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Old 10-08-2008, 02:16 PM   #8 (permalink)
spidge
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NickFenton View Post
Thanks Fella's.

Of those on the raid on 30th July to Pony-a-Vendin, 8 crews from 139 squadron took part including Cormack and crew. I have yet to find out the fate of 3 of them but of the others, 5 were shot down in July 1941, only 2 of these crews survived. My Fathers and Eric Sydney-Smith,s crew, althogh his crew membership had changed at that time.

Of interest to note, this raid was part of Circus 27 supported by the Tangmere Wing, lead by Barder with Sgt. James McCairns in support. McCairns was shot down on 6th July 1941 and was put in the same cell as my Father on 11th July at Dulag Luft. These two escaped from Stalag IXc, Bad Sulza, on 20th November 1941 but were soon recapturedMcCairns subsequently made a home run and became a successful Lysander pilot.

This is where you really find out what these guys went through.

Regards,

Nick
Hi Nick,

Did you come across anything on this lad during your research? He was an Aussie in the RAF.

McCRACKEN, WILLIAM GEORGE
Pilot Officer
36157
139sq RAF
30/10/1939
21
Royal Air Force
UK
Spec. Memorial.
REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY
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Spidge,
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My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html

"You were given the choice between war and dishonor.
You chose dishonor and you will have war."

(Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.)

What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm
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