Dear Frank,
I had just finished reading your novel which I had enjoyed immensely when I looked at the acknowledgments. To my pleasant surprise you mentioned the book “Basic Aerobatics” which I wrote some 25 years ago with Ron Campbell. I am so pleased that you found it of use in your research especially as it was written with the Cessna Aerobat aircraft in mind as opposed to the types which are mentioned in your book. Having read all three of your published novels I look forward with keen interest to the next.
On Monday I celebrated my 72nd birthday so I think we must be of similar age. I share your passion for Citroens having owned a succession since the late 1960’s starting with an Ami 6 Break, though the 2cv was never one of them. This due to the vociferous opposition by my son, then age 6, to being dropped off at his primary school in such a vehicle. We settled for a Dyane instead.
My son and I own a Steen Skybolt aerobatic biplane which we keep at Leicester. If you are ever this way and would like to have a trip do please let me know.
Kind regards,
Barry Tempest FRAeS
[click image to view full size]
A nightmare vision that haunts old World War 2 aces of both sides?
Bizarre image supplied by Barry Tempest. It appears to be real, not a DGI blue-screen fantasy…
Dear Frank ,
I have just finished reading your really excellent book about RAF activities during the fall of France, which in most respects seems to have been thoroughly well researched. However whilst this may already have been pointed out, on page 83, & page 239, you refer to the Germans using an MP44 sub machine gun. This would not have been possible in 1940 since
MP 38
A) the gun in question was an assault rifle, and
B) it was not produced until 1944. the machine pistol in use at that time was an MP38/40, and in the event that the book is reprinted it would be good to correct this error. this may be considered a pedantic point , but in all other respects the book is a truly masterly work.
Yours sincerely,
David Thurgood.
In 1959 on this date, 3 February, I reported to RAF Cardington to start National Service. For some reason, while I have a very faulty memory about many things that have happened to me over the past 72 years, I possess almost photographic recall about what occurred that day, and right through square-bashing at Bridgnorth.
Eventually I was posted back to Cardington as ‘Mr 1085′, where I was responsible for processing recruits who had been turned down on medical grounds, an excellent job with my own office and plenty of time to polish my snooker skills in the NAAFI between intakes. I wonder, did anyone out there arrive at my desk, no doubt jumping up and down with glee despite the revelation that they suffered from flat feet?
