ANZAC Day 2023

A beautiful sunny day in Melbourne greeted Friends of the Odd Bods for today's march and the day just got better with a successful reunion luncheon at the Amora Hotel in Richmond.

Marchers behind the Odd Bods banner included Wing Commander Mike Oram who has seen plenty of media attention this week in his role as ANZAC Ambassador for the Melbourne Football Club.

At the reunion we were honoured with the presence of veterans Doug Parry and Maurie Smith and as you would expect the conversations were informative, and entertaining with no shortage of humour. Guests were treated to a photographic presentation of some key Odd Bods events and personalities over the last 70 or so years which stimulated plenty of discussion.

Our President, Bruce Waxman, was absent due to a pre-arranged boat trip off the Kimberley Coast, however, Vice-President Peter Randell handled the reunion event admirably, and also presented Bruce's ANZAC Day speech. 

We have included some photos in this article and will add more over the next few days. A short video of the march has been added to our facebook page - Enjoy!

1 comment:

Jennifer Hibbens25 April 2023 at 19:56

Wonderful photos of both The March, the wreath laying at our Odd Bods plaque and the Reunion luncheon gathering. So pleased that two of our wonderful Veterans were able to attend.

ANZAC "March" On Board Ship

 

FOTOBAI President, Bruce Waxman, will be onboard a cruise ship between Darwin and Broome on ANZAC Day, but his ANZAC obligations will not be neglected as he prepares for an ANZAC service on board.

Bruce has written an ANZAC address that will be presented by the Ship's Master during the cruise. Below is the content of Bruce's speech and we have also included a link to a video of the onboard service on ANZAC Day - 

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Squadron Leader Bruce Philip Waxman OAM AASM (East Timor) RAAF (Rtd) 

President, Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc. ‘pressing on remembering’. 

I thank the ship’s master Matthew for presenting this address on my behalf as I am in covid isolation. 

The origins of Anzac Day 

On 25 April 1915, the ANZAC legend was born on the shores of Gallipoli in Turkey.  It was a Sunday morning, before dawn, when a group of volunteer Australian and New Zealand soldiers waded  ashore on a small beach, near Gaba Tepe, (pronounced ‘Garba Teepay’) on the eastern shore of the Gallipoli Peninsula.  The term ANZAC is an acronym of Australia & New Zealand Army Corps and from that day on they became known as the ANZACs.  

Moreover the ‘Anzac spirit’ was born which is based on the values of mateship, courage, and selflessness, to which I would like to add kindness. 

Sir John Monash, one of my military and civilian heroes, who led his 4th brigade throughout the Gallipoli campaign organized the first Anzac Day on 15 April 1916 in the field in Egypt, where his troops were recuperating from the campaign.   

He turned out the whole Brigade at 0645, with a short service and stirring address, followed by a march with the massed bands and a finale with the massed buglers playing the Last Post. The rest of the day he declared a holiday with cricket matches, swimming carnival in the Suez Canal and at night a big Mess dinner. 

ANZAC Day was born out of our descendants coming of age at Gallipoli.  ANZAC Day does not glorify war, it is an occasion to remember and pay tribute to all those who have contributed so much, in so many ways, to their countries and their democracy.  ANZAC Day belongs to “Aussies” and “Kiwis”, while Remembrance Day is observed around the world. 

Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc. 

Some of you who may have met me on this Expedition, might consider me to be a bit of an  ‘Odd Bod’?...... 

In the context of Anzac Day that title belongs to my late father Flying Officer Joseph Waxman DFC RAAF Retired, a bomber pilot with RAAF 466 Squadron in Bomber Command in  WWII surviving 32 sorties over Europe in 1944 – 1945. He was the lucky one. My name sakes, Flight Sergeant Bruce Williams, dad’s first cousin and Flight Lieutenant Philip Cawthorne DFC , a friendship formed in training, were both bomber pilots killed in action over Europe. 

There were moreAustralianAircrew killed in action in Bomber Command in WWII than killed in action in both the AIF and the Royal Australian Navy.  

After the war these lucky ones formed the Odd Bods (UK) Association, as many were aircrew in BritishSquadrons and considered by the ‘Poms’ to be Odd Bods, marched on Anzac Day, held a reunion lunch and in the Anzac spirit helped each other in the adjustments to civilian life. 

