Jimmy Nutti

Great story there Matt, and I like that nickname, “Hap” Hazard!

Another example of a local orphan adopted by an RAF unit in the Far East is “Charlie McCarthy”. The Australian War Memorial has a photo of three RAAF members of 159 Squadron with this Indian boy; see below. The caption reads:

SEA0027 Digri, Bengal, India. 1944-11-27. Three RAAF members of No. 159 (Liberator) Squadron RAF, with an Indian boy, nicknamed Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Charlie McCarthy, who was adopted by the squadron. He was found wandering about an airfield after his parents had been killed in a Japanese bombing raid. Left to right: 418274 Warrant Officer (WO) W. G. (Hap) Hazard of Lower Ferntree Gully, Vic; 42574 Flt Sgt A. L. Baker of Wagga, NSW; 419600 WO R. D. Tyndall of Shepparton, Vic.

In my files I found a second image — a poor-quality photocopy of a photocopy of a 1944 newspaper or magazine image, sent to me by a 159 Sqn veteran. S/Ldr Robertson was a senior skipper on 159.

I’ve no idea of Charlie McCarthy’s fate.

Thanks for that.

In the GL book it quotes his name as being Nattu Alis Salim, with 17 Squadron naming him Jimmie Nutti, or “Chico”
Although they do use the name Nathu here: http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/2422

Maybe after he went to Canada he changed his name to something more recognizable ?

Currently the subject of some work by ‘Britain at War’.

More correctly Jimmy Nathu, I believe:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060028827

Just to resurrect an old thread 🙂

I’ve just finished re-reading Ginger Lacey Fighter Pilot, and wondered if there was any update on the whereabouts of
Jimmie Nutti ?. If still around, he would be in his 70’s now. Last heard of in Canada I believe.

Are Jimmies where abouts known today ?

Found it.

DaveH,

Here is the IWM photo of Jimmie Nutti and also a later shot and profile, both taken from Keith Hiscock’s private publication of 1982.

Mark

Are Saga holidays any good?

AIB,

Yes just great.

I’ll send the brochure, you’ll be needing them soon.

Mark

Thnks all for the interesting follow-ups to the Jimmy Nutti story. Very interesting.

MT719 was painted up not as Ginger Lacey’s plane but as exactly as it was when the scheme was found under the Indian paint by a certain Spitfire Historian, researching in Turin, then the home of MT719.

Jimmi Nutti is part of FEAF folklore. The IWM should hold a bunch of offical photos of him. From memory he was Burmese and adopted by the wing that included 17 Squadron.

When I return to I will dig out more details. Jimmi Nutti cetainly prospered from his funded education and I think became an engineer. There was certainly contact with him in the late 1970’s early 1980’s.

Mark

Are Saga holidays any good?

Jimmi Nutti

MT719 was painted up not as Ginger Lacey’s plane but as exactly as it was when the scheme was found under the Indian paint by a certain Spitfire Historian, researching in Turin, then the home of MT719.

Jimmi Nutti is part of FEAF folklore. The IWM should hold a bunch of offical photos of him. From memory he was Burmese and adopted by the wing that included 17 Squadron.

When I return to I will dig out more details. Jimmi Nutti certainly prospered from his funded education and I think became an engineer. There was certainly contact with him in the late 1970’s early 1980’s.

Mark

Does Ginger Lacey’s book mention his time prior to the war, I’d be interested to know if he makes any reference to Geoff Warnes, who learnt to fly with Ginger Lacey in Yorkshire.

EN
I can go and dig my copy out over lunch and have a look. As long as you mean the Richard Townshend Bickers book. I don’t have anything written by the man himself.

Rob / Kansan

Does Ginger Lacey’s book mention his time prior to the war, I’d be interested to know if he makes any reference to Geoff Warnes, who learnt to fly with Ginger Lacey in Yorkshire.

Don Healy

Rob,

Don Healy is indeed mentioned in “GL-FP”, though not linked to any particular Spitfire – I seem to remember that the author rarely mentions the marks of Spitfires he is writing about. (Hey, the old grey cells are functioning then 🙂 ).

DH was also mentioned in the write up about MT719 in the large format all colour book photo essay book on restored Spits that came out a few years ago, was it called “Spitfire a Living Legend” by Tony Holmes (and someone else) – Oh heck, grey cells failing again 🙁 .

And was MT719 the Spit that was marked up as one of GL’s aircraft at Duxford a few years ago – though I think that was alater mark. (No sorry, grey cells have downed tools and walked…. 😡 ).

Anyway, perhaps we’re getting a bit off thread here?

Cheers
Paul

Thanks Rob,

The old grey cells seem to be going on strike more frequently these days – either I have too many books on the shelf to remember their titles :confused: or its an age thing…. 😮

Paul

Paul,
I know exactly where you’re coming from! I had to hunt through all kinds of tea-chests when MT719 was restored and see if there was a reference to the Spitfire 8’s in “GL-FP” but now for the life of me I don’t remember if there is a reference to the former pilot.(Don Healey?)

Speaking of the man himself, (Lacey) I read in a book (which I didn’t buy) that he refused to accept a consignment of low-back Spitfire 14’s for 17 squadron allegedly saying “That’s not a B—dy Spitfire” and thus 11 squadron converted from some clapped-out Hurricanes, much to their amazement. 17 got some high-back models later. Can someone confirm or deny this?

Rob / Kansan

Memory failure

Thanks Rob,

The old grey cells seem to be going on strike more frequently these days – either I have too many books on the shelf to remember their titles :confused: or its an age thing…. 😮

Paul

Hi,

Jimmy Nutti is mentioned in Ginger Lacey’s biography, Ginger’s squadron (sorry, can’t remember which, it’s a while since I last read the book) found him orphaned in the far east and took care of him.

The old paperback copy I have includes a B&W photograph of the lad with some of the squadron members.

Paul F

Yup. “Ginger Lacey – Fighter Pilot” by Richard Townshend Bickers And yes, that would be 17 Squadron.

Rob / Kansan

It was 17 Squadron, mentioned in a book on the restoration of Spitfire MT719

It happened quite a lot at the US bases in East Anglia.

Many adopted at least on of the local kids as an unofficial mascot.

A visit to the Swan in Coney Weston (Always a good idea) will show you a picture on the wall of Knettishall’s ‘mascot’ in his scale-model USAAF uniform proudly standing to attention.

When the veterans came back a few years ago he was still around to meet them, though the age-gap had considerably narrowed during the intervening years. They are all now old men.

See also the excellent novel, ‘Under an English Heaven’ by Robert Radcliffe.

Moggy

Jimmy Nutti and Ginger Lacey

Hi,

Jimmy Nutti is mentioned in Ginger Lacey’s biography, Ginger’s squadron (sorry, can’t remember which, it’s a while since I last read the book) found him orphaned in the far east and took care of him.

The old paperback copy I have includes a B&W photograph of the lad with some of the squadron members.

Paul F