Indigenous Odd Bods

Aircrew from 106 Squadron

The Indigenous Round is being celebrated in many Australian sports this week including AFL, NRL and Netball. The Melbourne Shrine is also conducting a Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service on Wednesday 31st May 2023. We thought this might be good time to recognise  indigenous Odd Bods.

The Australian War Memorial completed a talk entitled "First Nation Flyers" in 2019. It was conducted by AWM Curator, Garth O'Connell, who was also the presenter of a talk about Odd Bods in the same year. 

The "First Nation Flyers" talk covers a number of indigenous aviators including Lancaster Pilot Roy Hill. Roy was one of three brothers from the Wardandi nation in Western Australia. Roy Hill, who had enlisted in the RAAF, became a pilot and an officer in Bomber Command. Serving in Britain, he flew Lancaster bombers for No. 106 and No. 189 Squadrons of the Royal Air Force. 

Squadron 106 was particularly active towards the end of the war and participated in the famous attack against the V-2 rocket research facility at Peenemünde in 1945. No. 189 Squadron was among the 107 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of No 5 Group which attacked the oil refinery in Tonsberg in Southern Norway on 25 April 1945 in the last raid of the war flown by heavy bombers of RAF Bomber Command.

Roy Hill was not a member of the Odd Bods Association but as an Australian serving in RAF squadrons was certainly an Odd Bod.

The "First Nation Flyers" talk can be found here - AWM First Nation Flyers.

POSTSCRIPT:

We have amended the title of this article to read Indigenous Odd Bod(s) because Garth O'Connell from AWM has informed us of another Aboriginal Odd Bod  - 424587 Flying Officer Errol James “Blue” INGRAM, 622 Squadron RAF (1924-1990).

Ingram flew Lancasters towards the end of the war in day and night bombing missions, food drops, and repatriation of POW's.

We should also note that there were reportedly 16,000 Odd Bods in WW2 so the chance of more indigenous aviators is quite high.

* Note: this article has been re-printed from one in 2021. We have updated the lead photograph to a colour version, and added some content.

Spotlight On Odd Bods Aircraft & Squadrons - Part 4

 

Spotlight on Odd Bods Aircraft and Squadrons

Part 4

 Handley Page Halifax

Following on from the100 year anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 2021, the Friends of the Odd Bods Association would like to take a look back at where our fore-fathers served in World War II and why it is so important to ensure that this information is not lost, but preserved and recognised by the coming generations. The Friends of the Odd Bods Association hope you enjoy this series dedicated to these men as we “Press On Remembering”.

Part 4– The aircraft we will learn a little about in this part is the Handley Page Halifax and the RAF Squadron 51 where our Odd Bods served. The aircraft also served with the following RAAF Squadrons 460, 463 and 466.

The Halifax Getting Ready For a Mission

What was a Handley Page Halifax Bomber? – It was a four engine heavy bomber of World War II. The Halifax had its origins back to the mid 1930’s and first flew on the 25^th of October 1939.  There were 6176 aircraft manufactured plus two prototypes. The standard aircraft was operated by 7 flight crew. Their positions were;

1)     1.    Pilot;

2)     2.    Flight Engineer;

3)     3.    Navigator;

4)     4.    Wireless Operator;

5)    5.     Bomb aimer;

6)     6.    Mid Upper gunner; and

7)    7.     Rear gunner.

 There were 8 variants of the Halifax made, however there were over 30 sub-variants made. As the numbers suggest, the aircraft went through significant improvements in the development of the bomber. They were manufactured in five locations across the British Isles due to the sizeable production. At the peak, 41 separate factories dispersed components supported by 600 subcontractors and 51,000 employees. This resulted in one Halifax completed every hour. (That’s an amazing statistic !!!)

 What was the big difference between the Halifax and the more well know Avro Lancaster?

Ø  The Lancaster had one large unobstructed bomb bay, enabling it to carry a single 12,000 pound bomb.  Saying this, the Halifax had one important advantage over the Lancaster. What was this?

Ø  In an emergency, the roomier Halifax was easier to abandon which resulted in a superior survival rate of Halifax crews compared to those in Lancasters.

 Specifications of the Halifax B Mk III

What was the aircraft powered by? – Four Bristol Hercules radial engines each producing 1615 horsepower.

 Dimensions – Wing Span – 31.75 m

 Length – 21.82 m

 Height – 6.32m

 Maximum Weight Loaded – 24,675Kg

 Maximum Speed – 454 km/h

 Rate of Climb – 3.80 m/s

 Normal Range – 1860 km

 

What was special about the Halifax? – Nicknamed the ‘Halibag’, the Handley Page Halifax would serve with distinction until the end of the Second World War, and post war would play a role in the Berlin Airlift.

