Last of the few RIP

[medpat]

Ken Wilkinson one of the last Spitfire Pilots of the few has died aged 99.

 "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"

As we near Battle of Britain celebrations we will remember them all.

RIP Ken

Thank you and all the other members of the RAF who bravely fought off the Luftwaffe keeping Britain free.

We will remember.

[Viktoria]

Yes, and they were for the most part so very young , just teenagers.
 Just a few weeks training and then they were qualified pilots.

I sometimes think ----and then I feel unjust---that today`s youngsters could not do it.
 They seem so hedonistic and frivolous yet they are a great generation for volunteering .
Well cometh the hour cometh the man, and our lads recently have showed great courage and
comradeship in  today`s battle zones.
Nice of you to think of telling us about the last of "The Few".They were very special.
                                                 Viktoria.

[Jo.]

My dad wasn't a spitfire pilot but his friend was...

And I'm lucky because there's not a lot in my generation that can say, MY dad did his bit, some can claim their granddad did, but that's few from my generation

Dad blagged his way into the Army, the Somerset Light infantry, he and his mates had during the early 30's joined the local TA, as they got a Holiday from it, fortnight away every year..

1939, dad knew the war was coming and decided to join up fully with the somersets in August, at first the Medical Officer went to give dad his exemption certificate! 

Dad asked Why?

MO,  said well because you're blind in one eye

Dad,  When you take aim with a rifle what do you do?

MO,  well you close one eye

Dad, well I just make sure I close my blind eye then!

Dad went in to serve with the Somersets, seeing full front line battle.


To me,  dad was as brave as his friend who was called up to take his part.  Something my dad didn't have to do but choose to, and me his daughter he had when he was 47,  I just knew a meek and mild mannered hero, same as his friend also meek and mild mannered but again an Hero who step up to the mark.

[barryd]

My father was evacuated from Dunkirk - Durham Light Infantry
His father was with Selous WW1 in German East Africa, Royal Fusiliers

My mother was in the WAAF
Her father served  in WW1 in the coal mines as an under aged coal face miner. 

[BumbleB]

He didn't serve in WW2, but my father did do his bit - he worked at Speke, helping to build Spitfire aircraft.  He told me that every so often, those who assembled the aircraft were taken up in planes they had built. 

[Rosinish]

Not front line but my father was a Merchant Seaman in WW2

Annie

[HMac]

Not front line but my father was a Merchant Seaman in WW2

I beg to differ Annie. With higher attrition rates than the armed services you couldn't get more front line than the MN.

Respect to the Few. We will remember them.

Regards
Hugh

[Rosinish]

Not front line but my father was a Merchant Seaman in WW2

I beg to differ Annie. With higher attrition rates than the armed services you couldn't get more front line than the MN.

Regards
Hugh

Excuse my ignorance on that as I had assumed it was the 'Army', 'RN' & 'RAF' who were frontline.
I probably don't understand what 'front line' equated to (sorry) 

Annie

[medpat]

Without the merchant navy the British would have starved. The U boats attacked the merchant fleet to try to cut off Britain. Many merchant seamen died to make sure Britain got it's supplies. I have found this figure to give you some idea of the loses - 27,790 died by enemy action. There would be other deaths related to WW2 as well but not counted in this figure.

My own father made parts for spitfires at Castle Bromwich which came under enemy attack like Liverpool. My mother was in the ATS and rewired damaged tanks in Nottingham at Chilwell.

We have no idea what they suffered, I have a vague memory of sweet rationing that's all. The people at the sharp end suffered but so did the civvies in Britain, they all did their bit.