JUNE 2019 / NR 229 PUBLISHED EVERY THREE MONTHS

BBMF Dakota painted in honour of David Lord VC David Lord VC One of the greatest individual acts of heroism of World War Two The year 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of several spectacular WWII events. They were the fateful ‘Great Escape’ in March 1944, the magnificent D-Day operations on the 6th of June 1944 and the very brave, but disastrous, in September 1944. At this last mentioned, 5 Victoria Crosses were awarded for exceptional bravery; three to soldiers of the Parachute Regiment, one to a soldier of a British Army Regiment and one to an of the , Flt. Lt. David Samual Anthony Lord VC DFC.

David Lord was born in Cork, into a mili- Officer and“Mentioned in Despatches” for of which were Douglas Dakotas. Unfortuna- tary family; his father was an army Warrant flying missions over Burma. In July 1943 he tely, the German Anti-Aircraft fire was intense Officer. After WWI the father was posted, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and prevented some of the aircraft from together with his family, to India, and on his and was promoted to Flight . reaching their goal. retirement, the family moved back to Wrex- Five months later he was posted to 271 Flt Lt David Lord was the pilot of Dakota ham where David attended a Squadron where he began III KG374 YS-DM on a resupply mission local college before studying training for the invasion of and although his aircraft suffered immense at the University of . He Europe. damage, he pressed on to try to deliver his later studied for the priesthood Operation Market Garden cargo, but was shot down in flames. in Spain but, after changing was intended to secure the The following, copied from the Pegasus his mind, he instead enlisted in the Royal Air bridge over the River Rijn at for the Archive, is an account of David Lord’s heroic Force in 1936. advancing allied forces; the plan, if it had flight that earned him a posthumous VC and In 1938, after he had been promoted to worked, could have shortened the war. can been read in full on page 4. Corporal, he applied and was accepted for The airborne forces that were dropped pilot training. In 1939 he was awarded his on 17 September, had no knowledge of the REGULAR ITEMS wings and as a was posted to fact that two German SS Panzer Divisions Agenda Page 2 31 Squadron stationed in Lahore, India. His were resting and refitting close to Arnhem. Announcements Page 3 squadron was the first to receive the Douglas The British and Polish airborne forces Chairman’s Chat Page 3 DC2 which was eventually followed by the put up a very brave fight but suffered huge Dakota. Promotion to was losses and on the night of 25/26 September Coming Events Page 5 soon followed by further promotion to War- the surviving troops withdrew across the River. Looking Back Page 6-7 rant Officer. The troops on the ground depended on sup- Club Limburg News Page 8 In May 1942 he was commissioned Pilot plies being ferried in by aircraft, the majority 1 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 2019 14 - 15 Jun RNLAF Open Days, Volk Air Base

29 Jun 17.00 hrs RAFA/Edambusters BBQ, Maartensdijk

TBC Visit MCCE Eindhoven.

