Vale Odd Bod John Ireland

John William IRELAND 430173 WAG. C.St.J.   Ch.L.H. 575 Squadron. DOB - 9/10/1924

Odd Bod, John Ireland, passed away on 25/4/2023. His passing on ANZAC Day has a certain symmetry. Like all Odd Bods, John's commitment to service in the RAAF, and the Australian war effort in WW2, displayed essential ingredients of the ANZAC spirit. And there is another connection with ANZAC Day in the form of an uplifting email he wrote to us back in 2020 (details below).

John Ireland was one of three WW2 Odd Bod veterans who headlined our celebrations at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 14/3/2020 following acquisition of a bronze plaque in the museum's grounds (see below). 

(L - R) FOTOBAI President Bruce Waxman, Geoffrey Conacher, John Ireland, Dr Edward Fleming.

John was a recipient of the Chevalier De La Legion D'Honneur, awarded by the President of France for service to the French people during WW2. He served in No.575 Squadron RAF, an airborne forces squadron that took part in the D-Day landings, the battle of Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine (see more below). 

Interestingly, John was author of a book entitled "A Blue Orchid Cook's Tour : the War Memories of John Ireland", and John's book was a point of reference during Bruce Waxman's VE Day speech at the Melbourne Shrine on 8/5/2023.

In 2020 John Ireland wrote to FOTOBAI to give us some ANZAC Day thoughts and here is his email: "I was stationed at Broadwell on 575 Squadron in Transport Command using Dakota Aircraft. Looking at my log book an entry on Anzac Day 1945 shows off we went from base to a place called Diepholz in Germany – never been there before but off we went.

We arrived safely and upon arrival we were informed that we were to pick up some prisoners of war – and eventually out they came with excitement because they were free and so glad to see us and the plane that was to bring them back home to  the U.K. In we loaded the 28 of them and gave our instructions for the journey home and be seated at all times.

Off we went – up. up and away we went – then with time to for them to settle down the different reactions you could see from them, some chatted, some just stared into space, some cried to themselves, some asked how long we will be in the air, where were we taking them and so on – but they were so happy all over because they had the absolute trust and faith in our crew of 3, because we belonged to them.

On and on we flew, some were air sick, some sang songs, others asked where we were and we had one Australian soldier who somehow knew that it was our Anzac Day, yes this was our day something special just for the two of us. Yes the other 2 crew members we both English. It was a good day for flying at about 7,000 or so feet and just smooth and visibility was good.

Now as we approached the French coast we had to cross from Cape Gris Nez to Dover, as this was a 2 mile air channel and then I pointed out to them that this was your home that you fought for. As we neared the White Cliffs of Dover a burst of singing was heard, hands clapping, tears in eyes and some shouting ‘Were Home – Were Home”

Yes RAF Wing was not too far away, so on and settle down because your excitement was about to begin very soon. RAF Wing in Buckinghamshire was specially set out for all these prisoners of war coming home – bands, streamers, people singing, next of kin looking for the men and of course plenty of tucker for them and so on. What a sight to behold for we 3 crew.

Yes on 575 Squadron I did some 83 trips to the Continent and various landings included but not all as joyous and heartfelt as this and other similar trips, because these made up for the difficult ones."

We celebrate the life of an Odd Bod, and pass on our best wishes to John's family.

575 Squadron: from Wikipedia.

The squadron was formed at RAF Hendon on 1 February 1944 from elements of 512 Squadron. Just two weeks later it moved to RAF Broadwell to work-up as a tactical transport squadron with the Douglas Dakota, the military transport version of the Douglas DC-3 airliner. The squadron's first operations were leaflet raids on France, on the eve of D-Day it dropped the 5th Para brigade into the invasion drop zone (Operation Tonga). On 6 June it towed 21 gliders into France. In the next few weeks it started a casualty evacuation service from France back to England. In September 1944 it was heavily involved in operations at Arnhem, suffering casualties.