Just back from Ohio!

[richard m schwab]

I went to Ohio for couple of days to see the family and some old friends. Among them were two high school friends. We gamed from 1969 and up together. I took DOW and my BOB planes. I had warned them they were going to have to play a game.:mad: The first game was Me-109 and a Me-110 verses a Spitfire, i was in the Spit. They had never seen the game and learned quickly. It took two turns for my luck to run out. I had fire damage which speed my demise, plus a jammed control damage. They had great fun. :rolleyes: They enjoyed shooting me down, revenge for a game i had won game 1980.;) The second game was a four player game. I told my friend who had flown the 110 he could not fly it again. My other friend said great i will.:p So it was a 109 and 110 again verses two Hurricanes picked by my cousin. This was my cousins first war game of any kind. We did well for the first three turns, mutual damage with the 110 smoking. That was when i pulled an 8 damage chip, and a smoke.:eek: The next turn saw a another jammed control and a grand count of 16 damage. On the next turn i found myself in close range of the 109`s guns. I believe i pulled another 10 damage points as my plane fell from the sky.:o My cousin and the 110 made a close head on pass which ended the game for him. The victors were still gloating as the drove home.


Rich

[Volant Gun]

Hey Rich!
Ya know what they say about pay back! ;)
Frank.

[richard m schwab]

Frank!

Pay back!:eek: I was just lucky back then. I told the i would get even in December! :)

Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Sounds like you all had a fine old time of it Rich.
Bye the way congrats on reaching your 600th sortie without going down in a blaze of glory.
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

Last Friday we started at 1:30 in the morning and got there about 12 noon. My wife insists on stopping frequently.
I observe that several tree limbs are laying in her back yard. Three hours later and the limbs are cut up and stacked. My mother mentions she has more to do later. She lives on 13 acres and has too many trees. I worked on several projects she needed looked at. At 5:30 i have finished her list and am having a cold one. She mentions that The Air Force Museum is having a Tattoo that night. The Wright-Patterson AFB is only 12 miles but i have had all the driving i needed that day. She hands me the program that came in the mail and i look through it. We ate dinner around 6pm and after that walk over look at my mothers ducks. Did i mention this place was grandmothers former farm. We are sitting and being entertained by the ducks antics [ she does not
have satellite ].:rolleyes: When i hear the sound of big radial engines coming our way. There are trees blocking my view and as i step into the open a B-17
flies right over her front yard at around 300ft. It is not going fast, just puttering along. Being close to base i have seen everything fly over the house, that goes back 50 years. That includes the daily flights of C-17 cargo planes. I was given my own private air show. Every 10 minutes or so another plane flew over. F-15, B-52, C-17 and F-16`s. I heard but did not see an F-22 and a P-51. They were airing the show on local TV so i knew what i missed.
Made for a interesting evening!:)

Rich

[Volant Gun]

Hi Rich,

I didn't know their were Tatoo's in the USA. I've only seen them in the UK. I was lucky enough to attend the International Air Tatoo one year at RAF Fairford. If you know of any here in the US please pass the word.

BTW
I love the sound of those Pratts!

Frank.

[Oberst Hajj]

Sounds like a really good day!

[Anav]

Funny how unexpected things pop up!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Hi Rich.
Thanks for the interesting post about your trip. What a super time you had. Makes my weekend seem somewhat tame by comparison. I only killed a few Hanoverian troops. The best that the evening had to offer me was a few of those hot air candle things floating by the castle. Not a patch on the air armada that you saw. Best I ever saw was The Red Arrows stunting over the house at the local air show.Seems to be there natural turning point. Jets just don't do it for me the same as a prop engined machine does.
Rob.

[bumblie3]

Hi Rich,
I live near Shoreham Airport on the South Coast of England. They have an annual display weekend organised by the RAF Association. I think it was last year that they had a flypast by the Battle of Britain Flight. No prizes for guessing who took a camera with a flat battery.
The sounds and sights were wonderful, all the same, but not quite the range and variety you watched and heard. I'm envious.

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

You hit the nail on the head. I have no photos for the same reason! It was still in the car and dead when turned it on!:mad:
There was a award ceremonies as part of the Tattoo. One recipient was given a Distinguished Flying Cross going back to WW2. He flew 35 missions as a pilot in B-24`s.


P.S. i just found this


http://www.wpafb.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123207754 Rich

[bumblie3]

Amazing Rich. It may have been 65 years late, but how wonderful that he is still alive to receive the award. Usually when this sort of thing happens, I tend to get the feeling that it goes to the surviving relatives with an, oops, we seem to have overlooked this, casual apology, which just isn't good enough.
Thanks for the link.

