Contacts from 2020/2019
Author Mike NAPIER from the UK
(who is writing a book on the Korean War) was overjoyed when we directed
him to a source of hi-res public-domain photos of Korean-era RAAF Mustangs
and Meteors in State Library Victoria.
Mike says: “What a great
call! There’s some fantastic stuff on that website, so I’ve been
able to collect a bunch of photos that are just what I need.
Thanks ever so much for taking the trouble to get back to me and tell
me about that site.”
We’ve just passed the 75-year anniversary of the joyful 1945 Repatriation Voyages that brought 3SQN’s WW2 personnel back to Australia.
Whilst every returnee had a heartfelt
homecoming, possibly the most intense feelings were felt by the freed Prisoners
of War.
One example is the shot-down 1942 3SQN Kittyhawk pilot Tom WOOD, whose war reminiscences are on our website. Tom had been held in several camps in Italy and Germany and, after liberation, came back on HMTS Andes. The ship sailed at the end of June 1945 from Liverpool, across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to New Zealand, and thence to Sydney. The AWM has several pictures of the Andes arriving at Sydney, as one of the official "port arrival" photographers from the time donated a nice set.
An AWM study of HMTS Andes; the large modern liner aptly
symbolising
“hope” and a new beginning, after the perils of war.
The AWM’s Curator of Photographs, Joanne SMEDLEY, has done us a wonderful service by releasing a unique “action photo” for our website article on the RAAF Fighting the U-Boats.
This surreal image (from June 1944) shows
a German submarine being sunk under the light of parachute-flares
dropped from a R.A.F. 201 SQN Sunderland flying boat, over the Bay of
Biscay. (A night-attack method also used successfully by the RAAF
Sunderland squadrons.)
The doomed U-955 can be seen churning through the water (lower left) while depth charges explode around it. The pilot of the Sunderland, “Bav” BAVEYSTOCK, was one of those larger-than-life characters, ending the war with a DSO and DFC and Bar. He sank two U-Boats and also located a German “blockade runner”. Additionally, “Bav” was awarded a DFM for evading capture in Europe, after being shot down in the famous “1,000 Bomber Raid” on Cologne in 1942, and escaping to Spain.
The doomed U-955 can be seen churning through the water (lower left) while depth charges explode around it. The pilot of the Sunderland, “Bav” BAVEYSTOCK, was one of those larger-than-life characters, ending the war with a DSO and DFC and Bar. He sank two U-Boats and also located a German “blockade runner”. Additionally, “Bav” was awarded a DFM for evading capture in Europe, after being shot down in the famous “1,000 Bomber Raid” on Cologne in 1942, and escaping to Spain.
Editions of Air Force News are currently being digitised and progressively added to the National Library TROVE newspaper database, making available a wealth of RAAF historical detail for researchers.
[Click to search: 3SQN articles in Air Force News.
Or to find any other desired topic, simply type alternate keywords into their “Search” box.]
John LOVE has noted the welcome news that the Anzac Memorial in Sydney’s Hyde Park has won the 2020 International Architecture Award for “Landscape Architecture”, relating to its impressive major display-space expansion and installation of a memorial cascade for the Centenary of Anzac.
Air Force Association NSW have added some new Podcast Interviews to their website.
Two that will be of particular interest to 3SQN listeners are:
1) WGCDR Darren CLARE.
- A great interview about flying the F-35, made just after Darren stood-down from leading 3SQN, with some fascinating additional details on Darren’s career and his war experiences in Iraq/Syria. This interview was rather hilariously interrupted by the roar of F-35s taking off, leading to some comments about the aircraft’s record-breaking engine-power - and its lack of “stealth” in the audible range!
- A great interview about flying the F-35, made just after Darren stood-down from leading 3SQN, with some fascinating additional details on Darren’s career and his war experiences in Iraq/Syria. This interview was rather hilariously interrupted by the roar of F-35s taking off, leading to some comments about the aircraft’s record-breaking engine-power - and its lack of “stealth” in the audible range!
