"AD LIB"

(The "Chota Coggage" for Survivors)

No.160 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Issue No.39 Summer 2009

Life President:               Frank Green, 4 Silo Drive, Farncombe, Godalming, Surrey GU7 3NZ
                                    Tel: 01483 416655                     Email: gwware.cons"at"btinternet.com
Reunion Organiser:        Gary Bunkell, 16 Thorney Road, Capel St Mary, Ipswich IP9 2LQ
                                    Tel: 01473 310414                     Email: garybunkell"at"aol.com
Editor:                           Les Crawley, 10, Cleasby Gardens, Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear: NE9 5H
                                    Tel: 0191 4878734                     Email: lescrawley"at"lineone.net

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

1. DRO’s & SSO’s and obituaries

2. Making Contact

3. More Contacts

4. and More Contacts

5. S O E and 160

6. Allied Secret: Reunion bookings & Heroes Rtn 2

DRO’s AND SSO’s

SICK PARADE:  We have no word about any particular cases and we wish everyone well not forgetting those who may be suffering but prefer to keep it to themselves – spare a thought for them.

REUNION 2009:  The Angel Hotel, Leamington Spa, Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September, 2009.
Will everyone please note that as advised in last AD LIB the above are the dates we have booked for the reunion weekend. We may be slightly down on last year but the quality is just as good and we can expect the usual warm welcome by The Angel.
To avoid any confusion we are including a further note on page 6 about the bookings received and have arranged for each of the parties to be notified in confirmation.  Please read the note.
There will be a meeting on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. when the possibility of a second visit to Sri Lanka as mentioned below, and on page 6, will be on the agenda and following which G/Capt Gary Bunkell, our guest speaker, has advised he is happy to give a talk on the modern RAF.
This should give rise to a good question and answer session from the old sweats among us.
HEROES’ RETURN 2: Be sure to read the article on page 6, in this AD LIB, about a second trip to Sri Lanka and return the reply coupon plus comments (if any) to Gary as soon as possible. If it should prove to be a goer, Gary has advised that he is willing to help set it all up.

OBITUARY:  Derek Collins.  It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Derek who served as a Wop/Ag with the squadron.  Derek had been recovering well from chemo so his sudden death, on 4th June, was unexpected.  Along with his wife Barbara, he was a regular at reunions and we also enjoyed their company on our return trip to Sri Lanka.  He had joined the squadron around the end of 1944 and flew with Ted Horton’s crew which, later, also included Ron Crawford.
Derek, who was aged 84, is survived by Barbara and his daughters Marilyn, Brenda and Averil and we have extended our deepest sympathies to them.  Derek is in the crew picture below

INTERNET: Flying Liberators on ‘Youtube’: Alan Johnson has found a web site which has videos in profusion about the B24 Liberator – including flights.  One of the Libs featured is KH191 and it is still flying!  This Lib was on charge to No.8 Squadron which was the successor of 200 squadron. Number 8 sqdn was formed at Jessore on 15th May, 1945, and disbanded on 15th November 1945 at Minneriya: KH191 ended up with the Indian Air Force having been struck off charge on 11th April, 1946. (Information researched by Jim Fail of 99 squadron). The web address is -
“http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=b24+liberator”
If this is a bit much to type into your address bar you can go to Google and type ‘Youtube B24’ to bring up the numerous contributions and then make your selection. It is well worth looking up.

OTHER WEB SITES: Gary Fowkes is continually updating his B24 web site – it has a lot of material and photographs added.  See it at “www.rafb24.com”.  Really very good.

LAC BALDWIN, Radar Mechanic 3008810: Chess Set: A collector in Farnham has been in touch to say that he has an old travel chess set - a small 11 cm square box with chess pieces you can move around a chequered peg board. It is stamped on the back – 3008810 Baldwin.  It is in remarkable condition still in its original red and green travel box with all 32 wooden chess pieces plus 24 home made draught pieces – possibly all made by LAC Baldwin.  The seller is a Mr Carl Tusler but as he was thinking of putting it on Ebay it may well have been sold by now. Question is, “is LAC Baldwin still around?”

MAKING CONTACT:news,old colleagues & HELP
F/O JOHN CHARLES ROWLEY. 
Have had contact with his brother, David, who asks if anyone has a photo of him maybe with a Liberator.  We do have crew photos of course but none with his name shown so far as I am aware.  John Rowley arrived on the squadron in 1943 as a F/Sgt captain being then commissioned and, from ORB’s, obviously completed a full tour and becoming a Flying Officer.

