Winged Heroes

[Tizer]

The story about the coal dust reminds me of an excellent book I was reading on holiday, `Operation Cornwall 1940-1944' by Viv Acton and Derek Carter, published in the 1990s. Viv is very knowledgeable about Cornwall's social history and her husband Bob Acton is well-known for his many books on Cornish mines and mining. Viv's WW2 book is partly about life in Cornwall during the war but also gives a lot of detail about Falmouth during the Dunkirk evacuation; the SOE and SIS operations from the Fal and Helford estuaries; the arrival of the Americans and their departure to Normandy. The authors have done a lot of research and the book is packed with interesting information. Even the interactions between white GIs, black GIs and the Cornish. Various tricks were used to keep the bombers away from Falmouth and the other ports. The residents of Plymouth had an awful life, not only were they bombed badly but they had very frequent alerts due to bombers heading over them en route to Cardiff docks, so they got little sleep. There is also information about the `Auxiliary Units' who were intended to form the British resistance if we were invaded. One unit was under orders to blow up the giant petrol storage dump at Swanvale on the edge of Falmouth to prevent the enemy getting the fuel. It's good they never had to do it because they knew the explosion would have swallowed up Swanvale village. In fact a German bomb hit one of the storage tanks at the end of the war and a river of burning fuel flowed towards the village. The American troops used bulldozers to quickly make a dam and held back the river of fire and they had to be continuously hosed down with water to prevent them being burned alive on the bulldozers. Brave men.

[Stanley]

And there was me thinking your time on holiday would be taken up exclusively in pandering to Mrs Tiz's every need.....

[Tizer]

Of course - I took her for a pasty at the Geevor Mine Museum!

[Stanley]

That wasn't a need, it was a treat! Be careful, you might spoil the woman!

[Stanley]

I was thinking about the land mine on the Historic Images topic and wondered how many people are alive today who can remember watching the parachute on one of these massive blast bombs being lit up by the searchlights as it floated down to earth. I only saw one and it was because my dad dragged me out of the shelter to see it. He was an Air Raid Warden and had seen it coming down. I wouldn't want to go back but it's nice to see one after all these years. By the way, the one I saw was the one that killed over 300 children I think in the big orphanage near us on Didsbury Road. My head keeps telling me it was the Mary Baines home but it wasn't, this was the big Industrial School for Boys further up the road. I think that was a euphemism for a reformatory.....

[Tizer]

The aircraft identification book used by British observers to spot German aircraft in WW2 was written by a birdwatcher. His birding hobby made him an ideal person to write such a book, having lots of experience at noting the significant points about the shape and movement of different types of bird. Anyone with experience of birdwatching will immediately recognise the way in which he has distinguished one aircraft from another. I was reminded of this when I saw the gallery of photos on the link shown below. They are aircraft photos taken by a well-regarded Somerset birder, Robin Morrison.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68911555@ ... 470009196/
Also the RNAS Yeovilton Air Day 2012.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68911555@ ... 260189742/
(Note that a different type of swift flyer got into the Yeovilton photos!)

[Stanley]

A splendid programme on BBC World Service this morning about the moves to introduce the new concept of 'free routing' into air traffic control. In effect doing away with 'motorways in the sky' and allowing pilots to choose their own route. What grabbed me was the fact that historically, the system we use now is a direct descendant of the system introduced in the US during the early days of flight to enable mail planes to navigate accurately, a series of beacons across the country to give pilots a visual fix. When air traffic control was being introduced after WW2 this was the system agreed o0n and we still use what is in effect a variation of the old beacons. The EU proposes to have free routing in place by 2020 and a Spanish firm of software engineers is working on the programmes which will allow this.

[Tizer]

An interesting article about airships and a science experiment, with some great photos of old airships...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-31291791
...and it made me think of Nevil Shute who worked on airship design. This web page gives some technical information:
http://www.nevilshute.org/Engineering/A ... drogen.php

[Stanley]

Neville Shute Norway wrote some good books as well. Worth digging out.

[Tizer]

A few days ago there was another incident of two Russian Tu-95 `Bear' bombers just outside UK air space and they were intercepted by British Typhoon fighters offshore from Cornwall. That day we heard aircraft noise different from anything we usually experience here - one or more very powerful aircraft at high altitude. Mrs Tiz heard them and she too noted the odd sound. At the time I jokingly said "That's Putin's bombers passing over". Maybe it wasn't the Russian planes but I'll bet it was the Typhoons.

There's a BBC web page here that gives more information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazin ... r-31537705

Curiously, a woman in Cornwall claims she saw the Russian bombers inland. That shouldn't be shrugged off too lightly because Cornish folk are used to military aircraft due to RNAS Culdrose activity - not just the RNAS planes but visiting aircraft. They might not know the identities of the planes they see but they know when they see something unusual. I doubt it was the Bears she saw but I wonder what she did spot?
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... ce-witness

The Bear bombers are amazing machines, old aircraft brought out of storage to taunt us - but very powerful and long range. The BBC story says: " Its contra-rotating propellers spin faster than the speed of sound, creating their own sonic boom, making it one of "the loudest combat aircraft ever built", says Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute."



