1batfastardHi All,
Snafu,
Many thank’s for the link was very interesting reading it now only pushes me forward to find out the truth behind the story, While the veteran Air-Mech did state to my neighbour that it was Trincomalee Harbour I have a feeling it most certainly in deeper water further away. I saw my neighbour just a minute ago and he said he was told this 20+ years ago but Trincomalee was the location We know two things for definite The Japanese where repatriated from Ceylon and the RN had a policy of dumping unwanted aircraft, the only problem is the it’s the crated Spitfire (Seafires ?) I have a problem with as it’s quite easy to push a rolling airframe but a crated aircraft ?
My neighbour also stated that Barracudas where dumped and some evidence exists i.e. the pictures in the thread link you provide, also the vessel they where dumped off was it a carrier or freighter ? the problem is where I go from here I need RN Historical archives if they exist ?
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
I would just like to add my warmest congratulations for receiving at long last what was due. :applause:
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Here’s another. :highly_amused:
Jaguar GR1 XZ118 Y With 38 missions.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Is their an AA threat by ISIS then ?
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Lucas your last post already covered in posts 49 and 64 matey :eagerness: Still think t’s beautiful though.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
I may be controversial here but don’t we all need to step back and look at what was the meaning behind the original comment ? His reference to Hitler was not a recommendation that he follow his example more about a bloke who captured his audience and like or not he could do that that’s all may be he could chosen a netter descriptive manner.
As far as I am concerned Hitler was at the essence of all evil through WWII it was his stamp of approval over everything right from his climb into politics to his leadership of Germany and his dream of world domination the fact that millions believed goes to show he was a master at the art of delivering speeches’ with his belief spreading amongst those who attended the rallies even before WWII started.
I truly believe that is what was meant by the comment.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
An update from Laurent Boulestin on the Lancaster NX644 restoration, proof that not everybody ignores my e-mails and restored faith to keep plugging away. 😀
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
White house down – If you can ignore the bad CGI and the rather naff ending not a bad watch but kind of like Die hard at the Whitehouse. 😀
I tried very hard to watch Hammer Of The Gods until the music kicked in :sleeping: features Clive Standen(Ragner’s brother Rollo) from the far superior series Vikings which I have enjoyed S1 just waiting for a re-run of S2 and the History Channel have commissioned S3 for 2015 :applause:
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Obviously an interesting thread 😀 Anyway here is an update of my own efforts for truth or folly.The veteran was a RN AirMech/Airframe Mech, Trincomalee I have discovered is a vast natural harbour in fact the worlds largest and not as I was thinking a harbour in the traditional sense until you the coast itself, anyway Mk12 has informed me that there have been cases of aircraft pushed over the side for whatever reason at the time during WWII.
I have been in touch with a local tourist diving outfit who have this web page http://www.divesrilanka.com/
Here is the reply to my e-mail below from the above link :-
Hi Geoffrey,
Your story is quite a surprise as I have never heard of it before.
I will however investigate.
There were only two attacks on ceylon. April 5th and April 9th 1942.
The only ship capable of carrying air crafts were HMS Hermes. At the time it sank, most of its air craft were in Colombo for for the protection of the city.
While there are air craft here and there. Never heard of any “trail of wreckage”.
If it existed in reasonably deep water (divable) we would have got to know through fishermen.
However, I will check again.
Regards
Dharshana
While I appreciate there are quite a lot of wrecks from various era’s there however a number of WWII era wrecks obviously HMS Hermes and the Floating dock that was sunk to name two. Here is a small list of some wrecks. http://www.divesrilanka.com/RgTrin.html It is evident that there may be some truth in this story ? My next step is the RN, Is there anybody with any Ideas as to what branch of the RN I should start with please ? I assume I would obviously need a list of vessels who took part in repatriating the Japanese POW’s from Trincomalee. Any help will be gratefully appreciated.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Here are the last two pictures with some moustachioed bloke 😀 Just click the pictures to enlarge. :eagerness:
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All thanks must go to Laurent Boulestin and his small team of workers for their efforts to bring back another Lancaster to life. More updates when available. :applause:
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Robbo,
I have been in touch with Laurent Boulestin the owner he allowed me to post his reply’s and the pictures and as far as I am concerned he and his small team have made a excellent restoration leaving no piece of the aircraft untouched a 1 st class restoration considering the what time they have actually available to work on the aircraft below are the e-mails and pictures.
hi Geoff,
I started going back to work on the Lanc this summer, and might be working on an update on the website, but currently hosted by my future ex-wife provider…… In the meanwhile, someone is currently working on a website for our association Ailes Anciennes, and there will be of course a page devoted to our Lanc with, hopefully, monthly updates.
