Why Was This RAF Pilot Called Grumpy? | Wing Commander George C. Unwin

The nicknames some RAF pilots had are just fantastic and so too are the stories behind how they got them. Wing Commander George Cecil Unwin is no exception, and this is the story of how he got his name 'Grumpy'.
💗 If you'd like to support my channel please follow this link for more details: calibanrising.com/support/
You can also now find me on Patreon: / calibanrising
🧥 Want to get a great deal on an authentic leather flying jacket? Check out the range from Legendary USA here: calibanrising.com/flying-jacket/
🎁 Grab one of my unique WW2-themed designs. great on t-shirts, hoodies or mugs: bit.ly/3GLPNBJ
📰 You can also support me by subscribing to one of these great aviation magazines: calibanrising.com/magazines/
💰 Want to start an online business with UA-cam?
This UA-cam channel is no accident and the success I've had so far was no mere fluke, it's all been planned out and executed in a very meaningful way. However, I can't take credit for knowing how to do all that, I had to learn and I learned from the best!
Listen to my advice for building a successful UA-cam channel: • How Does Phil From Cal...
📕 Welcome to my channel where I share my love of history and aviation. I first fell in love with military aviation when reading Biggles books as a boy, then I studied history at university. I like finding interesting stories and sharing them with others.
I also followed this passion into the real world and managed to get a Private Pilot's Licence on 10th May 2014.
🕹️ My gaming equipment for getting footage:
Joystick: amzn.to/2TP6h40
Rudder Pedals: amzn.to/38c3YAx
Elevator Trim: amzn.to/3oQWNn8
Head Tracking: amzn.to/34Qpvwd
3D print your own gaming controls
Get an Enders 3 Pro like me: amzn.to/3dFXts3
Go over to authentikit.org/
Wishlist: amzn.to/385dXHD
⏱️ Timestamp:
0:00 intro
Images: other than where stated, images used in the video have been found on commons.wikimedia.org/
#aviationhistory#history

[@CalibanRising]

Liked the video? Keep the good times rolling by buying me a pint! 🍺 Tip with a Super Thanks or via PayPal:

[@oldesertguy9616]

I love reading about the little things like this that remind us the war was fought by human beings, not movie characters.

[@christopherclarke3135]

He was a Yorkshireman. Grumpy fits many of them.

[@richardh8082]

I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday, so can understand unreliable memories :)

[@spankflaps1365]

I knew a Joiner nicknamed Lofty because he looked like Lofty from “It ain’t half hot mum”.

[@julianmhall]

Some nicknames also came about by the initials of the person, e.g. the politician R A Butler was known as 'Rab'. One curiosity that comes to mind is 'Dusty', seemingly bestowed on everyone with the surname Miller.

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Great stuff! Never knew how he got that nickname until now!

[@DimBeam1]

Great work mate.

[@janlindtner305]

Outanstanding👍👍👍

[@captaincrash9286]

Brian 'Sandy' Lane was 23 years old in 1940. Remember that when you look at his pictures.

[@drno4837]

Nice story, one thing that did strike me when you look at "grumpy's" postings was how little time these chaps actually spent on combat ops compared to the Jerries.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

You cannot recall an event unless remembering it for the first time after that all you are doing is remembering the last time you remembered it.

[@allandavis8201]

Hearing G Unwin describe Douglas Bader as a “glorious leader” actually goes against the grain with me, I heard quite a few stories about D Bader during my service and many of them were complementary about his flying ability, in spite of losing his legs, and his bravery, determination etc, but, and there is always a but, I don’t recall any about his leadership or personal qualities, there was a “rumour” about his final sortie before having to bail out over occupied France, and that was that he was actually shot down in a “blue on blue” “accident”, I can’t remember the name of the person who told me the story and I don’t recall whether it was a deliberate act or purely an accident, but having read “Reach for the Sky” many times and watched the film on numerous occasions I think that it was entirely plausible that he was shot down by one of his own pilots, the reason I say that is because he was a very selfish person who was also very self opinionated and headstrong (that’s why he lost his legs in the first place, over confidence and an unwillingness to take criticism from anyone.

[@brianmorris8045]

I remember a movie where a young fella wanted to do something better than go down underground and stuff up his lungs for a living. The father went on the usual mantra, "Your great grandfather was a miner, your grandfather was a miner, I'm a miner, and you will follow in their footsteps!", to which the lad replies "Yes, dad, follow you and our ancestors into the nearest grave at an early age, no thanks Dad, I have other careers to follow!"

[@altaylor3988]

The R.A.F. was famous for it's Nicknames

[@moobaz8675]

👍

[@jamesvandemark2086]

My oldest friends & co-conspirators still call me "Rocky". Don't ask.

[@adambrinkley4014]

He seems short in stature . Possibly a reference to the 7 vertically challenged and his caricature of a face.

[@JohnJones-cp4wh]

`Cos he wasn`t Happy.

[@catsupchutney]

So the photo of the schoolmaster looks a bit too similar to Groucho Marx.