Does the Halifax still fly? – Unfortunately, No. The Halifax spent its last days with the Pakistan Air Force which had inherited a number of bombers from the RAF and last flew in 1961.

Are there any Halifax’s still around? – There are 2, one at Yorkshire Air Museum in the UK, and the other at the Canadian Memorial Museum in Ontario.

(Information Source – Classicwarbirds.Co.Uk, Google Search Wikipedia May 2023)

RAF Squadron 51 – Motto is “Swift and Sure”

 Did our OddBods serve in this Squadron? – Yes.

 When was the Squadron formed originally? – 15 May 1916 and disbanded 1^stApril 1918;

 When was the Squadron reformed? - (1^st Time) – 1^st April till 13^th June 1919; (2^nd Time) – 5^th March 1937 till 30^th October 1950; and (3^rd Time) –21^stAugust 1958 to present.

 Is the Squadron still active? – Yes;

 What type of aircraft did the Squadron fly in WWII? –Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Handley Page Halifax aircraft.

 What was unique about the Squadron? – 51 Squadron dropped leaflets over Germany on the very first night of the WWII. The squadron carried Para troops and a skilled RAF Flight Sergeant to France. These men carried out a very successful raid on a German radar installation removing parts of a new type and took the items back to Britain.  A brief period saw the Squadron carrying Coastal Command patrol against U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay.

 How many types of Halifax aircraft did 51 Squadron operate in WWII? – The Halifax type II and type III.

 (Information Source – Wikipedia and Google -May 2023)

 

RAAF Squadron 466 – Motto is “ –Brave and True”

 Did our Odd Bods serve in this Squadron – Yes.

 When was the Squadron formed originally? – 10^th of October 1942 till 26^th October 1945

 Is the Squadron still active? – No, disbanded.

 What type of aircraft did the Squadron fly in WWII? – Vickers Wellington, Handley Page Halifax and Consolidated Liberator

 What was unique about the Squadron?  – It was formed as an Australian squadron but was primarily staffed by British Commonwealth air forces only gaining it’s true Australian character by the end of the war.

 Statistics – 466 Squadron flew 3,326 sorties against 269 targets and lost 81 aircraft with 184 RAAF personnel serving with the squadron were killed.

(Information Source – Wikipedia and Wartimememoriesproject.com - May 2023)

 

The last of the 710 Halifax Bombers built by the London Aircraft Production Group PN640 (one of five factories) makes a low pass at Leavesden on April 16^th 1945.

 

Article by Michael Rossiter - May 2023.

COMMENTS:

RE: Spotlight On Odd Bods Aircraft & Squadrons - Part 4 – Here’s a photograph of a real life Halifax (so the youngsters can get a grasp on the size of the beast being flown by their Grandad’s ( all by brute strength, no power steering on this!) - Bryan Wilcockson - 23/5/2023.

Victory In Europe Day 2023 - The Shrine Melbourne

 A VE Day service hosted by Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc. was held in the magnificent Sanctuary of Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance today (8th May 2023).

President of the Association, Sqn Ldr Bruce P Waxman OAM RAAF ( Rtd), presented the VE Day speech and asked the question - 

What was VE Day all about and why so special 

to the Odd Bods?

The answer to that question and the full text of Bruce's speech can be found here - Keynote speech by President FOTOBAI, VE Day 8th May 2023

Following are photos from the service including some detail of the amazing space occupied by the Sanctuary of The Shrine.

Friends of the Odd Bods Feature In Shrine's Last Post Service 7th May

Friends of the Odd Bods will be participating in a VE Day service at the Melbourne Shrine on Monday 8th May 2023. As a prelude, a Last Post service at the Shrine on Sunday 7th May also referred to VE day and featured FOTOBAI Secretary Peter Randell who read The Ode, and laid a Wreath at the Stone of Remembrance.

A video of this Last Post service can be found here - https://youtube.com/live/GiFX6C3OpIY

Incoming Mail - Vickers Wellington and Biplane Aerobatics

We love the impact of a video particularly if it involves old style aircraft, and two good ones have come across our desk this week.

The first involves a much neglected icon of WW2, the Vickers Wellington. The Vickers Wellington was a long range twin engined Medium Bomber, first introduced in 1932 and making a significant bombing contribution in the early years of WW2. It was later replaced by the "heavies" like the Lancaster but continued in service throughout the war in alternative duties.

