Three Cheers for the Man on the Ground

[Stuck in a rut!]

I've been meaning to post this for ages. Found it at a little museum in Lincolnshire. Think we could do with an updated version!!!!

Wherever you walk, you will hear people talk,
Of the men who go up in the air.
Of the dare-devil way, they go into the fray;
Facing death without turning a hair.

They'll raise a cheer and buy lots of beer,
For a pilot who's home on leave;
But they don't give a jigger
For a flight mech or rigger
With nothing but 'props on his sleeve.

They just say 'Nice day' and then turn away,
With never a mention or praise.
And the poor bloody erk who does all the work;
Just orders his own beer
And pays!

They've never been told of the hours in the cold
That he spends sealing Germany's fate.
How he works on a kite, till all hours of the night;
And then turns up next morning at eight.

He gets no rake-off for working till take off;
Or helping the aircrew prepare;
But whenever there's trouble, it's 'Quick at the double';
The man on the ground must be there.

Each flying crew could tell it to you;
They know what this man's really worth.
They know he's part of the RAF's heart,
Even though he stays close to earth.

He doesn't want glory, but please tell his story;
Spread a little of his fame around.
He's one of the few so give him his due;
Three cheers for the man on the ground.

Eric Sykes 1942

 

[Born-northern]

A version of this is hanging on the bar in the mess at scampton, remember trying to read it several times with blurred vision DT_Xtremez_35:

 

[CC]

That's nice that is, I like it. DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[252]

Quick check on wiki shows that Eric Sykes was an LAC wireless operator during WW2.......Suspect that may have been a wireless Mech.

 

[Jaymac]

I think that Wireless Op and Wireless Mech may have been one and the same thing at that time.

AFAIK, it was only when electronics became more complex that the clever chaps went on to become mechs/techs. That's why TG3 and TG2 wore the sparks badge i.e. wirelessop/mech wore it and when they were split both continued to wear it.

 

[252]

I think that Wireless Op and Wireless Mech may have been one and the same thing at that time.

AFAIK, it was only when electronics became more complex that the clever chaps went on to become mechs/techs. That's why TG3 and TG2 wore the sparks badge i.e. wirelessop/mech wore it and when they were split both continued to wear it.

Can anybody please tell me if the Sparks badge is worn by the recently combined avionics trade?.......as before it was only air radar and air comms that wore it inTG2.......nav inst didnt wear it

 

[Stuck in a rut!]

Yep! All faries seem to wear it now.

 

[252]

Yep! All faries seem to wear it now.

Thanks for thatDT_Xtremez_14:

 

[shoutingwind]

Awesome! I've been trying to remember that poem for ages Its in KJs

 

[Rikster]

Anonymous, yank poem



Through the history of world aviation
Many names have come to the fore,
Great deeds of the past in our memory will last
As they are followed by more and more.

When man first started his labor
In his quest to conquer the sky
He was designer, mechanic, and pilot,
And he built a machine that would fly.

But somehow the order got twisted,
And then in the public’s eye,
The man who got all the glory
Was the man who knew how to fly.

The pilot was everyone’s hero,
He was brave, he was bold, he was grand,
As he stood by his battered old biplane
With his goggles and helmet in hand.

To be sure, these pilots all earned it,
To fly then you had to have guts.
And they blazed their names in the hall of fame
On wings with bailing wire struts.

But for each of these flying heroes
There were thousands of little renown,
And these were the men who worked on the planes
But kept their feet on the ground.

We all know the name of Lindbergh,
And we’ve read of his flight into fame,
But think, if you can, of his maintenance man,
Can you remember his name?

And think of our wartime heroes,
Gabreski, Jabara, and Scott.
Can you tell me the names of their crew chiefs?
A thousand to one you cannot.

Now pilots are highly trained people,
And wings are not easily won,
But without the work of the maintenance man
Our pilots would march with a gun.

So when you see mighty jet aircraft
As they mark their paths through the air,
The grease-stained man with the wrench in his hand
Is the man who put them there.

 

[Rikster]

and another


A Bender of Wrenches
[SIZE=-1](Author Unknown)

Here's to the men with greasy hands
Who fuel our planes when the pilot lands.
Who change the tires and oil the squeaks,
Fix the flak damage and stop the leaks.

Tend to the controls to make them fly straight,
Wait for the planes when the pilots are late.
Who smooth the scratches and rivet the panels,
Check "Loud and clear" on the radio channels.

Who read the write-ups and make the repairs,
Check the lines and wires for chafing and tears.
Who pull the chocks and walk the wings,
And do a million maint'nance things.

Who watch as the bird takes off and flies.
So here's a salute to those hard-working guys
From a group of flyers who seldom ponder
The men who keep us in the wild blue yonder[/SIZE]

 

[flipperthebushkangaroo]

Yep! All faries seem to wear it now.

Not me, I'm still a DF at heart (need a suitable smilie!!!!)