Hi There and thanks for the add to the group.
I’m a Marine Engineer and have worked on the Norfolk Broads for 40 years.
I have had various bikes over the years and am currently the owner of a Norton Dominator and an Ariel Red Hunter.
The only Vincent’s that grace my ownership are of the Matchbox Model type ! One made over 40 years ago, the other bought recently to be crafted a Black Lightning one day.
I found the groups website via research into Jack Lazenby, as many will know, he was a Flight Engineer in Bomber Command flying over 50 missions. His first tour of ops was with 57 Squadron flying out of RAF Scampton. His pilot and navigator were both Americans, both joined the RCAF together before Pearl Harbour. The crew then went onto Pathfinder operations with 97 squadron out of RAF Bourn in Cambridgeshire. Shortly after arriving his pilot (another Jack) and navigator, transferred to the US 8th Air Force, joining their fledgling Pathfinder 482rd Bomb Group based at RAF Alconbury. Unfortunately his pilot, John “Jack” Russell, flying as co-pilot, died in a crash returning from Thorpe Abbotts airfield, Norfolk. After the mission they were to lead the 100th Bomb Group in, was scrubbed.
I am helping the daughter of a 94 year old friend of the pilot Jack. Who as a young boy, received letters and photographs from Jack Russell. We are putting a written history together and with the help of locals to the crash site (Brome, Suffolk) some related to an unfortunate road gang that were digging a drainage ditch, when the Flying Fortress crashed.
It was fascinating to find that Jack Lazenby manage to find a job at Vincent’s post war.
I have checked, his many mentions in the group and read that he wrote an account of his time at Vincent’s. I read on one post, that he had written an account of his time at the Vincent factory. Unfortunately this was on YAHOO groups which we cannot access. Just wondered if someone had a copy of it, they were willing to share .
All the best
Steve Andrews
