Picture of the day

Grizzly Adams said:
Think they were the ones who invented stirrups, revolutionized cavalry. :)

Grizz
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Yes, more or less, although it seems the stirrup was known in Central Europe by at least 650 (the Avars in Hungary)and the actual Mongols don't show up in Eastern Europe until around 1250...so a 600 year gap while the Europeans developed their stirrup during the darkest of the dark ages. Avars and Mongols were not exactly the same people but had roughly the same steppe nomad culture...which likely spread the use of the stirrup from China to the West. Its hard to believe that the European cavalry got along without stirrups for so long, including groups like the Sarmatian heavy armour cavalry. Picture is of Avar 7-8th AD iron stirrup from Hungary. Very old Milsurp. They really don't look too different from the stirrups hanging from the Mongolian saddle in that 20thc. photo:
QSzfv51.jpg
 
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Pic of 430 Sqn parade at RCAF Station Uplands (Ottawa) on 23 Sep 1952
These would be either MK I or MK 2 Sabre's with the General Electric J-47 engines
430 Sqn later went to 2 F, Wing in Grostenquin France with the Sabre's and later moved to Lahr flying the 104's after we were kicked out of France.

View attachment 229525

Later on we got the Mk 5 with the Orenda 10 engines (made in Canada) and the MK 6 with the larger Orenda 14 engines.
I believe the Golden Hawks flew the MK 5 but the aircraft that Vintage Wings out of Gatineau Airport fly's as a Golden Hawk is a MK5 with the larger Orenda 14 engine.
I worked on the MK6 at RCAF Stn Chatham in the mid 60's and that was the last place to fly Sabre's in the RCAF.

View attachment 229528

My old buddy Gerry was a groundcrew Fitter attached with the Golden Hawks and traveled with them for a couple of years. Many years later his old aunt from Newfoundland came to Trenton for a visit so Gerry took her down to the arena to show her the Hawk on the pedestal. After Gerry told her the history the old girl asked him if that was the exact same one he worked on. He chuckled and said, might have been but it's probably one painted up to honor the team. She said, ok but it's nice to see they honored you and put your initials on the tail. Gerry didn't have the heart to tell her difference as she had known Gerry as GH all her life. :)
 
Rob said:
Yes, more or less, although it seems the stirrup was known in Central Europe by at least 650 (the Avars in Hungary)and the actual Mongols don't show up in Eastern Europe until around 1250...so a 600 year gap while the Europeans developed their stirrup during the darkest of the dark ages. Avars and Mongols were not exactly the same people but had roughly the same steppe nomad culture...which likely spread the use of the stirrup from China to the West. Its hard to believe that the European cavalry got along without stirrups for so long, including groups like the Sarmatian heavy armour cavalry. Picture is of Avar 7-8th AD iron stirrup from Hungary. Very old Milsurp. They really don't look too different from the stirrups hanging from the Mongolian saddle in that 20thc. photo:
QSzfv51.jpg
Click to expand...

Now that is interesting .... learn a lot here.
 
Rob said:
Yes, more or less, although it seems the stirrup was known in Central Europe by at least 650 (the Avars in Hungary)and the actual Mongols don't show up in Eastern Europe until around 1250...so a 600 year gap while the Europeans developed their stirrup during the darkest of the dark ages. Avars and Mongols were not exactly the same people but had roughly the same steppe nomad culture...which likely spread the use of the stirrup from China to the West. Its hard to believe that the European cavalry got along without stirrups for so long, including groups like the Sarmatian heavy armour cavalry. Picture is of Avar 7-8th AD iron stirrup from Hungary. Very old Milsurp. They really don't look too different from the stirrups hanging from the Mongolian saddle in that 20thc. photo:
QSzfv51.jpg
Click to expand...

The utility of stirrups became more significant when horseshoes evolved from 'boots' and horses could be worked a little harder when carrying a man .. https://dressagetoday.com/horse-health-/history-of-horseshoes-17802
 
bush1 said:
Pic of 430 Sqn parade at RCAF Station Uplands (Ottawa) on 23 Sep 1952
These would be either MK I or MK 2 Sabre's with the General Electric J-47 engines
430 Sqn later went to 2 F, Wing in Grostenquin France with the Sabre's and later moved to Lahr flying the 104's after we were kicked out of France.

View attachment 229525

Later on we got the Mk 5 with the Orenda 10 engines (made in Canada) and the MK 6 with the larger Orenda 14 engines.
I believe the Golden Hawks flew the MK 5 but the aircraft that Vintage Wings out of Gatineau Airport fly's as a Golden Hawk is a MK5 with the larger Orenda 14 engine.
I worked on the MK6 at RCAF Stn Chatham in the mid 60's and that was the last place to fly Sabre's in the RCAF.

View attachment 229528

My old buddy Gerry was a groundcrew Fitter attached with the Golden Hawks and traveled with them for a couple of years. Many years later his old aunt from Newfoundland came to Trenton for a visit so Gerry took her down to the arena to show her the Hawk on the pedestal. After Gerry told her the history the old girl asked him if that was the exact same one he worked on. He chuckled and said, might have been but it's probably one painted up to honor the team. She said, ok but it's nice to see they honored you and put your initials on the tail. Gerry didn't have the heart to tell her difference as she had known Gerry as GH all her life. :)
Click to expand...

NATO bases in France, including Marville, were short-lived. In 1963 the Government of France announced that all nuclear weapons in France were to be placed under French control. This was unacceptable to the RCAF (and other NATO units stationed in France), so the two nuclear strike squadrons at 2 Wing were hastily moved to Zweibrücken and Baden-Soellingen while remaining non-nuclear armed units in France were repositioned to Marville. Marville's two remaining squadrons converted to a strictly reconnaissance role. In March 1966 the Government of France announced that it would be withdrawing its military forces from NATO and that NATO units based in France would have to leave or fall under French command. The RCAF then moved Marville's 439 and 441 Squadrons to CFB Lahr in April 1967.
 
purple said:
My Dad used to talk about firing the Boys AT rifle, not something for plinking in a field of gophers.
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My dad watched a Boys Anti Tank rifle firing at a church steeple in Boulogne France, May 1940, his company was taking sniper fire from the steeple, and their .303 rifles and Bren guns were not having much effect , against the thick stone work, as the rounds just chipped the stone work, a Boys was brought up, and a a magazine of 5 rounds .55 was fired , big chunks of stone were blasted out of the steeple , that ended the sniping
 
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