robfleet In reply to MarkAlexValdendorf [2020-05-02 22:51:38 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much!

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robfleet In reply to MarkAlexValdendorf [2019-04-30 03:32:47 +0000 UTC]

Thank you

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robfleet In reply to MarkAlexValdendorf [2018-05-11 07:15:02 +0000 UTC]

A belated 'Thank You!'

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robfleet In reply to diversdream [2011-06-20 06:33:38 +0000 UTC]

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for the comments on my pictures, and sorry for the very delayed reply.

I'd be happy to have a crack at the aircraft listed (the Lanc ones will be easier to do first).

Any specific scene you want them to be in? Flying / conducting a specific mission / on the ground etc.

Let me know and I'll give them a go.

Cheers,

Rob

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diversdream In reply to robfleet [2011-06-24 17:41:32 +0000 UTC]

no worries with all that's been on the news the 'land of the long white cloud' certainly seems to be copping it right now what with earthquakes and water spouts etc so i sort of guessed you might not be around for a while.

will dig up the aircraft S/N and markings and send them to you in a sec after i have done this, as to a scene that's easy.

same order as above

1) Ians Lanc returning on 3 engines after bombing Berlin and being hit badly by a night fighter flying his first op in Jan 1944,maybe landing or crossing the coast with a feathered engine.

2) Ians lanc under attack by fw190s over Bergen missing its tail with 2 engines dead and one of the engine mounts missing due to damage about to ditch

or

ditched watching the airborne lifeboat coming down

or

being strafed by the 190 after swimming towards the lifeboat.

3) Seagull MK V under attack by RAF Gladiators in error over Bardia 1940 (aircraft shot down no injuries)

or

aircraft in orbit above HMAS Sydney 1939 (prewar) during gun Ex off NSW Coast with HMA Ships Canberra,Australia, Hobart and HMNZS Achilles all taking part in the ex off the coast of Jervis Bay including seagulls dive bombing the cruisers while they practised evasion and AA Fire.


4)Walrus MK I being launched in 1941 off West Aust Coast during Convoy protection run into Singapore (HMAS Sydney's main role in mid to late 1941 out of Fremantle in West Aust).

or

Walrus MK I on the bottom of the ocean next to HMAS Sydney (and yes they did find her the aircraft i mean what was left of her badly mangled and burnt i have some great picks of her sitting there which have never been published courtesy of the RAN and are available though the AWM Canberra)

or

Walrus MK I taking off or landing next to HMAS Sydney or being hauled in board by her ships crane
in 1941

or

HMAS Sydney Nov 1941
Walrus on the Catapult being readied for launch engine ticking over ground staff nearby,and a few 'Stokers' present for working the Catapult, pilot and RN Observer and RAN TAG in aircraft, awaiting order to launch while HSK Kormorran is being closed in on in the distance..

Markings

Lancaster MK III
57 RAF Sqd 1944
Stand RAF Bomber Command Markings for that time
20/21 Jan 1944 - Berlin.
"P/O IS Ross RAAF was Airborne at 1642 and Landed at 0028 Carying a Bomb Load of 1 x 4000lb HC Bomb as well as 1450 x 4lb Incenderies and 60 x 30lb Incenderies.
Attacked by Night Fighters on way to Target and again Leaving it on 'several occasions' - Nav and W/OP both report at least 6 Attacks took place while Air Gunners Confirm attacks were only by single aircraft and not group attacks"
(RAF Intel Report)

2)
12 January 1945

617 RAF Squadron Lancaster MK I NF992 KC-B
(known as B for Beer, personal markings on nose in the form of a cowboy due to unknown reasons and in stand 617 Tallboy Markings ie NOT Daylight markings more details such as damage to lanc etc can also be provided)

T/O 0846 RAF Woodhall Spar with Tallboy to attack U-Boat Pens Bergen Norway (3 Wave attack assigned to bomb Floating Dock in Bergen Harbour nearby Pens).
Ditched at around 1315 off the Norwegian Coast. This was witnessed by
several 617 RAF Squadron Aircrews and they were also spotted successfully by a ASR Warwick which dropped a Airborne Lifeboat,the aircrew later being chased off by more FW190s, at which point the aircrew witnessed 2 fighters dive down and strafe and kill the aircrew targeting firstly the airmen in the water (believed by many to be Ian) swimming for the lifeboat and then shooting up the 6 that remained still standing on the still afloat Lancaster which was drifting in towards the shore.

6 Aircrew are now listed on the Runnymede Memorial and F/O Ellwood was
washed ashore 13 March 1945 and he was initially buried in the Nesna
Cemetery but now rests in the Trondheim Cemetery at Stavne.
Ian and the other 5 all have no known resting place.

