Forgotten pilots or flights...
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John Birch and Jimmy Doolittle (2)
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
I have only had time to watch (1), but what an amazing story. Well found, TGA.
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
I am glad it was of interest Boac. It is a very interesting story as you say.
For those with time to spare, that might want to watch the Doolittle video, it comprises of multiple episodes which can be digested in chunks at one's leisure. Well worth watching.
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Don Blakeslee
From FlyPast September 2022 IssueConsidered to be one of the USAAF’s greatest fighter leaders, Don Blakeslee began his military career flying Spitfires in the RCAF before transferring to one of the RAF’s ‘Eagle’ squadrons. He went on to command a USAAF Fighter Group in the Eighth Air Force. Blakeslee left his native Ohio to join the RCAF in October 1940. After completing his training, he arrived in England in May 1941 and joined No. 401 (RCAF) Squadron, flying Spitfires from Biggin Hill. Engaged on sweeps over northern France throughout 1941, he was credited with destroying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and damaging several others. He later transferred to one of the three US-manned ‘Eagle’ squadrons of the RAF, No.133, and shot down a Dornier bomber during the Dieppe operation in August 1942.
That September, the ‘Eagle’ squadrons and their Spitfires were transferred to the USAAF’s 4th Fighter Group and Blakeslee took command of the 335th Squadron. The unit was soon re-equipped with the P-47 Thunderbolt and, in April 1943, he achieved his first success when he shot down a Focke Wulf Fw 190, followed shortly by a second. As one of the most experienced American fighter pilots in Europe, he was tasked with leading the recently arrived 354th Fighter Group on its initial operations. This was the first unit to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang and he was able to claim another victory on the type. His experiences with the 354th convinced him that the Mustang was superior to his own unit’s P-47s.
On January 1, 1944, Blakeslee was appointed to command the 4th Fighter Group based at Debden in Essex. The role of the Group was to escort the 8th Air Force’s long-range bomber force deep into enemy territory. A forceful, no-nonsense man, he left his pilots in no doubt as to what he expected of them when he addressed them for the first time with the words: “We are here to fight. To those who don’t believe me, I would suggest transferring to another Group. I’m going to fly the arse off each one of you. Those who keep up with me, good; those who don’t, I don’t want them.” His Group was equipped with the P-47, a fighter he had little time for. Eventually, the Group re-equipped with the P-51 Mustang. In March 1944, Blakeslee led the first Mustangs over Berlin, escorting a massed daylight-bombing raid. In just four months, his aggressive leadership led to the Group achieving its 500th ‘kill’. On June 21, he led his fighters on the first ‘shuttle’ bombing mission to Russia by 8th Air Force Flying Fortresses, a flight of 1,470 miles. Blakeslee and his pilots landed in the Ukraine after being airborne for seven hours in their single-engined fighters.
He was credited with 15.5 victories, but when there was a multiple claim he always allowed the junior pilot to take the credit – many believe that he actually destroyed at least 30 aircraft. His greatest asset was his outstanding ability as a leader in the air. One of his pilots described him as “George Patton in a P-51 Mustang.”
Blakeslee’s physical stamina, courage, leadership and determination forged the 4th Fighter Group into one of the most formidable and successful USAAF combat units – many claim it to have been the best. By the end of the war, it had become the top-scoring USAAF Fighter Group. After the loss of several high scoring USAAF aces, and having flown over 400 operational sorties, more than any other fighter pilot, Blakeslee was finally grounded in September 1944 and returned to the US to command an airfield in Florida.
He remained with the USAAF and commanded a fighter wing. Among his later assignments were two tours in Germany and one in Korea at HQ Tactical Air Command. Blakeslee was revered amongst the American fighter pilot community, who recognised him as one of the two most outstanding pilots in the European theatre, the other being Colonel ‘Hub’ Zemke. He passed away in September 2008.
Don Blakeslee’s Service Dates: RCAF/RAF 1941-1942, USAAF/USAF 1942-1965 Highest rank: Colonel Awards: DSC (2), Silver Star, DFC, DFC (British), Croix de Guerre Combat record: 15.5 destroyed Further reading: Allied Fighter Aces by Mike Spic
There is a very interesting 3 part interview with Don Blakeslee on YouTube, Sadly the audio is very poor. I post one link here for those who might want to know more.