2) WGCDR (Ret.) Jim
TREADWELL, AFC, OAM.
- 3 Squadron Sabre pilot, and one of those RAAFies who have “flown everything”, Jim was in Jake NEWHAM’s formation when they dodged disaster in 1958, using a borrowed map, during 3SQN’s long-range “Sabre Ferry” from Australia to Butterworth.
Jim also has interesting memories of the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation.
- 3 Squadron Sabre pilot, and one of those RAAFies who have “flown everything”, Jim was in Jake NEWHAM’s formation when they dodged disaster in 1958, using a borrowed map, during 3SQN’s long-range “Sabre Ferry” from Australia to Butterworth.
Jim also has interesting memories of the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation.
Alby ANDERSON, our photo-collecting Kiwi friend who is currently bunkered-down in “deepest darkest Somerset, UK“, has very kindly sent in a caption identifying 3SQN Tomahawk pilots “scrambling” for take-off in the Libyan desert. Alby has purchased an original print of this photo: “Taken by official photographer George SILK, 23rd December 1941.”
Wilf ARTHUR [far left]; SQNLDR Peter JEFFREY [foreground];
Bobby GIBBES [obscured behind Pete, in cricket jersey, bent over with one hand on ground];
Tiny CAMERON [back to camera];
Wally JEWELL [also in cricket jersey, back to camera];
Unidentified groundcrew figure [far right with back to camera].
[AWM 010923]
War isn’t always hell… The AWM holds a nice set of pictures of 450 Squadron personnel enjoying some skiing in Italy! Sandi NIPPERESS, the Secretary of 450 SQN Assn says, “Thank you very much for this fantastic find.”
Sant'Angelo in Vado, Italy. c. 1944. 15739 Leading
Aircraftman A. H. Walterof the Desert Harassers,
No.450 (Kittyhawk) Squadron RAAF, finds skiing is not quite
the easy thing it looks, as he has a trial run over the
"track" at Sant'Angelo in Vado, where this squadron has its winter
rest camp. [AWM MEA2199]
Our member Des SHEEHAN (whose dad Malcolm flew with 3AFC in WW1) conveys the exciting news that the Australian Society of WW1 Aviation Historians are digitising (and correcting, where appropriate) the very rare history book “The Battle Below” by Henry WRIGLEY. [Henry was a highly distinguished airman and flight-pioneering record-holder, who served in 3AFC and then had a strong bond with 3 Squadron and the Association over the next seven decades!]
This book is 3AFC’s World War One “Unit History” and it will be a real treat to see it back in circulation. We will let you know the details once the revised edition is available.
The frontispiece of The Battle Below.
Bruce NASH has sent in a nice pic of his dad Murray, who wrote a tongue-in-cheek comment on the back of the print…
“…Keen, eager, first in the Ops
Truck as usual,
waiting to be taken to the airstrip.”
The lovely lighting in this photo and the well-arranged pose make it likely to be the work of Laurie Le GUAY. The background olive trees suggest either Agnone in Sicily or Grottaglie airbase in the “heel” of Italy.
waiting to be taken to the airstrip.”
The lovely lighting in this photo and the well-arranged pose make it likely to be the work of Laurie Le GUAY. The background olive trees suggest either Agnone in Sicily or Grottaglie airbase in the “heel” of Italy.
Bruce has also been able to assist with the identification of 3SQN Mustangs in a spectacular Imperial War Museum photo of the Campoformido “Victory” flypast on 28th May 1945.
Veteran 3SQN Mustang pilot Arthur PARDEY
has a funny story about practicing for this very formation...
– He forgot to switch his oxygen on! - Arthur recalls seeing Flight Lieutenant “Pee Wee” RICHARDS looking back at him with "eyes as big as dinner plates" as Arthur snuggled up, nice and close, in a drunken manner!
