Happy Birthday Odd Bods Style

One of the wonderful traditions held by the Odd Bods is the posting of hand written Birthday Cards to wives and widows of veterans.

It was a tradition started in the early days of the Odd Bods, by Shirley Smith, wife of Odd Bods founder George Smith, and carried on down through the years.

Remembering birthdays requires a system. A diary and an information book are just two of the tools held by Lorna Fitch who is the current Birthday Card scribe.

The information book includes details of past cards and events in the lives of each recipient usually gleaned from their written replies. Lorna sends out about 100 cards per year and recalls a number of wonderful exchanges with recipients either via phone calls or letter.

In today’s digital world a hand written card can have special meaning.  It is all part of keeping in touch. Lorna feels it is now time to pass on the baton and if you, or someone you know, would like to take on this worthwhile task we would love to hear from you.

Contact Us

Peter Scully Interviews – Peter Isaacson

AVM Peter Scully (Rtd) has recorded a number of excellent interviews with veterans over the years. The interviews cover various aspects of wartime including initial sign-up, training, war experiences and returning home.

Peter Scully’s conversational style adds a wonderful element to the interviews. His own knowledge of wartime events means he inevitably asks the right questions and reveals real insight into the experiences of war – both good and bad, happy and sad.

This first interview is with Peter Isaacson AM, DFC, AFC, DFM. Peter’s story starts with his school years and his first job with a newspaper which was to translate later in life to a publishing career. He goes on to talk about training as a Pilot in Canada, and various wartime stories including how his crew used to bet on who got closest to the target on bombing raids.

There is much to read here and the full story can be found by clicking on this link – Peter Isaacson Story.

Some Links You Might Like To Check Out

Video of re-vitalised 1939 Douglas C41A - https://vimeo.com/203544093

Video of unfortunate Spitfire accident in France  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-uQqXKBYAg

Amazing restored photos from WWII  - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4625430/John-Dibbs-historian-Kent-Ramsey-restore-WW2-images.html

Donating Wartime Memorabilia

The handling of war time family memorabilia has been discussed on a number of occasions at meetings of Friends of the Odd Bods and clearly this is an issue for many.  

We covered the matter back in July 2016 (https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/what-to-do-with-war-time-memorabilia.html) and we are pleased to advise that further progress has been made.

Committee Member, Michael Rossiter, has taken on the task of evaluating options for the handling of veterans memorabilia and specifically how they might be donated to the RAAF Museum at  Point Cook.

Michael recently met with David Gardner, the Director of the museum. Further discussions will take place with the Museum later in the year or early next year but in the meantime some key points were discussed.

 1) Number One item - The family has to be sure that when donating items (medals, logbooks, maps, clothing, etc) all family are 100% confirmed as once the items are donated, the museum is in full control;

 2) The items accepted by the museum are for RAAF servicemen/servicewomen only;

 3) Items donated to the museum can be loaned by the museum to places such as The Shrine, however the family will be notified of this;

 4) Items may take up to 10 years to be placed on show without request;

 5) If family wants to view items, they must give the museum around 8 weeks to organise this to occur;

6) Items will be receipted into the museum and the family will be given written acknowledgement of this. The family will then receive formal advice of this at a later date with further detail relating to the terms of the museum. This is in accordance with the museum's procedures.

If you have any queries about this process please pass them on to us by email or phone (see Contact Us tab at top of page) so that we can include them in discussions with the museum.

Some More Mirth From Walter Eacott

Yesterday I was at my local Safeway buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for my loyal pet, Jake, the Wonder Dog and was in the check-out line when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had---- an elephant?

So because I'm retired and have little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't, because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a Perfect Diet and that the way that it works is, load your pants pockets with Purina Nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care, because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no, I stopped to Pee on a Fire Hydrant and a car hit me.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was Laughing so hard.

Safeway won't let me shop there anymore. Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in the World to think of crazy things to say.

Having A Dig - Air Force Style

Having A Dig 1.

I recall an old Navigator at an Ansett pilot retirement function putting heaps on the pilots landings.

The pilot then told the story that they crewed together on Wellingtons early in the War when pigeons in cages were carried in case of ditching.

This cage resided between the Pilot and Nav, and after ditching the survivors would write a note, fasten it to the pigeons leg and it would flap on home to Base.

Strangely enough that is true.

Story has it that outbound to Germany one night the Navigator slowly and nervously drew a track line on the chart.

Looking up he noticed the pigeon slowly shake its head sideways.

--The Nav drew another track line !.

Having A Dig 2.

Thanks to Ken Broomhead for these gems.

