Dave HomewoodI’m up late tonight to watch the currently screening Grand Prix. That’ll finish at 2.00am our time, and I’m getting up at 5am to get ready for Anzac Day Dawn Parade this morning. So, not much sleep tonight.
I do agree with the Turks asking not to have a haka at the ceremony – it is a war challenge and is out of keeping with the peace commemorations I think. Especially when we invaded their country 90 years ago.
As for the porn, that’s rather worrying that 300 police were caught this week with porn on their work computers. What’s the world coming to?
Dave HomewoodAh, good point about them being out of uniform, I’d forgotten that.
The film clip on that TVNZ page is 14.00mins so must be the whole item. I’ll have to watch again when I get a chance.
Dave HomewoodI just found a bit more on TVNZ’s site about the interview, including a clip of the video.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/518820%3fformat=html
I’m afraid i did spell the an’s name incorrectly, it is Lamason.
Dave HomewoodYes, thanks for the spelling correction – I was in a rush before as a radio show I was waiting for was about to come on. So I didn’t have time to check the spelling.
That’s interesting that the Great Escapers were sent to a concentration camp. That is appaulling. It was every soldier’s duty to attempt to escape and this was recognised by the Germans. Under the Geneva Conventions this must have been considered a grosse breach and possibly a war crime.
Dave HomewoodHe was indeed a fine actor and a great man.
I his latter days he was blind, but continued to act on stage memorising where all the furniture, props etc was, and pulling it off like he was fully sighted. Frank Williams, who has lost most of his sight, does the same thing. Remarkable.
Sir John played a raft of characters from comedy to pomp and circumstace drama. And he was always excellent in whatever role he played.
Dave HomewoodThanks Errol. Interesting that an independent report confirms this. When I spoke with Gordon again this week he said he had struggled to hold the aircraft till all were out. It was wanting to stall all the time, and he said he struggled as long as he could.
I guess he may have either not known the crew hadn’t escaped when he jumped, or perhaps his memory is playing tricks, or he is deliberately not trying to bring back the incident in his mind. It is an interesting case where the records state one thing and the man another. I’d like to investigate further but I’ve developed a great fiendship with Gordon and don’t want to upset him either. If I get a chance to look at his logbook again I’ll find as much as I can about the incident as he recorded it, and also his crews he flew with.
In the meantime, I’m sure you’ll all find this of some interest – a combat report that Gordon kept after a raid he went on. This was his first op from memory, or at least his first in a Stirling.
The following report is a compilation made by RAF Intelligence from the statements made by all the members of the crew at their individual debriefings.
Stirling 4 Eng. Bomber
BF 355 of No 15 Squadron
Bourne. England.
Captain: F/Sgt. McMonagle
2nd Pilot: W/O G. Easter
Rear-Gunner: Sgt. Clark
Mid-upper Gunner: Sgt. Warren
Wireless Operator: Sgt. Noonan
To: – 23 Group
From: – INTELLIGENCE, BOURNE.
Date: – 18th December 1942
Combat Report: The NIGHT of 16/17 December 1942
Stirling F/15 (Captain F/Sgt McMonagle) attacking DIEPHOLZ Aerodrome, time 19.25 hours, course 360, one to two miles N of Dummer See, Height 7600 feet, TAS 180
Our Aircraft was gently weaving; no cloud; good visibility and bright moonlight, moon to the SE
Rear-gunner (Sgt Clark) saw trace from unidentified enemy aircraft fired astern, and below from 800 yards approx. He fired back and informed Captain, who dived our aircraft, when E/A identified as M.E.110 appeared dead astern and level about 500 yards. Defensive tactics, diving turn to starboard, when E/A appeared on port quarter. Enemy fighter was firing cannon and machine guns and our aircraft was damaged. Our rear-gunner maintained a long burst as E/A broke away, diving to port. The enemy fighter’s port engine caught fire and the Engineer from Astrodome confirmed it as last seen diving to earth in flames.
CLAIMED AS “DESTROYED”
2nd attack. Meanwhile a second M.E.110 night fighter, first seen 500 yards away, came in from below and passed to starboard at 220 yards. Defensive tactics; Corkscrew.
