billybookcase Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I have been reading some old Commando books (my mate lent them to me, honest). The artwork is excellent, the characters a bit naiive, but overall, and historically I suspect they are quite accurate. One story had bombers trialling booster rockets attached to the wings to aid take off for planes with big bomb loads, but they were abandoned in the end. I presume this actually happened? BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Holy bejesus, you make me feel old! I remember reading them avidly as a kid, some pretty simple characterisation, but overall full of some inspiring stories. Rocket assisted take offs did happen, but mostly post war experimental stuff on the back of captured technology from the defeated Krauts! Some aircraft did use the RATOG(Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear) operationally, the B-47(I think) was one which needed it if it was fully fueled and bombed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Batt Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I have been reading some old Commando books (my mate lent them to me, honest).The artwork is excellent, the characters a bit naiive, but overall, and historically I suspect they are quite accurate. One story had bombers trialling booster rockets attached to the wings to aid take off for planes with big bomb loads, but they were abandoned in the end. I presume this actually happened? BB Arado 234. Me 262 & Ju 88 come to mind, but I'm sure there are others. Also the monster Me 321 Gigant glider. Always thought those Commando comics would make a good package deal with an appropriate 'dogfight double' sort of combination for the younger new modeller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Some of my favourite reading in my youth. I liked the ones that had fact pages about the aircraft, tanks etc that they featured, I think at the back. One of my favourite ones was, as I recall, about a black mosquito, in SEAC from memory, cobbled together from a couple of wrecks & flow as a personal warplane, I'd love to get these again, but maybe the memories are best, I suspect they'd creak a bit now. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybookcase Posted March 19, 2011 Author Share Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks for the info lads. Steve. My mate (honest) bought 2 books which contain about 10 stories in each. He lent them to me, reading them is a bit of a history lesson, with lots of stuff I never knew about different types of planes and the areas they flew in. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Ah! The "Commando" comics. My most favoured reading as a wee fella. Our Yank cousins had something similar to the Commando comics but I never really warmed to them. Then there was "Hotspur", "Warlord" "Battle" etc... Man, that takes me back... Quite a long time too... I had a couple of boxes of the wee Commando books. I swapped hundreds (Possibly thousands) of them whilst in school. As well as the obligatory "Biggles" books I had another repeatedly read book called "I Flew with Braddock", "written" by George Osbourne, his Nav. Best reading ever. Loved them and immersed myself in them and their world for hours!!!! I would actually sit and read a Biggles book in one session. (Then re-read, again and again). I take it that the very un-PC Commando comics have long been decried and binned as unsafe for children? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Moon Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Ah! The "Commando" comics. My most favoured reading as a wee fella. Our Yank cousins had something similar to the Commando comics but I never really warmed to them.Then there was "Hotspur", "Warlord" "Battle" etc... Man, that takes me back... Quite a long time too... I had a couple of boxes of the wee Commando books. I swapped hundreds (Possibly thousands) of them whilst in school. As well as the obligatory "Biggles" books I had another repeatedly read book called "I Flew with Braddock", "written" by George Osbourne, his Nav. Best reading ever. Loved them and immersed myself in them and their world for hours!!!! I would actually sit and read a Biggles book in one session. (Then re-read, again and again). I take it that the very un-PC Commando comics have long been decried and binned as unsafe for children? I am glad to say they are still being printed, link here: http://www.commandocomics.com/ Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Ah, thanks Howard. Perhaps it's time I had a mid life crises and snarlad at people that the only way to my recovery is to buy me some of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousFO98 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 And the Victor. Colour "True Story" on front and back page. All my German was gleaned from the Victor and Commando Comics, so they were very educational. Although on a field trip to Stuttgard, "For you Tommy ze var is over!" didn't seem to be of much use for some reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pielstick Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 As a kid on the annual holiday to Benidorm I used to shout German phrases learned from the Commando comics at Germans around the pool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 If you grew up reading Commando comics you really need to get a copy of "Achtung Schweinehund!" by Harry Pearson: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Achtung-Schweinehu...5871&sr=1-1 I can't recommend it highly enough! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Having worked his way through all the Harry Potter and Alex Ryder books, my 11 year old lad's current book of choice is a Commando compilation. Until a year or so back we were buying the individual comics in WH Smiths, but they've recently disappeared from the local branches, Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 (edited) I googled Commando Black Mosquito & came up with "Black Mossie", Nos 588/1660. They're on Ebay but either don't post outside the UK or want silly money for it, so I guess I'll just have to keep looking. Steve. Edited to say I found one on Trademe, our home grown version of ebay, so happiness filled, I'll have to track a few more down too. Edited March 22, 2011 by stevehnz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Glad to see they are still printing these. I really did used to enjoy them. Where my Dad was in the Army they had a massive pile in the guard room labeled as "Training Manuals" Julien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Ha! Thats interesting. I recently unearthed from the dark loft all my Fleetway Library Air Ace war comics and have been reading through all 127 of them!! I think they reached 530 or something like that but mine have stood the test of time and all are in quite good to very good nick! I've been having waves of nostalgia reading through them. Artwork variable but some were really good let alone the bizarre stories. One issue dealt with a story of the Luftwaffe with a mighty heavily armoured and armed Zeppelin(LED??) being the Scourge of the Atlantic. Another portrayed the Skua as a very capable fighter knocking down 109s & 190s etc. Even the Swordfish battling with Zeros succesfully . Didn't know they were that manouverable and capable Fun reading though. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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