Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/04

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Subject: [Leica] Be prepared!!
From: doubs43 at cox.net (Walker Smith)
Date: Wed Aug 4 10:17:42 2004

A fine shot with a great "feel" to it! Sometimes the best shots come 
from less-than-the-best equipment.

Almost 20 years ago I saw the "Battle of Britain" Memorial Flight put on 
an air show with the Hurricane, Spitfire, Mosquito and Lancaster Bomber. 
It was a fine demonstration and I especially liked it because my uncle 
was detached from US forces early in the war to fly recconisance 
missions for the Brits in the Mosquito and/or Spitfire. (He was a P-38 
pilot) He earned his RAF Wings as well as his US Wings and was 
authorized to wear both simultaniously. One of very few so honored with 
most having been members of the "Eagle Squadron", American citizens who 
flew for the RAF and later transferred to US forces when we got into the 
fight.

True story: I was a member of a shooting club while stationed in England 
back in the mid-1980's. One Sunday afternoon we were in the clubhouse - 
the old WW2 RAF Nissan hut "Scramble Shack" used by the RAF fighter 
pilots and moved from RAF Martlesham Heath to club property - when a 
plane flew over. My friend, a WW2 British vet, immediately said "If I 
didn't know better, I'd say that was a Spitfire"! We rushed outside and 
it was indeed a Spitfire. 40 years after the war and he still knew the 
sound it made instantly.

Walker Smith



Replies: Reply from dorysrus at mindspring.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Be prepared!!)
Reply from DouglasMSharp at netscape.net (Douglas M. Sharp) ([Leica] Be prepared!!)