DONALD SMITH – Middle East ground crew.
We have heard from David, his son, who asks if anyone from the original Middle East crews remembers his father who stayed on in the Middle East. There might be a possibility that Donald will make it to our next reunion.

F/SGT DAVID DONALDSON, RAAF:
David was lost in action in the Middle East in AL548  “R” on 28th October, 1942, and his niece, Ros, from Rockhampton, Queensland,  picked up the item in AD LIB No.35  which included a photo of her uncle.  David was one of the 8 crew lost on an operation to Maleme, Crete.  He is buried in Suda Bay War Cemetery in Crete.
Ros asks if anyone can add any information about this loss. Her mother, David’s sister, is still quite emotional about his death and has often said that there have been some differing views on the circumstances concerning this incident.
If anyone has any knowledge at all which would help to build up the full story behind this operation, they would appreciate hearing from them. There is nothing unusual to be gleaned from ORB’s.

SGT GEORGE MCDONALD, Canadian but RAFVR, Wop/AG: KIA with “B” FK239 on 24th August, 1943.
Dave McDonald, nephew, writes as follows:
“My name is Dave McDonald and I am a Chief Warrant Officer in the Canadian Air Force.  I am looking for info with regards to my Uncle (George McDonald) who served with 160 Sqdn during WWII.  George was listed as missing in 24 Aug 1943.  We have received some information from the UK Ministry of Defence, however this info is sketchy at best. 
What would mean a great deal to us would be accounts of his service record, details from his friends and colleagues, decorations, as well as info detailing some of his exploits as a person and serviceman. 
An unforgettable individual, blessed with an infectious personality and intellect, I am certain that he would have had many friends and acquaintances who would have remembered him with great fondness and clarity.
I was inspired to join the military by my Uncle William who, was not only Georges closest brother, but his dearest friend as a boy and young man.  I fear that George’s loss changed the course of his life, something that to this day still causes him anguish.  Determined to surmount his sense of loss, William later joined the RCAF himself, enjoying a career that spanned more than a decade. 
Just a few years ago, I explained to him my motivation for becoming an airman.  He confided to me that his reason for joining the military was to find individuals who may have known or served with George; in some fashion a way to find out more about his last years and rekindle their youthful closeness.
Any assistance you can provide would be most appreciated”.
(We have so far been able to point him in the appropriate directions of - ORB’s, official addresses for records/medals plus a copy of the article in AD LIB No.16 by Gerry Boyle which covers the search for “B” and, in the course of that search,  the graphic account of an encounter with a  Cumulonimbus Cloud).
His reaction?
“WOW
The account of SAR effort was absolutely spine tingling!!!”.

F/O BRYAN SAMUEL RAF: Navigator: KIA 15.1.43 in “S” AL620:
David, his nephew, picked up the details of this loss from our Roll of Honour on Robert Quirk’s web site and this is the incident which has been quoted in newsletters being the last 160 operation in the Middle East (Peter Price, captain) and the fact we have also added the story of Walter Lodington Smith – the only survivor.
This was covered in AD LIB’s Nos.29 and 38
In thanking Robert Quirk for having been able to access the Roll of Honour on his web site, David adds that he is seriously thinking of visiting Tripoli to see his uncle’s grave. A photo of the Tripoli war graves for the seven killed would be good to have to pass on to other relatives and friends.

W/O GEORGE EDGAR COOPER, RCAF: Wop/AG.
The recent references to “K” lost off Puttalam 15/4/44 have brought yet another response and we have this copy photo of George Cooper, from his daughter Joan in USA.

SGT JACK DUNKLEY. 
Here again – a response re “K”.  Jack Dunkley also a crew member of “K” is remembered by his old school, Wellingborough Grammar, and Graham Tall who has set up a memorial web site with a Roll of Honour.
As a result we have been able to obtain a photo of Jack from the site which also has the story of the loss of “K” now plus the photo of “K” which we have been able to provide. 

The web site is very interesting and can be viewed at http://grahamtall.co.uk/wgs1955/War%20Memorial/In_memoriam.htm

LAC THOMAS FRASER, Air frames:
For a change, news of another ground crew member from his son Graeme plus photos. Strange to say that Graeme refers to his old friend – Les Wallis (‘Delhi’ Wallis to those who attend the reunions) and arising from the contacts he made with Jimmy Greenstein plus material from us has built up the web site on which he includes his father’s diaries and photos.
Thomas Fraser arrived on 160 in January 1944 and joined ‘C’ flight being then detached to and eventually joining the strength of 159 Sqdn along with Jimmy Greenstein and Sam Hirst.  His subsequent experiences from his diaries make very good reading on the internet at:-http://www.graemefraser.net/raf159squadron.html.
They include a flight over the hump to China.
Graeme goes on to ask if Sam Hirst and anyone else can add anything to the memories of “C” Flight so please look up the web site to jog your own memories.  Thomas died in July 1980 at the age of 74.