A different bit of aviation news from the Telegraph today...
`Warning over toxic fumes in plane cabins'
"Coroner urges action to prevent deaths after warning toxic fumes in cabin air pose a health risk to frequent fliers and aircrew"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviatio ... abins.html

[Stanley]

The toxic fumes in cabins is an old problem that the manufacturers and airlines have been avoiding for years. See innumerable PE articles about it. Main cause is the practice of bleeding hot air off an engine for cabin ventilation and this can carry toxic fumes from the specialised oils used in the engines. Organic compounds come into it somewhere but I'll leave that to Tiz! High time it was addressed, the pilots have been complaining for years....

[Tizer]

Organophosphate lubricant additives seem to be the suspected culprit. There's lots about it here:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... es-223448/
In particular, this stands out: "... in 2000, an Australian Senate inquiry concluded that toxic fumes generated by organophosphates from heated engine oil additives had not only threatened safety by disabling or incapacitating pilots and cabin crew, but had caused chronic sickness in some flight and cabin crew. Possible effects on passengers have not been studied."

[Stanley]

Once again, PE was on the case years ago.....

[Tizer]

BBC web page, 31 July 2014
Aircraft crashes on to runway at Royal Navy Air Day
An aircraft has crashed onto the runway at the Royal Navy Culdrose Air Day in Cornwall. The pilot of the Royal Navy Sea Fury, Lieutenant Commander Chris Gotke, walked away uninjured....
More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-28594569

Unfortunately this is `our' Sea Fury, the one based down the road at RNAS Yeovilton and which regularly gives us a free display as the pilots keep it in flying order. It's the one that I mentioned some months ago which, in formation with a Provost, broke off from its journey and circled Mrs Tiz and me as we walked across the moor. I hope they can repair it and get it up in the air again. A lovely plane! Thank goodness the pilot was OK.

The pilot has now been awarded the Air Force Cross and commended for preventing "the very real chance of a catastrophic civilian loss of life". The Sea Fury was partly damaged but is due to fly again next year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31636825

[Stanley]

Nice! Glad they can repair it......

[Tizer]

As we're near RNAS Yeovilton there's a report in the local news on the BBC web site about an RN captain who has been fined £5,000 for forging the signature of an officer who complained against him. Coincidentally there is an accompanying photo of the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious on which he served and I've posted a copy of it here because it is more significant than just another picture of the carrier. There is an unusual twin-engined aircraft hovering above the deck which caught my attention, knowing I'd seen a picture of something similar elsewhere. I believe it's a Bell Boeing Osprey which has tilting rotors for vertical takeoff and landing. I didn't think the Royal Navy used this aircraft but the photos on the Osprey's Wikipedia page seems to confirm the identity. Then I found this statement on the page: "On 10 July 2007, an MV-22 landed aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, the first time a V-22 had landed on a non-U.S. vessel." Later there is the comment: "The Royal Navy studied this [EV-22] AEW variant as a replacement for its current fleet of carrier-based Sea King ASaC.7 helicopters." So the photo used by the BBC is of greater interest than they realised!
The Osprey Wikipdia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Boeing_V-22_Osprey

[Stanley]

A n interesting plane Tiz. I see it is still in production.....

[Tizer]

Coincidentally, another BBC photo of an aircraft carrier catches my attention. The USS Theodore Roosevelt anchored of Portsmouth yesterday for a week-long visit and the BBC web site featured the following photo of the carrier on its way, tweeted by a crew member.


Ignoring the jet fighters, there are two turboprop aircraft in the photo that are interesting (well at least interesting to aircraft nerds!). In the left foreground, with wings folded, is a Grumman Greyhound twin-engined transport aircraft in front left. Further back still, on the left of the photo, is a twin prop aircraft with a dorsal radar dome. This is a Hawkeye tactical early warning aircraft and I guess it's the new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye which is on its first mission with the Roosevelt. I suspect the Royal Navy will want to try out the new Hawkeye with a view to using it on their two new carriers. Th MoD's press release on the visit of the carrier follows:

Defence and armed forces – news story
USS Theodore Roosevelt calls into Portsmouth
From: Ministry of Defence and The Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
First published: 22 March 2015
Part of: Military equipment, logistics and technology, Defence and armed forces, Defence and armed forces and National security

The 100,000 tonne aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has anchored off Portsmouth on a round-the-world deployment. The giant aircraft carrier and her escort, the destroyer Winston S Churchill, arrived on Sunday for five days on the first stop of a world wide deployment. The visit forms part of an ongoing partnership between the US and UK on carrier operations in the run-up to the Royal Navy’s two new 65,000-tonne ships – HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales – entering service.