24 - 28 Aug Wings for Freedom, Ede

15 Sep 10.30 hrs Airborne Memorial Service, Oosterbeek

25 - 27 Oct European Area Conference, Geneva, Switzerland

09 Nov 10.45 hrs Remembrance Ceremony, DNO Amsterdam

10 Nov 10.30 hrs Remembrance Sunday Service, ERC, Begijnhof, Amsterdam

13 Nov 14.00 hrs Visit RIU, Soesterberg

15 Dec 13.00 hrs Christmas Lunch, Mercure Hotel Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM BRANCH 1077

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2 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 The Royal Air Forces Association Announcements The Chairman’s Chat Welcome to new member: Mr JPLHA Appel ­- Associate Member Postage Stamps OMOV. Members who have read all their RAFA correspondence from If you have any spare used or foregn postage stamps please send them to CHQ will know that the abbreviation OMOV stands for ‘One Member One Vote’. Malcolm Mason for passing on to a mem- The OMOV idea is at present only a proposal, but the manner in which it is being ber who collects stamps. pushed suggests to me that it is something that Central Council (CC) hopes will take place. We are led to believe that this idea is more democratic than the pre- Lancaster sent system whereby an official committee representative of a branch, who is often Game more knowledgeable of Association affairs, votes on behalf of the branch members The WWII RAF bomber crews, when off duty, would let their at Area and National Conferences. I am concerned that the proposers are pushing hair down and get up to all sorts this idea, with the help of CHQ despite the fact that the questionnaire sent to mem- of antics, one being a game named: “The Lancaster Bomber”, bers about this resulted in replies from less than 10% of the membership and of a routine that was usually reser- that percentage, just over half were in favour; this equates to just 5% of association ved for new crews in the mess, especially innocents fresh from membership. If the proposal is eventually accepted it will signal the beginning of the an operational training unit who end of the branch and area structure and also the need for a national conference. didn’t know any better. It begins with the setting out of a Another aspect of the proposal that concerns me is that the OMOV system could ‘cross’ of chairs, about six in a row, with the one at the end facing backwards. Two turn out to be expensive to operate due to costs (especially to branches) of mai- or three chairs are placed on each side, lings, and create extra work for (voluntary) branch committee members, in addition forming the aircraft ‘wings’. Then the crew is selected. The ‘pilot’ sits in the centre, to the salaries of extra CHQ personnel that will be required to administer such a with the ‘bomb aimer’ in front, the ‘navi- system – or, as has been the case recently with other matters, by putting the admi- gator’ behind, and ‘Tail-end Charlie’, the rear gunner, sitting at the far end, facing nistration in the hands of a commercial company. backwards. Two newcomers are then invi- ted to become the ‘port and starboard One of the arguments put forward by those behind the proposal is that only a few engines’, sitting on ‘the wings’. members bother to attend branch AGMs, and on that point they are correct; but A mimed start-up and take-off on an operation is then begun, with ‘the the branch AGM does give members a chance to air their views which can then engines’ making appropriate engine be carried forward to their area meetings; as I see it, OMOV does not provide this noises. At that point, one man comes riding into the mess on a bicycle. He is opportunity. Sadly, as if to prove a point, our AGM, which took place on 13 March, a ‘German night-fighter’, and he circles the ‘Lancaster’, making attacking swoops was attended by fewer members than in previous years. with ‘ratatatat’ sounds of gunfire, which At the meeting, Ellen van Gilst, who stood down after serving are replied to by Tail-end Charlie with similar sounds. the branch faithfully for 20 years, was appointed a Branch Finally, the ‘pilot’ shouts, ‘The star- board engine’s on fire!’ and the man Life Vice-President. representing that engine is encouraged I am happy to announce that member Peter Thompson was to strike a match and hold it aloft. The cry is echoed by everybody watching. Then, elected to fill Ellen’s vacancy on the committee, as commit- ‘The port engine’s on fire!’, and another match is scraped alight and held aloft. Photo John Bright tee member. ‘We must put the fires out!’ yells the Finally, I wish all members a wonderful holiday ‘pilot’, and, right on cue, all the watching mess members repeat the cry, slinging and I hope the weather will be brilliant for you. their beer over the unfortunate ‘engines’, to put out the burning matches! PS. The OMOV resolution was defeated at the Annual Conference which took place in Birmingham on 11 May 2019 Night Fighter over Germany - Graham White 3 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 The Pegasus Archive The Archive

