Newsletter
Eddy Norris
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from Above ** Swift to Support ** Seek and Strike ** Find and Destroy **
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Newsletter
December 18, 2011 .jpg?part=0.2) Mike Cappuccitti (Direct Entry GDP) |
3 further members have signed in.
We hope they enjoy their stay with us.
RHODESIAN HONOURS AND AWARDS
Ian Pringle (PRAW) Writes:-
Miles Andrew Johnson, DFC, went to Western Province Preparatory School (Wetpups) in Cape Town, as did quite a few Rhodesians including John Nettleton, VC.
The school is compiling a record of former Wetpups pupils who made the supreme sacrifice during WWII. There is, however scant information about Miles Johnson. We know he was awarded his DFC after being shot down by an Italian Fiat CR 42 fighter over central Eritrea. He was shot down again in his Hawker Hurricane by German forces in Libya and then captured, but soon set free when the Allies overran the area of Tmimi. After that, the story gets vague and the next trace is when he was a passenger in an aircraft forced to ditch in Italy. He died at the scene whilst trying to save a padre (I assume from the wreckage or perhaps from the water?).
If anyone has any other information about Wing Commander Miles Johnson (family, birthplace, air force history, etc.) the school will be most grateful to receive it.
Replies to ORAFs on ora...@gmail.com
TED HARROD - OP WILDHORN
Adrian Haggett sent in this link - this is a wonderful story.
Refer: http://www.operationwildhorn.com/id6.html
TULI STORY
Chuck Osborne (RhAF) Writes:-
The recent Tuli stories reminds me of a story I heard some time ago.
A bored young BSAP Patrol Officer based at Tuli, and with a passion for matters legal, noticed on the Rhodesian maps that the boundary with Botswana running down the Shashe River ran on the Rhodesian side of a particular island in the river. The Botswana maps showed the boundary running on the Botswana side of the same island. So he wrote a letter to both county's Surveyor General Office asking if the boundaries depicted on each map were correct, both of which confirmed the boundary as shown on their respective maps. This meant that the island in question was 'no-man's-land' and he promptly declared that he was king/president of the island and as such declared his own UDI.
He was very hastily transferred to another station away from the border and told to wind his neck in. Was he just chancing his arm, or just a way of getting a posting away from Tuli ? I wonder. Can anyone confirm the story.
Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=545793&comments=1
SINOIA
CAVES
Comments received regarding the article circulated to you
all during the past week:-
Digby Sinclair (RhAF-5SSU)
Writes:-
I believe that Paul Hodson and I were the first to dive
there.
Attached is a cutting from a 1957 Rhodesia Herald with the
details. Hope you can read it. (ORAFs has recompiled the newspaper
article, the copy can be found at the link detailed.)
I had a
Siebe-Gorman aqualung and Paul had a home-made one with a Cousteau-Gagnan
demand valve.
The newspaper article
Two Venture 80ft.
Into Our 'Bottomless Pit'
Sunday Mail Reporter
TWO young
ex-Royal Rhodesian Air Force pilots recently turned frogmen to explore the
Sinoia Caves. Paul Hodson, 20, of Gatooma, told me yesterday how he and
his friend, Digby Sinclair, of Salisbury, dived 80ft. below the surface of
Rhodesia's "bottomless pit," at Sinoia, in an attempt to find the
bottom.
" Even at that depth the water was crystal-clear but it
just went on down and down interminably," said Paul. " Our ears were
killing us at that depth and we could not go down any
farther."
Paul doubted If the pool could be sounded by normal
methods. He said its sides curled round like a gigantic snake and a
weighted line would merely come to rest on one of the curves.
While
they were under the water they saw many tunnels leading off the main
pool.
TO GO DEEPER
Now Paul wants to improve the design of
his home-made aqua-lung so that he can go deeper and stay under longer and
explore them.
The two divers probably went deeper than any living
creature has ever been in the Sinoia Caves. The pool's famous gold fish
never venture beyond a depth of 10ft., he said.
Mick Dunwell
(RhAF) Writes:-
I was involved in this dive, mainly thanks to
owning the underwater telephone & much experience diving in the cave.
The telephone had a bone conducting microphone which sat against my
cheekbone, held in place by the strap to my modified mouthpiece. The
standard mouthpiece which fits into your mouth is unsuitable since you
can't talk intelligibly with it in your mouth, the modified one consisted
of a rubber cup covering the chin & mouth & held in place by a
strap tensioning it behind my head. It worked well, allowing normal jaw
movement while speaking without allowing water in. The microphone was
2-way & clearly transmitted & received speech.
