Friends of the Odd Bods retained a videographer to record the commemoration service at the Australian War Memorial on Saturday 14th March 2020. Click below.
Monday, 16 March 2020
Video of AWM Commemoration Service
Friends of the Odd Bods retained a videographer to record the commemoration service at the Australian War Memorial on Saturday 14th March 2020. Click below.
Sunday, 15 March 2020
Canberra Commemoration Service - 14th March
This is a quick photo update from Saturday's Odd Bods service at the Australian War Memorial.
We expect to have a video link to the complete service in the next 2 days and a full report on the event.
Let's just say that some comments include - "Wonderful event", "An amazing effort", "An incredibly moving and fitting tribute".
Thursday, 12 March 2020
Odd Bods Dedication Ceremony AWM – Covid-19 Update
We confirmed with the Australian War Memorial today that they are open to
visitors and the dedication ceremony will go ahead on Saturday 14th
March with a negligible risk of Covid-19 infection.
Nevertheless, we suggest that all participants take precautions as
recommended by the Department of Health, Victoria here: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
Thursday, 5 March 2020
Odd Bods Plaque Dedication Ceremony – On The Day
The Odd Bods plaque dedication will
take place at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra at 10am on Saturday 14th
March 2020.
The location is the Captain Reg
Saunders Courtyard adjacent to the main memorial building. We are anticipating
a number of veterans attending along with officials from the AWM, Air Force,
kindred organisations, and Friends of the Odd Bods.
The service will include an address
from our patron AVM Peter Scully AO RAAF (Rtd) and a formal dedication of the
Odd Bods plaque. A videographer has been organised to record the event and we
expect to have photographs up on our website within a few days.
It has been suggested that Poppy’s
café at the Memorial would be a good place to meet before the service for a
coffee and catch-up. The café opens from 0830.
We have also been kindly offered a
tour of the Memorial on the day and if you would like to participate please let
us know in advance.
Dress Code and medals - Business attire and full medals with your aircrew
relatives on the right, yours on the left of your chest in line with AWM
protocol.
We look forward to seeing participants on the day and in the meantime
please direct any queries to FOTOBAI committee members.
Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Date Set For Odd Bods Plaque Dedication Canberra
Plaque in its wrapping, soon to be unveiled. |
As previously advised, Odd Bods are to get their own bronze plaque in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and we now have a date - the dedication ceremony is happening at 10:00am on Saturday 14th March 2020 in the Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard.
The Guest List includes representatives from RAAF including Chief of Air Force, representatives from AWM including Dr. Brendan Nelson, representatives from RAAFA, Bomber Command Association, the RSL, and of course a contingent from Friends of the Odd Bods including veterans. The RAAF Band will attend.
Recognition of the Odd Bods at Australia’s National War Memorial follows a campaign over many years. FOTOBAI members and their families are invited to attend this very special occasion and encouraged to contact committee members if they have any questions or need assistance.
Commemorative Plaque Dedication Ceremony
in recognition of the service and sacrifice of members of the
Odd Bods Association - RAAF
10.00 hrs Saturday 14 March 2020
Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard
Australian War Memorial - Canberra ACT
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Odd Bods Support For Disadvantaged Children
Friends of the Odd Bods financially support 3 students receiving special help from the Ryder Cheshire organisation in India. This continues a tradition set up by the founders of the Odd Bods (UK) Association.
Ryder Cheshire keep us informed of the students progress and here are the latest reports.
Ryder Cheshire keep us informed of the students progress and here are the latest reports.
From us all
here at Raphael, we wish you a very
happy and
peaceful Christmas. Thank you again for
your much
appreciated support of Abbas Asma and
Sarthak. The following are their six monthly reports
which we hope you will
find of interest.
Abbas reads
and writes short words and can answer questions by
pointing to a chart. He can now write numbers up
to 70 from memory. He counts objects (for example,
beads) up to 50 and can group them into Tens,
which helps him understand numbers and maths in a
conceptual way. He can identify English alphabet
letters from A to M. He writes his name from memory
and copies his father’s name. Abbas is currently being
trained in domestic activities.
9-year-old
Asma goes to the local primary school. She
enjoys being in class and the teacher
says she has
shown improvement both
academically
and cognitively. The teacher helps
her maintain
her posture and keeps reminding
her to sit
straight.
