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rebel8303 said:When it goes to war I don't think that you can name someone coward anyways. One might not do a heroic act but it sure tha he'll be more courageous and brave than when in peaceful times. After all it is a matter of life and death.
Finally I don't think I can judge of one's act on a situation I have never been myself.
Beurling was one of the best but you're citing a madman, he was basically a nut!!!Magister said:From my earlier post concerning the bravery of Itralian Pilots, here is a quote from George Buerling from a book by Miles Constable entitled "George Beurling, Canadian Ace"
With 32 confirmed planes shot down, George Beurling was one of the top Allied aces of WWII.
"The Eyeties are comparatively easy to shoot down. Oh, they're brave enough. In fact, I think the Eyeties have more courage than the Germans, but their tactics aren't so good. They are very good gliders, but they try to do clever acrobatics and looping. But they will stick with it even if things are going against them, whereas the Jerries will run."
No but he's the same guy who described blowing up a guys brains in sickening detail in front of a civilian audience in Montreal, and he was only in combat for 2 weeks (Malta). Although a great fighter pilot, I would question his ability to give any credible critique of his opponent, especially since it seemed he did have "problems."Magister said:He literally had no fear. That doesn't make his opinions on Italian pilots any less valid.
The funny thing is that's probable they encounter some.Twitch said:I never meant to insinuate that Italian pilots were not good. Obviously many were. Any successful combat pilot is one thing- aggressive. being skilled at flying is a small portion of the equation. 5% of all US pilots became aces and accounted for 90%+ of the kills scored. Something near those percentages is about right for every country. The pilots I talked to that flew the Med simply did not encounter any superb Italian aces during their sorties. Sure doesn't mean they weren't out there.
Magister said:"No but he's the same guy who described blowing up a guys brains in sickening detail in front of a civilian audience in Montreal, and he was only in combat for 2 weeks (Malta). Although a great fighter pilot, I would question his ability to give any credible critique of his opponent, especially since it seemed he did have "problems."
With 32 confirmed kills, I will take his "critique" of any enemy.
Where do you get the "he was only in combat for two weeks"? The book I have and various poaces on-line indicate more thsan two months not weeks. In that period of time, he flew countless sorties against both Germans and Italians in the same theatre of operations for an apples to apples comparison.
Magister said:"Let's fact it, he's not the type of pilot you would of had patrolling performing UN peacekeeping missions, that my point."
That may be so but how does that relate to his inability to understand whether his adversaries are brave or checken-sh*ts?
His commanding officer in Malta, Stanley Grant:
""Beurling was untidy, with a shock of fair, touseled hair above penetrating blue eyes. He smiled a lot and the smile came straight out of those striking eyes. His sallow complexion was in keeping with his part Scandinavian ancestry. He was high strung, brash and outspoken. He was a rebel, yes; but I suspected that his rebelliousness came from some mistaken feeling of inferiority. I judged that what Beurling needed most was not to be smacked down but to be encouraged. His ego mattered very much to him, and from what he told me of his treatment in England, a deliberate attempt had been made to assassinate it. I made him a promise that I would give him my trust and that if he abused it he would be on the next aircraft out of Malta. When I said all this those startling blue eyes peered incredulously at me as if to say that, after all his past experience of human relations, he didn't believe it. He was soon to find out that a basis for confidence and mutual trust did exist. He never once let me down."
pbfoot said:No he was not commander material he did not want promotion from the ranks in fact it was forced on him prefered the company of the groundcrew which in RAF was frowned upon and I don't think it was flies he stomped on but lizards he shot with a pistol which he said helped in his aerial gunnery
his armourer must have been a happy guy since Beurling did all the maintainence and harmonization of his own weapons he was not a Tommy Maguire type ace . I would like to know how he faired when he was posted to Aerial Gunnery School with other "Top Guns" of the time