The Mid-upper gunner (Sgt. Warren) engaged this aircraft and continued firing until the E/A passed behind mainplane. Early in the attack two cannon shells pierced the Perspex of the mid-upper turret scattering Perspex over the gunner and cutting him. The ring sight was broken and the gunner seriously wounded with a lacerated cut over the right eye which injured an artery and bled profusely, another cut in the neck, whilst a piece of shrapnel knocked out a tooth and lodged in his gum. Nevertheless Sgt Warren continued firing and did not report his injuries until the combat was over. He then asked for someone to come into the turret as he could not see for blood from his head injury. Although Sgt Warren did not see the results of his attack the Engineer in the Astrodome saw his tracer strike the E/A and the E/A did not attack again/
THIS M.E.110 IS CLAIMED AS “DAMAGED”
The Air Bomber rendered first-aid to the wounded gunner who lay on the bed, and on landing, walked out of the aircraft before collapsing. He was later given a blood transfusion.
During the combat the pilot (F/Sgt McMonagle) carried out defensive tactics with control from the Engineer, the rear-gunner and the Mid-upper gunner. He was doing diving turns into the attack and “corkscrew”, and at the end of the combat had lost 3000 to 4000 feet.
Almost at the same time as the attack by the E/A accurate flak engaged and hit our aircraft, but there were no S/L. During this attack the rear turret was rendered partly U/S, the inter-com from the rear turret was rendered useless, and there were strikes on the fuselage. Having been damaged the bombs, 1980 x 4lb incendiary were jettisoned on or near to the target, and the Stirling turned for Base. The containers had presumably been hit by flak or fighters, as they were seen to be burning as they fell.
At 19:40 hours our aircraft was flying on a westerly course weaving at 4000 feet some 20 miles NE of Lingen when it had another encounter – an M.E.110 coming in from the port quarter and slightly below. Our aircraft dived and turned to port, when the E?A appeared above firing down on our aircraft. The rear-gunner, although his turret was damaged, managed to get in one long and a short burst and the E/A was also engaged by the W/Op (Sgt Noonan) who was in the mid-upper turret. Sgt Noonan had no ring sight, but aimed with his tracer, getting in several long bursts, hitting the E/A as did the rear gunner.
From the three attacks and the flak our aircraft had four large holes in the fuselage, a cannon shell in the starboard wing and another in the port aileron. The rear turret was hit and rendered partially U/S, the inter-com from the rear turret was cut, two cannon shells went through the mid-upper turret Perspex and the Engineer’s instrument panel was broken and falling forward blocked the door to the forward section of the fuselage. The E/A was firing m/g and cannon shells and as the air bomber was going down the fuselage to the rear turret there was phosphorus in the fuselage.
The pilot brought the aircraft back and landed safely at COLTISHALL.
Claims: One M.E.110 “destroyed”
Two M.E.110s “damaged”
Our casualties: Mid-upper gunner (Sgt Warren) seriously wounded
Ammunition Expended:Mid-upper gunner – 10000 rounds
Rear Gunner – 15000 rounds
Gunners: Rear…Sgt Clark Pershore and Basingbourne O.T.U. No.10 G.S.
Mid-upper gunner…Sgt Warren Basingbourne O.T.U.Con. Flight
Marham, No.6.B. &G.S. Mountain Vie. Ontario. A.G. Stormy Down
W/Op…Sgt Noonan Pershore O.T.U.
Note: This is the second combat this crew has been engaged in within a few weeks. On each occasion gunners, captain and everyone else have worked together with coolness, first class discipline, good fighting control and good shooting.
F/Lt. Gunnery Leader,
F/Sgt Captain of Aircraft
Additional Details:
A total of eight Short Stirling bombers from No 15 Squadron, RAF, took part in this raid on Diepholz, Germany. One aircraft was lost. Stirling R9168/T captained by Pilot Officer F.S. Millen RCAF, was damaged by flak, and then was shot down by a night fighter at 20:09 hours. The aircraft crashed at Gortel, 7km SW of Epe. There was one survivor, an RAF Sgt who was captured and taken prisoner. One of the six crew members who died was 25 year old New Zealand air bomber Sgt Robert Hugh McKillop, RNZAF (NZ404389).
The target at Diepholz had been an aircraft park, where 200 to 300 German aircraft were stored in close proximity.