Homeward Bound Part 3 Conclusion By Maurice Smith

Continuing the story of Maurie Smith's journey home after the war on board M.V."Athlone Castle".


Day 29
10.30pm – Knocking back a steak, chips and eggs with a Pot of Beer in the approved manner. We’re a little out of practice but it sure tastes good! 
12.05am – Back on board. What struck us most on our return to Australian soil? 
        A) The abundance of good food and its availability and;
        B) The Australian accent – particularly issuing from the mouths of Australian women. (Remember we have only heard Canadian women, American women, English, Scottish and Irish women for years until now) The Australian accent sounds just like the drawl which outsiders have always been telling us overseas, we speak. We couldn’t notice it when we lived here. We can now.

Perth 1945 viewed from Kings Park.

30th Day – The Ship’s engineers have found a repair job to do and we are staying another 24 hours. Time enough to be off to Perth for the day.
10.15am – Arrived in Perth. Certainly, a nice little place. Someone has described it as a country town with a City Centre. The financial situation with our foursome is a bit light on but with skilful budgetting, we may get by.
1.30pm – Having another steak with the trimmings with a Pot of Ale for lunch.
3pm – Visiting King’s Park and admiring the view overlooking the city. Also, watched some lawn tennis being played, the first we had seen for a long time.
9.15pm – Off to the Trotting at Gloucester Park. Strained finances limited the punting but Harry’s knowledge of horseflesh limited the damage and we came out with as much as we went in with.
11.30pm – Having yet another steak at a Café in Fremantle before returning to the ship. To bed after a busy day.

31st Day
8am – The gangplank is up but we haven’t pushed off yet. A couple of late comers are clambering aboard via a rope ladder.
8.10am – We have cast off but an even later comer is doing a war dance on the dock. Maybe the pilot boat will take pity of him and deliver him safely on board.
12.30pm –Have covered 51 miles by noon and should round the Cape about 8pm tonight. There is a strong southerly wind. The temperature just about 60o. The swell is heavy causing the Athlone to pitch a bit.

8.10pm – A tannoy announcement has ordered Duty Personnel to remove crockery from the tables as we are about to change course and this will mean we will be taking the swell on the beam.
9.15pm – We have been rolling quite a bit. Discretion being the better part of valour have decided to turn in for an early night!

32nd Day – The last day of 1945. We are still running along the swell but it seems less noticeable this morning. The weather is cool and cloudy.
9.30am – Playing “500” again in the lounge. Lloyd is using his last Bank of England note to keep the score then take home as a souvenir of the voyage.
12.30pm – At noon we had about 1200 miles to go to Port Melbourne.
8.30pm – New Year’s Eve. The first I have ever spent on board a ship. Last year Harry and I spent a freezing night in Llandwrog, North Wales huddled round a wooden stove in a Nissen Hut on the Station, eating from a food parcel sent from home. Next year? Who knows? A broadcast from the ABC Radio in Melbourne advises that the New Year will be a quiet one there. There is a shortage of electricity and gas due to a coal strike.

33rd Day – Welcome to the Year 1946. Our noon position was 300 miles south of the Head of the Bight – 770 miles from Port Phillip Heads.
2pm –We have just caught up to a Ship – “The Rangatata” which, the tannoy broadcast tells us, has several hundred War Brides on board. However, it is almost out of sight on the horizon.

34thDay -A run of 418 miles has put us 130 miles south of Kangaroo Island. There is a heavy cross swell and the ship seems to be rolling more than previously. Having a final card game before going to a cinema show.
10.15pm – Have just seen the show – Joan Fontaine in “The Affairs of Susan” a sophisticated comedy. Excellent entertainment.

35th Day – The final day of the voyage of M.V. Athlone Castle from Southampton, England to Melbourne Australia.
8.30am – We have entered the Heads and picked up the Pilot
9.40am – Air-Marshall Jones, Chief of Staff, is following us in a launch. A radio report informs us that he will board the ship and give us a welcome home address.
10.15am – We have stopped while the Port Doctor and Quarantine Officials come on board. The morning is dull, cold and drizzling rain, reminiscent of the North of England! The crowds of people waiting on the docks must be experiencing dampened clothes if not dampened spirits.
12.15pm – We are being pulled alongside now. Despite orders to the contrary everyone is crowding the port rails.

“WELCOME HOME MAURIE” SHOUTS A HOME-MADE SIGN
 HELD ALOFT IN THE CROWD 
BY MY MOTHER, FATHER AND SISTERS.”

Links to previous parts of Maurie's story -
https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/homeward-bound-by-maurice-smith.html

https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/homeward-bound-part-2-by-maurie-smith.html

https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/homeward-bound-part-3-by-maurice-smith.html