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Jimmy Stewart Bomber Pilot


MaxG
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Came across this book in the library and have really enjoyed it. The author Starr Smith was an intelligence officer who served at the same time with Stewart. The book is a collection of remenisciences by those who served with him. Most are set at Tibbenham and Old Bucklingham near to Norwich.

One comment that really amused was was about Jimny Stewart sharing a flat in New York and building model aircraft there.

Corporal to Colonel in 4 years was some career.

Thoroughly recommended.

Maxg

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Posted by Tom Sharp 2 on 15/10/2018 23:55:56:

Or John F Kennedy who was a PT boat commander and nearly perished after been sunk by a Japanese sub.

Was President Trump in the military?

Trump? No, he had bone spurs which must be very serious, the most serious and biggest ever.

Geoff

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Jimmy Stewart was a very underestimated man I think . When you look at is careers, to have his professional acting career and an armed forces career that did not just start end end with WW2 but with SAC post war and to rise to the rank he did by time of his retirement is pretty good. I have to admit I was not aware of his or Fonda's interests in model flying. No wonder they were so good.

There was a good link on You Tube to a presentation that Jimmy gave towards the end of his Air Force career and it was very enlightening to say the least. No glorification or self gratification in it either.

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Posted by Percy Verance on 16/10/2018 13:40:46:

There were/are quite a number of celebrity model flyers if you dig around......

Edited By Percy Verance on 16/10/2018 13:47:20

Bowie and Mike Oldfield to name just two.

Don't forget that Stewart played Lindberg in the 1957 film "Spirit of St. Louis"
I also have a hazy reccolection, I have a lot of those, of him in a film about SAC in the very early sixties.

Edited By Fun Flyer on 16/10/2018 15:01:18

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I just love the scene in Strategic Air Command when Steward boards the Giant B36 for the first time and we follow the take off sequence. He was still a reserve officer at the time.

      If Steward and Fonda were staring in the same film, on some days the director would have a devil of a time finding them as the would be out in the desert flying their models.

Edited By J D 8 on 16/10/2018 16:03:55

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Posted by J D 8 on 16/10/2018 15:59:33:

I just love the scene in Strategic Air Command when Steward boards the Giant B36 for the first time and we follow the take off sequence. He was still a reserve officer at the time.

If Steward and Fonda were staring in the same film, on some days the director would have a devil of a time finding them as the would be out in the desert flying their models.

Edited By J D 8 on 16/10/2018 16:03:55

Yes! He was told that they were just going to do one take off and landing.

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Besides Stewart, Clark Gable was an air gunnery instructor who was eventually sent back to the States from England as he kept sneaking rides on operations (and manning a B 17 gun position).

Stewart ended up as a Bridier General in the USAF - Air Commodore to us lot). His WW2 flying jacket is on display in the USAF museum.

jacket.jpg

Edited By Daithi O Buitigh on 16/10/2018 16:58:19

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Posted by Percy Verance on 16/10/2018 13:40:46:

Quite a career Mr Stewart....

We did have our home grown heroes too. The actor Richard Todd actually took part in D Day, having parachuted in ( or did he arrive by glider?) during the early hours of June 6th. Ironically, he went on to play the part of his Commanding Officer, John Howard, in the film The Longest Day. He also played the part of Guy Gibson in the Dam Busters........

There were/are quite a number of celebrity model flyers if you dig around......

Edited By Percy Verance on 16/10/2018 13:47:20

Quite a few Hollywood and British film industry 'names' that inexplicably began to suffer with gastric ulcers and the like at the outbreak of hostilities wink.

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