I was the
diver at 150ft on the end of the telephone line talking to a monitoring
crew on dry land in the dark cave. With the crew in the Dark Cave was my
new girlfriend Michele (later to become wife) who remembers talking to me
during the dive.
For the next day's dive I loaned my Spirotecnic
Aqiulon regulator to the South African diver who hah had trouble with his
on the first day, so my regulator has been deeper than I have. I still
have it & it still works.
Ian Robertson did his TF service in
the air force I think.
Before this dive there used to be a plaque
in the cave saying 2 divers had gone to a depth of 315ft, the must be the
2 mentioned in the article. One of them was Con Wilson who I met &
worked for when he ran a commercial diving company working on number 3
intake of Kariba dam.
So far I have not been able to find my diving
log book covering this dive but if I do I'll send more details of the
dive. I believe AJ Venter in his book Underwater Africa mentions the
dive.
Ian Baillie (BSAP)
Writes:-
Read with interest the article covering the divers at
Sinoia caves.. have any further dives established the exact depth
?
Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=550599&comments=1
PLANE CRASH IN THE
HUDSON
Bob Fernandes, via John Davey, has sent on this
link:-
Click here: #t=109
HIPPO
ADVENTURE ON THE SABI
Comment received regarding this article
which was distributed to you during the past week:-
Nick Baalbergen (Intaf) Writes:-
I can certainly
confirm the following from the story :
'Elephant are particularly
numerous around the confluence of the Sabi and Lundi rivers. We did not
actually run into any, although we heard them at night, and at almost
every camp found evidence of their presence in the vicinity.'
On a
trip to the Sabi/Lundi confluence in the very early 70's, the confluence
was an expanse of sand and reeds. Being a very flat area at the
confluence, clear visual range extended to 20 metres at best, where thick
reed banks formed a maze of tracks along which elephant and buffalo
frequently surprised us.
Bill Teague (SAAF
& CAF) Writes:-
What a fine tale, superbly written about an
incredible voyage. The true spirit of young Rhodesian endeavours with
tenacity. I was totally absorbed by it, but not sure if I would like to
have undertaken it.!!!
Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=550707&comments=1
BRYAN BYARS NEWS
Bryan (RhAF FInances) is
proceeding to Rome for a bit of holiday. We hope he has a wonderful
holiday.
CLEARED TO
LAND
From Dave Panton (RhAF)
For
aviation buffs check out Bernoulli's Theorem artwork. The curvature on the
wing is amazing, the last few seconds impressive.
Click on link
below.
Owl coming right at the camera. The last two or three
seconds are amazing, watching the feathers ruffle and the wings
swell.
Interesting to watch the corrections in the flight path as
the bird comes in
http://www.dogwork.com/owfo8/
RhAF VAMPIRES
John Mussell
(RhAF) is assisting with the gathering of information for a new book on
the Vampire Aircraft that served with our Air Force.
Can anyone assist
with information regarding the incidents detailed hereunder:-
4
September 1973: Vampire R4219 Air Sub Lt Paddy Bate ejected near Selukwe.
Why?
7 December 1978: Vampire R8134 stalled on final approach,
Thornhill. No details?
Please mail John direct on john...@yahoo.co.uk with a copy to
ORAFs please to enable me to update my records. Mail me on ora...@gmail.com
PETE McCABE (RhAF) NEWS:-
I am very fortunately
not offshore this festive season, so Noreen and myself are doing the
grandparent thing in Bali this Xmas.
DAVID ROGERS
Passed on on 02/01/2005 from renal
failure caused by cancer of the kidneys. MHDSRIP.
Source: Brother Tony
(Buck) in an eMail to Neville Mare.
David attested with 17 LAR
(Armaments) in December 1965
Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=550753#676486
DISTINGUISHED FLYING
CROSS
John Mussell (RhAF)
Writes:-
I don’t see John Howard Deall in the list of DFC’s. There
must have been some reason for his name not being there, but I can’t
imagine what.
ORAFs comments - John Deall has now been added to the
ORAFs listing
Refer: Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=550233&comments=1
GWELO
Mike Hamence (RhAF) writes:-
Back in the late 1960s I
'moonlighted' (legally, permission given by Thornhill STO, Sqn Ldr Roy
Simmonds), as a draughtsman for Geoff Beswetherick, a Gwelo
architect.
