We need more

[Woody]

[Karearea]

When Peter Kirkby's request was made, staff at Wrawby Hall Care Home in North Lincolnshire put out a plea, expecting "maybe 20 or 30 bikes" to turn up. ...

BBC: Bikers make North Lincolnshire care home resident's wish come true

[OneHungLow]

Very interesting story...

[OneHungLow]

[OneHungLow]

Sent by a doyen of this place...

I salute these guys' skill, not to forget the genius of the model builders.

[John Hill]

It is an excellent landing if you can use the aeroplane afterwards.

[OneHungLow]

It is an excellent landing if you can use the aeroplane afterwards.

Those blokes are doing it without any airspeed indication. I know the power to weight ratio on that rig is astronomical but, given all the lateral inversion issues associated with model flying and so on that was a very proficient, graceful display with a very big model.

[John Hill]

It is an excellent landing if you can use the aeroplane afterwards.

Those blokes are doing it without any airspeed indication. I know the power to weight ratio on that rig is astronomical but, given all the lateral inversion issues associated with model flying and so on that was a very proficient, graceful display with a very big model.

Well OK, the Concord did an excellent landing too!

[OneHungLow]

It is an excellent landing if you can use the aeroplane afterwards.

Those blokes are doing it without any airspeed indication. I know the power to weight ratio on that rig is astronomical but, given all the lateral inversion issues associated with model flying and so on that was a very proficient, graceful display with a very big model.

Well OK, the Concord did an excellent landing too!

Rare praise, even for an inanimate model, from you John!

[ricardian]

instructional film originally classified "Confidential"

An instructional film that describes the strategic principles and actual practice of Coastal Command's system of convoy protection by anti-submarine patrols as it evolved during World War II. It depicts a wide variety of aircraft and weapon systems, ranging from Spitfires to Sunderlands to Hudsons and Liberators. The impact of surface detection radar (ASV) , as along with the effects of Leigh Light spotlights, convoy formations and patrol lines, is detailed in the war against Nazi Germany's U-boat blockade of the British Isles and key shipping lanes supporting the war in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean.

[bob2s]

OHL, a little bit extra to your Flight of the Phoenix in relation to pilot Paul Mantz.

[Karearea]

[The Flight of the Phoenix, 2hr 22min]

Enjoyed film very much; splendid cast - thank you OHL

OHL, a little bit extra to your Flight of the Phoenix in relation to pilot Paul Mantz.
[Paul Mantz "Flight of the Phoenix" accident]

some merciless coverage there, bob2s.

"As the second take had merely been a "protection shot," with the necessary footage captured during the first attempt" an unnecessary tragedy.

IMDB/The Flight of the Phoenix/Trivia

[OneHungLow]

Some interesting facts and anecdotes there bob2s and Karearea.

I can't imagine Jimmy Stewart, who flew in World War 2, could have been such a hell raiser but then, still waters run deep, as they say.

According to director Robert Aldrich the cast went out at night in Yuma Arizona where the film sets were, driving around and causing mayhem. They used to drive around with prop dummies (used during the crash scene) and throw them out while the car was moving, so bystanders thought they were real people. Jimmy Stewart was the "outsider" wary of the European actors, but soon got in on the fun, taking a prop machine gun and jumping out to finish off the dummies gangland style. The police stopped them, but when they found it was Jimmy Stewart they let them go. It was also Aldrich's and Stewart's futile job to try to keep Peter Finch sober. (source book is "Jimmy Stewart the Truth Behind the Legend")

It might be surprising to many that a famous actor like James Stewart had a different vision for his life than being a silver-screen star. He wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and become a naval aviator. His Navy career wasn't to be, but Stewart would get another shot at military service -- in the Army Air Force.

Stewart came from a long line of military service. Both grandfathers fought in the Civil War, and his father was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I. Then a hardware store owner, he instead convinced his son to attend Princeton, which is still a pretty good school, all things considered.

