The Gray Ghost

[Tubthumper]

This aircraft came thru Saskatoon, and I was fortunate to be able to photograph it after finishing my flying day. It was painted to replicate the Vought Corsair of Lt Robert Hampton Gray, (VC), one of the last Canadians killed in WW2, and the last Canadian to be decorated with the Victoria Cross for scoring a direct hit on, and sinking, a Japanese destroyer while his aircraft had already been hit and was on fire.
He had taken fire from shore batteries as well as five warships.

A memorial service honoring Gray's act of bravery was held in 2006 and a memorial erected at Onagawa Bay, just metres away from where his plane crashed. This is the only memorial dedicated to a foreign soldier on Japanese soil.

[albertdesalvo]

Very sneaky placement of the watermark in the first shot.

She visited us here at Borden in June.

Nice pics, Meecka will like them.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I saw it fly at CYYJ......simply awesome !

[bombardierfixer]

It was in the Westjet hanger for about a week, I had thought we were getting a new type!

[Tubthumper]

Very sneaky placement of the watermark in the first shot.

Which one? There's two in that shot.

[mattedfred]

i see 3 water marks in each pic

great shots

[cgzro]

I just get a huge kick out of watching the wings go up and down!!

I was talking to John Aiken, the pilot, the other day and he told me that when you are sitting there and the wings go up and down you get the impression you are being lifted up or let down.

Agree, nice pics.

Peter

[albertdesalvo]

i see 3 water marks in each pic

Yep! I guess after I spotted one in each pic I stopped looking.

[Moose47]

>>>This is the only memorial dedicated to a foreign soldier on Japanese soil.>>>

Hate to be picky but 'Hammy' was a Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy).

[. ._]

Those "water marks" are me putting physical love on the screen.

I don't care if that's a "strike one" for me. It's true.

That's a sexy friggin' wing. It could almost be, dare I say, Russianesque.

-istp

[Tubthumper]

Hate to be picky but 'Hammy' was a Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy).

Moose, be as picky as you want, but pay attention. HMS Formidable was assigned to British Pacific Fleet in April 1945, with other Commonwealth ships for action against Japan. Lt Gray was part of 1841 Sqn, he was killed in battle 9th August 1945. As Gray's remains were never found, he was listed as missing in action and presumed dead.

Here is HMS Formibable going thru the anti-submarine boom in Sydney Harbour. The blackened funnel was the result of a kamikaze strike.

[Airtids]

Lt Robert Hampton Gray, (VC), one of the last Canadians killed in WW2, and the last Canadian to be decorated with the Victoria Cross

...and a fine native son of Nelson, BC!!

Great shots, Pat! Saw her while she was out here last week. Prop has something like a 9 foot radius, and I was told if you went to power too quickly, she'd just flip onto her back.

[Prairie Chicken]

Very nice images of one of my all-time favorite aircraft! (And looking for all the watermarks was more fun than looking for the bunny.)

[Phileas Fogg]

... for scoring a direct hit on, and sinking, a Japanese destroyer while his aircraft had already been hit and was on fire.
He had taken fire from shore batteries as well as five warships.

Wow.

[Meecka]

Prop has something like a 9 foot radius, and I was told if you went to power too quickly, she'd just flip onto her back.

Actually its a 13 foot radius, and you would have to try VERY hard to put her on her back. The landing gear is angled far forward of the CoG, to allow for full power pull for carrier launch.

Very nice pics. Always nice to see shots of one of "the girls" not taken by us or one of our photogs. One of these days I'll remeber to take my camera with me when I'm stuffed in her guts to take some shots for the modellers out there.

Had to hunt, but I finally found the watermarks.... VERRRRRRYYYY sneaky!!!!

Oh yeah... also.. Our "Big 'Ol Blue... B*@&h" as she's sometimes called is a FG-1D, Built by Goodrich under licence for Vaught, which was what Hammy Grey (Good 'ol Cannuck boy that he was!) Flew. Most of the Corsairs that are left are Chance Vaught -4s.

[SeptRepair]

Actually its a 13' diameter. Not radius.

[Tubthumper]

More interesting info about him:

Lt Gray was first assigned to the African theatre, flying Hawker Hurricanes for shore-based squadrons. After two years in Africa, he trained to fly the Corsair fighter and in 1944 he was assigned to 1841 Squadron, based on HMS Formidable. In August 1944, he took part in a series of unsuccessful raids against the German battleship Tirpitz, in Norway. On August 29, 1944, he was Mentioned in Despatches for his participation in an attack on three destroyers, during which his plane's rudder was shot off. On January 16, 1945 he received a further Mention, "For undaunted courage, skill and determination in carrying out daring attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz."

[Moose47]

<<<Moose, be as picky as you want, but pay attention.>>

Somehow the remainder of what I wrote failed to appear. What I was trying to say was that Hammy was not a soldier.

[Meecka]

Actually its a 13' diameter. Not radius.

My appologies.... I was typing fast and not really paying attention.

[Airtids]

Thanks for the clarification. Discussion took place about a decade ago, and apparently I'm fading!!

[Tubthumper]

...and apparently I'm fading!!

No......not possible! Even if I saw it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. I would just brush it off as your stunt-double.

[Airtids]

C'mon, man! You know I do all my own stunts...