allan125So could mine 🙂 Perhaps we could buy the postcard for the forum and post it around the country 😉
Who needs to buy it when you can take a copy off of e-bay – didn’t you think of that Moggy ? 🙂
allan125Roundels etc.
I have a copy of “The Aeroplane Spotter” for February 8 1945 🙂 and it says in the correspondence page “It’s those markings again” The other day a Hawker Typhoon 1B carrying rocket-projectile racks dived close to the ground near me, and as it passed I noticed the normal roundels did not appear on the undersurface of the wing. Instead an extra outer ring of yellow around the old-type wide diameter red, white and blue roundel was painted under each wing. As the fighter climbed I could discern similar markings on the upper surface. The fuselage roundel and the vertical fin flash remained unchanged. Does this mean another change in Royal Air Force markings? P Fennimore Hemel Hempstead. The answer being “Recently released photographs of Vickers-Armstrongs Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Typhoon fighters of the R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force stationed in the Low Countries have revealed similar markings as are mentioned by Mr Fennimore – Ed” – cheers – Allan p.s. the front cover of this mag shows two Spitfire XIV’s 1 of 610 (County of Chester) Squadron and 1 of 130 (Punjab) Squadron. 🙂
allan125“Johnny” Walker – still going strong
Strangely enough there was a program on Radio 4 yesterday afternoon (Sunday) about a U-Boat commanders watch. An old chap who had been in on the kill of this U-Boat talked on their joy at the sinking so soon after the death of ‘Whisky’ Walker.
This was on 11th August 1944, and the sub was U-385.
http://uboat.net/boats/u385.htm
Maybe his nick name was ‘polite-ned’ up for wartime publication? – Nermal
Hi Nermal – I don’t know about being cleaned up for wartime publication 🙂 – I always took it as a normal nickname in the same manner that someone called White is called “Chalky” – Williams called “Bungie” – Miller called “Dusty” etc. maybe not so much these days 😮 but in the times we write about. 🙂 Also, the whisky company trademark “still going strong” fitted the man and the time. 🙂
If anybody doubts the historical aviation content of this piece read
http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/walker.html to show how Walker controlled HMS Audacity and it’s Martlets in convoy HG.76. I visited Derby House (Western Approaches HQ) in the early 90’s and found it a fascinating place having read so much about it in the past. cheers – Allan 🙂
allan125Captain Frederick “Johnny” Walker RN
Think the main chaps name was Capt ‘Whisky’ Walker. He was the reason that the Royal Navy had so much success. – Nermal
Captain Frederick “Johnny” Walker, CB, and 4 times DSO – our greatest U-boat killer.
Second Support Group Operating Instructions (SG2)
Object
“The Object of the Second Escort Group is to destroy U Boats, particularly those which menace our convoys”
This being a significant difference between those and the standard orders of an escort group which was “the safe and timely arrival of the convoy”.
Before his untimely death from natural causes on July 9th 1944, the previously “passed over” officer had reached the rank of Captain, been re-instated in the seniority list and had won the DSO four times. He was to have been made a Knight Commander of the Bath and promoted to Flag rank after August 1944. Walker was given a full ceremonial naval funeral at Liverpool Cathedral attended by a thousand people, then borne through the streets on a gun carriage as the cortege wound its way to the Mersey dockyard. The coffin was taken aboard HMS HESPERUS and he was buried at sea. The first man to defeat a U-boat pack was a sailor of the best Nelsonian traditions, fighting against a different foe but on the same relentless waters.
allan125Hi Allan, Not sure where it was taken. I got it from Terry Spencer along with these three. First one shows Harry Cook, Jack Henry and Dougie Benham of 41 Squadron. The other two are group photos taken in the snow somewhere. Not real great quality but interesting nonetheless. Could be they’re from one of those airfields.No clue why some of them are carrying rifles.Dan
Hi Dan, thanks for these 🙂 – how about passing them over to Steve Brew ? I will check the background hangar with a Belgian contact to see if it matches up to anything at Schaffen/Diest, especially as they came from Terry and he had left 41 before the moved to Volkel, on detachment to 122 Wing as top cover, at the end of January ’45. The rifles one could be taken at Ophoven – Dad says that when he moved there at the end of December ’44 – just before Bodenplatte – the area was packed with Allied armour because of the “Bulge” and they were always on the lookout for German saboteurs. cheers – Allan
allan125Dan Johnson profiles
Hello Dan – I thought you might appreciate this Lion Rampant, as worn by 602 squadron throughout the war – also, do you have the location of Bill Stowe standing by Terry Spencer’s XIV ? My suggestions being B.64 Schaffen/Diest or Y.32 Ophoven/Zwartberg.