Most of the old Campoformido airfield, near the northern Italian city of Udine, survives to this day as a military depot. It also retains a small grass field for general aviation and a skydiving school.
– He forgot to switch his oxygen on! - Arthur recalls seeing Flight Lieutenant “Pee Wee” RICHARDS looking back at him with "eyes as big as dinner plates" as Arthur snuggled up, nice and close, in a drunken manner!
Most of the old Campoformido airfield, near the northern Italian city of Udine, survives to this day as a military depot. It also retains a small grass field for general aviation and a skydiving school.
We have been pleased to supply Warrant Officer Dave COLES (the Knowledge Manager of 92 Wing at RAAF Edinburgh) with some useful aircraft photos from the Jim KINNEAR photo collection. (Jim was one of 3SQN’s invaluable cooks, working his way right across the top of Africa, and also an excellent photographer.)
3SQN captured the first Messerschmitt 109 “G” model to be tested by the Allies.
- It has survived and is now in the Imperial War Museum.
This captured German Storch was the personal transport of Air Vice Marshal CONINGHAM,
head of the Desert Air Force.
- It was flown by Coningham himself, often landing right beside the 3SQN Pilots’ Mess.
(i.e. No need for a runway!)
Coningham was born in Australia, raised in New Zealand, and had been a WW1 RFC/RAF ace.
He had a very distinguished WW2 career and was knighted.
[Bizarrely, he was killed soon after the war in a civil aviation accident in the Bermuda Triangle!]
Desert Chef and gifted photographer Jim KINNEAR at the
wheel of a 3SQN catering lorry.
The Sydney historian Paul BYRNES, who wrote the recently-published book "The Lost Boys" (about under-age Anzacs in World War I) is now writing another book about under-age volunteers in World War II.
We wrote to inform Paul of one obvious
candidate from the 3SQN website, the amazing Val St LEON, who passed his RAAF trade entry
examinations when he had just turned 17 and enlisted in the Permanent
Air Force before he had turned 18 (the legal-minimum age).
We also pointed out the “research power” of the "Australians at War” Film Archive database:
• Which gives 25 immediate hits on individual veteran interviews for the phrase "under 18"
• 72 hits for "only 17"
• 63 hits for "only 16"
[Obviously some of these interviews may
not be referring to volunteers’ age at sign-up, but the huge AAWFA
database of video scripts is certainly a productive resource for
answering many questions regarding the experiences of Australian
veterans. There are also some possibilities in the Australian War
Memorial, but their Collection Search Engine is not as specific
as AAWFA.]
Paul replied: “Thanks
so much for this - very interesting. I had hardly finished reading
when I heard from Mark St LEON - whom I knew about 30 years
ago when I ran the Sydney Film Festival and he was a Board
Member.
So we are now back in touch, thanks to you, and talking about his father’s archive. Luckily for me, Mark is also an historian, especially on his own family, so there’s lots to go through."
So we are now back in touch, thanks to you, and talking about his father’s archive. Luckily for me, Mark is also an historian, especially on his own family, so there’s lots to go through."
The AWM has been progressively digitising their Film Collection, and one of the gems recently made available is a professionally-edited 5-minute “newsreel” called Anzacs at Senio River. It provides good explanation of the “Cab Rank” co-ordination that occurred between the NZ Division and 3SQN Mustangs, including some genuine “in-combat” footage. (Although some is NOT actually 3SQN - see further analysis below.)
A still from the film showing 3SQN Mustang III "CV-V" KH631 at Cervia
airstrip.
There is a reference in the 3SQN Operations Record Book (Page 625, 8th
March 1945) to the formation-flying conducted to assist in making this
film. The "mission" narrative was spliced together after
that! At 3:08, Wing Commander Brian EATON's silver Mustang
IV can be seen (marked "BAE", with his big "Eagle Shield" painted on the
side). There are also 3SQN "CV" Mustangs in the same
formation. The camera-plane can be seen in the
shot at 3:25 - a Baltimore bomber, with its distinctive air scoop over
the engine.
