Newsletter

G.A Braddick (103 Sqdn VR) Rogues Gallery RLI PARATROOPERS Skippy Mitchell (RhArmy) Writes:- The RLI Para photograph, you say the Instructor was an Aussie – it could only have been PJI Paul Hogan then. He still jumps out of aircraft and returned to Australia +- 1984. Refer. http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=1116521&comments=1 RHODESIA IN THE UK, Jean Fletcher writes regarding the photographs recently distributed by ORAFs info on Rhodesia in UK Rhodesia is a village in Nottinghamshire 20 miles from Sheffield it was named after the chairman of the near by shire oaks colliery G Preston Rhodes in 1920 it has 300 houses one pub two shops school chapel and village hall could not find if Preston Rhodes was related to our C Rhodes UPDATE ON PAM COWELL Pam still remains in I.C.U. and ORAFs is pleased to advise that there has been an improvement in her condition. On behalf of the family, close friends and ORAFs please continue to keep Pam close to your heart and prayers, please remember Tony and their children as well. MONUMENTS OF NATAL Dave Sutcliffe Writes:- I should of thought of putting the links in. A great site to explore the Battlefields of KwaZulu-Natal is www.battlefieldsroute.co.za if anyone is interested. SPITFIRE 944 Compliments of Ian Officer:- Published on May 21, 2013 In 2005, an 83 year-old World War II pilot is surprised to see 16mm footage of his 1944 Spitfire crash for the first time. Refer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ie3SrjLlcUY#! FLT. LT. DES PLUNKETT - GREAT ESCAPE MAPMAKER Sarah Bain Writes:- I am one of Desmond\'s many nieces and nephews. I don\'t think any of the family had knowledge of the postcard, though I have seen the photo before. I don\'t recall Desmond ever talking about his time in Stalag Luft III - he spent two years in solitary confinement there, possibly following his recapture. The first 50 escapees that were recaptured were shot on Hitler\'s orders, and it\'s alleged that Desmond was the 51st to be picked up. There is a book called \"The Man who Wouldn\'t Die\" by Roland Pletts and Desmond. He clearly had several narrow escapes. Do you have any more of Desmond\'s items that the family can have or at least see? We\'d certainly be very interested in them. Desmond has two sisters who are still alive and living in the UK. Desmond\'s children are all living in the UK - a son and two daughters. I am living in Johannesburg, so if you have any of Desmond\'s items that you can pass on to the family, please let me know as we would like to have them if you are prepared to part with them Further mail from Sarah:- I saw Rob Birkbeck\'s blog on \'Our Rhodesian Heritage\' regarding Desmond Plunkett. Desmond was my uncle and my two brothers and sister all live in South Africa and we are keen to contact Rob regarding the memorabilia Desmond left with him. As he says he has been clearing out stuff, the family would like to have anything of Desmond\'s that he is prepared to pass on to us. I have responded to Rob\'s blog, but so far haven\'t been able to make contact with him. Do you perhaps know where I can get hold of him? I believe he\'s in Pretoria - I live in Johannesburg. Any help will be most welcome. Thanks Regards Sarah Bain (nee Plunkett) sarah.bain@telkomsa.net (Sarah - the blog is mine, the article was penned by Rob. on your blog comment there was no contact email, this is now rectified and I am sure Rob will reply. I am the one in Pretoria. Eddy Norris) Refer. http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.com/2013/05/flt-lt-des-plunkett-great-escape.html CORONATION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH Sandy Maclean (RhArmy) Writes:- Yesterday )June 2, 2013) was the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth ll’s coronation. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a representative of the Southern Rhodesia Staff Corps in the rank of sergeant. Marching next to me in the front rank were Tommy Minks (Minx)? And Doug Webster, the only SRAF representatives. I think they were still part of the army then as they had the same uniform as us ‘brown jobs’ with the exception of the badge. I became quite friendly with both of them later during my time at New Sarum. I was wondering if either or both of them was/ were surviving now as most, if not all, of the army and BSAP members have emigrated or gone to a ‘better place’! (Sandy - Tommy entered into rest in April 2010. See http://www.ourstory.com/thread.html?t=639158#765202 Doug - Only record