Folks,

It is quite warm these days in sunny Carolina. We expect temps up around 90F or 32 C. by early next week. That's a bit toasty for this time of year even down here. It is enough to remind one to keep his promises lest he one day find himself in hell wishing for a pair of asbestos drawers.

I've been paging through my well worn copy of the poems of Robert Frost today and since he lived in North Carolina I think it might be nice to post a little of his work just to show you that not all Carolinians are afflicted with terminal writer's block as am I. After that I will fulfill my promise of yesterday and post Zerosan2s follow-up tribute to his father.

...The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

JAKE”S BROTHER: A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER
By: Zerosan2
HWH (continued)
Pg.43
06-30-2003

“Jake’s Brother”

On a similar note, that got me thinking about my Father. He died in 1996 but also grew up in that same period, Jakes younger brother. He was quieter than Jake, and went on to serve 11 years in the British Army, most of that with the Parachute Regiment. I remember him telling me about the things he remembered, predominantly from the later war years. One of the things I remember him telling me was something that may be of particular interest to you American boyz.

A good portion of "The Mighty Eighth" was based in that part of the world in those days, on obscure strips like Ramsbury and Membury. (The runway at Ramsbury is still there, along with some derelict period buildings. I learnt to drive like an idiot on that runway in the early 70s)

His recollections of Boeing B17 Fortresses returning from daylight raids over Germany and occupied France enthralled me also. I will say this with no feeling of guilt or favour. Having read a bit about it and watched some small scenes grittily replayed on gun camera footage, I know it to be true.

The men that flew in those aeroplanes, in daylight, into hugely dangerous and hostile sky, are in my opinion, some of the bravest men that ever went into battle. There is one particular record which shows in slow motion from the cameras of an Fw190 (I think) making a sustained rear attack on a Fortress. Even with those low resolution images, it is not hard to imagine the fate of the crew inside. There are other images from GC movies like "Fortress without a roof" which are too upsetting to write down.

Those men went back day after day. It must have taken extraordinary courage.
My Father remembered often seeing the bombers returning usually in the late evening. He remembered that by the time they had reached that far home they had pulled into extended line astern as they followed the wide inward circuit in those crowded skies. They came usually at about 2 minute intervals and it was often getting dark by the time they had all come in.
Lots came in on 3 engines, many on 2, most had combat damage and they were usually low enough for it to be seen.

Tailplanes with holes or chunks missing, wheels hanging down, ailerons and elevators trailing in slipstreams and chunks of superstructure shot away. I would have admired those Yankee fliers if I had been alive then too, just as he did. To the local kids they were all heroes. To me they still are, every one of them.


Originally Registered January,2001 Member Number 3044

"Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed" - Edmond Gwenn, "The Trouble With Harry"

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