There was an Aussie ex Lanc Airgunner or Bombaimer where I worked , he and his crew flew 50 operations mostly as Pathfinders . He related to me one particular op when the weather over Germany was made for Nightfighters. A thin veil of Strata cloud and bright moonlight , turned the night into day . Planes were going down everywhere , so the Skipper ordered the Wireless op to stand in the Navs little bubble and keep an eye out for N.F's. Not being used to seeing anything going on outside , he started shouting theres one going down here there and everywhere. The Skipper told him to look out for E.A not keep score . I consider myself lucky to have known two ex bomber pilots , both awarded the DFC , one a Halifax and the other a Lancaster pilot . The latter was shot down by a N.F crossing the French coast on the way home , with the aircraft on fire he ditched in the Channel , and was saved by ASR , Badly burnt around the back of the legs and buttocks was hospitalized at East Grinstead . My cousins husband was a rear gunner and lost a leg after being hit by a N.F. I remember meeting him just after the war at his wifes family farm in Somerset, laying cricket with us whilst hopping around on crutches. He died soon afterwards through gangrene .
@@OldFliersGroup They certainly were and always my hero's. When I look around today I ask myself was their sacrifice worth it . Sadly the answer I get is NO .
As a trainee medic we did our hospital rotation in the Veteran's hospital (Those poor bastards) One of the guys I took care of was a flight engineer on Lancs His last trip the pilot caught a 20mm round in the head....my patient lost vision in his left eye and got fragged all over his left arm and chest He flew that aircraft home...no morphine...fighting with it all the way...and landed with no depth perception Later they pulled 3 of the dead pilots teeth out of his face I always remember that guy (now long dead) when people complain about "fair" Who got the better of that deal? The guy who had his 20 year old head explode Or the guy who spent the rest of his life with a DFC...and a face that looked like a cat's asshole Tell me about "fair"...
I notice eight Nazis have thumbed down , I could do the same about Luftwaffe bombers , I suffered their multiple attacks in East London , but I was lucky , this 7/8 year old survived..But I would not dream of thumbing down a film about them , they were doing their job as ordered just the same as we were , god bless all of those allied pilots and crews of many years ago .
@@OldFliersGroup Canada here. My father was a pilot in RCAF and was involved in training young men from all over the Commonwealth here in Canada. A lot of them did not survive . They are buried all across Canada. Brave young men all. I do feel sorry for the Americans nowadays though. With their " military-industrial complex " pushing for war. Any war will do, so it seems.
[ To myself: « Damn it… The modesty of the man! ]. …. Ah, the guts and glory of the Diggers! A mixture of admiration, wonderment of his breathless perfect recounting of what he witnessed at first hand....enough to take your breath away… In a couple of words ... [ I would say...] The Very Greatness of the Generation of the 1920s....They were born of parents who had stood in decent horror of what they had endured in the preceding decade, vowing to make the Great War the Last War...aka « the war to end all wars so utterly indescribable and inhumane to decent minds....ten years on the tremendous denial of war in all its forms by the Oxford University Debating Society...carrying before it « Never to lay down life for King nor Country ».....Yet, four years on that very same generation reversed its noble ideal...and helped save the world and if not the world certainly Britain...along with many others from the Empire and from gallant souls from Norway, Poland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium. France, and CzechoSlovakia.....and America....often wonder what a Digger’s reaction’d be verbally to hear of a certain neutral country that signed the book of condolences on the death of Adolf.....
@@OldFliersGroup thank you for the info. So sad these old veterans are disappearing slowly but surely. These videos are a great way of keeping their memories and experiences alive!
Totally agree Kevin. This is the OFG's mission. No one knew when this talk was held that in just seven months Pat would pass and with him, his stories.
