User talk:PeenemundePigeon

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Notes from current article

Intruder at Wellingore, but what is the reference?

On 8 April he was about to land at Wellingore air base when his fighter was attacked by a Junkers Ju 88 'intruder' flown by Feldwebel Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2, wounding his radar operator Sgt Bell.

references

these are common examples of how to do it! must go into edit mode!!!

Major revision of whole article: comments

Structure

The article's basic structure is based on the articles about Albert Ball and Douglas Bader.

Reliable sources

For Gibson's main biographical details this article refers to the 2 main biographies of Gibson.

Ottaway, Susan (2009). Guy Gibson VC The Glorious Dambuster. Hampshire,London: Speedman Press.

Morris, Richard (1994). Guy Gibson. London: Viking, Penquin Group.

For the Dams Raid it refers to

Sweetman, John (2002). The Dambusters Raid. London: Cassell.

Morris 1994

He interviewd David and Ann Shannon and also Margaret North. Therefore the info about Gibson's relationship with her has been in the public domain for nearly 20 years. The book includes a reconstruction of Gibson's log book based on his own log book and the Squadrons' ORBs.

Ottaway 2009

This is a revision of her earlier 1994 book. She interviewd members of Gibson's family including his sister Joan and his cousin Janet, the daughter of Gibson's maternal aunt, Beatrice "Gwennie" Christopher.

Key points included in the revision

His family

His parents separated. His mother became an alcoholic and was unable to care properly for her children. His school therefore became involved in his general upbringing. His house master became his guardian and organised places to stay during holidays.

Arthur Harris

Gibson came to Harris's attention early in the war. Harris helped his career considerably - command of a Lancaster squadron and then first choice to command the new 617. His support may have cooled after Gibson's Canadian/US tour.

Churchill and politics

Gibson's exposure to Churchill during his Canadian/US tour certainly influenced his decision to enter politics. It is possible it was suggested to Weston that he approach Gibson about standing as a MP in Macclesfield.

Bar to DSO

Gibson was awarded a bar to his DSO in March 1943. It was challenged but Harris confirmed it.

London Gazette references

The references to the LG were correct BUT the LG has changed its website so they have become invalid. They have all been corrected to the new format.

Content from previous version without references

I tried to find references for the following content, but there weren't any in any of the 3 main books. They may be somewhere else, but I haven't got that far yet. I've put the content here for later use/reference

identity of pilot of intruder

On 8 April he was about to land at Wellingore air base when his fighter was attacked by a Junkers Ju 88 'intruder' flown by Feldwebel Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2, wounding his radar operator Sgt Bell.

cygnet aircraft

A General Aircraft Cygnet which he flew twice while at the OTU is preserved at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland.

106 squadron crew

After several operational sorties with 106 Squadron he considered two members of his crew sub-standard and had them replaced. However, when a visiting Air Ministry team considered his 5' 11" tall rear-gunner (Pilot Officer John Wickens) too tall to be a Lancaster gunner, Gibson told them to forget the rules, as his gunner was staying.

golf

Ernest Moore was a keen golfer and invited his new son-in-law to join the Glamorganshire Golf Club as an honorary member. Gibson spent his post-raid leave in Penarth, playing golf most days. While on leave he had a call from the Air Ministry telling him that he had been awarded the VC. His father-in-law Ernest Moore immediately telephoned the steward at the Glamorganshire and asked to him lay on as many drinks as he could find and the whole family went down to celebrate in style at the clubhouse.

Personality

The general view of Gibson as a teenager was that he was unexceptional. Therefore some who knew him from this time found his later success unexpected. His main characteristics seem to have been his determination and thoroughness. He tried hard at most things without excelling at anything either academically or in sports, which formed an important part of life at a public school like St Edward's. He was on the whole good natured and, like his brother, was considered easy going. He seems to have been very much a product of the British class system of the time. People who were his equals or superiors found him open, modest and diffident. Those whom he perceived as beneath him could find him rude and condescending. It is possible he may have learnt this while growing up with servants in India or he changed once he became an officer.

As an officer in the RAF he could by autocratic and the nicknames he acquired bear out how others felt about him such as "Bumptious bastard" and "Boy Emperor".

During his operational career he acquired a reputation for fearlessness. He seems to have channelled his grief felt for lost comrades into what was described at the time as "Hun-hate". He seemed to take the war personally. One outlet for this were some of the personal comments he would add to letters addressed to the next of kin of men he knew who had gone missing.

Peolpe close to him noticed that he started to suffer from combat stress, particularly during his third tour with 106 Squadron.

His new FC, John Searby noted 2 incidents of stress. First meeting, terse, rude, but letters to families of 3 crews. Also during an incident at Nether Wallop. Returned from Turin and fog. Landed. “too bloody safe”. Nurse Margaret North had to hold him while he was shaking.

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