WWII Rescue Buoys - Secret 'Floating Hotels' of the English Channel

Big thanks to my friends at Warthunder. Come shoot tank, planes & warships with me! playwt.link/Calum
Rescue Buoy (Rettungsboje) were pioneering rescue craft designed to act as floating rescue stations for the lufftwaffe. Soon the British got in on the act, and we explore the two designs and history of these strange craft - and even visit one!
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The amazing 3D Models by Brendon Kibler! Check him out: lumoize.artstation.com
One of Our Aircraft is Missing:
amzn.to/3QYcTZL
Some great info on the Rettungsboje
www.luftwaffe-zur-see.de/Seeno...
Article on Pilot losses:
web.archive.org/web/201208150...
0:00 - Introduction
1:47 - The Battle of Britain Begins
3:07 - Early Rescue Bouy Developments
3:50 - The "Udet Bouy" is Born
6:07 - Deploy The Bouy!
8:33 - Rettungsboje Documents
11:00 - German Rescue Bouys on Film
13:50 - Allied Losses Rack Up
15:18 - The Air Sea Recue
15:30 - The British Rescue Bouy
16:24 - Comparing the British ASR & German Rettungsboje
19:34 - What Happened to the Rescue Bouys?
20:18 - Visiting the Last British ASR
22:50 - Waffling on a Bit?

[@CalumRaasay]

Update: I FOUND ONE! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2qTkISap7CiZ7Msi=WRoo4fJ2UgT-aN2q

[@CalumRaasay]

@John Thomas Thanks John! Appreciate it. I DO enjoy watermills don't you know, though I've never really found a hook for a video - though exploring an old mill or too would be a fun experience. Good photo opportunities ! I understand with Patreon, so don't worry about it! These kind comments are what really make my day. I do have a wee donation page thats non-subscription! www.buymeacoffee.com/calumraasay

[@JamieSteam]

@@CalumRaasay do you know there are advertisements on this video every two minutes? It is a little excessive.

[@FarmerFpv]

@@JamieSteam There were only a few. He has to make money to continue creating videos. He has no control over how many ads there are. There are plenty of crappy channels with no ads you can watch. No one is forcing you to stay and watch.

[@CalumRaasay]

@@JamieSteam weird, I don’t control the ads though, KZbin just places them automatically 😭

Thanks for pronouncing buoy properly.

[@Brocuzgodlocdunfamdogson]

There’s something so “cozy”, for lack of a better term, of a small zone of comfort in the middle of a harsh environment. Whether it’s these buoys, a bushcraft shelter in the middle of a forest, a hot spring on a frozen mountain, or even a starship traveling across the vast emptiness of space...there’s just something about these kinds of places and situations that make me feel warm.

[@AlphaQHard]

I wouldnt feel too cozy knowing theres water all around and above me and hundreds of feet of dark depths below me

[@xraystyle]

100% agreed. Super cozy in my head too.

[@Brocuzgodlocdunfamdogson]

@@AlphaQHard ever slept on an airplane? That’s really not much different.

[@jaymethodus3421]

You just made my love of this shit click into place lmao I actually got lucky and found a place in some woods near me that I’ve been building small shelters and practicing over the past year and a half.. now I’m up to something about the size of these buoys, albeit little to no shelving for storage, but it’s my safe house from life lmao

[@Pyrethryn]

When I can't fall asleep at night I imagine myself into the scenarios you've laid out there- especially the bushcraft shelter on a snowy night- but Rescue Buoys is now in the mix.

[@mr47chicagosneakers48]

Two decades of diving deep into all things ww2 it’s rare to see something new about the war that isn’t the norm. Great content !

[@raybueno1901]

I was thinking the same

[@koningbolo4700]

I agree, most subjects have been regurgitated over and over again, this one is truly new and special. I personally had never heard about rescue buoys being used... beautiful idea...

[@theTF2sniper]

Close to two decades here, and never heard of this before either, This again reminded me that the conflict was so large there is always something new to discover out there!

[@nsbstrong3624]

Dive deeper

[@1GreekCookie]

@@raybueno1901 me too! Excellent!

[@JonHullock]

I watched a German luftwaffe documentary with English subtitles and the Luftwaffe pilot actually said that he used one of these rescue devices. Very fascinating video .

[@longiusaescius2537]

Link?

[@LateNightCable]

Having been a student of WWII for many years now - particularly regarding aviation, I think this is the first I’ve heard of the rescue buoys. One of those things that falls into the category of historical minutae, even though they played a very important role. Especially in film, we’re always lead to believe those stranded at sea in wartime had no option but to bob around in a life raft hoping someone sees them, but we see that wasn’t always the case. That both the Germans and English had them in the channel probably made for some interesting encounters, as illustrated in the movie ‘One Of Our Planes Is Missing’. Considering the geographic location of the UK, it’s rather surprising England had such a poor system in place at the outset for downed airmen at sea.

[@mikatu]

but you don't realize but both countries were rescuing each other men. There is even a story of a german sub that got hit by a british airplane while rescuing british sailors.