@@OldFliersGroup what happened to Mr dwyer if you don't mind me asking, you say he passed 7 months after this video? He seems very healthy and extremely sharp here, and also he looks as though he remembers his experiences as though they happened a few nights ago!
lucky guy and great valuable story's about his experiences but his audience laugh at the demise of peoples untimely death .not lucky enough to make their own video experience . what i am saying is their is nothing funny about death of people who die because of mad dictators who to this day still somehow gain a power status over others
to be able to laugh in the face of death is miraculous in itself. the audience can laugh at this mans stories, they aren't laughing at the untimely demise of those unfortunate others. they're laughing at the life and amazing times that this man went through. I hate negative assholes that moan, and I enjoy the fact that this legend survived a horrific war.
Mark Harding Well said Mark. The remarkable aspect to his talk is the way he described the missions he flew in. Here today gone tonight I remember one Australian aircrew member remark.
@@OldFliersGroup You've missed the point made by Takao81. "World War 11" as shown [Arabic numerals] = World War Eleven. Should be "World War II" [Roman numerals] = World War 2. Takao81 was asking if he'd missed World Wars 3 to 10. By not getting the details correct, you are disrespecting those who sacrificed their youth, health or lives.
There was an Aussie ex Lanc Airgunner or Bombaimer where I worked , he and his crew flew 50 operations mostly as Pathfinders . He related to me one particular op when the weather over Germany was made for Nightfighters. A thin veil of Strata cloud and bright moonlight , turned the night into day . Planes were going down everywhere , so the Skipper ordered the Wireless op to stand in the Navs little bubble and keep an eye out for N.F's. Not being used to seeing anything going on outside , he started shouting theres one going down here there and everywhere. The Skipper told him to look out for E.A not keep score . I consider myself lucky to have known two ex bomber pilots , both awarded the DFC , one a Halifax and the other a Lancaster pilot . The latter was shot down by a N.F crossing the French coast on the way home , with the aircraft on fire he ditched in the Channel , and was saved by ASR , Badly burnt around the back of the legs and buttocks was hospitalized at East Grinstead . My cousins husband was a rear gunner and lost a leg after being hit by a N.F. I remember meeting him just after the war at his wifes family farm in Somerset, laying cricket with us whilst hopping around on crutches. He died soon afterwards through gangrene .
What a story. Many thanks. They were all brave lads.
@@OldFliersGroup They certainly were and always my hero's. When I look around today I ask myself was their sacrifice worth it . Sadly the answer I get is NO .
Holly hell..what an amazing man with amazing brave stories..respect...hard
As a trainee medic we did our hospital rotation in the Veteran's hospital
(Those poor bastards)
One of the guys I took care of was a flight engineer on Lancs
His last trip the pilot caught a 20mm round in the head....my patient lost vision in his left eye and got fragged all over his left arm and chest
He flew that aircraft home...no morphine...fighting with it all the way...and landed with no depth perception
Later they pulled 3 of the dead pilots teeth out of his face
I always remember that guy (now long dead) when people complain about "fair"
Who got the better of that deal?
The guy who had his 20 year old head explode
Or the guy who spent the rest of his life with a DFC...and a face that looked like a cat's asshole
Tell me about "fair"...
After surviving countless life-threatening escapades .... "and the next trip ..."
What an amazing talk. The amount of near-misses he had in Lancs! He must have used up far more than 9 lives.
+Mark Cotton (mcfontaine) So true Mark. Luck played such a role.
EXCELLENT Presentation and information. loved it
Glad you liked it!
He has a great memory. Very lucky to survive.
I notice eight Nazis have thumbed down , I could do the same about Luftwaffe bombers , I suffered their multiple attacks in East London , but I was lucky , this 7/8 year old survived..But I would not dream of thumbing down a film about them , they were doing their job as ordered just the same as we were , god bless all of those allied pilots and crews of many years ago .
Yes, Tom, time to forgive and forget. (but remember the lesson so as not to repeat the same mistakes of the past)
@@OldFliersGroup Canada here. My father was a pilot in RCAF and was involved in training young men from all over the Commonwealth here in Canada. A lot of them did not survive . They are buried all across Canada. Brave young men all. I do feel sorry for the Americans nowadays though. With their " military-industrial complex " pushing for war. Any war will do, so it seems.