‘On Tuesday 19th, while on the final approach mans, but he managed to find the 10th Battalion to the drop zones and only three minutes away and stayed with them until eventually captured. from them, heavy anti-aircraft fire tore into the The sight of Lord’s crippled aircraft was wit- wave of slow-moving supply aircraft. Lord’s nessed by troops on the ground, who were so plane received two hits on the starboard wing mesmerized by this single plane that they stood and the engine on that side burst into flames. up in their trenches to will it on. They were all At such a low height there was no way to ex- highly moved, in some cases to tears, by this tinguish such a fire, and so the only real option tremendous display of courage and self- sacri- in such a situation would be to abandon the fice on their behalf. With flames licking wildly attempt to drop supplies and bail out before the under the fuselage, many men were pleading fuel exploded. with the crew to jump, but they would not, and However, Lord refused to do so, and kept fly- instead the despatchers were seen to be continu- ing true and steady to make sure he dropped his ally throwing out more supply containers until supplies on target. With his aircraft clearly in the wing collapsed. dire trouble, Lord was singled out for attention From the point that the engine caught fire to the by almost every German anti-aircraft gun in the moment of the crash, Lord vicinity. He continued on his path and reached flew his Dakota, steadily while under very hea- the drop zone. vy anti-aircraft fire, for a total of 8 minutes. For After completing his run, Lord was informed his suicidal bravery and single-minded determi- by his calm and highly disciplined crew (three nation to get the supplies to those who needed RAF personnel and four Army despatchers) that it, David Lord was posthumously awarded the two canisters of supplies still remained. Lord . The great tragedy of this story turned the aircraft around for a second pass over was that the supply dropping zones had been the dropping zone, still under intense fire. overrun by German troops. Due to the radio When all the supplies were at last dropped, and blackout, the RAF knew nothing of this, and so the aircraft had descended to the perilously low David Lord and his men gave their lives despe- height of only 500 feet, Lord cried to his men rately trying to drop cargo that would end up in “Bail out! Bail out! For God’s sake, bail out!”, the hands of the enemy.’ while making absolutely no effort to do so him- On 13 November 1945, H M King George VI conferred self. A few seconds later, the starboard wing ex- the Posthumous award of the VC which was presen- ploded and the plane crashed in flames into the ted to David Lord’s parents at Buckingham Palace on ground, just north of the Reijers-Camp farm on 18 December 1945. Lord’s medals were eventually LZ-S. purchased by Lord Ashcroft and are on permanent There was only one survivor, Flying Officer display at the , London. Harry King, who was blown out of the side door David Lord is buried at the Oosterbeek Commonwealth when the engine exploded. King himself landed War Graves Cemetery, Plot IV, Row B, Grave 5, along- in no man’s land between the British and Ger- side his crew members.

