#4403753 - 02/06/18 01:10 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 214
Dark_Canuck
Member
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Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 214
Canada
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I had the distinct pleasure of sharing a beer with Raine last night. It is a true joy to spend some time with someone who shares similar interests. Thanks for taking the time to meet with me!
Sgt Collin Sitwell 62 RFC 5 February 1918
Flying above the lines feels similar to trying to make your way through Kings Cross Station. There are kites all over the place going about their business. We were ordered to make our way back to the lines East of Loos to once again discourage the Hun from setting up shop. B flight again got the task, with A Flight providing backup. A whole squadron show! I felt almost safe flying along in formation with eleven other busses.
Leading B Flight was Captain Campbell. Not five minutes after we reached the lines, he waggled his wings and turned off course. I followed and after a minute of searching the skies finally spotted the three Rumplers that had caught his attention.
I tapped Harry and pointed, receiving a sharp nod and a feral grin in reply. We were going to bag one of these Huns for sure. I let Campbell choose his victim first, and I lined up on the Rumpler to the left of the formation. I closed quickly from below the Huns firing line. As I grew closer I fired several bursts trying to hit the gunner or pilot. I saw the gunner slump forward and slammed the throttle forward, pulling alongside. Harry lined up his shot with care and with one short burst, sent the Rumpler is a violent spin downward.
Captain Morrow was following us closely and waved to acknowledge his view of our victory. I looked about, but saw no one other than Morrow in the once crowded sky. As I turned for home, the Rolls Royce engine gave a series of weak coughs and died. It seems in the excitement of the hunt, I hadn't noticed our fuel lines had been struck and we were now, once again, out of petrol and on the wrong side of the lines.
At about this moment the Hun Archie crews woke up from the mid morning nap and decided to give us a right royal welcome to the war. Black puffs appeared all around us, like small balls of hate. I glided us as quickly as possible for the lines and searched for a suitable field to put down.
The landing was as smooth, despite the best efforts of a farmers fence to jump into our way. We landed a few hundred meters from a large stone manor house that I hoped had a telephone. As we approached, a semi hidden sentry with a blue square patch on his shoulder stopped us. I recognized this patch and his regimental patch immediately. Royal Canadian Regiment, 3rd Canadian Division. My old infantry regiment. This should be interesting...
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#4403786 - 02/06/18 02:57 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,086
MFair
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,086
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Fullofit,, very nice touch with the captured machine. Yep, flying in the soup is no fun. Carrick, good luck with the new pilot. Be careful. Dark Canuck, it would seem you are having some close calls. Lets hope that changes. A beer with a fellow WOFFer! It would not get any better than that. Banjoman, no apologies needed Sir! You are doing us a great service. Lou, hanging around? You hurt me Sir! I am usually here every day and get a mission in almost every day. Thank you most sincerely for the medals, maps and countless mods you have spent time and energy on to make this sim even more enjoyable than it is.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end. BOC Member since....I can't remember!
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#4404032 - 02/07/18 05:31 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,105
Raine
Member
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Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 2,105
New Brunswick, Canada
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Fullofit, MFair, Carrick, Robert, Dark Canuck: just caught up with my reading and there is some great stuff going on. I'm waiting for a flight and can't easily flip back and forward to comment on each account in detail, so here's a collective hats off. Lou, thank you so much for the gong. I love your new mod. Can't wait to fly over it. Banjoman, hope to see you around soon, when you get a break from all you good work!
Spent a wonderful few hours Monday night quaffing Guinness with Dark Canuck -- great guy!
Diary of Capt Geoffrey Corderoy Part 33
8 October 1917
Caldwell and I both received our travel warrants this morning. I awoke early and packed, fully expecting to leave from Boulogne this evening, only to discover that we were now expected to ferry a BE2c from St-Omer to Dover. A coin toss over eggs and toast decided that Caldwell would pilot while I prepared to defend us from marauding Huns.
On arrival at the orderly room at No. 1 A.D. we learned from a superannuated sergeant clerk that (1) nobody bloody tells him anything, (2) this is bloody typical, and (3) there was no BE2c to fly because some young pup had already killed himself in the thing. We refused to leave until we spoke with the officer in charge, and after a half-hour a flustered lieutenant with a missing arm produced revised travel papers authorizing us to travel on a Calais to Dover vessel, the Prince George.
Calais was a jostling sea of rear-area soldiery being paraded sullenly through the streets to the bellows of their NCOs, with a mix of ambulances, goods lorries, and assorted French hawkers and matelots. Some streets lay in ruins, evidence of the enemy marine bombardments here last month. At length, we found the Embarkation Officer who informed us that we were to be aboard no later than eight o’clock. With four hours to kill, we found a hotel near the docks where we enjoyed a meal of sole meunière, potatoes, and a couple of bottles of very good white wine.
On board, Caldwell found his berth and was instantly asleep, while I read in the smoking lounge until we cast off lines and steamed into the channel under the care of a pair of destroyers. I wandered out on deck, careful to ensure the heavy curtains had closed behind me before opening the door, a precaution against submarines. The night was clear and cold, and the war was very far away, and I was at peace under the stars.
