What Was It Like To Fight In The Most Active RAF Unit Of WW2?

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Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 49

@rodpettet2819 Ай бұрын

Thanks guys for giving your all. Thanks also to the Poles and other foreign pilots too. You were all magnificent heroes. I was born in Kent but later in 1944. My grandparents used to take me out in their car around 1948 onwards and I was fascinated by what I now know to be the chain radar towers on the south Downs. They were most impressive to a young kid. I enlisted into the RAF at 16 in 1960.

@DataWaveTaGo Ай бұрын

Battle of Britain Note This says a lot: It was not until the Luftwaffe radio monitoring service and the German Post office set up their listening stations on the coast of France in July 1940 that the Luftwaffe realized it was up against something new and of vital importance. First the operators discovered that the ether on the 12 meter band was alive with signals radiating out across the channel from the tall and seemingly silent radar masts along the English coast. The second shock came as the Channel convoy battles developed. British voices could be heard on H.F. accurately directing formations of fighters towards unseen German raiders. The air was full of voices, calmly and systematically placing fighters here and there and guiding others back to base. It dawned on the listeners that this was part of a complex and smooth-running organization of great size. - Chapter 10 "The System" from "The Narrow Margin - The Battle of Britain and the Rise of Air Power" LCC 61-15451 Derek Wood and Derek Dempster (c) 1961

@pauljohnson5570 Ай бұрын

The comments are great I always cruise them on these videos. You get some people’s families stories and other perspectives.

@marksneddon3709 Ай бұрын

😢 So sad that most of these old boys will have passed now 😞 RIP lads Men! ❤

@tomref4001 Ай бұрын

Their passing is a fact of life,; the sadder thing is that their experiences and values of duty are 'lost' in the present generation-especially in parliament which over the last several decades has become a disgrace to their sacrifices and efforts. I know they weren't all saints but they deserve a better legacy which they were hopeful of when the war ended.

@thomasnewton8997 Ай бұрын

Hi highest respect to these men of 501 squadren

@bartekbiniszewski5756 Ай бұрын

Fun fact on the thumbnail of this video are Spitfires from Polish 303 Squadron not 501

@nicholacousins8563 Ай бұрын

Well done 👏 I noticed that I live in Hawkinge on the old airfield

@harryjohnson9215 Ай бұрын

I too noticed 303 was why i clicked on the video

@tonysadler5290 Ай бұрын

I'm not sure, but didn't 303Sqn initially fly Hurricanes? They may well have moved on to Spitfires later - but I think they were given Hurricanes for the Battle of Britain.

@bartekbiniszewski5756 Ай бұрын

@@tonysadler5290 You are absolutely right about them using Hurricanes during battle of Britain. Well it's kinda obvious that later they received newer Spitfire models as the war progressed. And bear in mind that after the war British government gave a bill to its former defenders from Poland for using their equipment and told them to get lost...

@tonysadler5290 Ай бұрын

@bartekbiniszewski5756 I know - my father was a Sgt Pilot joined in '36 (could have been '38) - he said the Poles were very shabby treated by the authorities and weren't allowed to march in the victory parade at war's end either. He always felt very bad about it. I met Bader a couple of times - didn't like him one bit - nor did many of his contemporaries. Thank you for your reply and conformation

@lisathomas627 Ай бұрын

Respect to them all.Such brave and contagious men. Thankyou

@mohammedsaysrashid3587 Ай бұрын

It was an informative documentary about airforces challenged over Britain 🇬🇧 between Luftwafa and Royal airforces. Documentary focused on 501 fighter's squadron pilot survivals

@thomasnewton8997 Ай бұрын

My uncle worked at the spitfire factory

@stevecook8214 Ай бұрын

My grandfather also worked at the spitfire factory

@silverlink2002 Ай бұрын

imagine the difference in only having a few hrs on slow but nimble gladiators harts and furys etc straight into hurricanes with upper retracts that the crews never had before and going straight up into battle including limited wartime experience before terrifying rip guys n girls for those involved 😕

@BackwardsMarathonPSU 13 күн бұрын

“I’ve just arrived! I’m green!” “Yes, you’re ‘Green 3’ , now cmon”. Lol, classic British.

@jimreilly9749 Күн бұрын

Back to you Rod. One of 452/7 squadron maintenance mates of my Dad at Red Hill and later Darwin, visited me about 18 years ago after my Dad had died. His and my family went out to Pedro's fish restaurant in Ulverstone Tasmania. Never forgotten were Jim Grant's words as he was sitting opposite me and put his hand over mine. "Jim, ...they were heady days".. Jim Grant wrote a wartime history of 452/7 Australian Spitfire Squadrons I have a copy myself but I'll see if I can give a link to it. I'll try (on this channel). JR

@berthalloway8182 14 күн бұрын

May they rest in peace

@mike9347 Ай бұрын

If it wasn't for the Spitfire, (and Hurricane), Australia would have been finished.

@maryholder3795 Ай бұрын

It doesn't matter about the comment Britian stood alone. The importance fact is that the Battle over the Island of Britain was the first time Germany air force did not totally succeed in its to main aims, destroy the RAF to pave the way for the invasion of UK.

@fenerbahcehaberleri9433 Ай бұрын

great war content I really like it

@robertdelacruz2951 Ай бұрын

Quite good documentary!

@willbodine9544 Ай бұрын

I’ve subscribed to “History Hit” and “War Stories” is no where to be seen? What am I doing wrong?

@hotrod9873 10 күн бұрын

So am i to assume that war stories got the squadron wrong? Seem unlikely but 🤷‍♂️ Either way, mad respect!!!

@MEMORIESOFSOLDIERS Ай бұрын

I really like war content

@debbiemarler8722 Ай бұрын

Very good!

@GaleHunt-v5e Ай бұрын

The Polish 303 Squadron had a higher kill ratio.

@orwellboy1958 Ай бұрын

So?🤨Thats not what the title claims.

@VincentComet-l8e Ай бұрын

Why didn't you also mention that they were far more experienced pilots, having had many more hours of training than their RAF colleagues whilst they were back in Poland...

@TerryHickey-xt4mf Ай бұрын

also they had a personal opportunity to pay back the Germans for what they had done to their country, this meant a lot to them.