Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) 197 Squadron RAF

Driving through the New Forest yesterday on a LogMog run we passed a sign at the side of the road marking the location of RAF Need's Oar Point. Nothing there as it was an auxiliary landing ground occupied by 197 Squadron for a few months in 1944. They flew Hawker Typhoon 1B aircraft, one of my favourites.

I found this link to the squadron website.

197

Some of the pilot's stories make interesting and sobering reading. When the weather is better I'll go back and take a good look.

Have read a few books about the Typhoon and pilots , a tricky plane to fly and obviously the development was plagued with problems !The Panzer chaps hated them !

Peter given your taste in literature i.e. Ernest Gann, you may already have read The Big Show by Pierre Clostermann, a French pilot who flew for the RAF. He flew Spitfires then the Tempest, the development of the Typhoon. I can't recommend it highly enough. Just surviving the aeroplane (2,100 hp H24 Napier engine) was remarkable enough let alone surviving combat.

If anyone else on here has read it, jump inand back me up. Possibly the best book by a combat pilot.

Yep , excellent book , can't put it down !

A great book, I read it and have it, bought in hardback more than 40 years ago. I must re-read it...

The Typhoon was difficult, the Tempest was a brute. Fast, solid but not at all forgiving, always ready to bite.

Bit like a Plus 8.....?

With due respect to the people who went to war on all sides. No one in their right mind chooses to go to war.

My father was one of those the Panzers hated. This is Germany 1944 and he is on his Typhoon in what he described as a rare moment of quiet.



He went on to fly for in the RAF the rest of his life. He would never talk about it with any of us. May all their lives rest in peace. I will see if I can find his logs and work out if it was for 197.

I've read all of Gann's books, Closterman's, and a number of others, all excellent. On a similar vein, Wing Leader by Johnny Johnson was the volume that got me started many years back. Methinks a return to these works is overdue, thanks!

JJ learned to fly in gliders at Melton Mowbray gliding club ! Thank goodness he did this !

That's a great photo Alistair!
Full of character

Yes a great shot!

Thanks.

Dad would never talk about flying Lancasters.

All he would say was" we were freezing cold and scared to death..that's all you need to know".