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Post by baz62 on May 27, 2014 16:46:03 GMT 12
Yes and in London with all the hih rise building it got dark very suddenly. Starnge for a Kiwi lad trying to find his way about! Temperature dropped too!
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Post by pjw4118 on May 30, 2014 13:44:01 GMT 12
Chris 75 Squadron made a thing of mass formation arrivals and a break and land stream. I was told by ken Dlazell that their CO liked to have all on the ground in under 8 minutes. The Squadron did this on an away leg to a base in Southern England much to the surprise of the fighter squadrons based there. Photos from Jack Meehan and Maurice Parker. Dates unknown. With the 75 Squadron Association Reunion in Christchurch this weekend, I will ask around the veterans for more clues on NE181
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 30, 2014 14:04:53 GMT 12
Bloody impressive formations.
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Post by keroburner on May 30, 2014 19:04:55 GMT 12
That's a heck of a lot of merlins in one go!! Imagine the sound.....
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Post by Ian Warren on May 31, 2014 12:09:36 GMT 12
Now that photo of 15 Lancs breaking formation over Mepal has got me intrigued. I've not heard of that happening during hostilities, only returning from Manna op's after the war had ended, and going by the times of arrival back at Mepal for that 6.9.44 op', between 7.30 and 8 pm, wouldn't it have been getting a bit dark for a photo like this? Chris, I do have photo's after D/day off returning squadrons of both Lancasters and Halifax on daylight operations, I don't have any other record other than studying the shadow's on the aircraft attacking Le Harve put it around midday, very hard to determine the route and compare the facillity, time would bring them back to around 16.00/17.00 .. Oh for the wish of a digital camera in those years.
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Post by fwx on Jun 2, 2014 11:36:41 GMT 12
Thanks Peter, and Ian. Love that first photo Peter, haven't seen that one before, very impressive seeing all those Lancasters in unison. I have read about formation practices and Mac Baigent's description of leading a tight G-H formation over Bremen in April 45, but I had the impression that afterwards the a/c would make their own way home individually, for safety reasons. I would have thought that a formation of Lanc's in broad daylight would present a fair target for any stray fighters, although I suppose it was late in the war, and the other side of the safety issue is the large number of protective machine guns pointed in any one direction! Wow, I would love to have seen one of those buzz and breaks!!
Re formation flying practice, my uncle's logbook records his crew flying with an Air Commodore as Pilot, on 1 February 45, to observe the Squadron's formation flying capability. This was Air Commodore Herbert James Kirkpatrick, DFC, Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ, No.3 (Bomber) Group, previously C/O of 218 Squadron. It was a 1 hour 40 min flight, listed in the logbook as "Special Duties", in which "The Squadron went out over the Channel and came back". There were also two Wing Commanders on board JN-W that day, Mac Baigent and one other, who "were very pleased with the boys' flying".
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Post by skyhawkdon on Jun 8, 2014 19:32:07 GMT 12
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Post by jp on Jun 8, 2014 21:00:46 GMT 12
I like the waist gunner in the "achive" footage....
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Post by komata on Jun 9, 2014 7:09:37 GMT 12
jp
That must have been a 'locally-improvised' 'special modification', that was not recorded by the Squadron's Engineer Officer...
Can't account for the USAAC fling clothing though, or the .50 cal. machine gun; evidently there was a very high degree of inter-service co-operation at the time...
(I wonder what the unit was, and if anyone has researched it?)
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Post by ErrolC on Jun 9, 2014 12:51:40 GMT 12
Couple of good photos at the NZHerald www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11270055An Avro Lancaster on display at Motat in Auckland has been given the full make up of an epic Lancaster that completed more than 100 missions during World War II. The Captain's Fancy of the 75 (NZ) Squadron of the Royal Air Force completed more than 100 missions from May 1944 to May 1945. Most Lancasters did around 14 trips before being lost. The Lancaster makeover was revealed today at Motat's aviation hall in front of around 100 veterans, veterans' families and special guests. The Lancaster has been given the title NE181, and now the nose art from the original The Captain's Fancy. A caricature of Captain Rreilly-Ffoul of the Arntwee Hall from the popular comic strip Just Jake has been painted alongside the bomb tally of the aircraft. The caricature was painted on the original Lancaster before its 39th operation. The captain painted was thought to be Flight Sergeant Lethbridge, a captain who had flown the most missions in The Captain's Fancy thus far. The original The Captain's Fancy survived the war, however never made it back to New Zealand. It was cut up for scrap in 1947. Motat's Lancaster Bomber was presented by the French Government to the people of New Zealand in 1964 in recognition of the 6000 New Zealanders who served in the RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. Almost 2000 New Zealanders died serving in the Bomber Command. Squadron Leader Jonathan Pote said The Captain's Fancy made it through all those missions in Europe because it was "lucky, obviously, but also maintained well by ground-crew". He said ground-crew are often forgotten in all their hard work, and were working in dangerous conditions. He paid tribute to the officers of Squadron 75 who contributed to the remarkable fact that of the 30 planes of the Royal Air Force that reached 100 flights, the New Zealand squadron had three. President of Bomber Command Association Ron Mayhill said "it was a lucky aircraft". He said the Bomber Command were pleased to see The Captain's Fancy replicated in "this splendid aviation hangar" at Motat. Royal New Zealand Air Force Chaplain Squadron Leader Stuart Hight blessed the new markings on the plane in memory of the members of the Air Force who died in battle.
