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Blimpie
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Bryan Henderson
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 Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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"Blimpie" <blimpie (AT) btopenworld (DOT) com> wrote
very interesting I never knew there were so many airfields. I wonder why
they had so many so close to each other, perhaps to make it hard to take
them all out at the same time?
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Joe Curry
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 7:56 pm Post subject: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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The message <bnjrf7$12pfeu$1 (AT) ID-184144 (DOT) news.uni-berlin.de>
from "Bryan Henderson" <bhendersonNOSPAM (AT) freenet (DOT) co.uk> contains these words:
| Quote: | very interesting I never knew there were so many airfields. I wonder why
they had so many so close to each other, perhaps to make it hard to take
them all out at the same time?
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Something to do with the coastal plain..closeness to the railway etc.?
Plus the area had some strategic targets.....
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Blimpie
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:10 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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| Quote: | very interesting I never knew there were so many airfields. I wonder why
they had so many so close to each other, perhaps to make it hard to take
them all out at the same time?
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It does seem unusual to have so many in close proximity.
Blimps
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John Simpson
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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For what its worth I recall as a child being told by my grandad that he had
been transferred from Southern England to East Lothian at the end of a tour
to do flight training (possibly OTU?),
The aircraft (Manchester's,Lancaster's, Halifax's?), were flown in and
dispersed in a particular pattern, I'm guessing over a geographical area.
The fields were grass then (when was EF 'slabbed'?) so I imagine access was
a prime factor in those days? (Did they dummy load them to achieve MAUW
during training?). So, did different field length, grass, mud, inclination,
inability of German radar to see that part of the coast, all have a part to
play?. Defiantly remember " Most days had to dig the buggers out of the
mud".
I'm guessing that keeping the aircraft apart had the obvious advantages but
also caused problems when someone needed the emergency services after an
incident. They really did not have a lot of resource to cope in those days
so it was always a compromise. I assume that these were aircraft at the end
of their life and were destined for a painful death at the hands of new
pilot recruits (is it true that most of them could not even drive?).
He didn't speak much about it but some things stay in the mind....He met my
Grandmother there and I do believe she flew the aircraft in......"Bint's
flying bomber's". It'll never catch on.
The final part I do remember is him smiling at an adult telling them as long
as we landed near the pub he was happy and wanted to get back to the
"operational egg". I only think I know what that means....any theories? I
believe he could not wait to get back to operational duties. I undrstand
that the 'Pub' was still in existance until a few years ago and was is East
Linton.
Anyone?
JRS
"Blimpie" <blimpie (AT) btopenworld (DOT) com> wrote
| Quote: | very interesting I never knew there were so many airfields. I wonder why
they had so many so close to each other, perhaps to make it hard to take
them all out at the same time?
It does seem unusual to have so many in close proximity.
Blimps
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Bryan Henderson
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:53 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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"Joe Curry" <ability (AT) zetnet (DOT) co.uk> wrote
| Quote: | The message <bnjrf7$12pfeu$1 (AT) ID-184144 (DOT) news.uni-berlin.de
from "Bryan Henderson"
words:
very interesting I never knew there were so many airfields. I wonder why
they had so many so close to each other, perhaps to make it hard to take
them all out at the same time?
Something to do with the coastal plain..closeness to the railway etc.?
Plus the area had some strategic targets.....
|
yes one of the first things the Luftwaffe tried in WWII was to bomb the
Forth Bridge, amazingly they completely missed, considering how big a target
it was, today it would be lucky to last 5 minutes assuming any planes reach
it.
Also apart from Edinburgh and Rosyth any raids to the West would probably
have been flown along the Forth so the airfields in East Lothian and the
Borders were well placed.
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Blimpie
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 10:43 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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| Quote: | yes one of the first things the Luftwaffe tried in WWII was to bomb the
Forth Bridge, amazingly they completely missed, considering how big a
target
it was, today it would be lucky to last 5 minutes assuming any planes
reach
it.
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I reckon it can only be 30 - 35 ft across, not an easy target from any
height.
Blimps
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Blimpie
Guest
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| Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 10:46 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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| Quote: | The final part I do remember is him smiling at an adult telling them as
long
as we landed near the pub he was happy and wanted to get back to the
"operational egg". I only think I know what that means....any theories? I
believe he could not wait to get back to operational duties. I undrstand
that the 'Pub' was still in existance until a few years ago and was is
East
Linton.
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The Drovers? I had a meal in there a few years ago, very nice, very posh
(nowadays).
Blimps
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fox1
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 9:12 am Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 21:53:26 -0000, "Bryan Henderson" <bhendersonNOSPAM (AT) freenet (DOT) co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Also apart from Edinburgh and Rosyth any raids to the West would probably
have been flown along the Forth so the airfields in East Lothian and the
Borders were well placed.
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As the airports are today! } ))
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Emas Refugee
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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"Blimpie" <blimpie (AT) btopenworld (DOT) com> wrote
| Quote: | yes one of the first things the Luftwaffe tried in WWII was to bomb the
Forth Bridge, amazingly they completely missed, considering how big a
target
it was, today it would be lucky to last 5 minutes assuming any planes
reach
it.
I reckon it can only be 30 - 35 ft across, not an easy target from any
height.
|
Remember that the bomb carries on with the forward velocity of the
aircraft, so it falls to earth in a curved line. You're probably more
likely to strike the side of the Forth Bridge with a freefall bomb. So
it's a bigger target that its width would suggest. Bombers will also
drop a stick in a line that diagonally intersects the bridge so that
the chances of one bomb hitting the bridge are increased.
Were the shale-oil works in West Lothian still operational in WWII?
And was the oil-storage depot near Dalment built then? I would imagine
that both would be tempting targets.
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Joe Curry
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 2:22 pm Post subject: East Lothian WWII Airfields |
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The message <98f13f40.0310280404.27502717 (AT) posting (DOT) google.com>
from [email]emas_a (AT) lycos (DOT) co.uk[/email] (Emas Refugee) contains these words:
| Quote: | Were the shale-oil works in West Lothian still operational in WWII?
And was the oil-storage depot near Dalment built then? I would imagine
that both would be tempting targets.
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The Oil storage was after the war 60/70s? Shale Oil was most certainly
being processed...?
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