Lord Flashheart
Well-Known Member
An excellent thread Smithy and very well worth it.
Shame that Søren no longer hangs around here as he would love this, a very famous image that ran in Life, the South African ace Albert "Zulu" Lewis of 85 Sqn.
Søren actually wrote a book on Zulu and self published it with only a handful of copies, I was one of the lucky ones who he gave a copy to!
Are you in contact with Soren Smithy? Very nice guy, and I for one would love to know how his Irvin's are doing! That Aces High jacket he had was a stunner. I wonder what it's like now?
He's good, just spoke to him recently. His son lives in London so he's actually over in the UK each year for a spell. His Aces High really is the bee's knees! He's still very interested in the Battle of Britain but has also developed an interest in the Highland regiments in WWII.
And you're right he is one of the most loveliest people you could meet. My wife and I stayed at his house just outside KBH and the generosity that he and Dorthe his wife showed us was truly humbling.
When we manage to lose people like Soren it really worries me. Wish him well from a forum member who remembers him when you next catch up please. Cheers mate
Here's one of my very favourite images and some might recognise it as my avatar from awhile back.
An unknown Sgt Pilot from 610 Sqn, July 1940.
James Harry "Ginger" Lacey, 501 Sqn pilot and second-highest scoring pilot of the Battle of Britain:
Be aware that some list him as third.
Ginger got trotted out by Triumph in the early 1970s for the marketing of the Spitfire sports car. He was in print and TVC advertising for them.
He didn't write a memoir but Richard Townsend Bickers wrote a bio of him in the 60s, cheap as chips on the secondhand market.
Two who did fly in the BoB and also against the Japanese and wrote about it were Spud Spurdle (The Blue Arena) and Tim Vigors (Life's Too Short To Cry). Both are damn good reads.
I've just got "the Blue Area". Next in the pile of books to read. Thanks for the recommendation, btw!