I just wanted to say hello. I have always had an interest in WWII, starting I think with Lancaster bombers, the Spitfire and then the Rolls Royce Merlin engine itself. Also VC stories. My grandfather served -and survived- the Merchant Navy. I trained as a Mechanical Engineer with the MoD at Woolwich Arsenal and more recently scribed my first novel Cathedrals In The Sky, set partially during the war, concerning a Spitfire downed in 1941 (with a great deal of help from Chief Pilot Dodge Bailey and the guys in the sheds at Shuttleworth). It also marks the Caribbean contribution to the RAF to the tune of 7,000 aircrew. I would say I know a fair amount about Merlins and the Spitfire in general, but as with all things, there's always more to learn. It was such a fast evolving period in aero-engineering terms, nothing stood still month to month. Anyway, I'm looking forward to delving deeper into this forum.
