Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

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By: Spook@Phantom5… - 5th July 2000 at 20:04

Can anybody help

I am looking for any information as to photo vantage points on the outside of the CAF Show for the arrivals days prior to the show. As i have not been to the show before i am very grateful for any information regarding photo points in or out of the show area.

S.C.EDWARDS

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By: Penny - 23rd July 2000 at 02:30 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

Hi,

I presume you mean the CAF show at Midland? Just arrive and cruise around and everyone is very friendly and you will get close up photographs of everything. In my opinion it is the finest show on the circuit. Only true followers get to it, and to have 7 B-17s a B-29, A-26, a few P-38s, a B24 and a number of B-25 sand of course a few old DC-3 and C-46s all lined up on the 'biggie'ramp and then watching them fire up and flying in formation is just magical. It is a fabulous show.You wil love it.

Okay, this is a passion of mine. I live in Tx,belong to the CAF, a pilot and owner of a plane...a gals gotta have wings and her freedom... and my father, a Brit from Lancs., flew in the Battle of Britain and was shot down over Kent on 15 Sept 1940. He ended the war in Mosquitoes, and I have just been going through his documents and log books again and get emotional ...cuz I miss him so very much. Take care...penny...

By: Anonymous - 23rd July 2000 at 09:27 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

Hi Penny,

As a Lancastrian Brit resident in Ireland who lived for 12 years on the Kent-Sussex border and got very involved in Battle of Britain research for the 50th anniversary, I was interested to read about your father.

Where in Lancs was he from? Are you aware that, at long last, there is beginning to be a recognition in the British media that "The Few" were not all Home Counties and "County Set" ex-public schoolboys and that there was a large proportion of Europeans who had left Poland, Czechoslovakia and France to carry on the fight, not to mention young lads from the "industrial counties", traditional suppliers of cannon fodder to the infantry?

Wher was he shot down? The "After the Battle" series publication on the Battle of Britain has a comprehensive listing of events, crash and landing sites but the archivists and interest groups are always interested in more info.

Any info gratefully received.

PhilB

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Posts: 4

By: Penny - 23rd July 2000 at 15:47 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

HI Phil,

Dad was born in Horwich , Bolton. Moved eventually to Wembley.

After Bof B was sent to South Africa as an instructor to the SAF. Back to UK on Mosquito Night Intrusion. He LOVED those Mossies. Then to Debret Canada as an instructor. After the war he went and settled in South Africa.

Take care...penny..

By: Anonymous - 23rd July 2000 at 17:22 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

Hi Penny,

Know Horwich well and lived in Breightmet, Bolton, for a couple of years.

During the Battle, your Dad will have flown over Crowborough in East Sussex where I lived for 12 years before coming to Ireland. The point of mentioning this is that, for the first time in Europe, a town was twinned with another town in the same country when Crowborough twinned with Horwich, in order to try to bridge the "North-South" divide in the UK.

The last flying Mosquito in the UK crashed at Barton, Manchester, some years ago sadly killing the crew. Winter Hill, which overlooks Horwich, is clearly visible from the crash site.

I hope people of all ages spare a moment or two between now and mid September to remember 60 years ago and the brave, often very scared, young men of both sides who were victims of a misuse of power which they were too young to have any say in and whose lives were so brutalised, leaving many of the survivors with scars and painful memories which never went away.

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Posts: 4

By: Penny - 23rd July 2000 at 18:01 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

>leaving many of the survivors
>with scars and painful memories
>which never went away.

After the war so many men who had spent time in SAfrica, Canada, Oz and NZ went to live there and made new lives for themselves.. Dad took a troop ship to Cape Town. He had nothing left in UK. His brother left for SA then to NZ fo rthe same reason.
Yet the bond between all their colleagues with whom they went through the war with,shall remain. It is a bond and brotherhood that is strong.

I have had a lot to do with the WW11 fighter pilots and aces in USA. I love these fellas. Through them, I have come to understand my father even more. They have given me an insight into their world. I did something this year for one of the Pacific Aces (P-38 fella who became my 'adopted dad' when my own father died)
They made me an Hon Lifetime Member of their Fighter Squadron Association. Presented me with a carved plaque and their key coin which I have been instructed to always carry with me. I promply got all snivvely and emotional at the honour and couldnt say a word in reply...which they all loved...cuz I am not known
for being speechless very often...!!

These fellas have such immense respect for the Bof B men.."The Few.It has been an honour and priviledge to have met them, (WW11,Korean and VN )listened to them, watched them together, written down some of their stories and laughed with them. I have a list of drop dead funny antics and stories from all of them.

Three weeks ago they put me in a F-16 sim...wow...my respect for
those boys goes up 1000 fold. The controls are so light , just ever such slight pressure from the palm makes that bird do fabulous things. Watching the instrument panel was mind blowing...no wonder the boys love that bird. Next time I will get more ground instruction before I climb in that thing as it took all my concentration to keep steady flight and not weave around like a roller coaster.

One day, if you are interested, I will relay some of the stories. They are great.

I am shortly off to Oshkosh. Will have my laptop with me but dont go on web as the thing is so damn slow. I collect e-mail and
write from that....pennywilson@compuserve.com

Last time Concorde was at Osh I got to organise and do a wonderful photo shoot with an American man...old Braniff Capt, who started his flying carreer as a Capt on B-17 in last bombing raids in Europe. He ended his carreer as a Capt of Concorde (with Braniff)...one of only 6 men checked out as Capt and the only one to fly it supersonic. This blew me away,so organized a session for him in a B-17, C-46 and finally we took him to Concorde. He looked up at it, watery eyed, and started telling me all about it. He sat in the left seat and his hands went up and gently ran over the dials and knobs and he started talking..it all came back to him. It was a very moving experience.

I talk too much.....fems are allowed to do that...!!

Take care y'all...(as we say in Texas:-)

--penny---(with a wry smile on my dial )

By: Anonymous - 24th July 2000 at 00:44 - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00

RE: Confederate AF Show Oct 2000

Hi Penny,

It is 01.45 here and just got in from the pub and have to be up at 07.45.

Read your message with great interest and will reply in full Monday evening local time.

BTW, saying what you mean is never saying too much,

PhilB