|
|
Post by Cromwell on Sept 15, 2020 18:50:36 GMT
Today, 80 years ago the Spitfires, Hurricanes, Defiants and Blenheims of the Royal Air Force, Piloted by British, Irish, South African, Canadian, American, Polish and many others from the allied nations defeated the Luftwaffe in their bid for air superiority and thereby stalled the German hopes of invasion.
To Quote Winston Churchill,
"Never before in the field of human conflict was so much, owed by so many, to so few!"
I salute all those who served. Pilots, mechanics, riggers, armourers, radar operators, plotters, caterers and gunners and ferry pilots many of whom were members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. All contributed to the victory.
I am proud to have worn the same uniform and served in the same service 40 years after their victory and sacrifices, although my service falls far short of anyone of them.
Lest we Forget.
|
|
|
|
Post by paddy649 on Sept 15, 2020 20:08:25 GMT
Let’s not forget that about 25% of “the few” weren’t RAF. They were from other countries (particularly Poland, NZ, Canada and the Czechoslovakia) and the Fleet Air Arm! It always galls me that the RAF claim 100% of the credit for 75% of the effort!
|
|
|
|
Post by Baldie on Sept 15, 2020 20:52:48 GMT
My nan was in an AA battery on the Kent coast.
Neither her or my grandad who was in the desert ever told many stories about it.
Guess many just wanted to forget and get on with life again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Sept 16, 2020 7:33:11 GMT
Let’s not forget that about 25% of “the few” weren’t RAF. They were from other countries (particularly Poland, NZ, Canada and the Czechoslovakia) and the Fleet Air Arm! It always galls me that the RAF claim 100% of the credit for 75% of the effort! Very true. Which is why I mentioned as many other nationals, although you will find that most were flying Royal Air Force machines and a large number served in various Squadrons, not just with their own nationality. All pilots whatever their nationality that served with or were attached two the Royal Air Force are listed in the roll of honour as are the volunteer airmen from the other services such as Royal Navy and Army Air Co-operation. It was not just Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force either, there were many pilots from Coastal Command and Training Command who applied for transfers. I believe though that light Bomber Pilots were not accepted for transfer as it was believed they would be very much needed in the event of an invasion. Let us not also forget the Air Gunners and other crew who volunteered for duties in the Bolton Paul Defiant and Bristol Blenheims. I believe at the end of the film "Battle of Britain" a complete list of the Nationalities which took part appears showing the number of pilots and the number killed in action. I remember 1 pilot was from Israel and listed as having survived. Regardless of the percentage of those who took part, those from whatever background or nationality who died in battle all gave 100% effort. |
|
|
|
Post by sheffmark on Sept 16, 2020 8:33:35 GMT
It always galls me that the RAF claim 100% of the credit for 75% of the effort! Not sure I agree with that Paddy. Apart from the fact that, as Cromwell has pointed out, a lot of the foreign airmen did fight as part of the RAF anyway, I'm not sure the RAF do claim 100% of the credit, rather I suspect it is the media who tend to portray it that way. For example most TV programmes about the Battle focus on the pilots, but they wouldn't have been much use without the mechanics who worked all hours to service and repair the aircraft, or the catering staff who provided them with food and drink, or the Observer Corps who tracked the raids after they'd past the RDF stations, or the people who worked in the factories producing the aircraft in the first place, or the Merchant Navy who brought in supplies of raw materials, etc, etc. Also if Bomber Command hadn't bombed Berlin in retaliation for the bombing of London, the Luftwaffe may have continued to target Fighter Commands airfields, rather than switching their attacks to London and giving the RAF time to recover, so they played an important role too. In term of the foreign pilots, you could argue that it isn't really mentioned that the most effective squadron in the battle was the 303 Polish squadron, but overall the elements of the battle are so intricate that I think it tends to get simplified for the general public. However the main thing, again as Cromwell has said, is that we remember the sacrifices made by everyone during that time and assigning one day to remember all who contributed is a way of doing that. After all it is Battle of Britain day, not RAF day. |
|
|
|
Post by paddy649 on Sept 16, 2020 15:11:59 GMT
I think you make my point for me noting that “303 Squadron RAF” was the most successful during the battle. That fact seldom gets mentioned!
