When you consider that the pictures were almost certainly shot with one of these: http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/ you begin to see why so much care was taken – not like deleting all your bad pics today, every exposure was an odyssey in itself!

As for how the negs will age… I’ve scanned and printed plates made prior to 1916… How much will we lose to data decaying with digital?

Adrian

No pun intended?

Oh flatulence… missed that one! 😮

Imagine it, though. “Hey guys, we got a joker here – says his car got twatted by an out-of-control jet aeroplane. He’s even sent photos – let’s have a look – well b****r me, he’s not kidding…”

Adrian

I’ll take a (small) bet that it’s a standard roundel with a yellow outer ring recorded on orthochromatic film. Ortho film records yellow as black, blues appear lighter and reds darker, which looks to me exactly what has happened with the roundel.

Adrian

its well away from the UK red tops so there will be no slow news day headlines about “ancient aircraft plunging from the skies”……

Indeed – I was pleasantly surprised at the non-sensational tone of the report, with just the one brief reference to previous safety problems at Reno.

Bad news if you are a Sea Fury fan, but hurrah that the pilot is in one piece.

Adrian

I’m not trying to question the aware of any medal to anybody being shot at at all – but looking back with perfect hind sight, there do seem to be some , “unequal” awards?

I believe in WW1 that there was still a requirement for an officer to witness the deed. Many men may have gone unrewarded because their deed was driven by the death of the last handy officer. I’m unsure whether or not this was the case by 1940, but fighter cockpits were the sort of place you were unlikely to find any half-decent witness.

Propaganda awards? Hard to say – there was usually a reasonable delay between the event and the award being Gazetted. And history plays funny tricks – look at James Kirk VC (http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/celebs/military2.html). Close to forgotten in an action that would largely have faded from the public mind had it not been for some poet who was killed.

Adrian

I was going to make a rather snotty reply last night, but didn’t, and am glad I didn’t as another thread has reminded me who cotteswold is! Certainly a case where I am more than happy to at least defer an opinion to more experienced judgement!

It’s an interesting viewpoint – must re-read the story again to see at what point in the proceedings he decided to have another go…

Adrian

:D:D:D

Adrian

Well, you gotta think big…

Adrian