Avro Lancaster Mk1 Grand Slam

This is the Wings of Power Lancaster Mk1 Grand Slam, as you see only a tail gunner, and look at the under-belly, they converted her to carry a large bomb load.

 

 

 

Col.

Edited April 23, 2022 by ColR1948

they converted her to carry a large bomb load.

 

 

 

Col.

 

Yes, all 22,000lb's of it!

Very nice

Beautiful Lanc Col!! :cool::cool::cool:

Lotta lead hung on the bottom of that one! It's amazing the successes so many bombers had considering slow and unprotected they were during those long flights!! :eek::eek::eek:!

 

Personally I was happy I could at least stay low enough that I wasn't much of a target for the earth based gunners. I'd hate to be flying high in those where I'd have been a handy target for both ground fire and fighter attacks.

 

Michael

Edited April 24, 2022 by Rupert

I agree Michael, also they flew at night and finding their way plus being attacked and as you know a lot never made it back.

I worked with a guy who was a very nice placid type of man, we learned he was a rear gunner in a Lancaster, his plane got shot down, he and another survived the crash and the French resistance got to them before the Germans.

He actually went on a mission with them and they blew up a rail track, after a time he made it back to England, he never told any of us about it, we learned because the RAF were honoring him at a dinner dance and it was in the local newspaper other wise we would never have known. His name was Len Royal, he was a bit older than me and by now I guess he may have passed away as it was years ago.

Great story Col!! Sadly to say today I really on a regular basis get a taste of how people ignore their past, at the risk of their, it's too late to worry about my, future.

 

I recently returned home from playing Taps for a funeral when my 100% combat disabled brother in law who finally died in Mississippi. I mentioned this and the fact I had also played Taps for my brother who spent months trapped underground in Khe Shan years ago as well to a neighbor.

 

She, along with her husband and children spent the entire Vietnam war stationed with the US Air Force in England. While there they also took many government paid for tours all over England and parts of France as well!! And no, he never missed a weekend with his family!!!!

 

She said her husband, another "Vietnam War Veteran," had no desire for any military funeral, much less the playing of Taps after he died!!

 

WHY WOULD HE?? HE SPENT THE ENTIRE VIETNAM WAR STATIONED WITH HIS FAMILY IN ENGLAND!! THEY TOURED ALL OVER EUROPE WITH THEIR CHILDREN WHILE WE WEREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO TELL OUR FAMILIES WHERE WE WERE OR WHERE OR IF WE MIGHT EVER COME HOME AGAIN!

 

I pointed out that between us my brother, brother in law, and I had tallied a Bronze Star, 26 Air Medals, and yes 5 (Five) Purple Hearts while actually fighting in combat!!!! And no, we spent ZERO, NADA time with our families for months and in many cases years at a time, nor did we have phones, Facebook, or any of that shit to correspond on! And if we had, we'd have faced Court Martial for telling then anything anyway!

 

Actually back then I knew of a Navy Admiral who lost a Court Martial for being stupid enough to write a letter by mail telling his wife the date he and his ships were expected to return to San Diego!!!! They had already left the South China Sea, it was all because the the US feared the Anti Vietnam War people would show up when they arrived.

 

And actually after being Med-Evaced home the 2nd time I was required to attend a 02:00 or so ceremony when LBJ welcomed a bunch of hugely disabled Vietnam veterans home to the US. Sadly, that welcome was never allowed to be shown on TV because it was considered to be anti Vietnam War

Edited April 25, 2022 by Rupert

Blimey Michael I have heard of things like you described before and it stinks mate. My dad was in the RAF during WW2, many times I asked him what he did, he always responded with the same answer, he would say, "As little as possible," in a kind of joking way. He never was stationed over seas from what I can gather, he wasn't a pilot but I think he was involved with radio stuff. After the war he used to repair radios for people and rebuild them for extra cash, his main job was a bricklayer.

He would never ever talk of those years during the war, I worked with another man who was Welsh and he spoke with an accent, some of the lads used to make fun of him for the way he spoke, he was a nice guy very inoffensive, I learned he was in Arnhem during WW2 and it was a living hell, he saw his best friend blown up, it was one of the bloodiest battles in WW2 from what I know.

I told the lads about it who used to make fun of him, they never did it again, yet like you say, he never ever spoke of it, probably he kept it locked away in his memory not to keep reminding himself of the horror.

 

I once said to you Michael you have my utmost respect for what you did and you replied, "We all did our bit," well that 'BIT' was a lot to me mate.

 

Col.

sweet shots

Thanks for letting me blow off a little steam Col!! I'll try to not be such a bore in the future.

Your no bore Michael, Post away my friend, love reading your exploits.

 

Col.

Splendid looking Lanc Colin! :)