The latest Long Eaton Chronicle has run a story about the First World War flyer Albert Ball V.C. He met a tragic end being one of the millions of young people who lost their lives in the Great War. What the article didn't mention was that Albert had a Long Eaton connection in that he had been a pupil at Trent College, Derby Road, Long Eaton. If fact the College have some memorabilia, including a propeller from one of his planes a 60 Squadron Nieuport.
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| TRENT COLLEGE LONG EATON |
Anyone who wants to find out more about this remarkable young man should read the brilliant book by Chaz Bowyer. It gives an account of his all too short life and it is published by Crecy Books.
A few years ago my wife Margaret and I went to Nova Scotia on holiday. Whale watching, moose spotting and soaking up local culture were our objectives. I had booked us in to see three plays at the Wolfville festival. One of which was "Billy Bishop Goes To War." A snappy title if ever I heard one.
Now Billy Bishop was a Canadian Air Ace who was a contemporary of Albert Ball. The play implied that Bishop had more of an eye to survival than Ball. In fact if that was his aim he succeeded because careful Billy died peacefully in his bed in 1956 having clocked up many more kills than Albert.
There is some lovely dialogue in the Play in which Albert outlines his idea of overflying the German air base and shooting down the enemy planes as they tried to take off. Billy enquired how would they get back? Albert's surprised reply was something like "I don't think you understand me Bishop." Funnily enough after Albert's death Billy, despite his earlier reservations, did successfully carry out Albert's plan downing several enemy aircraft.
Billy went on to become an Air Marshall, serving in the Second World War.
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