In General, What is Everyone Doing?

[edwest]

Like others here, the war was all I heard about growing up. Very little from my parents who spent the war in Germany in forced labor camps. In a nutshell, they wanted to be in a country where no one was shooting at them and no bombs were falling nearby. My father, who was a vet, prior to capture, and my mother, only wanted to raise a family, and we had a fine time growing up even though the Russians and Americans deployed ICBMs in 1959, quickly followed by warnings that nuclear destruction would rain down on the US at any time.

My interest began with seeing a book about German aircraft back in the 1960s, and I was stunned when I saw photos of the Me-262 and Me-163. The V-1 and V-2 were also quite impressive. Then I learned that German aircraft were painted in a variety of schemes and color combinations and carried unintelligible markings and emblems.

As the years passed, my primary focus became the technology the Germans developed during the years 1933-1945, and the exploitation of said technology by the Americans, British and Russians. After the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, more documents came to light. And then the internet. Thanks to this site, LWAG and the LEMB, I was made aware of many, many books and publications that I would have missed otherwise. For me, posting eBay photos helps everyone, along with flight log books and some documents. I regularly look for new and upcoming books as well.

So, for me, it is a treasure hunt. My primary interest is late-war Luftwaffe technology, and other German wartime technology. I'm finding more and more credible information and reports, and other information that ended up being published but little discussed until the past decade or so. I must admit, I'm the one looking for the fringe material - the sort of thing that people find uninteresting or too incredible or just unbelievable. And I'll just end there.


Perhaps a poll would be useful.

I am doing:

1) Research about about a particular squadron.
2) Research about a particular campaign or operation.
3) Research about a particular time period (like Larry Hickey).
4) Research about a particular bomber group.
5) Research that focuses on one or more pilots.
6) Research that focuses on the fate of a particular aircraft, or number of aircraft.
7) Aviation archaeology and searching crash sites.
8) Collecting new and interesting photos.
9) I specialize in emblems, including personal emblems and unusual markings and codes.
10) Camouflage. I'm on the hunt for that never before seen camouflage pattern and the identity of the aircraft/squadron that wore it.
11) I am working on a book or a few books. Please tell us more.
12) Other.


Feel free to add to or amend the above list.




Best,
Ed