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Some of the 4th FG and a lot of A-2s

Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
B-Man2 said:
I would have guessed that they would have been some really colorful guys. Real pranksters, jokers, drinkers and partiers who were committed, had great work ethics and would shoot your ass out of the skies if you played for the other team. It would have been fantastic to have been associated with them or to have been part of that group. Tim I think we were born about 30 years too late. That would have been our true calling in life.
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They certainly worked hard and played hard too Burt. Blakeslee especially was a very big part in shaping the culture of the 4th. He was an absolute professional in the air (and became one of the greatest fighter leaders of the war) but he played hard when off duty. One of the best stories about him is not long after the transfer when General Hunter visited the 4th at Debden. Unfortunately Hunter and his entourage arrived early and Blakeslee who had been "entertaining" two WAAFs (Women's Auxiliary Air Force ladies) in his quarters, had them jump out of his window in various states of undress - right in front of Hunter. General Hunter was told that Blakeslee (then the new commander of 335 Sqn) would be demoted and transferred, whereupon Hunter remarked, "For one, maybe. But for two, he should be promoted!"
 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Thats exactly why we missed our calling . I could see that happening with any one of these guys. It would have been one hell of a ride with these guys during those war years . A crazy time, punctuated by periods of fear and uncertainty. I’d bet if they were alive today they’d say that they would never want to go through the war again, but that they wouldn’t trade any of their experiences for the world.
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
B-Man2 said:
Thats exactly why we missed our calling . I could see that happening with any one of these guys. It would have been one hell of a ride with these guys during those war years . A crazy time, punctuated by periods of fear and uncertainty. I’d bet if they were alive today they’d say that they would never want to go through the war again, but that they wouldn’t trade any of their experiences for the world.
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It's funny Burt but if I was young again I would have said yes please. I was raised on stories of the air force and family members who had done it. I was pretty wild at school and after when I was younger, much like my Dad who was in the RNZAF. I wanted to join and passed the initial interview and selection for aircrew but failed the second medical for eyesight.

My family has a small connection with war flying with one flying Brisfits in WWI and another two of my family flying in WWII, one on Spitfires in the Battle of Britain and after over Europe, North Africa and Italy and the other one flew Typhoons over Europe. The chap in WWI survived but both from WWII were killed in action, one by friendly fire protecting the invasion force on the first day of the invasion of Sicily and the other by flak whilst attacking German ground targets.

Both of them were unmarried and without children and I feel as if I am a great deal luckier Burt, I've had the joy of raising a family, something that sadly they never got to do. Saying that, I am tremendously proud of them and my kids already know who they are from their photos which hang in the hallway and that they are a special part of their family history.
 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Nicely said and very touching Tim,
We always tend to zero in on the dashing and heroic stories of the men who returned , but because of the pain and sadness of their loss we tend to suppress the stories of the loved ones who never came back. Your story really hits home because you have a family connection to them and we have a connection to you .
Cheers
Mate.
 
Edward

Edward

Well-Known Member
B-Man2 said:
Thats exactly why we missed our calling . I could see that happening with any one of these guys. It would have been one hell of a ride with these guys during those war years . A crazy time, punctuated by periods of fear and uncertainty. I’d bet if they were alive today they’d say that they would never want to go through the war again, but that they wouldn’t trade any of their experiences for the world.
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wasn't it in Cold Blue that an interviewer asked one of the veterans what he would tell himself if he could go back in time and he said something like " Don't go... stay home."
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
B-Man2 said:
Nicely said and very touching Tim,
We always tend to zero in on the dashing and heroic stories of the men who returned , but because of the pain and sadness of their loss we tend to suppress the stories of the loved ones who never came back. Your story really hits home because you have a family connection to them and we have a connection to you .
Cheers
Mate.
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Thanks Burt, the thing is that there is a side to all of this which is terribly dashing and exciting. Even a huge amount of the guys themselves admitted that they enjoyed it. A 485 Sqn pilot who was a friend of my father told me for example that he found shooting up trains tremendous fun. These were young men let loose on some of the fastest most advanced machines on the planet with enormous firepower and basically told to wreck havoc. But I think as Edward has succinctly put it with the quote above it was a different war for the bomber boys or big friends. They had the rough end of the plank and what they did was more dangerous and as a result more mentally taxing.

But let's be honest, one of the main reasons why we wear these jackets is because these guys were dashing and exciting and they are our heroes. There's nothing wrong with celebrating this at all but it's important to remember those who never made it home and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

I bet all of them would probably get a kick out of our love of the jackets they wore even if they might have thought that we take it a bit far!
 
Edward

Edward

Well-Known Member
Smithy said:
But let's be honest, one of the main reasons why we wear these jackets is because these guys were dashing and exciting and they are our heroes. There's nothing wrong with celebrating this at all but it's important to remember those who never made it home and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
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Best quote ever! Here, here!
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Dude of the Day for this Sunday, "Cowboy" Megura of 334:

media-13576.jpeg


This guy was tough as old boots.
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
He's in his P-51B there Burt,

Actually I forgot to add a bit about Cowboy. Hailing from Connecticut he flew both P-47s and P-51s with the 4th. He got kicked out of Philips University for some highjinks and when war came initially joined the RCAF like a lot of the 4th's pilots. He was a very good pilot and achieved acedom. On the 23 May 1944 he was shot up badly by a P-38 which had mistook him for a 109. He nursed his aircraft to Sweden where he landed and was interned. He was returned to Debden in June but due to diplomatic reasons was grounded from combat ops. He remained in the air force post war retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel and passed away in 1988.

His normal P-51B, 43-6636 was called "Ill Wind" and carried this wonderful artwork...

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