Pete TrumanAn excellent programme, and very moving at the end after he had met the locals. He was a fantastic character, a little frail but mentally very agile. He was obviously becoming more uncomfortable throughout the programme with the consequences of what they had achieved with regard to the deaths, not only amongst the local population but of the aircrew taking part. He didn’t show his emotions on the surface, but they were obviously bubbling away underneath.
It was interesting to see that his mission involved flying along the crest of the dam, the Upkeep being used in a conventional way, I couldn’t see the point of that, couldn’t it have bounced off the ground in any direction. I assume that had the other Lancasters arrived, that the same technique would have been used, it left me very puzzled, but what do I know.
Another question, when were the dams finally repaired, presumably as soon as possible, I don’t understand why 617 didn’t go back later in the war and finish the job with Tallboys or Grand Slams, out of pride if not for any other reason. It would have been a little safer to have used these earthquake inducing bombs dropped from a great height, obviously they were in short supply and needed for more pressing missions such as La Coupole and the Tirpitz, but I’m sure it would have affected the German morale no end.
Pete TrumanJust wondering if anyone knows where the three-ships went when the flypast dispersed?
Was playing cricket within blimey-that-glider-was-low of Weston-on-the Green and what looked like two of them went by in the far distance – which ones I couldn’t say, as they really were just two small specks and a fat speck. Heading for Brize?
Adrian
Apparently so, and did you win despite the distractions, I hope you weren’t fielding at slip at the time.
Pete TrumanI was a little way back from where the BBMF and Herc formations were arranging themselves, the Herc had gained slightly on the Lanc, probably during the turn just north of Witham.
What struck me was how much bigger the Hercules was compared to the Lancaster, it looked twice as big in fact.
It also made me realise that I’d never seen the 2 types in the air before at such close proximity, closer over Terling than you see Sally B and Pink Lady doing their routines at Legends.
It made me wonder when the two types had flown together before like this, I presume they have at some point, possibly for a photo shoot out the back of a Hercules, has anyone ever seen it though.
I wondered whether Markstringer made it to Hainault Forest and what the view was like there, and did you have your pint of Adnams at Southwold Moggy.
Incidentally, the later highlights on BBC2 were much better, complete with sound and they managed to edit it so that the less interested members of the Royal Family weren’t so obvious.
Was Camillas ‘hat’ some sort of new fangled directional beacon by the way.
Pete TrumanWe went to the footbridge at Hatfield Peverel station, though, because Network Rail get funny about things these days, I checked it was OK with the station manager, he was so excited at the prospect that he left the ticket office and pretended to sweep the platform, I had to give him a running commentary, he’d never seen a Spitfire flying before and was beside himself!!!
!0 mins before things were due to happen, the Essex Police helicopter arrived and started hovering off the end of the platform, he must have had a good view.
The Lanc with the fighters in loose formation swung into view from the Braintree direction doing a 90 degree turn with the Herc and Kingairs following.
They passed about half a mile to the north of us forming up as we watched, heading for Chelmsford.
Then a Hawk appeared a few hundred yards to the south of us, very fast and very low.
The railway line is dead straight at this point and looking towards Witham we could see the lights of the formations heading directly towards us.
At this point a family arrived with their little boy to do a bit of train spotting, I told them what was about to happen and they couldn’t believe their luck.
The Typhoons appeared from behind the station roof forming the Typhoon shape as they flew directly overhead, everything else flew just slightly north of the railway giving a much better view.
I have to say it was very impressive, one of the Tornados was so close to the C-17’s port wing that the nav could have reached out and touched it, similarly the Diamond Nine F-3’s were so tight, it must have given them a headache flying all that way in such a close formation.
The VC-10 hadn’t yet reeled out his hoses, but the E-3 was so close behind him you had to worry about the jetwash.
The final 16 GR-4’s were incredible.
