tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post4113809141505174470..comments2023-09-10T04:01:55.539+01:00Comments on Richard Herley: Lancaster PA474Richard Herleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06862800160590084612noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post-42901128511984242962012-10-31T00:25:52.894+00:002012-10-31T00:25:52.894+00:00I forgot to mention my friend's father,a rear ...I forgot to mention my friend's father,a rear gunner. He described how on training in Northern Ireland, as they flew back to base after practice he would let off a few bursts in the direction of fishing boats.<br />He became an expert reproduction cabinet maker.alphasunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09179223520184169961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post-56632021951226794312012-10-31T00:21:04.186+00:002012-10-31T00:21:04.186+00:00This triggered a few memories: Sitting in the comm...This triggered a few memories: Sitting in the common room one hot May evening with a colleague, when the engine noise came through the open windows. Somehow -- possibly from my London childhood, or because WWII fighter plane engines sound much beefier than the average light plane -- I guessed it was a Merlin instantly, and we jumped up to look out -- sure enough, there was a Spitfire, probably heading for an airshow.<br />My mother's stories of nursing --and dating-- aircrew, and of the blitz.<br />Meeting the father of a colleague, who had been a bomb-aimer, but had somehow ended up as an unarmed combat trainer in Italy, where he had trained some nuns to defend themselves. One of my teachers had been a commando combat trainer, and what struck me about the bomb-aimer was the relish with which he explained how one could kill someone with a newspaper.alphasunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09179223520184169961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post-82723179972654246192012-10-02T09:39:26.793+01:002012-10-02T09:39:26.793+01:00There is actually a second technically airworthy l...There is actually a second technically airworthy lancaster at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage centre, but they could never afford the £1Million required for a CAA license to actually fly it, so they just offer taxi rides to the public instead, pity....Glostermeteorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15032058418020852676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post-27132944383138819842012-09-21T20:54:09.024+01:002012-09-21T20:54:09.024+01:00Thanks for those links, Moe. Oddly enough this new...Thanks for those links, Moe. Oddly enough <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9557610/Bodies-of-five-British-airmen-from-Second-World-War-found.html" rel="nofollow">this news</a> broke today.Richard Herleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06862800160590084612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3024288667867836319.post-80620610749570014352012-09-21T13:53:59.053+01:002012-09-21T13:53:59.053+01:00Richard, there are some very interesting YouTube (...Richard, there are some very interesting YouTube (sorry!) clips of Lancaster crew radio chatter during actual WWII bombing runs here:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R5NI-IrUU0<br /><br />and here:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFgat19JldY&feature=fvwrel<br /><br />as well as modern footage of some Lancaster fly-bys (with bomb bay doors open!) here:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4Gh2DfPkP4&feature=related<br /><br /><br /><br />Moe The Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15280980922322839052noreply@blogger.com