All had survived a force landing in Russia during the first attack on KMS
Tirpitz,and his Bomb Aimer is now credited with putting a Tallboy onto KMS Tirpitz when she was sunk while flying with Ian.

"F/O Ross was thought of highly in the squadron and will be missed
greatly".

14 January 1945 his Mother and Sister (his Dad died of his injuries just before ww2 which he received in France in 1917) in Australia received the dreaded telegram (this was number 6 in the war to date for the extended Family to receive).

On 7 August 1947 it was made formally clear by the RAAF in yet another irony in that the RAAF Air Marshall that presented Ian with his Wings in Canada was the officer who now confirmed that he had died in action sometime on or around 12 January 1945.

"It is assumed that his life was lost at sea".

The last word is a note from a Logbook from Mervyn McKay DFC RCAF who flew with Bill Watts that day and was passed onto me by his son.
Its typed exactly the way it was sent to me.

"Thanks Stephen,for your kind words.
"Fred" was Freddy Watts indeed,and I'd love to read anything you have on him.

Here's another excerpt;

Friday.

Jan 12- Up at 4A.M.
Briefed for Bergen.
Off at 0835 hrs.
Got to target at 1300 hrs.
Heavy flak.
Predicted.
Did not get shot up for a change.
Bombed a merchant ship.
Good results.
Saw Ian Ross lose port inner.
Went down to escort him.
He was attacked by F.W. 190.
Then us.
We kept fighter off crippled plane.
Fighter scrammed.
Ross made a perfect ditching 35 miles
from Norwegian coast.
We circled him for two and a half hours.
Sent w/t messages to 5 group & Air Sea Rescue
bases.
Had to shove off at 1535.
Short of petrol.
Met mossie going to patrol area.
We flew low over ditched A/C.
Seven on wings.
We landed at Milltown, Scotland at five P.M.
G/C would not let us fly to base.
A.S.R.S. sent airborne lifeboat out to Ian Ross.
Hoping for Best, Bill and Jimmy know Ian quite well.

3) Seagull MK V HMAS Sydney all over silver paintwork no aircraft markings other then S/N which was in black and stand RAAF prewar national markings.

A2-21
Assigned HMAS Sydney 18 Dec 1939 from RAAF Pearce,SOC 21 June 1940 after being shot down by RAF in error while 'spotting' for combined RAN/RN Fleet in med during shore bombardment of Italian Forces inside the Fortress of Badria.
Aircrew never returned fire as they recognised them as RAF even if the fighters did not!!

Evaded but crippled force landed ashore at Mersa Matruh during which port side wheels collapsed and aircraft crashed being badly damaged and then written off.
No Injuries,Pilot awarded DFC for action after being recommended by both Capt JA Collins RAN (CO HMAS Sydney) and Adm Andrew 'ABC' Cunningham RN (OC Med Fleet).
Aircraft was then replaced by a RN FAA Walrus MK I as a 'loan'.

Aircrew were F/L Tom Price RAAF (Survived War),Lt Cmd Jack Bacon RN (KIA Nov 1941 HMAS Sydney)and TAG Alfred Patterson RAN (Survived War).

4) Walrus MK I
L2177 RN Walrus loaned to RAAF Detachment on HMAS Sydney as a replacement for the original Walrus taken on board after the loss of her seagull in 1940.
Assigned to HMAS Sydney in med in Sept 1940, taken over for repainting at QANTAS Flying Boat Depot Sydney in Feb 1941 and reissued to ship after being completed.

On board when HMAS Sydney was sunk with all hands 19/20 Nov 1941.
Aircrew was F/O Ray Barrey RAAF (took over from Tom Price in April 1941), Lt Cmdr Jack Bacon RN as observer and Fibs Fibbens RAN as TAG (took over May 1941).

Markings are unknown as no one has so far found a accurate pick of the aircraft post QANTAS Work,as well due to salt damage etc the airframe was painted on at least 3 separate occasions by the crew of the cruiser herself before being sunk.

general opinion is stand RN FAA Markings and camo, Black S/N no id markings etc and RAAF National makings as was usual on RAAF Seaplanes at this time (according to both RAAF and AWM Canberra).

let me know what else you need and a BIG BIG THANK YOU..

s

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robfleet In reply to diversdream [2011-07-16 04:01:07 +0000 UTC]

Started doing Ian's Lanc returning on 3 engines after being attacked by a nightfighter (#1). Couple of questions regarding the texture, any idea what aircraft he was flying from 57Sqd (A, B, C, D, etc), for the markings on the side? Do you know which engine was hit, and what the nightfighter it was that attacked them (I assume it was a BF110)?

Thanks again for the info / help with the details. Hopefully I can produce something that honours the memory of Ian and his crew.

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diversdream In reply to robfleet [2011-07-17 18:36:48 +0000 UTC]

Lancaster MK III JB318
DX-O Shot down July 1944 with different markings.