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

They do get it right sometime. Robert E. Lee applied for pardon in 1865 after
the Civil War ended. He was never granted it. Ten or so years ago it was found. Someone was going through an old desk in some basement and found it in a pigeon hole long forgotten. His wish was finally granted.
There was another gentlemen given a honor. He the joined Army and was sent to Korea. Just short of his tour ending he was captured. He celebrated his 16 birthday and two more as a POW. No one had asked his age when he enlisted. He retired from the Army and Civil Service at Wright-Pat. He had a lot of friends and family in the crowd. He did fine to the point they all applauded and cheered him, he broke down and wept.

Rich

[flash]

35 missions ?! A medal well deserved.

[bumblie3]

Hi Rich,

I do remember reading about the Robert E Lee situation. What a shame the chap went to his grave probably believing that as there was no response, he was not even worth consideration.

I had no knowledge of the other case you mention, but they are probably only the tip of the iceberg.

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!
You are right. Some forgotten or misplaced.

Here is a another Lee incident. In 1861 Union forces evicted Mrs Lee from her home and confiscated the property Arlington Plantation for back taxes Lee owed.
This had been her late fathers home and not Lee`s property. it was used as a hospital and temporary graveyard. Then a very permeate. In the 1880`s Custis Lee sued the US Government over ownership. He won the case and but sold it back neither side wanted to pay the cost of relocating the graves.
today that is of course Arlington National Cemetery!

Rich

[bumblie3]

Thanks Rich,
We only seem to come across snippets of info like that by accident, over here.:)

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

Here is one of the odd things about one of this countries most infamous Army officers. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer is buried in two places. In 1877 a year after his death a party was sent to recover the bodies of the officers killed in the battle. The original burial party buried him with a horse blanket over him and crude marker. This was done quickly and in what is referred as shallow
grave. The ground was rock hard and there few shovels to work with. Every attempt was made to identify all of the officers at that time. Custer had two brother and a nephew killed at the battle also.
Members of the original burial party were sent to recover the remains. They met with mixed results and returned with what they found. They were re interned in various cemeteries including George who is buried at West Point. I saw his head stone there in 1971 by accident. The joke is they could not find his original grave, heavy rains had obscured and disrupted the graves. Some bones were recovered and sent east. One eyewitness said his were mostly horse or mule bones.
All the unidentified remains now rest under the big monument on Custer Hill.
Rich

[bumblie3]

John!

Here is one of the odd things about one of this countries most infamous Army officers. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer is buried in two places. In 1877 a year after his death a party was sent to recover the bodies of the officers killed in the battle. The original burial party buried him with a horse blanket over him and crude marker. This was done quickly and in what is referred as shallow
grave. The ground was rock hard and there few shovels to work with. Every attempt was made to identify all of the officers at that time. Custer had two brother and a nephew killed at the battle also.
Members of the original burial party were sent to recover the remains. They met with mixed results and returned with what they found. They were re interned in various cemeteries including George who is buried at West Point. I saw his head stone there in 1971 by accident. The joke is they could not find his original grave, heavy rains had obscured and disrupted the graves. Some bones were recovered and sent east. One eyewitness said his were mostly horse or mule bones.
All the unidentified remains now rest under the big monument on Custer Hill.
Rich


Rich,
Judging by some of the nuts we read about these days, maybe it is as well that Custer's actual grave site is unknown or maybe some idiots would try digging him up!
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

As John said, these bits of info are like gold dust over here where some of us enjoy wargaming your conflicts. I do A.C.W, A.W.I. and French and Indian wars. I had never heard about R. E. Lee.We only seem to get the well known ones like "They couldn't hit an elephant from there". Or the farmer who moved from the Bull Run battlefield, only to find his new house being used to sign the surrender at Appomatox. etc. So a few new ones are very welcome.
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

John!

That is true. In that case it was to get a bad situation over with. His wife was behind it anyway and the Army wanted the matter closed. So if they buried horse bones instead of a horses ass at West Point.:)


Rich

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

Mr McLean sure knew how to pick a house. Appomattox is near the geogaphical center of Virginia. Or in other words the middle of nowhere!!:D


Rich

[bumblie3]

Hi Rich and Rob,
Pardon my ignorance, but I always believed the the surrender was made at Appomatox Court House, and the signing took place there. Did the McLean house subsequently become the Court House, or am I missing something here? My US history knowledge is sketchy in some places.:o

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!


Appomattox Court House is today about ten buildings. His house is i that cluster of buildings. I have been to several Virginia Court Houses, they all go back to before the Civil War and none would fill a football field not even a Canadian foot ball field.:rolleyes: Appomattox Junction or the present Appomattox Virginia is south of the historic site.

