Wouldn’t it be a shame if an original piece of history is thrown in the bin because of all our hunches…… Maybe the Public records don’t have a copy because the owner has the original.

If he had just made reference to the aircraft letter then that could have been any aircraft from any Squadron. I’ve not read the report but if the aircraft is in the same Squadron as the author then I’d say from my experience of writing aircraft incident signals I’d go for the actual registration.

Probably needs a forensics type chap to date the paper/ ink etc.

Yep, just playing devils advocate…. My reasoning behind listing the serial number would be because once safely back on the ground and the facts have been gathered it would have been quit easy to list the serial number if it was from the same Squadron as I’d imagine the author would be familiar with the airframe and probably have even flown it at some stage.

Sorry for losing the point of the thread but this is what i deleted earlier as it seemed like waffle regarding the accuracy of military documents as having re-read it had nothing to do with the aim of the original thread regarding the originality of the document………………..

Yep, just playing devils advocate…. My reasoning behind listing the serial number would be because once safely back on the ground and the facts have been gathered it would have been quit easy to list the serial number if it was from the same Squadron as I’d imagine the author would be familiar with the airframe and probably have even flown it at some stage.

There is a lot of knowledge on this forum and I enjoy it because of that fact but I’ve been caught out before on other forums by people that seem to be the font of all knowledge and are highly respected but turn out to be complete numpties whose reputations are based purely on the number of posts they have entered. (I RUN THE RISK OF UPSETTING PEOPLE BUT THAT STATEMENT IS NOT AIMED AT ANYONE HERE!!!).

I’d say it is very hard to scrutinise military documents because they are written by a majority of people who would probably find them a complete bind to fill in and a waste of time. Obviously a combat report is something different but I’m sure they run the risk of being beefed up.

A trivial example would be me filling in the RAF Wattisham daily guard report and signing for my hourly security checks the following morning having had an undisturbed kip in one of the cells. To a military historian years later, there is his written signed evidence of what happened when in actual fact it’s a complete load of tosh. Add a few typing errors or wrong times then you instantly have a can of worms…..

Thanks Chaps, Seems like an interesting location. Dont know why but I’m starting to think US army piper cubs.

Would be great to get her air worthy but in an age where no one cares about history i cant see how it is going to be a feasable project. Look at the poor old Vulcan struggling year in year out. The EU not being warbird friendly and no aircraft operator is going to make a living on the back of airshows.

Still on a positive note, we are still lucky to have a few individuals that make there dreams become reality.

Do you know which type of aircraft employed the Mk IV auto pilot? Lancaster??

Ooopss!!!! I better double check, i’m sure after googling the symbols stood for microrems but i’ve never touched the subject before. At a distance of 30cm the reading was ZERO. I’m clueless about the measurments but does this make them more or less lethal and more important is anyone in a space suit going to take my mate away who’s dosemeter i used? Wasn’t that stupid enough to use my own.

I’d say attitudes are changing, i used to live in Berlin years ago and could never find that much relating to World war two. Went back last year and there now seems to be quite a big tourist trade devoted to it, even saw street information signs with a then and now type photos of marches and flags along the Unter der Linden etc