The Pacific and Dr Who

[Red Laser]

Pacific is good so far.

[action-figure-supplies]

The current series of Lost is awesome, way better than last series. I'm actually excited to watch the episodes instead of struggling through them to get to the end.

24 - I've got series 7 and Redemption on my PC as Virgin had fallen out with Sky when it was on I think but not watched it yet. Got series 8 on my V+ box. TBH I can't be bothered watching either at the moment. Glad it's been cancelled, the whole concept was pushed way too far after the third of fourth day. How much crap can one man take?

This season of Doctor Who looks cracking, seems to be some really nice ideas. Hope they make more of the interior of the Tardis now they've redesigned it.

[Chopper]

I watched the first 3 eps of The Pacific last night. Good stuff. Melbourne's docks have hardly changed at all. They are only used for ferries and cruise ships these days. A hell of a lot of local actors there too. Quite a few familiar locations there. I'll watch ep 4 tonight I think.

[Quickfire]

All filmed in Aussie, I didn't realise how close to NZ the Japanese got tho. Scary sh*t, no wonder we fought like we had our back to the wall. We did. The 3rd episode is called Melbourne, and the docks still pretty much look the same as the archive footage.

Yeah they were looking for lots of extras in Aussie, the youngish bro of one of my best pals at Uni in Queensland turned the opportunity down ... moron !

As for the Japanese, all the main airports in Port Moresby, Vanuatu, Solomons are STILL named after RAAF and Cactus air force types who were based there or on ops thereabouts, Jacksons, Henderson Field, Bauerfield. Imagine flying from Vanuatu to give extra aircover over Solomons in a single seater, schrecklich. Even in Fiji the main bridge from the (US built) runway in Nausori to Suva was built by the Corps of Engineers, in use till a few years ago.

Can't watch the new episodes, looks like one for DVD.



PS. At the ?east end of Henderson field you can see the remains of a couple of Aerocobras, one in remarkable-ish nick, the production stamps on its 50.cals still in mint condition, also some of the light armour used locally and about 50 jerry cans with the consistency these days of tortured papier-mache.

[Chopper]

Henderson field? Aka Honiara International Airport? Up in the NT there are a few derelict aircraft an WWII relics kicking around. I'd love to go up there and hunt a few out, I usually get to Darwin every year or two.

I always thought the Airacobra was a later invention, seems the went into service in 1941. About right then. Where are the P-39's sitting? Can't see them on Google maps.

Bugger that for a WWII holiday, Schnellfuer.

[Quickfire]

Yeah I think Port Moresby and Honiara designate as 'international airports' now, but all of them have plaques and such to their original names, locally the original gets used a lot. Henderson field is enormous, they don't use all the runway these days, you can see parts of the original runway and see how far it stretched and the size of the original apron. Handy for finding somewhere to land amidst all those Tokyo Express shellholes...

I think there are two cobras (yes, probably from later in the war), not sure about P-39s but you can buy commemorative stamps apparently (yes, seriously) of those sent to take down Yamamoto near PNG on a long range mission. Maybe there are P-39s squirrelled away.

Obviously Ironbottom Sound just off Honiara is full of ships (hence the name, even his nibs was not responsible in this instance for hell on earth), a cursory scuba dive 20 feet offshore will reveal sunken landing ships (often run aground whilst holed and slipped further backwards over time) full of tanks and live UXO. HMAS Canberra is in the drink further out.

Ja, einen zweiterweltkrieg reisen mit ganz viele sehenswurdigkeiten is probably a good idea

[Chopper]

Hopefully this will embed OK. A late model RAAF Spitfire from the Pacific war;



Went to Point Cook Air Pageant a month ago, with the little feller, and got to see some impressive aircraft. Spitty, Vampire, Provost, CAC Sabre, Hudson, Mustangs, Kittyhawk..... warbird bliss.

[Quickfire]

Nice pic! Sounds like a good airshow too!

[Sundance]

saw the first 2 Pacific tonight. good.