How's your day?

[plantfit 7,670]

81 years ago last night the 617 squadron was flying over the Ruhr dams dropping bouncing bombs

 

 

 

 

Rog

 

 

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

Indeed. And many of them didn't grow old.  George 'Johnny' Johnson passed away not long ago and he was the last of them. Brave men because it was a suicide mission and Gibson knew it.

[Beekay 5,232]

Were you on that raid Rog? Wonder where you kept your bike.  

[plantfit 7,670]

Not on the raid mate but I was at the 45th anniversary at Derwent dam, 

Here's a photo of Nottstalgia founder Mick2me in the 617 squadron officers mess at the Petwood hotel Woodhall Spa when we had one of our aviation days out

 

 

 

Plus I did work at the old RAF Woodhall Spa airfield where the 617 squadron spent the rest of the war after a brief stop at RAF Coningsby until their new site was ready

 

Rog

 

photo failed, I'll try again in a minute

[DAVIDW 1,701]

On 5/16/2024 at 4:03 PM, LizzieM said:

 

The original owner of our present house, Harry Freckleton, was a well regarded artist who exhibited at the Royal Academy (and Nottingham Castle) and sold many of his works around the World.  

@LizzieM in the news archives of the Guardian Journal of April 1968 is a "Down Your Way" of a certain road in Mapperley Park and it features one of the residents,  Harry Freckleton.

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately!) I am in sunny Spain and only have my phone, so I can't post it to this site at the mo.

Theres also a photo of Mr Freckleton working in a studio which I presume is within the house.

I'll try and send both bits to you via Messenger.

[philmayfield 6,237]

22 minutes ago, Beekay said:

And now I've got it in stereo. So it did'nt fail after all.

That brings back memories. Must be 25 years since I stood on that very spot. We used to the Petwood quite often.

[IAN FINN 827]

We have our local hero Richard Bolitho from Kimberley who gave his life in the Dambuster raid his parents had a little shop in Kimberley.

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

In the 1990s, I taught in Lincolnshire for a year or two. A friend was on the civilian staff at RAF Scampton and she arranged to take me there for a look round one summer evening. It was, at that time, still a working RAF base.

 

The place had one of the most peculiar atmospheres I've ever encountered.  It was early evening, warm and no one was about. I had a walk along the area outside the building where Gibson's office was and where Nigger's (yes, that was his name) grave site is. Then along, towards the runways. Not a soul about but I felt the peculiar sensation of being among a crowd of people and overwhelmed by anxiety.  It unnerved me and I turned back.  Yes, I knew what had taken place there but I've been to many sites where tragic events have occurred yet never felt anything like that.

[LizzieM 9,529]

51 minutes ago, DAVIDW said:

@LizzieM in the news archives of the Guardian Journal of April 1968 is a "Down Your Way" of a certain road in Mapperley Park and it features one of the residents,  Harry Freckleton.

 

 

I'll try and send both bits to you via Messenger.

Thanks for sending the article DavidW, received but too small to read.  I’ve replied to your message.

[philmayfield 6,237]

Some years ago, when I was a member of the Lincolnshire Porsche club, one of the members was the chief engineer for the Red Arrows at Scampton. He organised a behind scenes tour of the hangars and the Guy Gibson office and memorabilia. The airfield’s scheduled to be a holding camp for illegal immigrants in the near future and there have been protest camps of objectors outside the main gates for many months. It looks like the immigrant camp is going ahead despite objections from the local authority who want to turn it into a heritage site. The Red Arrows have moved out and are now based at nearby RAF Waddington.

[IAN FINN 827]

I am lost for words phil.

[plantfit 7,670]

I visited Scampton site a few times and have some photo's of Gibsons office etc and the famous grave of a certain Black Labrador, as you said Jill strange feelings, and when I was working at the old RAF Woodhall Spa site I often felt I was not alone especially when locking the main gate one night after everyone had gone home when I turned around to get back in my pickup truck I saw what I can only describe as a column of steam/mist/smoke in front of me about five feet tall, it very slowly drifted away, still not got a clue what it was but you never know

 

 

The famous grave but rumour has it the dog is not buried there but somewhere else on the site

 

Rog

[Beekay 5,232]

When driving for SPD, I frequently had to visit many of those RAF stations in Lincs and Cambs., including USAF Alconbury. Mainly delivering to the NAAFI and stores. When at Wittering, near Peterborough, I was driving round when a bloody great Harrier jet came in to land and what I thought was just above me. It frightened the life out of me as I thought he'd took my roof off. 