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Bruce Carr - "The overaggressive pilot"
Bruce Carr
It was on November 2, 1944 that Bruce Carr lost his favored P-51D. He was leading a strafing mission against a German airfield in Czechoslovakia at the time. Knowing he wouldn't be able to keep his aircraft in the air, he bailed out behind enemy lines.
Impressively, he managed to stay undetected for multiple days.
Although he'd avoided capture, Carr had no food or water and began to feel that surrendering was a better fate than continuing the way he was. Knowing there was an airfield nearby, he traveled there with the intent to surrender, but instead came across a crew preparing a German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 with fuel.
Abandoning his initial plan, Carr decided to wait until the crew left before sneaking onto the aircraft.
Carr did his best to figure out how the Fw 190 worked, despite the labels being written in German. He managed well enough and as soon as he was able to, took off without anyone making an effort to stop him or even appearing to notice.
Leaving German territory was the easy part, as his aircraft had German markings. It was returning to Allied airspace in France that proved to be difficult. Inevitably, he was shot at the moment he came back into his own airspace. In the hopes of making it back to base, Carr decided to fly as low as he could, as quickly as possible. This worked well enough, except by the time he arrived, he had no working radio.
Making a grand entrance, Carr landed on the field at the base, without lowering his landing gears, and slid to a stop. Some sources say he chose not to deploy them, while others claim he simply didn't know how to.
It didn't take long for people to try dragging Carr, who was presumed to be a hostile German pilot, out of the cockpit. However, he was still strapped into his seat.
According to him, "I started throwing some good Anglo-Saxon swear words at them, and they let loose while I tried to get the seat belt undone. But my hands wouldn't work and I couldn't do it. Then they started pulling on me again because they still weren't convinced I was an American. I was yelling and hollering. Then, suddenly, they let go, and a face drops down into the cockpit in front of mine. It was my Group Commander: George R. Bickel."
Bickel had a simple question for his pilot, asking only, "Carr, where in the hell have you been, and what have you been doing now?" This daring escape didn't stop Carr from continuing to fly, and he served the rest of the war. By the end, he'd earned the distinction of triple ace and was given credit for 15 aerial victories over 172 combat missions.
Bruce Carr's service in Vietnam and Korea
After World War II came to an end, Bruce Carr remained with the US Army Air Forces as it became the US Air Force. Initially, he was assigned to fly the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star as part of the Acrojets, America's first jet-powered aerobatic demonstration team. They were stationed out of Williams Air Force Base, Arizona.
During the Korean War, the now-Maj. Carr flew with the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on an impressive 57 missions, before taking over as the commanding officer of the squadron between January 1955 and August 1956.
Promoted yet again, Col. Carr later served in the Vietnam War, where he flew with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing out of the Tuy Hoa Air Base. He primarily flew on close air support missions in the North American F-100 Super Sabre, racking up a whopping 286 combat missions during his deployment.
After World War II came to an end, Bruce Carr remained with the US Army Air Forces as it became the US Air Force. Initially, he was assigned to fly the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star as part of the Acrojets, America's first jet-powered aerobatic demonstration team. They were stationed out of Williams Air Force Base, Arizona.
During the Korean War, the now-Maj. Carr flew with the 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on an impressive 57 missions, before taking over as the commanding officer of the squadron between January 1955 and August 1956.
Promoted yet again, Col. Carr later served in the Vietnam War, where he flew with the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing out of the Tuy Hoa Air Base. He primarily flew on close air support missions in the North American F-100 Super Sabre, racking up a whopping 286 combat missions during his deployment.
In 1973, Carr retired from the Air Force. For his service in three wars, he was awarded an impressive number of medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star, 31 Air Medals and four Distinguished Flying Crosses. In 1998, he passed away from prostate cancer and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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South Africa’s one-legged fighter pilot
https://samilhistory.com/2017/10/05/sou ... ter-pilot/Did you know that during World War 2, South Africa had a one-legged fighter pilot? This is the extraordinary story of Capt Douglas Smith “Doug”/”Shorty” Rogan DSO, DFC.
