NightHawk is up and running again
For the last 10 days, I’ve been unable to add postings to this blog. As you will probably appreciate, I normally add something every day. So this block has been very frustrating to me and possibly disappointing to you my readers.
The problem was a massive surge – make that a tsunami – of spam comments: over 40,000. These comments took up all the capacity of my blog as the spammers managed to shove something like 150 MB of spam into the blog.
The problem has now been resolved thanks to considerable help from my Internet guru Eric Lee. Thanks a lot Eric!
I can now start to resume normal service – so please stop by regularly.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:18 am
We may not be done yet. I’m testing the possibility of posting a comment.
June 19th, 2007 at 9:20 am
Seems to be working.
June 21st, 2007 at 4:31 am
Hello Mr. Darlington,
I recently came across your website on Czech fighter pilots who served in the RAF and wanted to thank you for your wonderfully written historical journey.
I am originally Czech. My parents escaped from the Communists in 1968 with me in tow, but that is entirely another story. I am 43 now and live in Canada with my own family of 3 boys and a wife (coincidentally enough, she is originally from the UK).
The reason I found your website… what brought this e-mail on… was a recent airshow I attended in Fort Erie (Niagara Falls). I have always had an interest in WWII fighters and history, so I was thrilled to be able to see a Hurricane, Spitfire and Bf109E (Last flying one in the world) flying together in formation. After the airshow, I found out that the Spitfire from the show originally served in the Czech RAF squadron and was repainted in Canadian markings. So I did some internet research and found your site.
May I say that I was impressed with how well it is written and summarized. My parents have lived through the war as kids, then escaped Communism, so we are aware of much of this history… but many others are not. It was heartening to read your chronicles and how much you recognize and appreciate the efforts of those who fought in the RAF… Czech or otherwise.
My oldest son (Pavel) is fascinated with WWII history as well, and knows much about WWII planes, battles and historical events/milestones. He has read about the dambusters raids, Battle of Britain and Pacific Theatre. I am looking forward to sharing your website with him, so he can get a sense of his own legacy, seeing as he is a product of Czech and British ancestry. I am sure he will enjoy the information as much as I did.
So I want to thank you for posting this… and to let you know that your efforts are appreciated, and will help keep the information alive with my sons generation, who will now know about the past and how it has shaped the freedom they enjoy today… and help them appreciate what they have.
I would like to send you some pictures I took at the Fort Erie (Niagara Falls) airshow, but the e-mail bounces back when I include those… if you would like them, please let me know where I can send them!
Dekuju moc krat!
Roman Soltys