Dave HomewoodThanks so much for sharing that amazing letter, Don. You had told me previously that you had all these writings by him, but seeing here how open and descriptive it is makes me think that this would be so good for puiblication, whether it’s on the web or in a book.
It makes stark contrast to the letters I linked to on my site the other day by a bomber pilot to his parents in NZ. He was obviously not too keen to tell his family what it was really like, unlike your uncle was. My link is
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Brian%20Mcnamara.htm
I am looking forward to seeing more of your uncle Lloyd’s writings. Thanks again.
Dave HomewoodSteve (Hatton), having read your post carefully. and considering my position in my last post, I want to say to you that yes, I go a bit carried away with the name calling. I’m sorry, I had no reason to assume you were one of those namby pamby bleeding hearts that seem to want to dominate these days. And I am sorry for lumping you in with that lot. Anyone who loves Basil Fawlty is AOK by me. I was just a little outraged at how my fairly innocent post had been attacked from so many quarters and in my opinion hijacked by those with an agenda to make trouble.
As far as I am concerned, Moggy is one of this forums’ best moderators beause his posts always make sense and and usually make me sit back and think, as well as making me laugh at the same time. Keep up the good work Moggy.
As for those poor donkies, it saddens me that they might be disabled, (orr, poor little mites) but I have no problem that they are lesbian or whatever way they may like to kick – so let’s hear it for the donkeys. I didn’t really mean it when I wanted you shot.
All jokimg (and my current drunkedness) aside, Lets just all remember what it was that those young men who once played that game for real did for all of us – whether you are British, Kiwi, or German. That game was one of the destractions that took their mind off the job at hand, whilst their main aim was irradicatin of the Nazis from Europe. I don’t care where we are from – I think we all can agree that this was the right thing to do.
Less than sobrely yours
Dave
Dave HomewoodSteve Patterson,
Although when I started the thread I didn’t think for a moment anyone on the forum would genuinely have a go at playing the game, and I just wanted to highlight it as a historical interest, I have to say your attitude is spot on.
Why not play it today? Who cares what a few liberal bleeding hearts might think. It is a historical game, and playing it is re-enactment of a period piece. You are absolutely right. I don’t think anyone would play the game and develop the urge to really go and bomb Berlin, or swat a foreigner!!
This thread has taken many daft turns but you have made a very valid point – the Zero used to get shot down by the P40 here in NZ. When the Bf109’s were out here, the Spitfire always won. No-one complains at that either.
It is, as you say, re-enactment, which is a very valid method that teaches people about what really happened. There are all sorts of forms of this – Spitfire Ace is re-enactment – as is Bomber Crew. Why are the wingers not haranging that thread????? They are coming much closer to re-enacting the bombing of Berlin than this simple darts game could!!!
I am by no means an angry warmonger, nor a bigotted Alf Garnett type (Archie Bunker for you Yanks). But I see no harm in playing a game like this to understand what the young crews were thinking. And you could easily change the context. How about making it Middle Earth or Star Wars themed if you can’t handle reality!!!
The thing is, we enjoy seeing these things re-enacted today, that’s why these TV shows are doing well, as did the IWM’s “The 1940’s House” and many other re-enactment programmes. And seeing mock battles in the flesh like we have here in Cambridge every year also help you to understand aspects of combat. It can be thrilling and terrifying. You can’t get from books what you can see in the flesh, re-enactment brings those days back to life, whether a few Ned Flanders-types like it or not.
Dave HomewoodThe Mk 1 will look fantastic for airshows and photo shoots alongside early model Spitfires and Hurricanes.
Alternately at Airshows they could have some great battle of France re-enactments vs a few Buchons/Me109’s. Or re-enact “Piece of Cake” and have it shot down by Hornet Squadron. Yep, i can see much potential for public displays in this early guise.
And it won’t be too much longer before other later models are flying too, will it? Aren’t there a few near completion in Canada?
Dave HomewoodI certainly can live without another war.
Well, according to BBC World the other night, the conflict that Britain got roped into recently is now being towted as World War Three. Something to think about really.
Dave HomewoodAh, ok. Thanks. I never had any cause to doubt Phil, he was a very highly respected pilot in the RNZAF and in the Warbirds community. But I guess everyone can make mistakes.