2 Squadron SAAF
Doug Rogan Joined the South African Air Force as a Permanent Force pilot and he served with SAAF 2 Squadron from September 1941 in the North African theatre of operations. 2 Squadron were known as the ‘flying cheetahs’.
He almost immediately started seeing some success when on the 12th October 1941, he damaged a German Bf-109 flying a SAAF Tomahawk Mk.IIb, however in the engagement he took some damage. He had another success later that month, when on the 22 October he logged his first confirmed kill of a German Bf-109F near Gasr el Arid, during the battle his SAAF Tomahawk Mk11b again took on some heavy damage, however he managed to get home and score his first combat victory.
By the next month on the 06 November he had further success in the Tomahawk and recorded his second confirmed kill, that of an Italian S.79 short down in the Matruh area. The S.79 had taken some punishment from other SAAF pilots, but Doug finished it off, so was accredited with the kill.
Luck ran out for Doug late in November 1941. By this time he logged 60 “operation” flying hours, however during a routine operation on the 24th November he was Wounded In Action (WIA) when his Tomahawk received anti-aircraft ground fire, a 20mm AA shell struck Doug in his right leg. Severely wounded and losing blood, Doug turned for home and against the odds managed get both himself and his stricken aircraft back to base. So severe was the wound to Doug’s leg that his leg had to be amputated
Recovering in South Africa, Doug took inspiration from Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader CBE, DSO (Bar), DFC (Bar). Douglas Bader was the famous Royal Air Force pilot who was a double leg amputee during the war, he was credited with 22 aerial victories. Bader had joined the RAF in 1928 and in 1931, while performing some aerobatics he crashed and lost both his legs. When war broke he insisted on flying, even as a double amputee. His determination saw him become a Battle of Britain icon using a “Big Wing” of fighters to attack enemy formations over England. He also became a Prisoner of War after he was shot down over France later in the war, and despite his disability he frustrated his German captors by embarking on a number of escape attempts.
With this proof positive account that pilots who had suffered leg amputations could still perform in combat, Doug focussed on getting back to flying, and back to combat flying. Col. Laurie Wilmot promised Capt. Doug Rogan that if he could be passed the “fit for flying” test with only one leg, he would see to it that Rogan got a posting “up North” again (i.e. back to the theatre of Operations in North Africa and Italy).
1 Squadron SAAF
Fitted with an artificial leg Doug resumed flying fighters with 6 Sqdn on home defence in the following year. After a check ride he passed his fit for flying test and was returned “up north” as promised. Back in combat flying he was posted to SAAF 1 Squadron in November 1942, known as the ‘Billy Boys’.
His return to operations was marred by a couple of errors up front, one occasion he took off with a mechanic still hanging on to his tailplane but managed to land without damage to either the mechanic or his Spitfire. Also, once landing in a dust storm his Spitfire hit that of another pilot’s already on the ground. He however began scoring again later that same month on 13th December 1942, he damaged a Bf-109G whilst flying a SAAF Spitfire Mk.V. By 1943 his victories started to stack up flying in the famous Spitfire Mk. V, 12th Jan he shot down a Bf-109G (probable), 21st Jan he shot down a MC.202 (probable) in the Castel Benito-Tarhuna area. By 27th March he attained a confirmed kill of a German Me 210 near Gabes. On the 08 May he is recorded as damaging an Italian Re.2001.
He was “Returned To Union” (RTU – meaning returned to the Union of South Africa) after his successful tour on Spitfires in August 1943, by this time he was with SAAF 1 Squadron in Sicily. In all is final score from the war: 3 Kills, 2 Probable, 3 Damaged.
On the 19th of March 1943, Doug was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his actions and bravery. In later life he became an air fighting instructor at 11 O.T.U. When he retired from the Air Force he took up residency in the beautiful little coastal town of Knysna.
Another unassuming South Africa hero not known to many now, a true role model and inspiration to any South African, those who have disabilities and even those who do not.
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Jack Malloch, Alan Brough etc.
