Hurricane

Hi Stieglitz – and a superb job you have made of it as well – cheers – Allan 🙂

Hi Moggie – Glad you had a good time – 60 years ago tomorrow (20th) my father was part of the advance party of 125 Wing to move into B.82 Grave/Keent, which had only just been liberated by the Americans a few days earlier, so I have a kinship with the area – ref your comment about the Glider Pilots “My only thought was that since none of them could be extracted from the Oosterbeek pocket particularly, did they take-up arms as foot soldiers and suffer from their lack of training in that role?” our glider pilots were, in the main, fully trained soldiers, unlike their American counterparts who were speedily evacuated ours formed up into their own units and took part in perimeter defence etc. Having said that RAF aircrew were also part of the Glider Pilots at the Rhine op. in March ’45 because of the heavy losses at Arnhem, but I don’t know if they had the same infantry training as the soldiers. Take a look at http://www.gliderpilotregiment.org.uk/ for more information. cheers – Allan

Oh, THAT Spanish airspace. 🙂

Amazing how the Spanish want Gibraltar back as it’s on the Spanish mainland, but won’t let go of Spanish Morocco despite it being the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar isn’t it !!??

And it looks better than Debbie McGee, However you look at it !!

I have never seen her tied down on a lot of boxes so I have nothing to compare it with 😀

Bomber Command Daylight Raids

Hi Dave – take a look at this link about daylight raids -which mentions 150 Wing as escorts – and you should find it a very informative piece 🙂 – http://www.rafcommands.com/dcforum/DCForumID6/5341.html#8 –

Bomber Command did not form up like the 8th USAAF for its daylight raids –
You will note that it says “The fighter escorts frequently had considerable problems providing effective cover to a stream and Ramrod 1403 was fairly typical. 150 Wing (19, 65 and 122 Sqdns) provided the escort.”Rendezvous was made according to plan with the bombers at 20,000 feet and the Wing up to 26,000 feet with 65 Sqdn towards the front, 122 Sqdn in the centre and 19 Sqdn towards the rear. The bombers were spread out in a stream some 20 miles long and five or six miles wide with the last group of Lancasters tailing along several miles behind the main gaggle.” – I have now looked at my cousins logbook, and his total operational hours were 60 hours 10 mins on day raids and 139 hours on night raids – broken down as 13 day raids and 20 night raids, which was probably typical of 5 Group during the period Aug ’44 – April ’45. One of his night raids being Dresden on 13 February 1945 where they were airborne for 9 hours 30 mins and the longest time airborne was on a Boxing Day 1944 raid to Munich where they were in the air for 10 hours 10 mins and had to land at Kelstern instead of their home base of Skellingthorpe. – cheers – Allan 🙂

453 squadron RAAF

Do any of you guys know anything about
RAAF Squadron 453, they were an Aussie
oufit active at Arnhem, an Aussie mate of
mine is interested………thanks Dave

Hi Dave – what do you need 🙂 – I have a lot of information about them – both pre, post and during their 125 Wing (Detling to Antwerp/Deurne) period.

I also have their semi-official RAAF History “Defeat to Victory” which covers their formation to disbanding. – cheers – Allan 🙂

Atlantic Glider Train

Hi Dave – take a look at – http://www.theplanpage.com/esp/tglider.htm – AS a weapon of war the glider has come of age. First successfully used by Germans in the invasion of Crete, these motorless carriers of men and munitions more recently figured prominently in the Allied conquest of Sicily.

Towed to a point near their destination by large twin‑engine transports which likewise carry supplies and even paratroopers, the glider cuts free to make a stealthy approach. Virtues of the glider are numerous: it lands lightly in small space and when necessary even “crash lands” without serious damage to crew or cargo. It is inexpensively and quickly built, thus is expendable. Because of a “whispering” approach, it provides a measure of surprise.

Aside from the glider’s combat importance, it offers great new possibilities in air transport. In England recently a glider descended through the cloud ceiling to make a smooth, graceful landing on an airfield. Utilizing the “sky-train” technique it had just flown across the Atlantic. The glider was towed by a Douglas C-47 transport (similar to the commercial DC-3) and the 3,500 mile journey was completed in 28 hours. (See November, 1943, issue.)

Recognizing its importance in aggressive warfare, the U.S. Navy has developed a unique and efficient glider; it is amphibious, landing either on land or water. As a troop transport it is capable of carrying twelve fully equipped men. Construction is entirely of plastic bonded plywood. These ships are built by Allied Aviation and Bristol Aero and, of course, performance data and specifications are restricted. – only the basics but more is probably out there on Google, but work calls !! 😉 cheers – Allan 🙂