Wasn't the mosquito the first use of pressure pressed plywood? I was very
strong into models at the time of the big WW-2 and I rmemeber that plane
being on the cover of several of the modeling magazines. I fortunatly just
made it into the last days of the war at 17 so was lucky to miss the part
about being blown up. Love your insights Paul, thanks for taking the time to
inform all.
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Richardson <Paul-Richardson@cyberware.co.uk>
To: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 1999 12:40 AM
Subject: Questions on WW2
> FOTers
>
> I've been asked many questions on WW2 since the first one on car/war
> production. I've put some of the answers together in this anecdote which,
I
> hope, will answer most of them.
>
> DUNKIRK was a disaster for us in military terms because having got
> ourselves surrounded we were up ***t creek on Dunkirk beech. The hun had
> blasted into France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland almost without
warning
> from 10th May 1940. The British army high command thought the enemy would
> break out and drive east through Belgium and Holland. Instead they drove
> east through the Ardennes Forest region of France and Luxembourg and then
> swung North to the French coast. They had over a million well equipped
> troops and we had to fight a rear guard action in the knowledge that we
> were being driven to the French coast centering on Dunkirk.
>
> Our entire Army ended up surrounded on the beach at Dunkirk. A naval
> barrage of 15 inch British naval guns and fighter attacks blasted at the
> oncoming German army to give us time to get our men off who were being
> strafed and bombed on the beaches. Every ship we could muster sailed to
the
> Dunkirk beaches to collect our men. As well as large naval vessels and
> hospital ships etc. these included some 700 small river craft manned by
> ordinary British people, who volunteered to sail the 20 miles or so to
help
> get our soldiers back. Many lost their lives being strafed or bombed.
> Excluding 'little ships' we lost 243 ships including 6 destroyers, 5
> minesweepers and 188 lesser Naval vessels. BUT between 27th of May and 4th
> June 1940 we rescued 350.000 soldiers loosing 68.000 killed, wounded or
> taken prisoner.
>
> The Mosquito fighter bomber air frame and wings were made of wood. This
was
> for lightness, plus the fact that the De Havilland company were used to
> making wooden airframes. Ted Grinham the Engineering Director of The
> Standard Motor Company was seconded to De Havilland at Hatfield, North
> London to set up a 'production line' for the Mosquito. Plane manufacturers
> knew very little of mass production - plane making being what it was (and
> is). It is to the great credit of the Standard Motor company and Ted
> Grinham that the government decided on his appointment. Needless to say
> many De Havilland Directors (and government departments) ordered Vanguard
> cars after the war.
>
> Many people were 'seconded' to war work depending on the British
> government's opinion on where best their skills could be used. These were
> broadly described as 'reserved occupations' ie we needed arms and food to
> support both our fighting forces and the nation as a whole.
>
> Paul
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