What's in a name?

[SoundmanJohn]

From the BBC Obituary web-site:

"If it had not been for Annie Penrose, RAF pilots might have found themselves piloting Shrews rather than Spitfires in the Battle of Britain. Her father, Sir Robert McLean, was chairman of Vickers between the wars and worked closely with R J Mitchell who was designing a new single-seater fighter. Mitchell had wanted to call the new plane the Shrew but McLean insisted it was called the Spitfire, the nickname he had bestowed on his somewhat headstrong daughter. After opposition from the Air Ministry he finally got his way. Annie, who was born in India, went on to marry the actor Robert Newton before his drinking and womanising led to divorce. She later married Beakus Penrose and became the chatelaine of the Killiow Estate in Cornwall which she ran well into her 80s."

Annie Penrose died on October 2nd, aged 100. Full obituary here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8849075/Annie-Penrose.html

Regards,

John

[Gingie]

Interest that, thanks Soundman.

I think it was quoted (from memory) in the 1942 film, The First Of The Few that R. J. Mitchell said that "his new plane will fly at 350 mph, have 8 guns, it would be like a dragon, it would spit fire"

Maybe this was poetic license on the part of the film makers and not factually correct.

[SoundmanJohn]

I think that's poetic license: apparently, when Mitchell was told about the name, he said something like 'just the sort of bloody silly name they would choose."

Regards,

John

[MikeKippes]

John,
Thanks for posting this.  It is a meaningful thing to note her passing.

I never thought  "Achtung: Shrew" had quite the same degree of impact   

My best,
Mike