Hiya Mark,

I don’t about you owing me an e-mail – I think it’s the other way round! Don’t know where the time goes. I’ll be in touch very soon.

TTFN,
Neil

Hi Guys,

& here’s a very recent, in the back garden pic! If you think the Mosquitoes big, you wanna see the size of the ducks!!! :diablo:

Hope you like the weathering!

TTFN,
Neilly

JDK,

I think we’ll have to disagree on this one. I’d like to know all the Mosquitoes painted in front line WW2 squadron colours are? The only Mosquito painted to represent a frontline WW2 Squadron is TA 634. The others are either post war or have incorrect colour scheme (brown instead of grey!). I’m not including W 4050.

I think TA 719 should’ve been painted in accurate WW2 camoflage & the markings should’ve represented a frontline squadron such as 105 Squadron. The first Squadron to be fully equiped with Mosquito Bombers. The Mosquito should’ve been dedicated to those Mosquito aircrew that made the ultimate sacrifice, so we can have this discussion. If you think I’m labouring this point slightly, did you know the Mosquito Aircrew Association wanted to have a plaque to honour those Mosquito Aircrew who lost their lives in WW2 mounted at St. Clement Danes Church & were refused! Fortunately, the Mosquito Museum took a different view & for anyone whose interested there will be a dedication on the 10th April 2005.

So, while I agree with you that Mosquito target tug pilots did some useful service, don’t you think you should take into account other factors, too. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what I think, the paint job is done. I’m just very sad that Duxford have gone this route.

TTFN,
Neilly

Hi All,

I’m not in favour of the target tug colour scheme one little bit. Whilst I see the point made by several people about this particular Mosquitoes history & it’s non-wartime record, it seems to me that putting aircraft (particularly an aeroplane such as the Mosquito, which did so much for the war effort) into peace time livery is all part of “don’t mention the war” mentality.

In the future, Joe Public, will think this is all the Mosquito did – tow targets! Recently at work, we were discussing hobbies/ interests etc. & I said I was a Mosquito Anorak, thinking the other guys would think de Havilland Mosquito aeroplane & not Mosquito – nasty little gnat. Guess what, none of them even knew of an aeroplane called a Mosquito, thinking interested in nasty little gnats (??)! Even when I said Wooden Wonder, I got blank looks from 5 of them & the 6th descibed an aircraft that could’ve come out of a Jules Verne book & definitely not a Mossie (Neilly went away shaking head Doh!) .

I would also point out that TA 719 left the factory as a B 35 & was converted the a target tug, so I would guess it left Hatfield with a wartime camo paint job, not the pewky paint job it’s got now! (I wasn’t impressed with the Tempests colour scheme, either & said so at the time!).

TTFN,
Neilly

“Don’t mention the war, I just did, but I think I got away with it!”

Hi Dave,

I made the mistake of buying one of the videos to this series (because it was cheap). I’d forgotten how awful (I would’ve used stronger words but…..!) this series was. Don’t waste your cash.
And the score would be -10 (It would’ve been lower, but for the scenes with flying Lancs!)

Happy New Year to You,
Neilly

Hi Alex,

Apologies, I was doing some 618 Sqd. stuff for someone else & I got carried away.

Neilly