I had reason to think of Jack Malloch's Spitfire today and reprised his colourful life in sending these ZA links to an ops-normaliser of my acquaintance and thought I'd share them here too.CharlieOneSix wrote: ↑Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:04 amI took this photo of Jack Malloch's Spitfire in February 1980 at the then Salisbury Airport on one of the early runs of its Griffon engine...great posts, TGG![]()
As my photo shows the initial ground runs were done before the paint was applied - not afterwards according to the description in the excellent video.
Please excuse the occasionally eccentric grammar and spelling, and the rather amusing confusion between intelligence and intelligent, as in intelligent services, as opposed to intelligence services (if only it was thus)!
![Rolling on the floor =))](./images/smilies/24.gif)
The facts herein are pretty much accurate insofar as what is known of the man.
https://www.flightlineweekly.com/post/j ... nds-part-1
https://www.flightlineweekly.com/post/j ... nds-part-2
The Brough book is the place to go for the best Malloch biography.
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Captain Valérie André
Valérie André (French pronunciation: [valeʁi ɑ̃dʁe] (listen); born 21 April 1922) is a veteran of the French resistance, a neurosurgeon, an aviator and the first female member of the military to achieve the rank of General Officer, in 1976, as Physician General. In 1981, she was promoted to Inspector General of Medicine. A helicopter pilot, she is the first woman to have piloted a helicopter in a combat zone. She is also a founding member of the Académie de l'air et de l'espace.
As a member of the military, she is not addressed as "Madame la Générale" (a term reserved for spouses of generals) but as "General".
She started as a Medical Captain in Indochina in 1948, already a qualified parachutist and pilot, in addition to being an army surgeon. While in Indochina, she realized that the most difficult part of her duties was retrieving the wounded, who were often trapped in the jungle. She returned to France to learn how to pilot a helicopter, then flew one to Indochina. From 1952–1953, she piloted 129 helicopter missions into the jungle, rescuing 165 soldiers, and on two occasions completed parachute jumps to treat wounded soldiers who needed immediate surgery.
One typical mission occurred on 11 December 1951, when casualties were in urgent need of evacuation from Tu Vu on the Black River. The only available helicopter, stationed near Saigon, was dismantled, flown to Hanoi by a Bristol Freighter and reassembled. Captain André then flew into Tu Vu despite heavy mist and anti-aircraft fire. There, she triaged the casualties, operated on the most pressing cases and then flew the urgent wounded back to Hanoi, two at a time. Later, she was put in command of a casualty evacuation flight.
She continued in Algeria as a Medical Commander in 1960, where she completed 365 war missions. She rose to the rank of Medical Lieutenant Colonel in 1965 then to Medical Colonel in 1970. She had a total of 3200 flight hours, and received 7 citations of the Croix de Guerre.
She has written two collections of memoirs : Ici, Ventilateur! Extraits d'un carnet de vol. (Calmann-Lévy, 1954) and Madame le général (Perrin, 1988).
She is one of eight women to hold the Grand-croix (Great Cross) rank in the Legion of Honour, with Germaine Tillion, Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz, Jacqueline de Romilly, Simone Rozès, Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Yvette Farnoux et Gilberte Champion. She is the aunt of politician André Santini.
She turned 100 on 21 April 2022.
She was well trained by Alan Bristow who sold her the Hiller helicopter she flew.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val%C3%A9rie_Andr%C3%A9
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Albert Scott Crossfield
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
I recommend the first of those interviews with Scott Crossfield, not least to learn how ended up "patting Ester WIlliams on her "derrière" and because if you do, you will watch the second one too... she was probably in her 70's at the time mind you! Rubbish - She would have been 53-24 = 29 years old...
![Ha ha :))](./images/smilies/21.gif)
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Forgotten pilots or flights - Terry Bulloch
- From FlyPast MagazineKnown as ‘The Bull’, Terry Bulloch was a Coastal Command pilot credited with the greatest number of sightings and attacks against German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic. By the end of World War Two, he had been credited with sinking four, twice the number of any other pilot. Educated in Belfast before joining the RAF in 1936, Bulloch flew with Coastal Command and by early 1940 was operational with 206 Squadron, flying the Hudson on patrols over the French, Dutch and Belgian coastal areas. This included several hazardous trips during the evacuation of forces from Dunkirk. He also bombed the Channel ports being used in Hitler’s preparations to invade England in September 1940.
