OT-Spitfire 944

[Bobdina1]

Here's a good short film (15 min) about a U.S. spitfire photo recon pilot with great shots of Berlin right after a B-17 raid among other things. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3SrjLl ... e=youtu.be . Hope someone likes it as much as I did.

[geofflambert]

That was excellent! Thank you very much.

[tigercub]

Thx very much enjoyed a lot.

[obvert]

That is great film! Love the guy as well, seeing him as a cocky young pilot and later as an old man with all of those smile lines. Reminds me of my dad's brother actually. What a gift for him to see that footage.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: obvert

That is great film! Love the guy as well, seeing him as a cocky young pilot and later as an old man with all of those smile lines. Reminds me of my dad's brother actually. What a gift for him to see that footage.

Your interpretation may well be correct, but since I don't think he got any training as a fighter jock, I don't think he was cocky at all. His telling of taking that cigarette when he didn't even smoke describes disorientation to me. I think he was a very brave and matter-of-fact sort. And a young one, which may explain what you perceive as cockyness. He was surrounded by guys older, more experienced and of higher rank than him who were telling him what a great job he'd just done and he was a little bit overwhelmed, I think.

[GaryChildress]

ORIGINAL: Bobdina1

Here's a good short film (15 min) about a U.S. spitfire photo recon pilot with great shots of Berlin right after a B-17 raid among other things. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie3SrjLl ... e=youtu.be . Hope someone likes it as much as I did.

Very cool! Two thumbs up!

[geofflambert]

Mr. Childress, may I say that your workstation is a total disgrace? I see no Chipotle Doritos or their residue on your desk. Where pray tell are the half empty Pabst Blue Ribbon cans? The post-it notes with scribblings on them that you no longer recognize? As far as I know, this is your first offense. I cannot tell for sure that your workstation is not in your mother's basement, but I warn you, you may be expelled from our elite group. Go out immediately to your local Kwik-E-Mart and purchase a bag of Cheezits and a tube of Pringles with sour cream (allegedly) and display them prominently on your workstation, and we will consider reinstating you. This will be your last warning.

[dr.hal]

That's what makes this forum so great, getting to see something like this that I would never have seen otherwise. Thanks for sharing, Bob! Hal

[Dixie]

I'd heard about this vid but not seen it, thanks for sharing the link [:)]

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

ORIGINAL: obvert

That is great film! Love the guy as well, seeing him as a cocky young pilot and later as an old man with all of those smile lines. Reminds me of my dad's brother actually. What a gift for him to see that footage.

Your interpretation may well be correct, but since I don't think he got any training as a fighter jock, I don't think he was cocky at all. His telling of taking that cigarette when he didn't even smoke describes disorientation to me. I think he was a very brave and matter-of-fact sort. And a young one, which may explain what you perceive as cockyness. He was surrounded by guys older, more experienced and of higher rank than him who were telling him what a great job he'd just done and he was a little bit overwhelmed, I think.

My definition of cocky is flying an unarmed plane in to the heart of the most dangerous airspace on the planet at that time. I'd bet a good amount he also got some mileage out of that story and found some friendly English lass who would have disagreed with your assessment.

[Dixie]

I dunno, flying a recce kite was considerably safer than probably any other type of operational flying. Crashing an aeroplane on the other hand, not so safe [:D]

[mikkey]

amazing movie

[obvert]

ORIGINAL: Dixie

I dunno, flying a recce kite was considerably safer than probably any other type of operational flying. Crashing an aeroplane on the other hand, not so safe [:D]

You should tell that to my Dinah pilots! Of course you'll have to look for most of them in the jungles of Burma or in the mountains of New Guinea.

Even if it was safer, you heard the story about the guys in the video telling him they wouldn't fly over Berlin with 8 friends in fighters with guns. I'm sure for him as well it took some courage to make those numerous passes knowing the longer he stayed the more a target he was.

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: obvert

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

ORIGINAL: obvert

That is great film! Love the guy as well, seeing him as a cocky young pilot and later as an old man with all of those smile lines. Reminds me of my dad's brother actually. What a gift for him to see that footage.

Your interpretation may well be correct, but since I don't think he got any training as a fighter jock, I don't think he was cocky at all. His telling of taking that cigarette when he didn't even smoke describes disorientation to me. I think he was a very brave and matter-of-fact sort. And a young one, which may explain what you perceive as cockyness. He was surrounded by guys older, more experienced and of higher rank than him who were telling him what a great job he'd just done and he was a little bit overwhelmed, I think.

My definition of cocky is flying an unarmed plane in to the heart of the most dangerous airspace on the planet at that time. I'd bet a good amount he also got some mileage out of that story and found some friendly English lass who would have disagreed with your assessment.

You can get lasses to believe anything if you're skillful at it (or at least get them to pretend to believe it and pretend you're actually in charge). [;)] I do agree with Winnie in you signature that after having one Gallipoli you should follow it up with another and take it like a gorn (gorns take it by ejecting their tails as a distraction while running away vigorously).

[Bobdina1]

Glad you guy's enjoyed it as much as I did.

[TOMLABEL]

I watched this 3 times! Very cool!! I must say that his reaction in realizing that this was footage of his crash landing was PRICELESS!!!!!

Thank you for posting this!!!!

[jcjordan]

That was so cool. From my Talonsoft Bombing the Reich forum days, I remember reading that there was some website database being setup that had all the recon photos from Europe. I used to have the link but it's now lost to the ages. If anyone remembers Harley, HardSarge or JCL from the Talonsoft BTR days or that forum, that link might be found there or they might know where to look for it.


This might be what was talking about but not sure - WW2 Recon photos

[wdolson]

I was just about to post the link myself. Search engines are such a wonderful tool...

Bill

[LoBaron]

Awesome find! Loved watching this, his reaction when he notices it is himself in that Spit is truly moving.