[@derekheeps1244]

That one was in the north sea , off Holland , not the channel .

[@endokrin7897]

Thank you for your service

[@andrewtaylor940]

It helps to remember that these were placed in a very particular area of sea. A very static line of warfare. The English Channel. Where a great number of flyers from both sides were flying and fighting over this narrow waterway. For a very extended period of time. Without any real possibility of the battle moving elsewhere anytime soon. It was a broad enough body of water to not be easily crossed either way by land forces, while still being a fairly confined front where you knew the broad areas that the planes would be flying over. I’m not sure that there were many or any other theaters of war where any similar circumstances could be found? The lines of battle moved too quickly and were spread over too vast a distance of ocean in the Pacific. In the few places were there was a large amount of predictable aerial traffic The US and Canada kept pre positioned rescue ships. Such as the Coast Guard Lightships at the quarter and halfway points between Hawaii and Los Angeles. Or the rescue patrol ships along the Aleutians. Did the aGerman’s or British deploy these anywhere other than the channel and narrow parts of the North Sea?

[@seandoyle2983]

My feelings exactly.

[@harryfritter8266]

My grandpa told us a story once about how himself and one other man spent 9 days in one of those. He talked about a sea sickness that you could never imagine. It sounded horrible, going a week and a half without sleep and barely eating

[@happytrailsgaming]

It would only be horrible if you got sea sick

[@lindac6919]

I bet it was awful! I bet they cursed it, and blessed it!

[@leopoldo3884]

beats drowning

[@Velo1010]

The sea sickness I can imagine would be so awful.

[@jengleheimerschmitt7941]

​@@happytrailsgaming everyone can get seasick. It just depends how easily.

[@skookumjack]

My father was stationed with the Air Sea Rescue during WW2 along the Channel and picked up Air crew from these lifesavers. He pick up British and German, all were pleased to see his vessel...

[@jesse75]

Must be how the candy got it's name.

[@davidmyles1138]

My father also was ASR in WW2, based for a time in the channel. One thing he mentioned was running the launch full out through the mine fields as the mines did not detonate in time to catch the launchs

[@lizvickers7156]

My father in law was also air sea rescue based out of Tenby.

[@xliquidflames]

I imagine the ramp at the back would be very handy if you're trying to help a fellow wounded airman survive his injuries. It would be almost impossible to get someone who is alive but incapacitated up that ladder. It's also kind of interesting to type the coordinates into Google maps and see where they were stationed. I just two or three at random and they all took me to different parts of the bit of water (cove?) that is between Ipswich and Canterbury, almost exactly east of Southend-on-Sea. And that's quite a ways away from where the surviving one ended up. It traveled pretty far for something with no means of propulsion.

[@TexasCat99]

Or, if the person who makes it to the ASR has broken legs, injuries, he can drag himself up, at least out of the water. But, not even that. Someone could be exhausted by the time they swam there, it gives them a place to rest, until strong enough to open the door. Its a GREAT idea.

[@andrewarthurmatthews6685]

Canterbury is actually an inland city approximately 9 miles from the east Kent coast

[@jonathanryan5860]

Fascinating, I've read tiny mentions of them in biographies by downed pilots, and of course old war films, as you mentioned. You've, without doubt, produced the first major insight into an obscure subject, well done and thanks.

[@dynamo1796]

Weird and unproofed script though. "Continued the invasion" - what? They never started any invasion! "Battled for dominance in the skies and waters above Britain" - you mean the flying seas above the country? There were errors peppered throughout the script which really distracted me from the story the guy is trying to tell. Unfortunate.

[@Melody_Raventress]

Oh shush. Quit nitpicking, nitpicker.

[@dynamo1796]

@@Melody_Raventress Shush yourself. The errors exist and are inarguable. You can enjoy it anyway, I really dont care. I'm providing feedback because I didn't enjoy the video because of those errors and I won't be alone.

[@robh3267]

As uncomfortable as they may have been, to a downed pilot floating in the sea it was probably close to paradise, thanks for this video it was very educational as I never knew anything like this ever existed.

[@jessmatthewson7775]

Ya I was thinking that as well... a place to get out of freezing water and away from predators... nothing short of a God send.

[@CalumRaasay]

EDIT: I know, I know I said the Battle of Britain was in 1941! It was an accident! Mixed it up with the date the buoys were rolled out en masse 😩 don’t sue me I don't get seasick easily, but those German bouys must have be tough to stomach. Hope you enjoy! This has been a long project in the making, really glad to have it ready to share with you all!

[@k-mc94]

If you look at modern offshore (North Sea oil and gas sector) lifeboats which are also mega roly poly, one of the first things you are instructed to do when you board them is take an anti nausea pill. Capacity varies between designs and dependant on the 'mother' vessels P.O.B. number but you will usually be packed in with 60 people. If one person starts puking then....

[@chrthiel]

Hence the buckets, I suspect

[@Graham_Rule]

I do get seasick easily but given a choice of drowning at sea or freezing in the channel I definitely know what I'd go for. If required I'd even take up smoking just because that's what my hosts expected.