What has been done the past eight years:
one of the two elevators has been almost totally rebuilt, along with one of the tail planes.
the centre section is being worked on, with the bomb bay having be totally dismantled, and being reassembled. Work is also being done on the trailing edges which suffered badly from corrosion, as well on the flaps torque tubes.
Maybe not much, but only done by 3 or up to 5 persons, mainly on week-ends.
I’ll try to log back on the Key Forums and post some pictures, but it seems that my old i.d. LaurentB is not working anymore as I was refused acces a few months ago.
For those interested, there will be an open week end on Sept 20-21, with access to the Musee de l’air et de l’espace restoration facilities and storage zone, as well as access to our Lanc hangar. I’ve been told that we will be having visitors from Duxford on Sept 20th.
Best regards,
Laurent
Hi Geoff,
As promised, here are several photos you can use on the forum, three taken in 2008, the three other earlier this year. You have the two tail planes before treatment, and one now almost finished, this one was the most corroded. Another picture shows the centre section bomb bay, with the bottom skin removed before and after. When the section was shipped back to France, the side walls were crushed (they probably drop the part on the ship) and had to be redone.They are nearly finished now, by two gentlemen in their mid 80s, very nice guys.
I have been unable to find a picture of the restored elevator on my hard disk, so I will take one tomorrow, so you will have a before and an after pictures for that part too. I will try to join a picture of a very famous visitor, Kermit Weeks who visited us on July 12th, while most of us were in the UK, which upseted us a lot.
I’ll be back tomorrow.
Cheers,
Laurent
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Hi Geoff,
Here are the latest pictures I took, hot from today, except, unfortunately, the one of Kermit (which my friend Gilles won’t mind if you use one the forum).
So you have the right elevator unrestored and the left yet to be finished (in fact I am almost sure about the left right thing, but it could be the other way round). I have made the structure supporting the parts for both of them, but the two elderly gentlemen found it more easier for them to work on a table, which proved to be a bad idea when some stupid dude dropped an heavy box on the elevator a few months ago!
You have the two “walls” of the bomb bay, one temporarily attached to the centre section. Interestingly, most everything is aluminum, but some parts (in red) were made of steel (same thing in the bomb bay area in the nose and the tail sections).
And finaly the right trailing edge slowly coming back to life (i’m sure it’s not the left one this time because of the dinghy location).
So you now know almost as much as us about the current status of our Lanc. Most of the guys are of the next two weeks, so things will be very quiet ’til September.
I will see about loging back on the forum during the week. Thanks for your help.Best regards,Laurent
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The last two to follow.
Geoff.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Roberts thread about the proposed pile of doda that will be the new DAMBUSTERS film allegedly and a couple of the responces:highly_amused:, political correctness has it’s place and it’s not in true events.
Charlie,
I only moved because you where so quiet :highly_amused:
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
While the forum discourages pointless profanity the same cannot be said for pointless mocking on some threads :highly_amused: Robert welcome to the mad house just put your straight jacket on the peg when you log out. And by the way I am with you all the way matey.
Geoff.
1batfastardHI All,
Simon excellent work matey the photos are crack on looks like the pilot new you would be there in image 0071 unless he knows your father. 😀 Like I said excellent work and many thanks for sharing with those of us who cold no be there, hope you had a well deserved hot cup of tea somewhere local while you where in the area.
Geoff.
1batfastardHi All,
Elliot Marsh,
Excellent shot of both Lancasters :eagerness: let the festivities begin for all to enjoy and savour, Simon Atack has been selected as the Official artist of the whole double Lancaster celebration, I would also like to add that you can actually get hold of a T-shirt commemorating this outstanding event of the two Lancasters flying in the u.k. from:-http://www.warhistorystore.com/products/lancaster-2014-uk-tour-t-shirt
I realise these are from a Candian site officially supporting the whole Lancaster crossing but well worth the money when you consider that most company over here only produce T-shirt up to XL in a lot of cases these go all the way up to 5xl for us rather larger than life fatties they also come in seven colours.
Geoff.
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