Sarthak is
learning to throw waste-paper or
wrappers in
the dustbin. He can identify
kitchen
items. He is also extending his social
skills and
now greets others. He loves to sit in
the sun
during the winter season. He never
says no to
food and occasionally takes out a
lunchbox
from a classmate’s bag and finishes it
before they
realise! He loves to dance and sing
in music
class.
Sunday, 2 February 2020
Saturday, 25 January 2020
Some Famous Churchill Quotes
War time British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, had a way with words and here are just a few of his more telling observations.
Selby UK’s Unique Way of Remembering
Under the
heading “Selby Rocks” our esteemed correspondent and Friend Of The Odd Bods, Bryan Wilcockson, sent us these
photos showing the unique way the town of Selby in North Yorkshire celebrated Remembrance
Day.
Saturday, 14 September 2019
Odd Bods At Battle of Britain Commemorations Hobart
The National
Battle of Britain Commemorations (Gathering of Eagles) are being held in Hobart
13 -15 September 2019. Our Patron, AVM Peter Scully (Rtd) has been joined by FOTOBAI
President Bruce Waxman, and Committee Member Jennifer Hibbens.
President Bruce Waxman, and Jennifer Hibbens |
Jennifer Hibbens, Air Marshall Mel Hapfield AO, DSC, Chief of Air Force, Marjorie Fitzpatrick and AVM Peter Scully (Rtd) |
Following the commemorations an exhibition is being staged at the RAAF Museum, 61 Davey St. Hobart with the theme “Australian Airmen in the European theatre WW2”. If you happen to be in Hobart in the near future, make sure you check it out.
SNAP-SHOTS
OF AIR FORCE HISTORY
From
fragile beginnings to the War in Europe
Over 30%
of all the battle fatalities in the Second World War,
across the
Army, Navy and Air Force were Australian Airmen in Europe.
What was
behind this frightening statistic??
In this
exhibition, selected objects and their associated stories from the Royal
Australian Air Force Museum (Tasmania),aim to provide some insight
into this question…
Some more photos -
Peter Scully presents prologue. |
Fly over Hobart |
Monday, 9 September 2019
More Than A Bronze Plaque
Back
in 1946 three young survivors of WW2 met to work out how they could avoid
having their war service marginalised and 73 years later a humble bronze plaque
at the Australian War Memorial will go a long way to achieving their dream.
The
Australian War Memorial has agreed to the laying of a Pavement Memorial Plaque
dedicated to “Odd Bods” the name given to Airmen who served on foreign
squadrons (usually RAF) in WW2.
When
these Airmen returned after the war there was no Australian squadron banner to
march behind on ANZAC Day. They were marginalised, and with typical Aussie
spirit, set about ensuring that the sacrifices made by their comrades would
never be forgotten.
Like
their Australian squadron counterparts, losses in the air had been horrendous.
Chances of completing a tour in Europe or the Middle East were very poor and
many of their fellow service men and women failed to come home.
Odd Bods Reunion 1956 |
Bronze
plaques recognising Odd Bods were laid at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance,
the Repatriation Hospital at Heidelberg, and the RAAF Memorial Grove just out
of Canberra. Much to the delight of veterans, Friends of the Odd Bods
Association was formed in 2015 to carry on the good work and the next
generation started to get involved.
But
there was one box that hadn’t been ticked - one lingering issue that had not
been resolved. It might be a bit theatrical to call this the “Holy Grail” but
Odd Bod veterans like Co-founder George Smith and immediate Past President,
Walter Eacott, keenly lobbied for Odd Bods recognition at the Australian War
Memorial in Canberra over a number of years. A plaque in the grounds of this
revered place was denied for technical reasons (the Odd Bods were not a
military unit).
Like
all good causes, and through the work of some very good people, an Odd Bods
plaque in the grounds of the AWM was finally approved this week and will be processed
over coming weeks. This has been a long journey with many involved, but
particular thanks at this time go to Dr. Brendan Nelson Director of the
Australian War Memorial, Odd Bod Edward Fleming, and President of the Friends
of the Odd Bods Sqn. Ldr. Bruce Waxman (Rtd).
“Pressing
On Remembering” has particular relevance this week.