I am still looking for what seems to be very elusive photo’s of 125 Wing at Y.32 Ophoven/Zwartberg and the snow on the ground fits the bill as it could be before Terry moved to 350 squadron “350 squadron ORB January 4th – The weather is very bad and there is no activity except being a new C.O S/L SPENCER who was Flight Commander in 41 Squadron. Some of us know him already and he will be welcome in 350 Squadron.”
So far as I can ascertain no wartime maps exist of it either. None are even held by the local mayor and, as it was built on his fathers land and compensation would have been paid, it has been a problem. I have modern day location photo’s of the site though – cheers – Allan 🙂
allan125Airfields / Race circuits
Llandow in South Wales also Fulbeck in Lincs – used for motor cycle racing in the seventies (Fulbeck used for straight line sprints as well) and maybe later as well. That was when I was doing it anyway !! 🙂 Fulbeck was interesting as you just had oil barrels and straw bales laid out for the circuit. 😎
The “old” Snetterton circuit was the best – when you could run down the Norwich straight (next to the A11) – the part now used for the market – as the later incarnation is tiny in comparison.
What about Carnaby in Yorkshire (like Manston equipped with a very long runway for damaged bombers to return to) – that was also used for motor cycle racing in the seventies, also Lada cars were stored on another part of the runway as it was so long. (SATRA – Soviet American TRAding I believe was the company involved). Dunkeswell in Devon is/was used for Karting.
allan125One for Snapper – or maybe not in this instance !!
I wasn’t aware that this was the book that Snapper did the photo’s for 🙂 – so I hope he has got a copy.
I quite agree with Robbo’s piece “I don’t know if the seller has any connection with Jim or 609, but I’d rather such a “premium” went to the author or towards paying for the 609’ers’ visit to Flying Legends than to a speculator.” – will have to see how much it goes for tonight. 🙂
allan125When I was a mere lad (!!) we didn’t have CD’s – just something called “vinyl” – and on this “vinyl” you used to be able to buy something called “long playing records” of the sounds of Motorbikes racing on the Isle of Man (Stanley Schofields Sound Stories if I remember correctly) – cheers – Allan
allan125British personnel in the SS
Bloody hell… this was something I’d never heard of!
Hi DazDaMan – Mentorn, who made the “Fighter Dig – Live” programme :), also did a prog. on British Personnel in the SS. Mark Senior, who was translating and advising the German crowd about Vic Murphy, assisted Mentorn by interviewing people in Hildesheim for that prog. as well. If you want some more info. about their escapades I can always drop him an e-mail? 🙂 – cheers – Allan
allan125609 squadron crest
Hi Snapper – thanks for your reply about the crest. But, again not wishing to be pedantic, they would have been issued with an official AAF crest then and the RAuxAF one would have come post-war. I have copies of 602 (City of Glasgow) and 610 (County of Chester) AAF and RAuxAF crests so surely 609 would have been operating to the same criteria. I attach colour copies of 602’s to show the difference. 🙂 – cheers – Allan
allan12561 years ago at Duxford
[QUOTE=Snapper]Today it is 62 years since F/Lt Francois de Spirlet, Flight Commander of 609 (West Riding) Squadron was killed in a take-off accident at Duxford.June 26.”
Hi Snapper – superb reminder of the tragic events of that day – but, not wishing to be pedantic or anything, you show the post-war 609 RAuxAF crest when at the time it was AAF. “The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) owes its origin to Lord Trenchard’s vision of an elite corps of civilians who would serve their country in flying Squadrons in their spare time. Instituted by Order in Council on 9th October 1924, the first Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) Squadrons were formed the following year. By September 1939, there were 20 Flying Squadrons, equipped with a variety of operational aircraft, which included Hurricanes and Spitfires; there were also 47 Balloon Squadrons.
