They lost their elder brother in “another British bomber”…… What is so difficult about saying the word “Halifax”. Lets just let the BBC erase every British WWII aircraft from history except Spitfires and Lancasters.

Cheers BBC.

Ok lets stir the pot a bit:

I like the idea of coastal command and it got me thinking…

Why a Lanc scheme! There were other bombers than just Lancasters you know. PA474 is supposed to be a memorial to ALL Bomber Command…. There were many interesting schemes painted onto Halibags, Stirlings, Wellingtons, Whitleys etc.

How about “Excalibur” LK-E of 578 squadron… The mount of Cyril Barton the only Halifax VC.

It may show Joe Public that there were other bombers than just the lancs…. Or will that be sacrilege to the Lancaphiles!

Just a thought.

Paul.

I suppose this counts as a design fault as it could have been easily sorted out. I never really understood why WWII bomber crew did not have fighter pilot type permanant chutes. We lost a hell of a lot of aircrew having to find and clip on their chutes.

In 1944 some bomber pilots were issued with seat type chutes as a trial. There are several accounts of them saying they only survived because they had their chutes on them…. Not stowed away out of reach requiring the flight engineer to help find it, clip it on, while having to sort his own chute and make his escape.

This is really good news as Burn Gliding Club look after what is left of the old airfield and keep it alive, and are proud of their heritage. It is sad that it is only for three years though. Perhaps the local council still have plans to turn it into some anonymous industrial estate or something in years to come. Which would be a great shame. It is really fitting that the gliders circle peacfully where once the Halifaxes roared.

http://www.burnglidingclub.co.uk/

http://578squadron.org.uk/

Couldnt help but be moved at the very end when they focused purely on the chaps, name , rank ,number of ops etc. and without sounding er, childish or ‘Boys Own’ I couldnt help think that if you gave those chaps a serviceable Lanc or a Halifax today what would be the chances of them getting it off the deck these days , do a circuit or two? I appreciate that after seventy odd years they might be a bit out of practice, But my money is that theyd soon have it all flooding back!. well thats my fantasy of the day satisfied. Well done on a fabulous programme!

I know its not a Lanc or Halifax but what about “Project propellor”. Light aircraft folk give flights to aircrew veterans…. I am sure some of the pilots are given the controls!

http://www.projectpropeller.co.uk/

Another one of my stupid questions, entering outside my familiar and safe haven of 331 and 332 squadron.

Anyone care to mention a typical Halifax bomber squadron based in Lincolnshire in 1943?

Can I ask a “stupid question” back? before we start a long list.

The “typical Halifax bomber squadrons” were 4 & 6 Groups based up North in Gods own County; Yorkshire and Teeside not Lincolnshire.

The Halifax being an adaptable kite did much more than typical bombing, SOE stuff, glider towing, coastal command, HCU, electronic countermeasures etc…. Some based in Lincolnshire, but these are not the “typical bomber squadrons”.

A lot of it is non original, but as such a unique airframe it does deserve to be undercover and I’ve often wondered why nobody has shown more interest in the beast.

I dare say the folk at Langley are doing the best they can.