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#4404059 - 02/07/18 08:06 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6,659
carrick58
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Posts: 6,659
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Kefir de Lyon Sgt, Esc 38 La Melette AF Verdun, France. 2 Victory's Feb 8, 1918. The Met reports weather moving in and its already Zero Zero across the lines and heading for us. We might be socked in for 2 days. I caught a ride into the Village and ran into a Mademoiselle who was armed she said that She has heard about the local Fly boys around here. https://giphy.com/gifs/sherwood-forest-chick-fight-shannan-3o751VODxUwEgOq7zq/fullscreen
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#4404082 - 02/07/18 10:07 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,696
Fullofit
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,696
Ajax, ON
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MFair, sorry to hear about Geoffrey. I haven’t had a spontaneous fire in ages.
"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys, The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain, From out of my arse take the camshaft, And assemble the engine again."
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#4404119 - 02/08/18 01:09 AM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6,659
carrick58
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Wow MFair waht a way to go. Sorry old man about your pilot. Just a tip, I have had a number of Burning Spads while playing this game. I have managed to save a few ( not many ) by cutting the Fuel then side slip. However, cutting the fuel / ENGINE OFF/ must be as soon as the fire starts other wise
TOAST. !
Last edited by carrick58; 02/08/18 09:55 PM.
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#4404184 - 02/08/18 01:06 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 214
Dark_Canuck
Member
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Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 214
Canada
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Sorry to hear about your Pilot, MFair. I hope your next one has better luck.
Sgt Collin Sitwell 62 RFC
After a split second of searching, I placed the face of the young sentry. "Private Hargrove? Is that you?" I asked surprised.
The young private seemed shocked that I recognized him and it was clear that my heavily bundled form and oil stained, whale greased face were not immediately recognizable.
"It's me Sgt Sitwell! How the bloody hell are you?" I bombarded the poor young lad with questions about the Regiment and how things had been going since my departure several years earlier.
Most of the blokes that I knew had been killed or wounded in the heavy fighting that had taken place in the year I had been away from the Regiment. The RCRs had been involved in the assault on Vimy Ridge, The Battle of the Scarpe, the Battle for Hill 70 and of course the Second Battle of Passchendaele. It seems the Regiment was enjoying some much needed rest behind the lines.
My old Platoon Commander, Lt Naylor, was still around and greeted us inside the Manor House warmly. He allowed me use the telephone to call back to Serny, although I was informed it would be many hours until anyone arrived. He was anxious to hear about my life in the RFC, as he and Lieut. Munroe were to be attached to the RFC on the 7th. [1] Once he had heard enough to be fully excited and terrified, Lt Naylor invited us to join the Officers vs NCOs baseball game that was to take place in a field not far from the Manor House.
In true RCR fashion the game probably had a bit more contact than the inventors of the sport had originally intended, but it was a smashing time. Unfortunately, the Officers got the upper hand in the eight inning and won the match 7-5. Harry himself, who had no trouble adjusting from the sport of cricket he played as a child, hit the home run to put the Officers ahead and the CO, LCol Willetts drove in the final run. [2]
The fitter and rigger from Serny arrived with a lorry and several fuel jerries around 1800 and by 1900 had the wounded kite patched up. Harry and I said our goodbyes and more than slightly inebriated, flew our way back to Serny to file our claim and catch some sleep.
We woke early on the 6th with headaches that disappeared quickly once we reached altitude. We were tasked with a simple line patrol along the exact same route as before. This time we saw nothing but clear skies. I went straight to my bunk upon landing and slept until dinner.
[1] Lt Naylor spent time as an observer in the RFC and survived the war. He was killed in Winnipeg on 7 July 1919 in a plane crash.
[2] The officers had been filling there time challenging different Companies of the Regiment to games of Baseball through late January and early February, culminating in the 7-5 victory over the NCO "all-star" team on 5 February 1918.
Last edited by Dark_Canuck; 02/08/18 01:09 PM.
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#4404196 - 02/08/18 03:03 PM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7,993
Robert_Wiggins
BWOC Survivor!...So Far!!
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BWOC Survivor!...So Far!!
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 7,993
Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
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Dark Canucks
I feel your meeting with George not only resulted in sharing a beer together but also resulted in your reports taking on a similar historical accuracy.
Nice touch, and a good read.
Case: Cooler Master Storm Trooper PSU: Ultra X3,1000-Watt MB: Asus Maximus VI Extreme Mem: Corsair Vengeance (2x 8GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, Unbuffered CPU: Intel i7-4770K, OC to 4.427Ghz CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Seidon 240M Liquid CPU Cooler Vid Card: ASUS GTX 980Ti STRIX 6GB OS and Games on separate: Samsung 840 Series 250GB SSD Monitor: Primary ASUS PG27AQ 4k; Secondary Samsung SyncMaster BX2450L Periphs: MS Sidewinder FFB2 Pro, TrackIR 4
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#4404308 - 02/09/18 03:26 AM
Re: DiD Centenary Challenge
[Re: CatKnight]
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6,659
carrick58
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Exodus
by RedOneAlpha. 04/18/24 05:46 PM
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