
From our good friend Al McQ. His Shell XS is in Sideburn 1.
'Hello Guys!
Although this Velocette KSS isn't a flattracker, I know you're interested in shots of people looking cool on bikes so how about this?
It's my Dad - Flying Officer James McQuaid DFC. WW2 has just ended and here he is in his demob' suit & coat, RAF issue goggles and gauntlets. The bike is fuelled on unrationed methanol and running on castor oil.
Check out the haircut and moody guy expression, pre Elvis and Dean. Undaunted by the lack of helmet and minimal front brake, he's just 23 but looks older - here's why...
Quite realistically he didn't expect to see 21. His odds of survival were less than 1 in 3 and he knew it. During his time on 100 Sqn, 25 aircraft and crews went missing, representing a full turnover of the Squadron strength. Of his comrades in Bomber Command, 55,573 died, of which 41,458 have no known grave; many simply logged as "missing - no news after take-off." During the period following D-day, Bomber Command was losing more airmen than the army was infantry in Normandy. They lost more aircrew in one night over Nuremburg than fighter Command did in the whole of the battle of Britain. They made up only 2% of Britain's armed effort but over 14.5% of War dead. Of any combatant force, only the German U-Boat fleet suffered a higher percentage loss rate -although the actual number killed was very much smaller.
So here's to you Dad and all the others, God rest your souls - and I wish I had that Velo'...
Cheers! A
BTW - Revell have recently released an Avro Lancaster kit featuring "his" aircraft markings.