The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British
Twin-engine medium
bomber operated by the RAF
They
came into service at the outbreak of WW2
It
was retired from Bomber Command in late 1942
By
1943 it was superseded by the larger bombers
Like
the four-engine heavy Avro Lancaster
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle
Was
a twin-engine British transport aircraft
And
was one of the aircraft which entered service
With
the Royal Air Force during the Second World War
It
was originally planned to fulfil a bomber role
But
was re-tasked for aerial reconnaissance and transport
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley
Was
a British twin-engine medium/heavy bomber
In
service with the RAF at the outbreak of WW2
By
1942 it was superseded by the larger bombers
Like
the four-engine heavy Avro Lancaster
They
still retained a role in the war effort
As
maritime reconnaissance with Coastal Command
A
glider-tug, trainer and as a transport aircraft
The Gloster Gladiator was a British
It is a
single-seat biplane fighter
Operated by
the Royal Air Force
And saw action in
almost all theatres
During the Second
World War
The Gloster Sea Gladiator was a British
It
is a single-seat biplane fighter
Operated
by the Fleet Air Arm
And
saw action in almost all theatres
During
the Second World War
The Bell P-39 Airacobra was the principal
American
Fighter when the USA entered combat
A
small number were operational with the RAF
They
soon reached obsolescence in Europe
And
the remaining stock were sold to the USSR
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British
Two-seat
single-engine turret fighter
Which
served with the Royal Air Force
As
a day and night interceptor fighter
It
was nicknamed “Daffy” by pilots
By
mid-1942 it was replaced by faster
Better
performing night fighters, but
Continued
to be useful in gunnery training,
Target
towing, electronic countermeasures,
And air-sea
rescue until the end of the war
Died: 5 June
1963, Cork, Ireland
Belgian born
Adrian Carton de Wiart
Was from an
aristocratic family
But was educated
in England
And was an officer
in the British Army
He was a career soldier
who served
In the Second Boer
War, and India
During World War I
he fought
In the Somaliland
campaign
Battles of the
Somme, Passchendaele
Cambrai and the
Battle of Arras
Between 1918 and
1921
He was involved in
the wars
Between Poland and
the Soviets,
Ukrainians and Lithuanians
He retired from the Army in 1923
For the life of a
Polish Gentleman
But after 15
peaceful years
World War 2 loomed
large
And he fought with
the Poles
During the German
invasion
Before he was
recalled to Britain
And soon had a
significant role
In Britain’s
Norwegian campaign
Then a brief spell
in Northern Island
His next mission
was to Yugoslavia
He flew from Malta
after refuelling
But both engines
failed, and they crashed
Off the coast of
Libya and were captured
During his two
years of captivity
He made numerous
escape attempts
In the end he was
released by the Italians
Two years later to
act as an envoy
In prelude of an
Italian surrender
Then at Winston
Churchills behest
He was sent to
communist China
During the Second
Sino-Japanese War
As Churchills
personal representative
And stayed until
1947 when he retired
Despite being
offered a job
By the Chinese
leader Chiang Kai-shek
Carton de Wiart
suffered numerous
Injuries by enemy
shot and shell
During his long
military career
To his head, face,
stomach, groin,
Ankle, leg, hip
and arms
And survived two
plane crashes
He lost an eye and
part of his ear
In the Somaliland
campaign
And his left hand
at the Battle of Ypres
In recognition of
his distinguished service
His awards are as
numerous as his scars
He was Mentioned
in Despatches,
Received The
Victoria Cross,
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire,
Companion of the Order of the Bath,
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
The Polish Virtuti Militari,
The Belgium Croix de guerre
And the French
Legion of Honour
And the Croix de
Guerre
When they hear the recruiter’s call
And they take the
King’s shilling
They’re trained and
uniformed
And marched towards the killing
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Or as the RAF preferred the Dakota
Was a military transport aircraft
A successful development
From the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner
A valuable asset to the Allies
During World War II
And like the Hercules
The Dakota’s uses
Were too numerous to mention
And it would be easier to list
What the Dakota can’t do
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa
Was a British World
War II
Troop-carrying glider
Used for air assault
by British
And allied armed
forces
Like other British
gliders
Of the Second World
War,
Gliders were named
After military figures
Whose name began with
H,
So it was named after
Horsa,
The legendary 5th
century
Jutish Conqueror of
southern Britain.
But on D-Day 1944
The Horsa showed
It was not a conqueror
But a liberator of
Europe
The General Aircraft
GAL.48 Hotspur
Was a military glider
Commissioned at the
behest
Of the then Prime
Minister
Winston Churchill
In order to transport
Airborne assault
troops into battle
The Hotspur was the
result
But its tactical
limitations
Meant it was only used
for training
The General Aircraft
GAL. 49 Hamilcar
Was a large British
military glider
Produced during World
War II
Commissioned at the
behest
Of the then Prime
Minister
Winston Churchill
In order to transport
Airborne assault
troops
And heavy cargo into
battle,
When completed
The Hamilcar was
capable
Of transporting heavy
equipment
In support of airborne
troops.
The glider could
transport
A single light tank
Or two Universal
Carriers.
Hamilcars were only
used
On three occasions,
But only in support
Of British airborne
forces.
They first saw action
in June 1944
Transporting anti-tank
guns
Assorted armoured
Vehicles
And Tetrarch light
tanks
Into Normandy during
Operation Tonga
They were used in a
similar way
During Operation
Market-Garden
And finally in March
1945
During Operation
Varsity
When they landed in
Germany
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Is a four-engine
turboprop
Military transport
aircraft
An uncomplicated work
horse
Take-offs and landings
Can be made on any
unprepared ground
And its uses are too
numerous to mention
In fact, it would be
easier to list
What the Hercules can’t do
The Waco CG-4A
Was the most widely
used
Troop/cargo military
glider
Of World War II
Named the Hadrian
The English Electric Lightning
Was a supersonic jet
fighter
From the days of the
Cold War
Noted for its great
speed
The only all-British
Mach 2 fighter
And the first in the
world
Capable of Supercruise
Renowned for its
interceptor capabilities
The Lightning was the
best of the best
The Avro Vulcan
Was an RAF
Delta Wing strategic
bomber
And was the backbone
of the Uks
Airborne nuclear
deterrent
During a long period
Of the Cold War
It carried no
defensive weaponry
So had to rely on its
high-speed
And high-altitude
flight
To evade interception
Until the advent
Of Electronic
countermeasures
And although it spent
Much of its career
Armed with nuclear
weapons
The Vulcan was still
capable
Of performing
conventional
Bombing missions
A fact underlined
Very effectively in
1982
When it was used in
Operation Black Buck
During the Falklands
War
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Was a World War II
American fighter
aircraft
With distinctive twin
booms
And one central nacelle,
Housing the cockpit
The P38 was nicknamed
The "fork-tailed
devil"
By Luftwaffe Pilots
It was the very
definition
Of versatility in fact
it had it all
And was in the thick
of it
From Pearl Harbour
To Victory over Japan
Day
The Short S.25 Sandringham
Was a medium range
British civilian flying
boat
Converted from Shorts
Sunderland
And replaced the Short
Empire
Carrying passengers
and mail
Between Britain and
the British colonies
The Short Empire
Was a medium range
Four engine monoplane
flying boat
Carrying passengers
and mail
Between Britain and
the British colonies