With the arrival of the B-24 Liberator, some of which Bulloch had delivered while serving with Ferry Command, 120 Squadron was formed at Nutts Corner, Belfast and he joined them as a flight commander.
October 21, 1941, he spotted a periscope and made the squadron’s first attack against a U-boat. He dived to attack, dropping three depth charges, but the result was inconclusive, and he was credited with a ‘damaged’.
Over the next nine months, Bulloch made six more U-boat sightings. He damaged U-59 as it returned to France and, two days later, he seriously damaged U-653 forcing it to return to Brest in France.
In September 1942 he was in Iceland and on October 12 he achieved his, and the squadron’s, first confirmed ‘kill’ – his depth charges virtually blew U-597 out of the water and it was last seen sinking vertically. On November 5 he sighted another and attacked it from bow to stern; his aim was accurate and his depth charges destroyed U-132.
On December 8, he and his crew took off from Reykjavik to fly a patrol over a convoy that had left Halifax in Nova Scotia and was approaching an area where naval intelligence estimated that a U-boat ‘Wolf Pack’ of 14 submarines was lurking in wait. Bulloch met up with convoy HX 217 and took up a position astern to counter a known U-boat tactic of shadowing the vessels while others from the ‘Pack’ converged. The weather was poor, but Bulloch picked up the wake of a surfaced U-boat and he dived to attack. The submarine commenced a crash dive, but it was too late as Bulloch straddled it with six depth charges. There was a great upheaval of water and oil. Wreckage and bodies soon floated to the surface. A Norwegian Navy corvette escorting the convoy investigated and confirmed the sinking. He then attacked a second with his two remaining depth charges, forcing the submarine to dive.
This was Bulloch’s 22nd sighting of a U-boat (he had attacked 12), far more than most squadrons would achieve. Before it was time for him to depart, five more submarines were sighted. With no depth charges remaining, he attacked each with his four Hispano 20mm cannons. On each occasion he forced the submarines to dive and abandon their attacks. A second Liberator arrived to relieve Bulloch and continue the attacks, forcing five more U-boats to dive. The attackers had been thrown into disarray and their positions revealed to the escorting naval forces that engaged them. Just two of the 90 ships were lost from the convoy.
During a tour as an instructor, he was attached to 224 Squadron and, on July 8, 1943, was on patrol near Cape Finisterre when he spotted the conning tower of a submarine in the wake of a fishing boat. He attacked and fired his eight rockets in pairs from 50ft. He then pulled up and attacked with depth charges. U-514, outbound to South African waters, was destroyed with all hands lost. At the end of his tour, Balloch refused to be rested and he joined a long-range transport squadron flying converted Liberators across the Atlantic.
After the war he joined BOAC’s prestigious transatlantic service and was to spend almost all his long career with BOAC and British Airways flying over the ocean he knew so well. He retired in 1974 and died in November 2014.
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights... Samuel "Kink" Kinkaid
I am often accused of being a South African chauvinist, and I must accept that I am. Here is a Saffer who led quite an extraordinary life.
Samuel Kinkaid
I recommend this biography to the house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_KinkeadSamuel Marcus Kinkead DSO, DSC & Bar, DFC & Bar (25 February 1897 – 12 March 1928) was a South African fighter ace with 33 victories during the First World War. He went on to serve in southern Russia and the Middle East postwar.
Samuel Kinkaid
I recommend this biography to the house.
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
His old mount has been restored and is soon to fly again.TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 01, 2021 11:19 amSydney Cotton, Australian (I guess he couldn't help that), pilot, photographer, spy and later Squadron Leader and head of "Cotton's Club" who was the bane of the RAF hierarchy's lives. He lived a colourful life after the war as well...
