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THE HARASSER Patron: Dr 45O Squadron (R.A.A.F) Association THE HARASSER Patron: Dr. A.G. McManis President: Mr Phil Masson ISSUE 4/2004 3/21 Hotham Road NOVEMBER GYMEA NSW 2227 AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 2 9545 5650 PRESIDENT’S COMING EVENTS Christmas Message Committee Meetings 2005 City of Sydney RSL at To Harassers, our widows and families. 10:00am on the following dates: Marj & I wish you a happy festive season, and good Inside this issue health for the coming year, 2005. Tuesday 1 Feb Letters to the Editor .....2,4,5 Saturday 9 April–AGM The good attendance at our pilgrimage to Williamtown Tuesday 3 May was pleasing to all. We met up with members we had Children of the 450 ........... 3 Tuesday 2 August not seen for quite a while. Donations ........................ 5 Wednesday 2 November We are looking forward to a good roll up at our memorial service and AGM re-union 9 April 2005. Vale ................................ 6 WANTED ATTN: Mr Ted Oakley GREAT ROLL UP, but terrible weather for Pilgrimage! Your old chum Nobby Clarke has requested that On Sunday 17 October, members who came by train were picked up by Barney you tell us all about Riordan in a small bus and were taken to our motel ‘The Bimet’ at Newcastle. how you and Nobby were Others who came by car were also accommodated there. Barney had arranged for nearly shot for interfering our dinner to be held in a room on our own at the ‘South Newcastle Leagues Club. with the Victoria Falls In all, 26 members and visitors sat down and enjoyed a delightful meal. The coach railway bridge. As it took us all back to the motel. seems that all secrets Monday 18 October the day of our memorial service, Barney left the motel with a have a used by date these full load of passengers, and those with cars left for Williamtown about 9am. We days, we will be expecting were told to arrive at the entrance about 10 minutes early, as security checking you to come forth with would take longer. On arriving at our memorial site I met flying officer Jodie Mason this information at your who had organised the service procedure. Approximately 45 visitors were seated, earliest convenience. We and the catafalque party under the direction of WOFF Ian Wheatley took their are all looking forward positions at the memorial. to hearing all about it. Thank you With my welcoming address and introduction of our host SQN LDR Steve Green and Chaplain WCDR Mike Pullar a canopy of umbrellas went up to meet the sudden BIRTHDAY CORNER deluge of rain, so with the public address system off no words could be heard. Name Date We adjourned to the officers mess where we continued with the service. After the C. Abram 13/11/04 service I presented a framed picture of the ‘Bowler Strike at Venice Docks’, March F. Bertelle 20/11/04 1945 to SQN LDR Steve Green, for placement in the Memorabilia section. With C. Dovey 24/11/04 heavy rain still falling, Air Commodore (Rtd) Gordon Steege DSO. DFC. MID. placed R. Grigg 16/11/04 the 450 SQN wreath on the memorial accompanied by SQN LDR Steve Green who C. Morton 10/11/04 also laid a wreath on behalf of 3 Squadron. A coach tour of the base concluded our R. Roberts 11/11/04 morning at Williamtown. A. Sherwood 10/12/04 R. Winn 22/02/05 Many thanks to Barney Riordan, for his choice of the comfortable motel Children of 450 and his assistance in conveying many of our members in a small coach, G. Bond 01/11/04 from the railway station, motel to club, motel to Williamtown & return. A fine effort appreciated by all. Happy Birthday from us all Copyright © 2004 450 Squadron (RAAF) Association © 2004 450 Squadron (RAAF) Copyright ...continued page 4 ISSUE 4/2004 — NOVEMBER 1 Letters to the Editor WOY WOY, NSW In another ‘Gaggle’, Gibbes Memories of how the IPSWICH, SUFFOLK UK Gordon (Gordy) McMillan led a raid and they destroyed HARASSER NEWS was Nobby Clarke DFC AFC 6 aircraft and damaged 5 printed in days gone by NOBBY’S EXPLOITS EXTRACTS FROM others. One pilot, Rex Bailey, Merv White ‘DESERT DIARY’ was forced down and the I was with 450 SQN from Please excuse the delay, September to November, On visiting Cairo, I Germans were trying to firstly in congratulating you 1942 having served in RAF purchased a small diary, a capture him. Gibbes circled on the terrific job you are war-flying jobs, mostly of bottle of ink & pen with around to keep them away, doing with the Harasser volunteer suicide grade, nib. (there were no ball sought a landing strip and and further keeping 450 since the first Dunkirk points in those days!) I told Bailey to try and make alive. When I think of Operation Flash, over the