The ‘Friends’ was formed in 2015, on the invitation of our fathers, to maintain these traditions… ‘ pressing on remembering’ and I was elected president as I missed the first meeting!....... 

I served in the RAAF Specialist Reserve as a surgeon from 2000 -2014 with deployments to Bougainville, East Timor and as a civilian to Banda Aceh, after the tsunami. 

There only a few of the original odd bods alive today. 

Today I would have been leading the march down St Kilda Road, Melbourne to the Shrine of Remembrance, behind the Odd Bods banner and acting as MC at our reunion lunch, but I will be there in the Anzac spirit! 

Lest we forget! 

Bruce P Waxman 

23 April 2023

Video link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/l0incbdj5fc5okl/IMG_0287.MOV?dl=0

Mike Oram ANZAC Ambassador

FOTOBAI member, Mike Oram, has been appointed the 2023 ANZAC Day Eve Ambassador for the Melbourne Football Club.

The AFL embrace the ANZAC round of matches as a feature of their yearly calendar with each match this weekend featuring an ANZAC component including the playing of the Last Post.

Wing Commander Mike Oram, Son of Odd Bod John Oram DFC, is an RAAF Pilot. His Father was a Lancaster Pilot during WW2, and awarded the DFC w/bar for gallantry.

Update To: A Dog, A Cemetery, And An Odd Bod's Act Of Bravery

 

Back in January we posted an article entitled "A Dog, A Cemetery, And An Odd Bod's Act Of Bravery". It featured Odd Bod Robert Baxter from Colac in Victoria. 

Robert received the George Medal for outstanding bravery when his aircraft landed back in UK after a German raid, and burst into flames. At great personal risk, Robert saved a crewmember from the blaze, but sadly, died in an aircraft crash shortly after, and is buried at Selby in the UK.

The story came from FOTOBAI member Bryan Wilcockson, who resides in Selby and is a regular correspondent. Bryan will be visiting Robert Baxter's grave on ANZAC Day 2023 in what he describes as a "nich ceremony" to honour the ANZAC Spirit.

The other part of our article concerned a dog named Sam who was a regular visitor to the Selby cemetery. Sam received a Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal for his duty as he and his owner placed flowers on the RAF and RAAF aircrew war graves each year.

Yesterday we received this news from Bryan - "I am sad to report that LAC Sam, who received the Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct medal at Selby Abbey in December, passed away early this morning in his owners arms. The ‘Gate Guardian’ of our commonwealth war graves will be sadly missed."

Vale Sam.

POSTSCRIPT: Sam has been cremated and his ashes taken to Pocklington Airfield near York.

ANZAC March Report 1955

 

One of the very earliest ANZAC Day marches that involved Odd Bods was in 1955, and we have an on the spot report from then Secretary Bruce "Tich" Marshall. Here it is - 

ODDS and ENDS – May 1955

Good Roll Up For 1955 ANZAC March

120 ODD BODs Form Ranks Behind New Banner

 

The 1955 ANZAC Day March in Melbourne was well patronized as over 120 Odd Bod’s came along to help swell the ranks of the R.A.A.F. Section of the march.

 The ODD BODS were led by our EL PRESIDENTE – Dave Beyer – complete with dog collar and gongs but no sword – (says he is non combatant type).

The front rank looked like a hardware store with all the gongs – and the banner held down by four of the heftiest members – namely Tom Rossiter, Syd Smith, Jack Beagley, and Les James.

 As the march moved along ST.Kilda Rd., Johnny Oram did a beautiful job of ON TRACK – ON TIME – MOST OF THE TIME, case of in the groove Jack?

 Several latecomers joined in – but next year we hope to have adequate publicity for this event.

 It was gratifying to see that we did not pull the same black that 78 Squadron boobed on when they gave an “Eyes Left” as they passed the Governor’s Stand. We just pressed on rapidly – as the usual Melbourne ANZAC Day rain came down.

 Dave Beyer’s navigating of the left wheel at the Shrine was perfect – Using H 2S Dave?

 The 1955 reunion was a great success both socially and financially – Our worthy Treasurer, Bob Way, has informed me that after paying all expenses incurred we have a credit balance in the bank to the tune of £20-2-4. Not bad for first time up.

 Our thanks are due to the good ladies who signed the necessary leave passes to enable the lads to attend – Incidentally the attendance was 42 – 39 members and 3 visitors – Next “do” we want 100% increase – so get those fingers out please.

