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Post by yak2 on Jul 14, 2006 22:11:51 GMT 12
He was an engineer, not aircrew, but managed to fly in a few interesting types. 454 Squadron was formed in NSW and sailed in a convoy from Sydney that comprised the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. (Still have a beer mug he borrowed from the QE). After leaving Tasmania, the 2 liners left their naval escorts and steamed to South Africa. Apparently they were faster than the warships of the day! His squadron operated Martin Marylands, Baltimores and Bostons in North Africa, Syria, Iraq etc. Returned to Australia and posted to one of the first Mustang units being established at Mildura when the war ended. I visited the QM in Long Beach a few years back, and part of it has been restored as a WW2 troop ship with many pics displayed of my old man's 'cruise'.
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Post by planeimages on Jul 14, 2006 22:35:09 GMT 12
I wouldn't know one end of a Rugby scrum from another. Not my scene even though I acknowledge the team-building benefits. Probably why I am a bit of a loner. " This is my old school's war cry, probably not quite the full sequence but you get the drift: See if you recognise the words!
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuru huru Whakawhiti te ra T.R.I.N.I.T.Y
Trinity!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 14, 2006 22:50:38 GMT 12
"I wouldn't know one end of a Rugby scrum from another"
Don't feel bad, nor do the Wallabies. ;D
I will add I don't play the game myself but I do support the national team fervently.
Rob, it's really interesting to hear abouit your Dad's experiences during WWII. That's some interesting aircraft types he worked with. Did he take any photos at all? If so, would you be willing to share some on the ANZAC board please?
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Post by Bruce on Jul 14, 2006 23:07:47 GMT 12
Hey - we're still waiting for that Spitfire here in Cambridge - I even got my slingshot ready as AA fire - has it gone stealth or something?!! I reckon they were only bluffing...... (checks for chalk marks....)
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Post by yak2 on Jul 14, 2006 23:46:28 GMT 12
Unfortunately I don't have any photo's Dave. I think censorship prevented such hobbies then. The only one I remember seeing was him digging a trench in the desert with a few of his mates, and it could have been taken anywhere. Think 454 squadron has a website with a few aircraft pics/history, and someone has also written a book. You are probably aware that the squadrons in the 400 number range were Commonwealth units......the colonials provided the manpower and the Poms supplied the aircraft. Judging by the types, the ones the RAF rejected. Interesting story on the Fijian troops. Little is known here of their role. Australia has an incredible blood debt to the 'fuzzy wuzzy angels' for their support in New Guinea, and the Timorese. We should never have condoned Indonesia's invasion in 1975.......why the hell did we buy F111's? Don't get me started!
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Post by phil82 on Jul 15, 2006 10:41:34 GMT 12
Sorry Yak, but I take it your reference to Ghurkas isn't in connection with the Desert Rats or the 8th Army in general because I'm pretty sure they were never there. Certainly, in every book I've ever read, and there have been quite a few over recent years from both the UK and New Zealand, and there is no mention of Ghurkas in that theatre.
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Post by yak2 on Jul 15, 2006 11:06:11 GMT 12
The story my father told was that nobody went out at night without their dog tags (I/D discs) for fear of Gurka patrols. They were reputed to approach a 'victim' from behind, grab them in a headlock, and feel for the tags. No tags, and the kukri (spelling?) was used. He was based at airfields around the Middle East and North Africa, and I presume the Gurkas were used in their defence. Maybe BS, but that is what he told me.
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Post by yak2 on Jul 15, 2006 11:31:30 GMT 12
The 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles served in the Middle East (Syria and Iraq) during 1941. Guess my late father was referring to this theatre rather than North Africa. He served in both.
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Post by phil82 on Jul 15, 2006 12:12:39 GMT 12
The last book I bought on the El Alamein bit indicated it was a gentleman's war! Brutal, but both British and German alike treated each other with respect. There is a documented case of a NZ Medical unit treating the wounded of both sides when they noticed that they were treating more Germans than Kiwis, and they had been joined by some German Doctors and medical staff! It appears they had been overrun, a situation which soon changed and the Germans shook hands and left! I can't give you a precise quote at this point because I've loaned the book to someone, as you do! It is a historical view however, not. some reminiscence.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 15, 2006 13:26:20 GMT 12
I have heard the exact same fear of the Gurkhas and dog tag thing from someone else, and I'm sure it's accurate. I never knew they served in the Middle East, very interesting.
I have also heard from veterans and from books that it was indeed a much more civil war in the Desert than in Europe, the German Afrika Korps paying more attention to Geneva Convention. I don't think there was any SS or Gestapo in the Desert War, from memory. I know that many of them, including Romel, were professional soldiers, not just conscripts, and they had a lot of respect for their enemy. Both as humans and for their tactics.
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Post by yak2 on Jul 15, 2006 14:39:07 GMT 12
An interesting side to the North African campaign was the large number of Italian POW's, many of whom were brought to Australia. A TV program several years ago covered this, and interviewed some of the people involved. Due to the manpower shortage in rural areas, they were 'released' to work on farms in return for their food/accommodation. The town cop would ride his bike out once a week to check that the prisoner was still around. Those guys probably thought it was a very civilised war too. BTW. Don't think this happened with the Japanese POW's though.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 15, 2006 15:02:44 GMT 12
That's interesting. Many Italians were anti-Fascist and anti-war, so would have been harmless for such work.
NZ had a POW camp at Featherston for Japanese prisoners, but I don't know if Italians or Germans were ever brought here. There was an infamous riot at Featherston where dozens of POW's were shot, as well as some guards.
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Post by planeimages on Jul 15, 2006 20:00:40 GMT 12
Hey - we're still waiting for that Spitfire here in Cambridge - I even got my slingshot ready as AA fire - has it gone stealth or something?!! I reckon they were only bluffing...... (checks for chalk marks....) You didn't leave enough fuel in the XV1 and our other one had to wait around. Just live in fear, it could be at any time of the day or night. Of course if Rugby people played what some people call "proper" football then they wouldn't have to do those nasty scrums. Just pay the ref and adjourn to the nearest pub or pizza house. Enough already. I surrender!
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Post by Calum on Jul 20, 2006 10:37:45 GMT 12
werent we discussing the sartorial engance of the Aussie military on another thread....... all these guys are Kiwis
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