Anyone recall those cartoon books – “Carry on Yomping”, I think?

There was a cartoon of two argentine soldiers sat in a foxhole at Stanley airport saying “if that’s the size of the plane, however big is their carrier?”

I know that I, for one, would have been first in the queue for the laundry if a Vulcan had come over low (was this high altitude bombing, just out of interest, or morale-and-underwear-damaging low level?) – BEFORE it laid any little eggs on me. 😮

I can’t help feeling that there was an element of “We can do this better than you, sunshine!” involved.

Speaking of 1940s technology, I’ve read an interview with the submarine captain that sunk the Belgrano who said something like “I could have used a new high-tech Tigerfish torpedo, but I figured that 1940s torpedoes were made to sink 1940s ships so I used one.” Not in the air, I know, but vaguely (very vaguely relevant)

Now I know why the dear old Belslow doesn’t lumber into Stansted anymore! Used to be able to spot it rolling in on finals in the distance, nip indoors, put the kettle on, make a cuppa and be back outside the back door just in time to see it go over. I’m sure if they’d flown flags, the flag would have blown forwards!

It’s a big baby – take good care of her!

Adrian

Gets a bit confusing this…. I know I was at the Duxford show September 1982 (Douglas Bader died, it pithed down bigtime, never thought I’d end up with Lady Bader’s copy of the programme from the Diamond Jubilee show – OR SO I AM TOLD – HUGE caveat!), but I’m sure I was there before that. And as a kid at Finchingfield School, where the kids from Wethersfield (“The base”) went I know I went up there for a demo of the firefighting kit and the foam mat. Also went up there for an air show and grumped all day because I had a throbbing headache!

But my first real memory has to be a Vulcan doing a slow pass up the Duxford crowdline – just can’t describe it adequately without using the foxtrot uncle charlie kilo word! Awesome in the proper use of the word – it certainly instilled awe in this anklebiter!

Adrian