Our lead photo is from the1955 reunion. That looks like Tom Rossiter in uniform holding the banner pole, and the more observant might note the spelling mistake on the banner. In the list of aircraft Stirling is spelt Sterling. Apparently that was corrected later.

ANZAC Day Arrangements 2023

Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc. - ANZAC Day 2023

A Letter From Our President

Dear Friends,

               We are pleased to confirm arrangements for this year’s ANZAC Day reunion and our participation in the traditional march to the shrine.

               Our booking for the Amora Hotel in Richmond on Tuesday 25^th April has been confirmed, and you can now book your attendance. The cost will be $48 per head which is the same as last year.

Details of the Reunion Luncheon and an application form are available by clicking on the TAB at the top of this page (see above). We have nominated a closing date of 22nd April which will hopefully give veterans the flexibility they require as we get closer to ANZAC Day. Due to new vehicle restrictions, taxis and private vehicles will not be given access to the shrine precinct. March participants will need to make their own way to the reunion lunch.

At this year’s reunion we will be screening a selection of photographs from the Odd Bods archives including past ANZAC marches, reunions, special Odd Bods events, and of course, the veterans themselves. If you have photographs you would like to submit for the presentation, please email them to us or MMS from your mobile phone to Greg Smith on 0406222020.

Wesley College have confirmed that their ANZAC service will be held Thursday 27 April at 11.30am with a morning tea beforehand at 11.00am. The George V. Smith Award for the best student essay about the Spirit of ANZAC will be presented at that service.

We look forward to seeing you on Anzac Day and in the meantime if you have any queries please direct them to Peter Randell (0410271941), Gary Elliott (0418523974), or Greg Smith (0406222020).

 I will be absent for both events as I will be on a cruise between Darwin and Broome and but will lead a ‘march’ on board ship on Anzac Day.

Best Wishes

Bruce

Sqn Ldr Bruce P Waxman OAM RAAF (Rtd)

President

FRIENDS OF THE ODD BODS ASSOCIATION INC. 

23/3/2023

Odd Bods Support Students At Special School Dehradun India

Friends of the Odd Bods Continue An Odd Bods tradition of supporting students at a special needs school run by Ryder Cheshire in Dehradun, India.

We now provide financial report for four students and here are their latest reports. Our thanks to the staff at the Raphael School for keeping us informed of the progress of Sarthak, Ishan, Asma, and Abbas.

 

A Dog, A Cemetery, And An Odd Bod's Act Of Bravery

We get some wonderful stories from the UK and this one has all the elements of a best seller. Not only does it include a dog, a cemetery, and an Odd Bod, but the dog and the Odd Bod receive medals for service above and beyond.

Let's start with the dog. His name is Sam and apparently, throughout the year, he and his owner place flowers on the RAF and RAAF aircrew war graves at Selby a town on the river Ouse, just south of York in the UK. Their regular trips have not gone unnoticed, and although Sam is now too old to visit, he and his owner were asked to make one more trip so that Sam could be presented with a Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. 

The medal was presented at Selby Abbey which, according to our correspondent, is a similar sized church to the famous Westminster Abbey, and was built by William The Conquerer in 1069

Our correspondent goes on to say "Before you ask, it’s a Pommie thing to give a medal to a dog in an abbey. It’s what we do. It is our normal, because we Brits are all on the eccentric spectrum. Must be something to do with the wind and the rain." 

Whatever the eccentricity, this sounds like a perfectly wonderful practice.

And now to the Odd Bod - One of the graves that Sam and his owner visits to put flowers on is that of a certain Robert Wilson Baxter, from Colac in Victoria, and winner of the George Medal no less  (The George Medal is like a Victoria Cross, but for extreme heroism that’s not in the face of the enemy. They are about as common as hen’s teeth and only awarded for unbelievable acts of the utmost bravery). 

Baxter received his award as Pilot of a Wellington Bomber which, after a successful raid on Germany, landed back in the UK, but burst into flames. The crew escaped except for the Wireless Operator, and at great personal risk, Baxter re-entered the burning aircraft to secure the release of the trapped crewmember. 

Sadly Baxter was killed in an aircraft crash near Snaith on 7th August 1942, and is buried at Selby Cemetery.

Of course this is just one of many stories to come out of WW2. However linking the brave acts of wartime, with todays generations remembering those sacrifices, has particular relevance for an Association like ours.