Electra closing in on first flight in 80 years
. FlyPast MagazineThe Lockheed 12A Electra which provided Britain with invaluable reconnaissance photographs in the months leading up to World War Two will soon make its first flight in the UK for more than 80 years. It conducted its first taxi run since being imported into the UK in May 2022. The 1936-built propliner crossed the Atlantic eastwards in May 1939 on the SS Aquitania. Later that month it was registered to British Airways as G-AFTL to mask its true purpose. Two additional 70-gallon fuel tanks increased the aircraft’s range to 1,600 miles and Heston-based Airwork
installed hatches under the rear fuselage behind which a trio of F24 cameras, which could be activated by a button under the pilot’s seat, were fitted. The aircraft was then entrusted to Australian businessman and adventurer Sidney Cotton – recruited by MI6 to take photographs of German militarisation.
Damaged by a parachute mine at Heston, it flew in the US as NX21707 after repairs. It was finally acquired by Fighter Aviation Engineering and shipped to Sywell, Northamptonshire
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Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray, VC, DSC, RCNVR
Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray, VC, DSC, RCNVR (November 2, 1917 – August 9, 1945) was a Canadian naval officer, pilot, and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC) during World War II, one of only two members of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to have been thus decorated in that war. (The other was Eugene Esmonde, a British pilot.) Gray is the second to last Canadian to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray
https://navywings.org.uk/portfolio/robert-hampton/Lieutenant Robert Hampton “Hammy” Gray VC, DSC, RCNVR (2 November 1917 – 9 August 1945) was a Canadian naval pilot flying with the Fleet Air Arm in World War II.
On 9th August 1945 he led his section of Corsairs from HMS Formidable in a shipping strike off the island of Honshu. Gray’s aircraft was hit and set on fire, with his aircraft already in flames, Hampton proceeded to attack the Japanese destroyer Amakusa and with a direct hit from a bomb he dropped, sank the ship.
He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, one of only two Fleet Air Arm personnel to receive the distinction in World War II. He was also honoured by the Japanese who were so impressed by his bravery that they built a memorial in his memory.
The citation for his VC stated:
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS for valour to: —
the late Temporary Lieutenant Robert Hampton GRAY, R.C.N.V.R.,
for great valour in leading an attack on a Japanese destroyer in Onagawa Wan, on 9 August 1945. In the face of fire from shore batteries and a heavy concentration of fire from some five warships Lieutenant Gray pressed home his attack, flying very low in order to ensure success, and, although he was hit and his aircraft was in flames, he obtained at least one direct hit, sinking the destroyer. Lieutenant Gray has consistently shown a brilliant fighting spirit and most inspiring leadership.
ADMIRALTY Whitehall, 13th November 1945.
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights... Samuel "Kink" Kinkaid
Another member of the Schneider team was Richard Waghorn.TheGreenAnger wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:41 pmI am often accused of being a South African chauvinist, and I must accept that I am. Here is a Saffer who led quite an extraordinary life.
Samuel Marcus Kinkead DSO, DSC & Bar, DFC & Bar (25 February 1897 – 12 March 1928) was a South African fighter ace with 33 victories during the First World War. He went on to serve in southern Russia and the Middle East postwar.
https://military-history.fandom.com/wik ... rd_WaghornIn 1924 Waghorn became a cadet at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, when he passed out in August 1924 he was awarded the Sword of Honour as the best all-round cadet. He was posted to No. 17 Squadron flying the Sopwith Snipe fighter. After a few years he was sent on a flying instructor's course at the Central Flying School, after the course he stayed with the CFS as a qualified flying instructor. In February 1929 he was posted to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe to train as part of the British team to contest the 1929 Schneider Trophy.
A relation of his - I forget which - was on my Wings course. He was Dave Waghorn. Once we got our Wings he asked to be taken off flying duties and he returned to General List Seaman duties. Apparently all he had wanted to do was prove he could be a pilot too. A pleasant bloke but how weird was that aim!
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org
Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
Cost the Navy a bob or two to prove it too!
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights... Samuel "Kink" Kinkaid
What a strange modus operandi. I can't imagine that his career in the navy was particularly stellar thereafter?CharlieOneSix wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 6:17 pmAnother member of the Schneider team was Richard Waghorn.TheGreenAnger wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 2:41 pmI am often accused of being a South African chauvinist, and I must accept that I am. Here is a Saffer who led quite an extraordinary life.