It was there that Stewart became involved with acting and pursued it as a career.

After struggling to be a star on the stage, he moved to Hollywood and started acting for the screen. As he made movies, he also logged 400 flight hours over eight years in show business. He also made some of his most famous movies in the years before World War II, including "You Can't Take It with You," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Philadelphia Story."

Despite having a degree from Princeton and hundreds of hours behind the stick of an aircraft, Stewart was so ready to serve in World War II, he enlisted as a private before the United States entered the war.

He was rejected by the Army at first for being underweight, but with the help of a Hollywood friend, he was able to literally tip the scales in his favor, entering the Army in 1940.

Stewart was the first Hollywood actor to join. It was the start of a 27-year career in the Army and then the Air Force. When a producer asked him why he would give up his screen career for the military, he said: "This country's conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we'll have to fight."

At first, Stewart was relegated to doing newsreels and public relations stunts in the Motion Picture Division, but at 33, he was too old for aviation cadet training. He applied for an Air Corps commission based on his education and flight experience and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant in 1942. Still, he demanded to fight in the war.

After a year training new pilots in New Mexico, he finally was sent overseas to fly B-24 Liberator bombers over Nazi-occupied Europe. At a time when air crews were expected to be killed between eight and 12 missions, Stewart had flown 20. He was stationed in Europe through the end of the war, receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals, a Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre.

Although World War II might have ended, Stewart stayed in the Army, and later the Air Force when it became an independent branch in 1947. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserve, flying missions in B-52 bombers.

Stewart even flew as an observer on a bombing mission during the Vietnam War. He retired as a brigadier general from the Air Force in 1968.

In 1946, Stewart almost went home to take over the hardware store, but instead gave Hollywood another shot. The only problem was that years at war had taken their toll on his appearance. He was 37 but looked 50 and his career as a romantic lead was over, according to one biographer.

Then Frank Capra cast the actor in "It's a Wonderful Life." This led to a revival of his career in Hollywood, and he went on to perform some of his most well-known roles, including as Scottie Ferguson in "Vertigo," Charles Lindbergh in "The Spirit of St. Louis" and Elwood P. Dowd in "Harvey."

Stewart was still wracked with guilt about the lives he lost on bombing missions under his command and channeled his post-traumatic stress symptoms into his performances. He never spoke about his wartime experiences.

In December 1996, Stewart declined to have the battery in his pacemaker changed and died six months later of a pulmonary embolism at age 89.

https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/c ... ewart.html

[PHXPhlyer]

Some interesting facts and anecdotes there bob2s and Karearea.

I can't imagine Jimmy Stewart, who flew in World War 2, could have been such a hell raiser but then, still waters run deep, as they say.

According to director Robert Aldrich the cast went out at night in Yuma Arizona where the film sets were, driving around and causing mayhem. They used to drive around with prop dummies (used during the crash scene) and throw them out while the car was moving, so bystanders thought they were real people. Jimmy Stewart was the "outsider" wary of the European actors, but soon got in on the fun, taking a prop machine gun and jumping out to finish off the dummies gangland style. The police stopped them, but when they found it was Jimmy Stewart they let them go. It was also Aldrich's and Stewart's futile job to try to keep Peter Finch sober. (source book is "Jimmy Stewart the Truth Behind the Legend")

It might be surprising to many that a famous actor like James Stewart had a different vision for his life than being a silver-screen star. He wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy and become a naval aviator. His Navy career wasn't to be, but Stewart would get another shot at military service -- in the Army Air Force.

Stewart came from a long line of military service. Both grandfathers fought in the Civil War, and his father was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I. Then a hardware store owner, he instead convinced his son to attend Princeton, which is still a pretty good school, all things considered.

It was there that Stewart became involved with acting and pursued it as a career.

After struggling to be a star on the stage, he moved to Hollywood and started acting for the screen. As he made movies, he also logged 400 flight hours over eight years in show business. He also made some of his most famous movies in the years before World War II, including "You Can't Take It with You," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Philadelphia Story."

