John, I have been looking for that set for you since your visit. Yesterday I saw it in Whitcoulls but only on Video ($29.95). They didn’t have the DVD. The 2004 DVD is everywhere though. I’m pee-ohed that I can’;t find it for you on DVD.
Sadly there have been millions of documentaries, comedies and dramas, etc., made over the years that air once and are never seen again.
We have History Channel here through Sky TV but I don’t subscribe to Sky due to the cost and the fact that you have to buy over 20 channels to get History, and most are cack. I do have a copy of the series on VHS thanks to Dazdaman though.
Robbo, you’re right about the interviews. When I spoke with Edward Wells he said they’d interviewed him over a few hours, and about two sentences were used in the series. A great pity as he’s an interesting and a very important pilot in terms of the Battle and the war. And he was born and bred right here in Cambridge.
I thought the race was excellent. It was great to see some lesser names in the front and middle and bigger names getting nowhere fast at the back. Even better to see Schumacher make a mistake and crash (I don’t wish him any harm, he’s a great bloke, but it’s good to see others getting a chance). Yey, the season has started brightly.
Good on Fiscicella too, he ran a brilliant race.
I think the new rules are interesting. I wonder how many engines will last the race at Kuala Lumpar. I think the boring period is well and truly behind Formula One by the way, last year was great.
I just feel bad that the ‘home’ team (McLaren, formerly of NZ) is now a shadow of its former self and with their recent track record of losing engines in a race I doubt this new rule on having engines through two races will do them any favours. I’ve started supporting Red Bull now, since they fly warbirds and all (I hate their disgusting drink though!) just until McLaren picks up again.
Cheers Mike and Kye, wow it looks stunning. It is great to see it, and to know it is so well preserved. Well done IWM.
Now, off to sleepy-byes
Yes, the history and politics has been gone through before ad nauseum, I was really wanting to see what it looks like please. I’m sure someone must have photographed it.
Several Australian and New Zealand news sources are now reporting that the road workers have recommenced work on the road, and that they’ve dug up and destroyed a number of soldiers’ remains!! Whether the remains are of Aussies, Kiwis or Turks, it’s a disgrace.
Imagine the outcry if the French began putting a road through the D Day cemeteries, or similar sacred places were desicrated. Why is more not being done to stop this mess?
Great photos Mike. I like the registration, EVLE, sounds like evil
Well done Melvyn for completing what stands out from these and other photos to be a fantastic restoration, and for now owning the first airworthy Rearwin Cloudster in Britain. It is a huge credit to your years of hard work and dedication. I wish you well for the first flight, whenever it happens, and many happy years of flying her (if the Rearwin Museum doesn’t impose one of those silly non-flying exhibit policies).
Very true Charley. A couple of erks from here at Cambridge lost their lives in the war
Frank Edwards was shot by the invading Japs whilst servicing a 205 Sqn Catalina in Singapore
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Frank%20Edwards.htm
and Arthur Jessop was kileld when he was starting a prop on a DH86 Express and walked into another already spinning
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Arthur%20Jessop.htm
Also Arthur Clayton was an erk who died in a plane crash whilst transitting from Nausori to Tonga
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Arthur%20Clayton.htm
There are many thousands of cases like these where erks became statistics. Very sad.
Ah, sorry John, you posted a smilar thought as I was typing.
Yes, lest we forget
On the other hand too, the ground crews suffered intolerably, perhaps moreso, in the Pacific. The heat of the day was so bad that they would burn the skin off their hands if they touched the skin of the aircraft that had sat in the son. The cockpits were roasting, and where the aircrew may have spent just minutes in it before becoming airborne and thus the interior cooling down, the erk would sit inside these caldrons for hours when doing maintenance or engine runs, etc.
If they dropped their tools they were usually too hot to pick up off the ground. The crushed coral runways would blow up into clouds of dust, and then stick like glue to everything.
And after work, they then had no pubs to go to. The food was atrocious (perhaps not so bad for the USA, but definately for the Commonwealth erks). They had the myriad of tropical diseases (which many still live with), snakes, scorpions, Washing Machine Charlie (a solitary bomber with de-synchrinised engines dropping one or two bombs simply to wake the weary troops), the tropical rain storms, sea snakes at the beach….
Much the same in the desert too I guess. It is a great thing that they had a common cause and eprit de corps, these erks, wherever they were. Otherwise most would have given up I’d think.
Indeed Moggy, a wonderful thought.
I have posted this before, but I hope it is appropraite
THREE CHEERS FOR THE MAN ON THE GROUND
By Flight Mechanic E. Sykes (1942)
Wherever you walk, you will hear people talk,
of the men who go up in the air,
of the daredevil way, they go into the fray;
Facing death without turning a hair.
They’ll raise a big cheer and buy lots of beer,
for the pilot who’s come home on leave,
but they don’t give a jigger, for a flight mech or rigger,
with nothing but “props” on his sleeve.
They just say “Nice day” – and then turn away,
with never a mention of praise,
for the poor bloody erk, who does all the work,
and just orders his own beer – and pays !
They’ve never been told, of the hours in the cold,
that he spends sealing Germany ‘s fate,
how he works on a kite, till all hours of the night,
and then turns up next morning at eight.
He gets no rake-off, for working ’til take-off,
or helping the aircrew prepare,
but whenever there’s trouble – it’s “Quick at the double”,
the man on the ground must be there.
Each flying crew, could confirm it as true,
that they know what this man’s really worth,
they know that he’s part of the RAF’s heart,
even though he stays close to the earth.
He doesn’t want glory, but please tell his story,
spread a little of his fame around,
He’s just one of a few – so give him his due,
and “Three Cheers for the man on the ground
A Bf109E-7 and Bf109G-2 mentioned here
http://www.adlertag.de/heute/restoration.htm
& the Bf109E-7 again
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/Luftwaffe/messerschmitt/me109.htm
P40K mentioned here
http://www.pioneeraero.co.nz/p-40_serial_numbers.htm
Hurricanes here
http://www.hawker-restorations-ltd.co.uk/Media/Articles/8.html
http://www.jacksonharrison.co.uk/BoB2/HurricaneSociety/hurricane_list.htm
Others mentioned plus Bf109F here
http://www.luftwaffe-experten.co.uk/restore.html
I did pick up on that fact, sorry, just my poor humour
I believe he recovered the three Bf110’s and two Stukas that briefly came to New Zealand, didn’t he? Perhaps the three Hurricanes that came with them too.