Among the 5,226 crew on board the carrier are six Royal Navy aircraft handlers who are honing their skills ahead of serving on board HMS Queen Elizabeth which is due to arrive in Portsmouth in 2017. Another crew member is on board the support ship Winston S Churchill, 27 year-old Royal Navy officer Lieutenant Lynsey Sewell is the ship’s navigating officer. The position is always filled by a UK navigator to honour the ship’s British connection. Senior officers on board both ships will call on senior Royal Navy officers during the visit to discuss recent global operations and get an update on the UK’s carrier programme.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, said: "The USS Theodore Roosevelt’s visit shows yet again that UK/US relations are as close as ever. Ten days ago, I was the first of his counterparts to meet incoming Defence Secretary Ash Carter. Having the Roosevelt in Portsmouth today is yet another example of the world’s broadest, deepest and most enduring defence relationship at work. I’m thrilled to be going aboard today to welcome the crew personally. The Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, said: "It is excellent to see US Navy carrier steel in Portsmouth. And in barely two years we will see UK carrier steel here too. We warmly welcome the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group - a reflection of the close partnership between our nations and navies, and the value of credible seapower in support of our shared national interests. Across the spectrum – from Type 45 destroyers providing area air defence for US carriers launching air strikes against ISIL, to generous US support as we regenerate our own carrier strike capability – our common bond has never been richer."

USS Theodore Roosevelt will anchor off Stokes Bay near Gosport on Sunday at 17:00 and the USS Winston S Churchill [US destroyer] arrives at Portsmouth Naval Base at approximately 13:30. Both leave Portsmouth on March 27.

[Stanley]

Could it be a sales drive by the US aircraft industry?

[Tizer]

Partly that and partly a reminder that we'll soon not be pulling our weight in NATO! Mind you, the good citizens of Portsmouth (and the ladies of the night) are expecting a boom in trade from the 5000 sailors arriving for a week.

[Stanley]

Yes, I've been watching developments in defence purchasing as well. Things are looking bleak for our defence industries of Private Eye has it right, and they are usually pretty accurate.....
As for the ladies.... good luck to all concerned!

[Tizer]

The BBC web site today has an article and photo from WW2 that is particularly interesting for me. The article begins...
"An historic, previously unpublished picture has been found, showing preparations for the final RAF wartime bombing raid against Nazi Germany. This weekend marks the 70th anniversary of the last Bomber Command raid on Germany during World War Two. The photograph shows an RAF crew with a Mosquito aircraft and a bomb to be used on a raid against the Kiel canal. The ground and air crew were photographed on 2 May 1945 at RAF Downham Market in Norfolk."

My father, an armourer, tells how his final active service of WW2 was at RAF Bourn in Cambridgeshire, south of Downham Market, and also with Mosquitoes. He says that during those last few days before the German surrender the aircraft were lined up on the aerodrome, `all bombed up and ready to go' if needed or if the enemy failed to surrender. The planes could be left standing there because there was no longer any danger from enemy aircraft. The crews had to wait to see if they would fly in action again and everyone felt in limbo, watching the clock tick the minutes and hours away.
The BBC story is here: LINK
The bomb in the photo is probably a 4000 lb high capacity (HC) bomb. These bombs had a much thinner casing and therefore carried, weight for weight, a larger proportion of explosive. The weight of a normal bomb would usually be about 50% explosive but the HC had 75%. The idea was to create a bigger blast effect from a given bomb weight.

[Stanley]

One of the peculiarities of bombs we noted in WW2 was the effects of blast, often more damaging than a direct hit. A direct hit from a bomb that penetrates is very localised but an air burst creates a blast wave that is much more damaging over a wider area. The re-use of obsolete magnetic mines which were also HC by the Germans as 'landmines' after we started degaussing ships early in the war was a good example.




It was one of these that killed over 300 children in an orphanage about half a mile from us in Stockport.

[Tizer]

I read that one of the `advantages' of the HC bombs was that when they penetrated a building the upward blast blew the roof off...so they sent the Mosquitoes in first to drop them, thus opening the buildings up and allowing in the incendiaries dropped by the following Lancasters. Nasty stuff, war.

I won't apologise for relating this story again...a team of armourers were `bombing up' a Lancaster, hoisting a Grand Slam bomb into the bomb bay, when it fell out onto the concrete below. Of course, it wouldn't explode because it wasn't armed at that stage, but if you're standing next to it that's no consolation. All but one of the team leapt onto the wagon, foot flat down on the accelerator and raced away. After the event they swore that the remaining member of the team passed them on his bicycle!

[PanBiker]

BBMF Lancaster has suffered an engine fire whilst airborne but has been safely landed. More on their Facebook Site:

BBMF Facebook Site

More from the Horncastle News:

Horncastle News