Samuel Marcus Kinkead DSO, DSC & Bar, DFC & Bar (25 February 1897 – 12 March 1928) was a South African fighter ace with 33 victories during the First World War. He went on to serve in southern Russia and the Middle East postwar.https://military-history.fandom.com/wik ... rd_WaghornIn 1924 Waghorn became a cadet at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, when he passed out in August 1924 he was awarded the Sword of Honour as the best all-round cadet. He was posted to No. 17 Squadron flying the Sopwith Snipe fighter. After a few years he was sent on a flying instructor's course at the Central Flying School, after the course he stayed with the CFS as a qualified flying instructor. In February 1929 he was posted to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe to train as part of the British team to contest the 1929 Schneider Trophy.
A relation of his - I forget which - was on my Wings course. He was Dave Waghorn. Once we got our Wings he asked to be taken off flying duties and he returned to General List Seaman duties. Apparently all he had wanted to do was prove he could be a pilot too. A pleasant bloke but how weird was that aim!
Something of the "Lawrence of Arabia" about his self-inflicted demotion, who purposely chose a career path that took him from the rank of Colonel in the army to aircraftman in the RAF, to the tank corps and then back to the RAF again!
T. E. LawrenceHaving seen and admired the effective use of air power during the war, Lawrence enlisted in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftman, under the name John Hume Ross in August 1922.At the RAF recruiting centre in Covent Garden, London, he was interviewed by recruiting officer Flying Officer W. E. Johns, later known as the author of the Biggles series of novels. Johns rejected Lawrence's application, as he suspected that "Ross" was a false name. Lawrence admitted that this was so and that he had provided false documents. He left, but returned some time later with an RAF messenger who carried a written order that Johns must accept Lawrence.
However, Lawrence was forced out of the RAF in February 1923 after his identity was exposed. He changed his name to T. E. Shaw (apparently as a consequence of his friendship with G. B. and Charlotte Shaw and joined the Royal Tank Corps later that year. He was unhappy there and repeatedly petitioned to rejoin the RAF, which finally readmitted him in August 1925. A fresh burst of publicity after the publication of Revolt in the Desert resulted in his assignment to bases at Karachi and Miramshah in British India (now Pakistan) in late 1926, where he remained until the end of 1928. At that time, he was forced to return to Britain after rumours began to circulate that he was involved in espionage activities.
Lawrence continued serving in the RAF based at RAF Mount Batten near Plymouth, RAF Calshot near Southampton, and RAF Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire. He specialised in high-speed boats and professed happiness, and he left the service with considerable regret at the end of his enlistment in March 1935.
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.
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Re: Forgotten pilots or flights... Samuel "Kink" Kinkaid
I never heard of him again after our Wings parade!TheGreenAnger wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 9:22 pm
What a strange modus operandi. I can't imagine that his career in the navy was particularly stellar thereafter?
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
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Charles 'Champagne Charlie' Cantan
https://www.petersfieldpost.co.uk/news/ ... day-302291Charles 'Champagne Charlie' Cantan
Charles 'Champagne Charlie' Cantan, Sea Harrier pilot – obituary
'The Americans gave him the call-sign “Wheels” to remind him to use them'
Charles “Champagne Charlie” Cantan, who has died of cancer aged 60, flew Sea Harriers in the Falklands War and later Airbuses for Virgin Atlantic.
In April 1982 Lieutenant Cantan was a newly qualified Sea Harrier pilot and had recently joined 801 Naval Air Squadron under Lt Cdr “Sharkey” Ward. Unlike many senior officers in the MoD and in the world of intelligence, who were startled by the Argentine invasion of the Falklands, Ward had a presentiment about events in the South Atlantic and had warned his people to be ready for war.
Cantan therefore was not surprised to receive a message on Good Friday to return to his squadron and prepare to embark in the aircraft carrier Invincible.
Invincible sailed from Portsmouth three days later and over the next two-and-a-half months Cantan flew 77 sorties – all but 20 on operations – making his first night deck-landing on April 12.
