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JCB
United Kingdom
384 Posts |
 Posted - 29/12/2015 : 16:23:58
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Dear Forum:
Anybody remember "you can do it in a MG?"
It was a advertising hook.I forget of what era.
If anybody has a tale; tall or dark or otherwise.
On the topic of other famous cars or owners .
Please do tell . I promise not tell anybody. Truly.
All the best.
John Bakewell |
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Peter Hall
United Kingdom
33 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2015 : 08:34:10
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John,
here is something similar, from the back cover of the December 1978 issue of Safety Fast, there were several versions using different scenes all MGB's.
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John James
United Kingdom
963 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2015 : 18:54:29
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This BL publication No. 3054 is one of the original "you can do it in an MG.........." publications dating from 1974.
The inside cover features a young couple with a Midget Mk III; the centre half page features a young couple on the sea shore with a citron MGB roadster and the facing page of the inside back cover features two young couples; one with an MGBGT and the other with an MGB GT V8.
There is also BL publication No. 3041 with the strapline on the front cover "You can do it in an MGB".
I have both of these brochures in my collection but I shall be selling them because the 'moderns', with the notable exception of the MGA, mean nothing to me.
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John James
United Kingdom
963 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2016 : 13:46:07
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Further to my post of 28/12/2015 here is a link to my article in the latest issue of ‘Totally T-Type 2’ which details as much history as I have been able to research about the ex-Douglas Bader MG TA (Chassis number TA1753, Registration mark GPC 671) and confirms that the chassis is no more, having been cut up in 1967 by Timon Iles, brother of the last owner, Richard Iles, and transported to Flower’s scrapyard in Chippenham Wiltshire.
http://ttypes.org/ttt2/douglas-baders-mg-ta-gpc-671
JOHN JAMES Editor ‘Totally T-Type 2’
‘Proud to be independent’
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Biggles
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2016 : 17:20:53
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John, a fascinating and well researched article. My fathe-in-law who sadly passed away this time last year met Bader when he was in Stalag VIIIB for a short while. I understand he was moved around several prison camps before being sent to Colditz.
If you have a better copy of the original logbook it would be very interesting to know the dates and locations of the various airfields he was posted to. Cheers John |
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Simon Johnston
United Kingdom
6121 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2016 : 18:48:32
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Great read, John. So what are we to make of the car for auction at Bonhams?
Simon J
J3437 |
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John James
United Kingdom
963 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2016 : 19:56:38
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In reply to John Tinley ('Biggles') the locations given in the logbook are as follows:
1st Change Lensbury Club, TEDDINGTON, Middlesex
2nd Change The Pantiles, BAGSHOT, Surrey
3rd Change RAF Coltishall, Norfolk
4th Change RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk
5th Change RAF Tangmere, West Sussex
6th Change 'Red Wells' London Road, ASCOT, Berks
7th Change I can't decipher this but it may have passed out of Bader's ownership by then.
I've had one interesting response so far from my website contact form, as follows:
"Thanks for the very interesting article on Douglas Bader's MG TA. I note that it was thought that the car may have been modified to enable Bader to drive it more easily. My father, who had worked at Jarvis of Wimbledon as a mechanic before the war was stationed at Tangmere at the same time as Bader and because of his experience with MGs worked on the car and drove it on a number of occasions. Apparently the brake and clutch pedals were transposed to suit Bader's artificial legs. This made driving difficult and my father claimed that he could only drive it with his legs crossed. It would be interesting to know whether anyone else can confirm this."
In reply to Simon - Well, make of it what you think!
JOHN JAMES www.ttypes.org
'Proud to be independent'.
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Biggles
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2016 : 19:02:10
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| Can anyone add details of what the Chassis file says about Bader's J2 J2296. I would be interested to learn more about this car. Is it still in the register? Cheers John Tinley |
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Brian Kelly
USA
526 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2016 : 04:14:19
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As a 12 year old kid in 1956 when "Reach for the Sky" was released
I was on holiday with the family in the Isle of Man. When I came out of the picture house in brilliant sunshine the first thing that I recall seeing was the I.o.M flag flying briskly....................!
