I wouldn't say "the cool-stuff-magnet" - I think these historical items are searching for a real good home, where they get well preserved, cared for, and honoured. And they seem to sense, that Lou will provide them with all that.
Vice-President of the BOC (Barmy OFFers Club) Member of the 'Albatros Aviators Club' - "We know how to die with Style!"
I agree historical items look for Lou they know they will cared for, loved, and honored. He treats them better than most museums because he takes them down admires them then puts them back in their honored place.
Seems your next cat will be named GNEISENAU ? Luckily, the cats didn't realise what names they had been given. Might have gone to their heads!
Quite correct, Sir! I only have one at a time, so Gneisenau it will be. Gonna drive my vets receptionist insane with that one! Pushing 60, I have grave doubts as to my still being around for Deutschland/Lutzow, but it's nice to know naming ones cats will never be a problem...
I had a cat that was called 'cat'. It seemed to like the name.
When they like us, they make do with a lot of names. I recently met a girl with a small grey pug dog, that had a face like a bat that had crashed into a train in full flight. The pug looked at me, wagging his stumb of a tail, and I spoke to him in a friendly way; while I bent down and stroked him, I said to him "Boy, you are ugly as hell - do you know that?" He like the tone and the stroking, ignored the rest. The girl though didn't. She pulled him away from me and gave me a grim look.
I always found it much harder to impress girls - dogs: no problem!
Vice-President of the BOC (Barmy OFFers Club) Member of the 'Albatros Aviators Club' - "We know how to die with Style!"
Olham, you weren't looking at her when you said that, by any chance?
"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."
Careful what you wish for. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, as the saying goes.
"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."
Joined: May 2012 Posts: 4,879RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,879
L'Etoile du Nord
Originally Posted By: RAF_Louvert
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Interesting tidbit about the first observer who operated from the front office of the B.E.9 : Lt. Herbert "Stumpy" Tillson, during one of his early flights in the bus and in an attempt to get the pilot's attention concerning another aeroplane coming in behind them, waved his arm and pointed rearwards. This temporary lapse in good judgement was never repeated by Tillson who thereafter had to learn how to sign his name with his left hand. Later in life he became quite successful selling items specifically designed for the cack-handed.
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On an unrelated note, I'm still surprised no one has called me out on this.
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Three RFC Brass Hats were strolling down a street in London. Two walked into a bar, the third one ducked. _________________________________________________________________________
Former Cold War Warrior, USAF Security Service 1974-1978, E-4, Morse Systems Intercept, England, Europe, and points above. "pippy-pahpah-pippy pah-pip-pah"
Joined: May 2012 Posts: 4,879RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,879
L'Etoile du Nord
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'at's a fair cop
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Three RFC Brass Hats were strolling down a street in London. Two walked into a bar, the third one ducked. _________________________________________________________________________
Former Cold War Warrior, USAF Security Service 1974-1978, E-4, Morse Systems Intercept, England, Europe, and points above. "pippy-pahpah-pippy pah-pip-pah"
It was as believable as some of those ROF pilot backgrounds! But more entertaining. In retrospect, I should have given you props earlier, Lou. Forgive me; I have some distractions at the moment.
Joined: May 2012 Posts: 4,879RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,879
L'Etoile du Nord
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No worries Jim, I can empathize about the distractions. But old Stumpy, can't you just imagine the poor sod pointing back and suddenly, "Oh, damn, hand's gone. Must have that looked at when we land. Rather foolish of me now that I reflect on it - wasn't thinking. Lucky though, school ring is on the other, would have been a shame to lose that."
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Three RFC Brass Hats were strolling down a street in London. Two walked into a bar, the third one ducked. _________________________________________________________________________
Former Cold War Warrior, USAF Security Service 1974-1978, E-4, Morse Systems Intercept, England, Europe, and points above. "pippy-pahpah-pippy pah-pip-pah"
Jim, anyone who includes a Zappa clip moves higher and higher up the Grand Wazoo ladder in my books. As Frank Z. once said, "The stupider it is, the better we like it". What, no Stumpie? I'm glad to see that crazy plane come back, it was in a thread some time ago and I couldn't find it. That looks "Stupider" in my ensimation, but inventive.
Hmm, I know I am already in the BOC, but just to further derail this thread, my buddies and I used to do the second half of this commercial, we would alternate parts...
The older I get, the more I realize I don't need to be Han, Luke or Leia. I'm just happy to be rebel scum...
Olham created this useful thread for OT stuff, so I'll resurrect it now and share with you all the latest addition to my medal collection.
It's the Austro-Hungarian field pilot's badge (Feldpiloten-Abzeichen), 2nd type from the year 1917. An officially awarded wartime piece, marked on the reverse side by the official maker of these badges, Josef Zimbler, Vienna. Made of gilded bronze and finished with beautiful enamel (sorry about the reflections on the green enamel - it's the best I can do with my camera).
When the old Habsburg Kaiser Franz Joseph I died in late 1916, it became necessary to design a new badge for the Austro-Hungarian military pilots. The new design was officially approved by the new Kaiser Karl I and his war ministry in October 1917 (a scan of the Austro-Hungarian army's official publication with the details of the badge below).
Unfortunately I don't know who was the original owner of the badge now in my collection, but it has been awarded relatively late in the war. In most cases, the original recipient has been lost to the ages, and it's rare to acquire a piece whose history is fully known.
A beautiful badge, quite rare (only a few hundred have been awarded) and in excellent condition overall. Some of the gilding has been lost, along with some small chips of enamel, and the lower attachment hook is bent, but when you consider that these badges were worn on the pilot's uniform in the field, it's in remarkably good condition for its age.
IMO, the Austro-Hungarian pilot badges are the most beautiful ever designed. I'm happy to have another one in my collection.
"Upon my word I've had as much excitement on a car as in the air, especially since the R.F.C. have had women drivers."
James McCudden, Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps
As I said in our Private Mails, this is a true beauty of a badge - much better looking than the German pilot badge! Congrats on your new find, Hasse! The red and green enamel appear almost like rubies and emeralds!
Vice-President of the BOC (Barmy OFFers Club) Member of the 'Albatros Aviators Club' - "We know how to die with Style!"