[@Adiscretefirm]

Worse than a plane or a boat, better than a life raft.

[@covenantor663]

Fascinating video! But mentioning seasickness, it did put me in mind of a small ship the US navy designed and built which was featured on a docu-series aired here on Australian tv called either Towards 2000 or Beyond 2000 (depending on when the episode featured actually was aired). The circumstances surrounding the development of this vessel was due to the rough sea conditions around the Hawaiian islands. In essence the vessel more closely resembled an off-shore drilling rig platform. So, supporting the vessel were submerged pontoons, which supported the superstructure well above the height of the waves with some narrow tubelike legs. Access to the pontoons was by ladders in the legs. From memory the propulsion was in the pontoons. The pontoons were at such a depth as to not be effected by the waves above and it was said that the experience of riding in the vessel was little different to being on board a large seagoing vessel.

[@simonh6371]

Not only is this a fascinating an entertaining indepth look at these, but you have also put so much time into digging out rare photos and drawings of these Rettungsbojen/Rescue Buoys. So much so that after watching it, I will have to go through it again and pause on those photos and drawings to look at the details! Thanks very much.

[@JohnHirsch88]

The Luftwaffe solve the housing crisis

[@mskellyrlv]

Fascinating. Very nice job. With regard to air-dropped rescue craft, my late father-in-law had an interesting story. He flew air rescue in the Pacific during WW-II (mainly PBYs), and after the war continued that for a time with an unusual setup. He flew a B-29 modified to carry a very large lifeboats strapped underneath. The boats could be dropped in a low-level pass near the survivors of a sunken ship, and could carry a great many people. He flew routine patrols with this plane, and there arose the story. As time went on, the plane required a longer and longer takeoff roll, and no one could figure out why. Eventually it reached the point where they couldn't get off the ground with enough room for a refused takeoff. The plane was grounded, and they started taking things apart. The first thing was releasing the lifeboat. It proved to be completely full of water! The boat had no covering on top, and was just a typical open lifeboat. Whenever it rained, the water landing on the B-29 fuselage ran down the sides and into the gap between the boat and fuselage. In that condition, it would have sunk immediately upon being dropped! You have to pay attention to the little things...

[@igordrakulovic6857]

Wow !

[@7evenCs]

There is a guy who has one of those boats in his private collection at Harrowbeer near Plymouth. He is a mine of information too!

[@JaQuezstarr16]

Perfect example of why preflight checks are important

[@jasonfrew2394]

Good thing they found that out before someone stranded in the ocean did. 😗

[@georgebronte840]

Not a little thing...a major omission.

[@Dougfrilled]

Never heard about these things before. Surprising there’s not more public knowledge about them. Very fascinating.

[@123bwlch]

Agree Doug, love bits of new history shared.

[@anthonymarsh4956]

It would spark immigration debate

[@Sokol10]

Funny thing is that despite living in Brazil, I read about those buoys in 1970's, in some history book.

[@skyedog24]

I thought I had pretty much everything about WWII down pat. It's always great to hear something new.

[@dickgenitalia1506]

Fantastic work. I’ve been a student of military history for more than 40 years & I’ve never heard of these buoys. Very well done my good man.

[@FKBiden666]

I don’t know why but something about a little floating house in the middle of an ocean is so freaking cool. Super interesting great video. I would’ve love to use one of these

[@kristinjohnson3655]

Until you barf on your shoes……

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

@@kristinjohnson3655 exactly. It is difficult for me to become seasick, but I'm sure I'd be sick one one of these

[@Federico0]

Get a sailboat then!

[@tcg1_qc]

@@Federico0 not everyone is rich

[@dorothydavis7266]

PNW, I suggest you search YT for "frying pan tower" - it's an old coast guard lighthouse station sat here 35 miles off our coast in NC. The guy who bought it is turning it into a bed and breakfast and is restoring it, currently.

[@johninnh4880]

I've watched many many hours of WWII documentaries and this is the first time I've seen these. Live and learn. An excellent idea. Would be good to have one of these in a movie about the air war and their value in saving pilots and bomber crewmen.

[@1bert719]

One is featured in the John Mills film "We dive at dawn" and "one of our aircraft is missing" both well worth a watch.

[@johninnh4880]

@@1bert719 Thank you for this information! I will look for these 2 movies and watch them. Again thank you. 👍💪🇺🇦💕

[@kishascape]

This would be something actually useful for once for peppers to have. Buy one of these surplus and stash it in the pond or lake by your house and maybe even camouflage it.

[@ThePersonToBlame]

Good information, thank you sir.

[@gregredman6982]

There was at least one British WW2 film made where they show one of these being used by a downed RAF crew. But for the life of me I can't recall what the damn thing was called! If you look at Talking Pictures, (Sky 328), they always have old films on, hence the name! As well as documentaries from the period etc. They seem to rotate on a 2 or 3 week cycle, so it'll come round again.

