Gathering of WW2 Legends/veterans- East Kirkby -May 2 Lincs

[Tricky]

On Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd, East Kirkby Heritage Centre, home to 'Just Jane' Lancaster and its resident two seater Spitfire will be holding a special veterans day to celebrate VE Day.

Special Guests confirmed to attend include,

Richard Todd- Real life Pegasus Bridge hero and film star (loved by most of us aviation buffs for his role portraying Guy Gibson in the epic 'Dambusters' movie)



Wing Commander John Freeborn- Dunkirk and Battle of Britain Spitfire Ace (13.5 kills, 12 probables, 10 damaged) with 74 Squadron.

Squadron Leader 'Stapme' Stapleton- 7 kills on Spitfires with 603 Squadron in 1940

SOE/French Resistance heroine codename 'Beatrice'- helped run an allied escape line in the north of France (an amazing lady) and she played an active part in 'Operation Jericho' when Mosquitos bombed Amiens Prison.

Wallace McIntosh- Bomber Commands top scoring gunner (8 kills, 1 probable against night fighters)

Various Bomber Command and 617 Squadron Tirpitz Raid veterans.

Altogether approx.20+ veterans attending

Spitfire Flying Display
Just Jane Taxi Run

For more info. please visit
www.robin-smith-aviation-art.co.uk

[the lancaster kicks ass]

wow that should be amazing.......

[hellmaker]

Amazing indeed

[evangilder]

Somebody get down there and get some pics of those guys! To have that many WWII vets in one place these days is great, and it should be captured and preserved on film, or video.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i'm sure it will be, i just can't wait to hear if the canadian lanc can come over here and join the BBMF in a flypast over london, that would be truely amazing...............

[mosquitoman]

Imagine if they got Just Jane in the air aswell, a trio of Lancs flying over London would be amazing

[Nonskimmer]

Someone had better get some pictures and post them, or else...

...I might cry.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

there are currently no plans to restore "Just Jane" to airworthy status........

[mosquitoman]

Oh well, hope springs eternal

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and there's no way in hell it was gonna happen before the celebration of VE day..........

[Tricky]

Personally I can't wait to get a shot of Richard Todd with Just Jane and the other 617 boys.

Theres a member of the Few going, Jack Toombs,a Blenheim gunner who later survived 50 ops with Bomber Command including the elite pathfinders. Heres an interesting story. Theres some serious research going on at the minute regarding an incident in August 1940 when he destroyed two Bf109s over the Channel with a flare gun.
He had just been attacking Brest harbour on a low level attack with his Belgium pilot, he used all his ammo up shooting at sailors. On the way back they were attacked by two Bf109s. All he had to hand was a flare gun which he fired at them in an attempt to put them off or to make it look like they were signalling for help. The flare explodes in front of the lead attacker instinctively he pulls up and hits his companion and both go into the drink. Theres various lineshooters on the squadron so rather than risk ridicule he doesnt say anything. Researchers have narrowed this event down to a handful of possible days using the pilots log book
so confirmation looks likely shortly of this story and a hero may receive his long overdue praise.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking Spitfire Ace 'Stapme' Stapleton along to a previous Spitfire display there given by the former Battle of Britain Memorial Flight O/C Paul Day. 'Stapme' is pretty well known after his book and appearance in the TV series 'Spitfire Ace' and he never had a moments peace such was the interest in him.
At East Kirkby is an actual cockpit from a Heinkel 111 and Stapme cheekily climbed over the safety rope and had a good look at the aircraft visualising the gunners position and pilot seating as he'd never seen one that close before. He also couldn't take his eyes off the Spitfire there, 85 years old and he still loves it all.

For American readers, John Freeborns wartime exploits are covered in an
article is in the current issue of World War 2 Magazine.

www.TheHistoryNet.com for those UK readers interested.

[Gnomey]

Looks amazing, shame I won't be able to make it. If someone goes, it would be great to see some pictures of the whole event (and of VE day celebrations as well as I will miss those too )

[Crazy]

Not only was I born in the wrong decade, apparently i was born on the wrong side of the Atlanic as well!

Someone needs to go to this, and get lots of pics!

[the lancaster kicks ass]

sorry i won't be able too...........

[cheddar cheese]

And I, er, Dont particularly want to