Hi, Remarkable of the desert air war is not how many airmen lost their lives by landing many miles from help,but rather how many of them in such circumstances contrived with great courage and endurance to walk back to their squadron's, sometimes cutting through enemy lines to do so. Somewhere in the western desert in June 1941 a few officer's founded a club called the " Late Arrival's Club," no man could become a member unless, in the word's of the club rule's, "when obliged to abandon his aircraft on the ground or in the air, as a result of unfriendly action by the enemy".He succeeded in returning to his squadron, on foot or by other mean's,long after his Estimated Time of Arrival. Member's of the The Late Arrival's Club, wear a small emblem of a Winged Flying Boot on the left breast of their flying suit's. By the end of 1942, there were 345 member's. regards...........Graham.
Brilliant Clive, My post came out of a book printed in 1945,cost 1/9d. some of the stories in it about a crew walking 300 miles to get back to their squadron's.Un beliveable endurance. Tempted to post the story on the forum. best ......Graham.
