G-AWAU was built for the 1969 50th anniversary of Alcock and Brown’s trans Atlantic flight. Unfortunately, it later caught fire and was burned out. However, I think it was restored to non-flying condition and it is the Vimy which is now in the RAF Museum collection. The filming of the Vimy would have been from its airwothy days (1969/70). “Reach for the Skies” was aired in the UK on BBC2 in 1988.

As far as I know, “Fifi” is still flying.

I can’t remember the actual squadron featured in “Night Bombers” but the film is based on colour home movie footage shot by Wing Commander Iliffe Cozens at RAF Hemswell.

BBC2 originally showed “Night Bombers” and “The Memphis Belle” as part of a special “Bombers” night in 1979 – I still have the issue of “Radio Times” from that week which featured paintings of a B-17 and a Lancaster on the front cover. No over-obsession with soap operas and celebraties in those days.

Hampdens and Ansons were built in Canada.

And yet he is so self effacing. That’s probably why it took him so long to write his book. Let’s hope he has at least one other book in him.

I’ve heard a story of a bomber crew making it back to base even though they had taken some direct hits from anti-aircraft shells which failed to go off. When they got back they located some of these unexploded shells and opened them up to find hand written notes inside saying “this is all we can do”.

Here is a true space/cow related story.

In the early 1960s, a missile being test fired from Cape Canaveral veered off course and, instead of splashing harmlessly into the sea, broke up with some pieces landing in Cuba. The only casualty was a Cuban cow, which was killed by the debris. A diplomatic incident was avoided by the US government compensating the Cuban farmer.

Is this the real story behind the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Also poignant to see that the memorial shows the span of World War 2 as “1939 to 194-“. Obviously, the POWs had no idea when the war would end and may have been optimistically hoping that it would all be over before the end of the 40s.

I’m glad no one’s gone back since and added on a number “5”.

A Smoke pot?

The model Stukas “exploding” in mid-air certainly do not look full size to me. They have a distinct plastic kit look tothem when they break up.

That Swastilka on the tail fin of the He 111 in the shot from “Patton” is WAY too big.