Warbird Information Exchange

Have just been reading a very interesting book called ' We Landed by Moonlight' , about secret RAF landings in France.

I didn't realize that these missions weren't just for secret agents, quite a few downed US and RAF aircrew were picked up as well by Lysander. Must have been quite a squash in the back !

Always thought that story would make a good movie. Quite daring, hush, hush, secret, so secret almost no-one knows about it still!

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The book is by Hugh Verity, one of the original Lysander pilots. The Lysander's a bigger and more powerful aircraft than many people realise, and could take two or three in the rear cockpit relatively easily. I think six was the max brought out, that including a couple of infants.

Hugh decided to correlate the full story of the units' work, and compiled what is essentially the definitive account; due to some double and triple agents, not an easy thing to do.

They also used Lockheed Hudsons - on occasion getting bogged and being pulled out by bullocks before the Germans arrived. Trying full power to get unstuck (on the Hudson, although a bull at full power's pretty noisy too) must've woken the surrounding areas for quite a ways. They got away with it.

They also used Dakotas (C-47) as well.

The aircraft were meant to be used by the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and SIS (MI-5 - Britain's secret service) but these operators were often in conflict, unofficially in turf wars, officially the MI-5 spies needed no disruption to do their work, SOE were charged by Churchill to 'set Europe ablaze' and so were rather 'disruptive'. Aircrew, unless involved in saboutage or spying were a secondary priority for recovery, although the units (161 Sqn and 138 Sqn) did like to bring back any of their own aircrew that had been let down!

It was filmed as 'Now it Can Be Told' a wartime film (1944) using genuine agents, dispatchers and officers, aircraft (including what is now the RAF Museum's Lysander - the only genuine surviving 161 Sqn example) and equipment. The film is available from the Imperial War Museum's shop. Although pretty clunky in today's terms, it is remarkably accurate for the reasons above.

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Yeah, but to make a movie, you'd have to have a twisted love triangle between the Squadron Commander and some WREN and a Royal Navy Admiral one of whom might be her first cousin, lots of gratuitous air to air battles involving a real mixed bag of different fighters several of which are actually T-6's with different paint jobs. Use 180 horse CUBS as standins for the LYSANDERS painted the accurate bright leaf green over light gray with really washed out blue roundels with bright red centers and yellow surrounds. A 'spur of the moment' attack on the Graf Spee using homemade 15 pound bombs dropped by Tiger Moths flown by volunteer cadets from the Home Guard. The IJN would need to try a flanking maneuver on Wales and of course----have it all solved neatly by Louis Gossett flying the Memphis Belle (no, the fake one) 'can you prop Chuck Heston up enough to get a good camera angle on him flying a SPITFIRE and clutching a flintlock rifle?' This sounds like what we've been looking for to do IRON EAGLE 15

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Making a movie in Europe would be possible, we hope to have to Lyzzies in the air this year.

I never red the Verity's books, but red in one publication from the Sabena Old Timers (owner of one Lysander) than one time, the plane was stick in the mude and one of the resistant came back with two "bulls" to tow it, just hundred meters of a road with germans convoys passing. Unfortunelty, they didn't achieve the pull out the plane and the pilot was forced to stay with the resistance after putting the plane in fire.
Incredible story,

About the "Downed pilots" evasion, I visited last year one of the beach in Britanny where 100+ pilots escape helped by resistant and Royal Navy.
I will try to post some pictures I have

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Sorry for my bad English:-(

Which is why we should be grateful to have one of the most technically and historically accurate war films featuring the real people playing themselves, as in this case.

http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/18400 ... an_Be_Told


Hi Iclo,

Please post your photos, and I look forward to hearing about your end of the 'Lysander renaissance'. With one flying in Canada, one in the UK, we've just had the world population (including Shuttleworth's) of flyers doubled. There's an early Westland built example under rebuild at Duxford, plus the second Canadian example on the way, so the future is looking good.

As to the boggings and bulls - at least one Hudson was successfully 'rescued' by bullocks. There were a number of occasions where aircraft had to be burnt when they couldn't fly out, but I don't recall a scenario with an attempted animal rescue element.

Checking Verity's book, on 8/9 February 1944 a bogged Hudson (pilot Affleck) was successfully flown out after an attempted rescue with oxen and horses as well as passengers and resistance. One of the passengers gave birth in the UK the day after.

On 20/21 Febuary 1943, 'Pick' Pickard's Hudson also got bogged and was rescued by ground help and a team of horses. They hit a tree with the wing on the way out.

In May '42 Lysander was bogged and lost, 11/12 November '43 Robin Hooper landed his Lysander but bogged - he manged to get away after stopping the second Lizzie from landing. However the example you recount is of course the last I look up! It'll be Robin Hooper again, on 16/17 November 1943, whose Lysander was bogged to spat level, in what he called 'a water meadow'. FOUR bullocks were unable to pull the aircraft out, but he added 'the neatest Boche were at least 10 miles away'. Thanks to the brave Belgians, Hooper evaded and made it back to the UK.

Verity's book is highly recommended.

Regards,

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com