Ian used some chalk to draw a cowboys hat on the nose (no idea why),
later turned into a fully fledged cowboy while with 617 on later aircraft but only a hat here (according to his former W/OP who was grounded due to illness and did not operate to Bergen).

Other makings were standard RAF Bomber Command in type with NO yellow highlights around letters as used later just the usual dull markings if that makes sense?

Starboard Outer shot out.
stopped.
tried to restart it later to assist in landing but the oil temps shot up 'like a kangaroo' so he killed it again.
Landed on 3.

lanc also damaged according to RAF Repair records in Tail (minor),
Hydraulcics (minor),Starboard side of the Bomb Doors (minor),elevators and flaps (minor) and starboard undercarriage (replaced),Fuel Tank (replaced) and RR Merlin (outer replaced).

Nightfighter unknown RAF reports aircrew claiming it as being a DO217 that made initial attack and then a FW190 that made the other attacks (hit in 2 separate attacks one over target and again leaving target).
Luftwaffe Conact in Germany disputes this - search in this regard is on going.

RAF report states that no one saw the E/A (enemy AC)until after fire commenced in both cases on Lancaster and that pilot should be commended for his effective use of the corkscrew in evading all attack's.

due to speak to his W/OP again next month on phone (his in the UK,he named his son after Ian..) see what else i can find out.

you might find this link of interest, i organised for this page.
The Aircrew Pick is Ian's Original Aircrew and they were all present on this night.

[link]

let me know if i can help more

s

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robfleet In reply to clivenicholls [2011-04-19 11:47:45 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, your Marine is looking simply awesome, can't wait to see it finished!

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robfleet In reply to GrahamTG [2010-10-18 02:55:27 +0000 UTC]

nps - nice pair of F3's

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robfleet In reply to zeca3D [2010-09-07 04:24:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for the Llama too

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zeca3D In reply to robfleet [2010-09-08 12:38:42 +0000 UTC]

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robfleet In reply to lamnay [2010-09-07 04:23:49 +0000 UTC]

nps

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robfleet In reply to Schaefft [2010-09-03 05:23:11 +0000 UTC]

Not a problem - excellent work!

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Schaefft In reply to robfleet [2010-09-03 14:54:39 +0000 UTC]

Thx man

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robfleet In reply to DryJack [2010-09-03 05:23:45 +0000 UTC]

No problem - excellent work.

Thank you for the watch + fav's - much appreciated

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robfleet In reply to GeekyGothGirl [2010-09-03 05:28:11 +0000 UTC]

No worries - nice A10

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robfleet In reply to warag [2010-08-12 13:51:00 +0000 UTC]

Not a problem - excellent Warthog

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robfleet In reply to mercenarydragon [2010-07-21 03:50:54 +0000 UTC]

Thank you

There's some awesome scenery around NZ, unfortunately, I've not had the chance to head down to South Island (where all the mountains are). Well worth a trip over if you haven't been before.

Plus, as an ex-Navy man, you can have a laugh at the little Navy NZ has (up until a couple of years ago, was officially classed as a Coastguard by the UN because of the size)!

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mercenarydragon In reply to robfleet [2010-07-23 03:40:51 +0000 UTC]

Nay, I could never laugh at a fellow sailor. They have all of my respect. They may be small, but they have a big duty. Would love to see more pics of your native land though. Just wish we could have stopped there.

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robfleet In reply to mercenarydragon [2010-07-24 05:13:54 +0000 UTC]

hehe, nothing like a bit of friendly banter between nation's armed forces.

I do have a few more photos, which I'll stick up - but they're of pretty nondescript places in NZ, random shots of scenery / towns etc.

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robfleet In reply to kdblzn [2010-06-24 05:17:56 +0000 UTC]

Thank you - some excellent photos in your gallery

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kdblzn In reply to robfleet [2010-06-24 05:18:24 +0000 UTC]

Thanks very much

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robfleet In reply to shelbs2 [2010-06-18 21:21:45 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much - thank you for the watch and the favs too

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robfleet In reply to Yerfdog5 [2010-05-06 05:56:19 +0000 UTC]

No problem, you have some great pieces - thank you for the watch too.

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robfleet In reply to The-Weevil [2010-03-01 00:33:47 +0000 UTC]

nps, thank you too.

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robfleet In reply to Cobra6 [2010-02-17 09:22:11 +0000 UTC]

Thank you

Saw some of your work over at mil-art.com, some stunning stuff.

And it's always nice to meet someone who has attended / attending the Uni of Lincoln - I graduated in 2003

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Cobra6 In reply to robfleet [2010-02-18 08:34:18 +0000 UTC]

Nice one!. Which course were you on then? Are you also a member on Mil-Art by the way, or just a visitor?

Cobra 6

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