That was that, being on a bridge we could watch them go on for miles, worth seeing and the weather was perfect too, blue sky and big fluffy clouds, sorry I can’t find the lead to hook up the video, I recorded the BBC’s version of events, it was terrible, constant talking, too many views of the Royal family, many of whom couldn’t be bothered to watch, and no sound of the aircraft, plus the usual, ‘The worlds only flying Lancaster’.
The BBC did a very good coverage of the dambusters anniversary last month, it’s a pity they didn’t make more of an effort to celebrate what was essentially the RAF’s main 90th birthday flypast, I expected at least a view from one of the a/c taking part, perhaps they’ll do a better editing job for tonights Trooping the Colour highlights.
Oh, and our Hungarian old boy was most impressed as well.
Mods, would it be an idea to combine the ‘Flypast today’ thread with this one so the pictures can appear on here.
Pete TrumanFor those of you thinking of going to see it, the weather down here this morning is fantastic and apparantly likely to be so until this afternoon.
I’m going over to the railway bridge at Hatfield Peverel Station, assuming I can get some petrol, you get a good view from there, unfortunately I won’t see the BBMF formation at this point, but I’m taking father in law to see it and he’s not in the best of health at the moment and doesn’t want to travel far.
Incidentally live TV coverage of Trooping the Colour doesn’t include the flypast, whether it’s live on BBC News24 or Sky is a possibility, but otherwise you’ll probably have to wait for the highlights on BBC2 at 19:30.
Pete TrumanThe Cry bit is easy…the end of Operation Daybreak.
Surrounded in a church crypt with water rising the two remaining SOE agents embrace each other and shoot themselves. Gets me every time.
For those who havent seen it its a superb film.
TT
Agreed TT, based on a true story as well, weren’t those 2 played by Anthony Andrews and Martin Shaw, it’s a while since I saw it, put it back on TV instead of showing endless repeats of Under Siege.
An amusing scene in the film, albeit a very black one, is Heydrichs corpse, inevitably played by Anton Differing, being prepared for the funeral, ie: Jack boots being screwed onto a body in rigor mortise, you may think I have a wierd sense of humour, but it’s nice to see such an evil Nazi piece of filth, one of the worst in fact, being treated so unceremoniously.
Talking of ‘Under Siege’, that is a laugh from beginning to end, I don’t dislike the film for some bizarre reason, but the main characters are so over the top that I can only assume they were doing the whole thing for laughs and winding up the director.
The bits in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ that are really tearful are when the medic is dying and starts calling for his mother, my old man reckoned that most of them did that.
Then of course we have the dying Hanks telling Ryan to lead a good life, followed by the aged Ryan at his graveside asking his wife if he’d been a good man.
Right tear jerkers.
Another piece of black humour from The Longest Day, the German Major Pluskat phoning his superior from his bunker to report his sighting of the invasion fleet:-
‘But Pluskat, the Allies don’t have 5000 ships’
‘Yes they do and they’re heading straight for me’.
Pete TrumanPete, the flight out to the carrier is a good training opportunity for the carrier personnel and the aircrew, including the tankers. They have to practice this stuff. It’s quite a logistical and administrative challenge to do such a thing, as I remember from my own dets. Sometimes things are not always what they seem..
I accept what you say, but if the MoD is strapped for cash, couldn’t this be carried out a little closer to home.
The Queens Birthday flypast is a tradition, but tomorrows event is well over the top, I reckon that the 16 Tornados would have been well impressive on their own, does she really care after all how many a/c fly over the Palace, I doubt it, it’s all down to the faceless civil servants cooking the books and trying to sell our souls. I’m all for carrying on with this Trooping the Colour tradition, but if the poor bloke in Afghanistan isn’t getting his body armour and boots because of the money spent on all these traditional parades, then something has to be done, but it won’t will it, because the ‘powers that be’ do their jobs safely over here, well, so far, of course, it’s all down to our lads and their dog food diets to keep the enemy at bay.
