Crash Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 One more quote from my grandfather...and one of his best ever. Back in 1970 when I was 11, he took me down to Biggin Hill to see the air show and have a look at the Battle of Britain memorial flight first hand. I can't tell you my disappointment when instead of heading straight to the airfield he stopped at the old pub in the village...which had a closed sign up. When we got into the pub it was full of old blokes all shouting and laughing at eachother...turned out it was a few of my boyhood heroes...ones that I had read about and had most of their their photos on my bedroom wall... For the home team... Douglas Bader Bob Stanford-Tuck James 'Ginger' Lacey Brian Kingcome John 'cat's eyes' Cunningham Johnny Johnson Paul Brickhill Raymond Baxter (who was a TV presenter for the 'Tomorrow's world' program on the BBC back in the 60's and 70's) My grandfather... And for the visiting team... Adolph Galland Erich Alfred Hartmann Günther Rall Gerhard Barkhorn Walther Dahl Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert... ...and a few others from both teams I didn't know...I was like a pig in proverbial going around getting all those old blokes to sign my autograph book, we even missed the airshow. Thinking I was destined for a big disappointment at missing the BoB flight fly past, I was stunned when my grandfather and all those old blokes all jumped on a few buses dragging me along with them and headed in to the airfield after the airshow had finished...still laughing and shouting at eachother like rowdy kids ...and went straight to the hangar where the Battle of Britain flight were parked. They all took turns sitting in the cockpits of the Spitfire and Hurricane... and getting pics taken by an army of official photographers. When it came around to my grandfathers turn, I watched him climb into the Hurricane as I stood on the wing next to a young RAF flight lieutenant who had flown it during the airshow. As my grandfather looked around the cockpit just lightly running his hands over the controls, the young officer started to explain to him what all the levers and buttons were...He just smiled at the young bloke and said. "That's all very interesting, son... but I've done things in a Hurricane you wouldn't do with your wife." The comment certainly pleased all the rest of the WW2 veteran pilots who all jeered and laughed uproariously. I still have the framed and autographed photo of me standing up in the cockpit of the Hurricane wearing my grandfathers flying helmet with all the collected aces stood around out front of it... Best day ever 4 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluBear Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Wow indeed! Great story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_O_A_D Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Cool! Who was the Grandfather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 I dont know but he flew Hurricanes and Tempests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingflyr Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 WOW indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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