Rich

[bumblie3]

John!


Appomattox Court House is today about ten buildings. His house is i that cluster of buildings. I have been to several Virginia Court Houses, they all go back to before the Civil War and none would fill a football field not even a Canadian foot ball field.:rolleyes: Appomattox Junction or the present Appomattox Virginia is south of the historic site.

Rich

Rich,

My misunderstanding was believing that Appomattox Court House was a single building of that name. I didn't realise that it was actually the name of a village or settlement or whatever the correct name is for a handful of buildings. Thanks for clarifying that.

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

To call some of the ones i have seen a village, requires an imagination. Most are a court house building, a Jail , a tavern/ inn and at least one store. It was where the county records were stored. The Gloucester County Courthouse
is a good example. There six building going back to the colonial period. The only one still used is the court building. The rest are used as museum and and a restroom. They are all small and made of brick. The old road ran through the middle of these. Today the road goes around it, they sit in a rugby ball shaped island. I have a friend who does Rev War Reenacting. Their unit was formed in Gloucester county in 1775. Every Memorial Day weekend they camp on the courthouse lawn. The first time they did it they slept in their tents, it proved to be a busy night as traffic kept going by all night.:)

Rich

[bumblie3]

Hi Rich,

Most of our roads have intersections with an island in the center called a roundabout (not sure if you have any in the States?). It sounds like camping out on one of these on a busy main road. I love the picture this conjured up in my mind.

I vaguely remember, years ago, when we we were building motorways and by-passes, like there was no tomorrow, some houseowner refused to sell to the council at their offered price and ultimately wound up with a solitary house in the middle of a sizeable roundabout. I either saw a photograph, or an artists impression of it.

I had a mental picture of passers-by throwing food parcels from cars and the tops of buses, if the occupants couldn't get off the island into the traffic stream - as in Passport To Pimlico. (If I've lost you there, sorry Rich. It was a British Comedy Movie)
If you would like to watch it try this link:-
http://www.archive.org/details/PassportToPimlicoEnglish1949

Obscure bit of useless knowledge for you. In WWII Canada declared one maternity room in a hospital part of the Netherlands, so that the exiled Princess Juliana could have her baby on Dutch soil, in order to meet the requirements that the heir must be born in the Netherlands. This incident formed the basic premise on which the film was set. Just after WWII in a part of London, Pimlico (a real area), the occupants supposedly found a treasure hoard proving them to be part of Burgundy, and so became self ruling, no food coupons or rationing, particularly tobacco and alcohol, with the consequent problems with the British government, who eventually put an embargo on food and supplies, and when stocks ran out Londoners and visitors took to throwing food parcels over the dividing fence to keep the 'Burgundians' going - a sort of mini Berlin Airlift.
Daft, but quite a spirit lifter at the time, and still a good giggle to blokes as old as me who can remember rationing and the austerity years.

John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

There is still a house like that in the middle of a bust road junction near York racecourse. The last reenactment we did at Huntingdon had our camp virtually underneath the flyover for the ring road. It is surprising how soon you find you can ignore heavy goods vehicles thundering by all night. We slept like a log, albeit one steeped in alchohol.
Rob.

[bumblie3]

Thanks Rob, I'm pretty sure that must be the house I remembered. I recall being in two minds over his decision. I was with him for not just caving in and accepting an arbitrary value on his property, but didn't see him much of a winner, living in the middle of a roundabout - unless he could get his deeds extended and do a Pimlico and charge tolls for everyone using the encircling road!:D

John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

I know well about roundabouts we have them in some places. Locally They are all gone. Gettysburg Pennsylvania has one downtown, yes that Gettysburg.

I Gloucester`s case the north bound lane is on one side the south bund the other.

I think i have not seen that one. Through PBS, who years ago showed lots
of movies from the U.k. One that stands out, but the name escapes me starred a young Richard Burton. An area of the coast is being inspected by some branch of HMG. The area is big on fishing and bigger smuggling. In the end they are protected by some grant going back Henry II or something.

That reminds me of a house in Ohio. The owner refused to sell when offered. The house sat on a street by itself, surrounded by a twenty foot tall
chain link fence on three sides. All around that is cleared land and mowed grass, about six football fields worth.

Rob!

Home sweet home!

Rich

[bumblie3]

That would be 'Green Grow The Rushes', Rich, I believe Burton's second film.
John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

You are right i looked it up. Movie reminded me of our officers mess, everybody trying to drink it dry!:eek:



Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

John!

You are right i looked it up. Movie reminded me of our officers mess, everybody trying to drink it dry!:eek:



Rich

Have you seen "Whiskey Galore" Rich? Well worth a viewing.:)
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

Not that i can recall. I am watching Pimlico right now!:)


Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rob!

