A bit like the Royal Wedding

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Well, just like the royal wedding, and possibly the olympics too...a great moment in history has slipped by unnoticed by me...and possibly you guys too..........

 

Widowmaker has made over 5,000, banal...useless, and generally laughed about postings on the Forum!

 

I love this damn place...I love the people here...I love having learned so much about so many things...I love the fact there are people here from all over the globe...who have broadened my horizons..and opened my blinkered views to the world around me.

 

I feel welcomed on the forum...I've said some daft things...Iv'e posted some weird s**t... and everyone has been great.

 

Ive posted here, when Ive been happy...and when ive been sad...angry, fed up...makes no difference..people have just been supportive...and just nice!...apart from the crapper...this is my first, and last visit of the day...the great names here....Olham, Lou, Hellshade, Hassewind, Bullethead, Davy, Flypc, shiloh, Captsopwith, propwasch...god, the list is endless...start at A...go on to Z...and all the numbers in between!!...those not listed are no less an influence...merely the victims of my forgetful brain, to whom I appologise.....you know who you are!!!

 

We talk of Aces...great deeds...heroic acts...A band of brothers.... you all, are the epitome of those actions...your handles, and names, are read out like those men...virtual fighter pilots....only you know what I talk of!....the rest look on us as outsiders.

 

I knew very little about WW1 aviation, when I dipped my toes here several years ago...but I now know so much...because of the genius, of you guys!...you are a credit to forums everywhere!... my idea of heaven, is to be sat with you all...somewhere..someday...in this life..or the next!

 

In the words of Henry V.... "Us few...us happy few" :drinks:

[Creaghorn 10]

hear hear. .

what kind words. over 5000 posts? jeez, i'm not sure if i had that many real verbal conversations in the same period of time, let alone in a written way .

 

you are one of the souls and hearts of this forum, WM

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

hear hear. .

what kind words. over 5000 posts? jeez, i'm not sure if i had that many real verbal conversations in the same period of time, let alone in a written way .

 

you are one of the souls and hearts of this forum, WM

 

Thank you creaghorn..I knew I should not have mentioned anyones name in my post...I was always going to miss out the names of the greatest contributors such as your good self Sir

[Olham 164]

Damn, you are right - us happy few! :dance2:

 

Now that you pointed that out to me, I must admit that I missed an occasion like this already twice:

my 5.000st and my 10.000st post. But that must be, because I'm such a talkative - or must I say:

writeative? Well, anyway - definitely an addict of OFF, and this of unique place with these great

people. Cheers to you, Widow, olde chap - woof, woof!

Edited September 24, 2011 by Olham

[Shiloh 12]

Thank you Widow for all your contributions here and may you enjoy these forums for many years to come.

 

I have been involved in many forums but none like this. It's a special place where good people come together, and talk about OFF, life and common interests and I know I have been welcomed here like a regular in the few short months I've been a member. Long live the OFF forums and may this place always remain one where good friends gather.

 

And thank you Widow for bringing all this to light and opening the door for others to share their experiences here.

[Slartibartfast 153]

Hear hear old chap... thanks for the weirdness that you have brought and long may it continue... and to everyone else I will say its a pleasant place to browse and talk...

[carrick58 23]

Once more dear friends into the Breach ( OFF)

[GASCAN39 7]

I log on here multiple times a day just for the posts by all of you folks....not to mention the goodies for download....whenever I find something new to download, it is like a kid at christmas...I have found alot of entertainment here, thanks to you all!

[Hasse Wind 46]

This is indeed a great community of like-minded people. I've learned a lot about WW1 aviation - and many other things too - by hanging around these forums (fora?). I particularly like the fact that we have succeeded in avoiding most of the typical crap that plagues forums everywhere. I hope we'll all be here for many years, enjoying OFF (whatever the phase) and each others' company.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

This is indeed a great community of like-minded people. I've learned a lot about WW1 aviation - and many other things too - by hanging around these forums (fora?). I particularly like the fact that we have succeeded in avoiding most of the typical crap that plagues forums everywhere. I hope we'll all be here for many years, enjoying OFF (whatever the phase) and each others' company.

 

Absolutely

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Outstanding Widowmaker! You are one of the true OFF veterans Sir. But banal, useless, and generally laughed about...I think not...well...perhaps on rare occasion.

Also, I feel the same way about our lot here. It really is beyond grand, and after reading through everyone's comments in this thread I was inspired to rewrite one of my favorite Rudyard Kipling poems in honour of this endearing bunch of loonies, (apologies to RY fans everywhere, however this was penned with only the deepest repect for the man's work).

 

 

The Lost OFF Legion

 

There's a Legion that never was listed,

That carries no colours or crest,

And it serves in such barmy detachments,

That it's poor understood by the rest.

Our forebeares they left us their blessing,

They taught us, and groomed us, and crammed;

But we've shaken the ancient few pixels

To go and find out and be damned

(Dear boys!),

To go and get shot and be damned.

