None of it is true. I was always told to eat all my greens and I would grow up big and strong. I am still a 5’5” weekling. I also ate all my carrots and I be damned I still need my headlights on at night.
Down Memory Lane
More about WW2 that isn’t in the history books.
The Girls that delivered the Aircraft - When the planes were manufactured, WAFs used to fly them to the operational bases. I’m talking specifically about spitfires here, they delivered other planes as well. Sometimes even when a plane was being moved. The girls, for fun, would bring the merlin up to full power and full running boost, but not “pull the tit” which would be combat boost 5 min allowed. Release the brakes and hold it down until well past the lift-off speed, then take off and pull up hard, the plane having so much energy would seem to go straight up. This was of course absolutely not allowed…you will see why.
He had a WAF girlfriend in the ATA| (his marriage at the beginning of the war was just one of convenience for the war pension, remember) who used to do this job. He was at the airfield watching her deliver a plane..she did the thing they weren’t really allowed to do, pulled up hard and started to climb, as she did the engine cut out….I think she was at about 100ft. Even with the speed, without the power of the merlin at full normal boost and the really high wing loading…she didn’t stand a chance……and died that day at the end of the runway.
I asked him if he ever got wounded during the war - he said that a few years in there was an air raid warning and the airfield was being bombed, they all ran for trenches. There were a few air raid shelters, but mostly aircrew would try and find a trench, as they needed to be there to get the fighters up. He remembered running for a trench, a bomb hit, and he was thrown forward and knocked flat near a trench. The guy in the trench shouted at him “you OK Fred”. My dad could feel a hot liquid sensation running down his back, “i think I’ve been hit”. His experience when others got hit on a raid was that they didn’t feel it at first…that came later. They dragged him into the trench. To his surprise, he felt pretty good, and they got his backpack off, to inspect the wound. They carefully pulled the shrapnel out of his…….flask of tea! My dad never so much suffered a cut finger during the entire war!
Amazing to hear he managed to get through the whole war with nothing but a cup of tea down his back. I’ve had that just cycling to work when the lid popped on my flask in my rucksack. Awful tale about the poor WAF though. I never knew the planes were delivered by them. The attempt at getting a Spitfire to do VTOL must have been a way to extract some fun from an otherwise horrible time, and without full pilot or engineering training she probably didn’t understand the risks and the likelihood of the engine giving up. I guess also people measure jeopardy differently when they’ve been in a war for years.
Your father was so lucky to come through the war with no injuries a very lucky man indeed. It’s not just the physical injuries though but the psychological impact it can have on one, which we do not always see. I have had more injuries repairing a dishwasher lol. But then with my luck. That’s why I use the forum name I do
I think there was a program some time ago about the WAF and what they did in the war.
- Edited
DavecUK the truth isn’t necessarily in the history books.
Putin is a B*****d!
That’s one truth that will go down in the history books.
And may he rot in hell!
What is also really sad is that to prevent WWIII nobody else can intervene with force, which in effect means that ultimately, Ukraine has to be sacrificed to prevent it. Trouble is, who will be next? Putin attacked Ukraine because they were not members of NATO knowing NATO would not respond. So, given that, I do not think he will attack any NATO country because then NATO will have to respond and that is WWIII.
Will sanctions work? Maybe eventually, but by then there will be a lot of innocent people dead. What is needed is the greedy oligarques who will lose thier wealth getting together and taking him out.
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Meldrew I think there was a program some time ago about the WAF and what they did in the war.
My Dad always told me they did everything the men used to do, no one thought women could be welders, mechanics, etc.. etc.. but they did and were the backbone that allowed our country to keep fighting. In a sense it was a massive period of equality for women, drove immense change. The only way my Dad was able to get out of his reserved occupation at the beginning of the war was to teach women to weld…prove they could do his job, so he could go fight.
Beer in WW2 - We all seen the films where the jolly Pilots gather round a Piano, to tunes by Vera Lynn, drinking beer and getting very drunk in the mess…..Yeah, well that didn’t happen. Beer in/and near the RAF stations was so weak (my Dad told me the nickname they had for it, but I forgot), that you couldn’t really drink enough to get drunk. The men knew that, but they would force the merriment anyway, as they might be dead soon enough. I was always reminded of this by every Star Trek story of Synthehol in 10 forward. The British government of course denies this, and I suspect it won’t be in the History books either. The men found out by accident after a bad run, they would try to get pissed and couldn’t!
Of course I am sure some good whiskys etc.. still existed among the top officer class.
Interesting about the beer having its teeth pulled. I know there was ‘small beer’ which was the weak stuff, not sure if that’s what he said or maybe something specific?
Ever wondered why so many beers get called XXX? Not just cos it sounds good… read on:
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/beer-carrying-spitfires-of-wwii.html
Hotmetal Interesting about the beer having its teeth pulled. I know there was ‘small beer’ which was the weak stuff, not sure if that’s what he said or maybe something specific?
I remembered this morning, they called it “near beer”.
-Mac My Grandad was lucky too. He was torpedoed and sunk on two different ships and lived a full and happy life after.
His name wasn’t Albert was it?😁
14 days later
Pompeyexile Oh dear lawd, talk about a blast from the past!! My first car too….1967 model IIRC, knocking CV joints and all
2 months later
Coffee related memory lane. In the ECM Espresso museum, I saw this machine, I have never seen anything like it before. The portafilter locks in must unusually. The basket it placed underneath the group and locked in by sliding the handle up the dome on the top of the group. The dome was pristine, so I guess the handle was missing some sort of fibre pad. The PF handle would end up vertical, with the basket securely locked into the group. What an unusual and elegant idea.
Next time I want to have more time to go and carefully photograph every machine in the museum!
That certainly is unusual! Sounds like a real treasure trove!
What about this… Believe it or not, I actually found this at the back of my cupboard. Made in Scotland that well known coffee capital of the world. No best before date on it, so I guess it will last for eternity😁
Pompeyexile Oh. Chicory is still very popular in india. If buying ground, which is normal, the roasters will offer to mix 10% - 30% chicory to the total weight.
Pompeyexile That must be at least 15 years old. The illustration has changed a few times, originally the Sikh carried a tray, then this one with him standing holding a cup. It was changed again in the early 2000’s to a new illustration with them both seated. It’s bizarre stuff!
Gagaryn politically corrected camp coffee…. surprised they haven’t changed the name.