 (Editor’s note: Coincidentally, in his diaries now updated with some input from us, Thomas refers to his journey through the Med and as there is quite a story behind this voyage I am including it in this issue).

W/O GREG CALLAGHAN, RAAF.  I have received an email from Peter Callaghan, Greg’s son, living in Sydney, asking if anyone has any stories or personal accounts relating to Greg’s time with 160.  Greg was a member of F/Lt Crawley’s crew. Peter advises that his Dad passed away in February 1964 from pancreatic cancer and had spoken often of his time with 160 and life in S. E. Asia.

WANDA KOSCIA: WARSAW UPRISING: 1ST AUGUST TO 2ND OCTOBER, 1944: Through Robert Quirk we have heard from Wanda Koscia who is looking into the story of air lifts to Warsaw during the uprising.  Liberator Squadrons 148 and 178 carried out flights over the Balkans and, learning that 178 was built around 160, Wanda asks if anyone is still around who can help her with her research, the purpose of which is a possible film (feature) about this story. We have already been able to offer help with regard to sources of information including the book “Flights of the Forgotten” and a couple of web sites.
Wanda has also made contact with Jim Auton of 178 squadron who has published a fine book “RAF Liberators over the Eastern Front”.  He lives in Lincolnshire and has advised that another 178 veteran, Gus Taylor is still around, aged 85. (The book is available from Amazon and has been referred to in the RAFA magazine).
If anyone reading this has any information to offer please let me have it to pass on.

FOUND LOST CONTACTS.

ROY SCHROEDER. Following the appeal in Ad Lib No.38, it is good to report that Roy has surfaced via his son Gary.  He is well, residing at a beautiful seniors’ residence in London, Ontario, and has since emailed us direct.  He was looking forward to the big “90” on August 3rd.  He recalls his old crew members Vic Lilienthal (93) and Ken Batt (87) – both mentioned as being around in AD LIB No.38.   We were sorry to learn from Roy that another we were trying to trace, Bill Stubbs, died a couple of years ago.

JACK SMITH. The appeal also brought ‘Smitty’ back into contact. He advises that his computer had been down for a while because he was receiving radiation treatment for cancer of the throat up to the end of April and was still in recuperation.  We hope both he and his wife, who suffered a stroke in March and lost the vision in her right eye, will be making a good recovery.
Smitty is 4th from left in this photo of Ayers crew.

 JIM BURLEY (3rd from left in the above photo) was another lost contact but, sadly, through Norman Hall, we learn that Jim died on 5th February, 2008.  His wife Betty still lives in the family home at Buderim, Queensland.

 HONOURS – Ayers (and other) crew:
I am not sure that the award was ever confirmed but certainly it was earned – here it is

It reads “Awarded to the collective crews of “J” for pulling the best prunery of the year on Sunday the 7th May, 1944”.
         From Jack Smith
(Editor’s note: ORB’s for Sigiriya state: “J”, EV824, F/O McNabb, P/O Ayers, F/O Rowley, F/O Nightingale and crew on submarine affiliation.
Homing very successful. Five moonlight attacks made.
So, what went wrong?         
It continues:-
Aircraft landed at Minneriya in error.  Aircraft then returns to Sigiriya at the marginally noted time).
(It was probably homing in the gloaming by then. Ouch!)

F/LT. F L NEWBY:2nd pilot: (survivor of Joy ditching of “X” BZ868) 
Would Roger Newby, son, who telephoned the editor re material for AD LIB, or the archives, please make contact again?

“Y” THE UNPINK LIBERATOR: 
Many thanks to Frank Green and Cyril Watford who, whilst confirming that there were coloured Libs, none with 160 were pink. Cyril confirms seeing pink American Libs in the Middle East and did you know that the Germans flew one of their Pink Libs!!  Having been damaged by flak over Naples it made a forced landing at Pachino, the southern tip of Sicily. It was No.23859 – it was given full German insignia but kept its original pink!

LAURIE JONES – re Aircraft and other Recognition.
Good to hear from Laurie again.  He has responded with information regarding the F/Lt Mullins photos in AD LIB 38 and provided us with photos from his own collection as samples herewith and others which I hope to include from time to time in future AD LIBs.
He advises that the aircraft in the Mullins crew photo is “S” and here it is again with Laurie Jones’ crew.