Great News For Odd Bods
It
is fascinating how a sequence of simple events can come together to create a
very important result and that is certainly what happened this week for Odd
Bods.
To
cut to the chase - the Australian War Memorial in Canberra has approved an Odd Bods
Pavement Memorial Plaque in its grounds. A memorial at the AWM has long been
sought by Odd Bods past and present, although extensive lobbying had failed to
achieve approval. This latest decision will delight members and their families.
Members
will remember that a public talk was recently presented at the Australian War
Memorial on the subject of Odd Bods in WW2. Odd Bods were in the spotlight. A
couple of weeks later Veteran Odd Bod, Edward Fleming apparently bumped into
AWM Director Brendan Nelson in Canberra. Dr. Nelson had recently visited the
International Bomber Command Centre in the UK. It was suggested that Friends of
the Odd Bods should once again make a formal application for a plaque at AWM. A
quick response from our President, Bruce Waxman, and now we have approval.
The
more spiritual amongst you may imagine a few gentlemen and ladies upstairs
perhaps sharing a beer and echoing “a job well done”. Further details to come.
Friday, 23 August 2019
Odd Bods In WW2 - Speech At Australian War Memorial - 15/8/2019
The video for the public talk about the contribution of Odd Bods in WW2 can be found below. This discussion took place at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 15th August.
Monday, 19 August 2019
Flypast At RAAF Museum Point Cook
Here are some more photos and a video taken after the Friends Of The Odd Bods Committee Meeting at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook on Sunday 18th August. A big thank you to David Gardner and staff for their hospitality.
Sunday, 18 August 2019
Friends Committee Meeting At RAAF Museum Point Cook Celebrates 65 Years of Odd Bods
The first official Odd Bods meeting was held on 24th August 1954 and 65 years later Friends Of The Odd Bods Association Inc. celebrated the occasion at the RAAF Museum Point Cook.
Museum Director, David Gardner OAM, graciously provided our meeting room, a light lunch, and then treated committee members to a fly past of historic aircraft.
The location was significant for a number of reasons, and particularly because one of the agenda items at this meeting was the treatment of historic memorabilia. The museum is in the process of setting up displays for Fighter Command, Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and Odd Bods.
A number of items of Odd Bods memorabilia have already been presented to the museum and David Gardner has asked us for historic information about the Odd Bods (UK) Association and Friends Of The Odd Bods which will be passed on in due course.
Greg Smith taking this selfie with L-R Robyn Bell, Jenny Hibbens, Jan Dimmick, Bruce Waxman, Peter Randell, David Gardner (Museum Director), Terry Maher, Stephen Trask. |
Odd Bod Sacrifices In WW2
A stirring address by FOTOBAI Patron, AVM Peter Scully (Rtd), at our reunion luncheon on ANZAC Day 2019, is recorded below. The address sets a challenge for members and indeed all Australians to remember the sacrifices made by RAAF personnel in WW2.
ANZAC DAY
2019
ADDRESS TO ‘FRIENDS
OF THE ODDBODS’
Mr
President, Oddbods and Friends of the Oddbods.
It is both a great privilege and a pleasure to be with you once again
this year. Thank you for your kind
invitation to give a short address….but Bruce, how long is a piece of string?
However, I
would like to say a few words on why I think you are one of the most important
of the many ex-service organisations in our country – and I mean that most
sincerely.
At the
beginning of World War Two, all realised that this would be a war in which
airpower would play a major and dominent role.
So much so that Britain and the old Dominions, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and later on South Africa entered into an agreement: The Empire Air Training Plan, or more usually
called the Empire Air Training Scheme – EATS.
Britain, despite its small size would be able to manufacture the
necessary aircraft – and nearly all aircraft involved were in fact manufactured
in that country – but would be unable to produce the numbers of aircrew
required. So, the dominions agreed to
develop a training programme to supply the necessary aircrew. The
RAAF’s responsibility was an immense and daunting one, tasked with producing
over 27,000 aircrew in Australia plus an additional 10,000 in Canada and 700 in
Rhodesia.
The RAAF
grew from 27 to 3037 operational aircraft plus another 2808 training
aircraft. 38 new flying schools were
established, the number of Qualified Flying Instructors grew from 27 to 3061. The force grew from 10 officers in 1939 to
20,000. Airmen increased from 3179 to
144,000 together with 18,000 airwomen:an absolutely incredible undertaking.