These AAF Squadrons scored a number of notable successes before and during World War II: the flight over Mount Everest, the first German aircraft destroyed over British territorial waters – and over the mainland, the first U-boat to be destroyed with the aid of airborne radar, the first kill of a VI flying bomb; the first to be equipped with jet-powered aircraft, and the highest score of any British Night Fighter Squadron.
In the Battle of Britain, the AAF provided 14 of the 62 Squadrons in Fighter Command’s Order of Battle and accounted for approximately 30% of the accredited enemy kills. The Balloon Squadrons also played their part, downing and deterring many hostile aircraft and were accredited with the destruction of 279 VI flying bombs. These achievements were honoured by the prefix Royal conferred by King George VI on 16 December 1947.” cheers – Allan
allan125Melv – you probably meant Huw Wheldon (BBC Director General at one stage I believe) who was in 6th Airborne Div. – but in a glider regiment, not glider pilot regiment – Royal Ulster Rifles, part of 6th Airlanding Brigade.
Richard Burton – RAF where he met Warren Mitchell – also RAF – I believe they met at an OTU and they didn’t get as far as being operational due to the glut of crews available at the time (1945).
David Niven – Army – served, in GHQ Liaison Regiment (Phantom) in France 1944 – amongst other units before then.
David Coleman – BBC Commentator – DFC* – about 105 op’s in Mosquito’s.
By the way Melv, your comment Bugger – did you mean George Melly, ex RN ? – He wrote a book called “Rum, Bum and Baccy” I believe. 🙂
allan125Richard Baker, the newsreader, is worth spotting when he is commentating at events. Not RAF but ex-Glider regiment! Look at his gongs when he has got them up, they are not all campaign medals!
There are bound to be more. Melv
Melv – Richard Baker was RN, serving on Convoy escorts, not Glider Pilot regiment. He also wrote a book called “Terror of Tobermory” – not about the Wombles but about “Monkey” Stephenson who ran training courses to set up our Escorts and Support Groups before they were let loose with the convoys and attacking U-boats in their own right. “Richard has written nine books, five of them about music, most recently ‘Schubert – an Illustrated Biography’ (Little Brown 1997). Two naval biographies reflect the fact that Richard served in the Royal Navy during World War II, and subsequently in the Royal Naval Reserve: he holds the Reserve Decoration and the O.B.E. amongst many others” 🙂
Robert Kee, current affairs programmes – was also RAF – he hasn’t been seen around for some time now on TV – not surprising as would be about 80 🙂 🙂
allan125Raymond Baxter also flew Spitfire IX’s with 602 squadron – I have a photo of a group of 602 pilots, including Raymond Baxter at B.70 Antwerp/Deurne in September ’44, just before they left 125 Wing (along with 132, 441 and 453 squadrons) to come back to the UK, bringing back 126 RCAF Wings IXB’s and leaving their much new IXE’s behind -they requipped with Spitfire XVI’s in November ’44. 🙂 125 Wing then taking on 80 & 274 (Tempest V) and 130 and 402 (Spitfire XIV’s) in their place.
On 18 March 1945, in conjunction with their old 125 Wing compatriots of 453 Squadron RAAF, 602 Squadron attacked the Bataasher-Mex office building it the Hague (Holland) – which housed V2 research scientists, laboratories and German workers. – The painting is well known and shows how Flt. Lt. Raymond Baxter’s Spitfire Mk. XVI narrowly avoids a church spire as 602 Squadron make a precision low-level attack on the V1/V2 headquarters in The Hague. 🙂 – By the way, Ian Smith flew Spitfire XIV’s with 130 (Punjab) squadron, 125 Wing, but had also flown Hurricanes and been shot down in Italy, fighting with Partisans before coming back to the UK. Another well known Politican and Author etc. is Pierre Clostermann. cheers – Allan 🙂
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