[philmayfield 6,237]

The protesters were still there when I passed by three weeks ago but the ‘asylum’ camp is on course to go ahead and temporary buildings are arriving.

I remember the days when there was a Lancaster bomber parked as a ‘gate guardian’. It was moved to the Lincolnshire Air Museum at East Kirby where it’s being restored and they bring it out for display on air days. It’s sign written ‘Just Jane’ and they hope to get it flying again one day. The flying one is based at nearby Conningsby with the  RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and there’s one other in Canada which flew over here a few years ago. The borrowed an engine from Just Jane to fly back home! You can get a taxy ride in it at a cost of £445!

[philmayfield 6,237]

3 minutes ago, Beekay said:

When driving for SPD, I frequently had to visit many of those RAF stations in Lincs and Cambs., including USAF Alconbury. Mainly delivering to the NAAFI and stores. When at Wittering, near Peterborough, I was driving round when a bloody great Harrier jet came in to land and what I thought was just above me. It frightened the life out of me as I thought he'd took my roof off. 

I flew over Alconbury back in the 70’s when it was a US Airforce base. To make it ‘easy’ for the American pilots the active runway was marked with electrically lit moving arrows!

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

The Lancaster was there when I visited Scampton and I had a walk round the Red Arrow hangars and chatted to a few people.

 

There are lots of rumours about Nigger, including that his death was not accidental and was deliberately engineered by someone who didn't like Gibson (and there were many who didn't like him).  It is also rumoured that the original grave was sited elsewhere.

 

At the time of my visit, I didn't know much about Gibson or the raid. Not until afterwards did I read Gibson's book, Enemy Coast Ahead and the two outstanding Gibson biographies have only been published in recent years.  He was certainly a strange and complex man. Today, they would say he suffered from a personality disorder, possibly caused by his pretty abysmal childhood.  He didn't expect to return from the Dams' Raid and, despite being taken off ops, eventually returned to flying where he met his death. It's difficult to see what such a man as Gibson would have done in peacetime. He was the type of person who shines in times of conflict but would have found it very difficult to cope with mundane life.

[philmayfield 6,237]

The chap I knew there was Gavin (Harry) Marshall. Although a ‘techie’ he sported the full RAF handlebar moustache. Latterly he was instructing on track days with Porches, Astons and similar. He also works for forces charities based in Grimsby.

[PeverilPeril 3,299]

Well, I'm knackered! Spent all day getting ready for the annual fishing trip to Ireland. The packing was easy but had to do a lot of panic gardening. 

4 of us are off to the NW of the Republic and hoping that the Mayfly season is in full swing. We can't fail really because there will be a barrel of Guinness on the chiller waiting for us at the cottage  

[Brew 5,460]

Nigger the dogs grave is to be moved to RAF Marnham if the council proposal goes ahead

[Willow wilson 898]

3 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I flew over Alconbury back in the 70’s when it was a US Airforce base. To make it ‘easy’ for the American pilots the active runway was marked with electrically lit moving arrows!

B52 pilots taking off prolly needed them for reassurance that they were still on the runway, since at max takeoff weight, 220,000kg, they needed 8000ft to get airborne (and praps the next parish to clear 50ft).

[MRS B 551]

Love the B52, well almost as much as the Vulcan which is my favourite.

[Brew 5,460]

When we visited some years ago with a party of schoolkids the were no B52 aircraft but there were U2 spy planes and F4 Phantoms.

I was fascinated watching a U2 landing. At a certain point those massive wings produce 105% ground effect and the plane can't be 'flown' lower, nor can the pilot actually see the runway. To get round the problem a car chased it talking the plane down as the pilot simply let it glide until it stopped, whereby just like a glider it fell onto one wingtip. 

 

The pilots fly one mission a month, each flight taking way over 12 hours, and prepare with a special 3 day diet to reduce the body creating waste and gas. Most pertinent question the kids could come up with? Having been told men are piped into their suit was,  "How do lady pilots go to toilet in a space suit"...

[Willow wilson 898]

You're right, it wasn't a base for B52s. I must have seen it elsewhere on a news programme or something. They're  still big heavy things though.

[philmayfield 6,237]

11 hours ago, Brew said:

Nigger the dogs grave is to be moved to RAF Marnham if the council proposal goes ahead

Apparently the gravestone has been removed as ‘it might cause offence to black people’. There was a petition to reinstate it but it was rejected.

[Jill Sparrow 10,386]

I think that is disgusting. When is this airbrushing of history going to stop?