Pete TrumanWhats going to happen to the Coltishall Jaguar or was it moved at the same time as the plastic Hurricane.
Pete TrumanAlconbury has an F-5E which I reckon must be the only one in the country, where is the A-10 parked.
Pete TrumanWere the two used in desert markings in “Patton” then current Spanish machines or had they been sold on?
I looked on IMDB and as the film was mainly shot in Spain and involved the Spanish military as extras, then I presume that they were from the Spanish Airforce, still airworthy as a result of the BoB film, I think that Patton is a great film, George C Scott is perfect in the role, my only problem with it is the p### taken out of the British, Montgomery in particular, but I can imagine that the opinions at the time worked both ways, it’s not surprising is it, great quote from the film is from Patton, ‘Hell, Montgomery and I are both Prima Donnas but I’m the only one that knows it’
Wierd, as I write this Monty has just been mentioned on Radio 2, shudder runs down spine.
Pete TrumanI presume that the ex Southend ‘Heinkel’ used in ‘Piece of Cake’ was the one in the crash scene, was it not the CAF example that was used for the flying scenes, I watched that episode the other day and was trying to spot the join between the UK and US flying sequences, it’s the landscape below that gives it away, too many straight roads.
A couple of the Spanish ‘Heinkels’ were also used in the film ‘Patton’, I wonder if those survived.
Pete TrumanI arrived at the in-laws minutes after it had been on and missed it.
I know it was a charity event, but in view of the awful weather down here yesterday, I’m surprised that both a Spitfire and Charlie Brown were risked for such a stunt, I nearly got blown over and drowned just taking the dogs for a walk.
Pete TrumanProbably the same Pikey scum that knicked the Henry Moore bronze sculpture from Hadham, pity it wasn’t electrified, no nationalities mentioned here, but haven’t some of these people got a problem with the British Military/Empire for events going back to earlier in the last century and beyond.
Was this statue in a built up area, if so how did nobody hear the angle grinder and get suspicious, mine is so loud that I’m ashamed to use it.
I hope the scum fall into the melting pot, feet first, to quote ‘Private Ryan’, ”Don’t shoot, let them burn.”
Pete TrumanThank you Finchingfield and goodbye.
Having been told that the service was to be at the war memorial, and what a perfect day it was for that, I walked round the corner and bumped into a chap from the British Legion who said that the initial service would be at the church, then down the memorial about 11:15.
I watched the Cubs straggle noisily past, wouldn’t do when me and Shaun were in charge, so once again I was there on my own.
Then a wierd thing happened, a gobby tourist turned up in his Merc, rap music blaring out the speakers and he parked next to the memorial, just as I was about to walk over and tell him to f### off, his mate arrived in another black merc and guess what, a line of daughters dressed in pink emerged out of the back of the cars and were assembled round the memorial, matey then tuned his radio to the service from the Cenotaph and both families stood there with reverantly bowed heads along with our resident goose family that they shooed away when they threatened to crap on the steps.
I was well impressed, but where were the residents of Finchingfield, in the warm as usual.
I waited till 12, but no-one turned up apart from an old boy in a bowler who got fed up with waiting and went.
I did wander up to the church, but they seemed to be having a party up there so I went home, not impressed at all, I won’t miss them next year.
Pete TrumanWe used to regularly visit the Lincolnshire coast for holidays and day trips during the 50’s and 60’s. My old man always insisted that following the East Coast floods of 1953 that the most serious breeches of the dunes were filled up with old tanks, trucks and anything else that came to hand, then covered with sand.
I particularly remember a big sandbank south of Mablethorpe that was allegedly composed of every vehicle going spare.
Now, whether redundant airframes from the numerous Lincolnshire airbases were ever used as landfill could be an interesting question, a Lancaster fuselage could plug a very large hole.
Presumably the tanks in Norfolk performed the same role, I’m surprised that I’ve never come across them.
I’ve also heard that the same methods were used on the Suffolk coast, ironic that the shingle banks were breached last week, the freshwater marshes north of Dunwich have been ruined by an influx of seawater, Minsmere was lucky to escape destruction.
Pete TrumanSorry Pete, I will be in Oxford! Definitely at a memorial for the Act of Remembrance though.
Adrian
We are never destined to meet, however are you aware of ‘The Dark Materials Trilogy’ currently being filmed at Oxford, my mates son is involved with the sound production, screenplay by Tom Stoppard, if you’ve never read the Books by Philip Pullman, please do, no insult meant to J K Rowling, as Potter is a well written story, but these are something else, but if you’ve never read them, get in there, the films I’ve been waiting for, for a long time, b~~~~r the Dam Busters.
