WWII service

[Drone_pilot]

My Grandfather on my mothers, side served during the second world war an an engineer, (don't know what line or ship/s), but during one battle his ship was torpedoed, the order to abandon ship was given and my grandfather went to his Lifeboat station, and was shocked to find, nothing left of the boats on that side.

He then leaped in the sea and started to swim away, he was then horrified to find that the engines were still turning. so he decided to return to the ship and stop the engines, which he did, he again leaped in to the sea and swam away as the ship sank.

when he returned to Blighty he was awarded the Albert Medal for saving life at sea, because if he had not stopped the ships engine it would have take many men down with it.


his name James Mason.

Ps. no not that one. ;)

[Frisco-Kid]

A brave man, DP. Your family should be proud of him. I hope his medal was handed down through the family, and not long lost and forgotten.

[Drone_pilot]

thats the trouble, due to a family row in the 60's no one knows where it where it disappeared to :(

[Frisco-Kid]

That's a shame, my friend. I hope it turns up one day. It's truly a family heirloom.

Where does the Albert Medal fall in the ranks of citations for valor? I know the Victoria Cross is the highest award, equal to our Congressional Medal Of Honor.

[Matzos]

In this time in which we live in now, people are quick to forget what our relations went through during all wars, I am not just talking just about the allies but all sides in war.
The children of today would prefer to play computer games then study history to find out what part their relations play during these dark periods.
I have a love for aircraft, not these jets scream over head, but for the sound of a Rolls Royce engine flying a 100 feet off the deck.
It was a number of months ago that I received my wife's grandfathers flying log. He was 20 years old when he was shot down by a german night-figther over Holland. Undertaking months of research, I now known he only flow 9 missions, I have a list of all the operations the crew took undertook and I even known the name of the German pilot who shot their bomber down (he was only doing his job). One quote from the log states 'opened bomb bay doors by hand at 17,500 feet and then close them by hand under fire'
I am putting all this information together and I am going to pass it on to my children so they do not forget the people who gave their lives for us so we can live in the way in which we do now.

[Bombardier]

Very well said buddy :mrgreen:

[rotorwash]

As a History teacher I knw only too well what you are saying Matzos. As a boy in the early 60's I had the opportunity to ride in a P-51 and a B-25, memories I will never forget.

RW

[Matzos]

Hi RW

What memories you must have of that period, I have seen the B17 fly and get some good shots of the inside of one, but to say that you have been up in one and a P-51. Some people have all the Luck

After all my time in the RAF the only aircraft I have been flown in are the C-130 (standing on the tail gate at 200 feet taking photos, C-17, VC-10 and an Islander of the Army Air Corp (AAC).

I have a friend also a photographer who has more backseat hours in Tornados than some aircrew, again some people have all the luck. I can only hope before I leave the military I may get a backseat flight.

Matzos