THUMBNAIL – They Were There – Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat

18 October 2023

LEWIS, Gwilym (#30)

World War 1 Flying Ace. RFC & RAF, with 12 WW1 kills No.32 Sqn DH2s in France at 18, was last surviving WWI SE-5 fighter leader on No.40 Sqn, after Central Flying School Lieutenant Commander; WW2 in War Cabinet team reporting to & briefing CHURCHILL.

2 October 2020

McDOWELL, L Patricia T (#167)

As a young nurse in the Canadian Army, she cared for the most severely wounded and dying soldiers who were evacuated from the invading beaches of Normandy to England in the summer of 1944.

2 October 2020

WIREMU, Hemi (#210)

210 Lieutenant Hemi ‘Himi’ WIREMU MBE for all (especially long term i.e. 4-5yr) PRISONERS of WAR, and also for the rapidly formed, quickly sent NEW ZEALAND MAORI BATTALION & the ANZAC part in the necessary GREEK CAMPAIGN, where (as some other countries as Norway for obvious political reasons, which really could only start when an invasion meant it was already almost too late, particularly without strong local air power) 10:1 Luftwaffe: RAF highlighted the Germans' AIR SUPERIORITY; however the value of the critical two months’ delay to BARBAROSSA was highly significant and greatly assisted “General Winter” to SAVE RUSSIA. The disastrous experiences of the first two years of WW2's country losses led to the strong post-war 1949 NATO TREATY, which was to underpin half a century of relatively stable EUROPEAN PEACE and eventual success in the COLD WAR.

1 October 2020

HOGAN, Neville G (#264)

Major Neville Graham HOGAN. as a KAREN and who commanded KARENS. KACHINS, CHINS and SHANS, signs for the brave, largely forgotten, loyal hill tribes of BURMA, some of whose destinies sadly to this day have been affected by their fighting for the BRITISH and against the JAPANESE

1 October 2020

HEGLUND, Svein (#166)

The top scoring NORWEGIAN fighter pilot of the war, with over 15 victories, mostly with 331 Norwegian Squadron Spitfires Vb and IXs, and three Bf-110s destroyed with No.85 Mosquito Sqn.

24 September 2020

ELLISON, Lorna (#174)

One of two sisters who were ‘teenage sweethearts’ of the Czech Jan KUBIS and Slovak Josef GABCIK who parachuted by HALIFAX into CZECHOSLOVAKIA to kill Reinhard HEYDRICH in May1942, before Hitler’s terrible June LIDICE annihilation (turned into the film Anthropoid). “The [sisters] knew it was something serious because they slept with guns under their pillows even in a small village. But my mum and aunt didn’t think they were going to their deaths.” Lorna’s tale was first told in The Mirror Caught the Sun: Operation Anthropoid 1942.

23 September 2020

CURRAN, Samuel (#182)

Sir Samuel CURRAN FRS FRSE DSc MA BSc PhD after his first MA BSc & PhD from Glasgow University in 1937, for the outstanding teams at Cambridge's CAVENDISH LABORATORY, the ROYAL AERONAUTICAL ESTABLISHMENT, MINISTRY of AVIATION PRODUCTION & SUPPLY and their contribution to the MANHATTAN PROJECT and the combined British-American ATOMIC BOMB of Oppenheimer’s LOS ALAMOS team.

18 September 2020

VRACIU, Alexander (#303)

Cdr Alexander VRACIU, of Romanian parentage, was born in 1918 and after university entered the US Navy in June 1941, being commissioned before later joining VF-6 SQUADRON as wingman to and learning much from Lt Cdr Edward ‘Butch’ O’Hare, the Navy’s first fighter ace.

18 September 2020

STORK, J Royden (#301)

Captain J Royden STORK for Operation Shangri-La, the DOOLITTLE Tokyo RAIDERS, flew off the carrier USS HORNET with B-25 Mitchells on the morale raising 18th April, 1942 raid which also affected Japanese strategy. He was born in Frost, Minnesota in 1916 and graduated from college in October 1940, entering the Army Air Corps and learning to fly on Stearmans at Hemet CA, where they lost a quarter of the course on their primary flying.

18 September 2020

ELDER, Robert M (#299)

Captain ROBERT M ‘Bob’ ELDER US Navy, a highly decorated Douglas SBD DAUNTLESS (“Slow But Deadly”) combat pilot in most of the Pacific’s naval aircraft carrier engagements including the Battles of the CORAL SEA and MIDWAY, GUADALCANAL, the SOLOMON and MARSHALL ISLANDS campaigns, represents the success of US Naval air power against the Japanese Fleet.

