Author Topic: Battle of Britain Day  (Read 455 times)

Michael Rolls

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Battle of Britain Day
« on: Sep 15, 2020, 06:08:46 AM »
Eighty years on - the debt to 'The Few'
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Sheila

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Re: Battle of Britain Day
« Reply #1 on: Sep 15, 2020, 07:26:35 AM »
As I have said before, my father was one of 'The Few'.

My mother said that when there were events in the mess, a pilot might disappear for a while and come back smelling of fuel.  He had been out siphoning out fuel for his motorbike.  It sounds a bit unlikely to me but then they must have been different, very daring men and she didn't have dementia when she told me that.

She also said that he would be stationed somewhere and he would go to work and she would find them somewhere to stay.  In one place, he would fly low over the house on his return from a fight to show her he was still alive but the neighbours complained that he woke them up.

Some of the pilots who were badly burned did not want their family to see them so she used to go and sit with them in hospital.  When she was young, she was full of fun so was probably good for them.

Michael Rolls

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Re: Battle of Britain Day
« Reply #2 on: Sep 15, 2020, 07:37:17 AM »
Archibald Macindoe did fantastic work with plastic and reconstructive surgery - a leader in the field. He was based at East Grinstead one of 'our' hospitals when I worked for Surrey Area Health Authority - although this was much later, of course. I used to belong to Kingston Camera Club - this was the late 50s, early 60s, and one of our members had been one of Sir Archibald's patients at East Grinstead. He didn't talk about his experiences to any great degree, but he was full of praise for the care he had received. Wish I could remember his name, but it is long gone, I'm afraid.
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Michael Rolls

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Re: Battle of Britain Day
« Reply #3 on: Sep 15, 2020, 07:38:58 AM »
Sheila
Your mum sounds a grand person - and I can believe the syphoning petrol story!
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!