Despite having a degree from Princeton and hundreds of hours behind the stick of an aircraft, Stewart was so ready to serve in World War II, he enlisted as a private before the United States entered the war.

He was rejected by the Army at first for being underweight, but with the help of a Hollywood friend, he was able to literally tip the scales in his favor, entering the Army in 1940.

Stewart was the first Hollywood actor to join. It was the start of a 27-year career in the Army and then the Air Force. When a producer asked him why he would give up his screen career for the military, he said: "This country's conscience is bigger than all the studios in Hollywood put together, and the time will come when we'll have to fight."

At first, Stewart was relegated to doing newsreels and public relations stunts in the Motion Picture Division, but at 33, he was too old for aviation cadet training. He applied for an Air Corps commission based on his education and flight experience and was promoted to 2nd lieutenant in 1942. Still, he demanded to fight in the war.

After a year training new pilots in New Mexico, he finally was sent overseas to fly B-24 Liberator bombers over Nazi-occupied Europe. At a time when air crews were expected to be killed between eight and 12 missions, Stewart had flown 20. He was stationed in Europe through the end of the war, receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses, four Air Medals, a Presidential Unit Citation and the French Croix de Guerre.

Although World War II might have ended, Stewart stayed in the Army, and later the Air Force when it became an independent branch in 1947. He continued his service in the Air Force Reserve, flying missions in B-52 bombers.

Stewart even flew as an observer on a bombing mission during the Vietnam War. He retired as a brigadier general from the Air Force in 1968.

In 1946, Stewart almost went home to take over the hardware store, but instead gave Hollywood another shot. The only problem was that years at war had taken their toll on his appearance. He was 37 but looked 50 and his career as a romantic lead was over, according to one biographer.

Then Frank Capra cast the actor in "It's a Wonderful Life." This led to a revival of his career in Hollywood, and he went on to perform some of his most well-known roles, including as Scottie Ferguson in "Vertigo," Charles Lindbergh in "The Spirit of St. Louis" and Elwood P. Dowd in "Harvey."

Stewart was still wracked with guilt about the lives he lost on bombing missions under his command and channeled his post-traumatic stress symptoms into his performances. He never spoke about his wartime experiences.

In December 1996, Stewart declined to have the battery in his pacemaker changed and died six months later of a pulmonary embolism at age 89.

https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/c ... ewart.html

Jimmy Stewart, Bomber Pilot / Starr Smith ; foreword by Walter Cronkite.

I highly recommend this book detailing Jimmy Stewart's contributions during WWII to the US Army Air Corps and later the US Air Force.

PP

[Karearea]

On a complete bunnytrail, about Rippingille stoves, actually,

which led to this website https://curiouslyspecific.com/

and today's link to John Buchan’s THE 39 STEPS Part 1: experience the thrill of a chase through Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, 50min. podcast - general natterings about the story, Buchan, the era, etc etc.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t ... 385243800

[CharlieOneSix]

A few years ago we saw The 39 Steps as a comedy thriller at the theatre in Aberdeen. It's now on at Drury Lane Theatre in London. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Four actors play over 150 characters.

Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a dash of farce and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre. Packed with nonstop laughs and over 150 characters played by four actors, The 39 Steps is an unforgettable evening of riotous performances and inventive stagecraft that is sure to delight.

https://drurylanetheatre.com/the-39-steps/

[OneHungLow]

Rereading Eric Newby's 'The Last Grain Race', wherein, disgusted with the advertising industry he ships onboard one of Gustaf Erikson's ships.

[Karearea]

[YouTube: The Last Cape Horners]

^ What a wonderful documentary and tribute to those who sailed these great ships, and the way of life in those days.