received my info on daily it to his plane. Bailey made our earlier efforts, I beaches and up as far events from the pilots, and it just in time and Gibbes remember a time when north as the River Scheldt, my close friend, ‘Cobber’ sat on top and the plane George Buckman would at night. I joined the RAF Eric Cain, the ‘ops’ orderly took off. He damaged a hand write the details, in November 1937. Was officer. Herein are some of wheel & wing but he made hand it to Col Bond; he mentioned in despatches the events that unfolded it back to our drome OK. would pass it to me; I for that bit of daftness! during the desert war in On take-off, loaded with was able to have it typed; After numerous, equally North Africa. The courage bombs, Gibbes felt the another lass would cut the daft attempts by planners and heroism shown by our engine cutting out, He stencils; back to me; back to get me killed, I survived pilots and air crew will managed to release his to Col; back to George, a Spitfire squadron. I didn’t never be surpassed. bomb load and circle around who had purchased a hand like squadron life, so I LEST WE FORGET to land safely. operated printing machine volunteered for MSFU (£20) and with the aid (Merchant Ship Fighter Unit BORN TO FLY of a neighbor and 450 – i.e. catapult ships flying When in Alexandria on Survival of our fighter pilots associate Jack... would off Hurricanes). This leave, we always visited a often called for split second then complete the printing. suicide job lasted two cafe owned by ‘Nellie the decisions being made when Col Bond would assist in Atlantic crossings, plus one Greek’. She sold beer and engaging enemy aircraft in addressing and posting. ‘bow-smashed-in-a-fog- spirits and roasted chickens. battle. Bobby Gibbes led his Then along came George & collision’ until I was posted She loved the ‘Aussies’, squadron in a dog fight over June who did a marvellous overseas, where eventually, and always greeted us with Tobruk. They intercepted 4 job for many years. We I joined 450. ‘hullo, you aussie b..stards.’ JU88’s and 6 escort 109 have indeed been lucky She always had a good word Although I didn’t like what fighters. We heard him ones, you could say for us and was full of life. I had seen of squadron life, say over the intercom, blessed. She looked after us very this certainly did not apply ‘forget the fighters, get the well, was full of fun, and Thank you Merv, and each to 450. I really enjoyed bombers’. His plane was had a great attitude to life. of you who have passed it with the Aussies, and hit and he bailed out. On on kind words regarding they looked after me (I landing he injured his leg this publication. I feel sure was a Flight Lieutenant badly, and was posted to that if computers had been then) — well, they called Many thanks to Gordy hospital for treatment. He around in the early days, me a pommy bastard and for his photographic had a splint made in we would most likely be I called them a bunch contribution to our a garage in Alexandria reading these issues as of colonials, early-released web site. and was back flying holograms by now. It is a convicts or ..., so we got shortly after. pleasure to be a part of the on fine. Later, he was posted communications between Then I got sand fly fever as missing, our members, and I hope and jaundice and I was believed killed that we can continue to sent back to Cairo hospital. in another fulfil the needs of our My next posting and my bomb raid, members for many issues last operations, was to to come. but walked back Left: 250 Kittyhawk Squadron, 3 days later Bobby Gibbes— where I stayed till the fall having had no his first meal in 3 days FALKIRK, Scotland of Nth Africa. Photograph by courtesy food or water of Colin Bond William Stevenson during that time. re August issue: I was Nobby and his wife Mollie pleased to see a letter from have been married for 62 Joy McBurnie and indead years–what a wonderful a photo of Don, her late innings–congratulations to husband and my friend. you both. Copyright © 2004 450 Squadron (RAAF) Association © 2004 450 Squadron (RAAF) Copyright 2 THE HARASSER from the C hildren of the 450 DENILIQUIN, NSW Richard Davies Statistics gathered re-450 SQN as at 30 Dec 1944 – Total Aircraft on SQN strength 400 Total Aircraft lost by enemy action 183 Enemy Aircraft destroyed in the air 79 Enemy Aircraft probables 18 Enemy Aircraft damaged 27 Enemy Aircraft destroyed on ground 93 Pilots on SQN 185 Pilots killed on ops 39 Pilots POW 19 Pilots POW shot on recapture 2 Pilots missing 7 Operated from 62 airfields– 46 Nth Africa; 2 Sicily; 14 Italy Average of 20 days at each place.
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