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Archiver > VARNDEAN > 2003-01 > 1042928268


From: "David White" <>
Subject: Re: Bomb Targets
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 22:17:48 -0000
References: <PJECJGOOKHCHNJMJECBKEEAHCHAA.james.franks@freenet.co.uk>


My old grandad (the Sopers Santa Claus one) lived up St Nicholas Road during
WWll (when, being 55-60 ish, he wasn't firewatching or Salvage Corpsing)
and insisted that one night he and grandma heard a funny noise, looked out,
and saw a doodlebug FROM ABOVE as it plodded up the road - grandma used to
claim the wingtip actually scraped the window shutters of some houses at the
crest of the hill before it disappeared. As a child I used to think it was
all bullshit, but they used to both tell the same story.....

Dave

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Franks" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 2:59 PM
Subject: RE: Bomb Targets


> Ted, Phil et al,
> Re: Shrapnel (has to be of German origin, as a word, doesn't it).
> I too collected bits. German leaflets dropped over Downs advertising
> hopelessness of British chances in forthcoming German invasion, an
> incendiary bomb, absolutely complete and perfect, extracted from a
recently
> ploughed field from which I removed the detonating bit and still have and,
> sadly lost when I went into the army, a gyroscope from a buzz bomb wot
> nearly dun for us when it landed about 50-100 yards from uncle's house in
> Shoreham on a Sunday evening when we were playing billiards. When we got
up
> from under the billiard table where we had both dropped when the engine
cut
> out immediately overhead, we found all the balls had relocated to one end
of
> the table. That is my favourite 'boring for Brighton with bomb story' so
> forgive if you have heard it 89 times. Richard Hine's dad, a great pal
from
> scouting times, often referred to envy I caused by using a substantial
part
> of Doodlebug wing, I found in nearby wood, as wind break for patrol fire
> while camping at Buxted but I have no recollection of it.
> Jim
> PS. Who said nostalgia ain't wot it used to be?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: T Brooke [mailto:]
> Sent: 17 January 2003 18:41
> To:
> Subject: Re: Bomb Targets
>
>
> Phil,
> I am not aware of collectors of shrapnel etc, getting fatally damaged by
> iron and brass from the heavens. Too often, I got burned fingers because
> the shell cases were very hot when they first landed. I remember I once
had
> some that were fired from a Mosquito at an anti aircraft gun manned by
> French Canadians. The ack ack gunners were shooting into the air while
the
> fighters were trying to disuade German bombers.
> ted
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Phil Allsopp" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 10:33 PM
> Subject: Re: Bomb Targets
>
>
> > Jim:
> >
> > That R101 must have been a wonderful sight to see. Did you get any Box
> > Brownie shots of it?
> >
> > Also, I've often wondered whether dog fight spectators were ever in real
> > danger of being peppered or killed by spend bullets/canon shells or
their
> > spent casings which could be pretty heavy.
> >
> > Phil
>
>
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