Biker down

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/05/31/db3101.xml
Had a good innings though. Anyone heard of Coulson Racing?

 

I met him on a number of occasions when he was involved with Haslemere
Motorcycles and my friend Francis was racing for them.
http://www.haslemeremotorcycles.co.uk/racingmain.htm

 

Eeeee. I knew him. He was a mate of my dad's. An absolutely lovely,
charming old chap. I bumped into one of his Queen's Messenger pals a couple
of years ago [recognised the silver greyhound tie, didn't I], but never
quite got around to getting back in touch. I believe that he was associated
with Haslemere Motorcycles; he was certainly a customer there. He was
riding a BMW until very recently - far more recently than the obit says, I
believe.

 

I found myself with a growing admiration for the bloke. I thought the "2
bowler hats" idea was a stroke of utter genius.

Reminds me of my Grandfather. He was a war nutter. Thats nutter in a good
way, not a spittle drooling hovercraft fetishist who smells faintly of
ordure de cat.

 

I had to chuckle at this:

"He was awarded a DFC"

 

I read that, at work today. What a fabulous bloke.

This is what I like about a good obit - you get to hear about amazing
people who you wouldn't otherwise know existed.

 

The Older Gentleman wibbled:

Essential reading. I have trouble getting my head around a lot of what
they did and went through.

I knew an old boy who was a concientious objector working on the
railways and based at Kings Cross. He couldn't see the point of
fighting until he got bombed. He was put in for pilot training in
Canada but his hand/eye coordination was a problem - he couldn't take
off, let alone land safely so they trained him up as navigator, where
he did 34 missions in Pathfinder Lancasters. I expect he may well have
known Coulson. They were both very lucky to survive as the attrition
rate was over 80%

 

in message

Agreed. If you wrote a book with some of their exploits in you'd be
laughed at for writing over the top fiction. A lot of those WWII old
boys did absolutely amazing, foolhardy and just downright incredibly
brave things and it's sad that we only hear about them when they've
gone. The Telegraph used to publish books of obituaries, one for each of
the Services - I keep meaning to see if I can get hold of a copy of the
RAF one.

 

Perhaps you'd like to share the joke?

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Top chap, I hope I'm still able to ride at age 83.

 

Alan says

He flew Pathfinders out of Little Staughton airfield during the war,
Elly and I have both worked from the industrial estate that's on the old
site.

--
Lozzo
Triumph Daytona 955i SE (Black with added black bits)
Suzuki SV650 K3 (Trackbike project)
Yamaha SR 250 SpazzTrakka
Suzuki GSX-R 750L (Trackbike - for sale £600)
I ride way too fast to be worried about cholestorol

 

Indeed, just me being thick.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`