(Editor’s note: I am sure that there are tales to tell about all this gang but I do particularly recall Col O’connor and Smokey Wiltshire – both a bit ‘wild’ – maybe it was caused by too much  sun).
Below: Seems like a bit of overloading in Trichinopoly.

And here’s another photo of a wild bunch. (Oops ! the C.O’s in this one).

Laurie adds about the detachment to Trichinopoly, that a number of captains spent from 21st March to 8th April, 1944, carrying out night flying practice to better cope with the perils of take off from Sigiriya at night. Sadly, S/Ldr Percival and W/O Stow, who were also with the group, both subsequently pranged on take off from Sigiriya.

VEHICLE REGISTRATION “KKS160”: We hear from Harry George, still fit and well, that whilst walking in his home town, Bowrah NSW, he spotted a truck with the registration KKS 160 and after looking at it and a natter, the owner offered to sell him the number.  He was not a taker (that’s not quite the way he put it) but, Aussies, now you know that this registration could be yours.

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD
S O E ARTICLE
Thanks again to Robert Quirk, I have a wealth of information regarding the S O E undercover work in the Far East and it is interesting to see how much 160 was involved with regard to dropping in agents and supplies.  I have two of the Kew booklet files from Robert giving details – they are too lengthy to include but any one (including 160 researchers) who would like copies by email – I can provide.
The booklets start with the planning of the SOE activities and there are also details of the various code names used. I am including a listing of those in which160 was involved for anyone who does want to go along to Kew to read up on those operations categorised as HS1. There is a lot of material available.
As it happens, I visited Kew this month whilst having a day off in the course of a family visit in the London area and did briefly look up these actual files. I found them a really good read although, without the 160 ORB’s for reference, I did not manage to tie up specific 160 ‘drops’ from the narrative in the files.
Interestingly, when Robert also mentioned No.8 (Liberator) Squadron he referred to the fact that on one occasion a dog was dropped and wondered what the story behind it might be, so, I searched for a reference and sure enough it was there.  Sadly it does not have a happy ending – the dog, an Alsatian bitch named Cleo, sped to earth far too fast and was killed. 

160 Squadron RAF
List of some "SD" operational code names.
From A Guide to SOE Files, Far East, PRO, Kew,
representing operations on which 160 was engaged as shown in 160 Sqdn ORB’s

These names might appear just as references from the records but, believe me, when you read the narrative of the men on the ground reporting on the actual operations they certainly come to life.
I have read the Spencer Chapman book “The Jungle is Neutral” describing his adventures with Malayan S O E – a good read – but the little I had time to read of the HS1 actual operational reports struck me as having more realism.
If anyone ever writes up and publishes these actual reports in book form it will be a good book to have – maybe someone has already done so?
Meantime, I aim to do some more work on this research to see what else can be added to the story.     
                             (From  input from Robert Quirk)

“ALLIED SECRET The Sinking of HMT Rohna”
Tom Fraser, elsewhere in this issue, in his diaries details his overseas posting to India and I was on the same troopship, “Reina del Pacifico”, November, 1943, and, along with Taffy Williams of Laurie Jones’ crew who was on the “Ranchi”, we witnessed the worst tragedy at sea suffered by a troopship and one which gave rise to much controversy in the USA because the details had been kept from relatives until collectively they began to ask for answers.
Because at least 3 of our 160 veterans were witnesses to this action I have included this account in this issue.
The whole story has been told in a number of books and articles especially the book “Allied Secret: The sinking of HMT Rohna” by Carlton Jackson: there is extensive coverage on the internet including the web site www.rohna.org.  Google shows some hundreds of articles.

The “Rohna” named after a village in the Punjab (and at 8600 tons a relatively medium size British troop carrier) was carrying 2193 American troops plus 195 crew made up of British officers and mainly lascar seamen. 

THE LOSSES TOTALLED 1015 AMERICAN TROOPS PLUS 134 CREW.

