Stars in the Sky!

[Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy]

18 hours ago, tonyot said:

Crikey,.....the CoG on that Fort must have been well out with him stuck in the tail! 

LOL...I think you're confusing Sherrif Rosco with his boss, Boss J.D.Hogg  

Here's Rosco:

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy said:

LOL...I think you're confusing Sherrif Rosco with his boss, Boss J.D.Hogg  

Here's Rosco:

Oh yes,....so I am,.....I do apologise old chap! I`d forgotten that there was a thin one!

Cheers

         Tony

[andyf117]

Content withdrawn - I will NOT be threatened by a moderator, simply because I queried the actions of another...

Edited June 27, 2020 by andyf117

[Max Headroom]

Has anyone mentioned Jimmy Edwards? I believe he flew Dakotas over Arnhem. 

 

Trevor

[TheLurker]

52 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Has anyone mentioned Jimmy Edwards? I believe he flew Dakotas over Arnhem. 

 

Trevor

He certainly flew Dakotas and from Down Ampney at that.  What missions he flew on I don't know for sure, but I think he took part in the Normandy landings as well.   

[RJP]

3 hours ago, andyf117 said:

Ralph Richardson starred as himself in the wartime propaganda film 'The Volunteer' - first in his acting role, then in his RNVR capacity.

Partially filmed aboard an aircraft carrier, and uploaded by the British Film Institute, it can be viewed online here:

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-the-volunteer-1943/

 

That film was made by Powell and Pressburger and is included as a bonus on the DVD of 49th Parallel held by the Toronto Public Library.  It includes some useful footage of (IIRC) Albacores, Martlets and Kingfishers, some of it close in.

 

I love DVD ripping software🙂

[Selwyn]

16 hours ago, TheLurker said:

He certainly flew Dakotas and from Down Ampney at that.  What missions he flew on I don't know for sure, but I think he took part in the Normandy landings as well.   

Jimmy Edwards was shot down over Arnhem and was awarded the DFC. His mustache hid plastic surgery scars he had caused by this crash.

 

DFC citation as follows:

Flight Lieutenant Edwards has shown determination and initiative in carrying out Airborne Operations with this unit.

On one of the glider-tugging missions on 17.18 September his glider got into difficulties in cloud, and when they emerged above the cloud, it was found that the towing cable was caught round the front wheel of the glider. Flight Lieutenant Edwards, as captain of the towing combination, did not let the Glider Pilot cast off as he would have been justified in doing, but after consultation over the inter-com with the Glider Pilot he throttled back until there was sufficient slack in the cable for it to come loose. He then gradually opened up again and succeeded in taking up the slack without parting with the glider.

On 21 September Flight Lieutenant Edwards was detailed for a re-supply mission over the Arnhem area. This he carried out successfully in spite of considerable opposition from the ground. After making the drop he climbed rapidly to 7,000 feet and was on his reciprocal course for base when he saw fighters on his port side. Before he could identify them he was attacked from the rear and strikes were obtained on the fuselage and wings. He also saw flak bursting in front of him which may have been fired from the ground. He took suitable evasive action and was then again attacked from the port side. Taking violent evasive action he was able to avoid the cannon fire from this attack and made for the cloud cover. The clouds unfortunately were broken and too far apart. When in the open again he was then attacked from beneath and astern and more strikes were obtained. Three of [or ?] four attacks were made in rapid succession, hits being obtained in each case in spite of the violent evasive action directed by the Wireless Operator from the Astro Dome.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards now found the elevator trimmers unserviceable and he lost aileron control; his height was 6,000 feet and he gave the orders to bale out. The Co-Pilot and Navigator jumped out, but three of the Despatchers were wounded. The Wireless Operator and the fourth Despatcher remained in the aircraft to help them. At the time both engines had caught fire and both airscrews went into the fully fine and lost power.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards put the aircraft into a dive to maintain speed and levelled off at 100 feet and gave the order "stand-by for crash landing". He opened the escape hatch above his head which caused the flames which had now got a good hold in and outside the fuselage to come forward to the First Pilot's position. The heat was so intense that Flight Lieutenant Edwards had to get his head and shoulders out of the escape hatch and succeeded in crash-landing the Dakota with one hand on the controls, after which it immediately went up in flames.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards who was burnt on the face and arm then led the Wireless Operator who was unhurt, and the Despatcher who suffered from flesh wounds, to cover of some small trees as the enemy aircraft was circling and did in fact attack them again whilst they were in hiding. He then led the party in a southerly direction where they made a successful evasion with the help of some civilians and language cards.

There is no doubt that Flight Lieutenant Edwards stuck to his controls under almost unbelievably difficult conditions, although he could have bailed out, because he knew well that he had three wounded Despatchers and two of his crew still aboard the aircraft.