David Lords medals

4 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 RAFALO’s round-up Coming Events Wedgetail to be New Airborne Early Warning Aircraft - On 22 29 June 17.00 HOURS RAFA/Edambusters BBQ - March 2019 Defence Secretary Gavin Jacobien and Berry Verlinden will once more host the BBQ in their Williamson signed a $1.98Bn deal to beautiful garden at Maartensdijk. Numbers are limited, so again it purchase five Boeing E-7 Wedgetail will be first come first served. If you wish to join us please let Malcolm aircraft. The E-7 fleet will replace the Mason know on 0341 250 013 or [email protected] and he current E-3D Sentry and ensure the will give you further details. continued delivery of the UK’s Airborne 24-27 August Wings for Freedom at Ede. Early Warning and On Saturday 27 August, to commemorate 75 years of freedom, a spectacular air show Control (AEW&C) will take place on an airfield that will be created beside the N224, but from 24 August on the edges of the airfield, there will be historical WWII military camps recreated along with authen- capability. Wedgetail tic vehicles and equipment. For more information contact: www.vliegshowede.nl Red Arrows Deploy to Greece - On 25 April the Red Arrows deployed to 15 September 10.30 HOURS Tanaagra Air Base for Ex SPRINGHAWK via France and Croatia. The 75th Annual Remembrance of the “Battle of Arnhem” It will be held at the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in memory of the men of the Bri- Ex SPRINGHAWK is the pre-display tish 1st Airborne Division, The Royal Air Force, the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade season work up at the base 35 miles and other Allied Forces, who lost their lives. Hundreds of children from the , Great North of Athens. At the end of the Britain and Poland will lay flowers on every grave at the cemetery. Exercise they will be the award of Public Display Authority for the Edambusters 2019 season. On Friday, 3rd May the Edambusters flew their final training session Red Arrows over the Alps before the 4 May Remembrance Day fly pasts. The weather forecast for 4 May RAF Typhoons Deploy to Estonia was so bad that Team Leader Ger May phoned 17 locations to warn them the On 25 April four Typhoons from X1 Sqn Remembrance fly pasts may have to be cancelled; the first time in 45 years! at RAF Coningsby deployed to Amari However, articles in regional newspapers and social media gave the team an extra Air Base, Estonia to undertake the motivation for the fly pasts to take place. See: NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission. XI Sqn relieved a German Air Force Typhoon https://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/…/saluut-vanuit-de-lucht detachment and will remain in Amari https://www.destentor.nl/…/edambusters-vliegen-in-formatie…/ for four months. Special NATO markings The weather on Saturday was better than was forecast and the whole team was pre- have been applied to the tails of the sent at 16.30 hours for the briefing prior to the first flight over the Zuidoost Beemster and deployed aircraft. West Friesland. The hot topic was obviously the weather. The showers were practically RAF Chinooks in Mali - RAF Chinooks over but there was still a chance of some hail, although the temperature was not as low continue to provide sterling support to as anticipated but the forecast wind speeds could have posed a problem. Wind speeds French forces in Mali, operating from of 16 to 26 knots almost at right angles to the runway and 25 knots at our planned flight Gao airfield. The Chinooks of 1310 level were registered – wind speeds that were over the limit for landing light aircraft. flight have been transporting French Shortly before our planned personnel to the forward operating take-off time the tower informed bases as the French military conduct a us the wind speed had wea- changeover of troops. In addition, the kened and would continue to heavy lift helicopters have been trans- abate, allowing us to take-off porting supplies and equipment. with four aircraft. In the air the wind speeds were still pretty RAF Participation in RNLAF Open strong but it was relatively calm, Day at Volkel - The RNLAF Open permitting us to fly a tight for- Days for 2019 will be held at Volkel Air mation. As predicted, the wind Base over 14 and had decreased and we were 15 June 2019. The able to land safely. RAF will provide a After a short break in which we enjoyed an excellent meal at the Flantua Restaurant, Hawk from 100 Sqn and Puma helicop- we again departed with five aircraft for the evening flight. In spite of the wind we flew ter from 230 Sqn for static display at over the monument at Baarn at 20.02 hours. Our route took us over Huizen, Seewolde the event. The Red Arrows will also and Harderwijk (see photo). Finally, we flew a lost man formation over the Dronten cere- display on Fri 14 June. mony that was attended by more than a thousand people.

5 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 23 rd March - Wellington Monument, Vlaardingen The ceremony was again organised by The Wellington by relatives of the aircrew; Mrs. Annemieke Jetten, Mayor of Monument Foundation Vlaardingen and conducted, in an ex- Vlaardingen; representatives of local authorities; Flying Officer cellent manner, by Mr. Pieter Schlebaum. The monument, to Hayes representing the British Embassy; the Vice-Chairman the six young aircrew who died when their ‘Wimpy’ crashed of TRBL Holland Branch; TRBL Antwerp Branch; The Royal near the place of the monument at 00.07hrs. on 26th March Canadian Legion and our own RAFA Branch -John and Janet 1942, was inaugurated in 2012. This year was thus the 77th Bright. All of these representatives placed wreaths at the mo- anniversary of the crash. nument, followed by the bagpiper playing The bagpiper played ‘Abide with Me’, ‘The Lament’, The Exhortation was read, followed by a welcome speech by Pieter followed by a one-minute silence and an Schlebaum and the reading of a poem address by Mayor Jetten. The playing of ‘De dood van een soldaat’ (the death the National Anthems was followed by the of a soldier) by a student of the Lenitz piper playing ‘Amazing Grace’ to signal the Geuzencollege (who have ‘adopted’ the end of the ceremony and the march off. monument). The ceremony was attended Text and photo John Bright

