The Royal International Air Tattoo

I first went to the air tattoo at RAF Fairford sometime in the mid 1990’s with a few mates in a mini bus but, as the weather was rather changeable, we chose to just view the static aircraft before heading for the refreshment tent. We tried again a few years later and I seem to recall that everything went off rather well. although there was nearly an accident when two visiting jet fighters got rather too close to the ground during their aerobatic display. I then drove there with the wife in 2008 and had a very enlightened experience.  (She had arranged to met up with a few girls from the company offices where they all used to work and so I was fairly free to wander about for the best part of the day).  Sometime in the early afternoon I saw an elderly gentleman having some trouble with his invalid carriage in the grassy area behind the static Battle of Britain ”scramble” exhibition.  (This consisted of a semi circle of Spitfires and some guys in uniform, possibly real pilots, lolling about in deckchairs).   I helped him to get clear and he said ”Thanks mate I did not want to get stuck there when those Spits start up.”  I began to say that they were not likely to do that but he moved away and then stopped at one of the stalls promoting various aspects of the RAF.  It was there that we got into conversation and it turned out that he had been the gunner in a Fairy Battle which was one of six shot down trying to bomb a bridge over the Albert Canal in May 1940. He said he was lucky to survive the crash landing and then, after a spell in hospital, he spent time in a POW camp in Germany, before being repatriated in late1943.  ”I suppose I was fortunate in some respect” he said softly “‘ many of my mates were not.”  He then wished me well before making off.

Looking back, there was so much more that I could, and should, have done or said to really appreciate what this old boy had been through for the honour of our country. Years later I read an article in my Fly Past magazine about the Fairy Battle and the activity of 12 Squadron in early 1940. and found that two Victoria Crosses had been awarded. posthumously, to the crew of one of the six aircraft shot down on that day. I cannot remember what happened to all the other crews, which is a bit of a shame. However, I am now considering a research of the events of that day in 1940 and hope to find out more about the crews and possibly the old gentleman that I met at the 2008 Air Tattoo.