Thanks Pat.👍
LEGEND!!!!!
How come all the bomber crew were so young??
Where were all the 25 yr olds??
The pilot of my dad's Lancaster was 25.My dad was 27 in 1944 but the rest were around 19/20/21
another Aussie Lancaster crew story here: ua-cam.com/video/mp2u0092wCk/v-deo.html
websters2324 UA-cam.be/mp2u0092wCk
Very fascinating stuff. Lotta love for the RAF bombers.
[ To myself: « Damn it… The modesty of the man! ]. …. Ah, the guts and glory of the Diggers! A mixture of admiration, wonderment of his breathless perfect recounting of what he witnessed at first hand....enough to take your breath away… In a couple of words ... [ I would say...]
The Very Greatness of the Generation of the 1920s....They were born of parents who had stood in decent horror of what they had endured in the preceding decade, vowing to make the Great War the Last War...aka « the war to end all wars so utterly indescribable and inhumane to decent minds....ten years on the tremendous denial of war in all its forms by the Oxford University Debating Society...carrying before it « Never to lay down life for King nor Country ».....Yet, four years on that very same generation reversed its noble ideal...and helped save the world and if not the world certainly Britain...along with many others from the Empire and from gallant souls from Norway, Poland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium. France, and CzechoSlovakia.....and America....often wonder what a Digger’s reaction’d be verbally to hear of a certain neutral country that signed the book of condolences on the death of Adolf.....
Respeito , admiração e gratidão para esses heróis
Muito obrigado
I think everybody who survived did so through a lot of near misses.
Yes, survivors were lucky.
Tough men.
I lob
Ve those old Lancashires
Is mr dwyer still with us?
Sadly, no.
His talk of his experiences during those terrible years was extraordinary.
Further info: Pat Dwyer died in Perth on 23/12/2006. He swam early each morning with a group called the Cottesloe Codgers.
@@OldFliersGroup thank you for the info. So sad these old veterans are disappearing slowly but surely. These videos are a great way of keeping their memories and experiences alive!
Totally agree Kevin. This is the OFG's mission. No one knew when this talk was held that in just seven months Pat would pass and with him, his stories.
@@OldFliersGroup what happened to Mr dwyer if you don't mind me asking, you say he passed 7 months after this video? He seems very healthy and extremely sharp here, and also he looks as though he remembers his experiences as though they happened a few nights ago!
Stuka
Whirlwind
Guardian Angels 😇 ~ were S T R E A C H E D TO THE LIMIT ... & BEYOND 😊
lucky guy and great valuable story's about his experiences but his audience laugh at the demise of peoples untimely death .not lucky enough to make their own video experience . what i am saying is their is nothing funny about death of people who die because of mad dictators who to this day still somehow gain a power status over others
Yes, death by whatever cause is no laughing matter. Mad dictators or not. Thanks Mark.
to be able to laugh in the face of death is miraculous in itself. the audience can laugh at this mans stories, they aren't laughing at the untimely demise of those unfortunate others. they're laughing at the life and amazing times that this man went through. I hate negative assholes that moan, and I enjoy the fact that this legend survived a horrific war.
Mark Harding Well said Mark. The remarkable aspect to his talk is the way he described the missions he flew in. Here today gone tonight I remember one Australian aircrew member remark.
ww 11? was I in a coma?
Yes, confusing isn't it? That was the convention to so name it using roman numerals.
@@OldFliersGroup You've missed the point made by Takao81.
"World War 11" as shown [Arabic numerals] = World War Eleven.
Should be "World War II" [Roman numerals] = World War 2.
Takao81 was asking if he'd missed World Wars 3 to 10.
By not getting the details correct, you are disrespecting those who sacrificed their youth, health or lives.
ah yes
world war 11