75th Anniversary of Battle of Britain

[Alisoncc]

Today, the 15th September was the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Up until this year I have always attended a BoB commemoration parade at Melbournes Shrine of Remembrance organised by the Royal Air Forces Association, but the association is in serious decline as members fall by the wayside. I heard nothing about this years parade so can only assume it never went ahead. Quite sad really, the 15th Sept has been a part of my life for nearly sixty years, in the cadets before the air force. Like to feel we can remember it here, and salute those incredibly brave men and women who served so long ago.

Alison

[Sisemen]

image.jpg

Here, here! (Or should that be hear, hear?)

Have just nominated for the board of the West Australian RAAFA so if I get in I suspect it will become part of my formal life again.

In the meantime ...... flew the ensign from the flagpole today and gave a quiet salute to "The Few" when taking it down at sunset.

[Ex-Ascot]

And, could the new leader of the labour (small 'L') party even bother to dress correctly and not sing the National Anthem. What a ....... Probably didn't know the words. This malaka wants to be PM and serve HMQ and country !

[Cacophonix]

Amen to that Alison...

Flying from Goodwood today...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34250794

MB

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I've been lucky enough to meet a few, get drunk with a couple, and even to serve with one (by then a Reserve Officer).
Even more fortunately (and with a lot of work), I got to follow in their footsteps. My last flight in the RAF allowed me to tip a wing in salute over the monument on the White Cliffs.

A glass shall be raised!

[Rwy in Sight]

Ex-Ascot,

Off Topic

Be prepared to be surprised if the new leader turns to be a formidable one for the United Kountry, working hard to bring a lot of prosperity for the people of the United Kingdom. I should put my opinion in the relevant thread. However one question regarding

" and not sing the National Anthem.

. Is a VIP allowed to sign along or is it prohibited?

On the topic now. Thanks the UK and thank you RAF for changing the course of the events.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

One should not be obliged to sing any other nation's national anthem. Standing to attention with headgear removed (and saluting if appropriately dressed/qualified) is the drill. Any visiting nations that are to be honoured have their national anthems played first (in alphabetical order if more than one), except at host nation flag raisings/lowerings, where the host nation anthem is played during the flag ceremony, then the others. Likewise at dinners, the guest nations' leaders are all toasted before the Queen.

Given the lyrics of some national anthems, e.g. "Deutschland uber alles", it would be seen as either disloyal to one's home nation, or sarcastic (which is why the British military regularly sing the Engelland Lied)

[rgbrock1]

One should not be obliged to sing any other nation's national anthem. Standing to attention with headgear removed (and saluting if appropriately dressed/qualified) is the drill. Any visiting nations that are to be honoured have their national anthems played first (in alphabetical order if more than one), except at host nation flag raisings/lowerings, where the host nation anthem is played during the flag ceremony, then the others. Likewise at dinners, the guest nations' leaders are all toasted before the Queen.

Given the lyrics of some national anthems, e.g. "Deutschland uber alles", it would be seen as either disloyal to one's home nation, or sarcastic (which is why the British military regularly sing the Engelland Lied)

I believe that "Deutschland ueber alles" has not been part of the German national anthem for quite a few years.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Fairy Nuff, incorrect example, sorry
I think the point still stands though.

[om15]

Some of the few simply returned to their own lives after the war.
I worked as an airframe fitter for a small local airline on entering civil aviation, I shared a work bench with a very quiet Polish gent who had a superb tool kit and specialised on the more skilled and detailed repair work that we carried out, after a period of time he told me his story, he was serving an apprenticeship as a mechanic and a pilot in Poland before the war, he then made his way to the UK and joined the RAF in a Polish Squadron and trained on Spitfires.
He flew during the Battle of Britain and was shot down three times, on the last occasion his parachute didn't deploy properly and he damaged his lungs on hitting the sea, he then returned to engineering working on a maintenance unit before demob and resettlement at Kirkham. This man just quietly got on with his life and enjoyed working as a fitter, growing roses and bringing up a family. (His son went on to be an airline captain).
Another rather more colourful character worked in the same hangar as an engine fitter, a very amusing Welsh communist, this guy flew 17 raids as an Eng on Halifax's, got demobbed and joined Lancashire Aircraft Corporation as a flight engineer on Haltons at Blackpool, got sacked by lunchtime and just stayed on as an engine fitter, incredibly insubordinate he used to smoke an old pipe when working on the engines.

[CharlieOneSix]

There was an excellent programme on Channel 4 in the UK tonight which followed the day's events at Goodwood in which 34 Spitfires, 6 Hurricanes and a Blenheim took part in flypasts over southern England. BoB pilot Wing Cdr Tom Neill, age 95, who had 14 kills during WW2, flew in the formation in the back seat of one of the two seat Mk1X's.

Sadly word of this flypast never reached me in these northern climes or I would have travelled down to see it. The last Battle of Britain Air Display to be held at an RAF station in the UK took place down the road from me at RAF Leuchars in September 2013. Sad that these displays have now disappeared - the RAF moved out of Leuchars earlier this year and the Army are now there.

[Tall Bird]

The presenter, someone called Dermot O'Leary, irritated me. It was good to see Mary Ellis, one if the ATA girls, reunited with one of her Spitfires. She had etched her name in the cockpit and it was still there. There was dust in the air here as I watched Wing Cdr Neill.

[Alisoncc]

Got a DVD of "Spitfire Women", the story of the ATA girls. What they did was quite incredible, delivering new aircraft from the factories to the squadrons. Often flying two or three different types in a day, with little familiarisation before hand. With Wikipedia quoting they delivered 147 different types, from Lancasters to Fairey Swordfish and Barracudas. Early morning deliver a Lancaster, in the late afternoon a Swordfish, and for lunch a Spitfire.

[Keef]

Mary Ellis quite casually announced that she had delivered about 400 Spitfires (as well as other types). An impressive lady!

That was the only one she'd written her name on.

[Alisoncc]

Apparently the aircraft they were delivering were unarmed. Given that the South of England was very much a war zone, that would have been quite scary. No protection of any kind. Anything could have shot them down.

[500N]

The ATA and other women were very impressive.

A story I read ages ago of a lady who was chatting to some other pilots, they of course
thinking lady pilot, ho hum, until she pulled out her log book from the war which had
more aircraft in it than they had had hot dinners.

[Woody]

Interesting video

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-4042674 ... n-spitfire

[Sisemen]

One would hope that they covered over all the classified bits - one can't be too careful with potential enemy spies about

[om15]

Interesting and good story here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-40660077

[4mastacker]

The 80th Anniversary today. Let us not forget.