Westland Lysander SOE pick-up demonstration - Shuttleworth Special Operations Airshow 2023

[@js250]

My favourite WWII aircraft. So much of its operations and the skills and bravery of its pilots and support crew will never be known. Salute.

[@lawrencemartin1113]

I love the Lysander. The people who operated and flew these aircraft under those circumstances were incredible. The bravery and courage of all those; agents civilian and military, pilots and ground crews, trying to maintain the resistance and intelligence links throughout the war, was extraordinary. I have a passion for military history and especially SOE and covert ops. and this little demo was great to see. The sound of that engine is so smoooooth! Thank you for sharing this film. 😊

[@mikecrawford3805]

“We Landed By Moonlight”, by Hugh Verity, is a great read, as told by Hugh, who was there, in real time. A lot of specific mission narrative, for the SOE, FROM about 1940 to 1944. One of my more prized books.

[@scottfw7169]

Ah, will look up that book.

[@mothmagic1]

A very enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down

[@paralogregt]

I believe that you got the sequence wrong, in that on immediately landing they would turn back on the landing zone and taxi to the end turn facing into the wind. At that time they would exchange passengers etc. They did this so the plane was able to take off immediately if anything happened.

[@Liberator74]

Excellent video of one of my favourite planes. Love Shuttleworth too!

[@jeffreycrawley1216]

Back in the 1960s it was rumoured that one of the French language teachers at our school had been in the SOE - her father was Welsh, her mother French and she had lived in France up until 1938. We asked her if she had been an agent and she told us not to be so silly, she couldn't have been THAT brave! Eventually it became known that she used to teach French "etiquette" to the "Joes" - having been brought up in France she knew how to behave. She also used to work at Gibraltar Farm, RAF Tempsford, doing last minute checks to make sure the agents didn't have a London Tube ticket or a "lucky" British penny in their pockets before they flew off;

[@eriklapparent4662]

Awesome!With a deep thought for those who did that who were true heroes...Thanks and hi from France.

[@jaywalker3087]

My father only spoke once about the Lysander because of the Official Secrets Act.... It was a clue as it wasn't until the day he died, that he told us about his role in the war. He was N SOE radio operator and suffered with nightmares about a time trying to be landed by submarine. Being Depth Charged in the Med. He'd volunteerd for Aircrew in Bomber Command in 1940 but was seconded later on.... He kept the oath he swore almost to his last breath in 2004. I often look up when travelling Londons Baker Street, at the building that was his 'Office '. He left no time for the hundreds of questions I had for him.... Nice one dad... Miss you....

[@bigtony4829]

I think the official secrets act only lasted 50 odd years so there's no more really secret info left from WW2 Even the ultra top secret Manhattan project / operation paper clip etc is well documented . Your grandad sounds like mine he was in the RAF and never really talked much about the war

[@PapaDutch]

Lysanders were also extremely popular Bush Aircraft around the sixties, as I recall. There were a lot of them based at Renton Field in Washington State - near Seattle - being modified to Pontoons

[@Buharli44069]

Verry nice airplane. My grandfather used it 2 times during the war.

[@babuzzard6470]

Britains version of the German storch. Love it, one of the first models I built as a child.

[@TOOL_MARKS]

I actually saw one flying overhead (in Northern IL., near the WI. border) on New Year's Day 2024. It is quite distinctive, and unmistakable.... I knew what it was the second I saw it. I couldn't believe it. I'm not sure what it was doing flying over Illinois that day, but I'll never forget it. 🙂

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

I'm well past retiement age and I have always had a soft spot for Westland's Lysander, I think they are a beautiful graceful machine and the flap system on the wings was an outstanding idea as long as the pilot treated the AC with some respect.

[@Brian-om2hh]

I was at Old Warden a few years ago, when the Lysander returned from an airshow and landed back at the Shuttleworth Collection. It's a bigger aircraft than you may think.....

[@ricksmith4736]

The PBS show " Ultimate Restorations" has an episode restoring a Lysander... Well worth watching.......

[@ianhobbs4984]

There used to be a Lysander skeleton at the rear of Westland 's factory back in the 50's when my uncle who was the company secretary took me for a visit of the factory one Saturday morning when I was about 10 or 11.

[@davidhull1481]

Great to see, thanks.

[@stephenoliver1437]

Old Warden lovely vintage airdrome great place for a pit stop off A1

[@googleisshittoss]

My Father was in F-Section SOE..and spoke fondly of the Lysander

[@Alan-gx8gf]

Love Border Collies .

[@googleisshittoss]

@@Alan-gx8gf Yes, we sadly lost the one in my picture last Monday, though she was 15, so a good age :(

[@aussie807]

One of the unsung heroes of the war, amazing aircraft👍👍

[@P61guy61]

Beautiful airplane. Wonderful sound. A time machine.

