Dam Busters. 70 years on, 16-17 May
Discussion
y2blade said:
The closest I got was being an Air Scout then Cadet as a nipper. 
Some of my best memories was as a cadet! I have a few mates that are ground crew on BBMF who occaisionally get to go up with the Lanc and the Dakota....jammy gits. Some of the facebook status updates and photos are amazing. ali_kat said:
It's C5 so possibly not
Actually, I think the dog is a big part of the film & the plan. The person that killed him on the morning of the raid never came forward, rare for those times, it's thought it was a deliberate act of malice to Gibson in order to stop him flying. It certainly affected the morale of whole team.
That the dog was killed deliberately is a new idea to me, it'd mean that someone waited on the chance the dog would run out. As you say that the person didn't stop was rare, but that means it could happen. I do think it was an accident.Actually, I think the dog is a big part of the film & the plan. The person that killed him on the morning of the raid never came forward, rare for those times, it's thought it was a deliberate act of malice to Gibson in order to stop him flying. It certainly affected the morale of whole team.
staples230uk said:
y2blade said:
The closest I got was being an Air Scout then Cadet as a nipper.
Some of my best memories was as a cadet! I have a few mates that are ground crew on BBMF who occaisionally get to go up with the Lanc and the Dakota....jammy gits. Some of the facebook status updates and photos are amazing. 
We did lots of great stuff tbh, very fond memories.
Me too a cadet. Never joined up though, failed the medical for a pilot but offered other flying duties that I think "what if?". But holiday in Gibralter was fun, Brize Norton for another. Someone in our lot got to Germany and had a flight in a Lightning trainer and the pilot apparently tried to scare him. VC10 and a pilot did a vomit comet on us, they said it was turbulence but as worldly cadets we knew the score.... 
. We had 10-15 seconds of free fall.
. We had 10-15 seconds of free fall.
On Channel 4 9pm tonight there is a program that covers what Barnes Wallis did to create the bomb.
I have seen it before, they use a plane from the ice pilots series to do it:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dambusters-buil...
I have seen it before, they use a plane from the ice pilots series to do it:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dambusters-buil...
Crafty_ said:
On Channel 4 9pm tonight there is a program that covers what Barnes Wallis did to create the bomb.
I have seen it before, they use a plane from the ice pilots series to do it:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dambusters-buil...
Good programme but the pilot of the plane is a bit of a knob and nearly fI have seen it before, they use a plane from the ice pilots series to do it:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dambusters-buil...
ks it up by not staying with the plan.
Patrick Bateman said:
I didn't realise Gibson was 24 at the time of the attack; I'm 24 now, certainly puts things in perspective.
That was not the youngest, though not the oldest in bomber command (or any of the forces). One of his squadron pilots was 30 odd? At 18 or 19 my thoughts were elsewhere, certainly not climbing into a thin metal tube, fly at height that people are going to do their damnedest to shoot you out the sky. And then do that many many nights. The courage of these blokes was amazing (not just 617).This is worth a read to get some idea of what crews went through : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tail-End-Charlies-Battles-...
jmorgan said:
Patrick Bateman said:
I didn't realise Gibson was 24 at the time of the attack; I'm 24 now, certainly puts things in perspective.
That was not the youngest, though not the oldest in bomber command (or any of the forces). One of his squadron pilots was 30 odd? At 18 or 19 my thoughts were elsewhere, certainly not climbing into a thin metal tube, fly at height that people are going to do their damnedest to shoot you out the sky. And then do that many many nights. The courage of these blokes was amazing (not just 617).I actually think being young was a major factor in allowing these chaps to get through the traumas of what they were living through. By the time you get to 30, you are beginning to think a bit more carefully about life - you may have commitments - and you certainly have a more realistic sense of your own mortality.
I would say those who older than 30 and continued on operations were, in many ways, even braver.
Hats off to all of them.
Gassing Station | TV, Film, Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff