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#4364949 - 06/20/17 04:00 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Mar 2017
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stljeffbb Offline
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(writer: the end has come, rather quickly and in the way most feared, an engine fire!)

Twenty-second mission 4 April AM...well, Happy Easter! We have now gone to two-a-day flights...not exactly sure what I think of this, but I can say that I have seen no enemy aeroplanes since my first week of service, so perhaps Command is looking for us to have a better chance of engaging the enemy. This mission was yet another run at the Ghistelles aerodrome (alternative target)...I was given permission to use Cooper bombs again (a little Easter gift you might say), however, I was instructed to bomb from high altitude. Intell informed me that while I was close to hitting a building, I ultimately missed. I was not quite lined up correctly, and next time I will line up using the hangars as my guide.



Twenty-third mission 4 April PM...A flight patrolling La Gorgue aerodrome just inside our lines. It has clouded up since morning, but fortunately no rain or lightning. Uneventful otherwise.

[Linked Image]

Twenty-fourth mission 5 April AM...weather looked even more ominous, but the rain and lightning held off. Unfortunately, B flight leader had engine failure, and both crew were injured in a crash landing.

[Linked Image]

Twenty-fifth mission 5 April PM...(installed JJJ65 roll mod 2.1 and Consolidated Airfield Mod)...Was given a solo flight! Reynolds and I went up and patrolled the front for a bit of time...did come into contact with French Morane Parasols, but other than that, a fine day for flying with low lying fog in certain areas. (writer's note: turned off computer too soon, so video was deleted frown )

Twenty-sixth mission 6 April AM...Action! Beautiful take off at dawn, arrived for front line patrol and came across two Pfalz A.I enemy machines. I decided to engage...they were heading west (!) and then south. It took me more than a few minutes to finally get in front of the lead EA, but my gunner Tock Reynolds did not feel like he had a good shot for most of our engagement. The trick with this is to avoid being behind the rear firing gunner, and to position one's aeroplane so that they are behind you. The enemy were moving to try to avoid this position, and they definitely got off more shots than we did. The battle was inconclusive, with no help from my squad mates. Nonetheless, I was a little more than gently scolded for breaking formation and engaging, but I pleaded the doctrine of “not allowing the enemy to pass our lines”. In the end, no one from our side was hurt, so we fight on for another sortie, another day.



Twenty-seventh mission 6 April PM...This will be recorded as a quick flight to test out the replacement machine I will be flying for a day or two. I just took it up for a quick spin to see how it handled. (Writer's note: Hmm, I was not aware that QC free flights would also be recorded in my pilot log. It does make sense and can be put to good use, especially when new planes become available, and I can simulate flying some of these planes around to get used to them)

Twenty-eighth mission 6 April PM...I was assigned BE2c 2222 (freshly stenciled nonetheless), and I hope that is a good omen! Fairly uneventful mission, a patrol of the front lines.

[Linked Image]

Twenty-ninth mission 7 April AM...(Writer's note: Geoff Williams' career ended how he most feared it would...a flame out! Flying the replacement craft 2222 [apparently a bad omen!] things started out well enough. Because it was a bit before dawn and very dark due to cloud cover, Williams decided to try out the panel lights [Cntl-Shift-L] and this perhaps was his undoing...his wing men saw the lights in the cockpit not long before the flame out started at about 3000 feet, and then there was not much to be done [ha ha, in reality, I did not realize for a few precious seconds that my auto pilot was still on, and THAT might have been my ultimate undoing...also, I cannot exactly explain how I went from 1500 feet into the water right away...perhaps I died up in the air or something]...after gliding for a while, it seems Williams put his fiery bus into the Channel, but it was too late for him and his trusty [and roasted] observer Tock Reynolds. Meanwhile, a note was put into the BE2c file to check out the panel lights and to see if a short could cause a flame out.



Williams was buried at a Royal Naval Cemetery in England:

[Linked Image]

....the end, for now wink )

Regards,

Jeff

(Post Script....I will start a new pilot soon, but I will put his exploits in the “REPORTS FROM THE FRONT” thread so I do not clog up the regular board...I realize I have may have been a bit rude in setting up my own personal thread, sorry about that! wink ...I will use the same basic format and start this person on April 8, 1915. Oh yes, I should mention that I will still be flying British, but I am going to figure out what squadrons are available on the above mentioned date and use a random number generator to pick what squad I will fly for....I hope I do not have too many pilots, I mean I only have so many pictures of myself! And @ BuckeyeBob...Geoff Williams has a much younger brother, not old enough for the great war, so it will be someone that looks familiar, but not a close relative of the deceased wink )

Last edited by stljeffbb; 07/09/17 05:37 PM. Reason: Photobucket to imgur!

WOFF:UE Computer Specs and set-up:
Homebuilt Computer!
Intel i5-3570k mildly overclocked to 3.8ghz
AsRock Z75 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB (EVGA one fan version)
16 GB RAM
42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV with 120hz refresh
Very old (over 20 years now) Aiwa Receiver/Amplifier
Very old giant stereo speakers with newer sub-woofer
Very old Logitech Wingman joystick with two buttons and a throttle slider
Very old CH Thurstmaster analog footpedals
Manhattan analog/USB converter
W10
#4364959 - 06/20/17 05:20 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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BuckeyeBob Offline
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We will look forward to meeting him -- whoever he is!


“With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me it is merely good manners. You may judge which motive is the more reliable.”
#4364960 - 06/20/17 05:28 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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BWOC Survivor!...So Far!!
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+1


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#4364963 - 06/20/17 06:20 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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Smithcorp Offline
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Oz
Too bad

#4364971 - 06/20/17 07:31 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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JJJ65 Offline
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Czech Rep.
RIP, Williams.
Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!

#4365969 - 06/25/17 02:27 PM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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stljeffbb Offline
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stljeffbb  Offline
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Wisconsin USA
Thanks for the "condolences" everyone! I have started a new pilot (George Lyons) over on the "Reports from the front" thread. I did randomly pick RFC-3, and consequently, it uses Morane L planes...lets see if I survive longer wink

Regards,

Jeff


WOFF:UE Computer Specs and set-up:
Homebuilt Computer!
Intel i5-3570k mildly overclocked to 3.8ghz
AsRock Z75 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB (EVGA one fan version)
16 GB RAM
42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV with 120hz refresh
Very old (over 20 years now) Aiwa Receiver/Amplifier
Very old giant stereo speakers with newer sub-woofer
Very old Logitech Wingman joystick with two buttons and a throttle slider
Very old CH Thurstmaster analog footpedals
Manhattan analog/USB converter
W10
#4366052 - 06/26/17 08:25 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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DukeIronHand Offline
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High over the Front
The board here is hardly jumping. Post here if you like IMHO - that way your stuff is all in one place. Makes it easier to follow.
And great story and pics!

#4366074 - 06/26/17 12:02 PM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
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Raine Offline
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Best of luck with your new fellow. Really enjoyed Geoff's story.

#4366853 - 06/30/17 01:11 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 244
stljeffbb Offline
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stljeffbb  Offline
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Posts: 244
Wisconsin USA
Thanks a lot folks! I'm enjoying your stories over on the DiD thread Raine....I see you like to have a detailed historical background too! Another great thing about today is that there is so much out there on the internet. Makes our storytelling jobs much easier smile

I think I will insert here that I have been reading quite a bit WWI aviation books lately, including Sharks Among Minnows by Norman Franks, Early German Aces of WWI by Greg VanWyngarden, Marked for Death, The First War in the Air by James Hamilton-Paterson (a decidedly British take on things, and very insightful for my current British pilots), of course The War in the Air series mentioned earlier in this thread, and A History of No. 10 Squadron RNAS by Mike Westrop, who can be found over on the aerodrome forums on occasion...