The RAAF
served in every theatre of that war, including Russia. 5036 were killed in action in Europe and the
ME alone – and another one third were killed in training accidents. Indeed, of the total Australian battle
fatalities, Army, Navy, Airforce, in all theatres of that war, over 30 percent
were RAAF in Europe and the ME alone. 3
percent of the RAAF served in Europe but suffered30 percent of casualties.
At the end
of the war, the Australian War Memorial produced and film, ‘Sons of
ANZACS’. It lasted 124 minutes, the RAAF
coverage lasted just 10 minutes and the RAAF’s contribution to
bomber/fighter/Coastal Commands received NO mention at all.
The then
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, referring to the RAAF in
Europe stated: “They did not realise that most of their achievements were not
recorded in Australian history.”
Even to this
day, the great majority of our population is totally unaware of these great
RAAF efforts and sacrifices; awareness made less likely by the current
‘political correctness’ which denies our British heritage.
I’d like to
give another example of how our RAAF history has been lost. Some years ago I was asked by the Australia
National University to write an entry for the Australian Dictionary of
Biography on an RAAF airman, a Russell Foskett. I accepted thinking that the task would be
pretty simple and as I had many contacts with WW2 aircrew (most of my early
instructors were pilots who had served in Europe). No-one had ever heard of him. So, I applied to the National Archives for
his file. It contained but two entries;
his enlistment documents and his discharge documents. There was no record of his overseas service
in Australia. It seemed I’d reached a
dead end.
However,
from his enlistment details at least I knew where he used to live. So, I armed myself with a Sydney map and
phone directory and wrote to everyone by that name within a 10 mile radius of
his home address. What luck – I managed
to get in touch with his two spinster sisters.
Unfortunately, one had just entered a nursing home and had thrown out
his log book and associated documents.
Nevertheless, we established good friendships and I learned much about
his early life.
Next, I
wrote to some RAF contacts I’d made during my time as Airforce Advisor at the
Australian High Commission in London.
This produced some useful information.
Foskett had an impressive record with the RAF. He’d earned an OBE and DFC and flew Hurricans
and Spitfires in the Med, Greece and Yugoslavia. He’d become a flight commander on No 80
Squadron RAF and then Commanding Officer on No 94 Squadron RAF. He lost his life following an engine failure
at low level preventing his parachute from opening properly. His body was recovered by a Royal Navy
warship. He died just eight months
after his younger brother who was a navigator on a Royal Canadian Air Force
aircraft shot down over Berlin. They
were both ‘Oddbods’.
I hope this
might give you a better understanding of why your organisation is so
important. You have the opportunity to
keep alive the memories of these Australian airmen who served their country so
selflessly and at such a tragic cost.
Please spread the word because there seems to be no-one else to do so.
FLYING
OFFICER BRUCE W. FOSKETT, (413755), RAAF
Since I have last written we have started what we have for so
long been training. We've a few trips
in now, all to the Ruhr, and oh boy is that one hot place. No one who has ever seen a target in there,
as we go to work and blow it all to hell, could ever believe what it is
like. It is fantastic almost and how on
earth we can go through it and come out unscathed as we have done so far, is
beyond me. The amount of hate Jerry
throws up at us, everything but the kitchen sink, and even that at times I
think, is amazing. And I don't blame
him, for, although they are Germans and all that that entails, I sometimes feel
sorry for those people that we give such an awful plastering to. There was never a closer thing to a living
hell I don't think, than one of our raids at its height I know I'd sooner be up
where we are than down on the ground under us, catching all the stuff we let fly
at them.
The first thing of course is the searchlights. The feeling of security you have in all the
enveloping darkness of the night as we scream across enemy territory on the way
in, goes west the moment those light get cracking. We've only been caught once so far, and then
only for a couple of minutes, but I thought we'd had it. Up there with something between 20 and 30
lights on us, I felt as though I was standing naked on the stage of a full
theatre and it appeared we'd never get out of that blinding, dazzling
glare. We must have been living right
though, for somehow one moment there we were lit up like a Christmas tree just
waiting for it and the next moment we were out in the clear and we were back in
the darkness again. Boy, did I have my
fingers crossed, especially when I could
see they had us bracketed with flak, six bursts on each side every few seconds,
right at our height and gradually creeping in on us, closer every salvo.