The aircraft in this video doesn't actually get off the ground. It is the subject of a long term restoration, and has been unveiled at the Royal Air Force Museum, Midlands, U.K. It is believed only two Wellingtons are currently undergoing restoration globally.

The second video comes from Committee Member, Greg Smith, and was filmed in his back yard at Tooradin, not far from the Tooradin Airport. The aircraft is a biplane, believed to be a Pitt's Pro, and it was performing aerobatics as part of a nearby tractor show. The aircraft's climb, stall, and plunge to the ground certainly created dramatic effect.

More On ANZAC Day 2023 From Australia and UK

Our lead photo comes from member Bryan Wilcockson in Selby Yorkshire UK. Bryan placed a toast to Odd Bod Robert Baxter at his grave in Selby this ANZAC Day and included a Rosemary plant. Rosemary is acknowledged as a Remembrance plant and is found growing across the Gallipoli Peninsula, so it has special significance to ANZACs.

And we have some more photos from our ANZAC Day celebrations in Melbourne.

At the Odd Bods Tree

A crowd around the Odd Bods tree.

Greg Smith prepares the slide show.

Greg Parry, Doug Parry, Maurie Smith & Sue Bennett.

This video is taken from the ABC coverage of the ANZAC March.

George V. Smith Award Wesley College 2023

Another successful presentation of the George V Smith Award was conducted at Wesley College, Glen Waverley Campus, today. Inclement weather meant that the service was conducted in the Sports Centre rather than the usual open quadrangle.

Greg Smith presented the award on behalf of FOTOBAI and the Smith family, and congratulated Wesley on its "solemn yet uplifting service that shows immense respect for veterans". 

The George V. Smith Award for the best essay about the Spirit of ANZAC by a Wesley student was awarded to Kirwan Schoenborn. Kirwan's essay can be found in the following article and you can read the presentation speech made by Greg Smith here - Link to the FOTOBAI presentation speech.

                                                           Kirwan Schoenborn receives her award.

Gary Elliott, Greg Smith, Head of Campus Sheridan Vella, and family member Peter Smith at Wesley.

A full house of students for the Wesley ANZAC Service

Link to the FOTOBAI Presentation Speech

Thank you to Gary Elliott for our photographs on the day.

George V. Smith Award 2023 - The Rats of Tobruk

Since 2015 The George V. Smith Award has been awarded to the Wesley student who writes the best essay about the ANZAC Spirit. The award is a joint effort by Friends of the Odd Bods and George Smith's family. Teachers at Wesley choose the best essay each year and the winner is awarded a certificate and a $500 online book voucher to assist in their education.

Odd Bods founder George Smith championed the concept of the Odd Bods association with Wesley College, Glen Waverley, stimulating student’s interest in, and understanding of, the significance of Australia’s contribution to the military and the ANZAC Spirit.

Friends of the Odd Bods congratulate student Kirwan Schoenborn on winning the 2023 award. Here is her essay -

