My father was an armourer in that squadron. I have a lot of pictures my dad got from the assigned photographer. he also went to that reunion at Wasaga Beach. Great perspective.
The emotion in his voice ,and his eyes welling up with tears at the end of the documentary when he recalled the pilot’s and aircrew who gave their all fighting for the freedom we enjoy today, was very emotional. Bless them all .
Thank you for making this great film! God bless and have mercy on all these great heroes to whom we owe our freedom. What an amazing human being who did so much for others after the war. Humbling.
Love the Typhoons & the MKV Tempest,. Super cool and very effective for their time. Thanks for your service & the very interesting life that you led during the service years. Fantastic video.
Very fortunate and proud to have know Harry & Hazel - my uncle's farther-in-law. Such a wonderful and humorous gentleman, and so understated. Harry and those who served durning those times were the greatest generation that lived. RIP, and thanks Rick for preserving these memories and sharing them for the millions who will undoubtedly learn of their deeds.
Fascinating recollections from Harry Hardy DFC of his time as an RCAF Hawker Typhoon pilot, so much detail and knowledge he recalled so easily to share with us all , a real honour to be taken into his world as a brave frontline ww2 pilot . A great channel - SUBSCRIBED
A beautiful tribute to the men, and one in particular, who gave all to secure our freedom from tyranny. Thank you, Harry, and all your comrades, may God rest you easy.
Thoroughly interesting account of being a 'Tiffy' pilot, an amazing story. The operations those guys flew were very hazardous as Harry attested. When I moved into the street where I live 12 years ago here in Australia, there was an ex RAF Typhoon pilot living two doors down - he had a large painting of a 'Tiffy' in his lounge room. And up the road and around the corner there lived an ex RAF (Polish) Spitfire pilot and his neighbour was ex Luftwaffe fighter pilot! There was no bitterness between them.
What a marvellous documentary , thank you . A Canadian pilot died when his Typhoon crashed in the wood outside the house during the war , the pilot s name was F/L Lewis and I beleive he came from Toronto . Looking at Harry in the then and now photos brings home the life years lost , no children , etc Harry may have known him ?
Theos Llewellyn Lewis was the pilot you mention in EK432, I believe. They could have known each other, but I think Harry would have rotated home by then.
Harry’s short and succinct slide talk was excellent , if only some more of his contemporaries could provide this we would be spared some of the clap trap which sadly makes it onto this medium by very amateur aviation historians. The facts Harry presented as one of the ‘press on’ types despite flying the brutish but highly effective Hawker Typhoon ‘‘ TiffY’fighter bombers which were a bit more reliable by ‘44 after such a poor record initially ( nearly pulled out of service at one point). But It was a case of making best use of what you have and it’s part in the push back from the coast against superior German armour was pivotal . This as Harry pointed out was far from unopposed by highly effective AA fire . They few into flak walls “ three sorties before lunchtime” round the clock in daylight hours. Very very brave men their like we shall not see again. We must always remember them. I hope the two Typhoon restoration projects in Canada and UK are still making progress.
This gave me goosebumps at this vlog,the sheer terror,but the dedication,bravery,knowledge on the operational unawareness is astonishing. Thank you so much for this small insight
When was learning to fly I met an elderly gentleman who had flown Typhoons with 486 sqn RNZAF. We got on like a house on fire. I was 15 thought he was great. Your long gone now Eric, but not forgotten. Hiwa hau Maka.
I'm 72, I was born with a need to be a pilot, and I achieved that. When I look back, as much as I loved the flying, I also loved learning from a WW2 DFC and bar Wing Cmdr rtd, and he told me he loved teaching me. What better way to honour his skill.
My respect for those men is beyond words . In late 1944 British Air Ministry done a survey about all the commands of the RAF . No surprise that the most dangerous and least chance of surviving a tour was pilots in the 2nd Tactical Air Force. After DDay the shortage of Typhoon pilots necessitated a call for volunteers from Fighter Command . The use of aircraft as fighter bombers goes back to WW1 . During the 1st battle of Cambrai in Nov 1917 some 400 RFC airceaft were lost. In the Korean War the USAF and USN lost hundreds of aircraft to ground fire , P-51's and F-80 Shooting Stars , of the 368 F-80's lost 277 in combat . It was a similar picture with Mustangs , the S,African sq of Mustangs lost about 80 to ground fire. Did the returns justify the losses ??
Awesome . RAF Middleton St George ….now Teesside Airport ….is not far from where I live. I’ve had to Google it to confirm that the Gate Guardian was a Tempest and not a Typhoon , when I was younger. Middleton St George was Canadian Bomber Base during WW2 and I had the honour to fly Abb Dennis, from North Bay, back to Heathrow on the jump seat of the DC9 which I commanded. Abb had been to Croft , the satellite to Middleton St George, to commemorate a memorial . He had been a Lanc rear gunner. What a fantastic and moving video of Harry’s bravery, as well as his fellow pilots and ground crew. Like my Dad who was a stretcher bearer for 6 years, he always remembered the funny moments, but the video stopped short at the end as he recalled those who did not go home. Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again.
My father was an armourer in that squadron. I have a lot of pictures my dad got from the assigned photographer. he also went to that reunion at Wasaga Beach. Great perspective.
What a tremendous human being. And a wonderful presentation of his wartime service.
The emotion in his voice ,and his eyes welling up with tears at the end of the documentary when he recalled the pilot’s and aircrew who gave their all fighting for the freedom we enjoy today, was very emotional. Bless them all .
Thank you for making this great film! God bless and have mercy on all these great heroes to whom we owe our freedom. What an amazing human being who did so much for others after the war. Humbling.
