Which side would you fly for?.......

[plan_D]

No, doing your job well is different from in extreme circumstances. If that chief mechanic got a bunch of planes up while under fire, he'd get rewarded.
Getting planes up is their job, doing that in extreme conditions would be rewarded, doing it 76 times would not.

 

[MP-Willow]

so if that 76 times was done with only marginal spare parts and resuplies then you still would say it is just his job?

I can see your point, but even just a citation saying good job should be given. I understand not handing out a lot of Silver stars or DSC or such, but a reward I think should be given.

So now that is me thought. As an American you see we like rewards.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

Guy Gibson got his VC for his actions during the dam busters raid, he selflessly flew along side the attacking bomber after he'd dropped his upkeep to draw away the flak, he could have been killed, that deserves a medal..................

 

[plan_D]

Yes, that would deserve a reward. The Dambusters thing I mean.

With minimal supplies, still no reward. If he made equipment, or improvised to get the planes flying then that's a medal. They do get pats on the back, but medals aren't handed out willy-nilly here, like they are in America.

 

[MP-Willow]

I would not say it is Willy-nilly

 

[Lightning Guy]

As I mentioned, it was only the Bronze Star. That's pretty far down the totem poll. But hey, the way Brits toot their own horns apparently they don't need medals.

 

[Erich]

depends what country I was living in and serving with. USA the P-51 later marks. RAF Mossie XXX at night. Germany, anyones guess and I suppose since having two relatives serve in the Luftwaffe as pilots it would be the TA 152 or Me 262A-1a.

War sucks and have heard way too many war stories from bomber crew vets to get interested in serving in an Allied bomber of any sort no matter which country if I had the choice.

Remember that in 44-45 Luftwaffe crews were not serving der Führer but were protecting their homeland from overall destruction............from the RAF, US and Soviet might.

something to consider

E ~

 

[Lightning Guy]

I've heard a lot of bomber crew men say they would have hated to fly fighters. I'm not sure what they were thinking . . . but that's what some of them said.

 

[plan_D]

What's that supposed to mean LG? The British soldier gets rewarded for acts of gallantry, bravery and going above the call of duty. Who are these Brits that 'toot their own horns'?
They don't NEED medals, they are getting paid to do a job. And if they do the job, they keep their pay. If they do more than what is expected of them, then they get a medal. Or can't you understand that?
Not willy-nilly? Why would you give a medal to someone for being injured? I tripped over a injured my knee in battle, give me a purple heart.

 

[brad]

Guy Gibson

isnt he the one that tried to blow up that plase in londed

 

[cheddar cheese]

no, thats guy fawkes i can see it now though:

remember remember the 5th of november, lancaster, upkeeps and dams

guy gibson was involved in the dambusters raid brad

 

[Lightning Guy]

Purple Hearts are for those wounded in combat.
And as far as the Brits who toot their own horns, it appears several of them are on this forem.

 

[MP-Willow]

We seem to be getting a little personal here.

I have read that the bomber crews cannot understand how the rifleman would want to march and sog day in and day out while under all that fire. But they cannot understand how a bobmer would willingly fly info black clowds of flak. It all come to your perspective.

 

[Lightning Guy]

I saw a thing once about a guy in the infantry who was going to swap with a bomber crewman until he learned that the guy was a ball-turret gunner!

 

[cheddar cheese]

hey i dont toot my own horn, i hope you've noticed that 8)

 

[plan_D]

I know what a Purple Heart is for, and you actually believe getting injured in combat deserves a medal?

 

[brad]

tanks for reminding me
it wasnt guy gibson

 

[Lightning Guy]

I don't think every injury is deserving of one, but many are. If a guy loses an arm or a leg serving his country he deserves some time of recognition and symbol from his country of the appreciation.

 

[Maestro]

I don't think every injury is deserving of one, but many are. If a guy loses an arm or a leg serving his country he deserves some time of recognition and symbol from his country of the appreciation.

This time, I agree with LG. Many wounds deserve a medal. Many of the survivors of the Dieppe raid in the Essex Scottish regiment got wounded... But 12 of them were able to enter the city and hold a part of it untill the HQ called them back. No other regiment (even the British commandos) were able to do so. Think about it : 12 soldiers against a whole German division... They were able to hold them off ! (And the Essex Scottish regiment is a Canadian one.) I don't know if they got one, but those guys deserved a medal.

 

[plan_D]

I believe injury should be given recognition, not a medal. Dieppe raid was majority Canadian, so they were probably in a good situation to do it. And I doubt it was a whole division, but even then they deserve a medal but that's not because of their injury.
And that's not really fair saying the British Commandos couldn't, it's more of the Commandos didn't.

Yes, the names can get confusing but I've never heard of the Essex Scottish, the name itself is confusing since Essex is in South England. Anywho, the 75th Indian in Burma had British, Ghurka and Indians in it, so it does get confusing.