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Thunderbolt over the jungle


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77 years ago 22 June 1945, my dad flew his first combat mission. It was only his second flight in Burma with 79 Sqn. 1/48 Tamiya P.47D. 

Extract from my dad’s log book and the 79 Sqn. ORB. 

 

‘a ridge at QA 030670 was the uninspiring target for this sortie. Glide bombing attacks were made and all bombs fell in the area. Four (?) strafing runs were made by each aircraft on the area and along a track (?). No results or movements were seen.

Bombs: 12 x 500lb Mk IV GP 11 Sec delay

Ammo: 9,510 x .5 API’

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OMylls.jpg

OMy5t2.jpg

OMyuNO.jpg

OMyqCN.jpg

John

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I once read in a model magazine that modelling is holding history in your hands. This is a perfect example of that John and why we pursue this wonderful hobby of ours.

It's a fine tribute to your father's skill and bravery as a pilot, but being able to reference his log book, puts this into the something special category.

Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

Chris.

 

 

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This is interesting .  My late father in law was in the RAF Servicing Commandos and after  his time in Normandy,  transferred to the far East.  So it is quite likely that he could have serviced your Thunderbolt. I'll  check his war records in possession and see. I am sure 79 is mentioned. 

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Lovely build and finish John, and a great back story. Andy @Col Walter E Kurtz is far too modest - his Typhoon build was a wonderful tribute to his uncle, and stories like yours and his motivate many of us in this wonderful hobby. Great work,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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2 hours ago, Dunny said:

Lovely build and finish John, and a great back story. Andy @Col Walter E Kurtz is far too modest - his Typhoon build was a wonderful tribute to his uncle, and stories like yours and his motivate many of us in this wonderful hobby. Great work,

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

Thanks for saying so Roger! I think Canberra Kid has seen my RFI of my uncles Tempest. in the year since i posted it have found some more infomation. my plan is to do another Tempest build based on his 1st Op where he shot down a FW190 D. Have been talking to a German researcher and have some information about the 5 German pilots who fell to his , 56 Squadron and  80 Squadron's guns that day. The intention is to tell the story from both sides. 

 

Regards, Andy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry for the late response to all your kind comments, but I've been hard at work closing Vol.2 of my new Canberra book. 

On 6/23/2022 at 9:12 AM, Col Walter E Kurtz said:

My kind of build. It's so nice to se you've done another tribute build to your Dad. I have a weakness for Thunderbolts too! Any plans to do more planes your Dad actually flew?

Regards, Andy

Andy I have another Thunderbolt in the stash that I plan to do in 73 OTU markings, I'm also on with one of the Spitfire's he flew post war in the Isle of Man. In the stash is a Tiger moth, Harvard, Auster and Dakota I'm trying to get as many 1/48 scale aircraft as possible. 

 

On 6/23/2022 at 1:47 PM, Col Walter E Kurtz said:

Thanks for saying so Roger! I think Canberra Kid has seen my RFI of my uncles Tempest. in the year since i posted it have found some more infomation. my plan is to do another Tempest build based on his 1st Op where he shot down a FW190 D. Have been talking to a German researcher and have some information about the 5 German pilots who fell to his , 56 Squadron and  80 Squadron's guns that day. The intention is to tell the story from both sides. 

 

Regards, Andy

I defiantly did Andy, and it is without doubt brilliant! That's quite an impressive bagging an FW.190 first trip out and a D at that! I look forward to seeing that, you'll have to give me a heads up when you start. 

 

John     

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2 hours ago, canberra kid said:

Sorry for the late response to all your kind comments, but I've been hard at work closing Vol.2 of my new Canberra book. 

Andy I have another Thunderbolt in the stash that I plan to do in 73 OTU markings, I'm also on with one of the Spitfire's he flew post war in the Isle of Man. In the stash is a Tiger moth, Harvard, Auster and Dakota I'm trying to get as many 1/48 scale aircraft as possible. 

 

I defiantly did Andy, and it is without doubt brilliant! That's quite an impressive bagging an FW.190 first trip out and a D at that! I look forward to seeing that, you'll have to give me a heads up when you start. 

 

John     

Thanks for the compliment John,

How proud you must feel about your own father's exploits. It's a rare opportunity to have such a bounty of subjects to address , all with a very personal and documented backstory. I'll look forward to your next Jug and the rest of the planes your dad flew. 

 

My old boss was ground crew on Canberras. He was in Chile during the Falklands conflict. He told me that they weren't supposed to be there of course! Also that they came up with their own chaff dispensing solution for their Canberras. Tape bundles of chaff using gaffer tape in the airbrakes. When the air brakes were very briefly deployed the chaff fell off and separated. He said 2 a/c were saved using this over Port Stanley Airfield.. Have you heard of this before?

Regards, Andy

 

 

 

 

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Fantastic build (that colour scheme zings!) and lovely family connection. Was dad a Bradford lad too? That's my home town.

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Those Thunderbolts look really good, well done.  :goodjob:

 

Funnily enough I'm doing KJ233/NV:G at the moment from the Hasegawa 1/32 kit.  I'd post a link (it's on another forum) if that wasn't verboten, and if it wouldn't "hijack" the thread.  My main inspiration for deciding on a SEAC bird from 79 Sqn was this little film - I assume you've come across it already?  https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060025281

 

Edited by MikeC
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16 hours ago, TonyOD said:

Fantastic build (that colour scheme zings!) and lovely family connection. Was dad a Bradford lad too? That's my home town.

Thanks Tony, he was born and raised in Underclif, he went to St.Beds grammar and was destined for a job in the wool trade. Him and a school pal signed up together, next stop Blackpool for air crew selection, then Rhodesia for flight training. It must have been one hell of an adventure for a young un travelled lad from Bradford. The rest as they say is history! 

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1 hour ago, MikeC said:

Those Thunderbolts look really good, well done.  :goodjob:

 

Funnily enough I'm doing KJ233/NV:G at the moment from the Hasegawa 1/32 kit.  I'd post a link (it's on another forum) if that wasn't verboten, and if it wouldn't "hijack" the thread.  My main inspiration for deciding on a SEAC bird from 79 Sqn was this little film - I assume you've come across it already?  https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060025281

 

Hi have seen the film, very useful it was too, one of my dads T-bolts is in it, that gave me a good idea of how they should look. I based the painting of one of his 34 Sqn aircraft on the ones in the film. 

 

John

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1 hour ago, canberra kid said:

Thanks Tony, he was born and raised in Underclif, he went to St.Beds grammar and was destined for a job in the wool trade. Him and a school pal signed up together, next stop Blackpool for air crew selection, then Rhodesia for flight training. It must have been one hell of an adventure for a young un travelled lad from Bradford. The rest as they say is history! 

 

Ha, my dad went to St Bede's too, a bit later though! The wool trade was colossal back then, I worked for W & J Whitehead in Laisterdyke between 1987 and 1995 and it employed hundreds. Long gone, of course!

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27 minutes ago, TonyOD said:

 

Ha, my dad went to St Bede's too, a bit later though! The wool trade was colossal back then, I worked for W & J Whitehead in Laisterdyke between 1987 and 1995 and it employed hundreds. Long gone, of course!

Small world! They have a small war memorial at the school I was looking at it one parents evening and two other old boy joind up but oddly they ended up flying B.24's with the SAAF! 

I used to pass your old work every day on my way to work, as you say, all gone now. 

 

John

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