Exactly my point Dave.

Those who know me know how much I care about the people who served in our Air Forces, and their memories being kept alive long after they have passed away, whether at war or later naturally. Of course it would be nice to find the remains, return them to the family and give them a proper burial, but after a year of knowledge of the crash site and still no news, this is unlikely in my opinion. So make the aircraft a memorial to him rather than a headstone in a cemetery. As DaveM2 says it will have an ongoing impact with future generations and keep his story and memory alive. I am not putting the metal in a more important bracket than the man, I am using the metal to ensure the man is not forgotten.

Whatever you all think my post has stimulated some interesting discussion at least, thanks. Enough from me.

I am sure I’ll be shot for saying this but I feel I have to ask…

Why do people feel so strongly that his body has to be found at all cost and brought home? His family must surely have accepted by now that the poor chap is long dead. They will have surely moved on with their lives decades ago, and the public had no concern for him at all during the 70 years between his crash and the discovery of his aircraft.

Negating that it’s pretty much an impossibility to actually locate his remains now, finding his body at huge effort and expense just so he can be reburied and eventually forgotten in a cemetery – why?

There are, after all, thousands of New Zealanders who died for the British Empire who’ve never been brought home. And tens of thousands of others also either missing, or lying in foreign cemeteries. Why the desire for so much effort for one person now? I really do not get it. And many of those advocating this search are the same people who’re so protective of war graves being untouched so the remains are not disturbed. A bit odd.

Surely the recovery of his aircraft and placing it on public display will mean his memory and his story will be kept alive in a far better way for generations to come as people pass through the museum that it is displayed in. There will not be a steady stream of people visiting his grave in decades to come, but in a place like the RAF Museum his story of why he fought and how and why he died can be told and retold for centuries to come.

I have personally known Bill since 1989, which is also the year that he wrote his book on Dad’s Army, and founded the first Dad’s Army Appreciation Society – which he re-established in 1993 after the first effort foundered. Bill was a truly wondeful, warm man. Nothing like his public persona of Hodges. I have so much admiration for him, he has long been a hero of mine. He overcame a lot in his life and succeeded. He could not read or write till he was about 14, but went on to write seven or eight books and many of them were best sellers.

As Moggy said the Dad’s Army fan base kept him busy, but it was he that created that fan base, starting the DAAS and remaining its President right the way through till his death. I am certain he loved appearing at events and meeting the public, he gave so much time to it. He also did an awful lot of charity work, such as for Kingston Hospital Radio, etc.

The world is a little less bright today without him. 🙁