Special Guest Speaker Award Winning Author Stephen Dando-Collins

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SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER AWARD WINNING AUTHOR STEPHEN DANDO-COLLINS Our May 23 Speaker will be Stephen Dando-Collins, an award winning author, biographer, novelist and children's author who has written on a wide variety of topics from ancient history to American, British, French and Australian histories and biography and research on WWI and WWII. His latest book, The Heromaker, is a biography of Greenwich local, Paul Brickhill. In The Hero Maker , Dando-Collins exposes the contradictions of one of Australia’s most successful, but troubled, writers. Brickhill’s extraordinary story – from the youth with a debilitating stutter to Sydney Sun journalist to Spitfire pilot and POW to feted author – explodes vividly to life on the centenary of his birth. PAUL BRICKHILL : Paul Jerome Chester Brickhill and his family lived in Greenwich at 8 Mitchell, then Greendale Street and then at 44 George Street. Paul attended North Sydney Boys High and Sydney University. Dropping out of university, his friend and neighbour Peter Finch, got him his first job as copy boy for The Sun . Paul’s address post-WWII was ‘Blytheswood’ 1 Serpentine St, Greenwich. From there he forged a new career writing of his extraordinary wartime experiences. An "exceptional journalist", Paul Jerome Brickhill became a Spitfire pilot in the RAF. He flew 34 sorties, flying 65 hours, before being shot down. Brickhill's experiences in German POW camps became the basis for his books, which have sold more than five million copies in 17 different languages. By 1954 Paul Brickhill, "the most successful author in Britain", had earned ₤115,000 from his books. And that was before the movies were made! 1946 Escape to Danger (with fellow prisoner Conrad Norton) 1950 The Great Escape 1951 The Dam Busters 1952 Escape - or Die (written to support an RAF charity) 1954 Reach for the Sky (the story of Douglas Bader) 1962 The Deadline The Great Escape , The Dam Busters and Reach for the Sky , were all made into blockbuster movies. PAUL BRICKHILL'S WAR: May 1941- Feb. 1943: Commissioned 'Pilot Officer' into RAF 92 Squadron, U.K. Squadron posted to Egypt. Operated over the El Alamein sector. Promoted to 'Flying Officer', then 'Flight Lieutenant' Paul flew Spitfire VB AB136. Mar. 1943: Paul became a 'flying battle casualty' over Tunisia while pursuing the Germans and Italians. He baled out sustaining slight wounds and was taken Prisoner of War. After transit at Dulag Luft Paul he was sent to Stalag Luft 111, Sagen, Poland—reputed to be difficult to escape from because the ground could not be tunnelled. Mar. 1944: Brickhill was one of the 600 prisoners involved in a tunnel escape. In charge of the 'stooges' (teams who raised the alarm at searches), he was to be one of the early escapees, but claustrophobia prevented him. Seventy-three of the 76 escapees were captured, 50 were shot. Initially Hitler wanted to execute all - including the German Commandant and the architect of the camp. Brickhill later reported on the treatment of prisoners for the War Crimes Commission. Jan. 1945: Paul Brickhill is among 3,000 sent to the already over-crowded Stalag Marlag und Milag Nord, Westertimke (near Bremen). Apr. 1945: 3,000 POWs were marched out of camp and into straffing fire by RAF planes. Meanwhile the Panzergrenadier placed tanks near the camp and the remaining prisoners dug trenches to protect themselves from the oncoming pitched battle. May 1945: The British Guards Armoured Division liberated the camp. 7pm, Lane Cove Library. Supper is served afterwards. Enquiries 0418 276 376. .

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