Devil’s Advocate!!!

According to Robert Jackson’s Book ” The Red Falcons” the Soviets recd 143 Spitfire Vb’s & 1186 Lf IX’s.It would seem very unlikely that they didnt put them into combat given their situation.Lets not forget that Stalin ordered the destruction of all Western aircraft & records after the war to deny the level of help that was received .

Where is the Mossie in all this? Served in most combat areas ..Europe,Far East,Middle East ( again with Isreal ) and with how many different airforces? for how many different roles? and for how long?

“Those were Typhoons. The Hurricane was used for mail-delivery in Normandy.”

not sure about the when but I remember reading in someone’s memoirs recalling an incident where he was escort to a flight of Hurribombers sent into a target i beleive after DDay and shot to ribbons by flak 🙁

The old ones are always best!

Thnaks for the info..fascinating to watch these old films ..great scenes in this one remember it from years ago!

another heads up! Dont know if this sale are Uk wide or just in Northern Ireland…” Game Stop” have a fantastic sale on at the moment of pre owned DVDS ..amongst the normal rubbish that nobody wants there are a few gems…i picked up “Cockleshell Heroes ” a combi BOB/Great Escape/Bridge To far,Attack, ..10 dvds for STG£21 !!!

Get buying…i didnt have time to get through to whole lot…had to go to Sainsbury’s instead for daft stuff like FOOD ! 😀

No contest ..Hurri by far the best!!!

” Were the Hurricanes excluisively used with the Bostons that were fitted with the huge lights? Or did other night fighters also do this? “

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they sometimes operated with non radar equipped Havocs/Bostons ,cant remeber where but it may have been ” Night fighter” by C F Rawnsley/Robert Wright or another book( since sadly lost !) which had the most fantastic painting of a Beau ( my 2nd Fav aircraft! ) knocking down a HE 111 …Damned if i can remember the author or title though!!!

Lets not forget that but for the Hurricane most of us in these Islands would not now be here ..The Spit was a great Fighter but wasnt there in enough numbers to do the business by itself ! And the Hurri kept going and showed far more diversity than its more glamorous stable mate..How many tanks did the Spitfire knock out then???

All airplane crashes that total the aircraft and/ or include fatalities sadden me greatly,but there was something about the demise of this fine airplane and its crew that made me hurt inside more than others .I’m guessing it was because I have always found the Mosquito to be such a beautiful airplane and also so rare due to its wooden airframe.I knew that B.A.E. kept it in immaculate condition and I guess that I felt that it was crewed and maintained by the best that there was.As I/we have learned way too many times over the years,when you play with old machines,sometimes they break and/or crash.I still find it hard to believe that it’s gone.A truely beautiful machine. Tim

Here Here, a truely beautiful wonderfull aircraft .As previously said one from your childhood days of 663 squadron and those dogfight double kits from Airfix. Damn but we need one back flying again. But as sad as the loss of this fine aircraft was, let us not forget the death of two fine men.

ITS THERE ALREADY !!!

And wasn’t a museum constructing a replica Clipper?

Yep, its to be found at the Foynes Flying boat museum on the Shannon estuary .As far as i know they reopened last week,saw an article on an RTE ( Irish TV) programme last week.

There is W6075 a Sunderland III 330 Sqn that ditched off Rams Island Loch Neagh 12 May 43. I have that accident report and movement card too. I also have the details of T2128 a Blenheim IV of 236 Sqn that Ditched on Lough Neagh 4mls SE of Randalstown 20 Sep 41 with the loss of the entire crew during torpedo training. The remains were recovered so it’s not a war grave but as the entire crew were killed it’s probably really banged up. Tiger Moth N9127 ditched in Lough Neagh 17 May 43. For a more modern touch there was an Avid Speedwing Mk 4 G-BUFV ditched in the Lough on 10th June 2005.

Ali 😎

found the following article which seems to relate to the sunderland and the Tiger Moth!

http://iwn.iwai.ie/v29i2/neagh.PDF

“I heard stories back in the eighties of the sillouette of a twin engine aircraft being visible by pilots taking off from Aldergrove, which was allegedly a Lockheed Hudson. “

SNAP !!!! heard this story as well and as you can see from this post the skydiving,sea diving,rubber suited dream boat came up with a result!! LOL ..

have you heard any reports recently of this silhouette being visible? as previously posted it was i understand dived on, identified as a twin, marked and then mysteriously disappeared when the dive team returned!

Originally Posted by Allison Johnson
There is W6075 a Sunderland III 330 Sqn that ditched off Rams Island Loch Neagh 12 May 43. I have that accident report and movement card too. I also have the details of T2128 a Blenheim IV of 236 Sqn that Ditched on Lough Neagh 4mls SE of Randalstown 20 Sep 41 with the loss of the entire crew during torpedo training. The remains were recovered so it’s not a war grave but as the entire crew were killed it’s probably really banged up.

He told me to give up the diving or he would leave me. I just love an ultimatum as I will always choose the option that they are least likely to like just for the hell of it. :diablo:

I now just want to find something and get it into a museum so I can feel a warm smug feeling inside that it was worth it. Being a bit of an aviation anorak I think it should be an aircraft.

Ali 😎

We have a name for someone like that over here..starts with “silly” and ends with well various options but my fav rhymes with oarlocks!!!

and there is always the Blenheim ,already dived on and lost again!