Cool things seen on FlightRadar
Discussion
LotusOmega375D said:
Burrow01 said:
Recce-ing a bouncing bomb attack on the Rutland Water dam?
Coincidentally I was sitting outside one of the Barnsdale Timeshare chalets at Rutland Water about 10+ years ago, just as the Lancaster flew low and fast directly overhead.
They did get a great photo
Burrow01 said:
LotusOmega375D said:
Crew Training apparently (going for a jolly :-) )They also performed a double low level flyover of the National Memorial Arboretum during yesterdays sortie as well.
saaby93 said:
can anyone imagine going up in one of those things with those peashooters knowing that someone else is likely to have a go at you with similar peashooters
My grandad did 3 tours with bombed command mostly in Hampdens I think, radio operator and gunner. I once asked him if he’d killed any Germans, “well I bloody hope so” was his response. Christ only knows how he survived. I’m not sure the 19 year old me would have had as much testicular fortitude.djc206 said:
saaby93 said:
can anyone imagine going up in one of those things with those peashooters knowing that someone else is likely to have a go at you with similar peashooters
My grandad did 3 tours with bombed command mostly in Hampdens I think, radio operator and gunner. I once asked him if he’d killed any Germans, “well I bloody hope so” was his response. Christ only knows how he survived. I’m not sure the 19 year old me would have had as much testicular fortitude.One of the few to have survived the war with more than 3 tours was Leonard Cheshire VC, who did 3 tours, plus a 4th shorter special ops tour of another 10 missions in command of 617 Sqn.
I would say it likely your Grandad probably didn't do all 3 tours on the Hampden, as it was withdrawn from Bomber Command ops by late summer of 1942, so most likely his 3rd tour at least was on another type, likely one of the 4 engine types by then.
Remarkable men, the lot of them.
aeropilot said:
To have done and survived 3 tours is remarkably rare.....that's at least 90 ops with bombs dropped on target (as aborted missions due to weather or other factors didn't count as an op!) and while many flyers did 3 or more, many of them were statistically riding their luck by that number of ops, and most high tour/op flyers ended up being lost on an op, as if you completed 3 tours you were no longer posted to an operational unit, although many volunteered to fly further ops.
One of the few to have survived the war with more than 3 tours was Leonard Cheshire VC, who did 3 tours, plus a 4th shorter special ops tour of another 10 missions in command of 617 Sqn.
I would say it likely your Grandad probably didn't do all 3 tours on the Hampden, as it was withdrawn from Bomber Command ops by late summer of 1942, so most likely his 3rd tour at least was on another type, likely one of the 4 engine types by then.
Remarkable men, the lot of them.
Definitely wasn’t all 3 on hampdens but for my sins I can’t remember what the third was on. I’ll ask my dad. I’ll see if I can find out more and maybe post up separately about it. I know he later worked on the avionics on the Fairey Delta and worked well into his 70’s. I met a lot of fascinating people as a kid including Peter Twiss who was a personal friend of my grandfather and attended his funeral. I wish I’d know at the time (2005) how incredible Peter was!One of the few to have survived the war with more than 3 tours was Leonard Cheshire VC, who did 3 tours, plus a 4th shorter special ops tour of another 10 missions in command of 617 Sqn.
I would say it likely your Grandad probably didn't do all 3 tours on the Hampden, as it was withdrawn from Bomber Command ops by late summer of 1942, so most likely his 3rd tour at least was on another type, likely one of the 4 engine types by then.
Remarkable men, the lot of them.
djc206 said:
saaby93 said:
can anyone imagine going up in one of those things with those peashooters knowing that someone else is likely to have a go at you with similar peashooters
My grandad did 3 tours with bombed command mostly in Hampdens I think, radio operator and gunner. I once asked him if he’d killed any Germans, “well I bloody hope so” was his response. Christ only knows how he survived. I’m not sure the 19 year old me would have had as much testicular fortitude.He passed at 83. The worst day of my life. I arrived at the hospital about 20 mins before my dad and gran. He passed while I was sat there talking to him waiting for them to arrive. I still remember waiting in the corridor, tears rolling on the floor unable to tell them he had gone.
I’m RAF now. Thankfully he got to see pictures of my passing out parade. I know he was so proud.
I to this day hope I never have to find out if I have the kind of courage he had. They were a different breed.
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