"If I spread out my wings toward the morning, your hand shall lead me"
This is the Pathfinder Memorial window at St George's Chapel, RAF Wyton. The image on the right is of St Michael the Archangel. the spots on the left represent bomb drops (pink) and marker flares for HE or incenduary bombs (the red and the green ones).
This is a portrait of Don Bennett, the founder of the Pathfinder Force. The Aircraft oare those used by the Pathfinders (Clockwise from the top, Lancaster, Halifax, Wellington, Stirling, Mosquito). The photo is sakew to prevent unwanted reflection from surrounding lights.
A model of the Mosquito, the type of aircraft my father flew. While some are preserved in museums, the only remaing airworthy example is in Canada. the last British one sadly crashed a several years ago
A Lancaster in fly by
The First of the Legion - This is the badge of 109 sqn, my father's unit. I have never worked out why a panther would have flames coming out of its ears but neither has dad!
15 comments:
i have to soak this up, excellent
thanks for posting
So many interestin photos in this series and so much history, personal and worldwide. The stain glass window is fabulous. And where in Canada is the working plane?
yw Woo woo. I hope you enjoy these pics. They aren't great pics in my view but they are intended to record and event, not win awards!
Faser, welcome back. I hope your holiday was enjoyable. I have misniformed you about the flyable Mossie. I thought there was one at Windsor but that is still being restored. There may be one close to being airworthy at Vancouver Airport. There may also be one in Oshkosh, Wisconson.
I will reseearch and get back to you
The soldiers I know who were in World WarII, tend to not talk much about it. That generation is reaching their 80s. The history needs to be kept alive.
I think it is best to ignore the unwanted visitors to my site. They like the attention they get.
A lot of WWII vets here never talked much about their experiences and sadly took their stories to their graves. At least my father has put some of his experiences to paper. They are not intended for the public domain but they might give the family an insight into a teenager at war (he was 15 when he left Eire with a doctored birth cert to join the RAF, he was operational aircew at 16!)
with regard to the other matter. I have said my piece. Anyone is welcome to post here so long as they are not abusive.
have you seen this? Further to your post the other day, I am yet to get a copy. I must do that now.
odd complicity, that of the victims.
Yet it exists.
Thanks for the link Woo woo. Molara's post was excellent. I will have to investigate her blog further.
Complicity of the victims Red? more than once in the past a judge has described raped woman's short skirt as contributory negligence
Wasn't it? I mean silence: veterans don't talk, Jews don't, the victims are the most silent (if they happen to be alive. And even if I understand them, still a pity.
Sorry Red, I totally misunderstood your comment. Probably it is just too hard for many to speak
Sorry Red, I totally misunderstood your comment. Probably it is just too hard for many to speak
The posts on this topic have been excellent, thank you for bringing some of this to attention. It is unfortunate that such stories have not been widely told. And of course, great photos as always!
Thanks Roland, much appreciated. I will be returning to the role of RAF Bomber Command and the USAAF 8th Air Force in WWII.
I love stained glass. We have a neighborhood close by comprised entirely of pastel hued Victorian homes, complete with wraparound porches and bright stained glass windows.
Your Father is amazing. I could barely commandeer my compact car at 16, let alone a fighter plane.
My daughter interprets the flaming Panther (that sounds bad, doesn't it?) as a sign that he just ate Tabasco hot sauce and that your Dad's squadron must have been "hot stuff". There you go, from the mind of an 11 year old.
Our Hous is victorian but no sained glass sadly. We have plans to address this but not in the near future.
at 16 you cant even drive a car here (17 here). He had to be a bit careful. He turned down a commission twice because he was worried his age might be discovered. THat would have meant the end of his flying and he definitely did not want that. He downplayed a few other things pass that might have earned him a decoration.
109sqn hot stuff? Dad would not diusagree!!! I'll tell dad, he will be tickled by that
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