Pete TrumanPete, the flight out to the carrier is a good training opportunity for the carrier personnel and the aircrew, including the tankers. They have to practice this stuff. It’s quite a logistical and administrative challenge to do such a thing, as I remember from my own dets. Sometimes things are not always what they seem..
I accept what you say, but if the MoD is strapped for cash, couldn’t this be carried out a little closer to home.
The Queens Birthday flypast is a tradition, but tomorrows event is well over the top, I reckon that the 16 Tornados would have been well impressive on their own, does she really care after all how many a/c fly over the Palace, I doubt it, it’s all down to the faceless civil servants cooking the books and trying to sell our souls. I’m all for carrying on with this Trooping the Colour tradition, but if the poor bloke in Afghanistan isn’t getting his body armour and boots because of the money spent on all these traditional parades, then something has to be done, but it won’t will it, because the ‘powers that be’ do their jobs safely over here, well, so far, of course, it’s all down to our lads and their dog food diets to keep the enemy at bay.
Pete TrumanWell I’m sure that you’ve all been on the edge of your seats waiting for an update.
Mr Rat dissapeared months ago, baby rat appeared briefly but also vanished, I think the dogs harried them so much that they went off to someone elses garden or succombed to the various cats and foxes that lurk around here.
We have a new problem, Mr Mole!!
He’s come under the fence from the fields out the back and set to work.
Fortunately he’s not been too destructive, YET, but his mounds are uncomfortably close to the pond.
My missus, of course, thinks he’s cute, despite the fact that he will destroy her lovely wild flower garden and lawn.
After studying ways on the Internet of getting rid of them without having to resort to terminal violence, I dug up the holes, flushed them with water and filled the tunnels with dog crap, they’re supposed to dislike the smell of predators.
Great, that worked all week, no more mole, but a fresh mound appeared at the end of his tunnel system this morning, he must be a hard mole, despite the flooding, dog poo and the digging attentions of our springer, he’s still having a go. I’ve dug out the mound and found the tunnel, again it’s going to get the attention of the hose pipe and spaniel.
Anyone succesfully dealt with moles without resorting to gassing and poison.
Pete TrumanWell I’m sure that you’ve all been on the edge of your seats waiting for an update.
Mr Rat dissapeared months ago, baby rat appeared briefly but also vanished, I think the dogs harried them so much that they went off to someone elses garden or succombed to the various cats and foxes that lurk around here.
We have a new problem, Mr Mole!!
He’s come under the fence from the fields out the back and set to work.
Fortunately he’s not been too destructive, YET, but his mounds are uncomfortably close to the pond.
My missus, of course, thinks he’s cute, despite the fact that he will destroy her lovely wild flower garden and lawn.
After studying ways on the Internet of getting rid of them without having to resort to terminal violence, I dug up the holes, flushed them with water and filled the tunnels with dog crap, they’re supposed to dislike the smell of predators.
Great, that worked all week, no more mole, but a fresh mound appeared at the end of his tunnel system this morning, he must be a hard mole, despite the flooding, dog poo and the digging attentions of our springer, he’s still having a go. I’ve dug out the mound and found the tunnel, again it’s going to get the attention of the hose pipe and spaniel.
Anyone succesfully dealt with moles without resorting to gassing and poison.
Pete TrumanNow if they hadn’t designed the AAM with those silly fixed windows, they could have slid the doors open and dragged out Mary Alice to join the line up as well, oh and the B-24, wishfull thinking.
During the making of Memphis Belle, an engine was swapped from Mary Alice to keep one of the B-17’s flying, does it have any serviceable ones left that could at least be donated temporarily to Sally B to get her flying for this event, or as I suspect, matters are in hand.
Just one thing, assuming all three manage to fly together, how close will they get, in the past there’s always been a great amount of seperation between Sally B and Pink Lady to the extent that they were virtually flying seperate displays, remembering some of the epic close flying when they were filming ‘Belle’, is this not allowed any more with large aircraft such as these.
Pete TrumanTangmere
I’ve been watching the ‘Warship’ programme about HMS Illustrious on TV, some of the things on there make me cringe.
