Last year, my 10 year old son asked to go and see the grave of a local Battle of Britain pilot who he had sponsored for the Battle of Britain monument(and a very nice certificate he got to).After his Football match on rememberance Sunday we drove to the churchyard.I knew the gravestone wasn’t one of the easily recognisable C.W.G.C headstones, it was a very small private stone and I had seen a photo of it several years before in the local paper.The churchyard was bigger than I thought and overgrown in places.We searched for ages and couldn’t find it. There are several other WW2 aircrew graves there ,including another from the Battle, and at one point out of the corner of my eye I saw my son standing to attention saluting at a airmans grave.I don’t mind admitting that brought a lump to the throat. I’ll take him back this year and we will find it.

[QUOTE=Andy Mac]Hellooo,

I recall over the years, but not for some time now, screenings of programmes made when a lot of the veterans were in their 50’s and 60’s. Frustratingly I can’t recall any titles – but I do remember one with Bob Stanford Tuck standing next to Douglas Bader at the RAF Museum talkng about tactics in the BoB, holding an Airfix Spitfire and Me109. Awsome.

Found it, and still plays ok even though 15 years old.The programme is called Spitfire, and is narrated by ex- Spitfire pilot Raymond Baxter, who coincidentally, is launching his book tommorrow at East Kirkby.Besides Tuck and Bader(yes it is at Hendon),Johnny Johnson and Jeffery Quill feature. It was made in 1976 by BBC South.One of the best Spitfire documentaries I think.

Hi Andy,

I recon I’ve videoed most of the WW2 aviation stuff off TV over the past 20 odd years, and I’ve definately got the tape you’re talking about.Unless someone beats me to it I’ll let you know when I get time to look for it.

Peter Jackson would be my vote to make the ultimate WW2 war in the air movie.With his attention to detail it would be awesome.

John Freeborns ‘a Tigers Tale’ is worth a look, not least for some surprising revelations about Sailor Malan. Also Brian Kingcomes ‘A Willingness to Die’, ‘Hero’ about Srewball Beurling, Tom Neil’s ‘A Fighter in My Sights’ and ‘Mustang Ace’ about Don Gentile.
Should be enough for the long winter nights to come.

Tobin’s 609 Sqn.fellow Yank Vernon ‘Shorty’ Keough is the one that has always intrigued me. He was surely the smallest fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, if not the entire war at 4ft 10ins.But what guts,he was a pre-war professional parachutist and stunt pilot.Tom Cruise should play him instead of Billy Fiske in ‘The Few’

Sure your not confusing it with the attempt by the Polish airborne troops to cross the Rhine at night? That’s shown later on in the film, sadly didn’t work out though

I’m pretty sure it was the Robert Redford scene,the reason given he needed to be on screen longer for the US audience.

Standing near to the 2 people at an airshow or museum, you know who I mean, the one who knows nothing and the one who knows next to nothing.At least you get a laugh at the answers ‘next to nothing’ gives to ‘knows nothing’