The Thunder Anthony Beaucamp-Protor Farewell Uncle
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Military Despatches Vol 49 July 2021 The Aces The top fighter pilots of World War I Farewell Uncle Syd We pay tribute to Uncle Syd Ireland, the last South African signaller of World War II The Thunder Poland‘s Special Forces unit, JW GROM Anthony Beaucamp-Protor South Africa’s leading fighter ace of World War I and recipient of the Victoria Cross For the military enthusiast Military Despatches CONTENTS YouTube Channel July 2021 Page 14 Click on any video below to view Army Speak 101 The SADF had their own language. A mixture of Eng- lish, Afrikaans, slang and tech- no-speak that few outside the military could hope to under- stand. Paratrooper Wings Most armies around the world Elite Military Quiz also had their own slang terms. Units Quiz Most military paratroopers In this video we look at some Most military forces have an are awarded their jump wings of them. elite unit or regiment or a spe- Special Forces - JW GROM after they have qualified. cial forces component. In this quiz we show you 15 In this quiz we show you 15 different wings and you tell us and you tell us who they are and 30 where they are from. where they are from. Features 18 Battle of Britain - a few facts 6 The Battle of Britain lasted Top Ten WWI Fighter Pilots from 10 July – 31 October 1940 The Top Ten fighter aces of and was the first major mili- New videos World War I. tary campaign in history to be each week fought entirely in the air. Here We will be uploading new are a few facts about the battle videos to our YouTube channel 18 that you may, or may not, have each week. A legend has passed on known. So remember to bookmark On 29 May 2021 the last re- 24 Military Firearms the channel and keep an eye out Who said that? maining South African signal- for new content. ler of World War II, Sergeant The Dicta Boelcke 36 Quiz Throughout history military Sydney Thomas Ireland passed In 1916 World War I German Rank structure This quiz is all about military leaders and politicians have had away at the age of 100. Matt flying ace Oswald Boelcke was This month we look at the rank firearms. We show you 15 fire- some interesting things to say Tennyson pays tribute to the tasked to write a pamphlet on structure of the Polish Army arms, you tell us what they are. about war. remarkable ‘Uncle Syd’. aerial combat tactics. The result and the Polish Special Forces. We give you 15 quotes, you was the ‘Dicta Boelcke’. tell us who made them. 20 26 Quiz Early repeating rifles Disobedient Heroes The advent of the repeating rifle 55 Please remember to subscribe to our channel. In the military it is expected was to change the face of war- that you obey orders. Yet there Aircraft roundels fare forever. are cases where there is a good We show you 15, you tell us Feel free to leave a comment, and share this video. reason to disobey those orders. which country they are from. 00 3 CONTENTS Page 60 Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Hipe Media EDITOR Matt Tennyson PHOTO EDITOR t’s July and we’re into the achieves what is known as ‘herd Regine Lord second half of 2021. We’re immunity’. CONTRIBUTORS also been living under vari- Another thing that concerns me July in military history I Raymond Fletcher, Ryan Mur- ous forms of lockdown for more is that it seems we’re into a third phy, Matt O’Brien, Matt Ten- than a year now. wave of the virus and many peo- nyson.. On Tuesday 8 June I went for ple have become really lax when Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review the first of my two COVID vac- it comes to observing COVID Military Despatches is pub- 38 48 59 cinations. Having registered on precautions. They’re not wearing lished on-line every month. As the crow flies the official website as an ‘over masks, not sanitising, and gather- Aircraft of the Battle of Britain The articles used in Military Fokker Dr.1 The story of Combat Group Al- 60’, I was told to wait for an SMS ing in large groups. Despatches are copyrighted This month we take a look at Flown by the Red Baron, the pha, later to become 31 Battal- telling me where and when to go. I’ve always wanted to depart and may not be used without some of the aircraft, both Brit- Fokker triplane was forged in ion, as told by Colonel Delville Of course I heard nothing. this realm at the age of 99 when prior permission from the edi- ish and German, that took part battle. Linford. I decided to go to Lentegeur a jealous husband catches me in tor. in the Battle of Britain. Hospital in Mitchell’s Plain as a bed with his 21 year old wife and Battlefield The views stated in this maga- Front Cover ‘walk in’. I was pleasantly sur- not because some inconsiderate zine do not necessary reflect the Famous Figures 52 An operator from Polish Spe- prised with the experience. pillock gave me COVID. views of Military Despatches, Fall Weiss cial Forces unit JW GROM on I arrived at 10h00, was asked if For the past two months I’ve the editor, the staff, or Hipe 44 Stuka dive-bombers carry out manoeuvres in Poland. They I had already registered, was then been harping on about our new Media. Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor asked a few questions, and took YouTube Channel and asking South Africa’s leading ace of the first mission of World War are nicknamed “The Surgeons”. II during Case White. my seat in the line. readers to please subscribe. The email World War I, credited with 54 By 11h00 I had received my response, as usual, has been un- [email protected] aerial victories. He was award- vaccination and was out of there, derwhelming. ed the Victoria Cross, Distin- Gaming and this included a 15 minute ob- Last month was the largest YouTube Channel guished Service Order, Military 56 servation period after getting the edition of Military Despatches Click here to visit our channel Cross and bar. jab. Everything was well organ- (108 pages) since we began back Tank Mechanic Simulator ised and efficient. I have to go in July 2017. This month we’re Updated with six new vehicles. A really good simulator. back in July for my second shot. back to a mere 84 pages. Since Back Issues What worries me, however, is we began we’ve produced 3,710 To view any back issues of Movie Review the fact that to date only 3% of pages of the magazine. No won- Military Despatches, go to South Africans have received the der I’m knackered. www.militarydespatches.co.za 58 vaccination. Take into account or click here. that we currently have a popu- Until next time. The Great Escape lation of 58.56 million and you A classic movie based on real can imagine how long it is go- life, one of the biggest POW ing to take before South Africa Matt escapes of World War II. 4 5 Top Ten Top Ten at Armour Heights and then at servation balloons. Shortly Camp Borden in Ontario, then after his final victory, he was Top Ten World War I finally received further training killed in a collision with anoth- in England at No. 43 Training er German pilot on 10 August fighter aces School, Ternhill. 1918. He was 21 years old. During World War I hundreds of pilots would go on to become ‘aces’. This meant that they He was then transferred into had claimed more than five victories in aerial combat. This month we look at the Top Ten No. 34 Training School for final aces of World War I. fighter orientation on the Bris- tol Scout and Sopwith Camel, n 17 December 1903 Dutch aircraft designer An- were subsequently developed. completing 9 hours solo on the Orville Write made the thony Fokker developed a The American qualification of Camel. world’s first powered successful gun synchronizer five victories eventually be- On 23 November 1917 he was O sent to France where he joined flight. A flight that lasted a mere in 1915, resulting in German came the standard, even though 12 seconds. Eight years later, Leutnant Kurt Wintgens scor- other air services had previous- No. 46 Squadron. His first air in 1911, powered aircraft were ing the first known victory for ly used differing figures. combat was in February 1918, 54 victories used for the first time in war. a synchronized gun-equipped In this article we take a brief where MacLaren successful- This was by the Italians against fighter aircraft, on July 1, 1915. look at the top ten aces of World ly shot down a German fighter the Turks near Tripoli. The Allies quickly devel- War I. ‘out of control’. 9. Erich Loewenhardt It was during World War I that oped their own synchronization He was awarded the Military Erich Loewenhardt was a the use of aircraft became wide- gears, leading to the birth of Cross for a sortie on 21 March German soldier and military spread. At first, aircraft were aerial combat, more commonly 1918 in which he helped destroy aviator who fought in the First 54 victories unarmed and employed for re- known as dogfighting. Tactics a railway gun with his bombs, World War and became a fighter connaissance, serving basically for dogfighting evolved by tri- then shot down a balloon and ace credited with 54 confirmed as extensions of the eyes of the al and error.