[Legio LXXII]

Historians in Poland have discovered the wreckage of a World War II RAF Halifax bomber along with the remains of its British and Canadian crew.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6201286.stm

[STARMAN 352ND]

Wow .....They found another Halifax.
Thanks for posting this.
JP

[Black 6]

I found this particularly interesting as I had just read about these flights into Poland during the Warsaw uprising in a book I got on Ebay. The book is titled "Looking Into Hell - Experiences of the Bomber Command War" and contains several interesting accounts of missions flown by Bomber Command crews.

The flights into Warsaw, and this found bomber was one from 148 Sqn., flew with virtually no support to the city to drop much needed supplies to the Polish partisans. The flights were opposed by the Russians (who didn't want Poland to have a standing "army" when they eventually took over, and actually assisted the Nazis with information to help them quell the uprising). Flight crews were not allowed to land in Russian territory should they be shot down or have mechanical problems. If they did they risked prison or worse.

In all, the crews bravely performed high risk missions to Warsaw with little support from home and none from the Russian "allies."

[parsig9]

Seems diecast isn't the only aviation hobby that is booming. There must be dozens of aircraft being restored around the world right now. Great for us!

Wish something like this was going on near me.

That business about the Polish relief effort being undermined by the Russians just burns me. Yet another reason to hate the Russian leadership over the last 60+ years.
Churchill should have made FDR and Stalin disappear at Yalta...Hoffa style.

[SKUNKY]

Originally Posted by Legio LXXII

Historians in Poland have discovered the wreckage of a World War II RAF Halifax bomber along with the remains of its British and Canadian crew.

...still waiting for the punch line...

[mustangdriver]

I wonder what their plans are going to be with this one.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by SKUNKY

...still waiting for the punch line...

Skunky, are not YOU supposd to provide the punch line?

[MoMo]

Thanks for the interesting posting, Legio LXXll.

I remember reading the account of the how Churchill pleaded with the USSR's envoys to Britain at the time and also about what terrible pressure was brought to his burden by the Polish Goverment in exile in London. FDR could have intervened more, but he was a sick man.

The sad truth is that the Poles were bottom of the list when it came to consideration. In the scheme of things the alliance with Stalin came first.

In the end, Churchill fell out with the London Poles and there was little that could be done to help the poles fighting in Warsaw. Ironic when you consider that Hitler's assault on Poland promped Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

I feel that the brave fliers from Canada and Britain were sacrificed in a gesture which only makes me sorry that Stalin isn't here so that I could kick his arse royally!

MoMo

[Bluenosed Bastard]

Sounds as if the crews who were shot down were better off landing in German hands rather than the Ruskies????

[Black 6]

Originally Posted by Bluenosed Bastard

Sounds as if the crews who were shot down were better off landing in German hands rather than the Ruskies????

The book I mentioned in my earlier post stated that the bomber crews were advised to give themselves up to the Germans rather than fight or be "rescued" by the Polish partisans. If they were found in their company they would be executed (many were). The book didn't directly indicate a similar fate should you fall into Russian hands - but it still didn't sound like you would be welcomed with open arms as an ally and you certainly wouldn't be given much in the way of assistance.