Awe inspiring...
 

It's a bank holiday in the UK so I was dragged off kicking and screaming to the local garden centre... Great.

They have a book section there so I go over see a Spitfire book and pick it up.

An old man next to me says "I'm a Hurricane man myself" points at a book on Lancs and says "I was a Halifax man too"

So I asked him what he did during the war (expecting him to say he was a child)

He was a wireless operator on Halifax's from '43 till '45.

He flew 43 ops all over the place, told me about his first encounter with the shrage musik, his admiration for the 8th bomber group guys (how they did all those daylight raids amazed him). He got a 3 week break after completeing his first tour. He reckond most bombers would average about 10 ops before they were lost.

He mentioned his love for the "Merlin Mustang" as he called it.

He also told me the name of his Bomber - Friday the 13th - I googled it. Turns out that it's on display in the Yorkshire Air museum.

He said they called it Friday the 13th because it was delivered to them on Friday 13th it was also lettered 'F'

I only spent about 20 mins talking to him but I was blown away by his humility
and 'we just got on with it' attitude.

It was very humbling. It improved my visit to the garden centre vastly!

What a great story. Thanks for sharing.

StiC

yes a great story of a courageous man.RESPECT.thanks winny.

What brave men. I think about these guys all the time and what they sacrificed for humanity. Really makes you wonder sometimes when you see the news and the total crap thats going on around the world. Did we as a society ever learn from these fantastic men? Will humanity ever learn to live with itself in peace ?
My dads cousin served on Lancs however sadly paid the ultimate price and did not see an end to the war. This is a brief story in his honour.

Sgt. James Norris RAF(VR) 1900179 576 Squadron

Sgt. James Norris was an Irish citizen from Waterford City, County Waterford, Eire who volunteered to join the Royal Air Force.

This perhaps shows the character of this man and the many other Irish Republic citizens who chose to wear the uniforms of the United Kingdom in the war against Germany.
Sgt. James Norris was the rear gunner on a Lancaster Bomber of 576 squadron based at RAF Fiskerton. The aircraft code was UL-M2, serial number NN750.

The crew were:

FO. Derrick Fletcher RAF(VR) 179580 - Pilot

Sgt. P D Lake RAF(VR) - Flight Engineer

F/Sgt. Charles Gerrad Cambell RAF(VR) - Navigator

F/Sgt. Kenneth Angus RAF(VR) 1581067 - Bomb Aimer

F/Sgt. Leonard James Bull RAF(VR) 1606722 - W/Op.

PO. Gorden Warren RCAF J/93781 - Mid Upper Gunner

Sgt. James Norris RAF(VR) - Rear Gunner

The aircraft took off from RAF Fiskerton at 15.17 on a raid to Bonn, Germany and all the crew were killed when this aircraft crashed at RAF Manston returning from this raid on 28/29 December, 1944.



Details

Very seriously damaged by enemy action, but despite great difficulties in maintaining control , FO. Fletcher skilfully brought the aircraft back across the the Channel, using only his trim tabs to keep the aircraft in the air. His first attempt in landing at RAF Manston aerodrome was unsuccessful but undeterred he opened the throttles and tried to go round again. Whilst doing so, he lost flying speed, stalled and crashed.



Spitfires escort damaged Lancaster UL-M2 of No. 576 Sqn as it crosses the English coastline. UL-M2 completed 140 operations, more than any other Lancaster in the war.


http://www.wings-fine-arts.com/Image...tragglerHi.jpg

Nice story winny. It's that kind of stories that reminds us - and makes us wonder. It can be the old man or woman sitting right next to us on the bus...

title says it all: Awe inspiring!!! Thanks Winny

Thanks for sharing that. You never know.

an other great story of courageous men .RESPECT.
god bless theirs souls.
thanks irishjg10

Good man!! He has some great taste.

Great story mate, was a good read. The pic thats also been posted with the Lanc and Spits.... i have on small print here at home, its an awe inspiring pic,beautiful.

I live in Blackpool, and on the next street to me is a small shop that sells hoovers, vacuum cleaners, ovens, kitchen units. Its only a small shop but it does well for itself.

When i was 1-16 (27 now) i used to have a paper round, and i delivered a paper to the old owner of this shop every morning regular as clockwork, the owner was a nice guy, friendly. Never knew anything about him, just delivered his paper and said hello each morning.

As the years go on, i obviously stopped delivering papers and never really went nearthatshop again. Then a few years back i saw the shop in our local paper, the old owner had moved on and the business handed over.

Turns out that old man, who i said hello to every morning and who said hello to me, was in actual fact a "dambuster". Part of the legendary raid of 617 squadron to destroy the dams.

I never knew.

I wish back then when i had that paper round, or even now if he's still alive, that i knew. The conversations, the stories he could of told me, i'd of been awe struck. I really do regret not talking to him more. Me not knowing that the nice old guy was a hero, a dambuster. The old guy not knowing the spotty little teenager delivering his daily paper was crazy about WW2 aircraft.

Shame really.

great story, winny. like mq said....ya never know there might be a weath of awe inspiring stories walking past you on the street each day.