Being only the second convoy through the Med it was very vulnerable to German bomber action (not surprising considering the profusion of small boats probably on look out in the Straits) and, in the attack on 26/11/43 by some 30 aircraft, the Rohna was hit by a new German weapon – the radio controlled glider bomb (Henschel 293) – and there were also some hits and near misses on other ships including the Reina Del Pacifico. Twenty-one of the German planes each carried two of the new weapons. There had already been 9 sinkings in the month.
In the action there were 9 German losses plus 2 probable and 5 damaged - they were enough, it seems, to make the Germans rethink their daylight Med tactics.
Apparently, on two counts, there was a blanket on news coverage - it was an American troop loss on a huge scale with shortcomings evident in life saving equipment and training - thus criticism - and it heralded the introduction of a new ‘secret’ weapon – the forerunner of the “V” rockets.
As mentioned, Taffy Williams, flight engineer with Laurie Jones’ crew was aboard the “Ranchi” which suffered a hit when a bomb dropped through an open hatchway on the ship and was deflected out through the side of the hull not exploding till it was a few feet from the side of the ship. 
A very lucky escape, though there were still many casualties, Taffy, himself,  being blown down a gangway to a lower deck suffering permanent and what was subsequently found to be irreparable damage to his spine.  Laurie in his book “A Pilot’s Story” telling of this episode describes that it was evident when Taffy was walking that there was something wrong with his spine but, he did not declare himself sick carrying on to complete a tour with 160 being awarded a DFM.
The hit on the “Ranchi” is also referred to in Thomas Fraser’s narrative of the action.
For my part, having seen what I thought had been a crashing plane not too far away on our port side but which was presumably one of the glider bombs, the lasting memory I have is looking back at the blazing Rohna which was still afloat till we were out of sight and having the mistaken impression that, as it was still there and, with so many ships around, possibly most would survive.
In fact, the ships, except for a couple or so small escorts, could not of course stop to pick up survivors who in a follow up action were even strafed in the water and there was the ever present danger that stationary vessels were prime targets for submarines.
I have copies of the “Reina del Pacifico” ship’s log describing the action which covers the attacks from 26th to 29th November, 1943 and one report records that there were two near misses of the “Reina” on the 26th.                 
I would like to hear from anyone else who was in this convoy
(KMF26 – it included the “Orion”) especially if they can add any further personal comments which might merit them being added on the Rohna website.                                  (Les Crawley)

Liberator “N” – crashed Cocos Isles?
My other purpose in going to Kew was not for the journey since it took me over 3 hours to get back to Woodstock, but to do yet another read-up of the Cocos Island files and, for those also following up on “N” - again, I drew another  blank.  I have referred to this search in various AD LIB’s – it goes on but I think I have exhausted all avenues of research (well, at least for the moment). Is there anyone out there who knows anything?
          (Les Crawley)                      

“HEROES RETURN  2”
Most have probably heard that the National Lottery Fund is again sponsoring veterans’ return to areas of service and preliminary enquiries indicate that another 160 trip would be financed by the fund on what appears to be a more generous basis.
The same conditions seem to apply so veterans and wives, plus widows, will qualify and, again, carers can be taken.
Although we did do extensive tours last time, there could be new highlights for a second return although the political situation is still very uncertain and, whilst it would be nice to go to KKS and Trinco, as of now, they are still off limits. Probably everyone would be in favour of a less strenuous tour (some of us are getting older) plus a longer relaxation period at the end.
All would be dependent upon the security situation which, whilst it may have improved, is very much a problem. 
The return visits must take place before 31st December, 2010. The deadline for applications is 31st January, 2011 (!) so there is time to give proper consideration and weigh up all the factors that will have to be taken into account.
For those who will be attending the reunion, this item will be on the agenda but we would like to hear from everyone as to likely interest in making the journey.
By the way, applications can be made by any individual wishing to make their own arrangements outwith an organised 160 tour.
Please return the reply slip below or email or phone Gary Bunkell to indicate whether you are interested in making this trip. This is a preliminary enquiry and no commitments will be entered into at this stage.

REUNION 2009:  The Angel Hotel, Leamington Spa, Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September, 2009.
It seems that there might be some uncertainty by some as to the details of the reunion which, as stated in AD LIB 38, are as shown above.
This is to confirm that all arrangements have been made for these dates and bookings made.  As a precaution, we have been in touch by email or phone with all those who have booked just to be sure so, if you have not heard from or spoken to Gary or Les YOU ARE NOT ON THE LIST.
It is a busy weekend for the hotel and at best only two rooms remain available so it is a case of first come, first served. If these 2 rooms are taken up, the numbers will be about the same as last year.
Subject to making a booking, there will be no restriction on numbers for anyone wishing to attend for the Saturday evening dinner only.

AND TO CLOSE……
A bit of George Burns humour – perhaps topical just now.
“Too bad all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving taxies and cutting hair”.
“Retirement at 65 is ridiculous. When I was 65 I still had pimples”