[@robertbate5790]

One could argue that its the plane that won the war, for its many dangerous missions 🇬🇧 🇬🇧 🇬🇧

[@tomtucker83]

My father, an RAF Flight Sergeant deployed to France with a Lysander squadron. I think from RAF Odiham, as an element of the WWII Expeditionary Force.

[@FoMandN]

I knew Wing Commander Frank Cromwell Griffiths who, amongst other things, flew Lysanders into France for SOE. He was shot down and escaped through France and into Spain. His book, Winged Hours, is a good read.

[@Rincypoopoo]

All the more amazing when you consider that the Lysander's elevators are so ineffective that you have to fly the aircraft using the elevator trim... Into a tiny field at night. Wow.

[@ianseddon9347]

Very nice film, thank you Patrick.

[@Rickinsf]

"Army of Shadows" (1969) has a scene with Lysanders doing clandestine operations. They flew in pairs, one would circle overhead, using its' engine noise to mask the sound of the one landing for the drop/pickup.

[@peteroffler9040]

Rubbish. utter rubbish.

[@nigel900]

Beautiful. 👍🏻

[@JelMain]

The communities involved are still together, generations later.

[@sullivanrachael]

Such a lovely display! Fantastic machine, well flown. Shame the Jerries in the Kubelwagen had to make do with an American M1 Garand Rifle, but then, this is England and firearms are kind of restricted. All good fun!

[@neilfoster814]

Bon chance Cecile, merci! Sadly, so many SOE agents and Lysander pilots didn't make it home, but did vital work during WW2. And of course, the Gestapo would torture and often execute any agents they caught. Great demo!

[@notmenotme614]

I’m amazed how the shiny and waxed the French Resistance cars were. Not a single scratch or scuff on that paintwork

[@michelbonneau1650]

Bel hommage,merci !

[@dginia]

Beautiful - so is the vintage automobile! Does anyone know how many Lysanders were utilized and how many were lost?

[@billkingston4402]

Nice Citroen

[@davideferrario8996]

Un bellissimo pezzo di storia

[@davidbarclay2032]

My uncle Fred DFC and bar, was a tail gunner for most of the war, but I recall him telling me he flew clandestine missions late in the war to deliver and collect”packages” to France by night, he didn’t say, but I always assumed it was by Lysander.

[@itsonlyme9938]

No GPS back in 1940's and some how they made there way to and from the drop zone.

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

the soldier in the backseat of the Volkswagen is armed with an M-1 Garand rifle

[@pcka12]

Isn't a Lysander on record as shooting down an Me109? A product of Westlands in Yeovil, Someset, were aircraft are still produced under the name Leonardo, named after the famous artist & scientist, another pioneer like Galileo!

[@K777John]

I used to live in Montacute Somerset about 3 miles from Yeovil and Westlands airfield-and now I am a vehicle volunteer at Shuttleworth-life goes in circles…..

[@davidhull1481]

Is that a fuel tank underneath?

[@av8tore71]

For a minute there I thought this aircraft was a Stinson Gullwing

[@samtatge8299]

I read about some SOE drops. The story of a 23 year old girl who volunteered to be dropped in France by night was particularly heart breaking. Of course the Gestapo caught her and brutalized her for months then shot her. I have 2 daughters. That story really got to me.

[@savagecub]

Pretty bad tailwheel wobble there on landing. I hope that's not normal.

[@grantm6514]

Pilot: "Oh for fucksake! Why do I _always_ get the one with the wobble wheel?"

[@nowhereman7813]

Keystone Krauts

[@robinfryer479]

I suppose they had to use a jet engine because they couldn't get Bristol Mercurys

[@Shift2Movies]

LOL

[@martinsaunders2942]

I always thought it was supposed to be a STOL aircraft….but it really doesn’t seem to be..

[@ColinH1973]

It's restricted to a longer landing and take off run by operational conditions. It tells you in the commentary.

[@qq-uh2mx]

I HAVE SIMULATOR FLY THIS AIRCRAFT VERY FUN TO FLY. I LICK THIS AIRCRAFT.

[@haroldnicholson8603]

Which simulator is that. I have MSF 2020 and P3D and did not know there was a Lysander for them

[@peterebel7899]

Brits love to play war games .....

[@Achilles22]

Who bought a dog to an air show!!

[@joseruyborgesribeiro6089]

Mas era muito feio!!!! But it was very ugly!

[@helpmehelp3009]

Who said it was outdated? It was the best aircraft we had to take insurgents into France and Spain, 5he pilots who did this were superb landing in fields with nothing more than parrafin lamps for guidance, good job we had them!