"the romance of square-riggers" reminded me of this:

...saw a three-masted ship, full-rigged, under a tremendous press of canvas, far away on the horizon before them and heading about north-west. For some time they had seen, dimly, that there was something there, but now the rays of the sun, slanting low across the water, lit up her sails like pale hedge-roses. Every sail, filled by the wind, seemed curled and coloured like a petal. ...

Sad end for the Pamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamir_(sh ... nd_beyond

One of the most interesting places I've visited was the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum, in Port Chalmers near Dunedin.
Website is worth a look around: http://portmuseum.org.nz/?page_id=83

Port Chalmers Maritime Museum - Dunedin New Zealand [6:28]



Could have spent many more hours there as memories were stirred of various vessels, history, and family history.

I should go back...

[OneHungLow]

Sad end for the Pamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamir_(sh ... nd_beyond

I had not realised under what egregious circumstances the Pamir was lost.

Due to ill health, her regular captain, Hermann Eggers, had been replaced by Captain Johannes Diebitsch, who had sailed on her as a young seaman and had commanded sail-training ships, but had little experience as master of cargo-carrying sailing ships. His first officer, Rolf Köhler, was only 29 at the time, and wrote that he was "getting thin with anger" over the state of the ship and that he was intending to quit the ship's company after arriving home from the next voyage. Captain Diebitsch was criticized for being a harsh and inflexible officer.

On 10 August 1957, she left Buenos Aires for Hamburg with a crew of 86, including 52 cadets. Her cargo of 3,780 tons of barley was stored loose in the holds and ballast tanks, secured by 255 tons in sacks on top of the loose grain. Records indicate that this was one of the major mistakes implicated in the sinking – she had been held up by a dockworkers' strike, and Diebitsch, under severe pressure to sail, decided to let the trimming (the correct storage of loose cargo so that it does not shift in the hold) be done by his own untrained crew. It was later found that he also had the ballast tank filled with barley. Even though testing of the roll period (the time the ship took to right itself after load transfers) showed that she was dangerously unstable, Diebitsch decided to sail.

On the morning of 21 September 1957, she was caught in Hurricane Carrie before shortening sails. It was later considered that because the radio officer had also been given substantial administrative tasks (to save the money required for another officer's position), he had likely not received any of the radio storm warnings. She had also not responded to radio hails by ships that had sighted her earlier in the voyage.]m She soon listed severely to port in the sudden storm. As hatchways and other openings were not closed at once, they probably allowed considerable amounts of water to enter, as found by the commission which examined the probable causes of the sinking. The shipping company's lawyer at the investigation claimed that the water entered her due to a leak. According to the commission, the water caused her to list further and the grain to shift, which aggravated the list.

The captain did not order the flooding of her grain-filled ballast tanks, which would have helped her to right herself. Once she listed severely, the lifeboats could not be deployed because her port side was underwater and her starboard side was raised to an angle that did not allow use of the boats.

She sent distress signals before capsizing at 13:03 local time, and sinking after drifting keel-up for 30 minutes in the middle of the Atlantic 600 nautical miles (1,100 km; 690 mi) west-southwest of the Azores at position 35°57′N 40°20′W.Three damaged lifeboats that had come loose before or during the capsizing and the only lifeboat that had been deployed was drifting nearby. None contained any provisions or working distress signal rockets. Many sharks were later seen near the position.

A nine-day search for survivors was organized by the United States Coast Guard Cutter Absecon, but only four crewmen and two cadets were rescued alive, from two of the lifeboats. It was reported that many of the 86 men aboard had managed to reach the boats, but most died in the next three days. As none of the officers nor the captain survived, the reasons for the capsizing remained uncertain.

The sinking made headlines around the world; it was a national tragedy in Germany.

All slightly reminiscent of the loss of the Bounty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounty_ ... %2C%202012.

[Karearea]

All slightly reminiscent of the loss of the Bounty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bounty_ ... %2C%202012.

I read that wondering why on earth the Captain had elected to set sail when he did.

How very unnecessary.