Italian Para Casualties from Livorno

According to BBC news on the evening of Sunday 20th Sep 09 the six Italian soldiers killed in Kabul a few days ago were members of 187 Parachute Regiment (The Volgore)  -  the unit with whom, the Squadron is closely associated and in whose regimental chapel the retiring Standard was laid up only last November.

By chance, Gp Capt Richard Bates, who was OC XXIV during the time of the original tragedy was staying with our current Chairman Keith Chapman who both saw the TV footage of the six coffins being being offloaded from an Italian Air Force C-130 at Ciampino. They agreed that the Association would wish to send a message of sympathy to the CO of the Italian Parachute Regt.

When Richard and Keith were in Livorno last November for the laying-up ceremony, the CO of 187 Para Regt was Col Gabriele Toscani De Col.  He told them that the Regt was to be deployed to Afghanistan in Spring 2009 but wasn’t sure whether he would still be in post then.

Military Dads wanted for BBC TV series on Fatherhood

The blog seems the quickest way to get a message out and about, so here goes.  I received this week a letter from Testimony Films asking us to publicise the following press release. If you can help or want to be involved with the documentary do contact Testimony films direct in Bristol at the address below.

The BBC is making a new TV series, looking at the way fatherhood has changed during the course of the last century. We want to talk to veterans of the Army, Navy or RAF who were, or were about to become, dads when they fought in the Second World War.

Although as a dad in the forces you had a duty to King and Country, it must have been incredibly difficult to leave your sons and daughters, or your pregnant wife behind when you went off to train and fight. How did you cope with that moment, knowing that you might never see your family again? And what was it like seeing them when you came home on leave?

And while youwere away, whether at homier abroad,^were~you able to rontact your family? Did the thought that you were fighting for their freedom keep you going, or did you have to try to forget all about them?

For those taken prisoner in the early part of the war, it must have been particularly hard -whether you were held in Germany or the Far East. Were you able to communicate with your family? And what happened when you were released?

For all dads in the military, homecoming must have been a joyous occasion. What was it like to see your family again? Did your children remember you? Was it hard to settle back into family life? Or were you one of those who faced the agony of receiving a ‘Deai John’ letter before the war ended?

We’d also love to hear from the children whose dad went off to fight – so if you’re in your sixties or seventies now, perhaps that’s a memory you have?

Whatever your story, please write to Pete Vance or Hazel Fearnley, Testimony Films, 12 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RS; email pete.vance(a),testimonvfilms.com or telephone 0117 9258589

F/L Henry Edward Bryant – repair of Mountbatten’s Dakota

Chris Bryant contacted us from Ontario, Canada with this request:-

His father joined 24 Squadron in August 1945, and after some working in went to the Far East with F/L O’Neill in Dakota KN386 flying the new Secretary of State for War, Mr. Jack Lawson, returning early October.

He was given his beloved, brand new Dakota IV KP230 which had been VIP’d at Kemble and was assigned as the personal pilot for Lt-Gen Sir Charles Gairdner and flew the British Legation out to Chofu, Tokyo. He was still there with the General when Lord Louis Mountbatten’s Dakota Sister Anne FL510 forced-landed on Sado Island off the eastern coast of Japan on January 18, 1946.

Because he had AME qualifications which he had earned before the war he was assigned along with his co-pilot F/O Cox to go and repair the aircraft. He apparently did a great job because Lord Louis was very pleased and sent Dad a very gracious letter of thanks. I have the letter now.

Chris is writing an article for Aeroplane about this incident which is remarkable for more than just his father’s connection to it. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma is interested to see the story as well!

He is am looking for any details that may be in people’s memory or in any archives the Squadron might have in order to flesh out this story. He has articles from Flight archives and AM Sir Victor Godard’s article but no repair details.

He should be contacted via the 24 Sqn Sec, see main web site.

Correction to Squadron History!

I have just received the following e-mail from Basil Lofthouse out in Aussie about Wg Cdr Pat Lofthouse. If you can confirm or add anything to the observation below that would be most welcome in keeping the archives up to scratch.

As an ex-Squadron member in 1949/50, I have just been reading the official Squadron history in both your web pages and that of Lyneham and I find that both contain the same error.   Perhaps you will permit me to explain.

Wg  Cdr Pat Lombard was the CO when I joined its Dakota flight as a navigator on 1 Feb 49.  It was then, of course, No 24(C) Squadron based at Bassingbourn with crews from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on exchange.  (The Canadians did not fully participate but had a crew and aircraft based there for the use of their High Commission staff)   Pat Lombard left for Hong Kong around the end of 1949 (He signed my log book for December) and was replaced by Charles Read (popularly known as cunim) who signed up my January 1950 summary.  The point I wish to make is that he was a member of the Royal Australian Air Force, not the RAF, and in fact later became its head.    Thus it was he and not Major Robbs  of the South African Air Force who becme the first non-RAF Squadron Commander.   Furthermore both versions of the history list Wg Cdr C F Read among Squadron Commanders without adding RAAF to his name.

After serving on the Squadron under Charles Read, I then went to Australia on an exchange posting to find myself on the same Squadron as those Australians who had been with me at Bassingbourn!!

I should be grateful if you could also pass this information to the Squadron’s current historian as I do not know how to get in touch with him.

Yours sincerely

Basil Lofthouse (Wg Cdr Ret’d)

After the War Years 1945 – to date

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