I have is that he left the Service in 1954. Eddy Norris) RHODESIAN NAVY Dave Hughes (Umtali) Writes:- I must say the bit on the Sea Cadets brought those dear fellows well and truly back into my mind. So sad that we used to ridicule them as we did. Quite a number of Umtali boys endured the Sea Cadets then went on to the General Naval College in Gordon’s Bay. I know a number of them went on to be very successful in the Merchant navy. I remember meeting up with a chap who was, and had been the Captain, of a massive oil tanker for many years. Last I heard he was a director of the shipping company that owned the tankers and was resident in the South of France !! However, I can’t help but recall the occasion at Cadet Camp at Inkomo. We were all marched to the edge of the dam to see the sea cadets in action. They were proudly showing off a raft that we were told they had built the previous day. They then proceeded to load a “field gun” onto the raft. The gun looked like an old ships canon and mounted of very rickety looking and spindly wagon wheels. Once on board the lads paddled their way across the dam to the jetty on the far side. They unloaded the wheeled weapon and then using ropes they began to haul the weapon up the steep slope away from the dam. After quite some time the good lads lost their footing and as they all tumbled the weapon took off backwards down the hill at a very exciting speed. Just before the jetty it hit a bump and became air born. It flew over the jetty coming down in the middle of the rather flimsy raft. A Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb could not have been more effective ! The canon disappeared very rapidly while bits of plank and old motor tubes floated around on the surface . (I guess that is flotsom as it was floating ?) Of course, the gathered cadets broke down with hilarity and the poor “Sea Sprouts” had a difficult job of ever re-inventing themselves ! Shampies. John Britton (RhAF) Writes:- In reply to Cliff Potter, if it was the Wooden shack at the bottom of the Drill hall, that was TS MASHONA the sea cadets \"ship on land\" I was a member of those guys as you could do Army cadets or Naval at school. Frank Fynn (RhAF and RhArmy) Writes:- I think age is catching up on some! I don\'t think these were Sea Scouts but SEA CADETS, definitely the Salisbury group behind the Drill Hall were Cadets as a couple of the kids lived next door to us in Montague Ave in 1966. I think they were from Ally Willy and they had the choice of RRR cadets or Sea cadets! They wore the outfits as shown. Francis Heron (RhArmy) Writes:- Your article about the Rhodesian Navy brought back some old memories. I personally was not involved, but our Personnel Manager at the Farmers\' Co-op Ltd., where I worked, a Mr. Ray Hignell used to coach a batch of Sea Cadets at Mazoe Dam for many years. They had a \'whaler\' based there, with which they used for training etc. Unfortunately, my friend Ray has passed away, otherwise he would have been delighted to furnish you with more details. It was his best extra-mural activity Tony Viegas (RhAF) Writes:- Dave Jackson is absolutely correct regarding the boys from St Josephs. St Joseph was a reformatory school for boys, and the majority of the HMS Matabele Sea Scouts were in fact boys from St Josephs Reformatory School. I will attempt to send you a better copy of the 2 photos so as to assist James Mackenzie. As far as I recollect there was no identifying badge on the sailors cap. The cap merely had HMS Matabele. Refer. http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.com/2011/03/rhodesian-navy-puts-to-sea.html SUNDAY FROLIC A few replies received regarding the listing that ORAFs distributed:- Bill Sykes (RhAF) Writes:- Your amusing and educational Sunday Frolic refers ... There is another expression which most people have interpreted incorrectly through the ages... ‘When a horse walks on snow, the snow collects and compacts itself in the hollow of the hoof. It eventually becomes a ball of snow, with the result that the horse no longer has any traction. The horse’s subsequent tumble, with its hooves in the air, was called a “Balls up”. And you thought ... Mike Hamence (RhAF) Writes:- Re: the item about people taking a bath twice a year, herewith a true personal anecdote, hope you will find space in your next N/L: In August 1984 I went to work for British Aerospace, Hatfield, UK, and lived in digs while my wife Sheila sold up in Harare. The land lady was a kindly soul but rather Victorian when it came to personal hygiene. When I first went to meet her she asked what time would I get up for breakfast? I replied, \"6.30 am.