What have you learned about WW2 recently?

Discussion in 'General' started by dbf, Oct 22, 2010.

  1. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  2. Uncle George

    Uncle George Active Member

    "[Harold Macmillan] was interesting about de Gaulle. Says the reason Winston and F.D.R. don't like him is that he is very nearly the same calibre as themselves and they resent it."

    Joyce Grenfell's 'Wartime Journals', 5 February 1944.
     
  3. Ken P

    Ken P Active Member

    Just found this topic as a new member - but something that has really surprised me (from my own family at least) is that of all seven members of my immediate family who went to war, ALL of them were regulars in either the Army (four) or Navy (three). As this cannot be a unique position to be in it gets me to thinking on how much knowledge and experience the services lost during the war....
     
  4. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    " During the autumn of 1940, because of the risk from bombing, Lucas's Spitfire sub-assembly work moved to part of Cadbury's factory at Bournville. By the end of the war 12,500 wing sub-assemblies for Spitfires had been made by Lucas. Each sub-assembly had 500 components. Dramatically improved production techniques enabled Lucas to cut the price from £4,433 to £220 by April 1943."
    see page 53, "Aviation in Birmingham" by Geoffrey Negus & Tommy Stockton, pub. Midland Counties Publications, 1984
     
  5. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Dick Sharpe, an RCAF pilot flying B-24's in South East Asia, flew 23 sorties before the war ended. Interestingly, he mentioned the use of flares by the Pathfinders to mark the areas which were NOT to be bombed. That was specific to religious shrines in Bangkok.
    He finished with over 300 combat flying hours as each mission was at least 13 hours long. When you consider the 6-9 hour duration of a Bomber Command sortie, he probably flew 60 additional hours over his 23 sorties than he would have in a full 30 sortie tour in Europe.

    Couldn’t Wait To Fly - Video Gallery - Veterans Affairs Canada
     
  6. Heydon

    Heydon Member

    A couple of thoughts on the youth that went to war. It's amazing the amount of responsibility which fell on these young men, young leaders suddenly faced with the responsibility for other soldiers' lives. They grew up quickly.

    Also, I read of a young Wehrmacht soldier who survived the war and reflected back on being called to war service by the Nazi machine. He said, "They stole our youth."

    Heydon
     
  7. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    The above mentioned Dick Sharpe was in command of 9-11 crew members, flying lengthy nighttime missions, at age 19. Good training for the leadership roles he would play later in life.
     
  8. Heydon

    Heydon Member

    It's remarkable to have that level of responsibility at age 19. Not to mention doing it so well.
     
  9. A-58

    A-58 Not so senior Member

    I just learned earlier that the uniform article commonly referred to as the "Ike Jacket" was intended to be worn in the field as the British Battle Blouse (or whatever it y'all called it) was worn. Instead, it was only worn in garrison and by troops going to town on pass or on extended leave. Also, it was only issued to US troops in the ETO, and again was only intended to be worn in-theater. Returning troops wore it home after the war as they were de-activated. Makes sense, that's all they had to wear other than field uniforms.
     
  10. TriciaF

    TriciaF Junior Member

    I saw an example of the family feuds in France since the Occupation.
    On Friday there was a funeral in the village, a man of 92. There was a big crowd from 'outside', but most of the main families in the village were conspicuous by their absence. The dead person's family had been collaberateurs with the hated occupiers, and Vichy.
     
  11. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Researching a local man killed in July 1944 by mortar bomb next to a Cromwell tank.
    Not much of a tan buff, but decided to investigate the Cromwell and then stumbled onto its performance - 50 mph!
    That led to finding out more on the Meteor, only to discover they were in the main de-rated salvaged Merlins from crash landings!
    No wonder with 600hp they were able to go so fast. All they needed was a bit more room, a heavier gun and better sloped armour!
     
  12. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    .....they did...and called it Centurion.
     
  13. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Nice one!
    However, it didn't arrive until AFTER WW2 had ended, thus pedantically outside the scope of the thread heading!
    Better try Comet?
     
  14. Uncle George

    Uncle George Active Member

    Ribbentrop was arrested in 1945 by one Jaques Goffinet, a member of the 5th Special Air Service (a unit of the British Army). The 5th SAS was manned entirely by Belgian Volunteers. At the end of the War it transferred as a body into the reformed Belgian army and became 1er Bataillon Parachutiste, 1este Bataljon Parachutisten.
     
  15. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    John Garand, the designer of the M1 rifle that bears his name, was a Canadian. He was one of twelve children (six boys and six girls) born on a farm near Saint-Remi, Quebec in 1888. He retired in 1953 and died at the age 86, in 1974.
    Garand never received any royalties from his M1 rifle design despite over six and a half million M1 rifles being manufactured.
     
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  16. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Tim,
    A great find.
     
    canuck likes this.
  17. snailer

    snailer Country Member

    That’s because he never asked for any, or more explicitly he waived his rights to any.

    Patent Images

    The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.
     
  18. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Comet: yes, if we are talking about seeing action in WW2 (my dad was actually a Driver of a Comet with 3RTR)

    Centurion: was a WW2 design but missed action by just a few weeks.
     
  19. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    A terrible blunder or a noble act of patriotism?
     
  20. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    "One might call it Canada’s secret weapon. Some aircrew, usually the Tail Gunner, would toss out milk bottles over enemy territory. As the bottles fell they would create a whistling sound like a descending bomb. This was to put the wind up the Anti Aircraft Gunners. It is much doubted that they had any effect however, some bottles filled with pee, helped relieve the situation in the turret."

    pee bottles.jpg
     
    rememberthem likes this.

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