BATTLE OF BRITAIN (1940) - Respecting THE FEW.

[Smithy]

Had to smile recently while watching the old Sixties Battle of Britain film on DVD when I caught myself critiquing the inaccuracies in the Irvins being sported (mostly 42 pattern jackets, with a few late war, multi-panel items thrown in - probably, at that time, a lot of them were originals). lol

Christopher Plummer's is the most inaccurate, obviously being a prop department knock up job. Lacks even the asymmetrical collar pattern.

Great movie though.

 

[Smithy]

I had the very great pleasure of attending the BoB 70th anniversary service here yesterday which was organised by the Air Force Association. And the weather as if knowing the fact put on a simply stunning, sunny, cloudless day - much like many of those days 70 years ago. Superb day and quite moving.

 

[B-24J]

Battle of the Barges

In Wing Co. Guy Gibson's book "Enemy Coast Ahead" he talks about the RAF's bombing campaign against the German invasion barges during the BoB. If anyone knows of a good book which examines this campaign in detail please let me know. Thanks, John

 

[Smithy]

In Wing Co. Guy Gibson's book "Enemy Coast Ahead" he talks about the RAF's bombing campaign against the German invasion barges during the BoB. If anyone knows of a good book which examines this campaign in detail please let me know. Thanks, John

Many BoB books such as Bungay's,Holland's et al cover this (albeit in many cases briefly) but Larry Donnelly's "The Other Few" is the only book seriously dedicated to the subject.

If you wait a bit as well, Paul Tweddle's "The Other Battle of Britain" is due to be published next year.

As Churchill said, "The fighters are our salvation but the bombers alone provide the means of victory.”

 

[B-24J]

Battle of the Barges:RE

Thank you Smithy, Just ordered "The Other Few" and "First Light" from Amazon UK. Hopefully the BBC will soon have their "First Light" out on DVD. Regards, John

 

[Smithy]

Thank you Smithy, Just ordered "The Other Few" and "First Light" from Amazon UK. Hopefully the BBC will soon have their "First Light" out on DVD. Regards, John

You're very welcome John.

You are especially in for a treat with "First Light" - it's a cracking read, my favourite BoB memoir.

 

[Miss Sis]

Thank you Smithy, Just ordered "The Other Few" and "First Light" from Amazon UK. Hopefully the BBC will soon have their "First Light" out on DVD. Regards, John

It was made by Lion Television for the BBC. You may be able to buy it from them at some point.

 

[Smithy]

Just received Henry Buckton's "Voices from the Battle of Britain" today which looks to be a nice read complete with some previously unpublished photos.

But one thing which really pees me off is the front cover photo which is of a 611 Sqn Spitfire IX from 1942! There's a lot of this going on with books of late, Holland's BoB book had a post BoB Spit on the cover and Patrick Bishop's latest from last year had a photo from 1941 as the front cover image (along with post BoB RAF C-type fuselage roundels as section dividers). There are a lot of excellent BoB images available but the bloody jacket designers (who obviously don't know the first thing) plonk any old image on the cover.

Sorry for the rant but it's something which gets on my goat.

Front cover aside though, Buckton's book at first flick through looks to be a goodie.

 

[Spitfire]

You are so right, Tim. A bad cover can spoil everything. I actually did not buy a book once, because of a bad cover design - filled with faults like you just mention.
It's a shame wwhen the author goes through a lot of trouble to get everything right - and the designer just doesn't give a ....
Maybe they should talk.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Churchill speeches set to music...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11465245

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/8004828/RAFs-Central-Band-Reach-for-the-Skies.html

-dixon cannon

 

[Smithy]

You are so right, Tim. A bad cover can spoil everything. I actually did not buy a book once, because of a bad cover design - filled with faults like you just mention.
It's a shame wwhen the author goes through a lot of trouble to get everything right - and the designer just doesn't give a ....
Maybe they should talk.

The worst one I ever saw was for Derek Robinson's "Goshawk Squadron" (for those not in the know a novel about a SE5 squadron on the Western Front in WWI). What should it have on the cover but a Sopwith Camel frollicking in the clouds and a picture of Albert Ball to boot!

