Bongo birthday

[marionw]

Well said tribute to Bongo anniversary in your newsletter Ian.
I’ll be raising a glass with you later

[Bob]

First glass raised.

A little while ago.

[g8dhe]

I'll raise you a bottle then;

[Diplomat]

Spitfire flypast?

We had the Red Arrows in London!

Frank

[g8dhe]

Indeed they flew over my Bongo this very afternoon! Click this link for set http://www.sphericalvisions.com/picture ... 5/20200508

[Doone]

I do love the sound of a Spitfire engine! Someone should pop one in a Bongo, it would be a great 25th birthday present!

[Diplomat]

I do love the sound of a Spitfire engine! Someone should pop one in a Bongo, it would be a great 25th birthday present!

I have been lucky enough to hear that sound very frequently as they were flying a two seater out of Biggin Hill several times a day for the last couple of years, usually out over QE2 Bridge until the winter days got short. They resumed this year for a few times
before the lock down.

The sight and sound of any Spitfire means a great deal to me as my father flew them in the early days of the Battle of Britain. On August 16th 1940 his aircraft (X4016) was destroyed by enemy fire near Bembridge IOW while the squadron were defending Portsmouth. After parachuting into the sea he was picked up following several hours in the water with a punctured Mae West. Lucky to survive otherwise somebody other than me would be owning the Bongo with the Diplomat sticker on the back!

On the 9th of May 1945 my grandparents in Jersey were liberated from German occupation, the day after VE Day. Really disappointing that I couldn't be there for the 75th anniversary.

I drove the Bongo on both days. It's my Merlin engine!

Frank

[Bob]

Really interesting to hear such humbling family history.

Respect to everyone involved in the conflict, we all owe our freedom to them.

[Allans]

Very interested to read that Frank! My father-in-law was in the Fleet Air Arm in WW2. He worked on the Supermarine Seafire. That was a naval version of the Supermarine Spitfire adapted for use on aircraft carriers. We wouldn't be here without what they all did.

[mikeonb4c]

I do love the sound of a Spitfire engine! Someone should pop one in a Bongo, it would be a great 25th birthday present!

I have been lucky enough to hear that sound very frequently as they were flying a two seater out of Biggin Hill several times a day for the last couple of years, usually out over QE2 Bridge until the winter days got short. They resumed this year for a few times
before the lock down.

The sight and sound of any Spitfire means a great deal to me as my father flew them in the early days of the Battle of Britain. On August 16th 1940 his aircraft (X4016) was destroyed by enemy fire near Bembridge IOW while the squadron were defending Portsmouth. After parachuting into the sea he was picked up following several hours in the water with a punctured Mae West. Lucky to survive otherwise somebody other than me would be owning the Bongo with the Diplomat sticker on the back!

On the 9th of May 1945 my grandparents in Jersey were liberated from German occupation, the day after VE Day. Really disappointing that I couldn't be there for the 75th anniversary.

I drove the Bongo on both days. It's my Merlin engine!

Frank

Great to read that Frank. I’ve just finished reading Geoffrey Wellum’s ’First Light’ a wonderfully honest autobiographical account by someone caught up in the Battle of Britain flying a Spitfire at age 19. Ye gods! My dad was a Lanc pilot and I was told many stories by his crew.

[Doone]

My dad was a Lanc pilot and I was told many stories by his crew.

Mike, my uncle was a tail gunner in a Lanc. He never really settled afterwards and ended up in NZ. We're lucky to only be asked to sit at home and wait out a virus.

[mikeonb4c]

My dad was a Lanc pilot and I was told many stories by his crew.

Mike, my uncle was a tail gunner in a Lanc. He never really settled afterwards and ended up in NZ. We're lucky to only be asked to sit at home and wait out a virus.

So true. I think my dad joined for the adventure but i suspect he demobbed feeling a bit different. He never flew again and never talked about it much.

[marionw]

So great hearing the experiences of your families in the War.
Very moving.
I never understand how what we are experiencing can be compared to what was suffered during the war.
Our parents and grandparents went through six years of not knowing what would happen next.
My Mum lived a couple of streets from Covent Garden.She lived through the blitz.
Slightly different from sitting in our houses???