NOTE: A big thank you to FOTOBAI member Bryan Wilcockson who lives in Selby, and has provided us with this story and many others over the years. As Bryan says, the connection between Selby and the Odd Bods is quite amazing, and we are most grateful for his ongoing contributions. 

Odd Bods Make Substantial Donation to Ryder Cheshire:

Friends of the Odd Bods have just made a substantial donation to Ryder Cheshire. In December a sum of A$2500 was donated which included funds directly allocated by members as part of the association’s annual subscription process.

Ryder Cheshire operate homes and clinics in India and Timor-Leste. We asked them if we could donate to a specific program of their choice and they nominated a special need for IT equipment at the Klibur Domin Centre in Timor-Leste. 

Klibur Domin is a centre based at Tibar, about 17km from the capital, Dili. It provides a variety of programs to help those in need in Timor-Leste. These programs include an Inpatient Program for those recovering from illnesses or injuries, a Community Based Rehabilitation Program which supports children and adults with disability and provides respite care and access to education, a Mobile TB team to diagnose and treat those with tuberculosis in the community, and a dental clinic to provide dental treatment and oral health education.

On 2/1/2023 Ryder Cheshire wrote – “Thank you again for this very generous donation which will assist our home in KD Timor-Leste in upgrading its systems and accounting packages, thereby improving the efficiency with which they can deliver health programs.”

Friends of the Odd Bods also sponsor 4 students at the Raphael Centre in Dehradun, India, at a cost of A$1200 annually, and continue the good work set up by Odd Bods over many decades.

"Pressing On.... Remembering"

 

Golfing Rules During WW2 Bombing

“Temporary” rules for playing golf at Richmond Golf Club in Surrey, UK, during World War II that have re-emerged nearly 80 years later, after the release of an historic photograph archive, reveal how golfers at that club refused to let Hitler’s Luftwaffe interrupt their games, even as bombs fell on their course.

More than 1,000 bombs were dropped on Richmond between October 7, 1940 and June 6, 1941, the Daily Mail reported, with several hitting the golf club property. One destroyed a laundry used by the club, as the German Luftwaffe turned its attention from targeting RAF airfields to attacking London and other major cities towards the end of the Battle of Britain.

The following rules were apparently genuine and illustrated the bold determination of English golfers.

1.Players are asked to collect Bomb and Shrapnel splinters to save these causing damage to the Mowing Machines.

2.In Competitions during gunfire or while bombs are falling players may take cover without penalty for ceasing play.

3.The positions of known delayed-action bombs are marked by red flags at reasonable but not guaranteed safe distance therefrom.

4.Shrapnel and or bomb splinters on the Fairway or in Bunkers within a club’s length of a ball may be moved without penalty and no penalty shall be incurred if a ball is thereby caused to move accidentally.

5.A ball moved by enemy action may be replaced or if lost or destroyed a ball may be dropped not nearer the hole without a penalty.

6.A ball lying in a crater may be lifted and dropped not nearer the hole, preserving the line to the hole, without penalty.

7.A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb may replay another ball from the same place. Penalty one stroke.

Vale Geoffrey Conacher

We sadly report the passing of Odd Bod, Geoffrey Conacher, on 20/11/2022. We are advised by his wife, Marion, that Geoffrey passed peacefully in comfort.

 Geoffrey  CONACHER   419799  PLT  622 Squadron.

Geoffrey Conacher grew up in Australia and after a few months in the army he joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942. After training he flew 14 operations as a pilot with 622 Squadron (see below). His aircraft was shot down and he baled out over liberated France. 

Geoffrey joined the Odd Bods in 1992 and featured at the unveiling of the Odd Bods Bronze Plaque at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in March 2020.

Geoffrey Conacher (second from left) at Odd Bods plaque unveiling Canberra 2020.

An IBCC interview was conducted with Geoffrey back in 2017 and is available online. Geoffrey gives a fascinating account of his wartime experiences. At the end of the war Geoffrey flew Lancasters that were bringing POWs back to the UK, some of them after 5 years of internment. He particularly remembers the delighted looks on their faces when they returned to England. Here is the link to the audio interview - https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/3378

Our condolences and best wishes to Marion and family.

