Wing Commander Crundall and Chaz Bowyer

[Andrew Smith]

G'day All,

I have just finished reading Fighter Pilot on the Western Front and found it a breath of fresh air regarding Robert Little hence the tongue in cheek pun in this threads title.

I am not sure what Adrian found during his research into Little, but the Little I have researched was always serious and aloof, from writing scriptures to holding other men up to his standards, and if they failed he wanted nothing to do with them. A very serious type I believed until I read Crundall.

On page 45 under the heading 22nd March, he relates a story of Little chasing a dog on all fours around a pub, and the on the way home Little sitting in the middle of the road refusing to budge (its obvious Little is p*ssed as a newt), they managed to coax him home, helping him walk with assistance.

Later in the book Crundall talks of Little taking his wife on a flight after they discussed the fact she would be scared. Mrs Little replied that she would not. Little apparently stunted the plane so severely that upon landing he took his wife to the hospital at Walmer.

The book was based on Crundall log, is it available to copy and can anyone verify the veracity of these stories, as I said very unlike the R.A. Little I thought I knew.

Regards,

Andrew

[sadsac]

Andrew, do not know about the `partaking' of LITTLE, but here is ONE award given to him - have more such if required ;

LITTLE Robert A DSC Flt.Lt. RNAS 85T068 & 069

No. 8 Naval Squadron Attached 10 (Army) Wing) R.F.C.

Field Marshall C-in-C France 22.06.17 Gazetted

R.N.A.S. Officers - France 22-23.04.17 & 03.05.17 DSC - bar to

For exceptional daring and skill in ariel fighting on many occasions, of which the following are examples :- On the 3rd May, 1917, he saw a formation of 8 hostile scouts attacking some of our machines. He dived in amongst them and fired on one at very close range. This machine was seen by another Pilot to go down out of control. On the 30th April, 1917, with three other Sopwith Triplanes, he went up after hostile machines. Near Douai they saw a big fight between F.E's and hostile aircraft. Lt. Little attacked one at 50 yards range and brought it down out of control. A few minutes later, he attacked a Red Scout, with a larger machine than the rest. This machine was handled with great skill, but by clever manoeuvring, Lt. Little got into a good position close behind and below, and shot it down out of control. On the 29th April, 1917, he shot down a hostile scout, which crashed on Douai aerodrome, and on the 28th April, 1917, he destroyed an Airatik East of Arras.

`Biggles to the fore' !!! Sadsac

[Andrew Smith]

Thanks mate,

I have all of his citations plus about 30 of his Combat in the Air Reports.

Andrew

[MikeW]

Andrew,

I've got a copy of Crundall's log book, it's quite chatty and you can see where the book lifted stuff right out of it, unfortunately there are no Little anecdotes in there.

IMO Crundall never said a bad word about anyone, not even the CO of number 210 Squadron, a man held next in line to Satan by the great WW1 researcher Stew Taylor. You know who I mean coz he was an Aussie as well.

regards,

Mike

[Andrew Smith]

Andrew,

I've got a copy of Crundall's log book, it's quite chatty and you can see where the book lifted stuff right out of it, unfortunately there are no Little anecdotes in there.

IMO Crundall never said a bad word about anyone, not even the CO of number 210 Squadron, a man held next in line to Satan by the great WW1 researcher Stew Taylor. You know who I mean coz he was an Aussie as well.

regards,

Mike

I think that rings a bell, poor chap he is picked on more than an Aussie Cricketer in New Delhi. Taffy Jones "loved" him as well.

Andrew