Grub Street did a similar thing a few years back when they reissued Yeates' "Winged Victory" (this time Sopwith Camels) but the dear people at Grub Street decided to put a SE5 on the cover. Actually Søren if you haven't read "Winged Victory" you should. It was so sought after by RAF pilots at the start of WWII (because it was such a realistic view of air combat) that it was commanding exorbitant prices of apparently well over £1 in those days.

Thank you for the link Dixon, most interesting.

The BBC History magazine in June or July of this year came with a wonderful CD which had many of Churchill's speeches. Very stirring stuff.

 

[James007]

I am proud to say Canada was there the whole way fighting right next to our brothers in Arm's

 

[kowalski]

please read ; For Your Freedom and Ours

I greet the Polish where the memory is still alive, and Jan Zumbach and was often in my town
This book is a piece of the history of my nation, there is everything you should know anyone who is interested in the Battle of Britain. The book of the wonderful people with whom personally talked to my father, because just as they had graduated from school in Dęblin, where their memory is still alive.

This book speaks for itself that matters after the war were silent
ps
sorry for my English but it is not good, still working on it . Best regards from Poland

 

[B-24J]

I finished reading "First Light", "Reach for the Sky" (Also the movie - love those Hurricane scenes!), and "The Other Few".

I found myself wishing that "First Light" had an additional hundred pages. I telephoned Lion TV as Miss Sis suggested too see if they might be offering the BBC's "First Light", but it appears that only the BBC would be able to sell a DVD. Hopefully the BBC will soon have it in their store.

Not having lived at the time, I did not fully appreciate that the RAF did not actively promote individual heroes, preferring the 'Team Effort' view. A generally good policy I think. Although after the Dams Raid, Guy Gibson received a lot of publicity. Of course at the time it was assumed Gibson would no longer be flying missions.

I did not read any policy for fighter pilots as existed for bombers where after a number of combat hours or missions you got a break or even a permanent reassignment in a training unit.

"The Other Few" by Larry Donnelly DFM was a good book. More of a reference book than a narrative. Although there are many excellent photos and quite a few personal accounts. You can read the day by day missions of Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and Photo Recon units and see the day by day activity and sadly the daily losses.

I liked the "The Other Few" so much I've started the author's other book, "The Whitley Boys".

John

 

[Spitfire]

Just stumbled over these two - very strong and very touching pictures. Taken at the presentation of The battle of Britain Monument in London - couple of years ago. Two veterans sees themselves. Or is it their long gone brothers in arms? Who knows what goes through these two fine gentlemens minds?

 

[Smithy]

Søren, the first chap is a former Blenheim pilot but for the life of me I can't remember his name without having a sniff through the old books. Help me out eh, who is it again!

B-24J,

Pleased you enjoyed the books. I am one of the lucky ones and have seen Lion TV's adaptation of "First Light" and it is magnificent.

In terms of the RAF not wanting to promote individual heroes, this actually went out the window well before Gibson and fairly early in the war. The first one to be noticed was the NZer, Edgar "Cobber" Kain, the first RAF ace of the war. RAF high command and the Air Ministry had tried desperately to keep his name under wraps but it was leaked and as a result he was a household name not just in Britain, the Empire and the Dominions but even in the US in early 1940. The trend continued from them on - I think the RAF stopped trying to seriously keep successful aircrew names under wraps after this although it wasn't policy to release names.

 

[Spitfire]

Top picture is Jack Toombs. 236 Sqn
Bottom picture is Albert Gregory. 219 Sqn

 

[Smithy]

That's the fella! Thanks Søren.

Although a lot of people have slagged it off, I quite like the BoB memorial.

 

[Spitfire]

I have mixed feelings regarding the memorial too.
You know what they say: "A camel is a horse designed by a committee."

I think the scrambling pilots are awesom - and the artist should have let it be right there!
But then he should also bring in the plotters, the WAAFs, the factoryworkers, the groundcrews, the firemen, the nurses....and what have you.
It goes on an on....
And rightfully so - but it doesn't make it singleminde and stunning.
But it sure tells the whole story.

 

[kowalski]

hello I'm now at the stage of reading Bomber Boys, Patrick Bischop, wonderful and interesting document , I learned many interesting things