622 Squadron: No. 622 Squadron was first formed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk on 10 August 1943, equipped with Stirling Mk.III bombers, as part of 3 Group in Bomber Command. It re-equipped with Lancaster Mk.III bombers in December, after briefly operating Lancaster Mk.Is that month. It operated in Bomber Command's Main Force as part of No 3 Group until April 1945 when it moved to humanitarian duties dropping food to the Dutch (Operation Manna), repatriating POWs (Operation Exodus) and ferrying troops home from Italy. The Squadron was disbanded at Mildenhall on 15 August 1945.

POSTSCRIPT: 1/12/2022 - At today's funeral we were treated to a variety of moving stories about Geoff's life and particularly his love of family. The photo tribute included a number of photos from the Odd Bods Bronze Plaque unveiling in Canberra. An RSL component in the service gave details of Geoff's war service as a Lancaster Pilot.

Remembrance Day In Selby UK

 

Selby is a market town in North Yorkshire about 22k south of York on the River Ouse. On Remembrance Day (11th November), local school children place a poppy cross on each of the war graves. Most Commonwealth War Graves are aircrew, and of course some are RAAF.

We know this because one of our members, Bryan Wilcockson, a resident of Selby, regularly corresponds with us, and this year he has sent us photographs of the Remembrance Day service in his town.

Just as our Odd Bods shared a unified determination with UK service personnel to protect our freedom during WW2, it is gratifying to note that the “remembering” is also shared by today’s communities on both sides of the globe - Lest we forget.

Remembrance Day 2022

The 11th day of the 11th month is steeped in Australia's history as the day we celebrate the end of World War 1, and the day we remember all service personnel who died in the line of duty.

For Odd Bods there is a special place where we observe Rememberance Day and that is the Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg, Melbourne. One of the original Odd Bods banners was made at the Austin/Heidelberg Repatriation General Hospital by a seamstress in the hospital laundry. That banner served many good years at Odd Bods events including the Anzac Day March and is now on display in the hospital chapel.

A service is held in the grounds of the hospital each Remembrance Day and the following photos were recorded at todays service attended by a number of our Association members. Thank you to Peter Randell for supplying the photos.

Vale Arthur Atkins DFC

Arthur H.C. Atkins DFC 418514 Pilot 625 Squadron.

Arthur Atkins, a life subscriber to the Odd Bods, has passed away at the age of 105.

Arthur passed on 26th October and was a stalwart member of the Odd Bods, an attendee at Bomber Command Commemorative Association presentations, and Patron and Life member of the Mercantile Rowing Club.

In WW2 Arthur transferred from the Army to the RAAF and did his elementary flying training at 11 EFTS Benalla, then SFTS at Mallala on Avro Ansons. He was posted to England, where he trained on Wellingtons then Lancasters at No1 Lancaster Finishing School. Arthur completed 31 missions and was Pilot of a Lancaster Bomber, earning a DFC in the process. 

Arthur was the subject of a number of veteran interviews, audio, video and written, and you will find links below. There are many fascinating stories of war service.

Our condolences to the family of Odd Bod Arthur Atkins.

https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/2319

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2792491

https://somethingverybig.com/tag/bomber-command/page/2/

Vale Allan Couper 18/11/1924 – 21/10/2022

 

Couper Allan Joseph 430013 NAV(B) 75(NZ) Squadron. 

Odd Bod Allan Couper passed away on 21st October 2022 at the age of 97. Allan was a regular attendee at Odd Bod’s functions and will be sadly missed by  members. Our sincere condolences go out to family & friends.

Allan was a WW2 veteran, serving in 75 (NZ) Squadron as a NAV(B). 75 Squadron was an RAF squadron with close ties to New Zealand and following WW2 the squadron name was bequeathed to the NZ government in recognition of outstanding service to the war effort.

From Wikipedia:75 (NZ) Squadron was engaged constantly against Germany from 1940 to VE day. The squadron flew more sorties than any other Allied heavy bomber squadron, suffered the second most casualties of all Allied squadrons, and dropped the second largest weight of bombs of any Allied squadron.

Avro Lancasters replaced the Stirlings in 1944 until August 1945 when after moving to RAF Spilsby the squadron began converting to Avro Lincolns.

Allan was the subject of a video interview concerning his wartime experiences and it contains some fascinating insights particularly concerning the trauma of bomber flying. Here is the link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYtFut9pLKY

 

2 comments:

1. 
   Adam Purcell28 October 2022 at 10:00

   I recorded an audio interview with Allan in 2017 as part of the International Bomber Command Centre's Digital Archive project - a blog post about his story is here: https://somethingverybig.com/2017/01/08/ibcc-interview-10-allan-couper-75-nz-squadron-bomb-aimer/ and the interview itself can be found on the IBCC's website.