[@andystevenson5067]

I’ve been a huge WWII history buff for over five years now and what I love and what blows my mind is how I learn something new every week like this is so cool and I had no idea existed

[@That_Guy5575]

Criminally underrated channel. Please never stop what you're doing :)

[@Dan_Yerlll]

He’s getting a lot of new sponsors though

[@anaussiewithcancer9209]

76 years old and still discovering something new to me, well done Calum on an excellent production.

[@coffeepot3123]

What a silly username, but then again so is mine!..

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you! Appreciate the nice comment

[@sean-zl6dy]

I love the consistent interest of this channel and how grounded it feels. More like a friend explaining something he finds interesting than a tedious historical lecture

[@CalumRaasay]

Thanks Sean! Appreciate that

[@davidcox3076]

I've read a bit about these buoys. But your research and presentation really round out their history. It's hard to imagine all of the air and sea traffic over and in the Channel during the war.

[@MW-on1ft]

Really enjoyed running across this video. I've heard of these rescue bouys in the past so enjoyed this more detailed information. As a sailor I can appreciate what the experience may have been. American but would love to get back to the UK for another visit, so much history in your country.

[@BostonClipper]

The British-designed v-hull would point to weather (direction of the wind) thus taking waves along its longer water line. This would reduce the rocking horse effect. Longer the waterline the more stable the ride. 3 buckets could be for bailing, puking, or perhaps a head (toilet).

[@828enigma6]

Hate to have to go topside, drop one's knickers and hang off the side. In rough sea, there'd be quite a chance of going overboard.

[@BostonClipper]

@@828enigma6 Good point. Not to mention if injured.

[@jeffjohnson5053]

This should NOT be reported! It should be kept a secret for future wars!!

[@eaglechawks3933]

Looking like a boat in the channel at night during wartime might not be the best thing.

[@markblocker4565]

@@eaglechawks3933 , first question there is "friend or foe?"

[@hallstuart6604]

Really top notch quality content Calum! As always! Your channel is a hidden gem on KZbin!

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you Hall! Really appreciate that.

[@jeffjohnson5053]

This should NOT be reported! It should be kept a secret for future wars!!

[@davidmok108]

Agreed! Im so glad that i came across this channel! Cheers from Malaysia 🇲🇾

[@johngalt166]

Never even suspected these resources existed - very very cool. Thanks for posting! Glad to see at least one was preserved, rescued.

[@andrewarthurmatthews6685]

Excellent, interesting and informative video about these survival buoys that I never head about until now. Growing up on the east Kent coast the Maunsell Forts were easily visible on a clear day and have always intrigued me.

[@Electronzap]

That's actually a really cool topic. Search rescues are expensive and humans are hard to see in water. Makes sense to have buoys that survivors can go to and be picked up at.

[@jeremiahshields7827]

You're a bot.

[@cericat]

Sadly the channel is one of the few places they make sense to use, and even then remember they were only deploying them on the regular flight paths. It was good thinking, it's just a pity it's such a location specific thing for its value.

[@grahamleiper1538]

Guessing the one used in the movie was ASR 23 at Newhaven. Can remember seeing the movie years ago so knew the German buoys existed. Didn't know about the British ones, but definitely look easier to get into and more seaworthy. The Unreal engine 3d model is brilliant.

[@bronoun8884]

I got taken inside one of the German ones . I baled didn’t like it one bit I didn’t care how interesting the lower bits would be

[@jeffjohnson5053]

This should NOT be reported! It should be kept a secret for future wars!!

[@Gabcikovo]

This is fantastic. We need more of these now in the online space for all who need it for real

[@Neptune0404]

I have to say, the 3d model was so good that I was surprised when you showed the footage of the real German rescue buoy, because up until that point I though you would eventually talk about the clearly real fully recreated buoy you had both aerial and interior footage of...Which of course was just the 3D model... So yeah, props to Brendon, it convinced me 😅

[@CalumRaasay]

Agreed, Brendons work is unbelievable!

[@Majorite]

Didn't think about it.

[@72mardy]

I thought it was real footage as well

[@Juihi2]

I legit thought it was real footage too!

[@Pimthrow]

Is there a link to his model?

[@papabillydeth4723]

I can’t imagine how amazing it would feel to be stranded and then come across one of these things. Imagine if they had them in the pacific

[@SirWilliamKidney]

Considering the vastness of the Pacific campaign they probably would have needed thousands but yeah what a great find for a downed pilot! A nice little vacation from the war. Honestly I like sleeping in a bobbing ship I think it's relaxing.

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

@@SirWilliamKidney millions

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

@@SirWilliamKidney and with a 20000 foot mooring

[@Jonathan.D]

The thing that comes to mind is being seasick in one of those things. These buoys would make people sick a lot faster than if you were on a boat. It has a lot to do with how short it is and because it's at anchor. It will bob up and down, roll side to side, pitch back and forth, and slowly spin or track left or right. The worst is in a heavy swell when it goes up and it yanks against the moorings. Your body stops but your stomach wants to keep going. All these movements are made worse because you're enclosed in a big metal box and you're stuck in there with all the smells. Hopefully no stinky vom or #2.🤮

[@Sodapop-rd5ku]

Target practice

[@lisaberry7629]

I never knew these ever existed! I can see why you find them so interesting

[@jeffreycrawley1216]

Very impressive research - I actually thought that the computer model was a restored buoy! Kudos to you both.

