RAF_Louvert

. Yes Sir, enlightened and observant minds have noted such for centuries. I find Ascham's entire passage which this quote is from to be as true today as it was nearly 500 years ago. "English writers, by diversity of time, have taken diverse matters in hand. In our fathers' time nothing was read but books of feigned chivalry, wherein a man by reading should be led to none other end but only to manslaughter and bawdry. If any man suppose they were good enough to pass the time withal, he is deceived. For surely vain words do work no small thing thereunto of their own nature. These books, as I have heard say, were made the most part in abbeys and monasteries, a very likely and fit fruit of such an idle and blind kind of living. In our time now, when every man is given to know much rather than to live well, very many do write, but after such a fashion as very many do shoot. Some shooters take in hand stronger bows than they be able to maintain. This thing maketh them sometime to outshoot the mark, sometime to shoot far wide, and perchance hurt some that look on. Other that never learned to shoot, nor yet knoweth good shaft nor bow, will be as busy as the best, but such one commonly plucketh down a side, and crafty archers which be against him will be both glad of him, and also ever ready to lay and bet with him; it were better for such one to sit down than shoot. Other there be which have very good bow and shafts and good knowledge in shooting, but they have been brought up in such evil-favored shooting that they can neither shoot fair nor yet near. If any man will apply these things together, he shall not see the one far differ from the other. And I also, among all other, in writing this little treatise, have followed some young shooters, which both will begin to shoot for a little money, and also will use to shoot once or twice about the mark for nought afore they begin a-good. And therefore did I take this little matter in hand to assay myself, and hereafter, by the grace of God, if the judgment of wise men that look on think that I can do any good, I may perhaps cast my shaft among other for better game." .

. "In our fathers' time nothing was read but books of feigned chivalry, wherein a man by reading should be led to none other end, but only to manslaughter and bawdry." (Roger Ascham 1515-1568) .

. Yes my fair Olham, I'm afraid you are quie right. Necessities of war made it so. Countless brave airmen died never knowing their attackers. And the recce flights had no option if they were in the middle of a photo run but to fly straight on. Otherwise, if they did break off, they would simply have to come back and start all over. Nothing terribly heroic at all about shooting a sitting duck. But then, c'est la guerre. .

. hee, hee...OK then RC. If it's summer I like iced tea, if it's winter I prefer good coffee with a touch of half-and-half. Also, there will be yet another volume on the shelf in the next few days: I have seen this book referred to often when I've been searching for info on the Russian Air Service, so when I ran across a near perfect copy of the Flying Machines Press 1996 printing of this work on eBay last night for $39 I snapped it up. I posted at The Aerodrome to ask if it was as comprehensive as it appears, (545 pages), and was informed that it is indeed one of the primary go-to sources on the subject. I am looking forward to reading through it at length. Cheers! Lou .

. Greetings All, I just posted this over at The Aerodrome with the hopes that some lucky person there with a big enough check book might be able to claim this: An original, named 1918 French Air Service Adjutant's tunic: Aviation Bleu Horizon Pilote Brevet Chasse While it does have some mothing it is none-the-less beautiful, and unbelievably rare. Here's to whoever is lucky enough to end up calling this prize their own. Perhaps they will ultimately donate it to a WWI aviation museum someday. Cheers! Lou .

. Hmmmm, the seller has removed this tunic from eBay. I wonder if someone made a very large offer on the side. Or, I wonder if perhaps the person who listed it did not have a legal right to sell it and that's why it was pulled. I'd really like to know what happened with this one. .

. OK, now my head hurts...or is it my Kopf...or my noggin...AAAAAARGH! .

. I wish I could say I'm learning when it comes to your native language, Olham. In this case I most certainly am not hiding my light under a Scheffel stellen. .

. Actually Olham, I have done the same thing. Probably not wise in the long run, but like you I found myself unable to fire on the poor fellow. Go figure. .

. Olham, I am quite sure our Dej was going for a nicely played turn of a phrase when he noted, "Uncleal is wiser than he'll admit, with a wealth of experience in all incarnations of OFF. He just hides his light under a bolshi." Meaning: His wisdom and experience are masked by his rather difficult facade. .

. O-o-o-o-o-o-oh no, I have my boundries clearly marked...in lipstick. .

. Very good Pawgy, you only missed one. "Bolshi" or "bolshie" is decidedly British slang for someone who is rebellious or difficult to handle. Also can be a political radical. It is a short form for "Bolshevik". And now you know...the rest of the story. .

