Eccentricities

Obviously many of the patterns of behaviour were stress related, as is man's primitive instinct to collect memorabilia.
It doesn't, however, explain Mannock's Socialism and hatred of Lady Bountifuls.
The legendary Smith-Barry was thought to be eccentric because of his glassy stare and disregard of higher authority. In command of 60 Squadron, he was being pressed for a backlog of returns and reports. A fire, in which all records were destroyed, was thought to be his doing. This might perhaps come under the heading of resourcefulness rather than eccentricity.
Lothar vR. suffered from the complaint that he could not stand the sight of his own blood. There is a medical name for this condition which I have long forgotten. When wounded he fainted at the sight of blood gushing forth. I have often wondered if Little suffered from the same complaint. This is very rare and like many other phobias but does not perhaps come under the eccentric heading.
Willie Fry (Bishop's Wingman) always wore a flying helmet made from animal fur, of which he was very proud. A picture of him wearing it can be seen facing page 146 in his book 'Air of Battle.'It looks as if it kept his ears warm.
It might perhaps have been a talisman and I thought another entry might deal with that subject.
VBR
Peter S

I feel that to cover the subject of talismans I could do no better than quote the last paragraph from 'Warbirds':-
"I saw Springs the other day in Boulogne. He said his girl at home sent him a pair of these Ninette and Rintintin luck charms. Since then he's lost five men, been shot down twice, lost all his money at blackjack and only gotten one Hun. He says he judges from that that she is unfaithful to him. So he has discarded them and says he is looking for a new charm and that the best one is a garter taken from the left leg of a virgin in the dark of the moon. I know they are lucky but I'd be afraid to risk one. Something might happen to her and then you'd be killed for sure. A stocking to tie over my nose and a Columbian half dollar and that last sixpence and a piece of my first crash seem to take care of me alright, tho I am not superstitious."

Cheers
Peter S

What is a Lady Bountiful?

Herr von Goebel: While I may not know the definition of a Lady Bountiful, I can say that a Bountiful Lady is...

Ach, I'd better not.

I probably did not use it in its correct context. An old fashioned term when the Squires wife distributed food and other goodies to the tenants. Mannock's revulsion was against the rich who did very little and patronised the poor.
The Bob Cratchets and their descendants are still with us, if in ever decreasing numbers.
Do I explain Bob Cratchets by saying Tiny Tim.
Merry Christmas
Peter S.