Force for the good
Shooting Times & Country|February 12, 2020
A visit to RAF Cranwell shoot reminds Simon Garnham that Battle of Britain pilots might well have learned early discipline in field sports
Simon Garnham
Force for the good

Air Vice-Marshall ‘Johnnie’ Johnson was credited with more enemy kills than any other British pilot in World War II. At his death in 2001, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, chairman of the Battle of Britain Fighter Pilots’ Association, described him as being “a sort of Lincolnshire poacher. Before the war he had been a game shooter… a gifted shot. During the war he was exceptionally skilled in the art of deflection shooting. Lots of us were good pilots but he was an excellent shot, too.”

It’s clear that Johnson’s skills were developed and honed while game shooting. His love of field sports must have been a significant part of the reason for his 700 successful sorties, his incredible array of honors and his place in history as a flying ace.

But it wasn’t only the skill of shooting that was learned in the sporting field. Johnson’s obituary notes that he “looked after his people… After D-Day he organized barrels of beer to be slung under the Spitfires in place of extra fuel tanks, a move welcomed on the dusty frontline airfields of Normandy.”

Action

I was privileged enough to be invited to join the RAF Cranwell shoot, where I saw the modern generation of pilots and their comrades in action. The ideals demonstrated by Johnnie Johnson were just as obvious in 2020 when I met Squadron Leader Karl Bird in a windswept Lincolnshire field, as dark clouds scudded across the rich soil.

“RAF Cranwell began in 1919 for the newly founded RAF,” said Karl. “The following year the Cranwell Officers Shooting Club began; we’ve been going strong for 100 years since. Drink?” And so, with a generous sloe gin, began a memorable sporting day.

この記事は Shooting Times & Country の February 12, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Shooting Times & Country の February 12, 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRYのその他の記事すべて表示
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 分  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 分  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 分  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 分  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 分  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 分  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 分  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 分  |
August 02, 2023