We in the Kent and Sussex section of the VOC were lucky enough to know Bob and Beryl Peacham who were our hosts at their farmhouse for over fifty years. On one occasion Beryl told me that as a young girl she remembered the air fight going on above her as she went out to rescue her horse from the fields. The unfortunate animal was killed by a stray bullet as she made her way to it, and it could so easily have been Beryl. We were also lucky enough to have Joe Karasek as a member. He was on the other side during the war, taken prisoner and put to work on a farm in the South East where he settled and married an English woman. It was he who saved the Vincent three wheeler from almost certain destruction by buying it from Harpers when he heard of its existence. As a scientist who has worked with people from many parts of the world I have come to realise that it is not the people who are the problem but the self serving, lying politicians. The VOC is a very good example how people from many different backgrounds can share some of the joys of life without anyone having to be disadvantaged. We are lucky to live in the time that we do, covid not withstanding.
Norman, how right you are! Some 25 years ago, I accompanied a friend to the airshow at Duxford in a Cessna
172, which was based at Porta Westfalica in Germany. We had to land in Southend, a coastal airfield near Dover
for our customs declaration. I remember the sound of the steel staircases up to the Tower Office like yesterday.
After a short chat with the officer there, having our duties completed, he asked: " Do you want to see 2 WW2-
fighters land and start again?" Of course, we did! We were allowed onto the gangway around the tower in
perfect sunshine, when a Spitfire and a Mustang appeared to land. Both pilots had to come to the tower officer,
as well and informed us, that they both were flying at the Royal Air Force, but flew these historical fighters for
their owners to a german air show for demonstration. After they had left again, the officer adressed us again:
"Wait, to see them leave, they might perform a low- pass." Which they did! Their cabins being in eye height of
us, app. 20yds away, leaving us with the marvellous sound of 24 Merlin cylinders on full song!