lancaster bomber

Had great reason to be up real early this morning to go look at P.J.s Lancaster down at hood airfield as suposed to take of for filming but it still land based with biggest ground crew ever:rolleyes: also heavy mist but should take off to night:cool:

Do you know why this is being filmed and whether it will be on TV?

I'm facinated as one of my Uncle's was a Pathfinder for the RAF in the war flying a Lancaster Bomber. His plane was shot down on his last mission. There were 9 crew and he was the last to leave the plane. The other eight (two had been wounded including the rear gunner I believe) were captured.

My uncle walked for 20 days and nights to get to Holland. He went to a Catholic Church and told them who who was and that he had been altar boy for a Dutch priest (who the priest knew) here in a small town in NZ. The priest contacted the local doctor and from there it took 4 months using the underground organisations to get him to Gibralter. He lived but never got over his nightmare ordeal.

He has since died. As the sun shines outside, it almost brings me to tears to think of what these men endured during their lifetime.

At least he got out Greatuncle Raymond was a lancaster navigator/ side gunner. Never made it back from a mission over germany, shot down and buried in the village cemetary beside the villagers killed during the war. When the war graves commission went round and dug him up to move to a commonwealth military cemetary after the war, the family was pretty peeved. the villagers saw fit to bury him with their own war dead, so why not leave him there amidst the people who honoured his service and sacrifice, even through he fighting on the opposite side, instead of carting him off to a sterile official cemetary surrounded by strangers.

DiDi as far as I can find out and bit of guess work it might be for film of the Dam Busters film he has been wanting to do for a long time as a trailer type thing

My uncle was a pilot officer then navigator after being shot down and injured and did two tours flying Wellingtons and Lancs. I think they did a very scary job

went down to night but not much to see maybe to morrow morning I hope as we heard heavy engine noise after dark

My Dad (long gone now) flew them during the war. While in the ATC I had the good fortune once to be aboard the one at MOTAT when the engines were run up. Amazing experience.

I believe (and stand to be corrected) that there is only one airworthy original left, kept by the RAF for special events.

There is a picture and story about it here ... part of Peter Jackson's Dambusters movie.

Thanks Pumpkingirl thats great more there than I knew and its supposed to be all hush hush:) even some there dont know this much LOL

Powerguy as far as I know thats right its "The Queen's own flight" that must have been great thing as I've been in the one at MOTAT(not going at all) and it flew past our school when it first came here from the French

Just heard it should be on news to night and they just had the enjines turning over and I didn't get to see it@#$@#$%^&