He was incidentally the pilot who unfortuntely crashed the P40K. Thankfully he was OK and it has been rebuilt, but unfortunately the lovely ‘K’ has left our shores.
Dave HomewoodSo what you’re saying is now flying P40’s are worth half that of a Spitfire, whereas before they were worth twice the cost?
Now that is depreciation!
Dave HomewoodI Just Saw a Beaver!
Cheers All.
Well, it is now B-Day + 1, and I was just out in the garden picking tomatoes when I got another aerial treat
The New Zealand Warbirds lovely DH Beaver just flew over Cambridge. It looked lovely as usual in its bright red RNZAF Antarctic scheme, but it sounded even better! What an impressive sounding engine, I’d forgotten how deep and throaty it was.
Seventh Heaven again.
Right, tomorrow some Spitfires and Hurricanes please 😀
Dave HomewoodIt is a good point about the resurgence of the P40 in the air. I remember back in 1992 one day when Sir Tim Wallis’s P40K was oin our hangar, and I was chatting with Phil Murray who was it’s pilot.
He was saying that a flying P40 was worth double that of a Spitfire because they were so rare.
Now though thanks to the efforts of many restorers, especially in new Zealand and Australia, there are many more examples returning to the air. So does this mean their individual value will drop aling with that rarity factor?
Dave HomewoodYou talking about Snapper Dave? 😎 And me for that matter (‘cept I wash my singlets). :p
Haha, sorry, no offence – nobody foes it quite like Waikato drinkers (you also require a Rottweiler, a solo mum for a girlfriend, a defunct Valiant in the back yard and no job to qualify as a real Waikato drinking man! 😀 )
Todd, no pics. It was all very impromtu and over very quickly, yet still very nice to see.
Dave HomewoodThanks everyone for your kind words.
Tempestnut – Waikato – errrr, no thanks. I wouldn’t touch the stuff with a barge pole. That’s the beer for people with skinheads, goatees and dirty singlets mate! 😀 And it ain’t even made in the Waikato neither!
Don’t worry, I did sink a few Lion Reds, which on the scale of things is not the best beer either but a million times better than Wakatoo, as it’s known.
Dave HomewoodCongrats to Mr Pay.
Does this mean he has two flying P40’s now? Or did he dispence of his original one?
Dave HomewoodThanks for that John. It is a really intriguing story about those first Boeings. There have been a few programmes on TV here about them over the years. Many very knowledgable aviation people have attempted to get permission to search the tunnels, but Governments of the past have always been very reluctant. I believe one search was allowed, with extreme restrictions – they were only allowed into certain tunnels, and only had something like 24 hours in the tunnels. It involved much clearing of blocked tunnels taking a while. Of course, they found nothing.
Governments of the past have been very negative about letting people in, so it won’t even be worth considering applying to the current anti-aviation idiots in power here now. I would imagine if the first or second ever Boeing were discovered, the Boeing Corporation would be very willing to pay for it to be returned home for their collection.
Dave HomewoodJust to clarify, when I posted this thread I was intending the bit about playing it these days to be a bit tongue in cheek. I cannot seriously consider that you lot would play it for real in some pub today – the bar staff might not appreciate hundreds of dart holes in their table for starters.
As said before, I meant no malice toward the people of Berlin or Germany or any other city. I thought the thread title and tongue in cheek angle might catch more eyes than if I’d simply put Wartime RAF Game, because a few months ago I posted about other wartime games played in the RAF, such as Cardinal Puff, and nobody bothered to look at the thread!! It seems to have worked, but it has also rialled a few of you. Sorry.
This is an interesting piece of history that, yes, would be good to be remembered in a museum but not so good in a pub on a Saturday night. We should remmeber the social side of the Air Force as well as the combat side. Had it not been for games and fun and activities such as this, many of those poor guys would have gone completely mad,
And whilst Ben Elton could be a descendant of Himmler, the nasty Nazi himself also passes a slight resmeblence to the very funny Paul Scaffer off David Letterman’s “Tonight Show” in that photo!
Dave HomewoodHappy birthday, Dave!
A day that will live in infamy in more ways than one! 😉
“Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!”
😀 😀 Cheers guys.
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