Kilted "Regiment" at Reading Air Show

**BobsYourUncle** · 10th June 10, 07:20 AM

A Flying Tiger also appeared and flew at the show.

**Mike_Oettle** · 10th June 10, 02:27 PM

Thank you so much, Bob, for posting that story and the pictures.
The pictures especially brought back memories. As a cadet at school I wore shorts just like those horrible khaki ones you chaps have on. At one school we wore red flashes in our khaki socks – the detachment was affiliated to the regiment I later served in, but unlike one of its neighbour schools, it did not have kilts for the boys.
The rifles are exactly like those we drilled with in school cadets, except that our rifles had had their working parts removed.
The tammies are exactly like the one I wore in my regiment, and still have (it was worn out when I left the unit, so I reckoned nobody else would want it). When I was first issued it, I could still read the label inside, with a British Army marking and a date that I think was 1942.
Regards,
Mike

**BoldHighlander** · 10th June 10, 02:29 PM

How cool!

As I sit here at my computer I can cast my gaze upon a print entitled "Pappy" Boyington Scores His First Victory. I met "Pappy" back on July 4th (1981) at the Bellingham air show & he autographed this print of his P-40 (AVG 1st Pursuit Squadron "Adam & Eve") shooting down a Japanese fighter near Rangoon (Feb 1942) for me.

Originally Posted by BobsYourUncle

A Flying Tiger also appeared and flew at the show.

**BobsYourUncle** · 10th June 10, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mike_Oettle

Thank you so much, Bob, for posting that story and the pictures.
The pictures especially brought back memories. As a cadet at school I wore shorts just like those horrible khaki ones you chaps have on. At one school we wore red flashes in our khaki socks – the detachment was affiliated to the regiment I later served in, but unlike one of its neighbour schools, it did not have kilts for the boys.
The rifles are exactly like those we drilled with in school cadets, except that our rifles had had their working parts removed.
The tammies are exactly like the one I wore in my regiment, and still have (it was worn out when I left the unit, so I reckoned nobody else would want it). When I was first issued it, I could still read the label inside, with a British Army marking and a date that I think was 1942.
Regards,
Mike

Glad to take you back in time...did your boots hurt you as much as these do me? Have taken many measures, all in vain...just pain, pain, pain...nothing compared to the sacrifices of actual service, so I don't mean to whine, but my feet are still recovering...it still was one of the best weekends ever!

**dutchy kilted** · 10th June 10, 09:39 PM

Great story and great pics. I am only about 35 miles from Reading, just have never gotten up there for the air show. Hopefully next year ...

**Micric** · 11th June 10, 06:15 AM

Thanks for the story and photos Mike.

So pleased you could spend some time with the old chap!

**Mike_Oettle** · 11th June 10, 12:51 PM

There’s a trick to wearing boots that comes to mind from the remote days when I was a new recruit (roofie, they called us in the South African Army).
A bottle of methylated spirits was placed in the barracks, and every evening when the boys took their boots off, they put spirits on their feet. It toughened the skin (top skin as well as soles) and made boot-wearing more bearable.
The word roofie, incidentally, means “scab” — it’s Afrikaans, and it is pronounced ru-wu-fi.

**BobsYourUncle** · 11th June 10, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by Mike_Oettle

There’s a trick to wearing boots that comes to mind from the remote days when I was a new recruit (roofie, they called us in the South African Army).
A bottle of methylated spirits was placed in the barracks, and every evening when the boys took their boots off, they put spirits on their feet. It toughened the skin (top skin as well as soles) and made boot-wearing more bearable.
The word roofie, incidentally, means “scab” — it’s Afrikaans, and it is pronounced ru-wu-fi.

I've seen such spirits recommended in other forums where breaking in boots was discussed. I must try it! Cheers!

**BobsYourUncle** · 13th June 10, 04:25 PM

Sidney Phillips, a veteran, made an appearance to sign his new book. Sidney was included in Ken Burn's the War, as was his sister Katherine. Sidney is also featured in the Pacific....

**Lachlan09** · 15th June 10, 09:00 PM

Great photos ! I’d bite my arm off to be there to see “The Wooden Wonder” whizzing past ! In 2003, I took my family to the Duxford Classic Air Show in the UK and saw many amazing WW2 planes flying. Of course, the fast-heart beat was reserved for the 7 (I think) Spitfires taking off and passing overhead (some were Merlin-engined who took off from the grass, some were Griffon taking off from the runway). The BoB Flight Lanc (I think City of Lincoln) was flying too with the Spit and Hurricane. So were a number P51’s, B-17, a couple of P-40’s, a F4U Corsair, a Bearcat and a Black Widow. There were 2 Ju 52’s and a pre-war German bi-plane fighter (a Henschel perhaps), Russian fighters, RN FAA fighters etc etc. Sadly, we witnessed a Fairey Firefly doing a steep climb, then plummet into a field. The crew died.

There were also various planes there on display in the airfield which, though flown there, I did not see fly that day.

I wished there had been Mosquito or two flying there.

Do you have any Mosquito pix ?