[@zensmylie5393]

Seeing ASR10 was always one of the highlights of visits to the maritime museum when I was a little younger (5-8ish at the time). At the time it was just it’s boxiness and bright colours I liked but I can definitely appreciate the history and thought that went into them now! Cheers for another fascinating video Callum!

[@zensmylie5393]

*Calum!

[@CalumRaasay]

Weirdly I went when I was young but I don’t remember it at all! Need to go back again, I was in a bit of a rush!

[@dereksmith6126]

Thanks Calum. That was extremely interesting and so well produced. I was aware of the German rescue bouys and have watched One of our Aircraft is Missing on several occasions. However, I didn't know the British produced their own. Unfortunately I am unemployed at the moment, so can only support you by way of encouragement and the small gesture of the thumbs up. I hope your channel grows and grows as content like this deserves to be seen by millions. Again, thank you and good wishes.

[@CalumRaasay]

Don’t ever worry about donating or paying anything my way, kind comments like yours are some of the most valuable things I receive!

[@jamesdavis9036]

Good luck finding work!

[@dereksmith6126]

@@CalumRaasay Thank you Calum. I appreciate the thoughts.

[@dereksmith6126]

@@jamesdavis9036 Thank you James. It's proving very difficult, but the encouragement is much appreciated

[@Reacta-dev]

@@dereksmith6126 I Wish you luck!

[@coltsfan79]

One thing I've always loved is learning history and I found this video fascinating as I'd never heard of these.

[@howardr222]

Great story, I spent a lot of time in Scotland as a submarine officer in the 1980’s retired in 2000. Holyloch, Faslane, Portsmouth in England. Have lots of friends their. Was just in England at the same time the Queen passed. Great video

[@andrewstubson]

Love WWII history and had NEVER heard of these before. Very pleasantly surprised. Great job, keep up the great work!

[@matty6848]

Same here. I’ve read and watched loads on WW2 and I had absolutely no idea these things existed.

[@painmt651]

Same here, and I read/Watch everything about world war one and two. It’s almost inconceivable that I have never heard of them!

[@philipmonsbourgh4396]

Great video Calum - I actually saw a German hexagonal Rescue Bouy 6 weeks ago on holidays on Terschelling - an island just off coast of the Netherlands. Its fully intact and located at The Bunker Museum - in and of itself a fantastic museum showing the extensive network of radar installations to intercept incomng allied aircraft passing overhead on bombing missions. I can highly recommend a visit - its a beautiful island and accessible by ferry from the nearest NL mainland harbour town of Harlingen.

[@amazinghuppifluppi359]

We used to go on summer vacation to Terschelling in the late 80's / early 90's. Then the bunkers were partly dug under sand and mostly left for themselves. However, for me as an about 8 or 10 ten year old boy going into the bunkers as far as you could was the greatest damn thing in the whole vacation. My parents thought different, lol. Good to hear that they made a musem!

[@chrisVNZ]

Thanks for sharing!

[@johnjephcote7636]

Is that not the area where the Lutine sank, with a cargo of Bullion (plus the bell at Lloyds)?

[@0therun1t21]

These are so extremely cool! I bet people would pay to stay in them as a boutique hotel experience, if that hasn't already happened, that is. Having all the vintage goodies or reproductions would sell me on it in a second! Are the buckets emergency toilet substitutes? That's the only thing I can think of. A #1, #2, and a seasick #3. I think I'm with you on the choice of buoy styles.

[@AbiGail-ok7fc]

I'm not sure there will be a lot of interest for hotel rooms without windows, without bathrooms/toilets, and which are continuously moving up and down so everyone will be seasick. And there won't be WiFi nor an outlet to charge your phone!

[@BloodRaven1969]

@@AbiGail-ok7fc A land built reproduction would be a far better option, also easier to maintain and likely cheaper to insure and license. I'd be fine with 'roughing it' but I do see your point for most people these days wanting the comforts, lol.

[@0therun1t21]

@@AbiGail-ok7fc Good points, , it's definitely not for everyone.

[@0therun1t21]

@@lemonshark69 I agree!

[@krisk4513]

Even as a kid I loved cutaway drawings - so cool!

[@jazztymannkoop9974]

Last week I was at the Dutch island of Terschelling in the museum at the island they have fully restored one of these things. Some surface damage is seen from the shooting practice of the RAF but it looks just like it's painted brand new. It stranded in 1942 or 1943 I believe but sunk into the sand at the beach and they only recovered it a couple years ago and decided to place it in the local museum.