However, this timing is a problem - the
proper date for 3SQN to have been bombing over the Senio River is one
month later, from 9 April 1945. (ORB p666. - They mention
switching to, "Close support in conjunction with the 8th Army.")
There is a photo
in the NZ Archives dated 2nd March 1945 of the same
airstrikes shown in the film, so it's definitely not 3SQN doing the
actual combat bombing in the film, although they are Mustangs.
[Oh well, so much for accurate propaganda!]
[Oh well, so much for accurate propaganda!]
Another newly-released AWM item of note
is a memorial photo album of a 3AFC pilot, George
PICKERING, who was one of the eight 3AFC personnel who died in the
1918 Influenza Pandemic. (Quite poignant, given our
current circumstances!) George’s funeral preparations were
elaborate and heartfelt.
- George had himself been one of the Red
Baron’s pallbearers, in the 3AFC funeral for that famous German
ace, eight months earlier.
Guy BUCKLER has written-up his
father Ernest’s experiences in the North African Desert - and various
Axis prison camps during WW2. 3SQN pilot Geoff
CHINCHEN is mentioned several times in Earnest’s reminiscences and
in letters that he wrote home. Earnest met Geoff in Fort
Bismarck (a POW Camp in German Alsace near Strasbourg – now
French territory) and assisted Geoff in his daring escape.
We were able to help Guy with several
details of Geoff Chinchen’s movements from Switzerland to England after
his escape, which helped Guy confirm various bits of family oral
history, that Geoff had visited Earnest’s family in England before the
end of the war.
Guy has also kindly sent us a photo of a
rare piece of Prisoner-of-War mail, addressed to Geoff Chinchen
himself (and left in the Camp when Geoff escaped!) featuring a WW2
Australian stamp and censors’ markings. – It is displayed on our
website Mementos
page.
Radschool “Virtual Library”
Those busy bees at the RAAF Radschool Association have lined-up a great virtual bookshelf, with 48 titles available for free download - covering many aspects of the RAAF story, across several eras. - Well worth browsing to find an enlightening tome for that lazy summer-holiday afternoon on the couch. (Maybe even find your own name in the index!)
https://www.radschool.org.au/Books/books.htm
Those busy bees at the RAAF Radschool Association have lined-up a great virtual bookshelf, with 48 titles available for free download - covering many aspects of the RAAF story, across several eras. - Well worth browsing to find an enlightening tome for that lazy summer-holiday afternoon on the couch. (Maybe even find your own name in the index!)
https://www.radschool.org.au/Books/books.htm
Our member Kieron BALL has sent
in the photo below:
Kevin “Jack” FROST has always been called “Uncle Jack” by me. He and my father were the ELEC-FITTS chosen to be part of 3SQN when it re-formed with the Mirage under SQNLDR Vance DRUMMOND. (R.I.P.)
Anyway, the other week a new building was opened at RAAF Williamtown - the Len Waters Building - and Jack is immortalised on the wall.
- Jack has been at Williamtown for many years, I believe 60 in total, and I’m very proud of him.
As is my father - proud of his good mate. - An honour well-deserved, Frosty!
Kevin “Jack” FROST has always been called “Uncle Jack” by me. He and my father were the ELEC-FITTS chosen to be part of 3SQN when it re-formed with the Mirage under SQNLDR Vance DRUMMOND. (R.I.P.)
Anyway, the other week a new building was opened at RAAF Williamtown - the Len Waters Building - and Jack is immortalised on the wall.
- Jack has been at Williamtown for many years, I believe 60 in total, and I’m very proud of him.
As is my father - proud of his good mate. - An honour well-deserved, Frosty!
