Some of my Dads toys
jollygreengiant - 22/7/10 at 07:16 PM
I went on the Malta Aviation museum web site a few weeks ago and on one of their pages I found a picture a model on diplay showing one of my dads toys
(thats how he described them). Any way I sent an email of asking for information about the model diarama. Was it created from memory or from photos. I
received a reply from the site today saying that they had passed my enquiry on to the (I presume) builder. But they also attached a couple of other
photos of some of the toys that my father might have known.
So I now present the two photos.
From my fathers paperwork I know that he did indeed opperate the two clearly visible and identifiable toys (XZ & XJ) in the shot and quite
possibly the unidentifiable toys in the background and forground.
2 of my dads toys
and the other is of aircraft in their pens, however he did not fly the identifiable aircraft but he might have flown the in the background.
possible dads toy in rear pen
My favourite quote from my dad was "I was 20 years old and the government gave me Spitfires to play with."
pdm - 22/7/10 at 07:30 PM
20 years old !!
I met a guy a couple of weeks ago who cant have been much older - he was is the marines. He just said it nochanlant like but there's not much
you can say to that so I kept quiet. I hope he took that as a very sincere sign of respect.
Your Dad deserves the same.
steve m - 22/7/10 at 08:02 PM
Your father flew spits, what a thrill. and fantastic acolade, and the most beutiful aircraft ever created, flown by boys ??
probably made them men, quickley !
I flew PV202, at the time, one of only 2, 2 seat spits in the world, and now there is now 3
Captain Norman Lees, was my "instructor" and very good friend, and family friend
He later that year died in that aircraft in the same year i flew with him, one of the best expeirances of my life, yet the sad loss of a fantastic
work colleage, and friend, is very saddening, and even !
It will never leave me !
Pv202 was a 1944 seving aircraft in ww2, and i have 20 mins of stick time
and best of all, it cost me NOTHING!!!
Regards
Steve
steve m - 22/7/10 at 08:10 PM
Ps
I crashed my 1/6 scale spit only a few weeks ago
NOW THAT WAS A BAD DAY !!!!!
whitestu - 22/7/10 at 08:11 PM
Total respect to your dad.
I live near the RAF museum in Hendon, and we regularly get Spits and other WW2 stuff flying over our house.
I could watch them all day.
The museum is free and I'd recommend it to anyone who fancies a really interesting day out. It's great for anyone with kids wanting a bit of
history as well.
Stu
Triton - 22/7/10 at 09:11 PM
Wow what a toy to play with...
David Jenkins - 22/7/10 at 09:15 PM
A while ago my 20-year-old son and I were watching a very good history programme about the RAF bomber squadrons in the 2nd world war.
As we were watching, I said to my son "do you realise that all of those men, apart from the pilot, were probably the same age as you?" - he
was rather shocked...
mcerd1 - 22/7/10 at 09:31 PM
quote:
Originally posted by pdm
20 years old !!
I met a guy a couple of weeks ago who cant have been much older - he was is the marines. He just said it nochanlant like but there's not much
you can say to that so I kept quiet. I hope he took that as a very sincere sign of respect.
one of my mates is well into his RM trainning now - he's 27 but that makes him the second oldest in his troop 
bi22le - 22/7/10 at 10:27 PM
wow readying this makes me very proud of our past and makes me think to never forget the sacrifices men of today's war go through.
It also reminds me that this forum covers many ages and many types of class. Makes me very humble to be part of the lcb group.
I have greatest respect to any person who has the privilege to fight for our land. . . .
jollygreengiant - 22/7/10 at 10:46 PM
quote:
Originally posted by pdm
20 years old !!
I met a guy a couple of weeks ago who cant have been much older - he was is the marines. He just said it nochanlant like but there's not much
you can say to that so I kept quiet. I hope he took that as a very sincere sign of respect.
Your Dad deserves the same.
He was trained in this country starting with Tiger Moth,
Miles Master,
Hawker Hurricane,
Supermarine Spitfire,
Then Technically into the Battle of Britain but as the Squadron became active he was posted abroad (last in first out) to Malta for a 6 month tour
(survival thought to be 3 months tops) that lasted for 3 months in Gibraltar and then 9 months in Malta with 229Sqn. Before the war he had been with
the Plaistow Swimming club and was in line to be in the next olympics if the war had not come along. As he shipped out he weighed 10st 8lb,
naked,(iirc) when he returned from Malta he weighed 8st 10lbs in full uniform. He was on the better diet in Malta because he was a fighter pilot!.
When you hear things like that it makes you think about what the general population of Malta must have gone through. They have my respect.
From that point he went on medical reassignment then, after nearly a year, back into flying retraining loging hours on,
Boulton & Paul Defiant,
Fairey Barracuda,
Hawker Typhoon.
Then the war ended just before he was due to be shipped to the Far East battles.
He was demobbed and got a job as a test pilot with Hawker Aviation but was talked out of that by his wife due to the pilot losses incured in test
flying at that time.
For the most part he did not talk about the war much but when he did I listened and kept any questions I had for a later date as it was obvious he was
uncomfortable about direct questions. It took nearly 15 years for me to get the information out of him that I did up until his passing.
All those that have been through anything similar will ALWAYS have my respect.
