NavList:

Hello David,

Yes, never sleep much, early years as junior doc working 120 hours a week taught me that life is too short for that!  Up at 4.30am  when a 3 year old tyrant psychopath  poked me in the eye to do a Polaris dawn latitude. Unfortunately too  much cloud. So next best thing is navlist at that hour!

Yes, brilliant read, written by AIR-COMMODORE E. M. MAITLAND
C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C., ROYAL AIR FORCE . A real RAF hero type, the right stuff! Unfortunately died a few months later in R38
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Maitland_%28RAF_officer%29

These types rarely had long lives I guess. Also good on early Aviation Nav, mentions RDF experiments and the need for advanced bubble sextants 'cause you rarely see the horizon on murky transatlantic flights.

My grandad flew deridgables in the RNAS 1915-18. Mostly N sea convey/ anti sub.

He did not talk much about it, but I've got a couple of his medals, so he must have done something brave. Said he often saw U boats under the water , often dropped  50 ilb hand bombs, but never hit anything. Lost many pals, all through accidents, non through enemy fire.

Said they all chain smoked next to the hydrogen gas bags, the petrol engines and radio transmitter all sparked and how anyone survived is a mystery!

He lived to 85 and one of his most joyous times with me was watching Armstrong's first steps on the moon! He would have  volunteered for that.(as would I).

Halcion days!

Francis