George V. Smith Award winning essay 2023 by Kirwan Schoenborn

Rats of Tobruk

“[The] poor desert rats of Tobruk” – William ‘Lord Haw Haw’ Joyce, Nazi propagandist The ANZAC spirit that was born in Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915 has been demonstrated repeatedly through Australian history, notably in the small port of Tobruk. Tobruk is found in north-eastern Libya and was placed under siege by the Axis in the second world war from March in 1941 to June of 1942 (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021). It was an essential harbour for bringing in supplies that the Nazis needed, and by protecting the land the Allies successfully pushed back and won their very first victory of the Second World War (Wilmot, 1958). And what forces were in the trenches of Tobruk, holding down the town and pushing back harder than anyone could have expected? ANZACs, the Australian 9th division, or later named the “Rats of Tobruk” by Nazi propaganda before they adopted it wholly (Australian War Memorial, n.d.). Tobruk was surrounded with deep water, meaning the dock was very useful for larger shipments coming in on bigger ships, and by capturing the port, the Axis could progress to the Suez Canal (Warburton, 2021). Unfortunately for them, this did not happen. As of the April 1941, the Allies were pummelled with the force of the ‘Afrika Korps’, the German troops sweeping through North Africa at the time. The tactics described by Chester Wilmot, an Australian war correspondent, depict a very flat landscape which the Australian and British garrison used to their advantage by laying low and surprising the enemy (Australian War Memorial, 1958). This clearly worked as the ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics, for the first time in the duration of the war, failed to roll over Tobruk (Rats of Tobruk Memorial Pipes and Drums, n.d.). Under the cover of night, troops would perform raids on nearby German camps, using stealth to slowly chip away at the Axis force (Army Museum of South Australia, n.d.). The underhand, unusual strategies of the ANZACs coupled with their resolution to stand their ground was what gave them such an advantage over the Nazis. The siege of Tobruk is the epitome of the ANZAC spirit in full force. As Charles Bean stated in ANZAC to Amiens, “ANZAC stood, and still stands, for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, resourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship, and endurance that will never own defeat” (Bean, 1983, p. 181). Every single one of these criteria were hit by the Australian soldiers in the trenches of Tobruk. Their recklessness, resourcefulness and enterprise are evident in their strategies and the stealth of their nightly raids. Their comradeship and fidelity are clearly displayed in their trust and loyalty to each other, to the extent that many were willing to sacrifice themselves for others. The endurance and fidelity of the Rats of Tobruk are most obvious in the resolute stance and lack of surrender, which was their motto as shown in Figure 1. For the first time, Nazi tactics were not working, and the Allies were not losing land. For months on end, they refused to concede under the pressure of the Afrika Korps, and as Bean described, their “endurance…never [owned] defeat”. The definition of the ANZAC legend has never been more exemplified than by Rats of Tobruk. The Rats of Tobruk are the perfect example of the continuous and indominable nature of the ANZAC spirit. The soldiers of the Australian 9th division were no doubt brought up on stories of the ANZAC legend of World War I, their parents’ generation, and it is possible that this influenced them later in Tobruk (Australian War Memorial, 2011). Their name itself displays some of the ANZAC spirit, and by extension, Australian culture. By adopting the name ‘Rats of Tobruk’, after the Nazi Propagandist William Joyce used it to mock them, the ANZACs were laughing in the face of the enemy. They persevered under harsh circumstances and embraced the difficulty, not unlike a common, current Australian. The 9th division found humour in even the direst of circumstance, seen notably in the ‘nicknaming culture’. Their commander, Major General (Sir) Leslie James Morshead served at Gallipoli and was well known for being strict, severe and an incredible strategist, which was likely a large factor in Tobruk’s success (Australian War Memorial, n.d.). However, it also earned him the nickname “Ming the Merciless”, or just “Ming”, much like the many nicknames being garnered by Australian politicians to this day (The Rats of Tobruk Association, n.d.). The ANZACs of Tobruk show that the ANZAC legend was not a single occurrence only on the shores ANZAC Cove, but instead something that lives on in Australians then and now.

The ANZAC spirit at Tobruk in 1941 clearly reflects the legend at Gallipoli nearly twenty years earlier. The Rats of Tobruk succeeded in World War II where the Allies had failed, due to their unique traits and unusual strategies. They encapsulated all the tenets of ANZAC culture by looking after each other and persevering in hardship. The qualities shown in Gallipoli and again in Tobruk continue to be shown today and will likely be represented in Australians for many years to come. The spirit of the ANZACs will never be defeated, for it lives on in all Australians.

Bibliography 

Australian War Memorial. (2011, May 19). War Stories: Rats of Tobruk [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USvx4PwbtmA 

Bean, C.E.W. (1983). ANZAC to Amiens. Australian War Memorial. 

Brief History of the Siege of Tobruk. (1958, April 24). Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/sites/default/files/awm-research-file-581.pdf 

Encyclopedia Britannica. (2021, February 11). Tobruk. https://www.britannica.com/place/Tobruk 

Lieutenant General Leslie James Morshead (n.d.). Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676535 

Major General Leslie James Morshead - Ming the Merciless (n.d.). The Rats of Tobruk Association. https://ratsoftobrukassociation.org.au/the-siege/ming-the-merciless-2/ 

Siege of Tobruk (n.d.). Army Museum of South Australia. https://amosa.org.au/museum-exhibits/wwii-exhibits/siege-of-tobruk 

Siege of Tobruk. (n.d.).  Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/tobruk 

Siege of Tobruk. (n.d.). Rats of Tobruk Memorial Pipes and Drums. https://www.rotmpd.org.au/band-history/siege-of-tobruk/ 

Smith, M. (n.d.). Roma Street Rats of Tobruk Memorial [Photograph]. Queensland War Memorial Register. https://www.qldwarmemorials.com.au/memorial?id=276\ 

Warburton, S. (2021, April 7). 80 Years on: Remembering the Rats of Tobruk. The Cove. https://cove.army.gov.au/article/80-years-remembering-rats-tobruk 

                                            Author Kirwan Schoenborn with her Award.