Not that i can recall. I am watching Pimlico right now!:)


Rich

Hi Rich. It was released in the States under the name. "Tight Little Island".
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

I looked it up and i cannot remember seeing it. I will try to find!



Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rich.
Amazon have got it for $49. Seems a bit steep to me.
Rob.:(

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

Reflecting Scottish ancestry i was going to see if it was on U TUBE!
:D At the moment i am listening to Sunday Baroque, that has priority!:)


Rich

[bumblie3]

Rich,
Try this link for Whiskey Galore.
http://www.tv-links.eu/movies/Whisky-Galore-_6941/
Select the Watch Movies site.
If you get an advert with a central play button, press the button. When the button is redisplayed green, press it again, and you can watch the film for free.
Cheers, John.

[bumblie3]

Rob,
If anyone has a multiregion player, you can pick up the region 2 UK version for around a fiver from several places.
John.

[richard m schwab]

John!

Thank you i will try that.:) Now for my poison. This not ever bodies cup of tea. I just go for Baroque!;)

http://www.sundaybaroque.org/listen/listen.html

http://jrabold.net/radio/7wosu.shtml

Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rob!

At the moment i am listening to Sunday Baroque, that has priority!:)


Rich

Rich,
I am not aware of Sunday Baroque. What film does she star in?;)
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

Rob!

You are thinking of Sunny Baroque!:) She had a program on the BBC at one time, that was long before The GOON Show. You remember, If IT Baroque Don`t Fix It!:D

Rich

[bumblie3]

Rob,
I believe you are confusing her with Sandy Borax, who used to star in beach party movies, and played the flux in adverts for solder.
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rob,
I believe you are confusing her with Sandy Borax, who used to star in beach party movies, and played the flux in adverts for solder.
John.

Guess we will just have to solder on then.:eek: or have you sold me a dummy?
Rob.

[bumblie3]

Rich,
I listened to some of the streamed music. I didn't realise you meant Johann Sebastian Baroque. Fancy calling him Sunday, no wonder Kitey was confused!
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rob!

You are thinking of Sunny Baroque!:) She had a program on the BBC at one time, that was long before The GOON Show. You remember, If IT Baroque Don`t Fix It!:D

Rich

No Rich, I remember Eccles. Do you mean Stony Baroque? That brings baroque a few memories of nights in the bar.:D
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

I am thinking of a peroxide blond with all the silicone enchantments known to man or woman! With a singing voice like a cat fight?:D


Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I am thinking of a peroxide blond with all the silicone enchantments known to man or woman! With a singing voice like a cat fight?:D


Rich

Oh no, we are back to Joanna the barmaid again. Please do not badger her with any of your Brock puns Rick.
Rob.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Rich,
I listened to some of the streamed music. I didn't realise you meant Johann Sebastian Baroque. Fancy calling him Sunday, no wonder Kitey was confused!
John.

Confused,confused. I couldn't tell the difference between Helen Baroqueavich, and Baroque Back Mountain. However I was very drunk at the time.:o
Rob.

[bumblie3]

Baroque Back Mountain, is he related to Baroque O'Bama, the new Irish president?
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Baroque Back Mountain, is he related to Baroque O'Bama, the new Irish president?
John.

No. It's Broccoli Spears the singer.
Rob.

[bumblie3]

I hear she's tipped for fame.
John.

[richard m schwab]

I thought she was a dog breed!:)



Rich:eek:

[bumblie3]

Maybe I'm confusing her with Q's new weapon for James Bond....
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Maybe I'm confusing her with Q's new weapon for James Bond....
John.

Isn't that the work of Cubby Broccoli? :confused:
Rob.

[NeilCFord]

Take a couple of hours off and this thread goes to hell in a hand basket!

Well done gentleman ;)

- Neil.

[bumblie3]

Maybe Cubby Spears then?
John.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Take a couple of hours off and this thread goes to hell in a hand basket!

Well done gentleman ;)

- Neil.

No problem Neil. Just wanted to prove that we could muck things up without you.:p
Rob.

P.s. Don't you chuck them spears at me.

[NeilCFord]

And a very superb job you have done indeed! :)

Now, back to the bar...

- Neil.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

And a very superb job you have done indeed! :)

Now, back to the bar...

- Neil.

I thought no one would ever suggest it.:)
Rob.

[richard m schwab]

I am on my way, save me a chair?:)



Rich

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I am on my way, save me a chair?:)



Rich

Sorry Rich.
No chairs. All got broken in last nights bash. I sent out the steward to get some more but he hasn't come back yet. :rolleyes:
Rob.