18 September 2020

COX, John W (#298)

Captain John W COX USAAF Airplane Commander for the B-29 SUPERFORTRESS Bombing RAIDS on TOKYO and Japan from TINIAN

18 September 2020

GALBRAITH, William P (#297)

William P GALBRAITH US ARMY, born in January 1924, here represents “I” Company in the 3rd Battalion, the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, the original main component of the United States Army 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION (filmed as The Band of Brothers) and took part in both Operations OVERLORD and MARKET GARDEN

18 September 2020

RASMUSSEN, Philip M (#293)

Lt Colonel Philip M RASMUSSEN USAAF and USAF, born in Boston in 1918, shot down a Jap attacker with his runaway gun, when he was able to fly off in a P-36 HAWK, when his airfield, WHEELER FIELD, was attacked and represents Hawaii’s air defence during the Japanese 7th December, 1941 attack on PEARL HARBOR and neighbouring airfields, which would change history.

18 September 2020

DeLONG, Phillip C (#292)

Colonel Phillip C DeLONG, US Marine Corps was born in Jackson, Michigan, in 1919. After graduating from university in aeronautical engineering, he would become the leading VMF-212 Squadron fighter pilot and represents the MARINE CORPS contribution to victory in the SOLOMON ISLANDS campaign and that of the inverted gull ‘bent wing’ CORSAIR F-4U-1As in WW2.

18 September 2020

ISON, Paul E (#291)

Private First Class Paul E ISON represents the savage fighting for OKINAWA, whose photograph was taken when he was crossing Death Valley on 10th May 1945 – this in turn became the fighting symbol of the UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS in the PACIFIC WAR and was one of the most iconic taken in WW2.

18 September 2020

SWETT, James Elms (#302)

If Swett had a taste for trouble, he was born at the right time. And he would rise to meet it both promptly and bravely, for his first day of action would lead to the downing of 8 enemy planes and the award of a Medal of Honor for his actions. He would go on to shoot down a further 7.5 planes and receive further decoration for his bravery and actions: two Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Air Medals.

14 September 2020

WILMOT, Allan C (#224)

‘They learned that you don’t mess with West Indians’ 16,000 volunteers came from the Caribbean in the Second World War, “bringing the fight to the enemy”. (See this sequence, from 53m45s, on an Antiques Roadshow Special […]

10 September 2020

WEST, Ferdinand (#28)

Air Commodore Ferdinand ‘Freddie’ WEST VC CBE MC Recipient of the Victoria Cross. RFC & RAF, Captain Royal Munster Volunteers, 3 and 8 Sqns, last Air action, 17 Sqn, OC 4 Sqn WW1 VC Sqn, CO Farnborough, in WW2 Odiham & Air Attaché Berne

9 September 2020

CURTIS, Lawrence (#260)

Squadron Leader Lawrence ‘Larry’ CURTIS DFC. Squadron Leader Larry Curtis flew more than 70 bombing operations during the Second World War and had the very unusual distinction for a wireless operator of earning two DFCs.

6 September 2020

ROSIER, Fred (#17)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Fred ROSIER GCB CBE DSO 43 (F) Sqn on Furies & Hurricanes at Tangmere 1936 to 1939, in France, UK, Western Deser t and Europe, developing close tactical fighter support with 22. ~ Harry Broadhurst ~

2 September 2020

ATKINS, George (#3)

Corporal ‘Tommy’ George ATKINS Nos 1(F) & 43(F) Sqns, in pre-war motor industry serviced BATTLE OF BRITAIN HURRICANES, SPITFIRES in ITALY & 1944/45 LANCASTERS One of many GROUND TECHNICIANS who played a vital role throughout.

1 September 2020

OLDS, Robin (#97)

Brigadier General Robin OLDS AFC DSM* Silver Star (4) Legion of Merit DFC (6) AM (40) DFC (UK) Croix de Guerre (45 e/a) ‘Triple Ace’ for US, USAAF & 8th AIR FORCE (12 e/a, 9 in P-38s, 3 in P-51 +11 strafed); and in Vietnam 1967 destroyed 4 MiG 21/17 in F-4 aged 44 (son of Major General Robert OLDS WW1)

30 August 2020

CHESHIRE, Geoffrey Leonard (#31)

Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard, Baron CHESHIRE of Woodhall Spa VC OM DSO** DFC Recipient of the Victoria Cross. VR Oxford UAS, 102, 35, Wing Commander OC 76 Sqn, CO Marston Moor, Master Bomber 617 Sqn & UK NAGASAKI observer charity pioneer, born Chester 7 September 1917, served Bomber Command 1940-45, 102 Squadron 1940, DSO 1940 (and two Bars 1941), 35 Squadron 1941, DFC 1941, CO 76 Squadron 1942, RAF Station Marston Moor 1943, CO 617 Squadron (Dambusters) 1943, attached Eastern Air Command South-East Asia 1944, British Joint Staff Mission Washington 1945, official British observer of dropping of Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki 1945, Chairman World War Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief 1989-92, VC 1944, OM 1981

30 August 2020

ALABASTER, RC (#57)

Wing Commander R C ‘Cliff’ ALABASTER DSO* DFC* (Subsequently contributed to the development of POSTWAR AVIATION, then as pilot Captain, Comets & BOAC) Representing OBSERVERS, the PATHFINDER FORCE, and 1943 PEENEMUNDE RAID (Operation Hydra)