13 April - Lancaster Memorial Elspeet. This annual ceremony, which is attended by a very large After the Edambusters formation flew over in salute, the local number of local citizens, took place in stormy and very cold Mayor gave a speech, followed by Malcolm Mason and finally weather with at intervals a Netherlands Army Padre. A fly past by two snow, sleet and rain. Harvards of the RNLAF historical flight prece- After the opening speech ded the placing of wreaths at the impressive describing what happened in monument. The final wreath placed was from a the early morning hours of relative of one 20 February 1943, when Lan- of the aircraft’s caster JB609 of 12 Squadron crew who had RAF, was shot down with the travelled over loss of all on board, flags were from the UK hoisted to half-mast by local to attend the school children. ceremony.

Alun Davies and partner placing a wreath at the Lancaster Memorial Photos Roger Cremers

25 rd April - ANZAC DAY Ceremony, The Hague John Bright represented the Branch Netherlands and Europe in WW2. but equally respectful manner. at the annual ANZAC Ceremony which The early start to this ceremony is The ceremony, conducted by Father was held at the Commonwealth War in remembrance and reverence of the Michael Tate included an address by Graves Commission Section of Westduin ‘dawn landings’ by the ANZACS 104 H.E. Ms. Lyndal Walker, Ambassador Cemetery, at 08.00hrs. years ago. The weather in Den Haag of New Zealand, included songs and Anzac Day began as a day of remem- today was cold and it rained, just as it readings and the laying of wreaths by brance for the soldiers of the Australian was on the first night at Anzac Cove, so many dignitaries. and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) many years after the start of the Gal- It concluded with the National An- who landed on the Gallipoli Penin- lipoli campaign. thems – ‘Wilhelmus’, ‘God Defend New sula in Turkey on Thursday 25th April Nowadays the largest town in the Zealand’ and ‘Advance Australia Fair’. 1915. Since then it has become the peninsula, Canakkale, draws about official day of remembrance for all New 15,000 pilgrims to its dawn service. All were then invited to participate Zealanders and Australians who have Today at Westduin the rather fewer in the breakfast in the reception area. served and died in conflicts around the number of pilgrims observed, and parti- world, including the liberation of The cipated in, the ceremony in a subdued John Bright