[@ThierryWernaers]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHqvlqSEh6anrLM

[@robgraham5697]

That was fascinating. I knew about these buoys. My father had a book turned out by the RAF during WWII. About Late 42-early 43 I figure. It had the Westland Whirlwind in it, and the Beaufighter but not the Mosquito. There was a drawing of the exterior/cutaway interior of one of these buoys in it. Thank you for supplying the history of these interesting devices.

[@CalumRaasay]

Ah facinating, do you remember if it was a different illustration to the ones I used in my video?

[@robgraham5697]

@@CalumRaasay Yes, it was. The perspective was from the starboard side of the bow, rather than port of your illustration. It did have the same picture of the pilot in the raft.

[@locutus155]

Ah yes, the Westland Whirlwind, one of the biggest fuck ups that Westland produced.

[@pliny-vc8876]

Fantastic documentary. Your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. What started as a 2 second YT flick ended at the end. Love it. GGs fella.

[@jackshittle]

I just learned about these buoys from this video but right from the thumbnail & description I found it highly mysterious & interesting that there was basically floating, stocked shelters that go below the waterline that has all the necessary equipment in it to make one comfortable as can be. I would love to be able to go in one and it's even fun to imagine stumbling onto one while you're in a boat, climbing on board the buoy and going down the hatch to see & utilize the equipment below.

[@philipmylan5075]

Excellent video, one of your best so far! I think this is a fascinating subject. I've spent years sailing past lonely bouys, beating away in the waves out there, and wondered what it would be like to spend some time on one.

[@CalumRaasay]

Thank you Philip, this was a nightmare to pull together! A lot of research, in person stuff, drawings, 3D models. Means a lot that you think it all worked!

[@ericconnor8419]

I'm surprised you resisted temptation to climb aboard

[@WanJae42]

Thank you for exploring one of my favorite topics that doesn't get enough attention -- doesn't even have its own name -- portable / emergency / modular / purpose manufactured habitat

[@CalumRaasay]

TOTALLY agree! There’s so much out there that doesn’t get explored on the subject

[@COMMANDER-ONE]

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing this

[@BrushCountryAg06]

I wonder if there was ever a case where a British and a German pilot both got to share one of these at the same time together before being rescued.

[@202reece5]

Would make for an interesting short film.

[@exerminator2000]

Talk about an awkward situation

[@NoNickNoKick]

probably that happened, before british had their own air-rescue service, they had to rely almost entirely on german rescue buoys to survive. Most likely the first one/s to reach the buoys killed the other/s, or the first patrol boat to arrive rescue their pilot and capture the other. If I recall only at the beggining of the war 2 british pilots of a B-24 Skua fighter that crashed team up with 3 german pilots of a gunned down Heinkel He 111 in Norway. They managed to agree they needed to team up to survive the harsh enviroment of the mountain. There's a movie based on it, called "Into the White".

[@VulpisFoxfire]

@@NoNickNoKick I know that in WWI there was a certain level of 'gentleman's agreements' between both sides on situations like this. Not sure how much of that carried over to WWII, though.

[@MrOshirinoana]

Brokeback Buoy

[@slick_slicers]

Fascinating! My family contained four airmen in WWII. Sadly two crashed and were killed (2 brothers, one killed in December 1943, the other in Jan 44). Neither landed at sea, but if they had, I bet they’d be pleased to see one of these!

[@CalumRaasay]

A lot of my family served at sea and I’m naked for a grand uncle who was lost, it’s just terrible how many were lost and how many families decimated by it all.

[@slick_slicers]

@@CalumRaasay my family were all airmen from WWI on, but I chose the Royal Navy!

[@camelthegamer7165]

@@slick_slicers The Navy's Here!

[@philhawley1219]

@@camelthegamer7165 As the lads said when HMS Cossack captured the Altmark!

[@jonathanrichards593]

@@CalumRaasay Umm, probably *named*, I guess. And hope. Oddly, so am I - named for a great-uncle lost at sea, I mean, but a generation earlier - He went down with HMS Monmouth, lost with all hands at the Battle of Coronel.

[@gerrystuart9808]

I remember seeing one of the German types in the warlord comic when I was younger, it made me think that this was what buoys were used for back then. It's quite sad that not a lot of them have survived.

[@samboslc]

Amazing concept and an unbelievable discovery of WW2 history. No matter what the rescue or survival rates, when a downed airman entered one of these, it gave hope of survival.

[@ceirwynsinclair4198]

Oh wow Brendon's work is amazing! Just took some time to explore his portfolio too. Kudos!

[@CalumRaasay]

He's amazing!

[@LumoizeArts]

You're gonna make me cry, Thank you so much!!

