On a sad note, I have to let you all know that another of our vets has passed away. Sadly on Tuesday December 4th Wally Poynter, a navigator with the Heaven crew of 431 Iroquois Squadron passed away suddenly. Wally was a gentleman and shared his Air Force experiences with me just two weeks ago. He will be missed.
Soory to hear this Bill, I recall reading a few of Wally's posts on a number of boards in the past, we will certianly miss these fellows and thier stories once they are gone... I'm sure he is amongst friends and having a drink. Alan
Four years ago when I first came in contact with him, he was very helpful and went to great lengths to answer my questions which much have seemed pretty mundane to him at the time. I think he was just glad to have younger person interested in his experiences.
But what I respected most about Wally (aside from his military service) is that he set a fine example for us all when it came to embracing change. He was the first octagenarian which I had ever met that actively used the internet.
Let's stop to consider that for a moment.
Back in the 1940's the personal computer seemed incomprehensible and its doubtful that anyone except science fiction writers had envisioned something like the internet. To become proficient on computers and the internet as a senior citizen is truly a remarkable achievement. Most senior citizens of his generation find computers to be a complete mystery and are likely intimidated by something so foreign.
But that certainly wasn't the case with Wally, it seems as though he carried that youthful spirit which got him through a tour of operations with Bomber Command well into his golden years.
Thank you Matt, for the accollades about us "Old Guys" who use the computers in our declining years, but it is not as strange as you might imply. There are many members of our branch of the Aircrew Association who use the product and each owner has his E-Address listed on the membership form.
I bought my first computer in 1988 (Tandy HX-1000) that didn't even have a hard drive or CD-ROM, but I put out quite a few stories on the machine. I've been through many upgrades since but am still doing some writing on mine (as much as advanced years will allow).
We Senior Computer operators seldom get involved with serious and involved work, but we do some writing, a lot of correspondence, financial recording, and all those darned internet jokes that keep coming back in different forms. Probably the biggest use for us old guys is Spider Solitaire.
The Bomber Crew website is a pleasant diversion.
I am familiar with the name "Wally Poynter" and am certain I have met him, but can't place him. Where was he living? I spent a short time with #434 Squadron, which was at Croft, along with #431.
Hi John, Wally and his wife just recently moved to St. Catharines ON. from Stratford where they had lived for many years. As Wally told me prior to them moving the house had become too physically demanding for them and they both moved to a retirement home. I just had lunch with him and his wife Joan 3weeks past Friday and although he walked with a slight stoop he was bright and alert and as Matt has said, Wally was very very good on his computer as he demonstrated to me while on my visit. He sent me a few photographs from his collection one of which is the oil storage tanks at St. Nazaire in France. The picture, taken at ground level by a German was taken the day after the raid and shows the tanks STILL burning. He was indeed a great man willing to share his experiences and I for one will miss our conversations and e-mails.