The squadron deterred some 450 air attacks on the beachhead at San Carlos, and shot down eight enemy aircraft for the loss of two pilots and four aircraft to the enemy – one to enemy ground fire and three to air accidents brought about by fatigue.
An official report noted: “Cantan is an aggressive and most capable fighter pilot who has done very well indeed on active service in the Battle for the Falklands.” Later in the war Cantan also flew bombing sorties.
However, his greatest test came after a distant mission at extreme range west of the Falklands when Invincible ran into thick fog.
Ordered to hold off while the carrier searched for clear space, Cantan ran low on fuel. Guided by radar he flew past the carrier without seeing her, though on the flightdeck the roar of his engine could be heard.
On a second attempt to land-on, Cantan saw the diffused glimmer of the ship’s searchlights above the bank of fog, and, relying on his previous experience of flying helicopters, climbed to Invincible’s masthead height and steadied his Harrier in a hover next to the glow.
With less than a minute’s fuel, he lowered his aircraft into the fog bank, and only at 50ft did the ship’s shape appear out of the mist. The first sight of Cantan from the carrier was the rear nozzles of his jet glowing red-hot in the dark.
Asked if he was scared, Cantan replied that he was so busy, mentally and physically, that he didn’t have the spare capacity to be frightened, but as soon as he landed he started to shake – a condition which continued until Invincible’s captain, JJ Black, met him in the crewroom with a whisky.
Much later Cantan was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.
Charles Harry Cantan was a great-grandson of the Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, although he was born in Jamaica, where his father was serving with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He attended Blundell’s, where he represented the school at shooting, swimming and rugby, but did not excel in the classroom.
Life changed for Cantan, aged 16, when he was awarded a Royal Naval Flying Scholarship – the trigger for a flying career spanning 40 years. He joined the Navy in 1975, determined to fly the Phantom fighter-bomber, proving an outstanding student.
He was awarded the Louis Newmark Trophy for the best flying marks and the squadron prize for leadership. He won his wings aged 20.
He was frustrated by the decision to decommission the carrier Ark Royal, qualified as a helicopter pilot and spent one commission flying the Wessex anti-submarine helicopter from the destroyer London.
In 1977 he reinforced his Channel Islands connections by taking part in a lifeboat exercise off Guernsey, which inspired a lifelong interest in the RNLI.
After the Falklands, and shortly after being loaned to US Marine Attack Squadron 513 based in Utah, Cantan, forgetting to lower his undercarriage before landing, crashed his aircraft.
Fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene, where one of the stretcher-bearers slipped on the oil spillage, leaving Cantan to climb out of the cockpit by himself and help load the medic into an ambulance. The Americans gave him the call-sign “Wheels” to remind him to use them.
During the Falklands War Cantan had become close to Prince Andrew, who was a helicopter pilot in 820 Naval Air Squadron, also embarked in Invincible, and in 1986 he flew home to be an usher at the Prince’s wedding.
The same year he gained his bridge watchkeeping certificate in the destroyer Beaver, a key step to becoming a career naval officer, but he preferred the world of flying and left the service as a lieutenant commander to join Virgin Atlantic. Over the next 22 years he flew more than 10,000 hours in Airbuses.
Cantan was an active member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and of the RNLI, campaigning and instructing in both organisations on the importance of “human factors” to safety and security.
He was known as “Champagne Charlie” not for his lifestyle but for his vibrant personality, his sense of humour, and for the dignity and distinction with which he always conducted himself.
Cantan married, first, Tess Gilbert in 1983 and, secondly, in 2006, Sally James, who survives him with a son and daughter of his first marriage.
Charles “Champagne Charlie” Cantan, born January 11 1956, died June 7 2016
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.
Re: Forgotten pilots or flights...
TGA Check out posts #149 to #153 in 'Photos of Everybody' by Ex-Ascot in 2017 from BFT at Cranwell, when they were course mates. Cantan was converting from helicopters.
To hold his nerve during that approach to Invincible in the fog was an amazing feat of flying.
To hold his nerve during that approach to Invincible in the fog was an amazing feat of flying.