[@johncoleman6927]

TL;DR I was inside that specific buoy you showed. I used to work at a museum that had one of these of the british variety that was shaped like a boat, I even went inside and it was either stripped or just hollow, I assume it was stripped but it has no space for an engine and had easy access into it from the water at the rear, I think the fact it had a deck would have been very welcome to anyone unlucky enough to become occupants as inside was very warm even on a mild Scottish summer day. It was painted orange so you could easily find it in open water, its strange being in a boat essentially that has not function but to sit still and be occupied. Edit: this particular one was deployed in the pacific theatre as far as I'm aware so it wasnt just the channel and is why I mention heat being an issue. OH MY GOD DUDE I WATCHED THE VIDEO AND THATS THE FUCKING ONE I WAS INSIDE MY GOD!!!!!! Thats the museum I worked at too LOL

[@civmike]

Awesome 😎

[@juliogonzo2718]

Haha the end of your post made me laugh 🤣 must have gave you goosebumps when you saw it was the same one

[@JohnKennedy-ll5hp]

Loved this, thanks Calum. Great video, looking forward to watching a few more now

[@waynemathias8074]

Splendid video, Calum! After decades of studying WW2, it's a treat to learn something new, esp. when it was about saving lives. I knew about the RAF's high-speed rescue boats but not these buoys. Well done!

[@foo-foocuddlypoops5694]

The weird home saga continues! Love learning about all these forgotten bits of genius from wars; I'd definitely enjoy a video on those air-launched lifebuoys.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

Great video and remember that film "one of our planes ...." And the buoy in it. Really interesting and its great some of these life savers still survive.

[@arlekingbaskerville]

you manage to interest me in something i didn't even know exist, for more than 20 minutes. Incredible job and very educative video !

[@AfroMyrdal]

The fact that you "only" have 129k subscribers is just criminally unfair. These videos are SO good! Your voice is just a joy to listen to, and of course extraordinarily handsome 😏

[@ffrreeddyy123456]

The complaint has been made and the queen will be hearing of it. Someone’s losing a job cuz of his lack of subs

[@zzydny]

The board game shown at 5:16 appears to be the six player side of Mensch Argere Dich Nicht (Man, Don't Get Angry). This is considered to be the most popular parlor game in Germany. As the game was in production beginning in 1914, it was distributed to WW1 German soldiers in hospitals so they'd have something to do, and it was also often played in the trenches. No surprise to see it here during WW2, too. Great game to play and, yes, it can make you angry because you can be one move away from winning and still lose! 😅

[@Flarptube]

I spotted that game as well. I have the four person version of that board game and was acquired at some time between the two great wars. It is about the least enjoyable game imaginable and I make my self scarce if a family member suggests that we play. I can’t imagine myself in a buoy under those circumstances wanting to pass the time playing that game. I suspect that if the alcohol ran out, I would be found as the sole survivor should a rescue arrive.

[@newq]

It's a variant of the "cross and circle" game genre, that includes Pachisi, Parcheesi, Sorry! and Ludo. A very ancient family of board games, ultimately originating in India about 3000 years ago.

[@Flarptube]

@@newq So, what you are saying the game has been around for the last three millennia while the soldiers die for what someone else believes in.

[@Brinta3]

I played that game when I was young, though with four sides. “Mens Erger Je Niet” we call it in the Netherlands.

[@newq]

@@Flarptube uhhhhh yes technically that's very true, but no that's not what I'm saying at all....

[@oliabid-price4517]

Superb 3d modelling - outstanding work.

[@MrShiffles]

Fascinating bit of WWII history I never knew about...thanks for taking the time to make this..Cheers!

[@yesiamarussianbot3076]

Great video, the one thing I would like to know extra, is how many pilots made use of them and how many lives were saved by these things.

[@matthewbaumann2583]

This is a very interesting subject. You did a great job presenting it with a lot of background information. They may have been uncomfortable and damp but would be so much better than drowning.

[@nippon19]

Super cool video, never heard about those, and thanks to your buddy for this incredible 3d model !

[@tangyorange6509]

Your channel has made me realize what exactly I love about old things-creative ways engineers got around problems. There are so many things I discover working in a museum that is lost to time, and your channel does a great job at bringing these to a large audience. Cheers from Chicago

[@CalumRaasay]

Same! Such a niche solution to a problem that wouldn’t even exist outside the battle of British!

[@williamdejeffrio9701]

Fascinating! Never heard of these until now. Extremely well-documented.

[@craigapache8639]

I’m impressed… and for that you get my like, follow, and subscription. I look forward to seeing what new stuff you end up doing while I also go through your old catalog of past videos. Cheers from Montreal Canada 🇨🇦

[@thebartonsisters1]

What a brilliantly done video. Thank you so much. This was all new to me and I found it fascinating. An old lady in Oklahoma. 😊

[@larryowsowitz2274]

I had heard of these rescue buoys when I was a a boy in the 1960s and am grateful for your video. I had thought that almost all buoys were equipped that way.

[@irock7900]

Very well done, I'm a big WW2 fan as I lived in post war Germany from 1958-1962. Never knew about such craft, thank you very much, learn something new every day!

[@l5epilot73]

Thank you for this fantastic video! I have been involved with WWII aircraft for over 40 years and I have never heard of these rescue buoys before. This was very educational and quite fascinating!