Next thing to the lights is the flak. All over the sky you see the pin pricks of
bursting flak, everywhere it seems, but when they cone a kite they just pour
everything up those beams till they either get the kite or the kite beats them
and gets out of the cone. All over the
place you see aircraft coned. All
around these targets for miles you see these cones, 20 and 30 and often more
lights to a cone, and away up where the beams cross is an aircraft looking just
like a moth and absolutely surrounded by flak burstsThis light stuff is green
and red and blue and silver and its an awesome sight to see it pouring up. Then there are the hundreds of flares,
theirs and ours, all colours and types bursting all over the sky in great
showers of fire spreading out and gradually falling like a giant coloured blanket. There's some kind of stuff they put up
that's silvery in colour and breaks out like tinsel, shimmering and shivering
in the sky, amongst all the other strange lights and flares. Maybe you'll see a kite go for a burton and
murmur a silent prayer for the boys with her who are not having the luck you
are. But that part of it is not a nice
sight. And then there is the target,
its terrific, just one great area burning and smoking like hell, even from the
height we bomb we can see the ugly dark red flames as the incendiaries we drop
get a hold and the building start to burn
I hope you haven't minded me telling you about the work
over here. My only wish is that you
don't let it worry you. We've been
through it a few times now and can do it again as many times as we have
to. There's nothing else I can tell you
of what we do without perhaps overstepping the censor. I thought perhaps you'd want to know how it
impressed me and what our job is like.
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
Vale Joe Shuttleworth MBE
Joe was one of our Odd Bod veteran members and was present at the Anzac Day Reunion this year.
He was always at the Remembrance Day Service at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital having worked there for most of his career.
Joe was a rear gunner on Lancasters during the war.
His funeral will be held on Monday August 22nd at 10:30 am at the chapel at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.
Link: IBCC Interview #5: Joe Shuttleworth, 50 Squadron Rear Gunner
COMMENTS:
On 19/08/2019 1:16 pm, Peter Randell
wrote:
I attended Joe Shuttleworth’s funeral today and represented the Association at that.I checked on our banner - still looking good with George and Walters signatures on the order of service documents next to itFor Joe, they did a great service including the Ode and Last Post as well as particular reference to his war service and time on LancsVery well done indeedAnd, for all you Carlton supporters, note that Joe was a big Hawks fan, so that was the song played as we walked him out, the Hawthorn Footy Club song!CheersPeter
Thursday, 8 August 2019
Odd Bods Feature In War Memorial Presentation
Odd Bods are to feature in a free public
talk at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Thursday 15th
August 2019. Members are invited along but if you are unable to attend we will post
a link to a Youtube video of the talk as soon as possible after the 15th.
The
Australian War Memorial
Treloar
Crescent
Campbell
ACT 2612
Free
public talk
BAE
Systems Theatre, 12.30pm, 15th August 2019
"The
Second World War saw tens of thousands of Australians take to the air as
members of the Royal Australian Air Force. Most of them served in Australian
units, while the remainder served as “odd bods” in British, Canadian, or New
Zealand squadrons. Among these were two Australian Victoria Cross recipients.
This presentation will highlight the stories of some of these men who flew a
diverse range of aircraft around the world in non-Australian units."
Monday, 3 June 2019
Bomber Command Commemorative 2019
The Bomber Command Commemorative Service was held at the Shrine on Sunday 2nd June 2019 with Friends of the Odd Bods Association member, Wing Commander Mike Oram, as Guest Speaker. Mike is the Son of Odd Bod Johnny Oram.
Mike has been kind enough to let us publish his speech and you are urged to read the fascinating account of his Father's war story which can be described as a chilling account of the immense danger and huge sacrifices made by Australian Airmen. You can find the full text here - - https://friendsofoddbods.blogspot.com/p/bomber-command-service-2019.html
Attendees on the day included Jack Bell, Gerald McPherson, and Jan Dimmick who delivered the reading "Place of Ghosts". Thanks to President, Bruce Waxman, for the photos.
Guest Speaker Wing Commander Mike Oram |
Jack Bell & Gerald McPherson |
Jan Dimmick |
Harvard Flyover |
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