Sorry, Andy, couldn’t resist… If it’s any help, I’m much, much taller than I was when I went to my first dig!

Anyway, back to Whirlwinds…

Adrian

Adrian sorry we don’t hold anything from that aircraft.

I feared not, but thank you for checking!

One day I will get down to have another look. I’ve been to Headcorn a couple of times since, but I suspect the last time I was in the museum was probably 1988…

Adrian

Bentine’s book is very interesting, though I won’t comment on his belief in spiritualism. Perhaps the most interesting bit is his role in WW2 (eventually, having been nearly arrested for desertion by the same military who refused him as a Peruvian citizen, and then being nearly killed by a dodgy batch of antitoxin) as an Intelligence Officer on a bomber squadron.

If you do find a copy, do please refresh us on the Elsan story therein!

Adrian

The details elude me now but if you read Michael Bentine’s autobiography there is a yarn in there about how as Intelligence Officer he had to sort out a complaint via the Red Cross that his squadron was dropping Elsans on Germany…

Adrian

Tim, SWMBO and I have just sat spellbound through that. Mr Hallock made a great job.

We do have one little question though. You escaped one of the Luftwaffe’s Experten c/o Messrs Irvine and the skin of your teeth, you flew Hurricats, with Turbinlite Havocs, you name it – is there anything you didn’t do (bar liking the Vengeance)?

Adrian

Love your Lanc, Hampden98! I got the Revell version for Christmas last year – interesting choice, I’ve not built a kit for nearly twenty years, and I’ve not actually got any parts together yet (lots of painting – and mixing paints too, quite a complex kit!)… but the box has now been signed by Les Munro, George Johnson, Maureen Stephens and (Christian name escapes me) Stopes-Wallis… so I really ought to get it finished this winter!

There were some lovely WW1 aircraft in the old Airfix range – I remember a Roland and a Halberstadt that I built, would be great to see modern versions.

Adrian

It’s notable that the report includes which letter is in white. To me that suggests that some had a good look at the aircraft in question – though really and truly there’s not much hard info in that report to help 21st century detectives, is there? There’s also the lack of any armament found, bar one empty magazine – was it salvaged at the time, with the aircraft in shallower water before the sands swallowed it? Or have more recent divers got there and cleaned it out? Or were the crew desperately flinging stuff out as it sagged earthwards? In all honesty, until a data plate emerges form under the dead seafood souflee, I think there are more questions than answers.

Adrian

(trying to sound coherent – my excuse is that we’ve just won the series against Australia!)

Indeed it does, Andy – I can see several points that you could argue about there, or at least query. Thank you for posting it, Ross – I love a good primary source!

Adrian