\" She said, \"Why so early, you don\'t start work till 8.\" I said, \"Well, I shall take a shower first.\" Her mouth opened wide. \"What? Every day? After living there for two weeks or so I asked her when she would change my bed linen. \"Only when it smells!\" Sheila moved in with me while we house hunted; it was the middle of winter. One weekend the lady went away; Sheila opened all the windows and \'blitzed\' the place from top to bottom. When the lady came home on the Sunday evening she sniffed and said, \"It don\'t \'alf smell queer in \'ere!\" Vic Wightman (RhAF) Writes:- In my experience these \"amazing things, bet you didn\'t know\" articles which do the rounds are fallacious 99% of the time. For example this recent one courtesy Ian Jack and Don Munroe is easily refutable by Snopes. See here:- http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/lesson.asp This is not to blame you, of course. After all, it\'s pretty harmless and might indeed be quite fun for some people. Who says I\'m a cynic? (Jeez - I now wonder where they did originate. Eddy Norris) ALEC MANN Charlie Buchan (RhAF_ Writes:- Eddy could you please publish this for me. Maybe we can inject ( to be polite ) some support from Air Force members in Durban or that area Alec Mann has been moved to the frail care unit in the Flame Lily Moth Village in Queensborough nearer Pinetown. He is now alone in a small room which is much better for him. He is receiving good proper care. However where are the support group. My wife and I make a point of trying to get there once a month but it is a fair distance from Underberg. I know as you well do there are Air Force Members who live much nearer\', So I am once again appealing to them to go and show a bit of comradie to an aging member. Easy to find as it is in the village where the SAS memorial is. Come on friends get off your butts and visit and keep his spirits and brain active. ADVERTISEMENT - ARCHIPELAGO (SALISBURY) 1980 Indeed very good memories. THANK YOU. Warm Regards. John Stouyannides- Designer and owner of Archipelago ( which is still going ). Refer. http://rhodesianadvertisements.blogspot.com/2013/06/archipelago-salisbury-1980.html NEW BOOK- STAYING THE COURSE You might recall giving publicity to my book on Country Districts golf titles “The Way We Were” some 18 months ago. I just thought I would send you early warning FYI that in September or October I will be publishing a full scale history of golf in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe right from the beginning 120 years ago. I hope to bring it out in September or October and I will send you full details probably in August. It will run to at least 250 pages under hard cover. A history of golf here has never been attempted before and the massive volume of research makes me understand just why. Actually it cannot be a history because records were often destroyed in the early days and people with recollections are long gone. I am titling it “Staying the Course” with the sub-title. “At long last - the story of golf in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe through 120 years of war and peace.” Trust you are well and the magazine flourishing. John Kelley email treaclemine@zol.co.zw LOCOMOTIVES OF RHODESIA RAILWAYS Mike Hamence (RhAF) Writes:- There was a freight train from Umvuma to Gwelo which would halt at 2.00 am opposite Thornhill; the driver would \'hoot\' to get clearance into Gwelo. This would awaken the Thornhill \'Married Patch\' residents. They called the train \'The Maternity Special\'. Refer. http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.com/2013/06/locomotives-of-rhodesia-railways.html SMILE A WHILE Man/Woman Conversation Woman: Do you drink beer? Man: Yes Woman: How many beers a day? Man: Usually about 3 Woman: How much do you pay per beer? Man: $5.00 which includes a tip Woman: And how long have you been drinking? Man: About 20 years, I suppose Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 ....correct? Man: Correct Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct? Man: Correct Woman: Do you know that if you didn\'t drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought a Ferrari? Man: Do you drink beer? Woman: No Man: Where\'s your Ferrari? \" To me \"drink responsibly\" means don\'t spilI it. .\'\' End of Newsletter Comments are always welcome - send them to Eddy Norris at orafs11@gmail.com