Dambusters coincidence
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lazyitus

Original Poster:

19,931 posts

295 months

Sunday 15th July 2012
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Just a quick story ..

I was flicking through the app store on my ipad a couple of days ago and stumbled across the Dambusters game. Looked good, so I bought it for a couple of quid. Fantastic game.

Had a little go at lunchtime before me and the family went out for some Sunday visits to nearby relatives. Whilst playing the game, I thought to myself how much the game made me think how difficult the bombing raids must have been and how utterly brave the pilots and crew were. It really made me think.

After putting the ipad down, we set off for a quick cuppa at my wifes Nans house. She had a visitor already there, an old chap from down the road. Had a nice brew and a chat and it turned out he was a rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber in the war.

Respect to that man - such a nice experience to meet a real life hero who was actually doing this kind of stuff for real at a much younger age than me.

That's it really, just thought I'd share. smile

insurance_jon

4,096 posts

275 months

Sunday 15th July 2012
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When we used to have a local Harley dealership (castleford) the head mechanic was a spiffing cap who was the son of a dambuster crew member.

The shop manager was from the rhur valley, so the me mechanics dad bombed the managers parents.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Sunday 15th July 2012
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Reading James Holland's new book on the Dambusters' raid at the momemt.

paul0843

2,005 posts

236 months

Sunday 15th July 2012
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A few months ago during a dambusters anniversary i was round one of my
friends in Arkley,Barnet.
I mentioned the programme to him and how interesting it was.
He told me his house at the time belonged to one of the organisers
and in fact his utilitynroom was a bomb shelter..

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Sunday 15th July 2012
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What programme?

Monster26

284 posts

254 months

Monday 16th July 2012
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my two pence worth...

My Grandad was rear gunner in a Lanc with 617 Squadron although wasn't on the Dambusters Raid. He never really spoke alot about the war, although I remember one story he descibed seeing a large bomb, maybe a grand slam I forget, being released from a following aircraft he watched as it went through the body of the lanc that had somehow flown underneath.

You imagine seeing that and also knowing who was on board.....


Simpo Two

92,662 posts

294 months

Monday 16th July 2012
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Monster26 said:
he descibed seeing a large bomb, maybe a grand slam I forget, being released from a following aircraft he watched as it went through the body of the lanc that had somehow flown underneath.
That's what accounted for most of Gibson's crew after his death - a raid on Turin IIRC. Same squadron - same event?

ETA: Sep 15 1943.


Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 16th July 13:32

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

277 months

Monday 16th July 2012
quotequote all
insurance_jon said:
When we used to have a local Harley dealership (castleford) the head mechanic was a spiffing cap who was the son of a dambuster crew member.

The shop manager was from the rhur valley, so the me mechanics dad bombed the managers parents.
Ah the Harley Shop. Bought my two Big Twins from there. Wonder where they all are now.