Peteff - 22/7/10 at 10:47 PM
Those weren't toys, they were weapons. Give them the respect they are due.
mcerd1 - 22/7/10 at 11:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by jollygreengiant
For the most part he did not talk about the war much but when he did I listened and kept any questions I had for a later date as it was obvious he was
uncomfortable about direct questions. It took nearly 15 years for me to get the information out of him that I did up until his passing.
sounds exactly the same as my grandad - he loved talking about riding round northern europe on his motor bike (between units etc..)
but didn't want to talk that much about war itself (he was a doctor, I think mostly in the field hospitals)
although he did have a few choice things to say about the luftwaffe dive bombing the field hospitals and convoy's...
he was far from the only one in the family to serve (apparently they go all the way back to the nepolionic wars) but none of the others ever talked
about it.
a couple of them (brothers) got medals in the great war but no one knows why (btw - how do you find this out?)
[Edited on 23/7/2010 by mcerd1]
Ivan - 23/7/10 at 06:42 AM
A great uncle of mine flew in the 1st WW - told lots of stories about how cold it was up there - they wore as many Greatcoats as they could get on. He
carried a lucky greatcoat button that stopped a round from hitting him in the chest - it was very bent
Another uncle (still alive) flew Spitfires and Hurricanes in North Africa and Italy - has many tales to tell - his first mission was a rocket attack
on a harbour in Italy with many others, dived down through the flak - sent of his rockets and pulled up - blacked out for a few seconds and when he
came round was the only plane in the sky - said "Mother - what have I let myself in for" 
He said it's unbelievable how quickly
planes can vanish.
Also said when ground strafing you could see the guys wetting themselves.
pajsh - 23/7/10 at 06:42 AM
Couple of pics I tool at last weekends RIAT 2010.
The sight of 7 spitfires, 3 hurricanes and 2 BF-109's firing up on the runway, taxiing out and flying around in formation was very moving.
60 years since the Battle of Britain
RIAT
RIAT 2010
scootz - 23/7/10 at 07:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by jollygreengiant
For the most part he did not talk about the war much but when he did I listened and kept any questions I had for a later date as it was obvious he was
uncomfortable about direct questions. It took nearly 15 years for me to get the information out of him that I did up until his passing.
A different breed altogether! I am in awe of these guys!
Meet Grandad Scootz... Sgt Willie!
This pic was taken in Burma in 1943-44. Just a normal lad from a mining town in Fife who now found himself in a far-east jungle fighting the heat and
Japanese men, both to the death.
His father had managed to get him a protected position down the pits, but the day before he was due to start he went with his mates to Kirkcaldy where
he signed-up to fight. He was too young to join legally and lied about his age. He did it because he considered it the 'right thing to do'
(his words) and didn't want anyone to think he was a coward by going to the mines instead. His father beat him black and blue when he learned of
what he had done and took him back to the conscription unit to tell them he was too young... they wouldn't change his papers.
His brother Jim also joined about the same time. He fought (and died) in Europe.
He only talked about his time in the army during his later years... horrific is an understatement. He talked of heroic feats, but would never have
considered himself a hero - it was just 'the right thing to do'.
Would the current 'fighting-age' generations step forward so readily if required... I think not! In fact, I think they would fight
conscription more fiercely than the enemy!
He died just a couple of years ago during a short spell in hospital for a minor ailment.
The hospital was a filthy-disgrace and his care sub-standard. He contracted the C-Diff virus and bled to death in agony.
He deserved better... 
Daddylonglegs - 23/7/10 at 08:20 AM
It's so good that guys on here take time to pay respects to those of years gone by. Too often we live for the future and worry about haves and
have-nots. Those guys deserve so much repsect and as already said, you don't have to be a spotter to appreciate the Spitfire, British design at
it's best.
It's also important to remeber the guys of today who are taking the risks in other countries and making all our lives that bit safer.
Here's to them all, past and present.
coozer - 23/7/10 at 08:25 AM
Sunderland airshow this weekend... all I want to see is the Battle of Britain Mermorial flight.
Anyone seen Memphis Bell? the 1944 one?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036152/
Watch this and you get a true sense of what it was like and how young these kids where.
Respect.
woodster - 23/7/10 at 09:57 AM
we should never forget those heros of the past wars and also remember the heros who are fighting in Afghanistan at thhis very moment are only in their
late teens early 20s .........
Ivan - 23/7/10 at 10:08 AM
Although I have huge respect for all allies who fought in the two world wars (this includes my father) , as someone who had little choice and was
forced by conscription to fight on the wrong side of a war of oppression, the current generation might well be right to resist the draft if it
happened.
[Edited on 23/7/10 by Ivan]
scootz - 23/7/10 at 10:14 AM
All depends on the 'need' Ivan. We 'needed' to stop Hitler in the Second War... no if's or but's...
I question whether the 'fighting-age' generations of today would step up to the mark in similar circumstances or would they just shrug their
shoulders, mutter 'whatever' and assimilate meekly to the invading forces!
As Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’
David Jenkins - 23/7/10 at 11:20 AM
Over the past week or so there've been a couple of programs about the occupation of the Channel Islands - jews deported to death camps,
brutality, slave labour, and so on. Scary when you see it on what looks like a British street, with a British policemen walking along.
I don't think many British people would have rolled over and just let it happen on the mainland.
