now that you are all ready to go to war, just remember how you got there. ferry over the atlantic or risk the ride in a convoy! They were both bad. Why not stay home help train. You know some men were told they could not join because the skills they had were more important at home.
Now that we have a Canadian with us could you help me to understand if the RCAF flew on it's own or was part of the RAF?
RCAF was not part of the RAF. I think they were under British command during WW II (like Canadian troops were under the command of General Dempsey on D-Day), but they were independant of the RAF.
Lightening yes I read about the P-38s lost in Greenlad! What a marketing name that was
Ok here is a bit for you all to read, it is an artical that helps to get the trueth about the French Airforce during the Battle of France. It is written by a USAF officer, retiered, and has good data. So the link is:www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1985/sep-oct/kirkland.html I know a lot of you reading this are not on the French side, but this talks of how the Army and government really tied the hands of te Airforce.
Operation Bolero ferrying the P-38s across the Atlantic was a phenomenal success. Out of 171 planes that attempted the journey, only 7 were lost and 6 of those on one mission! Pretty impressive for a single-seat fighter flying through some really rough weather.
well i surely would be on the allied side but i'm not sure this is true but i heard that most of the Caniadans got hanger work like mecanic and stuff
only the really really good canadians got to fly in the squadrons
Combat flying was alot of time spent doing nothing. In the Pacific, P-38 pilots often took along books to read or would write letters home. Over Europe, I have heard several pilots describe their missions as long hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror.
Lightening Guy -that is what friends have said to me and what I was thinking of when I wrote last.
Lanc, I was talking of the Ferry missions from Maine to England. But combat could be the same. Tarror and Bordome are companions in war. War as one friend said is Hurry up and wait.
I found it interesting when I was reading the tactics manual written by Maj. Tommy MacGuire that he emphasized the importance of making sure you were comfortable in that seat. Nine hour missions were common in the Pacific and that is a long time to sit in a bucket seat.