My understanding is there’s only one in existence, in Finland. I’d be pleased to hear if there are more.

There is only one Blackburn Baffin too, the remains of which are owned by Charles Darby in Aucklnad, NZ.

Cheers Moggy.

I have read that the Japanese “Washing Machine Charlie” bombers desynched their engines purposely to upset the ground range finders that used sound apparatus to pinpoint the range for gunners. Would this by correct?

Yes, John Le Mesurier and Hattie Jaques were indeed married for a number of years, she was his second of three wives, and together they had two boys, Robin and Kim. One of the sons, Kim I think, became a rock star but dies from a drug overdose.

When 205 Squadron was getting rid of its Singapore flying boats and converting to Catalinas, four were sold or allocated to the RNZAF. A small unit of men from the RNZAF went to Seletar to form the Singapore Ferry Flight. I have spoken with some members of the crews. They trained with 205 Squadron on the type for a couple of months. Then after the fisrt two planes had departed for Fiji where they became the baises for No. 5 (GR) Squadron, the war with Japan started. The other two flying boat crews stayed on for a few more days and actually were giving cover to the two RN battleships (Hood and Repulse was it?) till their fuel ran out and they returned to base, only to find the ships were then sunk. They then headed for Fiji too.

However as war had erupted there was no immediate transport for the RNZAF groundstaff. They were attached to No. 205 Sqn and began working on the Catalinas. In one attack, one of them was kileld. He was Frank Edwards, from my home town, and on my website here
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Frank%20Edwards.htm

The story of how the RAF squadron up and left the RNZAF guys is recorded in the book The Golden Age of New Zealand Flying Boats by Paul Harrison, Brian Lockstone and Andy Anderson, but I received additional information from Wally Ingham, who runs the No. 30 Squadron and Servicing Unit Association. As I said, eventually these guys finally got back to NZ in mid-1942, and were sent on leave for about a month till the RNZAF had somewhere to send them. They then went to No. 8 (GR) Sqn (which later became 30 Sqn, hence the connection). Wally told me they turned up at Gisborne with only the shabby uniforms they stood up in and no kit to speak of. As their ordeal was top secret, they were not allowed to tell other squadron members how they’d lost all their kit. It was sometime before they were re-equipped and the squadron got some nasty tickings off by inspecting officers for having a number of very scruffy airmen. They did no tell the story till afcter the war, as it would have been very embarrassing to the RAF for abandoning these guys to their fate. It was a corporal who got all the men back safely (except poor Frank who copped it in the raid).

No doubt similar things happened all over the early days of the Pacific conflict as there was so much retreating. Same as in Crete, etc. Evelyn Waugh’s ‘Sword of Honour’ shows the shambles of the Greek withdrawal very well and is based on Waugh’s own experience, despite the fictitious characters. In that officers abandoned men, etc.

Which ones had you not heard of PilotDKH? mabe before your time?

Personally I have to say (and I was told off last time I said this here) but I find Morecambe and Wise rather unfunny to the point of tedium. Sure, Eric had some humour in him, but Ernie was dull as dishwater, and seeing them trot out the same tired old jokes every week I really cannot understand why the Brits revere them so much. I’ve found very few people who actually say they love them in this country.

The Two Ronnies were both hilarious, together and apart, and did their own musical numbers too to get the Variety budget, unlike most other artistes who relied on some second rate band to fill the slot.