BBC Battle of Britain coverage

[Ruggerbugger]

Is it just me that has been a bit concerned about the BBC's Battle of Britain "season"? Firstly, it seems that apparently only London suffered any bombing at all, must be news to Coventry, Manchester, Liverpool etc! Secondly, did anyone else think that repeated mentions of BBC programmes, and a reading from Ewan McGregor (documentary on tonight), during the service today was a bit crass? Even the report below describes a 3-4 month battle for national survival as "the 1940 clash", incredible!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11360228

Sorry if this sounds like a bit of a rant, but there you go.

To avoid laying it all on the BBC, I was surprised at the absence of the Lancaster from the BBMF flypast. No memorial for Bomber Command?

[blueball]

To avoid laying it all on the BBC, I was surprised at the absence of the Lancaster from the BBMF flypast. No memorial for Bomber Command?

It was Fighter Command that was mainly involved in the Battle of Britain hence no recognition of Bomber Command for that episode in History. I know it's called BBMF but there you go!

[redddraggon]

To avoid laying it all on the BBC, I was surprised at the absence of the Lancaster from the BBMF flypast. No memorial for Bomber Command?

The Lancaster didn't even make it's first flight until 1941. The BBMF is a bit of a misnomer, it should be named the RAF Memorial Flight, or the WW2MF, etc.

[Powderhound]

The Lancaster didn't even make it's first flight until 1941. The BBMF is a bit of a misnomer, it should be named the RAF Memorial Flight, or the WW2MF, etc.

Or at least have a Wellington in it. Max Hastings made the point in a documentary the other day that arguably the Wellington played a pivotal role by being the bomber which bombed Berlin in 1940, sufficiently enraging Hitler to order that the bombers' attention be diverted to London rather than the fighter airfields.

[Ruggerbugger]

Good point, are there any airworthy Wellingtons about these days?

[Gerrard]

I watched a documentary yesterday about how a Wellington was built in 24 hours. They said at the end there were only two left complete, niether of which were airworthy (one of them dragged from a Loch!).

[[GSV]Trig]

Caught a bit of this lastnite, is it wrong that the sound of a Merlin gets me all emotional?

[Powderhound]

Caught a bit of this lastnite, is it wrong that the sound of a Merlin gets me all emotional?

Nope, since the Merlin is without doubt the best sounding engine of all time.


And I'd had it in my head that they were planning to restore the Welly at Brooklands to airworthy condition (they were doing a lot of work on it when I visited) but it seems that they aren't.

Also, I don't know whether anyone saw, but the RAF museum is planning to recover and restore a German Do17 that ditched on the Goodwin Sands during the BoB.

[peterb]

Caught a bit of this lastnite, is it wrong that the sound of a Merlin gets me all emotional?

No - I was at a BoB flypast by a Spitfire the other week - and got exactly the same tingly feeling. Fantastic aircraft to watch.

As for the OP - it is Battle of Britain season, and the BoB lasted just over 30 days from August12th until September 17th (although those dates were only recognised with hindsight.

It was a pivotal battle, although there wetre others later that were just as important, the Battle foor the Atlantic, for example, and the loss of any one of those could have meant the loss of the war.

So think that the omission of the bombing raids on other cities at the time of the BoB is probably appropriate. It was the bombing of Berlin and the retilatory attack on London that allowed Fighter Command to regroup. There were other activities that contributed, as no battle really takes place in isolation in a war the magnitude of WW2 and a line has to be drawn somewhere.

Given the nature of the documentary, I thought it was quite well done, being accurate histrically without excessive detail, and adding the human interest factor from both the veterans of the era, and a modern fighter pilot, which given the link with Ewan McGreggor, I thought worked quite well.

[Gerrard]

There's a picture somewhere in 28/78 Sqn (Merlin helicopters) of the Lanc and two Spitfires with the caption "The only time you see 6 Merlins in the air!"

[Zak33]

I personally have found the last 2 weeks of TV really good

I know TV docu's get stuff wrong... they're bound too... it's TV

But I've had some great evenings watching stuff recorded from Set top box. The Wellington Bomber build in 24 hours was amazing, and the people in it were just as amazing.

Wellhams's "First Light" was the FIRST book/docu/acted story I've seen on TV that didn't make me wantt o throw the tellyout of the window. It was really well portrayed.

Ewan McGregor and his jet fighter brother was good. OK.. his bro's never gonna be a man for the stiring monologue.. tbh he shouldnt have been allowed to open his god off camera.. but watching his emotions and flying skills on first the Tiger Moth (dont think he liked that), the Texan (he liked that a lot) and then the Grace Spitfire which he fell in love with, and then she nearly spanked him in THE most hideous way on the landing.. (that bloke nearly panned THE most important Spitty in the world on national TV.. and I think he nearly sobbed with relief at being alive) was great TV.

I think I've seen more good Telly in Aug /Sept than I've ever seen on the subject m,atter that rukes many hearts here.... WW2 planes

[[GSV]Trig]

Yeah I noticed his landing was a bit twitchy

[peterb]

I personally have found the last 2 weeks of TV really good

<--snip--->

I think I've seen more good Telly in Aug /Sept than I've ever seen on the subject m,atter that rukes many hearts here.... WW2 planes

Yup, there are some really good programmes on at the moment - (depending on what you like of course!)

This week's series on finding tigers in Bhutan is excellent - got everything, expeditions, science, technology, wildlife, white water rafting (last night)

And this morning on R$, Melvyn Bragg is examining the history of complex number theory (good for all those doing engineering or other science courses that involve an element of advanced mathematics)

[Tumble]

Yeah I noticed his landing was a bit twitchy

I though that too, then I thought.. probably better than I could do, and then I thought.. lucky lucky SOB....

Anyone else get the impression that when he "gave" the last formation flight to Ewan, it was because he wasn't allowed to go up in it again?

[Zak33]

I though that too, then I thought.. probably better than I could do, and then I thought.. lucky lucky SOB....

Anyone else get the impression that when he "gave" the last formation flight to Ewan, it was because he wasn't allowed to go up in it again?

my settop box failed to record the last bit.......