A life time - reflected in scale

Chill out 'n' talk about anything. Have a giggle, play a game or have a rant and try not to fall off the Soap Box. (NOTE Standard Forum Rules apply).
Post Reply
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

A life time - reflected in scale

Post by TeeELL »

I thought I might detail my fathers life and reflect upon it in terms of scale models. This has been bought about by 2 things, the first getting things sorted for his very special birthday in the New Year and my growing collect (well stash) of aircraft flown by my old Sqns - 13 (PR) Sqn, 29(F) Squadron, RAF, 44 (Rhodesia) Sqn, 100 Sqn and 208 Sqn.

To start the ball rolling: on the day my father was born the Great War had been devastating Europe for 2 years and 6 months. The war was being fought on the Western, Southern and Eastern fronts and in the Asiatic and Egyptian theatres. There were no specifically identified events on that day.
Of my units 13 Sqn was flying BE2Cs, 29 Sqn DH2s and 208 Sqn - as 8(Naval) Sqn RNAS - was operational with Sopwith Pups. The date? - 12th January 1917

In the February 100 Sqn (RFC) formed as a night bomber unit with FE2Bs

March saw 29 Sqn (RFC) re-equip with Nieuport 17s

April saw 100 Sqn (RFC) re-equip with BE2s and it was the start of 'Bloody April'!!

This was going on during the first months of my father's life.

More to follow
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
MarkyM607
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 9153
Joined: January 5th, 2013, 1:16 pm
Location: Cambs

Re: A life time in scale

Post by MarkyM607 »

Interesting idea, look forward to seeing it develop. Don't want to pinch ideas but my Mum's dad was born in 1898, he would have been 16 at the start of WWI. Might be worth adapting your idea but again don't want to pinch ideas. :grin:
Hoping to return to modelling sometime this year!! :lol:
Owner of Marky's Model Emporium since 2013!.
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time in scale

Post by TeeELL »

My Paternal grandad was born in 1882! He was a Royal Marine gunner on HMS Hogue an armoured cruiser (back in the day when she was painted in blue and gold etc). He was invalided out before the start of WW1. HMS Hogue and 2 of her sisterships were torpedoed.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
jssel
Still crazy after all these years
Posts: 11975
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm

Re: A life time in scale

Post by jssel »

This is going to be good.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time in scale

Post by TeeELL »

I guess I need to add the extras that make it 'in scale' - 1/72 of course

The BE2C by Airfix
The FE2B by Merlin Models
The Sopwith Pup by Airfix
The Nieuport Scout (as the '17) by Eduard
The DH2 by Revell and Eduard - I was going to bid for one of the latter on eBay last week, but completely forgot about it :-(. It was going to be the first aircraft model of 29 Sqn. I shall just have to keep looking.

Oh, my Grandfather, was a Marine gunner manning a forward 6" gun in a side sponson. HMS Hougue with sister ships Aboukir and Cressy were torpedoed by U-9 on the morning of 22nd Sep 1914. Aboukir was struck, but because no-one expected a submarine attack, it was thought to be a mine. The sister ships stopped to assist at which point U-9 torpedoed them both. Had my Grandfather not been invalided out the Marines before the war, it is just possible I might not have been writing this.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time in scale

Post by TeeELL »

Something I have not covered is ground action. By the time my father was born, the tank had been in service for 5 months and was in it's Mk II guise. Those of you familiar with the British rhomboid tanks will know that the Mk II (and Mk III) were training and development tanks.
Troops had adopted steel helmets. The Somme offensive was over.

Models, of course. The Mk 1 and Mk II tank available in 1/72 from Master Box. The MkII in 1/76 from Airfix (allbeit boxed as a Mk I).

When my father was but 3 months old, the battle of Arras took place. 285,000 casualties, 160,000 British! Scary numbers - there are less than 155,000 total full time army personnel today.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time - reflected in scale

Post by TeeELL »

Roll forward, my father is 3 months old and, as mentioned 'Bloody April' has started. In view of recent events across the pond, I guess I should mention that the USA joins the war.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time - reflected in scale

Post by TeeELL »

My father was approaching his first birthday (Jan 1918) but this is some of the events of December 1917.

3rd December the Battle of Cambrai (1917) ceases.

6th December 19 Gothas and 2 Staaken RIVs took off to undertake a bombing raid on the UK. Of the Gothas, 3 turned back with engine problems, 2 were shot down over the UK. 39 Air Defence sorties were flown by 5 Squadrons (6 by 44 Sqn from Hainault) but none made contact. During the recovery One Gotha was lost (probably over the sea), 2 more came down in Belgium and one more crash landed.

7th December Mr Edmund Reid (Chief Detective- Inspector of Whitechapel District during the 'Jack-the-Ripper murders) died in Herne bay

On 16 December Cuba declared war on Austria-Hungary!

Mk IV tank no 130 (Male) was positioned in Trafalgar Square during November and December as part of the War Bonds appeal.

Christmas 1917 did not see the levels of fraternisation of, for instance 1914. The Gas attacks and bloody battles of the Somme etc combined with very strict orders from the High Commands on both sides led to relatively minor 'friendly' events along the front lines.
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
Narayan
If anyone needs me, I'll be in my office
Posts: 2602
Joined: April 10th, 2011, 7:01 pm
Location: The Middle of Nowhere in Ireland

Re: A life time - reflected in scale

Post by Narayan »

This is interesting TeeELL. Are you building these kits?

_________________
Narayan

Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?

A:B 2016 23:9 2015 53:07 2014 21:04 2013 39:12 2012 20:05 2011 11:10 2010 44:12 2009 19:16 2008 16:03 Overall 328:83
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time - reflected in scale

Post by TeeELL »

No Narayan,
If you think about the next 100 years I couldn't possibly build all the possibilities. I will be building a MkIV tank as they fall into my area of interest.
Biggest concern at the moment is ensuring my dad lasts another 3 weeks!
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
User avatar
TeeELL
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11463
Joined: December 28th, 2015, 4:38 pm
Location: North Wiltshire

Re: A life time - reflected in scale

Post by TeeELL »

I am rolling forward to January 1918, the month of my father's birthday.

3 Jan 1918. The UK Air Ministry is created

7 Jan 1918. German troops raid British posts at Flesquieres near Cambrai. Another raid near Ypres is repulsed.

14 Jan 1918, 2 days after my dad's birthday German destroyers bombarded Yarmouth

I must admit to not being able to suggest any 1/72 models (or any other scale for that matter!)
Tony

The older I get the better I was!
Current build:
Airfix 1:72 Javelin FAW9
Particular modelling interests:
Cuban Airforce aircraft, 29(F) Sqn aircraft, Aircraft I’ve flown
Post Reply

Return to “General Chat”