Although this is his first operational squadron, Flight Lieutenant Edwards has shown marked enthusiasm throughout the training and especially in the operations in which he has taken part. His devotion to duty and consideration for others has always been apparent, and were shown to a marked degree in the period of severe stress to which he has been subjected. His perseverance and leadership under adverse conditions are worthy of the highest praise.

 

Selwyn

Edited March 24, 2017 by Selwyn

[72modeler]

1 hour ago, Selwyn said:

Jimmy Edwards was shot down over Arnhem and was awarded the DFC. His mustache hid plastic surgery scars he had caused by this crash.

 

DFC citation as follows:

Flight Lieutenant Edwards has shown determination and initiative in carrying out Airborne Operations with this unit.

On one of the glider-tugging missions on 17.18 September his glider got into difficulties in cloud, and when they emerged above the cloud, it was found that the towing cable was caught round the front wheel of the glider. Flight Lieutenant Edwards, as captain of the towing combination, did not let the Glider Pilot cast off as he would have been justified in doing, but after consultation over the inter-com with the Glider Pilot he throttled back until there was sufficient slack in the cable for it to come loose. He then gradually opened up again and succeeded in taking up the slack without parting with the glider.

On 21 September Flight Lieutenant Edwards was detailed for a re-supply mission over the Arnhem area. This he carried out successfully in spite of considerable opposition from the ground. After making the drop he climbed rapidly to 7,000 feet and was on his reciprocal course for base when he saw fighters on his port side. Before he could identify them he was attacked from the rear and strikes were obtained on the fuselage and wings. He also saw flak bursting in front of him which may have been fired from the ground. He took suitable evasive action and was then again attacked from the port side. Taking violent evasive action he was able to avoid the cannon fire from this attack and made for the cloud cover. The clouds unfortunately were broken and too far apart. When in the open again he was then attacked from beneath and astern and more strikes were obtained. Three of [or ?] four attacks were made in rapid succession, hits being obtained in each case in spite of the violent evasive action directed by the Wireless Operator from the Astro Dome.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards now found the elevator trimmers unserviceable and he lost aileron control; his height was 6,000 feet and he gave the orders to bale out. The Co-Pilot and Navigator jumped out, but three of the Despatchers were wounded. The Wireless Operator and the fourth Despatcher remained in the aircraft to help them. At the time both engines had caught fire and both airscrews went into the fully fine and lost power.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards put the aircraft into a dive to maintain speed and levelled off at 100 feet and gave the order "stand-by for crash landing". He opened the escape hatch above his head which caused the flames which had now got a good hold in and outside the fuselage to come forward to the First Pilot's position. The heat was so intense that Flight Lieutenant Edwards had to get his head and shoulders out of the escape hatch and succeeded in crash-landing the Dakota with one hand on the controls, after which it immediately went up in flames.

Flight Lieutenant Edwards who was burnt on the face and arm then led the Wireless Operator who was unhurt, and the Despatcher who suffered from flesh wounds, to cover of some small trees as the enemy aircraft was circling and did in fact attack them again whilst they were in hiding. He then led the party in a southerly direction where they made a successful evasion with the help of some civilians and language cards.

There is no doubt that Flight Lieutenant Edwards stuck to his controls under almost unbelievably difficult conditions, although he could have bailed out, because he knew well that he had three wounded Despatchers and two of his crew still aboard the aircraft.

Although this is his first operational squadron, Flight Lieutenant Edwards has shown marked enthusiasm throughout the training and especially in the operations in which he has taken part. His devotion to duty and consideration for others has always been apparent, and were shown to a marked degree in the period of severe stress to which he has been subjected. His perseverance and leadership under adverse conditions are worthy of the highest praise.

 

Selwyn

We will not see their like again, I fear.

Mike

[Eric Mc]

I have on VHS somewhere the BBC coverage of an airshow - which I think is the 1984 Mildenhall Air Show - in which they featured an interview with Edwards sitting in the cockpit of a C-47. He definitely states he was at Arnhem and makes a comment that the Stirlings got hammered by flak because they couldn't fly very high.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Eric Mc

[melvyn hiscock]

On 23/03/2017 at 5:55 PM, andyf117 said:

Ralph Richardson starred as himself in the wartime propaganda film 'The Volunteer' - first in his acting role, then in his RNVR capacity.

Partially filmed aboard an aircraft carrier, and uploaded by the British Film Institute, it can be viewed online here:

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-the-volunteer-1943/

 

I was trying to find a linik to this the other day. The Kinfisher scene is Lee on Solent and the parade ground right after is St VIncent in Gosport where the fearsome CPO WIllmott was drill officer. My grandfather once went into the Inn-by-the-Sea, Lee on SOlent and saw Ralph Rochardson, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh having a drink as both men were at Lee at the time. Dad also told me Richardson had lodgings in Titchfield and you could see him riding his Aerial Square Four with his pet parrot on the pillion, to and from Lee.

There are some great scenes in that film and I had not seen it in about 35 years, thanks for the link