My last two works with Geoff before my posting to NS,
end 1972, were a civic building in Enkeldoorn (Enkelspruit) and the new
Gwelo Theatre.
The reason I'm writing this for Orafs concerns the
opening of the theatre and the inauguration show: 'The Sound of Music',
performed by a local cast miming the sound track from the movie. You will
recall that 'miming' featured extensively during the 'Troopies Xmas Shows'
of those days.)
Reporting on the opening of the theatre, the Gwelo
Times Editor wrote: "Nothing has contributed more to the downfall of
Western civilisation than 'The Sound of Music'".
HERBIE GIBBONS
Gerry Cleveland (PATU)
Writes:-
A few weeks ago ORAFS sent out an article on Herbie
Gibbons.
Well Herbie was in our PATU stick and during one of our early
patrols when we had the use of one of the Police Land Rovers near the
Mazoe river bridge in the north eastern part of Rhodesia (it was Rhodesia
in those days!) we had the misfortune to get a punctured rear tyre. When
we found that we had no jack, Herbie jumped in and hoisted the back of the
Land Rover off the ground while we stuck some rocks under the axle. We
then changed the wheel. That man was a gentle giant.
I last saw
Herbie in Pinetown, Natal. I would appreciate an address - physical or
e-mail if anyone has it?
Refer: http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=549560&comments=1
RHODESIAN SPORTING
PERSONALITIES.
Has anyone got contact with Glen Byrom (sporting
correspondent) and Henk van Rooyen (cartoonist)
Replies to ORA...@gmail.com
NOTE FROM ORAFs
My sincere thanks to all those
that send in articles and reply to the many questions asked. Be assured
your support is greatly appreciated.
I was recently asked as to why
I was circulating the articles from "Our Rhodesia Heritage" to ORAFs. I
think the results, as above, on the Sinoia Caves and Adventure with a
Hippo illustrate that folk from the Services were involved in many other
bits ad pieces in Rhodesia.
SMILE A
WHILE
SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money
than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a
man.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he
doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she
does.
"The original point and click interface was a Smith & Wesson.."
End of
Newsletter
Comments are always welcome - send them to Eddy Norris at ora...@gmail.com
Refer:
http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=550774#676511
Regards
Eddy Norris
+++ Lest We Forget ++ Joe Cambell +++ Dorothy Edgar +++ Fred Bescoby +++ Paddy Boyce +++ Rob Gaunt +++ Nobby Nelan +++ Jack Malloch +++ Brian Smith +++ Fred Baker +++ Stan Oldknow +++ Spike Owens +++ Colin Balfour +++ Freddy Way +++ Peter Wright +++ Chris Brownlow +++ Jack Street +++ Trevor Diplock +++ Ivor & Cynthia Giles +++ Jim Pawson +++ Phil Tubbs +++ Nicholas Francis Bunnett +++ Jim Ritchie +++ Gordon (Sharpie) Long +++ Ken Newing +++ Davie Whitingham +++ Lou Abrams +++ Mark Small +++ In 1955 +++ Arthur Hodgson (KOAS) +++ In 1956 +++ Richard Nahkie (KOAS) +++ In 1960 +++ Jack Roberts (KOAS) +++ In 1964 +++ Bruce McKerron (KOAS) +++ Henry Elliott +++ In 1965 +++ Barry Matthews (KOAS) +++ Sandy