Hi Guys - love the podcast. I served for 20 years in the RAF as a Flight Engineer, initially on the C130 and then the VC10. A couple of things - the C130 also had an Elsan which in 6000 hrs on type I used it once! Secondly I had the great privilege to being taught by Meng Derek Butcher who started his career on the Lancaster and finished it on the BBMF Lancaster which must make him unique and worthy of a short piece on the podcast. He was highly decorated but post war he never was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal - a post war story reputedly about a Sunderland, a card game, and a brothel in Japan! Rgds Ian

Jane & James, just finished listening to the two parter on Jane's new book and the Mine-laying Ops. I think it's one of the best episodes you've done, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fantastic questions by James and answered by Jane. I'm waiting for my copy to arrive but I look forward to reading the book. You can be sure that I will be telling anyone who visits me at RAF Bircham Newton Heritage Centre to read it. We've always had a piece on display about the mine-laying, most of it from Bircham Newton was done by the FAA in their Swordfish and Albacores, of 815, 826 FAA, in 1940 and then again in 1942 by 812 and 811, I think 819 as well (don't have my book handy when I wrote this) No. 22 and No. 217 RAF did some Mine-laying from Bircham but not in any significant numbers that I'm aware of. I've always stressed to visitors how dangerous it was for those guys, but you can be sure, that even with just the info Jane has given in these two episodes I will definitely expand on the Mine-laying campaign and Bomber Commands huge efforts throughout the war, I will definitely make sure to mention it when I talk to visitors for sure and I will recommend Jane's book everytime! People need to be aware of this unspoken part of the war! As always, great work from both of you! Keep up that fantastic work as always. Best wishes Jamie Heffer