D-Day’s Unhappiest Man. Amongst the horror, there is humour. Made me smile.

http://elinorflorence.com/blog/d-day-spitfire-pilot

He wasn’t the only flyer to be put in that position. F/O. Haffernan, Bomb Aimer of a 578 squadron Halifax just got out in time. He was picked up by an American Landing Ship Tank and recalls. “I was dried out given a shot of the “hard stuff” and kitted out in US battledress and tin hat. Then I was handed a rifle and ammunition. I became distinctly anxious and remarked “Oh Jesus – I’m a flyer, not a soldier.” The immeadiate response was “correction buddy, you were a flyer, you are now going to be a soldier. He landed at D Day and was taken to an Army camp and attended by a Doctor.

As it is the 70th Anniversary of 578 Squadron I am putting a timeline of significant 578 squadron events on to their association website. Here is their entry for D-Day. 578 squadron sent 47 aircraft in support of D-Day in two operations. Sadly loosing two crews that day.

http://578squadron.org.uk/history/timeline.html#jun

It is a day for the soldiers but we must not forget the contribution of the bomber boys to the D-Day landings.

The replacement of the heavies with the mossie is very hypothetical….

To tool up the industry to change to mossie production would have taken too long and you cannot really compare loss rates as the Luftwaffe would have changed their tactics if we had changed ours.

I do agree that if we could have upped the production of mossies they could have been used to devastating effect.

I wouldn’t bash the Beau either. It was a well liked, solid plane that did the job.

There are parts are out there to do a static Wimpy or two but sadly practically speaking there will never be another flyer.

For example we have two live Victors in the country but they will never fly again and show the Vulcan what a real V-Bomber looks like (Ducks for cover)….. Boo-hoo.

Your post reminds me of me as a teenager in the seventies being obsessed with the idea of finding a Halifax and get it flying again, just to show the World that there were more bombers than the Lancaster.

Keep dreaming though, who knows there may be a billionaire out there who shares your vision. (Having watched last nights TV program on what makes Billionaires tick – we need to get a few of them onto this forum)!

I think the cgi route is a more realistic goal. Are there any computer animation company executives reading this forum!

The opposite was also true in that some of the US aircraft workers would pack lend lease aircraft destined for the Soviets full of goodies such as tinned food

Thanks for sharing the pics, and good to see some ground crew trades there. My uncle Bob was an airframe erk at Pocklington.

I particularly like the MkVI. I can’t be the only one that thinks the later Mk’s of Hali were better looking than the lanc!

Good for him…… But why a Spitfire….. Its always Spitfires. If he genuinely had developed an interest in WWII you’d think he would be a bit more imaginative.