[@thomasbyg4795]

Love the 3-D illustration in this. Reminds me of a story on designing super compact designs for 1st class airline in Vanity Fair. Wish that had those illustrations...lol...

[@thomasott5899]

Thanks for making this video. This was an area I never encountered before. Great job on the research and models. I hope you are able to visit the German buoy soon. I have to wonder if there are any living survivors who once used one of these rescue buoys.

[@MikaTheAboveAverageDog]

How the heck... Do you find these kinds of things... and research them so fantastically?

[@CalumRaasay]

Hahaha lots and lots of books!

[@Brave_Sir_Robin]

Wow, I had never known about these- yet it seems like such a straightforward, logical, and simple idea. You’re a more in depth Mark Felton!

[@hello_there3528]

Indeed! But, don't cast Mark Felton aside; his videos are shorter. But, his voice is a bit dull

[@deanpd3402]

I was thinking about Mark while I was watching this video. Mark digs up so many topics including the obscure but Calum has outdone Prof. Mark!

[@Ronin4614]

Thank you for the time for research, production, and presentation of such a comprehensive video. 👍👍

[@paulsteele8614]

This is a brilliant idea all together

[@stanrgertz5404]

A very interesting part of WWII. I had heard of these rescue pods once when I was a child. And the war was still in progress. I appreciate this video . This fills in the blank space my mind of what I missed when told about these floating hotel. Fantastic video. Thank You!

[@gresvig2507]

That's freaking fascinating-- I had no idea such things existed. Now I want one.

[@peglegjim57]

My father served on a Tin Can, in the North Atlantic & European theater (including Normandy) through the entirety of WWII. I remember him mentioning these, but that was it. This excellent (!) video answers a lot of things I never even considered. I just discovered this channel, and think it’s totally worth a “Subscribe”. Looking forward to checking out your other work. 😎

[@carsonmetanczuk6548]

@calum Lovely video! Not sure if its been mentioned here yet but the ship looks like the Parizhskaya Kommuna in the advert you pointed out, which was famously involved in the Kronstadt Rebellion of 1921 :) Thanks for your amazing content!

[@jessemilstead810]

This was such a awesome idea! Always it’s amazing how the Allies would respect them being there and would leave them alone! Not blowing them up or sinking them. Not removing them or taking the soldiers inside waiting to be saved prisoner!

[@King_Flippy_Nips]

there were wartimes laws against such things, anything with the red + medical symbol or H hospital boats were not to be attacked.

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

I remember learning about WWII through the Colditz series on BBC in the 70s. This is great stuff.

[@1Chitus]

Becoming quite a fan of this channel, ww2 videos are especially good. Perhaps you could look into the different and strange types of ships that have been built over the years.

[@acrispywaffleiron4014]

When I was a smol human being like many of you reading this were, I read some story books about RAF pilots. The stories included I think 1 squadron and a young boy who liked to visit the pilots and the base. I remember reading one of the stories and in it the commanding officer of the squadron is shot down over the channel and finds one of these buoys. He actually meets a German pilot who found the buoy as well (can't remember who found it first). From the little I can remember the two got along and when a German patrol found them, the German pilot hide his advisory in order for his to evade capture. The British Airman is eventually found by his side at the end of the story. I wrote this because no one else was really mentioning it so I was wondering if those books existed or not.

[@TheFatNumpty]

I really don’t know why it’s taken so long for this awesome content to appear in my feed, but I’m glad it has! Really appreciate the polished and comprehensive nature of this, you clearly know how to edit and produce! And all on a subject that’s been crying out for something just like what you’ve made here, top effort and it’s earned a sub from me off the bat 👍👍👍

[@snorkythepig4494]

Well done, Calum, great video. I think you are most likely right suggesting that the buoy in the Powell and Pressburger film was a re-used German version. The list of British buoys had ASR 23 as one of the ex-German buoys and the film version was also numbered 23.

[@omarsalam6932]

I live in Irvine and have always wondered what the story was with the ASR, job done and thankyou

[@graemestansfield6170]

It is really interesting about the Buoys being used in WW2. I never knew about that when I was growing up.

[@wildernessfieldjournal8211]

What a hidden gem of ww2 history! I've never heard of these rescue boyes before, even after years of studying the war. Just fascinating! I can't stop thinking of what it must have been like to be shot down and find yourself swimming near one of these. Then to spend the night in one, warm and dry and thinking about your fate. Uncomfortable for sure but lucky to be alive. Thank you so much for sharing this hidden piece of history in such detail. Nicely done.

[@benbrummitt7953]

Thank you! I too have been fascinated by these for years, a great video really fleshes them out. I had no idea the RAF copied the concept

[@StrudlePie]

Another bloody brilliant video Calum! Keep them comin lad!!

[@johnperkins7401]

Amazing Stuff. Thanks for all your hard work on this.

[@_snaiio5492]

Fascinating; very well researched and presented Calum - thanks!

[@mikebennett6713aceadventures]

This was incredibly interesting, I never knew this existed. Thank you for the video. Love history and you did an outstanding job. Well done