6 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 4 May - Dutch Remembrance Day Each year across the Netherlands at 20.00 hours on 4 May, with the remains of two crew members. The service at the all communities remember the victims of wars and conflicts; es- grave was led by our Hon Chaplain Reverend Dr Lance Stone. pecially what happened during the years of occupation (1940 – After the Last Post, at the start of the two minutes silence, 1945) and the Dutch East Indies. Amsterdam’s local ceremony the RAFA Amsterdam Branch’s 1077 (Edambusters) Squadron deviates from this because at 20.00 hours the King and Queen, flew over in a perfect diamond four formation. Wreaths were along with other dignitaries, attend the National Ceremony at placed by the nephew and his family of the pilot of the Blen- the Monument at the Dam in Amsterdam. heim. Kenneth Dobb. Amsterdam - De Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats This was followed by the Mayor of the Beemster Mrs E van Beek, Captain Paul Leatham RM, representing the British The ceremony, which is attended by a large number of peo- Embassy and British Armed Forces, Mr Terry Whittles, the RBL ple and the US and British Consular representatives as well as National Chairman, accompanied by Mr Derek Williams, Chair- the Amsterdam City Councillors, takes place from 09.30 hours. man RBL Holland Branch, Sqdn Ldr Graeme Bell for RAFA and At 10.00 hours a band, with muffled drums, led the proces- members of the public. sion of people through the large cemetery. Halts were made After the ceremony several members attended the 20.00 at various places along the route, starting with the grave where hours ceremony at Midden Beemster where John Bright placed four members of the resistance are buried; then at the Buchen- a poppy wreath. wald Monument; the Monument to Dutch Military who died in the war; the Monument for six persons who were executed; the Monument for the Underground Resistance, and finally the Beek 322 Commonwealth War Graves. Lying in the small village cemetery of St. Martinus in Beek, Gelderland, are eight Commonwealth airmen, whose lives were lost when their Short Stirling (EF330) was shot down late on the evening of 12th of March 1943 by a German night fighter. Unusually for a Stirling, it was carrying a crew of eight and not the normal seven. Sgt. Victor Page, a newly qualified pilot gaining experience, was the unfortunate eighth man. In coming down, the stricken craft crashed onto a farm, killing the farmer and his two sons. Several days after the shooting down of the aircraft the Ger- man forces buried seven of the men complete with an honour guard, laying a wreath on the graves as a mark of respect. The body of the eighth airmen was recovered later, and buried at the same time as the Dutch civilians. All eleven dead lie next to each other. Since then the graves have been tended by local people and are always remembered, particularly on the 4th of May, Dutch Remembrance Day. Committee member Peter Thompson, accompanied by his Photo Malcolm Mason wife Heidi, regularly visit with flowers, and this 4th of May they Next to the Cross of Sacrifice were various standards and placed two wreaths made up in the style and colours of the an honour guard. A contingent from 99 Squadron RAF Brize RAF roundel, as seen in the photographs. Norton was on parade with their squadron standard. Wreaths were placed by the US and UK Consuls, the RAFA (Amsterdam Branch), RBL (HQ), 99 Squadron and the Dutch Veterans Association as well as members of the public.

Zuidoost Beemster – Blenheim Field Grave From 17.30 Ricky Mason served coffee and cake to those arriving for the ceremony that is organised by the RAFA Amster- dam Branch. At 18.00 hours it was very cold with near gale force winds, as a Piper led the RBL National and the RAFA Amsterdam Branch Standards, which were followed by the local Mayor, various other representatives and some 150 members of the public. All proceeded to the cross in the field above the spot where the Bristol Blenheim is buried in the ground, together Photo Peter Thompson

7 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019 RAFA Club Limburg

Programme RAF Association Club Limburg - Year 2019 Club Evenings June / July / Augustus / September Club Closed October 21 Horse Racing November 18 Autumn Bingo December 9 Christmas Buffet / Raffle (start at 19.00 hrs)

Commemorations October 5 Lancaster Memorial Service Brunssum November 10 (TBC) Remembrance Sunday Sittard November 11 (TBC) Remembrance Brunssum November 14 (TBC) Monument voor Verdraagzaamheid Haelen / Leuldal November 16/23 (TBC) COM Limburg Remembrance Service Sittard

Important Information The annual membership subscription for Club Limburg for 2019 is or through the ING Bank a/c No: 717097 in the name of: € 20.00 as agreed at AGM 2018. STG Royal Air Force Association Amsterdam, Halfersstraat 7, Payments can be made in cash to the Hon Treasurer (Rex Thompson) 6077 CX Sint Odilienberg. IBAN details supplied upon request.

The composition of the Club Committee is presently as follows: Reminder Chairman/Hon Treasurer/Hon Secretary Rex Thompson Gatherings of Club Limburg are held in Vice Chairman Steve Goodison Café Rumpener Beemden, Heugerstraat 2a, 6443 BS Brunssum (next to the RAFALO Sergeant Martin Hollow Rumpener Sporthal - normally 19:30 hrs Welfare Officer Vacant for 20:00 hrs start). We hope to see you Committee Member Vacant there on the dates noted above.

8 RAFA AMSTERDAM BRANCH THE BULLETIN JUNE 2019