2015 02 Our Ships were British Oak, and hearts of oak our men

[Vagabond]

Thanks Jonas, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, I'm down on the coast of Spain noth of Benidorm and today walked along the cliffs to the Castell de la Grandella a small fortification built originally to warn and defend a small cove against pirates. The British destroyed it in the Napoleonic wars but the cliff scenery is spectacular, it reminds me of Robs scenery, I'm very seriously thinking about trying to replicate it, the stone is a wonderful ochre colour.

Rob thanks for copying this to the 2015 section, if I write up any more of these I'll put them there if you think thats the best place.

Paul I didn't realise there was any of the 98 vintage left, it is 1798, not the much newer 1898. By all means pinch the old guy idea, I borrowed it from Arthur Conan Doyle and his Brigadier Gerard stories, I guess the difference is that Jean Vagabond is not flying an aircraft and so never likely to be killed in one of these stories, unlike his English relative 2nd Lt John Vagabond who writes in the 1st person because there's no guarantee that he will out live WW1.

[ShadowDragon]

Thanks Jonas, I'm pleased you enjoyed it, I'm down on the coast of Spain noth of Benidorm and today walked along the cliffs to the Castell de la Grandella a small fortification built originally to warn and defend a small cove against pirates. The British destroyed it in the Napoleonic wars but the cliff scenery is spectacular, it reminds me of Robs scenery, I'm very seriously thinking about trying to replicate it, the stone is a wonderful ochre colour.

Rob thanks for copying this to the 2015 section, if I write up any more of these I'll put them there if you think thats the best place.

Paul I didn't realise there was any of the 98 vintage left, it is 1798, not the much newer 1898. By all means pinch the old guy idea, I borrowed it from Arthur Conan Doyle and his Brigadier Gerard stories, I guess the difference is that Jean Vagabond is not flying an aircraft and so never likely to be killed in one of these stories, unlike his English relative 2nd Lt John Vagabond who writes in the 1st person because there's no guarantee that he will out live WW1.

I guess it’s not an entirely novel idea for novels. There are options....old guy has nicked stories belonging to someone else (yup, I’m sure that’s never happened); pilot thought to be dead but nursed to health by beautiful young French woman whose father just happens to own a vineyard / winery; and so forth...

[ShadowDragon]

I guess it’s not an entirely novel idea for novels. There are options....old guy has nicked stories belonging to someone else (yup, I’m sure that’s never happened); pilot thought to be dead but nursed to health by beautiful young French woman whose father just happens to own a vineyard / winery; and so forth...

...of course, said pilot is presumed dead by Canadian / British authorities but actually stays in France after the war flying planes, marrying the French woman and helping out with her family’s wine harvest. He and the family escape France to Spain ahead of the German 1940 invasion, eventually emigrate to Australia where they link up with a former squadron mate and buy a vineyard / winery.

If I think hard enough I will come up with some kind of storyline.

[Bligh]

Stranger things in heaven and earth Horatio!

A college friend of mine who happened to be a motor bike fanatic decided to take time out after graduating before taking a job and do the Grand Tour on his bike. OK. so this was Italy and not France, a motor bike rather than an aeroplane, but somehow he came off and was quite badly injured outside the gates of a rather large Estate. Taken in by the owner, and nursed back to health by her, they ended up getting married.

It can happen in real life. Must remember to include it in my next AAR.

Oh! I forgot to mention that the Estate had a vineyard.

Rob.

[ShadowDragon]

Stranger things in heaven and earth Horatio!

A college friend of mine who happened to be a motor bike fanatic decided to take time out after graduating before taking a job and do the Grand Tour on his bike. OK. so this was Italy and not France, a motor bike rather than an aeroplane, but somehow he came off and was quite badly injured outside the gates of a rather large Estate. Taken in by the owner, and nursed back to health by her, they ended up getting married.

It can happen in real life. Must remember to include it in my next AAR.

Oh! I forgot to mention that the Estate had a vineyard.

Rob.

Too funny!

Also funny is how I had ideas for the characters but how these ideas changed once I played the game and started writing up the AAR. Some things stayed. The main character is still from Northern Alberta where I grew up and another character is a tribute to my late uncle who joined the Air Force at the beginning of WWII as a mechanic, transferred to aircrew, became a pilot, was good enough at flying to be kept as an instructor, bought a small airways shortly after the war and flew people like Bing Crosby and Neil Armstrong to fishing camps in the north. Are you still reading WoG OTT AAR or are you fully submerged in SoG...realizing submerged might not ‘go down’ well.

Must do a SoG AAR next.

[Bligh]

Immersed rather than submerged Paul. I ain't quite sunk in all the admin yet.
I should be doing a couple of AARs for WWI and II that have been hanging fire for a while (now you have me doing it!) as soon as I get time to add the write up plus one for the Malta scenario which is at least two years old if not more. One of my Beaufighter Pilots is based on a friend of my Dad's who flew them in WWII.

Rob.