And we couldn’t help but notice the
photo further to the right of Jack – it’s our Association member Bob
TRELOAR! Bob says: “Those photos are in the new HQ
complex for Air Combat Group and Surveillance & Response Group,
and others. - I didn’t know that my photo was in the Hall!”
Two Italian researchers, Stefano
UMANI and Tommaso PALERMO, have written to us
(independently) from Italy with information that solves a
long-standing mystery about the name of “Mileni” airstrip
in Italy. (3SQN’s base for a couple of months in the winter of
1943/44.) It was a dirt field on the river flats north of
Foggia.
- It became famously muddy, due to torrential winter rains. (The Squadron’s Kittyhawks had to be relocated for operations on several days, to the adjacent American bomber base at Celone, which had better surfacing.)
Since there’s no village called “Mileni” in Italy today, we have long been puzzled as to where the name came from. However, Stefano has now sent us an old survey map showing that it was the name of a local landowner.
- It became famously muddy, due to torrential winter rains. (The Squadron’s Kittyhawks had to be relocated for operations on several days, to the adjacent American bomber base at Celone, which had better surfacing.)
Since there’s no village called “Mileni” in Italy today, we have long been puzzled as to where the name came from. However, Stefano has now sent us an old survey map showing that it was the name of a local landowner.
These details have been added to our Mileni page.
Sydney Modeller Adrian RAVEN has produced a terrific replica of Jock PERRIN’s 3SQN Hurricane, circa February 1941, based on our website Hurricane article.
The “Spaghetti” camouflage on the
frontal edges was quickly applied in Egypt to the dark-painted
Hurricanes. (This greatly reduced their detectability in the
bright desert skies when viewed from ahead - and got the “Hurris”
into service urgently, at a time of paint shortages!)
We have been contacted by WGCDR David GLEREAN from Canberra, who is writing a book on “WW2 RAAF Intelligence”. David sent us an interesting transcript of a taped memoir by “Prim” PRIMROSE (3SQN Intelligence Officer). Prim was one of the standout characters of the contingent of “Originals” who went to the Middle East in 1940/41.
Prim had been an RAF biplane bomber pilot in WW1. His interesting interview deals mostly with his WW1 experiences and his later life in the Australian outback and the Pacific Islands. It has been added to our website Lifetimes section.
Prim features extensively in “Old“ John JACKSON's diary.
(They were tent-mates.) - He was of advanced age compared with the
majority of 3SQN members and his billet with Old John was
nick-named “Young and Jacksons”! (Punning on the name of a
famous Melbourne pub.)
Prim [centre left, wearing specs] celebrating 3SQN’s 100th aerial victory. [AWM 021811]
Prim [centre left, wearing specs] celebrating 3SQN’s 100th aerial victory. [AWM 021811]
Our member John LOVE, whose father Nigel manufactured Qantas’s first aircraft 100 years ago, points out a sad side-effect of the 2020 pandemic – the retirement of QF’s last 747 “Jumbo Jet”. It made elaborate fly-pasts of several cities and flew a special 200km-wide “kangaroo” flight-path, as it departed over the Pacific…
Warrant Officer Bruce MacLUCAS,
from Edinburgh RAAF Base in South Australia, contacted us for
help interpreting an old Japanese photo album in his family
collection. (Probably purchased by his grand-uncle, who served in
the occupation of Japan after WW2.)
Spotting YURT huts in one of the photos,
we realised that the album had been compiled by a Japanese soldier in Manchukuo
(Japan’s Manchurian colony) in the 1930s.
Fokker Super Universal aircraft.
(License-built in Japan as Nakajima Ki-6.)
77 years after the event, and following a tipoff from John LOVE, we have finally frustrated the efforts of censors to conceal the location of photographs of Pachino Airfield, in the far southern tip of Sicily, where 3SQN operated in July 1943. The AWM database holds a series of 17 artistic Laurie Le GUAY photos of Pachino, from C302211 to C302227.
[Warning – some of the pix are a bit cheeky!]