@ DukeIronHand...thanks very much for suggesting my own thread, I do appreciate it...I would feel too presumptuous now better knowing the format here...I do not want to grandstand with my own thread when so many others use the DiD or Front Reports thread and do much better than me...of course, you are more than welcome to start your own thread! I am interested to see what you have cooking smile

Regards,

Jeff


WOFF:UE Computer Specs and set-up:
Homebuilt Computer!
Intel i5-3570k mildly overclocked to 3.8ghz
AsRock Z75 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB (EVGA one fan version)
16 GB RAM
42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV with 120hz refresh
Very old (over 20 years now) Aiwa Receiver/Amplifier
Very old giant stereo speakers with newer sub-woofer
Very old Logitech Wingman joystick with two buttons and a throttle slider
Very old CH Thurstmaster analog footpedals
Manhattan analog/USB converter
W10
#4366857 - 06/30/17 02:05 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Jul 2014
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Raine Offline
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New Brunswick, Canada
Jeff, will you be joining the DiD, or doing another campaign on your own timeline? Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

#4366858 - 06/30/17 02:29 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Mar 2017
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stljeffbb Offline
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stljeffbb  Offline
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Wisconsin USA
@ Raine....yes, I have started a new pilot almost right after poor Geoff Williams flamed-out. Could not get it quite lined up because I wanted to go through the obligatory training but only off by 5 days into the future...good enough! The first post is over in the "REPORTS FROM THE FRONT" thread here: George Lyons 3 RFC

I am basically going by my own timeline, but definitely doing it DiD style...unfortunately real life intervenes too much I think to be able to keep up with the DiD pace, however, I do plan on flying consecutive careers into November 1918. Of course I hope my current pilot is my last, but I am already seeing how difficult it was for flyers of this era. This simulation has taught me much, even more than I already knew about from flying previous and other WWI sims. I'm a sucker for career mode stuff wink

Regards,

Jeff


WOFF:UE Computer Specs and set-up:
Homebuilt Computer!
Intel i5-3570k mildly overclocked to 3.8ghz
AsRock Z75 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB (EVGA one fan version)
16 GB RAM
42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV with 120hz refresh
Very old (over 20 years now) Aiwa Receiver/Amplifier
Very old giant stereo speakers with newer sub-woofer
Very old Logitech Wingman joystick with two buttons and a throttle slider
Very old CH Thurstmaster analog footpedals
Manhattan analog/USB converter
W10
#4367376 - 07/04/17 07:24 AM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 11
Packham Offline
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Packham  Offline
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Posts: 11
congrats!!! really nice aar.

#4367887 - 07/07/17 01:29 PM Re: Geoff Williams - 1 RNAS 2nd March 1915 - DiD style [Re: stljeffbb]  
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 244
stljeffbb Offline
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stljeffbb  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 244
Wisconsin USA
Ha ha, well, looks like I have been blighted with the "curse of the photobucket"...I am rather disappointed as I have a modest amount of images going back to at least 2005, but fortunately for me it is nothing vital. Can anyone suggest some alternatives? I'm going to ride it out for a few days or weeks to see if they reverse their position, but to continue my Geoff Lyons career, I will need to find something else.

Guess a free lunch does not exist, lol

Regards,

Jeff

PS
Originally Posted by Packham
congrats!!! really nice aar.


Thanks Packham....glad you liked it!

Last edited by stljeffbb; 07/07/17 01:30 PM.

WOFF:UE Computer Specs and set-up:
Homebuilt Computer!
Intel i5-3570k mildly overclocked to 3.8ghz
AsRock Z75 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB (EVGA one fan version)
16 GB RAM
42 inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV with 120hz refresh
Very old (over 20 years now) Aiwa Receiver/Amplifier
Very old giant stereo speakers with newer sub-woofer
Very old Logitech Wingman joystick with two buttons and a throttle slider
Very old CH Thurstmaster analog footpedals
Manhattan analog/USB converter
W10
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