D-Day | GTAMotorcycle.com

D-Day

If anyone's interested in a relatively light breakdown of the lead-up, D-Day itself, and then the immediate aftermath in establishing a safe zone for delivery of men and equipment, there's a great Second World War podcast called We Have Ways of Making You Talk that just did a 10-part series on the whole process, and it makes for fascinating listening.

It's a comedian and a historian, so not at all dry...

Links to Apple or Spotify here:

We Have Ways of Making You Talk | Goalhanger Podcasts
 
During my commute today CBC radio ran their story from 1945 archives from their field reporter in Normandy. It was pretty neat.
 
crankcall said:
The Lancaster and a C130 Hercules were flying formation out over Lake Ontario this evening, I can’t get tired of watching those big planes at low altitude.
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My folks went on holiday to the UK last summer, and at one point stayed in Lincolnshire at a Bed & Breakfast. The proprietor was very excited when he found out they were from Toronto, and regaled them with stories about the time the Canadian Lancaster flew all the way over to fly in the UK with the only other operational Lancaster for some anniversary or another. It was apparently a very big deal there, at least for those of a certain age. 48 unmuffled pistons is a heck of a noise, I'm sure 96 was pretty incredible.

You can go for a short flight in it out of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum a Hamilton airport, but it ain't cheap. Something like $4k for 45 minutes. They also do flights in their B-25, C-47 or Catalina for a lot less. It's well worth a visit if you're interested. Took my brother-in-law when he visited from BC last summer, and the (mostly retiree) volunteers were incredibly knowledgeable and super excited to answer questions.
 
The Lancaster flys over my house in Niagara Region almost every Saturday during the summer months.
You can hear it coming long before you can see it. $3,500.00 per person for an hour's ride from Hamilton down over the falls and back.
One of those once in a lifetime, bucket list things I suppose.
 
crankcall said:
The Lancaster and a C130 Hercules were flying formation out over Lake Ontario this evening, I can’t get tired of watching those big planes at low altitude.
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They went over my house around 6ish. The loading ramp was down on the Herc. Would have been cool to see a couple of tethered guys standing on it.
 
The fuel bill to keep the Lanc in the air is crazy, four engines each fed with a garden hose .
We had a sail boat going last night out on the lake in Bronte , the Lancaster running down the lake is at a pretty low altitude ( whatever the legal hieght is , they are really safety conscience ), and I imagine 100 of those coming over your house on the way to visit Germany.
 
crankcall said:
I imagine 100 of those coming over your house on the way to visit Germany.
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I'm on the other side of the valley from Helmut. I've always meant to ask him what his thoughts are when the Lanc flies overhead. Being a gearhead the sound is intoxicating, but he would have been 10 in Cologne in '44, and that sound back then meant the bombs were coming.
 
TK4 said:
I think I'd lose control of certain bodily functions...
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Roman horses on cobble streets were probably similar. The sound alone is enough to make you afraid (or hopeful depending on which side you are on). It's a hell of a noise.
 
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