The Barracuda Project

[Richie]

hhahha.... well don't ever go on one of those ww1 battlefield tours ! i went to see where my great grandfather had served (only to later find his regiment had gone to Gallipoli but thats another story)

anyways we had been to the sunken lane and surrounding area, we all jumped back onto the bus.... the chap and his son sat in front of me were yapping on about what they had found i leant forward to see the kid had picked up a human Jaw bone and popped it into his pocket....along with a few rounds of .303.....but more concerning was the Mills bomb ! i dont think a bus has ever cleared so quickly !!! the pin holding the spoon in place had rotted away and it was only held in place with some clay ! the guide went crackers !

kid and his dad could not see what was wrong with picking up dead people and hand grenades.......it takes all sorts.

[Andrew453]

kid and his dad could not see what was wrong with picking up dead people and hand grenades.......it takes all sorts.

Makes you wonder what particularly foetid corner of the gene pool they crawled out of.
Visited the B-24 Liberator wreck above Shieldaig a few years back. A sad one as the fifteen on board had survived the war and had only offered to deliver the aircraft back to the US as a quick way of getting home. That wreck site at least was being respected.

[Dominic Owen]

I can't help but feel they should have been made to stand in the middle of a field and play catch with the Mills Bomb!

My house tutor at school was one of the French masters and told us once of a summer field trip to a French village. A few of the lads were cooling off by messing around paddling in a stream when one of them walked up to him, held out his hand and said "Sir, look what I just stepped on. Can I keep it?". It was an intact Mills Bomb with a rather rusty pin. After placing it carefully behind the thickest & most solid stone wall they could find, they called the police, were delayed for hours, missed their crossing and were a whole day late returning home. He joked that it became his best argument that French teachers don't get paid enough.

[klingon]

anyone fancy a dive and a wee restoration project as well as the Bacarruda?-lying in 50 metres-problem is it's in New Guinea-bit of a hike for a weekend dive!

[Richie]

B17..... my favourite bomber of WW2.... can't tell if its a G or an F though

[Dominic Owen]

There's a quite detailed video of it on YouTube, if you want a better look;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ-hWlSv1pU

[Richie]

Thanks.... looks like an "F" as it does not appear to have the chin turret..... just love the B17... awesome awesome machine

[Dominic Owen]

I have to say that as much as I admire the B17, the old Lanc gets my vote every time.

I saw a Lanc vet. interviewed on TV a while back and he was saying about the time he and his crew had to land at a USAF base. Their hosts took great delight in showing them around a B17 and under the open bomb bay. He responded with "Hmmm.. not bad. You've not seen a Lancaster before, have you", returned the favour and watched their jaws drop to the ground when they stood underneath and looked up.

[Dominic Owen]

Oh, forgot to add: I did a bit of Googling and the B17 pictured is definitely an 'F'

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b ... 24521.html

[Richie]

Meh. i still like the B17, Apparently ME109 pilots feared attacking the B17 hands down over any other heavy bomber so Ner ner.