Here's a two tidbits that I have copied regarding the movie.
Trivia
Wing Commander Harry Day (played by Michael Warre) who had been shot down very early in the war, was a mastermind in numerous mass POW escape attempts, including the breakout from Stalag Luft 3 in March 1944 - later immortalised in The Great Escape (1963). However Day's role in the actual escape isn't directly mentioned - credit being given to Roger Bushell - the other mastermind of that attempt. Bushell was one of the 50 executed after recapture. Day was recaptured but survived, despite being sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp - and escaping from there, being recaptured again. He survived the war being held in the death cells at Sachsenhausen for many months, later becoming technical advisor to this film.
Goofs
When Bader is demonstrating his ability to fly the Hurricane to his new squadron of Canadian pilots, there is a long cut of the plane flying upside-down in a straight line. This was impossible in the Hurricane, as it had a gravity-fed carburettor. If you look carefully at the clouds, and how the sunlight reflects from them, the image has clearly been inverted.
Brian. |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2016 : 08:00:33
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When I went to the cinema as a boy to see this film for the first time with my father ( a WW2 Mosquito pilot )he explained that it was impossible to fly inverted in this manner even for a short distance. Also, also as Bader had a reputation, father always ( poetic licence ) doubted that Bader ( or any other officer ) could have spoken to superior officers in the manner shown in the film. 
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
Edited by - MG Maverick on 07/02/2016 08:11:06 |
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PeterL
United Kingdom
1722 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2016 : 08:29:14
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Among my friends is the son of the man who designed the SU fuel pump. I wrote a piece for Safety Fast about him. Here is an excerpt:
During the 1930s Europe was rearming. Planes were getting faster and in a dive the petrol would all go to the top of the float chamber and the engine would cut out. The solution was to be fuel injection pumps. In about 1938 SU decided to get involved with this new development so Father was sent to the Paris Air show to see what was available. He returned to SU reporting that he could design something better than anything he had seen there.
His design was developed and the first three SU Fuel Injection Pumps were built. The Second World War was now in progress and petrol was in short supply. Father got hold of some so he could deliver these pumps to Rolls Royce in Derby personally. He took the family as we were all glad to have a rare drive out. When we reached Rolls Royce it was pouring with rain. Wartime security was high; the gate keeper said that father could drive in but that my mother, brother and myself would have to wait outside in the rain. My father answered: "then I will take the pumps back to Birmingham". We were all allowed in. The injection pumps were very successful and were fitted to the Merlin Aero Engine. After the war they were built under license in the USA for American Tanks.
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BobH
United Kingdom
250 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2016 : 10:38:45
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The interim solution for the Merlin was 'Miss Shilling's Orifice" which when fitted in the SU prevented the enging cutting out under transient negative G. Probably not much help help with flying inverted though.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Shilling's_orifice |
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MG Maverick
United Kingdom
1045 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2016 : 11:18:06
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When attending reunions with my father, it was obvious that there was a problem with carburation as I can recall some ex Spitfire pilots talking about inverting their Spitfires in certain flight plans when following enemy aircraft to help prevent engine cutouts. One of my biggest regrets was not taking more on board of these visits and meetings, what questions I could have asked with my hindsight knowledge and experience....even down the ownership of a decent camera at that time.
Chris ( J2353 ) & ( J4129 )
Brighton, East Sussex & Paphos, Cyprus. |
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Biggles
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2016 : 19:30:48
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Here is a better photo of the M type used in Reach for the Sky and you can make out most of the registration number. Does this car still exist? Cheers John
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John James
United Kingdom
963 Posts |
Posted - 09/02/2016 : 20:32:18
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| Could be YY 3824 (2M3463) |
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