Dambuster's Raid Ride.

[Salsprocket]

Interesting to see this thread as I've just read Barnes Wallis's biography. I knew about the bouncing bomb, Dambusters etc but had never heard of the the Tall-boys bombs before reading the book.
Have sat many times admiring the Dambusters memorial in Woodhall - and I recommend a visit to Just Desserts cafe which is just back up the road in the Horncastle direction - nice coffee, HUGE toasted teacakes and home made ice cream. Very welcoming to cyclists and a sunny area to sit outside (unless it's raining of course ).

And I have always wondered why that Wellington monument was put up in the middle of a field. And why Wellington - was he connected to Woodhall?

 

[Ian Raleigh]

I have always wondered why that Wellington monument was put up in the middle of a field. And why Wellington - was he connected to Woodhall?

I'd be 100% sure in saying that a Vickers Wellington bomber would have crashed very near to the monument,
It might not be connected to Woodhall as many bombers during WWII either leaving or returning from a sortie
crashed all over the uk, either from flak damage to engine failure or a more common problem was flying in fog
and unable to land, eventually running out of fuel and crashing.


Ian.

 

[Salsprocket]

Oh and there was me thinking it was Wellington the man not Wellington the bomber. Trouble is there's no plaque and the thing is so tall you can't see whose head is at the top!


(Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with cycling. Nothing really, but I have cycled past the monument a lot of times if that counts!! ).

 

[Ian Raleigh]

(Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with cycling. Nothing really, but I have cycled past the monument a lot of times if that counts!! ).

Your wrong! This is cycling at its best and to take in the surroundings instead of your head buried into the handlebars

So you have learned about the Tall-Boy then !!

At RAF Scampton they used to have a de-fused one in front of an Avro Lancaster and when the Lanc'
was sold the C in C of Scampton said he no-longer wants that bomb in front of Scampton, so ground
crew set about removing it for display at RAF Consingby, ground crew went to an officer and asked if the
bomb was de-fused? The officer replied yes it was de-fused in the late forties, Well said one of the ground crew
That bomb still has its fuse in place!!!!! It turns out the bomb had never been made safe and still had its fuse and detonator
and still full of cordite, the bomb over the years had been painted over many times which made it a ticking time bomb
which never went off and was eventually de-fused by the 'bomb squad' and made safe, its now on display outside the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight.

If it had exploded it would have blown up half of RAF Scampton and taken all its hangers with it.

For some who don't know what a Tall-Boy looks like.....

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image ... 7d4401cc05

 

[roadking]

I have always wondered why that Wellington monument was put up in the middle of a field. And why Wellington - was he connected to Woodhall?

I'd be 100% sure in saying that a Vickers Wellington bomber would have crashed very near to the monument,
It might not be connected to Woodhall as many bombers during WWII either leaving or returning from a sortie
crashed all over the uk, either from flak damage to engine failure or a more common problem was flying in fog
and unable to land, eventually running out of fuel and crashing.
Ian.

Way off mark.

This Wellington memorial is dedicated to the man NOT a crashed"Wimpy", wrong century, wrong war. Many obelisks like this one were erected to the great man after his defeat of Napoleon, and this monument is in an Oak wood planted with acorns gathered in 1815.

History lesson over and it has everything to do with cycling, because unless you're racing you should be enjoying your surroundings and maybe even learning (heaven forbid) something along the way.

Roadking.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Way off mark.

This Wellington memorial is dedicated to the man NOT a crashed"Wimpy", wrong century, wrong war.
Many obelisks like this one were erected to the great man after his defeat of Napoleon, and this monument is in an Oak wood planted with acorns gathered in 1815.

History lesson over and it has everything to do with cycling, because unless you're racing you should be enjoying your surroundings and maybe even learning (heaven forbid) something along the way.

Roadking.

Oh OK

I've actually searched for the memorial but couldn't find the thing, but it would still be good to find it and have a look.

Around Lincolnshire there are dozens of memorials dedicated to lost aircrew and their aircraft so i assumed it was of a crashed Wimpy.

Ian.

 

[Salsprocket]

Well, the old saying is true - you learn something new every day.


And it's one of the many things I love about cycling in Lincolnshire - it has all sorts of monuments, memorials and ancient ruins spread across the country side. I've lost count of the number of times we've been cycling along and come across a war-time memorial in the middle of nowhere or a ruin of an abbey in a field.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

And it's one of the many things I love about cycling in Lincolnshire - it has all sorts of monuments,
memorials and ancient ruins spread across the country side. I've lost count of the number of times we've been
cycling along and come across a war-time memorial in the middle of nowhere or a ruin of an abbey in a field.

Have you ever wandered around the ruins of the castle near East Kirkby In Lincolnshire ? I think its call 'Bolingbroke' or something like that :?

 

[Salsprocket]

That must be Old Bolingbroke; I think the castle belonged to one of the Henry's - poss Henry II? It's a proper ruin that you can walk round any time. Nice pub in the village - The Black Horse and a couple of steepish hills to work off the pint of beer afterwards (cos we all know Lincolnshire is really flat :roll: ) !

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Showed my family that ruin last year and had a good neb' around it and to the front of it, on the moat side
I spotted a large hole in the wall and i joked to my young daughter about it having big spiders in it :roll: Well
I placed my hand in the hole and 'cleverly' acted a fool and dragged out the biggest spiders nest I had ever seen
and what was on the back of my hand was the biggest bloody spider I have ever seen in my life! I myself shit meself
shaking and rubbing my arm in the long grass watching my family run off and the wife calling me a bloody fool.