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Post by pjw4118 on Jun 9, 2014 14:08:04 GMT 12
A nice piece was on TV3 news last night.The TV1 footage and interviews didnt appear. Photos of the services to come
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Post by Ian Warren on Jun 9, 2014 14:34:37 GMT 12
A nice piece was on TV3 news last night.The TV1 footage and interviews didnt appear. Photos of the services to come Cheers, I saw that on the News last night, looks like the other missions were food parcel drops. It is amazing the amount of crews and people involved with over 100 operations.
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Post by Ian Warren on Jun 9, 2014 14:52:19 GMT 12
On board Lancaster 1987, only wish I had the camera I had today and fore-site to have taken many more photo's and in other positions, back then I only had a Olympus Trip 35 Sticking my thumb were I should not have but you can see my helmut in the back door entrance
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Post by Richard Wesley on Jun 9, 2014 21:42:02 GMT 12
Thanks for posting. Great photos of the old girl as I knew her in the late 1980's and during the restoration in the 90's. I've always liked the good chunky wiring looms of the Lancaster.
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Post by Mustang51 on Jun 11, 2014 9:52:16 GMT 12
Dave, Again was unable to see any of the ahots apart from yours........ and that was brilliant. I can actually hear her as I look... God..... for one of those at Masterton, Omaka or Wanaka......
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Post by komata on Jun 11, 2014 10:32:08 GMT 12
Perhaps Sir Peter should be approached...?
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Post by mumbles on Jun 11, 2014 12:11:21 GMT 12
jp That must have been a 'locally-improvised' 'special modification', that was not recorded by the Squadron's Engineer Officer... Can't account for the USAAC fling clothing though, or the .50 cal. machine gun; evidently there was a very high degree of inter-service co-operation at the time... (I wonder what the unit was, and if anyone has researched it?) Dunno, but the shot in question was definitely a B-17 rather than a Lancaster
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Post by ErrolC on Jun 11, 2014 12:22:20 GMT 12
Dave, Again was unable to see any of the ahots apart from yours........ and that was brilliant. I can actually hear her as I look... God..... for one of those at Masterton, Omaka or Wanaka...... There is a good photo at the NZHerald link in my post, hopefully they aren't blocked! Sent from my D5503 using proboards
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Post by pjw4118 on Jun 15, 2014 18:12:40 GMT 12
An idea that started on this forum finally became fact in a service of dedication at Motat on Sunday June 8. This followed the morning Commemorative service held annually in the Hall of Memories. CAF AVM Mike Yardley, G/C Longstaff (RAF) and over 200 visitors witnessed the service. It was reported on TV3, TV1 and in APN newspapers. Thanks to Wheeler, Furner, Homewood and Firefly Photography for these President NZBCA Ron Mayhill DFC Group Captain Longstaff RAF S/L Jon Pote MBE Keynote address The contributors receiving signed Kiwis Do Fly from Right, Keith Ellis (Painting) Pete West (Art) Chris Newey (Research) TCF hiding beneath a parachute about to be unveiled by the Ware, Emslie and Heald families, their fathers being the last crew to fly bombing operations on NE181 The blessing by RNZAF Chaplain S/L Stuart Hight The media Harry Cammish F/E and an evader with fellow F/E Des Hall, Des was one of those intrepid vets who spent years refurbishing the Lancaster and still comes to MOTAT every Wednesday. More pictures on NZBCA Facebook
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2014 18:50:47 GMT 12
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