Trenoweth (KOAS) +++ In 1967 +++ Jimmy Stewart +++ In 1969 +++ Don Annandale (KOAS) +++ Alec Pittaway +++ Ted Jacklin +++ In 1970 +++ Chris Botes +++ In 197 1 +++ Barry Heard +++ Mike Sheasby +++ Harry Young (KOAS) +++ Alec Roughead (KOAS) +++ Guy Robertson (KOAS) +++ 1n 1972 +++ Pete Garden (KOAS) +++ Guy Munton Jackson (KOAS) +++ Charlie Bean +++ David Brown (KOAS) +++ In 1974 +++ Keith Goddard (KIA) +++ Walter Airey ( KIA) +++ Chris Weinmann (KIA) +++ Pat Durrettt (KIA) +++ Roger Andrews (KIA) +++ Brian Murdoch (KOAS) +++ T. M. Parker (KOAS) +++ In 1975 +++ Ray Boulter (KOAS) +++ Alex Bremner +++ In 1976 +++ Roy Hulley (KOAS) +++ Beef Belstead (KIA) +++ Jimmy Boyd +++ Rusty Routledge (KOAS) +++ Pat Graham (KIA) +++ In 1977 +++ Ian Donaldson (KIA) +++ David Hawkes (KIA) +++ Peter Barnett (KOAS) +++ Barney Barnes +++ Bruce Collocott (KIA) +++ Dave Brown (TF KOAS) +++ Don Northcroft +++ Rob Nelson (KIA) +++ In 1978 +++ Howard Busfield (Civvy) +++ Henry Jarvie (KIA) +++ Ian Fleming (KIA) +++ In 1979 +++ Kerry Fynn (KOAS) +++ Brian Gordon +++ Kevin Peinkie (KIA) +++ Kevin Nelson (KIA) +++ Paddy Bate (KOAS) +++ Gary Carter (KOAS) +++ In 1988 +++ Ted Vine +++ In 1990 +++ Frank Hales +++ Fred Maughan +++ Pat Addison +++ In 1991 +++ Jock Butterworth +++ In 1993 +++ Pete Nichols +++ Corny Light +++ Dudley Barlow +++ In 1994 +++ Ted Brent +++ In 1995 +++ Mike Prentice +++ In 1996 +++ Spike (Bill) Owens +++ Larry Critten +++ Bill Schoeman +++ In 1998 +++ Ric Culpan +++ In 1999 +++ John Deall +++ Pat (Trail Boss) Jefferies +++ Brian Booth +++ Rob Schley +++ Ken Newman +++ Fred Howsley +++ Barney Coleman +++ Les Authers +++ Mike Strauss +++ Keith Hill +++ Ted Taylor +++ Chris Breedt +++ Chris Joubert +++ Con Roleoffze +++ Carol Janson +++ Brenda Light +++ Cynthia Bradshaw +++ Les Grace +++ Vince King +++ In 2000 +++ Sandi Loots +++ Will McCormack +++ Duncan Woods +++ Jerry Dunn +++ Ted Lunt +++ Dick (Chiefy) Whitfield +++ Bob "Taffy" Evan +++ Alec Pilavach ++ + Pete McCulloch +++ Dennis Hall +++ Alma Brownlow +++ Ted Walters +++ In 2001 +++ Joe Bugler +++ Mac Geeringh +++ Bruce Smith +++ Peter Cooke +++ Doug (Jnr) Whyte +++ Pete Briscoe +++ Basil Moss +++ Charles Green +++ Bill Beukes +++ Tim Jackman +++ Mike (Spook) Geraty +++ Faith Wright +++ Paddy Salter +++ Sally Savage +++ Maurice (Paul) Kerrigan +++ Nona Brown +++ In 2002 +++ John Whiddett +++ John Moss +++ Graham Anthony +++ Dickie Bradshaw +++ Bill Savage +++ Trevor "Spotty" Ward +++ Syd Myers +++ Steve Fitzgibbon +++ Joe Cameron +++ Neville Warren +++ Willy McMurdo +++ Max "Taff" Dowell +++ Wendy Evans +++ Vic Hugo +++ Les Johnston +++ Paddy O'Reilly +++ Pete Poole +++ Ralph Harding +++ Frank Rouessart +++ George Forder +++ Kathy Russell +++ Eric Jones +++ Pauline Van Rooyen +++ Deirdre McCormack +++ Gerry Grindley +++ Jill Jones +++ Jeanie Lombard +++ Matt Caton +++ Michael Russell +++ Jake Storey +++ In 2003 +++ Alan Atherton +++ Neville Swanepoel +++ Leon Kriegler +++ Les Rowe +++ Lena Mitchell +++ Leslie Reed +++ Len Morris +++ Dave Benzies +++ Jim Agnew +++ Keith Bruce +++ May Caton +++ Dorothy Hewitson +++ Jerry Lynch +++ George Walker-Smith +++ Kevin Vine +++ Phyllis Gatton +++ Eve Moss +++ Bob Thain +++ William Dives (Bundu Boy) +++ Pete Allen +++ Bill Kerfoot +++ In 2004 +++ Charles Baillie +++ Pam Lewis Walker +++ Gail Hopkins +++ Peter Whiting +++ Roy O'Maker +++ Sue Whitfield +++ Jock Baird +++ Terry Emsley+++ Keith Frankham +++ Pat Gatton +++ Chris Shaw +++ Ted Stevenson +++ Fred Eatough +++ Willie Armitage +++ Gordon Twiggins +++ Neville Cohen +++ Brian Curtis +++ Mike Bracken +++ Ron Blackmore +++ Rob O'Maker +++ Solly Ferreira +++ Marion Paxton +++ In 2005 +++ Coen Van Staden +++ Len Foster +++ Neil Lockhart +++ Derek Whellehan +++ Charlie Du Plessis +++ Bill Pace +++ Harvey Qualil +++ George Forsgate +++ Bob d'Hotman +++ John Du Toit +++ Susan Haydock +++ Dave Rogers +++ In 2006 +++ Roy Barlow +++ Douglas H. Smith +++ Roger Poynton +++ Janet St.Quinton +++Jim Harries +++ Les Hastings +++ Gordon J. Merrington +++ Alan Hedges +++ Ian Harvey +++ Clive Pratt +++ Mike Beeson +++ Mike Hartnack +++ Jock Barber +++ John Cubbitt +++ Basil Miles +++ Brian Blakey +++ Ivy Booth +++ Ann Bird +++ In 2007 +++ Pat Cordy-Hegde +++ Owen Potterton +++ Ruth Holshausen +++ Yvonne Preston +++ Bobby Blair +++ Ken Jackson +++ Ralph Potts +++ Wally McMaster +++ Bill Musgrave +++ Peter Corbishley +++ Cecil Boswell +++ Koos Van Breda +++ Peter Satterthwaite +++ Phil Adcock +++ Christine Bloor +++ Rodney Simmonds +++ John Coom +++ Grant Williams +++ Connie Booth +++ Dot Blowere +++ Brian Fletcher +++ Wally Jefferies +++ Ian Smith +++ Edith Buis +++ Joe Nicholls +++ Tess Bernasconi +++ Terry Whittstock +++ Pax Lohan +++ In 2008 +++ Ken Law +++ Tom Robinson ++ Terry Conway +++ Ian (Hendo) Henderson +++ George Merrett +++ Peter Danse +++ Derek Williams +++ Al Westwood +++ Dennis Snyman +++ Ann Jefferies +++ Graham Weaver (VR) +++ Gerry (Mrs.) Barnard +++ Tweedy Reid-Daly +++ Lorna Wilson +++ Russell Reed +++ Paddy Molloy +++ Rod Broodryk +++ Bill Brown +++ Glenda Mawdsley +++ Phil Greenway +++ Roger Shepherd +++ Derrick Nightingale +++ Harry ( Huku) Watson +++ Robert (Bob) Annan OC 104 VR Sqdn +++ David Barbour +++ In 2009 +++ Fred Barlow +++ Joan Upton +++ Bill Jelley +++ Norman Appel +++ Jane Hattle +++ Wally Laundon +++ Keith Thurman +++ Bugs Malcolm +++ Tony Cannon +++ Alan Daubermann +++ Bob Thomson +++ Charles Connolly +++ John Fairey +++ Chris Wepener +++ John (Kutanga) McKenzie +++ Myrna Doig +++ Keith "Pops" Rayne +++ In 2010 +++ Pete Gardiner +++ Nobby Clarke (VR) +++ Dave Sinclair (VR) +++ Doug Janson +++ Frank Gait-Smith +++ John Pinner +++ Dick Christie (VR) +++ Ian Dixon (VR) +++ Brian Coghill +++ Angie Milligan +++ Carol de Goveia +++ Peter Langley +++ Don Junner +++ Norman Walsh +++ Molly Chisnall +++ Babs Snyman (Dalton) +++ Brenda MacDonald +++ Jenny Becks +++ Paul Periol +++ Leon Keyter +++ Savo Mikellides +++ Brian Horney +++ Tom Webster (44 Sqdn) +++ Maclaughlin Porky +++ Flap Stableford +++ In 2011 +++ Cyril Ziehl +++ Maureen Galloway +++ Hennie Lowe +++ Marina Cottrell +++ Penny Harvey +++ Tom Anderson +++ Graham Cronshaw +++ Val Morgan +++ Charles Paxton +++ Don Esterhuizen +++ Kevin Furness +++ Bob Meecham +++ Tess Spence +++ Bill Dawson +++
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