonhilly Downs, I was 10 years old and I remember it like it was yesterday.

Rest in peace Raymond, the world is a poorer place without you!

A Classic!

An aircraft I never get tired of photographing is the Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane, the attached were taken in August.

I will add a few more tomorrow night!

Regards to All!