Pete TrumanYou will all be pleased to know that the remorsefull youth who climbed the war memorial and broke off the cross has organised for it to be repaired in quick time and the work was completed this week, ( and featured on Anglia News ), good for him, wev’e all done silly things in our miss-spent youth, I suspect that he prevented an accident waiting to happen, a loose cross falling on a group of wreath laying Cubs could have been a disaster.
As AG mentioned, the incident of the German pilot breaking his leg on the war memorial beggars believe.
A Heinkel attacking Bocking Courtaulds factory was shot down by a Hurricane, though this pilot was also shot down and killed by return fire.
The Heinkel crew bailed out and landed in a string across Finchingfield Green, the pilot hitting the war memorial and breaking his leg.
The crew surrended without any trouble and were arrested by the local copper, who took them to a house nearby, now the Swan Gallery, which was inhabited by a Danish female spy, the only person in the village who could speak German.
After a bit of medical treatment and a cup of tea, they were taken off to Dunmow by their military garrison, the mysterious Danish spies son was consequently given quite a bit of stick at the local school after the event.
I know that she was parachuted into Denmark later and was responsible for a succesful guerrilla campaign, I would love to know whether any of these people, German or Danish, still survive.
See you Sunday AG, yes I will be wearing the A-2, some of my other old uniforms may be considered unsuitable, pint in the Fox afterwards perhaps, except it’s Greene bloody King.
Pete TrumanI’ve always identified myself with the DH110 Sea Vixen. Here I am as a youthful hopeful future pilot, taken more than forty years ago with my Jetex powered model Sea Vixen. I’ve yet to achieve my ambition of flying a real one! (Note the Anderson shelter re-cycled as a coal store in the background).
Wow, did you live in a pre-fab, my aunt in Bullwell, Notts, lived in one of those and I used to love going round there when I was a kid, always had smelly coal fires that hung over the estate like thick smog, something to do with those wierd chimneys, didn’t they post date Anderson Shelters though.
Are there any pre-fabs still in habitation, can we have a pre-fab thread?
Sorry to digress, one for my missus:- Vulcan, large, intimidating and smokes a lot, bloody impressive though, and they do have grace and style.
Does that get me off the hook my love.
Pete TrumanIt has to be the Sea Harrier, getting on a bit, but still pretty sleek and manoueverable, however, grey on top and considered by some to be obsolete and destined for the scrapyard. Also require large amounts of liquid fuel to keep me going.
Pete Truman[QUOTE=adrian_gray]And I shall be ringing half-muffled at my local church*. Interestingly I don’t recall ever parading to the War Memorial in Finchingfield as a Cub Scout – IIRC we always marched in Braintree instead.
Yes, it’s a cracking setting for a memorial – and having the service there is great. I think it was two years ago I was last at Finchingfield for Remembrance Sunday and it was standing room only – and it’s no small church! So should be an interesting gathering.
I hope you noticed the defiant, lonely figure wearing an A-2 flying jacket, standing alone in front of the memorial as you drove up to the church.
Problem is, the tourists are so rude and inconsiderate, I well expect the Suzuki brigade to come roaring in during the 2 minutes silence, the Harley mob, however, will probably be already standing with humble respect outside the Fox with their cups of coffee and mint tea held in salute.
Having been doing this at the War Memorial for the last 20 years, my greatest wish has been for a Spitty to come roaring over the church tower and doing a victory roll over the Green at the appropriate moment, should I win the Lottery this week, I will throw wads at whoever would be prepared to do it.
Any offers without the financial guarantee.
Incidentally anyone know what happened to the German aircrew who landed on the memorial and Green in 1940, getting one of those back would be an interesting exercise.
Pete TrumanAny walking plants in your gardens yet?
I’ll just take the bandages off my eyes and have a look, funny, it’s very quiet around here, all I can hear are rustling and slapping noises, and my face stings like hell.
Pete Truman1) A3 Merry Hampton with driver about to put the lamps on, presumably it had just come off shed.
2)Same loco pulling out the station heading north.
3)My cameras were not very good, not only did my Ilford Sporti 4 have a useless viewfinder, but anything moving quickly or in poor light was a waste of time. This is an unknown A4 on the Elizabethan, 1962.
4) The last A4 I saw at Grantham, Sir Nigel Gresley heading north at high speed 1963, after this, the services were mostly dieselised and there was a steam ban at Kings X, so our trips to Grantham finished.
How about Derby Open Day when I have time.
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