R.I.P.

dadsgirl said:
Thanks Monty!

Thank YOU, Clare Hollingworth! You got what it takes!
R. I. P.
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There was another woman journalist/photographer who followed pretty much the same lines Hollingworth did called Elizabeth "Lee" Miller she died in 1977, there is a photograph of her in Hitler's bathtub (Taken in Hamburg in 1945).

SHe also had an interesting life that led her into frontline photography.
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Obituary: Battle of Britain veteran dies in Tauranga

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11:02 AM Tuesday Jan 31, 2017

Flight Lieutenant Bernard Walter Brown, December 6, 1917 - January 23, 2017
A man believed to be New Zealand's last Battle of Britain veteran has died in Tauranga, just a few weeks after his 99th birthday.
Bernard Brown, known as Bernie, died of pneumonia on January 23.
Author Max Lambert, who wrote the 2011 book Day After Day: New Zealanders in Fighter Command, said Mr Brown flew briefly with Royal Air Force fighter Squadrons 610 and 72 before being shot down by a Messerschmitt at the height of the battle and was slightly wounded.

Mr Brown was born in Stratford in December 1917 and was working there as a postman when he applied for a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force in 1938.
He was accepted and sailed for Britain late that year. After graduation he was posted to an army co-operation unit flying Lysanders and operated over the front lines in France, spotting the enemy before Dunkirk.
Mr Brown then volunteered for pilot-short Fighter Command and went through the abrupt conversion to Spitfires.
In Mr Lambert's book, Mr Brown said an instructor told him: "Here's the book of [Spitfire] pilot notes, learn it and get up there and fly it."

Mr Brown first served briefly with 610 at Biggin Hill but because the squadron was being transferred to Scotland for rest, newcomer Mr Brown was posted to 72 Squadron.
Mr Lambert said Mr Brown's stay with 72 was short. Attacked from above and out of the sun, he was shot down by an Messerschmitt Me 109 on September 23, 1940 on his second patrol with the squadron.
"A cannon shell came through the side of my aircraft, hit me in the left leg and exploded on the throttle box ... I had no control ... so I thought, 'out you go'," Mr Brown was quoted as saying.

Mr Brown landed by parachute in a marshy field on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent and could not stand up - his leg was bloodied. He was quickly picked up and taken to hospital.
Recovered, the New Zealander was certified unfit to fly fighters in combat again because of his wound's effect.
He instructed for a year in Rhodesia then saw out the war piloting for RAF Transport and Ferry Commands.
Postwar, he flew with British European Airways (now British Airways) for more than 30 years before returning to New Zealand and buying an orchard in Matua.

He married his wife, Elizabeth, a BEA flight attendant, in 1965.
Mrs Brown said her husband was a "very, very practical person" who was very easy to live with.
"We had a very happy life. After moving to New Zealand, we always lived in Tauranga although we moved around often after selling the orchard.

"After the orchard, we retired and always had big gardens, that kept us occupied."
Mrs Brown said her husband was a real handyman who always repaired everything himself.
"He would always repair his own cars. He was a very practical person."

Mr Brown is survived by his wife, his son and his daughter. He also has a grandchild, who is based in England.
A New Zealand Defence Force spokeswoman said Mr Brown was believed to be the last Battle of Britain veteran from New Zealand, but was not able to confirm this with a historian during the long weekend.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11791225
 
MontyB said:
There was another woman journalist/photographer who followed pretty much the same lines Hollingworth did called Elizabeth "Lee" Miller she died in 1977, there is a photograph of her in Hitler's bathtub (Taken in Hamburg in 1945).

SHe also had an interesting life that led her into frontline photography.
USE-AS-MAIN-Lee-Miller-in-Hitlers-bathtub-Hitlers-apartment-Munich-Germany-1945-By-Lee-Miller-with-David-E.-Scherman.jpg
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Thanks Monty!
I'm going to look her up on the web!
Great photograph.

Dadsgirl
 
26th March 1945 My Uncle John murdered by Japanese guards on the Sandekan Death March. Ages 22. He has no known grave.

Rest in peace Uncle John, I will never forget you.
 
BritinAfrica said:
26th March 1945 My Uncle John murdered by Japanese guards on the Sandekan Death March. Ages 22. He has no known grave.

Rest in peace Uncle John, I will never forget you.
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Oddly enough ever since my trip to Kranji I have been doing a little research on this (among others) and as you would expect there is little information to be found but one website seemed like it could (long shot) provide you with a little more information.

http://lynettesilver.com/sandakan/prisoner-of-war-record/pow-records/

He is listed in the POW records section of the website but it seems like you have to contact her to get the information.

A large amount of information regarding the fate of Australian and British prisoners sent to, or destined for, the Sandakan POW Camp, has been collated. Original death records, compiled at the time by Allied camp staff and handed to the Japanese POW Administration, were recovered post-war. An exact copy of this information is available from Lynette Silver in quasi-certificate form for Australians who died at Sandakan, on the death marches or at Ranau, along with details of initial burial, reburial, place of commemoration and any other details. Similar information is available for British prisoners. As this is a special service for POW families, there is a nominal charge to cover the cost of extracting and collating the material and postage.Information for those who died at Jesselton, Labuan, Brunei, Kuala Belait, Miri or Singapore’s Outram Road Gaol varies. In some cases, a full statement of death is available.
This information is available in a format as close to the original as possible. Each certificate is compiled on an individual basis and includes all data on the prisoner that has been found to date.
To ascertain if information is available on a particular POW, please check the following list. To request more information please email Lynette and supply the following details:- The full name of the POW, the country of enlistment ie were they enlisted by England or Australia, if they were army, airforce or navy and the unit they were part of, if known.
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Based on the fact that he is listed gave me the impression that they do have some further information.
 
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MontyB said:
Oddly enough ever since my trip to Kranji I have been doing a little research on this (among others) and as you would expect there is little information to be found but one website seemed like it could (long shot) provide you with a little more information.

http://lynettesilver.com/sandakan/prisoner-of-war-record/pow-records/

He is listed in the POW records section of the website but it seems like you have to contact her to get the information.

Based on the fact that he is listed gave me the impression that they do have some further information.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Monty.

I did contact FEPOW quite a while ago, who sent me all details that were available. Japanese records stated that he died of malaria, they forgot to add starvation diet and beating, lack of medicines and overall brutality of the Japanese.

The Jap CO Captain Susumi Hoshijima was condemned to death at his war crimes trial, bit the hangman on his way to the gallows. He was hanged 6th April 1946.

Its a pity he didnt suffer like the men under his command .
 
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