Loved this short documentary but I wanted to note that Cpt. Robert M Losey was a meteorologist and airman, one of the best pre-war pilots actually, and he was killed in Norway in April of 1940. He’s considered the first American casualty of the war. So therefore wouldn’t he also be the first airman to be killed?
Back in the day I spent a lot of time diving in the Solent and off the back of the wight. The viz that close in to shore is mostly going to be low, no matter the time of year/state of the tide. You could do with hooking up with someone who has a side scan sonar (can’t recall if David Wendes on Wight Spirit used to have one). Coincidentally my uncle was a flight engineer on Sunderland’s during the war operating out of Castle Archdale.
The lake on Rennell Island is meant to have 5 or 6 Catalina's sunk at the end of WWII. Mainly because it was less hassle than trying to fly them home to the USA.
There is British Movietone newsreel footage (without sound) of the bombed-out factory and the Heinkel on RU-vid - at this link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-i1IkpxYnJ2E.html
I do not believe that the crash of the Spiteful was as stated at 0 4:22, due to the larger diameter of the end connector of a push/pull rod for the ailerons jamming in a hole in the wing rib. That arrangement would have have been too obvious for any engineer during the design stage. I rather think that it was a total failure or some rivet holding the end connector to some bell crank operating the ailerons. I believe Alexander Onassis son of Aristotle Onassis, died because hie aircraft had some problems with the rolling control o of his aircraft.
In 2018, it was found that the kill may have been erroneously credited to Lieutenant "Hoagy" Carmichael; The kill is now claimed by Brian 'Schmoo' Ellis, a sub-lieutenant flying in formation with Lieutenant Carmichael that day. Ellis claims that he was the only pilot in the flight that returned with no ammunition left, while Carmichael only expended about 10% of his cannon rounds during a routine 'gun check' strafing-run on a stretch of sand. Ellis claims that the Royal Navy simply awarded the kill to the most senior man in the flight - Carmichael - despite most of the flight knowing the truth. The Royal Navy has not disputed Ellis' claim, although there is currently no way to verify the kill claim.
My grandad was on the engine development team at Bristol. Always loved listening to him in the old days about this aircraft and engine. Thanks for sharing.
Such an awesome aircraft! Epitome of operational piston fighter developement. . . . US P38 Ace Richard Bong was known to credid his wingmen for shootdowns that he probably did according to accompioning pilots. I always like listening to the Brits understated remininces though, often with subtle humor in the telling.
i remember as a child, a merlin engine being brought ashore by a fishing boat at pittenweem harbour a few years later a friend of mine who was an r.a.f. mechanic told me of the engine being taken to r.a.f. leuchars and they took the sump off and the oil was still in there ... no seawater digress whatsoever they dont make engines like that anymore !!
There is a WW2 site somewhere in SE Asia where more than 300 of these engines lie beneath the waves. All the PT boats had these engines in them too and at the end of the war they gathered them all up and set them on fire because they were made of wood.
George Baker of American Aero Services in New Smyrna Beach Florida restored a Sea Fury. Gorgeous big bird. George called his a sky fury because he replaced the original engine with one from a sky raider.
Was aware of Lt. Carmichael's kill but never knew of Lt. Ellis'! As always stated, "It's not the size of dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!". Calm execution of training! Sad to think of the situation involved. Many thanx 👍👍
Love the PACKARD MERLIN ROLLS ROYCE ENGINE DAMN SAME WASNT INSTALLED IN A P38 like they did the P51 sure would made a big difference in range and ceiling
scrappin? how dare they even think of sucha thing those engines had a turture with a crash and 70 years of mudd and water im thankfull they did not scrap them
My grandfather was navigator with 161 special duties squadron at RAF Tempsford. His Halifax DK119 crashed due to engine failure during a low level supply drop in central France in August 1943
