“A Supermarine Walrus amphibious aircraft taxiing up to HMS Warspite after returning from a sweep in the Indian Ocean. A crew member is sitting on the top wing to the winch cable to the aircraft when it arrives alongside the battleship. An Illustrious-class aircraft carrier can be seen moored in the background. Alongside her is another vessel, possibly a hospital ship, and HMS Ludlow. A cruiser is moored aft of these vessels and a motor cutter is making its way from this group of ships towards the camera.”
I wouldn't want to fight the war in one of those. Give me a Spitfire (and a fighting chance) if I'm a Brit.
ReplyDeleteHeh. I knew a gentleman (in every sense of the word) who was the oldest living US naval aviator in 2000. He flew long anti-submarine patrols over the English Channel and North Sea in planes that made that Walrus look as modern as a P-3 Orion! He was one hell of a nice guy, even if his short-term memory was starting to get flakey, but he was over a century old. If I'm half so sharp at 70, I'll be doing well.
ReplyDeleteBTW, that was 1917-1918...
DeleteOnce Britain was an actual country rather than a memory.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteThe Brits had a wonderful way of naming things: "Supermarine" aircraft, and "Illustrious-class" carriers. They also had "dreadnaughts" and even "superdreadnaughts" which always lit up my imagination.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the USA call its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers? Why, "Gerald R. Ford-class" or "Nimitz-class." How dull, and certainly not illustrious!