03 October 2007

Wordless Wednesday - The Grim Reaper


A die cast model of a De Havilland Mosquito BIV, a WWII British fighter/bomber


The name of this plane was "Grim Reaper" from the RAF's 109 Squadron. 109 Squadron was part of the Pathfinder Force which marked targets for heavy bombers. My father served in 109 Squadron and remembers the plane.



The two men who flew the Grim Reaper may well be in this photograph. My father is at the far right, second airman down (or third up)

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow, what a stunning diecast! My husband is a huge collector. happy WW.

Siani said...

Great pics, Shaunie - and an interesting story to go with it. I bet those pics bring back some memories for your dad.

SandyCarlson said...

That's amazing. Those models can bring you there! So do your photos. Thanks.

Special K ~Toni said...

Great photos! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Great photos, and I love the name Grim Reaper ... most menacing! Happy WW :)

Anonymous said...

wonderful photos! thanks for sharing them.

MaR said...

This is one field I know nothing about, loved the pictures and the story. And: I even spotted your dad!

Loved the graffiti you mentioned on my blog. Happy ww!

Alison said...

Interesting stuff, especially the photo with your dad. I loved the name Grim Reaper - straight to the point!

Unknown said...

isn't that fascinating! how neat - happy WW :)

Sandee said...

How cool to have this picture of your father from WWII. Great post. Have a great WW. :)

L.L. Barkat said...

Just looking in. Enjoying the view.

Shrijnana said...

Thanks for sharing. It's great you have this photo of your dad.

Anonymous said...

very interesting entry!

happy ww!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that really is quite cool and interesting!!

Digital Flower Pictures said...

Love all the pictures, especially the historical one.

Anonymous said...

Very Nice!! I love WWII planes!! Happy WW!!

Frank Partisan said...

Your WWII posts, are some of your best.

Jessie said...

That's great. Thanks for sharing the picture of your Grandpa. Happy WW!

Anonymous said...

Great Wordless. Did you assemble the model ?

Amy's Blah, Blah, Blogging said...

Not so wordless, but very interesting pictures and story!

Lori said...

That is soooooooo cool. I love old pics...especially when you know the people in them:) Happy WW.

Anonymous said...

love the trip back to history!
the last shot is really priceless.

happy WW

Julia Phillips Smith said...

The two model closeups are great! Almost no shadow on the first one really makes it hard to judge the size. But my favorite picture is actually the old one of all the airmen. It's got a lot of energy. I can almost hear all the talking and boots shuffling and echoey announcements in the background.

Anonymous said...

Wow, those are neat. I wish I had the particulars of when my dad was in the service. He never said much specifically about his time there, and he's passed on now. I did get a copy of his service record to see where he had served, though.

eastcoastlife said...

Wow! My son would love these! The plane and the WWII stories.

The Lone Beader® said...

Cool! I love fighter planes, and I especially love this one's name!

Someday I plan to make a beaded airplane... My father is a private pilot, and I spent many a day flying with him... :)

Serina Hope said...

Great pics! Great WW!

Anonymous said...

wow ... interesting! the last shot is really awesome!

happy WW

Shaz said...

Excellent WW topic Jams. Not sure why but I can't find the WW Headquarters to sign in so maybe your Diecast could whizzzz me over there!

Anonymous said...

Cool little bit of family history. Happy WW.

jams o donnell said...

Thanks everyone. The model is 1/72nd scale - 61/2 inches long (16cm) and a wingspan of 9 inches (23cm. It was die cast so I didn't make it

Ironiically the Mosquito was actually built of wood.

LB, I would love to see you do a beaded airplane. Your Firetruck is a masterpiece.

Miscellaneous-Mum said...

Wow - what an amazing story. So interesting. That's a brave dad you've got

Anonymous said...

I love the Mossie, it sends shivers down my spine when I hear the sound of a Merlin engine, I think it's the whine of the supercharger over the top.

Amazing plane, and amazing people who flew them...

Babeth said...

History is alive, and sometimes closer to you than you think. That is a special story you have there.

Happy WW !!

rainbow angeles said...

This is cool! I'm looking at your dad... hehe...

Wonder WW to you!

Colin Campbell said...

My Uncle was a Lancaster Pilot and dropped a lot of bombs. He never ever talked about it. My father on the other hand shot up some Arabs in Suez.

Patois42 said...

My husband, originally from Manchester, is fascinated by all of these. He, too, had many close relatives who fought. Heroes, all.

Joyismygoal said...

we had those as toys from my grandma when we were small and played them down to the metal then rust

Anonymous said...

Wow that last photo is a great one for you to have. Happy WW!

Anonymous said...

Wow - really cool photos, and thanks for sharing the story behind them.

Sophia said...

Now that wasn't wordless!!! Just kidding...thanks for sharing...it's always nice to learn something new! :)

Melissa @ Banana Migraine said...

Very neat photos - I enjoyed reading the history behind them.

Rambler said...

amazing pics,
thanks for sharing

Aodian said...

thats such a cool model.. although i dont know much but its still cool! happy WW.. and thanks for dropping by my site..

Sherry said...

Great pics. My sons will enjoy these, too.

Anonymous said...

Stunning shots! It's so cool that your dad is in it!

Daisy said...

I like the last photo best. My grandpa flew Caribou transport planes when he was in the service, and then he went on to become a commercial pilot for many years. I never got to meet him though.

jams o donnell said...

THanks everyone. Colin dad didn't talk a lot about the war until the 90s when he finally got around to getting his campaign medals. He does not glorify the war but he is proud to have served (as I ahve said before there were two good reasons why he had no need to serve - he was 15 with a forged birth cert when he joined in 1941 and he is Irish)

Anonymous said...

wow what a priceless shots...how's your dad now?thanks for visiting..happy WW!

Andree said...

Amazing machines those were. Wonderful that you have that photo.

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Great pictures, jams!

jams o donnell said...

Thanks. Glad you like them EWBL

Beaman said...

A photo to treasure.