Dave HomewoodToday was gorgeous here too. We had a light frost this morning – it seems the first of the season for round these parts, but the daydawned clear as a bell, unlimited visibiity, not a cloud. As the morning wore on the sun got very warm. It cooled down dramatically around 5pm, but by 7pm was warm again outdoors which was good because I was in and out of the smoking garden at the pub tonight (I don’t smoke but mates do, so follow the crowd…).
Meant to be the same tomorrow and Sunday, but Anzac Day (Monday) is meant to cool down more. Damn, 6am Dawn Parade could be bad!
Dave HomewoodCheers Mike,
I was actually really moved and astounded by the reaction I got this morning, selling the poppies from 9am-12pm. After least year, though selling in exactly the same place (The Warehouse chain store foyer) I found many more people contributing, and lots of kids buying too. It is holidays for kids, which helps. And people gave really generously, loads of people putting notes in, and handfulls of gold coins. One chap who looked like he couldn’t afford it gave $20. Well done to them.
The only thing that stunned me was a man wh was 93 (his granddaughter who was with him said). He began to rant at me that it was high time Anzac Day was scrapped because it and Armistace Day remember WWI when he had served himself in WWII and seen many of his mates killed. I was a bit speechless and his granddaughter basically said don’t listen to him as we tried to expalin Anzac Day remembers and refects upon all conflicts NZ has served in. It was a little wierd, usually it’s the young person saying forget history, and the oldie defending it. After listening for a bit about other stuff he HAD to tell me, I realised he seems to be an irascible old devil who loves to poke fun and make some controversy. I think he may have been pulling my leg. Good on him, he had me going – if he was! hehe.
Dave HomewoodHi Dave,
As ever your innocent question wades into a complex and ill defined area full of argument. :cool:.
Yes, my specialty, as you well know 😀
If the nightfighter was guided to it’s target by an onboard radar operator,would the radar operator be classed as an ace or the crew recognised as an “ace” crew.If it was’nt for his imput the pilot would’nt have made the 5 kills.
But the onboard airborne radar operator only hooked onto the target from around a mile out, before then they were directed in blind by a ground radar operator. So, does that mean the grouny is also an ace? Where will it all end?
This is jolly interesting though, thanks everyone.
Dave HomewoodSo, no other countries do anything like our Poppy Day then?
A bit more info
http://www.rsa.org.nz/remem/poppy_sig.html
Dave HomewoodInteresting stories. I hope someone canclear up these points.
If the pilot claims a kill his gunner got, to me that’s like a fielder taking a spectacular catch in cricket and the wicket is attributed to the bowler, no matter how bad his bowl might have been.
“Unfortunately, the Germans don’t play cricket, if they did, they’d be on our side.” (Captain. G. Mainwaring)
Dave HomewoodI have never seen the Hagman show, though I’d heard of it and the reasoning for changing the UK show’s name, but there has been another US show more recently called The Good Life too. I recall it was scheduled for an afternoon slot here and I thought the Kendall/Briars classic was back, but instead it was a really bad show – I’m unsure but I think it was this (I switched it straight off practically)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108790/
I think Margot in the British Good Life series is one of the greatest female characters in sitcoms ever. She is so priceless. She was great in To The Manor Born too, and I love Fawlty Towers, that’s a classic. Blackadder rules too, I love that series. As does The Young Ones.
I also love Yes Minister, and Yes prime Minister, and the great thing about that series is it still hasn’t dated. Many of the policies and crisis they talk about still relate to today’s world. I read an article on Paul Eddington back in 1984ish when NZ was becoming Nuclear Free. He said he was at a function and some rich old lady approached him and said, “What are you going to do about New Zealand’s Prime Minister, David Lange?” And she went on about what he should do politically, etc. He was startled to think this old bird actually thought he WAS the PM of Britain!
Dave HomewoodGood grief, is that THE infamous disposable camera? Is that still doing the rounds?
Dave HomewoodWell, what an interesting thread I started last night, by accident. I had a feeling that was a postwar photo of the Tempest but wasn’t sure. Though I like it’s colour scheme nowadays, I much prefer its camo & stripey D Day markings.
Dave HomewoodThat Bf110 looks fantastic, but must be largely a new build when compared with the state it was in in NZ? A great pity it never got to be restored to flyable condition, as was AFC’s intentions.
This is a really nice collection of photos, thanks Evzen. A large number of the aircraft I don’t recognise. Any chance of a list of names to accompany the photos please?
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