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RIP Battle of Britain heroes

 
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RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 1:31:43 PM   
Speedy

 

Posts: 14082
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Status: offline 		The last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain (Flt Lt William Walker) died today aged 99.

The passing of an era.....RIP

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 2:35:33 PM   
parusski


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Speedy

The last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain (Flt Lt William Walker) died today aged 99.

The passing of an era.....RIP


Yes, brave, brave men. And there were only 2332 who fought.

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 3:33:34 PM   
Dixie


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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 3:39:30 PM   
planner 3

 

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Status: offline 		Hail and blessings to the few who faced many, God Bless.

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:01:50 PM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Speedy

The last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain (Flt Lt William Walker) died today aged 99.

The passing of an era.....RIP
warspite1

RIP - heroes all. Largely thanks to Walker and his fellow flyers, the Luftwaffe was considerably weaker for Bararossa than it was for the attack on France.

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Post #: 5
RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:12:40 PM   
radic202

 

Posts: 211
Joined: 6/7/2012
Status: offline 		Canada lost it's last WW1 Veteran in February 2010 "John Babcock's death at 109 marks 'end of an era'" but we must have a few left that participated in the WW2's Battle of Britain here but not to sure how to find out!

Condolences to the family, the Nation and a heartfelt thanks to this Veteran.



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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:17:49 PM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: radic202

Canada lost it's last WW1 Veteran in February 2010 "John Babcock's death at 109 marks 'end of an era'" but we must have a few left that participated in the WW2's Battle of Britain here but not to sure how to find out!

Condolences to the family, the Nation and a heartfelt thanks to this Veteran.

Warspite1

Out of curiosity, why "must you have a few left"? BoB was 72 years ago. That makes an 18-year old 100.......

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:49:23 PM   
radic202

 

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Yea your right should have said "many" but in my case a "few" meant "many". In either case I was referring to Canadians (born and bread here) who may have served in the RCAF or RAF in that time, their were far fewer in that branch than either in the RCN or the Infantry. So the % would not make it appear as a large number of personnel. I should have made it more clear!



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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:54:25 PM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: radic202


Yea your right should have said "many" but in my case a "few" meant "many". In either case I was referring to Canadians (born and bread here) who may have served in the RCAF or RAF in that time, their were far fewer in that branch than either in the RCN or the Infantry. So the % would not make it appear as a large number of personnel. I should have made it more clear!


warspite1

No probs, Canadian, Czech, Poles, Eagle Squadron (except Rafe McCauley), Aussies,
Kiwis et al - all heroes in my book

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 8:59:52 PM   
Orm


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quote:

(except Rafe McCauley)

You truly hate that movie.

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 9:07:33 PM   
radic202

 

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For those of us unfamiliar: who the heck is Ralf McCauley! And Yea! I can look it up but prefer some personal info.............LOL!

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 9:29:01 PM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: radic202

For those of us unfamiliar: who the heck is Ralf McCauley! And Yea! I can look it up but prefer some personal info.............LOL!
Warspite1

Rafe McCauley won the Battle of Britain single handed, and then shot down 400 Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor. After that he bombed the £&@? out of Tokyo on the Doolittle raid. The Kido Butai never recovered from his PH heroics - hence the reason the Japanese lost at Midway. Oh and he gets it on with Kate Beckinsale and Matt Damon too.

Edit: soz, I forgot to mention, he also said the worst line in the history of film making:

"I think WWII just started" he uttered that crime against humanity on 7th December 1941

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 10/23/2012 9:38:04 PM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 9:46:58 PM   
Orm


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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: radic202

For those of us unfamiliar: who the heck is Ralf McCauley! And Yea! I can look it up but prefer some personal info.............LOL!
Warspite1

Rafe McCauley won the Battle of Britain single handed, and then shot down 400 Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor. After that he bombed the £&@? out of Tokyo on the Doolittle raid. The Kido Butai never recovered from his PH heroics - hence the reason the Japanese lost at Midway. Oh and he gets it on with Kate Beckinsale and Matt Damon too.

Edit: soz, I forgot to mention, he also said the worst line in the history of film making:

"I think WWII just started" he uttered that crime against humanity on 7th December 1941

You said it!


((I dare not mention the name of the movie that should not be mentioned but I can say that it share name with a famous naval base located on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii))

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 9:51:51 PM   
Walloc

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1


quote:

ORIGINAL: Speedy

The last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain (Flt Lt William Walker) died today aged 99.