I wouldn’t blame the media in its entirety as the modern day RAF do also often forget this history. I had the misfortune of being told by a Wing Commander how the RAF and the spitfire had won the battle. I hope he got the opportunity to have a beer and read the history in the the Officers Mess of RAF Northolt under the sign “English also Spoken.”
But let’s remember that however hairy the Battle of Britain was let’s remember that Churchill said: “…the only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” Unfortunately we don’t have a Battle of the Atlantic day!
|
|
|
|
Post by stevie on Sept 16, 2020 15:42:44 GMT
I’ve always thought it odd that on November the 5th we have bonfires and fireworks to celebrate
the 1605 Catholic failure to blow up parliament (something that many would welcome today!),
yet we don’t have bonfires and fireworks to celebrate the far more dangerous successful defeat
of the Luftwaffe.
(I’m old enough to remember children asking strangers “penny for the guy governor” to raise
the money to buy the fireworks.
A large dummy of Hermann Göring would burn very nicely...and for a long time too...)
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Sept 16, 2020 18:47:07 GMT
I believe there was a computer game based on the Battle of Britain recently which featured and explored 303 Squadron.
I believe that on the whole many of the foreign nationals flying had already faced the Luftwaffe defending their own countries and therefore had combat experience prior to the Battle of Britain getting underway and this could account for their better performance as many of the home grown RAF pilots were taking off with just 10 hours on type. Plus most of the foreign nationals had also seen their countries over run, cities burned and many lost family or had no idea what had become of them, something many young British pilots had never experienced. And of course most of the Luftwaffe pilots had experience in Europe and during the Spanish Civil War.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Sept 16, 2020 19:02:12 GMT
Paddy mentioned a rather dim Wing Commander. He was not alone.
Couple of gems
Whilst on a navigation course at RAF Finningly (a navigation course remember) one officer is heard to say that he was being posted to RAF Kinloss.
"Oh" said his friend "Is that in Scotland?"
I had to act as liaison Officer for a summer camp of Air Training Corp Cadets. One of their officers went sick which left them short handed.
One day was for Air Experience flying in DH Chipmunks so I volunteered to act as OC Flying and sort out who was doing what.
What I did not realise was this also involved me getting youngsters between 14 and 18 years into parachutes, escorting them to the aircraft, strapping them in etc. One lad had never flown before and was very nervous and kept fiddling with his rip cord, his nerves were not helped when an NCO informed him "Leave it alone, you won't need it, that type of chute opens on impact!"
I lead him to the aircraft and after strapping him in I inform the pilot of the lads nerves.
"Bit nervous? Never flown before?" the pilot asks the pale looking Cadet
who replied "Neither have I sir!"
|
|
|
|
Post by Cromwell on Sept 16, 2020 19:11:24 GMT
Oh! And the best piece of advice I was given after I received my Commission was from a grizzled old Squadron Leader over a pint of beer in the mess.
"Keep your nose clean, look after those put in your charge, listen to your NCO's and back them up, and remember, no decision is worse than making the wrong decision! Do all that and there will always be somebody to put in a good word for you at the Court Martial!"
|
|
|
|
Post by timurilank on Sept 16, 2020 19:38:01 GMT
Oh! And the best piece of advice I was given after I received my Commission was from a grizzled old Squadron Leader over a pint of beer in the mess. "Keep your nose clean, look after those put in your charge, listen to your NCO's and back them up, and remember, no decision is worse than making the wrong decision! Do all that and there will always be somebody to put in a good word for you at the Court Martial!" Ouch!  |
|
