Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 22, 2007 13:20:06 GMT 12
nz.news.yahoo.com//070920/3/1r8k.html
Friday September 21, 06:58 AM
Air Vice-Marshal Larry Siegert dies at 84
Air Vice-Marshal Larry Siegert, a pilot who flew a Stirling towing gliders in the D-Day landings, dropped parachute troops at Arnhem and later became chief of the RNZAF in the late 1970s, has died in Lower Hutt.
A newspaper notice reported he died in Hutt Hospital on Monday at the age of 84.
Siegert, then a flying officer, won an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944 for getting his aircraft back to England after it was hit by anti-aircraft fire at low level over Arnhem and then attacked and further damaged by two fighters, one of which was shot down by Siegert's rear gunner.
"By superb handling of his aircraft, Siegert was able to ward off the enemy and make a safe return to base," his DFC citation said.
Siegert took part in the critical glider operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944, his 190 Squadron Stirling hauling a giant glider that landed troops behind the beach-head at Normandy.
Three months later he flew a number of sorties in the disastrous campaign at Arnhem in eastern Holland when British forces tried and failed to seize bridges over the Rhine, his aircraft among those dropping parachute troops on the opening day of the battle.
The day Siegert won his DFC, on September 21, RAF fighter escorts were grounded by bad weather and 23 of the 117 Stirlings and Dakotas trying to drop supplies to the beleaguered soldiers were shot down. Another 38 were damaged.
Siegert's Stirling was chased by several Focke Wulfs and after shooting one down he managed to shake off the others by a violent high-speed dive.
Apart from Normandy and Arnhem, Siegert took in many of 190 Squadron's special operations over France, Holland, Belgium and Norway in direct support of the Allied armies in the field.
Siegert had a distinguished post-war record.
For two years from 1945 he was attached to British Overseas Airways Corporation flying Dakotas to Cairo and West Africa and in 1949 was attached to 24 (Commonwealth) Squadron, RAF, flying supplies to hungry Germans during the Berlin airlift.
In 1953 he was a member of the RNZAF team that flew a Hastings transport in the London-Christchurch air race. For that he was awarded an Air Force Cross, largely for his outstanding skills in keeping the aircraft aloft when one engine failed in a terrifying monsoon storm just off Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
The following year he captained the Queen's aircraft during the Royal Tour of New Zealand, for which he was created a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.
Siegert was on the New Zealand joint services team in Washington 1954-57, attended staff college in the UK soon after and served in Singapore as chief of staff of the ANZUK forces stationed there.
He also commanded 3 Squadron RNZAF in 1966.
His tour of duty in Singapore and his service as deputy chief of air staff in Wellington was rewarded with a CBE in 1975.
He was promoted Air Vice Marshal and appointed chief of air staff in October 1976, serving until 1979. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1979.
Air Vice Marshal Cyril Laurence Siegert, CB, CBE, MVO, DFC, AFC, was born in Fairlie on March 14, 1923, and educated at St Kevin's College, Oamaru. He enlisted in the RNZAF in March 1942, a few days short of his 19th birthday.
His wife died before him but he is survived by two daughters and two sons
Friday September 21, 06:58 AM
Air Vice-Marshal Larry Siegert dies at 84
Air Vice-Marshal Larry Siegert, a pilot who flew a Stirling towing gliders in the D-Day landings, dropped parachute troops at Arnhem and later became chief of the RNZAF in the late 1970s, has died in Lower Hutt.
A newspaper notice reported he died in Hutt Hospital on Monday at the age of 84.
Siegert, then a flying officer, won an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944 for getting his aircraft back to England after it was hit by anti-aircraft fire at low level over Arnhem and then attacked and further damaged by two fighters, one of which was shot down by Siegert's rear gunner.
"By superb handling of his aircraft, Siegert was able to ward off the enemy and make a safe return to base," his DFC citation said.
Siegert took part in the critical glider operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944, his 190 Squadron Stirling hauling a giant glider that landed troops behind the beach-head at Normandy.
Three months later he flew a number of sorties in the disastrous campaign at Arnhem in eastern Holland when British forces tried and failed to seize bridges over the Rhine, his aircraft among those dropping parachute troops on the opening day of the battle.
The day Siegert won his DFC, on September 21, RAF fighter escorts were grounded by bad weather and 23 of the 117 Stirlings and Dakotas trying to drop supplies to the beleaguered soldiers were shot down. Another 38 were damaged.
Siegert's Stirling was chased by several Focke Wulfs and after shooting one down he managed to shake off the others by a violent high-speed dive.
Apart from Normandy and Arnhem, Siegert took in many of 190 Squadron's special operations over France, Holland, Belgium and Norway in direct support of the Allied armies in the field.
Siegert had a distinguished post-war record.
For two years from 1945 he was attached to British Overseas Airways Corporation flying Dakotas to Cairo and West Africa and in 1949 was attached to 24 (Commonwealth) Squadron, RAF, flying supplies to hungry Germans during the Berlin airlift.
In 1953 he was a member of the RNZAF team that flew a Hastings transport in the London-Christchurch air race. For that he was awarded an Air Force Cross, largely for his outstanding skills in keeping the aircraft aloft when one engine failed in a terrifying monsoon storm just off Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
The following year he captained the Queen's aircraft during the Royal Tour of New Zealand, for which he was created a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.
Siegert was on the New Zealand joint services team in Washington 1954-57, attended staff college in the UK soon after and served in Singapore as chief of staff of the ANZUK forces stationed there.
He also commanded 3 Squadron RNZAF in 1966.
His tour of duty in Singapore and his service as deputy chief of air staff in Wellington was rewarded with a CBE in 1975.
He was promoted Air Vice Marshal and appointed chief of air staff in October 1976, serving until 1979. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year Honours 1979.
Air Vice Marshal Cyril Laurence Siegert, CB, CBE, MVO, DFC, AFC, was born in Fairlie on March 14, 1923, and educated at St Kevin's College, Oamaru. He enlisted in the RNZAF in March 1942, a few days short of his 19th birthday.
His wife died before him but he is survived by two daughters and two sons