I’ll be raising a glass with you later

Moderator: Jillygumbo
I have been lucky enough to hear that sound very frequently as they were flying a two seater out of Biggin Hill several times a day for the last couple of years, usually out over QE2 Bridge until the winter days got short. They resumed this year for a few times
Great to read that Frank. I’ve just finished reading Geoffrey Wellum’s ’First Light’ a wonderfully honest autobiographical account by someone caught up in the Battle of Britain flying a Spitfire at age 19. Ye gods! My dad was a Lanc pilot and I was told many stories by his crew.Diplomat wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 7:44 pmI have been lucky enough to hear that sound very frequently as they were flying a two seater out of Biggin Hill several times a day for the last couple of years, usually out over QE2 Bridge until the winter days got short. They resumed this year for a few times
before the lock down.
The sight and sound of any Spitfire means a great deal to me as my father flew them in the early days of the Battle of Britain. On August 16th 1940 his aircraft (X4016) was destroyed by enemy fire near Bembridge IOW while the squadron were defending Portsmouth. After parachuting into the sea he was picked up following several hours in the water with a punctured Mae West. Lucky to survive otherwise somebody other than me would be owning the Bongo with the Diplomat sticker on the back!
On the 9th of May 1945 my grandparents in Jersey were liberated from German occupation, the day after VE Day. Really disappointing that I couldn't be there for the 75th anniversary.
I drove the Bongo on both days. It's my Merlin engine!
Frank
Mike, my uncle was a tail gunner in a Lanc. He never really settled afterwards and ended up in NZ. We're lucky to only be asked to sit at home and wait out a virus.My dad was a Lanc pilot and I was told many stories by his crew.
So true. I think my dad joined for the adventure but i suspect he demobbed feeling a bit different. He never flew again and never talked about it much.