The monetary outlay for the crews meals is less per crewman than it is for the countries prison inmates, at which point a brick nearly went through the telly, don’t bother fighting for your country, you’ll get better fed and have a safer life if you try and blow it up, oh and if your’e lucky enough to be in Whitemoor, the prison authorities will leave you to keep planning with your intimidating terrorist gangs and let you do what you want.
Even MoD police dogs have more spent on them foodwise than our valiant sailors.
On the other hand, the captain has his own gourmet chef and private kitchen, though to be fair, it did state that he paid towards the cost of the meals out of his own pocket, probably just lifting him above the cost of the average prison meal.
Apart from that, despite the fact that the ship is the flagship of the Royal Navy, it’s pretty much falling apart, to send it out on a prestigious mission streaked with rust as well was disgraceful.
If the Government want to save costs, perhaps they should think on this.
The ship sailed for the Gulf with its compliment of Merlin helicopters.
4 Harriers were subsequently dispatched from Cottesmore, joining the ship in the Indian Ocean after flying several thousand miles and topping up from Tri-stars on the way.
What was the point of that, why weren’t they put on board when it was still in the Solent, how much money would that have saved. I’ve no doubt that they will leave the ship and deploy to Afghanistan, well, I’m sure they will as I recognise some of the pilots in another series thats running about Harriers in that country.
So what do they do after the deployment, fly with tankers all the way back to the Channel and meet up with the ship there, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Pete TrumanTangmere
I’ve been watching the ‘Warship’ programme about HMS Illustrious on TV, some of the things on there make me cringe.
The monetary outlay for the crews meals is less per crewman than it is for the countries prison inmates, at which point a brick nearly went through the telly, don’t bother fighting for your country, you’ll get better fed and have a safer life if you try and blow it up, oh and if your’e lucky enough to be in Whitemoor, the prison authorities will leave you to keep planning with your intimidating terrorist gangs and let you do what you want.
Even MoD police dogs have more spent on them foodwise than our valiant sailors.
On the other hand, the captain has his own gourmet chef and private kitchen, though to be fair, it did state that he paid towards the cost of the meals out of his own pocket, probably just lifting him above the cost of the average prison meal.
Apart from that, despite the fact that the ship is the flagship of the Royal Navy, it’s pretty much falling apart, to send it out on a prestigious mission streaked with rust as well was disgraceful.
If the Government want to save costs, perhaps they should think on this.
The ship sailed for the Gulf with its compliment of Merlin helicopters.
4 Harriers were subsequently dispatched from Cottesmore, joining the ship in the Indian Ocean after flying several thousand miles and topping up from Tri-stars on the way.
What was the point of that, why weren’t they put on board when it was still in the Solent, how much money would that have saved. I’ve no doubt that they will leave the ship and deploy to Afghanistan, well, I’m sure they will as I recognise some of the pilots in another series thats running about Harriers in that country.
So what do they do after the deployment, fly with tankers all the way back to the Channel and meet up with the ship there, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Pete TrumanThe problem is, the weather isn’t looking to bright, in which case the 2 Hawk escorts tend to move the formations around to dodge the low cloud. During the Jubilee flypast a patch of low cloud over the bridge we were on was investigated by one of the Hawks and the whole lot were moved about half a mile to the north unfortunately, whereas at other times they’ve come right overhead.
I went to Hainault Forest to watch the Falklands flypast and never saw a thing, they diverted it up the Thames to miss the bad weather.
Presumably Hainault is about where the BBMF and jets start to link up.
I watched the 1990 BoB flypast from in front of the Palace, the problem is that the trees on the Mall get in the way and it’s not worth climbing over the gate to get on to that balcony, you’ll get into trouble.
Pete TrumanThurleigh does look rather full of cars, looking on Google Earth I can see 2 fairly intact looking former B-17 runways, Glatton and Deenethorpe, can anyone vouch for their condition.
Blimey Firebird, beat me to it by minutes.
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