Thanks for the reply jackonicko,
here’s another badge, probably from the same period, SECOND ALLIED TACTICAL AIR FORCE, it is made in Germany and has the maker’s name stamped into the leather and ‘Müchen’.
What do you think?
I’m a bit mixed up with 2nd ATAF, 2nd TAF and the periods that the names were offically used, but this looks 1960s/70s to me.
cheers,
-John
Hi Elliott,
I have just finished going through 30 photo back-up discs (I don’t want to do THAT again for a while). 🙂
After all that, I have only found two other Whitley photos, both of the box section, it seems that I turned it over so there’s photos of both sides (or upper and lower).
The first photo is fairly good………..
Unfortunately, the second photo is fairly low res, I must have had it ready to put on a page with other photos and never got around to it, I have searched for a higher res one but with no luck.
I hope these are interesting to you, this might be the only part of the Whitley left now!
I guess I’ll have to go back with my camera for you before the snow comes!
cheers,
-John
Here’s my last photo in the Sunderland story……….
The Sunderland site is around 12 km from the road on the far side of the water, the small town of Sylling is on the left of the photo.
This photo was taken from the crash site of another RAF aircraft, A.W. Whitley N1421 of 102 Squadron……. that will be the subject of my next post,
cheers,
-John
I took these photos on my last visit to the Sunderland site in 2005.
I found it interesting that even after 65 years in the open, some of the original assembly markings in pencil are still found on parts of the Sunderland! “686/C Item18 L” (Top left photo).
Other parts near the memorial: a fuel tank top and inner ‘fence’, a small inspection door, Bristol propeller hub and master rod, parts of exhaust system, sections of aircraft skin and wing parts. The germans removed most of the larger parts after the crash. The plaque on the stone memorial tells of Sgt. Ogwyn’s fall, survival and rescue and names his rescuers…… dedicated 10th June 1990.
Cheers,
-John
Helmet Lent……….
many of you would know of Lt. Helmut Lent of ZG76, he was the 110 pilot that shot down the Sunderland that sunny day and was a well known pilot who did not survive the war. Lent was very highly decorated during the war with the knights cross oakleaves then w/swords, and then with diamonds.
In 1950 a norwegian; Mr Erling Strangebye, was visiting Bremen, Germany and found a small silver cup in an antique shop. The cup had: ‘Leutnant Lent, Fornebu 9-4-1940 Sunderland’ engraved on it…. the ME110 pilot’s cup for the shootdown. He bought the cup and kept it for many years until 1972 when he saw a program on TV about the Sunderland shootdown, they interviewed Mr George who was visiting Norway, Mr Strangebye contacted Mr George, met up with him in Oslo and presented the cup to him!
Here is a copy of a page from the book Fornebu 9. April by Cato Guhnfeldt telling the cup story ……… in norwegian (sorry)
this is as close a direct translation as I can get……….
In 1950 the norwegian Erling K Strangebye was liveing at an american hotel in Bremen. He worked as an escort officer for an international organisation for placeing the many uprooted people.
One day he went into the hotel’s antique shop his eyes caught 12 small silver cups with the luftwaffe emblem on them.
All had the name “Leutnant Lent” on them with a date, place and aircraft type.
What he had found was 12 of around 60 small silver cups that Leutnant Lent had received from the luftwaffe, one for each shootdown up until 1943.
Three cups refered to shootdowns in Norway, one of them had “Leutnant Lent Fornebu 9.4.1940 Sunderland” this was when Leutnant Lent shot down the british flying-boat.
Strangebye bought the cup for $50. In 1967 he finally moved back to Norway with the cup.
In April 1972 Ogwyn George (the survivor of the Sunderland) came to Norway to take part in a TV program hosted by Erik Bye. Two days later he wemt to the Hotel Continental in Oslo and gave Leutenant Len’s Sunderland cup as a gift to Mr George.
Cheers,
-John
Note:This post about Sunderland L2167 is partly made up of a post I did last year on the WW2 aircraft forum.
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