   ReplyDelete
2. 
   Editor30 October 2022 at 16:32

   Thanks Adam.

Lancaster Movie Earns Acclaim

A new movie by the makers of feature length documentary "Spitfire" has received acclaim from critics for its portrayol of the wartime history of the Lancaster bomber.

"From the team behind SPITFIRE comes LANCASTER, the story of the iconic WW2 bomber told through the words of the last surviving crew members, re-mastered archive material and extraordinary aerial footage of the RAF's last airworthy Lancaster. Responsible for some of the most famous and infamous missions in WW2 history, from the Dambuster raids to the controversial bombing of Dresden, the Lancaster would help turn the tide of war. But there was a deadly price to be paid. 55,000 young men - half of all Bomber Command's aircrew - died over Nazi occupied Europe. Their average age was just 22. LANCASTER is an epic and poignant story of courage, fear, friendship and the moral complexities of war."

The film will be screened at select cinemas and for those in Melbourne a viewing is being organised at The Palace, Como, on 10th November. Interested members can email Noel Tresider at ntreside@bigpond.net.au for details.

Australian Aviator's Bravery Remembered At Memorial Service, Bowen Gardens Boroondara

Wing Commander (Ret'd) Mike Oram

A moving memorial service was held at Bowen Gardens, Camberwell on Saturday 1st October 2022 to pay tribute to Australian aviator, Les Knight whose bravery has touched many in Australia and overseas.

Leslie Gordon Knight, DSO (7 March 1921 – 16 September 1943) was an Australian bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1943 for his role in Operation Chastise while flying with No. 617 Squadron RAF. Knight's crew, flying in N-Nan, attacked, hit and breached the Eder Dam, the second dam to be attacked, after his comrades had previously scored one hit and one miss. 

Knight was killed later the same year while taking part in Operation Garlic – the Dortmund–Ems Canal raid. After his Lancaster's engines were damaged by clipping a tree while flying at low level, he was able to allow his entire crew to bail out. At the same time he steered his doomed Lancaster bomber away from the centre of a Dutch village averting possible further death and destruction, but was unable to land the aircraft without crashing. He is buried at Den Ham General Cemetery in the Netherlands.

FOTOBAI members were active in the memorial service with a reading from Jan Dimmick, "For The Heroes", and a speech from Wing Commander (Ret'd) Mike Oram. Mike was good enough to provide us with a copy of his speech - 

"Firstly let me pass on an apology from Air Commodore Frisina AM, the Senior Air Force Officer Victoria, who unfortunately could not be here today due to previous commitments.

I am greatly honoured to be able to play a small part in this service not only as a representative of the Air Force of today, but also due to my own personal connection to Bomber Command through my father, Flight Lieutenant Johnny Oram DFC and Bar, who was, like Les Knight, a Bomber Command Lancaster pilot.

After being approached to speak at this service and beginning to research FLTLT Knight DSO I was immediately struck by the thought “why haven’t I heard of this incredibly brave and daring aviator before now?” His role with the legendary ‘Dambusters’ of 617 SQN RAF alone should have bought him lasting fame – and if there was any justice in the world, after having survived such an incredibly risky mission he would have survived the rest of the war - and returned to Australia to do those things we now take for granted – chose a career, meet a partner, start a family – enjoy a life.

But as was the case for so many Bomber Command aircrew, surviving great danger and achieving spectacular mission success was not an opportunity to seek respite – rather such brave conduct was expected again and again – in an air battle which generated higher casualty rates to the aircrews than those experienced by infantry in the bloody trenches of WW1.

It is unfortunately not surprising that, against the maelstrom of World War II many individual acts of valour were not given due regard in the aftermath of conflict - particularly for those who did not return. For Les and others like him there would be no joyous family reunions, no experience of the camaraderie of ANZAC with other veterans, no Squadron get togethers. It is a sad fact that for many of these young men their daring exploits were known only to a handful of family and fellow veterans. At the end of the war the focus was understandably on the living and building a brighter future - but for the families of the fallen a lost loved one was a constant gap in their lives that could never be filled. Recognition of individual acts of valour and sacrifice can never fill those gaps, but they can help to provide a degree of closure to those who are left. I am honoured today to play a small part in providing that recognition albeit so many years after Wars end.

