TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Absolutely, although I think history (and historians) are often too harsh on people like Chamberlin. If I had been though the first world war then I would have tried very hard to avoid it happening again. Sadly, that misplaced hope led to some fairly shabby activity but I understand (to the extent that someone born decades after the trenches were dug from Switzerland to the English Channel can) why they tried to negotiate.

I also understand how lucky we all are that they failed to reach a real agreement with "Herr Hitler" and that Churchill was there to take the reins when they did.

I remember someone who worked with Churchill describing how he would have ten big ideas every day: "About six of them," he said, "Winnie would discount or lose interest in himself, two of them would be terrible ideas which his colleges and friends would have to almost physically restrain him from carrying out. But one or two would be genius of the level that they could turn the course of the whole war."

Of course Churchill went through the Great Wae as well. Chamberlain was a "peace at any price" advocate while Sir Winston knew better. An excellent book dealing with this subject is Five Days in London: May 1940 by John Lukacs.

After reading it I am convinced that Churchill single-handedly guaranteed that Hotler would not win the war but have to fight it out...against overwhealming odds after the USA enetered the conflict on the side of the UK.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

They certainly used C-47's in the CBI, and it wouldn't surprise me if they used both to go over the Hump. It's just that the pressurized C-46 would have been less unpleasant, whereas the C-47 is the poster boy of WWII cargo aircraft, with much more footage intact.

In the bomber world, as I understand it, B-17's were not pressurized, but B-29's were, so B-29's were better able to do high altitude "above the fighters" strategic bombing of Japan, whereas B-17's flew at fighter altitudes and relied on having about 10 .50 cals.

The C-46 was a passenger airliner too, before the war, just much less successful, and a Curtiss instead of a Douglas.

As a matter of fact I have flown in an unpressurised DC 3, a hop from Milwaukee to Chicago, and I chewed the hell out of the gum handed out to passangers by the stewardesses.

My 8th grade teacher was the pilot of a B29 flying from Tinian, and he told us many hair-raising tales about the war in the Pacific. He lost three planes in the course of his tour of duty.

Cheers,
Gary

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Outside of Pearl Harbor and the occupation of Attu Island in Alaska, there was some very limited bombing by Japanese launched parachute bombs in Oregon and California and killed a couple of people. IIRC there were some incendiary bombs on them as well with the intent of starting massive forest fires, but that came to naught.

Yes, and more people were lost to accidents at home that in the parachute bombing attacks.

The Japs occupation of Attu and Kiska was nothing that threatened the USA either, but service there was pretty dreadful. I worked with a chap named AL Gunville that had been in the Army, was there. No Japs to speak of but awful weather and frostbite casualties.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Yes, and more people were lost to accidents at home that in the parachute bombing attacks.

The Japs occupation of Attu and Kiska was nothing that threatened the USA either, but service there was pretty dreadful. I worked with a chap named AL Gunville that had been in the Army, was there. No Japs to speak of but awful weather and frostbite casualties.

Cheers,
Gary

Didn't threaten the mainland, but the unhappy remaining natives of Attu Island were sent to Hokkaido and didn't fare very well there. Drop in the bucket, to be sure but still very

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Didn't threaten the mainland, but the unhappy remaining natives of Attu Island were sent to Hokkaido and didn't fare very well there. Drop in the bucket, to be sure but still very

Yes sir.

The Japs were not renowned for their kindly treatment of prisoners. What a shame on the USA that we put citizens of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps, even if their treatment was very decent.

Cheerio,
Gary

 

[nerfherder]

It seems a shame that a furrow's length is recognized only at horse racing tracks these days. Of course it is 220 yards, a bowshot long.

Coincidentally, last weekend I spotted a very rare signpost with measurements still in miles and furlongs in Kirkby Stephen. I was so surprised, I took a photo!

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Yes sir.

The Japs were not renowned for their kindly treatment of prisoners. What a shame on the USA that we put citizens of Japanese ancestry into concentration camps, even if their treatment was very decent.

Cheerio,
Gary

When you don't sign the Geneva Conventions...

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Coincidentally, last weekend I spotted a very rare signpost with measurements still in miles and furlongs in Kirkby Stephen. I was so surprised, I took a photo!

That is a great pic, and the first time I was made that furlongs were added to mile distances anywhere.

Thanks for sharing that!

Cheers,
Gary

 

[nerfherder]

That is a great pic, and the first time I was made that furlongs were added to mile distances anywhere.

Thanks for sharing that!

Cheers,
Gary

Thanks. It's the first time I'd ever seen one in my 40 years. I noticed the older style of signpost at a junction when I was visiting Kirkby Stephen in the Eden District last weekend, and something about it just looked odd. It wasn't till I got closer and read the distances that I realised.

Cheers,
Liam

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Thanks. It's the first time I'd ever seen one in my 40 years. I noticed the older style of signpost at a junction when I was visiting Kirkby Stephen in the Eden District last weekend, and something about it just looked odd. It wasn't till I got closer and read the distances that I realised.

Cheers,
Liam

FWIW,

Although I have no eye for photographic composition, it seems to me that you have that ability. My wife takes all the pictures

Cheers,
Gary