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Post by daveswift on May 18, 2013 10:36:37 GMT 12
I have signed in to the forum on another matter but - writing as a former Fleet Street journalist now working in Melbourne, and the Kiwi son of a WW2 veteran (Tobruk, El Alamein) - can I just say, what a fascinating and heroic story, one I had never heard of. I shall be viewing the DVD.
Congrats to the director....and how heartwarming to read that Mr Lamason received such plaudits near the end of his life.
Dave in Melbourne
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bobe
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 2
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Post by bobe on Nov 6, 2013 7:03:17 GMT 12
Hello Again More sad news: Ronnie Hughes' son Eyrll has died of cancer.
So I was unable to meet him and of course his father died in the early 2000s. Ronnie is to be found in "Footprints...... (Page 323 wrongly identified as H R Hughes, he was actually "R R Hughes", Halifax MZ 524 Downed 15/07/1944) Still working my way through the book to find other crew members.. I had hoped to find out more of the Buchenwald and Fresnes detail through him. But C'est la Vie. Pleased to see that you've blocked the "rabbit".. Was going to suggest that he should read "Soldaten" by Sonke Neitzel and Harald Welzer... A somewhat "dry", frightening book, but thought provoking.
Well we beat the Aussies.... Next are the Argies and then hopefully YOUR LOT.
Just hope they're both good clean games..
Cheers Bob E...
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Post by ErrolC on Nov 12, 2013 15:33:45 GMT 12
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Post by Luther Moore on Mar 28, 2014 2:52:06 GMT 12
It's on next Wednesday (2nd April) at 7:30 pm (aus) on the History channel.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 28, 2014 10:18:58 GMT 12
It's good to see History Channel are giving this world wide coverage.
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Post by Luther Moore on Apr 3, 2014 12:31:47 GMT 12
It was good one. Phil Lamason was a brave man.
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Post by pjw4118 on Apr 6, 2014 9:56:21 GMT 12
I watched the programme last night on History.Well made with great interviews. Phil Lamason was certainly a brave man , and had that classical Kiwi understatement of his generation. His NO obviously was well understood even by the Germans.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 6, 2014 10:36:28 GMT 12
Now you see why I suggested his aircraft should be commemorated on the other side of the Lancaster at MOTAT?
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Post by pjw4118 on Apr 6, 2014 17:43:19 GMT 12
Now thats a big question to be answered , but I feel his story is a must in the new POW section.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 20, 2016 22:12:24 GMT 12
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Post by Ian Warren on Dec 21, 2016 8:18:23 GMT 12
I totally missed this happening, I love reading the link you posted, Luftwaffe going into bat for the allied airmen, very typical of the German hero's of WWII, Adolf Galland again stands out.
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Post by pinuche0706 on Dec 24, 2016 2:09:58 GMT 12
Phil Lamason a true hero Before to be betrayed by the well known traitor Desoubrie, Phil Lamason was hidden at home of one my friend family, the Kalmanson's house in Chevreuse, France (attached picture) near my village. The house was destroyed around 2008. Last year his son visited us in France where he met Denise Kalmanson one of the two girls of the family. (pictures supplied by Denise Kalmanson and Antoine Poliet son of Colette Kalmanson the other girl of the family now died). Kalmanson's houseIn the following picture taken July 1944 in the garden of the house, P.Lamason (right), his Navigator Ken Chapman (middle). The others from left: Denise, Colette and their brother Daniel. In the Kalmanson's gardenBefore to be hosted in Kalmanson's house, Lamason (left) and Chapman (right) were hidden by family Le Febvre in Rambouillet where they stayed from the 13th June to 9th July 1944. Le Febvre houseLamason's crew, from left: K.W. Chapman RAF (Nav.); G.A. Musgrove RCAF (B/A); L.H.J. George RAF (Wop); J. Marpole RAF (F/Eng.); P.J. Lamason RNZAF (Pilot); T.W. Dunk RAF (R/Gunner) KIA; R.B. Aitken RAF (MU/Gunner) KIA. Lamason's crew
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 23, 2017 21:31:06 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 19, 2018 10:25:30 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 9, 2019 19:34:20 GMT 12
This comes from the NZ Herald,7 September 1945
IN HORROR CAMP
NORTH AUCKLAND PILOT
STAY AT BUCHENWALD
A fighter pilot who spent two months as a prisoner in the notorious Buchenwald horror camp, Flight Lieutenant M. F. Cullen, of Mungaturoto, North Auckland, returned with a draft of repatriated prisoners of war yesterday. Flight Lieutenant Cullen is one of the only two New Zealanders who have been imprisoned in the camp, the other being Squadron Leader Lamason.
Linking up with the French underground movement on being brought down over France, Flight Lieutenant Cullen remained in hiding for nine weeks near the coast, but was arrested by the Gestapo in Paris. He and Squadron Leader Lamason were included in a party of 180 British and American prisoners who were crowded into cattle trucks and taken to Buchenwald on August 15 of last year. The first two weeks,in the camp were spent in the open without bedding or shelter. The Germans tried to make the prisoners work, but they refused, although they were fortunate in receiving working rations. About 45,000 civilians of every European nationality were in the camp, said Flight Lieutenant Cullen. He and his companions were in a compound below the civilian quarters, and were spared the sight of much of the appalling cruelty which went on, but they heard about it through French internees..
The crematorium was close to them, and the Germans were still putting people through the gas chamber, while a party of Jews, the only ones left of many thousands who had gone through the camp, were being deliberately starved to death. Although dysentery caused many deaths, only one airman, who contracted pneumonia, died. There was no doctor, and the only attention available was from French and Dutch prisoners, who voluntarily did what they could with paper bandages. Finally, the airmen, after many complaints, were removed to a prisoner-of-war camp in Silesia.
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