As an air force pilot, I can honestly say that reading the story of Les's final mission literally raised the hairs on the back of my neck. It is hard to imagine how such a young man managed to act with such skill and bravery under almost inconceivable pressure that night.

In the Air Force of today, flying a large aircraft by night in poor weather at low level - and without any modern navigation and enhanced night vision equipment, would be considered risky to the point of recklessness and would simply not be authorised. Les and his crew did all that, and did it under near constant attack from well trained and determined German air and ground defences. After striking trees whilst pressing home the attack in the atrocious weather conditions obtaining that night that night, Les’s Lancaster ended up losing both engines on the port side of the aircraft - a condition pilots describe as ‘double asymmetric’. For an aircraft like the Lancaster this can make continued flight nearly impossible in even ideal conditions. But the conditions were far from ideal for Les and his crew. Loss of two engines was not the only damage that the aircraft had suffered. The impact had also damaged the control runs which allowed operation of the aircraft rudders - for the uninitiated effective rudder control is absolutely vital in a situation where the aircraft has one or more engines inoperative. It is not hyperbole to say that this aircraft simply shouldn't have been able to keep flying - but Les somehow managed to not only continue to fly but, with assistance from his crew, to coax the wounded Lanc to climb to a height from which his crew would be able to safely abandon the aircraft.

Having ordered his crew to bail out, Les remained at the controls, unable to bale out himself. In a final act of heroism which would cost him his young life, Les steered the aircraft to a crash landing in an empty field, avoiding the small Dutch village where the aircraft may otherwise have crashed.

FLTLT Les Knight DSO, from the the nation you helped keep free, from the Air Force of today that stands on the shoulders of you and those like you, and, personally, from the son of another RAAF Lancaster pilot - thank you." - Mike Oram

Bruce Waxman & Jan Dimmick

Wreaths At Memorial

Les Knight

Odd Bods at Gallipoli

A Royal Navy, Henri Farman, tandem seated float plane, possibly from HMS Ark Royal, returning to its launching ramp. Contributed by Australian War Memorial Photo: Australian War Memorial

The famous Gallipoli landings of WW1 (1914-18) form an iconic part of Australia’s military history. The term “Odd Bods” emerged in WW2 (1939-45) to describe a large group of Australian aviators in Europe, but did Odd Bods actually exist at Gallipoli?

During WW2 Australian aviators who served in non-Australian squadrons (usually British) were called odd bodies, later shortened to “Odd Bods”. 

Aviation activities in WW1 were nothing like those of WW2. In WW1 there were fewer aircraft, they were slow, much less sophisticated, and their main task was reconnaissance. They did however occasionally drop bombs and the first aircraft carrier was devised in WW1 to service seaplanes during military maneuvers.

By contrast, Air Force involvement in WW2 was pivotal with Bomber Command being a large focus of war effort and expenditure by the allies. Over 10,000 Australians were involved.

Historian Hugh Dolan is the author of “36 Days - The Untold Story Behind the Gallipoli Landings” in which he exposes some of the mis-truths about Australia’s involvement in the landings during WW1.

Dolan - a former RAAF intelligence officer who directed allied aircrews on their missions during the second Gulf War - also brings to light the Royal Naval Air Service was far from an all-British affair. At least 26 Australians are believed to have served as either pilots or observers, including Captain Thomas Piper, who had been holidaying in England when war broke out.

Captain Thomas Piper

An aircrew observer aboard the Ark Royal - the world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier - Piper flew numerous missions over the Gallipoli peninsula and was involved in an aerial assassination attempt on the German Kaiser when the Kaiser visited Gallipoli after the Anzac withdrawal.

The Australian aviators involved in the Royal Navy Air Service during WW1 were clearly Odd Bod forerunners and their participation in the Gallipoli campaign is another significant component in Australia’s military history.

The Friends of The Odd Bods Association has grown from a fledgling group of Australian odd bodies who searched for an identity when they returned to Australia in 1945. They wanted to create a social identity for their members as they recovered from the horrors of war, and ensure that the sacrifices made by so many comrades were not forgotten by future generations. 

The Association’s motto is “Pressing on… remembering”

References:

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6171147/wings-over-gallipoli-our-stealth-mission-revealed/

https://books.google.com.au/books/about/36_Days.html?id=Jk4cmwEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(1914)

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C91376

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/LIB100042863