2BR sqadron - some photos

[Dion]

Below are some photos of 2BR squadron on tour in the Pacific 1943/44 - my Grandfather Flt Lt Alexander (Alex) Rowe was gunnery leader.

The not so formal photo 1st:



Now the formal version:



On the back:



Can someone identify the person on the right:

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos Dion. The guy on the right you asked to identify, does his brevet say AG? If so, he's bloody tall for an air gunner.

[phasselgren]

Dion,
Your Grandfather made the last claim by a RNZAF unit in the Pacific. It is briefly mentioned in Air-to-Air by Chris Rudge: "the crew of a No. 2 Squadron PV-1 (captained by S/L A. B. Greenaway) saw six enemy fighters near Mope, New Britain, on 28 February 1944. F/Lt A. T. Rowe, the turret gunner, opened fire on one of these when it attacked, damaging the fighter. This encounter is the last recorded occasion on which a claim for damaged was made by aircrew flying for an RNZAF squadron."

Do you have any more information about this claim? I am also interested in his service with 75 and 218 Squadrons. Do you know if he was involved in any combats with German night fighters.

Peter Hasselgren

[Dave Homewood]

There was actually a later unclaimed air to air combat between a No. 30 Squadron Avenger and a Japanese flying boat. See the hand written letter from Neils Jenson here
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Newsletters2008.html#Niels

[phasselgren]

Oct 11, 2010 7:48:40 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

There was actually a later unclaimed air to air combat between a No. 30 Squadron Avenger and a Japanese flying boat. See the hand written letter from Neils Jenson here
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Newsletters2008.html#Niels

I´ve read about this combat and it´s a fascinating story but as you wrote no claim made. The last air combat must have been when two Corsairs flown by P/O D. W. Kidd and P/O J. Martin from 18 Squadron attacked a Zero over Rabaul on 11 December 1944 witout any success. This must have been the only time RNZAF Corsairs was involved in air combat.

[Dion]

Re the last claim, I've got a copy of Chris' book with that info.

My Grandfather's log book entry for that day: 28-2-1944, Ventura NZ4518, piloted by S/L Greenaway, "war ops bombing strike New Britain, encountered six zeros, damaged one"

As for combat with 75 and 218 squadrons, there are some entries in his logbook about encounters with night-fighters. I'll have to have a look for the specific entries.

[Dave Homewood]

An aside here - I spent the afternoon on Sunday with my mate Bob Glading, a former Fleet Air Arm Corsair pilot (and former NZ golf representative who some of you may have heard of). He told me that he got to know Arthur Greenaway after the war and was good mates with him. He said Greenaway went from Wigram where he was Station Commander to Whenuapai one day and on driving up to the gate was shocked to see a WAAF guard wander out of the guard house casually smoking a cigarette, who then even more casually waved him through - no salute, no checking of identity, no stubbing of ciggie. I'll bet she got a rocket as he was very old school, and Bob said although he was an Aussie-born kiwi, he had an air of very prim and proper British about him. You can just imagine it.

[phasselgren]

Oct 13, 2010 18:16:44 GMT 12 Dion said:

Re the last claim, I've got a copy of Chris' book with that info.

My Grandfather's log book entry for that day: 28-2-1944, Ventura NZ4518, piloted by S/L Greenaway, "war ops bombing strike New Britain, encountered six zeros, damaged one"

As for combat with 75 and 218 squadrons, there are some entries in his logbook about encounters with night-fighters. I'll have to have a look for the specific entries.

Thanks Dion, the serial no of the a/c was one piece of information missing in Chris´book. As I mentioned I am interested to hear more about the encounters with night-fighters. There are no surviving Combat Reports involving your grandfather (you can check this at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ww2aircombat.asp) but this is not unusual for the early war period. The Operational Record Books of No.75 Squadron may have some information. If you have the dates I can get copies from a researcher in England.
You probably alread know about the 218 Squadron-site but just in case here is the address: host.raf38group.org/218squadron/

[Dion]

From memory the Ventura in the top two photos, judging by the logbook entries was NZ4538, and possibly taken on arrival at Espirito Santo, or somewhere tropical on the trip out.

I'll check the logbook this weekend to confirm that, and also check for the entries regarding night-fighter encounters

Dave - I haven't forgotten, I will get everything together for you and in the mail.

Dion

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Dion, it is much appreciated!

[A4k]

Great photos Dion, thanks for posting!

Evan