Incoming Humour

 

In keeping with a long tradition of high level humour (?) in Odd Bods newsletters, we are referencing these outdoor signs from the USA. The Indian Hills Community Centre in Colorado is famous for its funny puns signs which are apparently refreshed every few days. Enjoy!

 

Snaith Airfield Guardian Passes Away

Renee Ounsley, described as the driving force behind the establishment of the Pollington Airfield Memorial Gardens passed away recently. (Pollington Airfield was referred to as RAF Snaith during WW2 to avoid confusion with RAF Pocklington.)

Renee had been pivotal in the creation and maintenance of the memorial garden, in memory of the two Bomber Command Squadrons, 150 and 51, which were based at the airfield during the War.

Odd Bods who flew out of Snaith include Harvey Randell Nav B, Godfrey Flack DFC Pilot, Laurie Larmer Ch.L.H Pilot, Henry Shirley Nav, and Bert Tinning DFC Ch.L.H. Nav B. 

Renee initially raised funds within the local community and from local businesses, as well as submitting bids for a number of funding grants. However, when these efforts fell short she started to write books about the air base and veterans’ memories of the war, donating all proceeds towards the garden.

She was awarded The British Empire Medal in the 2014 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her tireless campaigning and fund raising. The garden currently has almost 200 plaques commemorating the crews who never returned, with more than 900 airmen dying while flying from overseas missions. Renée had also devoted thousands of hours to researching the stories of ex-servicemen and their families, as the garden become a focal point for veterans, their families, and the local community.

Thank you to Renee for "Pressing On Remembering."

And thank you to member, Bryan Wilcockson for passing on the story.

A WW2 Stealth Fighter Aircraft You Might Not Have Heard About

 

At Friends of the Odd Bods we are often sent photos of modern military aircraft with all their stealth like qualities but to be honest they usually go in the desk drawer while we stick to WW2 related content. On this occasion we can combine stealth and WW2 in one amazing aircraft that many of our readers will not have heard about.

The story starts back to the 1940's with Herman Goering’s request for a light bomber and fighter that was fast enough to outrun allied aircraft. One result was the Horten Ho 229, a flying wing design aircraft that was in effect the forerunner to the B-2 bomber and F-117 stealth fighter. A prototype of this aircraft actually took to the air in February 1945.

There are a number of links online if you wish to investigate this interesting aircraft further. Our particular thanks go to the folks over at Hotcars.com who published a story this week.

https://www.hotcars.com/why-the-horten-ho-229-was-so-ahead-of-its-time/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_Ho_229

And if you want a more detailed examination of the Horten including whether or not it was really a stealth fighter, this video might be of interest. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSrszi6ivyM

Incoming Mail..... Recent News

 

Some More Candidates For Our Book List:

Geoffrey Wellum’s “First Light” – “Perhaps the single best first-hand account from a British Fighter pilot I have ever come across.”

 Ben Kite. “Through Adversity: Britain and the Commonwealth’s War in The Air, 1939-1945”, being volume 1 (2019) and “Undaunted  : Britain and the Commonwealth’s War in The Air, 1939-1945”, being volume 2 (2020) published by Helion and Company, Warwick.

Tasmanians At War in the Air 1939 – 45 “This book tells the stories of Tasmanians, in their own words, who served in the RAAF & RAF during ww2. It's all here; the flak, the searchlights and night fighters over Germany, with Beaufighters in New Guinea, Spitfires over London during the Battle of Britain, Sunderlands over the Atlantic and life in POW camps when captured. This is a great read. Action and adventure on every page. At the end of each veteran's story is a brief post war biography. Additionally, there a brief potted biography of many Tasmanians who served in the RAAF, RAF”. Edited by Sue Johnson & Brian Winspear

Thanks to member, Julian Jones, for adding to our list.

Recovering A Halifax Bomber From The Bottom Of the Baltic

A fascinating account of a multi-nation project to recover a Halifax off the coast of Sweden for the Bomber Command Museum of Canada, who are restoring a Halifax bomber as an international memorial aircraft using parts from all over the world. - https://www.nantonnews.com/news/local-news/halifax-bomber-recovery-efforts-to-continue-in-2022

Thanks to member, Bryan Wilcockson, for the link.

 

Spitfire Association Interview With Chief Of Air Force

The Spitfire Association was formed by pilots of the RAAF and they celebrate their 60^th anniversary in 2021. The video linked below includes an interview with Chief of Air Force, Air Marshall Mel Hupfield AO DSC. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5EvgDG8A8M

Thanks to Jenny Hibbens for passing on this link.