. As the curator I suppose that's simply a risk I'll have to take. Of course there may be a small liquid-based fee involved in filling such requests. .

. Unfortunately Olham, I rather imagine the person selling it has no emotional connection to it what-so-ever. It's probably been in the back of a closet for the last 90 years and anyone who remembers anything about it or the brave man who wore it is long gone. A great-great-grandson/daughter now simply sees it as an old jacket that belonged to a relative they never met, and are hoping they will get enough for it to buy a new TV, or pay the rent, or some such mundane, earthly thing. Sad, but likely true I'm afraid. So let's hope someone who can truly appreciate it for what it is ends up with it. .

. I feel your pain WM. Once the old one has finally surrendered it's microcircuitry soul to the God Of All Things Computer and you've replaced it, there is one final act to perform on it's mortal remains. PULL! Honestly, it would want to be sent off that way. .

. Oh to have that kind of capital to work with Tranquillo. I am betting this one will flirt with the $1000 mark by the time it's done. .

. I've seen the English translations of his claims before, but always in plain text. The one you have linked to would appear to be a contemporary copy made shortly after the War for the Imperial War Museum in London. Neat! .

. Rickitycrate, my trust Paint.NET program can work wonders. Also, Olham, the spokes on my wheel are close to equal right now so things are rolling along nicely on all fronts. Oh, and here are your library cards Gents. Lou .

. Greetings All, Right now on eBay the Battery Press is offering it's seven-volume hard cover reprint of Raleigh and Jones "The War in the Air: The Part played in the Great War by the Royal Air Force". Price: $199.95 US dollars. Here is the link: "The War in the Air" They currently have over 10 sets available. Let me say, this is the best price I have ever seen for the entire reprint of this absolute definitive work on the subject. Here is a brief synopsis of some of what you will find in this massive set, (courtesy of the Byrd Aviation Books website): Vol. I Deals with the beginnings of the navigation of the air, the invention, gradual improvements, aerial forces of the British Empire, achievements in 1914. Vol. II Dardanelles Campaign, Western Front to Battle of Loos, Battle of Somme 1916, RNAS. Vol. III Flying Operations in German East & Southwest Africa, air raids on Great Britain 1914-1916, supply, recruitment & training 1914-1916, Western Front, Battle of Arras, 1917. Vol. IV Aircraft with the Fleet 1917-1918, U-boat Warfare, Naval Air Operations from Dunkirk, Battle of Messines, Battle of Ypres, German Offensive, First Battles of Somme, Battles of Lys. Vol. V Raids on Great Britain, Air Operations in Egypt, Darfur & Palestine, Fall of Jerusalem, Campaign in Mesopotamia, Air Operations in Macedonia, Naval Air Operations in Mediterranean & Near-Eastern Waters. Vol. VI Creation of RAF, Supply, Manpower, Independent Bombing Force, Operations in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Persia & India, Italian Front, Mediterranean in 1918, Naval Air Development & Operations, 1918. Appendices Describing in detail the war effort of the British air weapons, includes numerous tables and charts. What the reprint does not have are the map cases that accompany Volumes III and V, and the only way you will ever get those is to purchase the original Oxford University Press edition printed between 1922-1937. Keep in mind that said original sets cost between $1,200 and $2,500 depending on condition. While I am extremely lucky to own one of the near-mint, complete, original sets that used to reside in the RUSI at Whitehall, few others are so fortunate. However, if you do happen to purchase one of these reprints and during the course of your studies find you need one of the accompanying maps, I might be persuaded to scan and assemble an electronic copy of said map, (there are more than 50 such maps and many are quite large, so I won't be doing the entire set for you, but I would do one or two here and there as needed). If you are looking for the best single information resource concerning the RFC/RNAS/RAF in the Great War, this is it hands down. Cheers! Lou .

. hee, hee, hee...what a dumb ass. But he can use that technique as birth control, I'm sure it made him limp. .

. Many thanks Rickitycrate, and you are more than welcome Sir. Good to know you are enjoying the eBooks. Maybe you'll need a library card as well. .

. He just hides his light under a bolshi. AAAAAH HAAA HAAA HAAAAAA! That's a keeper Dej. .

. Outstanding! Thanks again, oh Great and Powerful Wealth of Information. .

. Well, if you stop by Duke, you'll need a library card: .

. Great pics Olham. I've seen similiar ones before, but I don't believe I could ever get enough of such details. TKS for posting them Sir. .