Love the Typhoons & the MKV Tempest,. Super cool and very effective for their time. Thanks for your service & the very interesting life that you led during the service years. Fantastic video.
Understated, amusing commentary. Like most WW2 blokes, he didn't blow his own trumpet. He let the facts speak for themself. Thank you Harry.
Bloody amazing story from a real hero.
That was superb! Very brave men,
Very fortunate and proud to have know Harry & Hazel - my uncle's farther-in-law. Such a wonderful and humorous gentleman, and so understated. Harry and those who served durning those times were the greatest generation that lived. RIP, and thanks Rick for preserving these memories and sharing them for the millions who will undoubtedly learn of their deeds.
Fascinating recollections from Harry Hardy DFC of his time as an RCAF Hawker Typhoon pilot, so much detail and knowledge he recalled so easily to share with us all , a real honour to be taken into his world as a brave frontline ww2 pilot . A great channel - SUBSCRIBED
Thanks Gaz, appreciate it!
A beautiful tribute to the men, and one in particular, who gave all to secure our freedom from tyranny. Thank you, Harry, and all your comrades, may God rest you easy.
Thoroughly interesting account of being a 'Tiffy' pilot, an amazing story. The operations those guys flew were very hazardous as Harry attested.
When I moved into the street where I live 12 years ago here in Australia, there was an ex RAF Typhoon pilot living two doors down - he had a large painting of a 'Tiffy' in his lounge room.
And up the road and around the corner there lived an ex RAF (Polish) Spitfire pilot and his neighbour was ex Luftwaffe fighter pilot! There was no bitterness between them.
That was some street to live on! Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching.
Thanks for publishing this, it was great to see and hear from such a man.
What a marvellous documentary , thank you . A Canadian pilot died when his Typhoon crashed in the wood outside the house during the war , the pilot s name was F/L Lewis and I beleive he came from Toronto . Looking at Harry in the then and now photos brings home the life years lost , no children , etc Harry may have known him ?
Theos Llewellyn Lewis was the pilot you mention in EK432, I believe. They could have known each other, but I think Harry would have rotated home by then.
Harry’s short and succinct slide talk was excellent , if only some more of his contemporaries could provide this we would be spared some of the clap trap which sadly makes it onto this medium by very amateur aviation historians. The facts Harry presented as one of the ‘press on’ types despite flying the brutish but highly effective Hawker Typhoon ‘‘ TiffY’fighter bombers which were a bit more reliable by ‘44 after such a poor record initially ( nearly pulled out of service at one point). But It was a case of making best use of what you have and it’s part in the push back from the coast against superior German armour was pivotal . This as Harry pointed out was far from unopposed by highly effective AA fire . They few into flak walls “ three sorties before lunchtime” round the clock in daylight hours. Very very brave men their like we shall not see again. We must always remember them. I hope the two Typhoon restoration projects in Canada and UK are still making progress.
This gave me goosebumps at this vlog,the sheer terror,but the dedication,bravery,knowledge on the operational unawareness is astonishing.
Thank you so much for this small insight
Thank you and thanks for watching.
The Typhoon was another underated fighter .
When was learning to fly I met an elderly gentleman who had flown Typhoons with 486 sqn RNZAF. We got on like a house on fire. I was 15 thought he was great. Your long gone now Eric, but not forgotten. Hiwa hau Maka.
I'm 72, I was born with a need to be a pilot, and I achieved that. When I look back, as much as I loved the flying, I also loved learning from a WW2 DFC and bar Wing Cmdr rtd, and he told me he loved teaching me. What better way to honour his skill.
Please accept my admiration for your service
My respect for those men is beyond words . In late 1944 British Air Ministry done a survey about all the commands of the RAF . No surprise that the most dangerous and least chance of surviving a tour was pilots in the 2nd Tactical Air Force.
After DDay the shortage of Typhoon pilots necessitated a call for volunteers from Fighter Command .
The use of aircraft as fighter bombers goes back to WW1 . During the 1st battle of Cambrai in Nov 1917 some 400 RFC airceaft were lost.
In the Korean War the USAF and USN lost hundreds of aircraft to ground fire , P-51's and F-80 Shooting Stars , of the 368 F-80's lost 277 in combat . It was a similar picture with Mustangs , the S,African sq of Mustangs lost about 80 to ground fire.
Did the returns justify the losses ??
Godspeed, good sir.
Awesome .
RAF Middleton St George ….now Teesside Airport ….is not far from where I live. I’ve had to Google it to confirm that the Gate Guardian was a Tempest and not a Typhoon , when I was younger. Middleton St George was Canadian Bomber Base during WW2 and I had the honour to fly Abb Dennis, from North Bay, back to Heathrow on the jump seat of the DC9 which I commanded. Abb had been to Croft , the satellite to Middleton St George, to commemorate a memorial . He had been a Lanc rear gunner.
What a fantastic and moving video of Harry’s bravery, as well as his fellow pilots and ground crew. Like my Dad who was a stretcher bearer for 6 years, he always remembered the funny moments, but the video stopped short at the end as he recalled those who did not go home.
Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again.
This is brilliant. Thank you for sharing
Thankyou for your service, Thankyou for my freedom Bro. (If you can call it that,I live in QweeBec).
Thank you.
This is great.
A++++
R. I. P. sir
Vale Harry 🇦🇺
Only 425 likes???
UA-cam is a odd place for likes. I'm intrigued by the handful of dislikes too.
Anyone have a link to the book he mentioned? Critical moments
There is a link in the descriuption to the chapter on Harry's wartime service, the rest of the book is currently not available.
God Bless.