The passing of an era.....RIP
warspite1

RIP - heroes all. Largely thanks to Walker and his fellow flyers, the Luftwaffe was considerably weaker for Bararossa than it was for the attack on France.


Not to take any thing away from the heroes of all nations fighting for figther command at BoB, but how do u qualify/quantify the 2nd part of statement Robert?
Looking at OOBs of the entire Luftwaffe before France and again before Barbarossa. That doesnt seem to substantiate it, actually if any thing Luftwaffe grows slightly. Not that numbers are every thing hench my question.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

< Message edited by Walloc -- 10/23/2012 9:57:59 PM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 10:07:13 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 10737
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From: England
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Walloc

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: Speedy

The last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain (Flt Lt William Walker) died today aged 99.

The passing of an era.....RIP
warspite1

RIP - heroes all. Largely thanks to Walker and his fellow flyers, the Luftwaffe was considerably weaker for Bararossa than it was for the attack on France.


Not to take any thing away from the heroes of all nations fighting for figther command at BoB, but how do u qualify/quantify the 2nd part of statement Robert?
Looking at OOBs of the entire Luftwaffe before France and again before Barbarossa. That doesnt seem to substantiate it, actually if any thing Luftwaffe grows slightly. Not that numbers are every thing hench my question.

Kind regards,

Rasmus
Warspite1

Hi Rasmus. Two sources:

The German Army 1933-45, Matthew Cooper says the Luftwaffe had 20 more serviceable aircraft for Barbarossa 2770 vs 2750.

Ostkrieg, Stephen G Fritz says the Germans had just 2,500 aircraft for Barbarossa.

Even if Cooper is right, given the relative size of the USSR compared to France, the Germans were significantly weaker in the air thanks largely to the folly that was the Battle of Britain.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 10/23/2012 10:09:20 PM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 10:14:06 PM   
Lützow


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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Even if Cooper is right, given the relative size of the USSR compared to France, the Germans were significantly weaker in the air thanks largely to the folly that was the Battle of Britain.


Unfortunately that's true. :(

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 10:18:14 PM   
Walloc

 

Posts: 2533
Joined: 10/30/2006
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		Agreed, but i think u will find that the key in those sentences is "for" Barbarossa aka are forthe eastern front only. In 1940 u had the nearly the entire Luftwaffe availble vs France, not so vs russians in Barbarossa. Norway, reserves in germany, North Africa/MTO and France dillutes more strength on 22.6 1941, than Norway and Polen did in 1940. Adding those and u get some what above.

Any how, even going with ur Matthew Coopers number 2770 vs 2750, hardly considerably different
Underling those number arent telling the full strength of the Luftwaffe at the time.

Rasmus

< Message edited by Walloc -- 10/23/2012 10:53:23 PM >

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Post #: 17
RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 10:24:05 PM   
Walloc

 

Posts: 2533
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From: Denmark
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quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Even if Cooper is right, given the relative size of the USSR compared to France, the Germans were significantly weaker in the air thanks largely to the folly that was the Battle of Britain.


Just to add, as u added that after i wrote my other responce. There can be no denying that what u lose, u lose.
Im just questioning that u insinuate that BoB left the entire Luftwaffe on 22.6 1941 at a considerably lower strength than it had at 10.5 1940.
Thats not what the OOBs strength return gives. The opposite is true for the entire Luftwaffe as i read the OOBs in fact.

Could they have been stronger not for the losses of BoB sure, but thats not what u said. If that is what u meant, then no problem and i agree.

Rasmus


< Message edited by Walloc -- 10/23/2012 10:28:57 PM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/23/2012 10:27:05 PM   
warspite1


Posts: 10737
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Walloc

Agreed, but i think u will find that the key in those sentences is "for" Barbarossa aka are for eastern front only. In 1940 u had the nearly the entire Luftwaffe availble vs France, not so vs russians in Barbarossa. Norway, reserves in germany, North Africa/MTO and France dillutes more strength on 22.6 1941, than Norway and Polen did in 1940. Adding those and u get some what above.

Any how, even going with ur Matthew Coopers number 2770 vs 2775, hardly consderably different
Underling those number arent telling the full strength of the Luftwaffe at the time.

Rasmus
Warspite1

Whichever way you slice it, without the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe would have had many more aircraft and importantly, aircrew, available for Barbarossa.

