My father in law flew Spits in WWII. I remember him telling me about losses in training, and when I expressed surprise that so many promising young pilots were lost in what I would have considered "controlled" conditions, he pointed out what terrific pressure they were under to get new pilots into the line.
The Dilip Sarkar book on pilots killed in accidents is very sad. So many killed just showing off - very young lads delighted to be in high performance aeroplanes. :(
One OTU flying instructor told me that the weather was a constant factor over which they had no control. This ex Squadron leader instructed on Flying Boats at 131 OTU Killadeas. Looking out across Lough Erne he commented that the solid lo cloud was about "300 feet", difficult to keep an instruction course on track. On the first course, he ran two Catalinas crashed on the same afternoon after an initially good weather forecast collapsed and two aircraft diverted to Stranraer crashed, one lost near Omagh ( Co.Tyrone, N.Ireland) and the second hit high ground whilst in the circuit to land at Stranraer. OTU flying extracted a heavy toll on aircrew still very much in the learning process, a hard and sadly unrelenting process.
Time 0:21 F/Sgt Anthony Ridley Robson (Blue 3, BM155) of 485 Squadron shooting at Fw 190 near Ambleteuse at 19.45. This could be Fw 190A-2, W.Nr. 120061 of I./JG 26, that belly landed at St. Omer-Arques airport (25%). No other plausible casualty was listed on 4.5.42.
It looks like the FW190 has already jettisoned its canopy and has a land gear leg dangling down, so it's unlikely to have belly landed, but I suppose you have more info.
The usual outstanding standard from Wingleader
My father in law flew Spits in WWII. I remember him telling me about losses in training, and when I expressed surprise that so many promising young pilots were lost in what I would have considered "controlled" conditions, he pointed out what terrific pressure they were under to get new pilots into the line.
The Dilip Sarkar book on pilots killed in accidents is very sad. So many killed just showing off - very young lads delighted to be in high performance aeroplanes. :(
Bader lost his legs showing off
@@kevinnorthfield5097 yep, very few are immune from it, especially when they are young!
One OTU flying instructor told me that the weather was a constant factor over which they had no control. This ex Squadron leader instructed on Flying Boats at 131 OTU Killadeas. Looking out across Lough Erne he commented that the solid lo cloud was about "300 feet", difficult to keep an instruction course on track.
On the first course, he ran two Catalinas crashed on the same afternoon after an initially good weather forecast collapsed and two aircraft diverted to Stranraer crashed, one lost near Omagh ( Co.Tyrone, N.Ireland) and the second hit high ground whilst in the circuit to land at Stranraer.
OTU flying extracted a heavy toll on aircrew still very much in the learning process, a hard and sadly unrelenting process.
Tome 06:27 this number blows my mind, 53 killed pilots in 53 OTU in under 2 years.
Time 0:21 F/Sgt Anthony Ridley Robson (Blue 3, BM155) of 485 Squadron shooting at Fw 190 near Ambleteuse at 19.45. This could be Fw 190A-2, W.Nr. 120061 of I./JG 26, that belly landed at St. Omer-Arques airport (25%). No other plausible casualty was listed on 4.5.42.
Excellent research! The Spitfire at 2.02 is L1014, the Spitfire Sgt Crowe was flying.
It looks like the FW190 has already jettisoned its canopy and has a land gear leg dangling down, so it's unlikely to have belly landed, but I suppose you have more info.
This story opens up debate on incidents that are all but lost to history. We only read and talk about combat losses.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
TY 🙏🙏
They saved Britain and the world
Rest in peace
Per ardua ad astra
👍
The narrator sounds just like the guy in the "way out west" channel....