 

So some of us fly for the Kaiser,

And some of us soar for the King,

And some rise up for La Marseillaise,

And some for old Sam take to wing:

And some of us drift up to Ypers,

And some drift up over the Somme,

And some share our tucker in Flanders,

And some at St. Mihiel do bomb,

(Dear boys!),

At St. Mihiel get giddy and bomb.

 

We've painted old Flanders vermilion,

We've washed the old Alsace in red,

We've shouted on virtual battle,

We've flown until we were dead;

We've laughed at the world as we found it,

From high in the spurious air,

From Zeebrugge on down to Mulhausen

We've battled with nary a care,

(Dear boys!),

We've flown with nary a care.

 

The damned depths of Hell were our portion,

And Heaven at large was our share.

There was never a skirmish to windward

But the Leaderless Legion was there:

Yes, somehow and somewhere and always

We were first when the trouble began,

From a recce flight over old Lille,

To a dogfight on high over Thann

(Dear boys!),

We mounted and fought over Thann.

 

We preach in advance of the Army,

We skirmish ahead of the Church,

With never a general to help us

When we're dying and left in the lurch.

But we know as the cartridges finish,

And we're filed on our last little shelves,

That the Legion that never was listed

Will send barmy ones as ourselves

(Good men!),

Hundreds barmy, just as ourselves!

 

Then a health (we must drink it in whispers),

To our wholly unauthorized horde,

To the line of our dusty foreloopers,

The RB3D'ers adored.

Yes, a health to ourselves ere we scatter,

For the simmer won't wait for the train,

And the Legion that never was listed

Goes back into quarters again!

'Regards!

Goes back in the skies once again.

Hurrah!

The Sop and the Alby again.

Here's how!

The Vickers and Spandaus again.

Salute!

Up O'er Flanders Fields once again!

 

 

 

.

[Hasse Wind 46]

Bravo!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Beautiful!...the National (in fact International prose of the Barmy OFFers club!)

 

HUZZAH!!!!!! :drinks:

 

Absolutely fantastic!!!

 

Your talent Lou...is an inspiration to us all!...and a constant surprise too!

 

Don't ever leave these boards Sir!

Edited September 25, 2011 by UK_Widowmaker

[Olham 164]

Lou, that was an outstanding fine version of a poem about an outstanding community.

Thank you, Sir!

[themightysrc 5]

Happy 5000th, WM, although I don't know where you get the time from - and I'm on the rock and roll!

 

I do cherish this community, although it can be occasionally a bit to self congratulatory. In this case, it's an easy pass, as WM seems to me to be a pretty sound character, even if he is from Geordieland!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Happy 5000th, WM, although I don't know where you get the time from - and I'm on the rock and roll!

 

I do cherish this community, although it can be occasionally a bit to self congratulatory. In this case, it's an easy pass, as WM seems to me to be a pretty sound character, even if he is from Geordieland!

 

hahaha..thank you Si...you're right of course, I do logon here rather more than is probably healthy... Yup, from Geordieland indeed...but worse than that...I'm a bloody Suvner!

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

Thanks for the kudos Hasse Wind, Widowmaker, and Olham. Glad you Gents enjoyed my poetic rewrite. But Si, I don't know what you are on about. Our little group self-congratulatory? Bah. We just enjoy each others company. Well done everyone on enjoying each others company! You're all the best and everything each of us does is beyond compare, really. Full marks all around!

 

 

.

[CaptSopwith 18]

I feel a bit late to the party chaps, but I couldn't help but notice Widow drop my name in his list of members and I have to say, I'm touched! I feel like so much of a lurker most of the time - PhD duties and the general insanity of my life over the last year has left me posting sporadically at best. I'm actually spending my evening grading papers, watching The Blue Max, and fighting the urge to set it all down and go up for a mission - which I know will blow an hour away in a heartbeat!

 

I read the boards every day - even when I have no time to post. Now, with a laptop and an iPhone, I can sit in my nearest coffee shop and check in on my comrades in arms. I've been fortunate. Ever since I found internet access back in 1999, I've been lucky to be on a good board. First it was Delphi - where I met folks like Shred, Pol and OvS (where the devil is he btw!?) then I moved over to here and found the rest of my good friends - Olham, Widow, Slarti, Hellshade, the list goes on and on. You guys are a great bunch and at times like this - when real life is, in all honesty, kicking the crap out of me - you keep me sane.

 

Cheers and another round on me!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

OvS is busy on OFF4 I suspect

[Olham 164]

Thank you, CaptSopwith, Im glad that I can do that much for yer, being the generally lazy, sluggish guy I am.

 

OvS was last seen in an aircraft mechanics' overall, lying under his big old 1970s (or 80s?) car (forgot the brand),

trying to stop an oil leakage. Apart from that, and his big family (Italian families are always big), he must be sitting

at the new Fokker D.VII skins late at night, while listening to stuff like "Tales of Topographic Oceans" by YES.

I hope he will get that damn car finished some day, so he may find some time again for visiting the forum again.