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Patrick Crew
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
 Posted - 31/07/2014 : 21:10:02
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| Tim one of the Fly Navy Trustees rang to say that the pilot Chris Gotke, who we met yesterday, demonstrated a supreme amount of skill, flying the aircraft away from the public before landing, knowing that the undercarriage had not locked down. The aircraft they believe is repairable. |
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Vitesse
United Kingdom
234 Posts |
Posted - 31/07/2014 : 21:49:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Patrick Crew
Without giving all the story away, his Magna (and we think it was a L1) made it back to the UK eventually from France, two months after Eric made the crossing over from Calais, in late 1939. The RAC bought it across for him!!, he is their oldest living and driving member.
The RAC bringing it back isn't all that surprising. By the end of August 1939 there was an enormous backlog of British cars awaiting transport home. The streets of every Channel port were lined with parked cars with British plates! The official advice was to leave your car keys with the RAC and AA offices in the ports and in due course you'd get your car back - when space could be found on a ferry. There's an article by Robert Fellowes in The Motor of September 5th 1939 which includes pictures, showing the chaos of the frantic retreat from Europe! He and his companion had to leave an SS100 behind. I believe WO Bentley had the same problem and had to leave his Lagonda in France too. |
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Patrick Crew
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 31/07/2014 : 22:05:37
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| Vitesse, logical when you think about it, was with Edmund King at the weekend talking about AA archives, will ask him how many cars made it back. |
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Vitesse
United Kingdom
234 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2014 : 11:28:39
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| As I understand it, all regular ferries were suspended on September 4th and replaced by a convoy system, which operated on the Newhaven-Dieppe route only, so it probably took a while to sort it all out! |
Edited by - Vitesse on 01/08/2014 11:34:19 |
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Patrick Crew
United Kingdom
4 Posts |
Posted - 13/03/2015 : 13:24:50
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| Folks, thank you for your patience, the article is now written and all being well will be in next month's Octane, my thanks again to Donald and to Richard for getting a car to Yeovilton for the shoot. |
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correlejco
United Kingdom
251 Posts |
Posted - 20/03/2015 : 12:00:42
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Taking a British - registered car to Nazi Germany with an 'SS' registration?
Shades of a certain Mr Clarkson in Argentina?
But it seems Eric didn't create an international incident or suffer public vilification.
Just an off-topic idle thought....
John - 1934 NA0492 - AOE877 |
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