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/24/2012 12:02:58 AM   
radic202

 

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And I thought the German Air force had run out of Gas (literally), think I read that somewhere on these Boards....................and pilots of course???

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/24/2012 12:23:47 AM   
redcoat


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Spitfire pilot Flight Lieutenant William Walker was one of the veterans onboard the special flight to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain in August 2010. At that time he was the oldest of a group of fourteen. They travelled through their old battlegrounds in an Airbus A320 escorted by a Spit and a Hurricane.




Flight Lieutenant William Walker said: "It was a marvellous sight to see a Hurricane and Spitfire flying, the sun glinting on them above the clouds. The Spitfire is the most exciting plane to see. I would love to fly one again." He was often sent up two or three times a day during the Battle of Britain. It was on one of these sorties in August 1940 that he came under attack from a Messerschmitt 109 and was shot down over the English Channel: "My leader was shot down and badly burnt, my number two was killed and I got a bullet in my leg and my plane was shot to pieces. I bailed out at 20,000ft," he recalled. After landing in the water he was rescued by a fishing boat and taken to Ramsgate where he was met by a large crowd: “They cheered as I came ashore and a dear old lady gave me a cup of tea," he said. Suffering from hypothermia, he was taken to hospital where he underwent an operation to remove a bullet from his ankle. When he woke up, a doctor was by his side holding the bullet: "He gave it to me and I still have it as a treasured possession," he recalled.

Battle of Britain Memorial Trust chairman Richard Hunting CBE said today: "Flight Lieutenant William Walker was a warm, engaging and friendly man who always had a twinkle in his eye.” RIP.



< Message edited by redcoat -- 10/27/2012 12:13:19 AM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/24/2012 3:12:53 AM   
SLAAKMAN


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Attachment (1)

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/24/2012 7:09:02 AM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: radic202


And I thought the German Air force had run out of Gas (literally), think I read that somewhere on these Boards....................and pilots of course???
warspite1

Run out of gas In 1941?

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/25/2012 12:08:51 AM   
Joe D.


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quote:

ORIGINAL: redcoat

Flight Lieutenant William Walker said: "It was a marvellous sight to see a Hurricane and Spitfire flying, the sun glinting on them above the clouds. The Spitfire is the most exciting plane to see ...


The Spitfire always gets all the attention, but during the Blitz, wasn't the lion's share of German bombers shot down by the doggedly dependable Hurricane?



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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/25/2012 12:22:44 AM   
Walloc

 

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Status: offline 		Yes, but there was also alot more Hurrican equipped squadrons than spitfire equipped squadrons. Further more that was a tendency of having the spits engage the german figthers leaving the bombers for the hurricans. When ever such was possible. So in it self its not that supprising that hurricans get more bomber kills.

Kind regards,

Rasmus

< Message edited by Walloc -- 10/25/2012 12:23:16 AM >

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/25/2012 12:41:51 AM   
ezz

 

Posts: 538
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Status: offline 		I heard him on the radio a couple of years ago.
The lady asked him if he missed anything from the war.

"Well, they don't let me have soft boiled eggs here. Say they are dangerous for me. I was once shot at and set on fire and jumped into the sea from 8,000 feet before breakfast. Don't really think an egg is that dangerous, do you?"

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/25/2012 6:59:18 AM   
warspite1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: ezz

I heard him on the radio a couple of years ago.
The lady asked him if he missed anything from the war.

"Well, they don't let me have soft boiled eggs here. Say they are dangerous for me. I was once shot at and set on fire and jumped into the sea from 8,000 feet before breakfast. Don't really think an egg is that dangerous, do you?"
Warspite1

It's 'elf and safety innit?

Nice story

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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/26/2012 11:07:02 AM   
Empire101


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quote:

ORIGINAL: ezz

I heard him on the radio a couple of years ago.
The lady asked him if he missed anything from the war.

"Well, they don't let me have soft boiled eggs here. Say they are dangerous for me. I was once shot at and set on fire and jumped into the sea from 8,000 feet before breakfast. Don't really think an egg is that dangerous, do you?"



A lovely quote!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: parusski
Yes, brave, brave men. And there were only 2332 who fought.


Hear Hear!! +1

To all veterans of both sides of that epic conflict; You were the best of us.

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but being bored is greatly preferable to being prematurely dead because of some ideological fantasy. - Michael Burleigh


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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/29/2012 11:16:12 AM   
mikkey


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RE: RIP Battle of Britain heroes - 10/29/2012 1:05:12 PM   
HanBarca


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