Belgians in RAF and SAAF 1940 1945 News

Another amazing story of a B-25 saved Thx Coert

Forwarded message From: coertmunk

Finally at last!

http://www.sandbarmitchell.org/

__.

Thx Dave for sharing

Forwarded message From: Dave Poissant

Hello 2TAF MBA Members:

Here's a cool video on flying the B-25; it's recorded using the B-25 Mitchell 'Grumpy' of the Historic Flight Foundation, who, in addition to a remarkable flying museum, operate a B-25 qualification school.

Thx Dave for sharing

Some wonderful sequences.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spgCNZ3bOqY

Dave

2TAF MBA

See also Dispersals at http://www.bamf.be/?Dispersals

B-25 Mitchell Bombers in North Africa, World War II: "The Earthquakers" 1944 US Army Air Forces

by webdev17

more at http://scitech.quickfound.net/aviation_news_and_search.html

"STORY OF THE 12TH BOMB GROUP OF THE 9TH AIR FORCE AND ITS ROLE IN THE AIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GERMAN ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA DURING WORLD WAR II."

Public domain film from the National Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, with the aspect ratio corrected, and 1-pass exposure & color correction applied (cannot be ideal in all scenes).
The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Operations_Group

The 12th Bombardment Group (Light) was activated on 15 January 1941 and Prior to the United States' entry into World War II the group trained with Douglas B-18 Bolo, B-23 Dragon, and Boeing Stearman aircraft at McChord Field, Washington. They were the only Air Corps combat unit on the Pacific Coast north of the San Francisco Bay area after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and they immediately began flying anti-submarine patrols and watching for signs of an invasion

In February 1942, the group was redesignated the 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) and moved to Esler Field, Louisiana, where it trained with B-25s for duty overseas. In June 1942, while in the United States for a conference with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill received word that the British Eighth Army had been badly defeated in a tank battle with Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps near Tobruk, Libya, and was in full retreat back toward the Egyptian delta area. He immediately made an urgent plea for military aid to help stop Rommel from over-running Egypt and the Arabian oil fields.

Western Desert Campaign

As a result, the ground personnel of the 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) sailed out of New York City on 16 July 1942, for a month-long cruise around South Africa, and up the Indian Ocean to Suez, Egypt, arriving on 16 August 1942. During this time, the air crews of the 12th were flying their North American B-25 Mitchells from Morrison Field, Florida over the South Atlantic transport route to Egypt by way of Brazil, Ascension Island, across the hump of Africa to Sudan, and north to Egypt. The unit arrived in August, and were assigned to the USAAF Ninth Air Force.

As soon as they arrived in Egypt the group began training under the tutelage of a South African Air Force Boston (A-20) wing in desert warfare tactics and navigation. Once the air and ground crews were reunited -- with two squadrons at RAF Deversoir and two at RAF Ismailia, about 15 miles apart on the Suez Canal -- the 12th made rapid progress in its training and adapting to the new environment. After flying a few missions in combined 18-plane formations with the Bostons they made a substantial contribution to the defeat of Rommel's final effort to break through to the Suez Canal at the Battle of Alam Halfa on 31 August-4 September 1942.

...The Battle of El Alamein began 23 October 1942, after a tremendous artillery bombardment, and the 12th Bomb Group operating from LG 88 began a week-long shuttle service of 18 ship formations, taking off or landing every daylight half hour, attacking targets phoned in to 8th Army ALOs (Air Liaison Officers) attached to the Group. There was no rest for anyone as ground crews rushed to refuel, reload bombs and ammunition, and patch flak holes, in time for the next mission. By 4 November, the targets suddenly became mammoth columns of tanks, trucks and troops retreating to the west.

American forces under General Dwight D. Eisenhower landed in Algeria and Morocco, and were met by fresh German divisions from Europe that were also put under Rommel's command. The situation became desperate as they drove the Americans back through Kasserine Pass. To reinforce the badly shot up XII Bomber Command of Twelfth Air Force, the flight crews of the 61st and 62nd Bomb Squadrons of the 12th Bomb Group were dispatched immediately from RAF Gambut, Libya, to Berteaux Airfield, Algeria, where they were attached to the 310th Bombardment Group for rations and administration on 3 February 1943. These two squadrons contributed substantially to Rommel's defeat at Kasserine, and continued operating under the Twelfth Air Force until the fall of Tunis in May, when they were returned to the Ninth Air Force. After the fall of Tunis, the 12th was reunited at Hergla Airfield, Tunisia, and all of the personnel of its squadrons were together again for the first time since their advanced parties moved out into the desert eight months earlier...

Last Take off for Jean-Pierre Vermeiren by André Bar

28 NOVEMBRE 2012 ; triste jour, la fin d'un équipage !
C'est avec une grande tristesse que je reçois ce jour, l'annonce du dernier « Take off » de Jean-Pierre Vermeiren, air gunner sur B-25 au 320e Squadron de la 2ème T.A.F. en 1944-1945.
Jean-Pierre s'en est allé, comme il a vécu, en toute discrétion et modestie. Il est allé rejoindre ses amis de la R.A.F., ces silhouettes gris-bleu, de la couleur des brumes anglaises, qui s'estompent dans les souvenirs mais restent présentes dans nos coeurs.
C'était un homme chaleureux qui ne laissait personne indifférent. Lire la suite

22. 9. 2012, NATO DAYS 22nd September 2012, Leoš Janáček Airport Ostrava, Czech Republic
B-25: startup, take off 1:44 and flight

Good old time

Démarrage moteurs d'un bombardier moyen North American B25-J Mitchell, à l'aérodrome de Melun-Villaroche en Juin 2010.

Engine starting up on North American B-25J Mitchell medium bomber at the Melun-Villaroche airdrome in June 2010

Forwarded message From: Leo

A photo-essay sampling of photography from attending the Doolittle Raider's 70^th Anniversary Reunion events last week (17-19 Apr 2012)

The static display on Tuesday -- this line-up of 20 North American B-25 Mitchell fast medium bombers, of various versions and paint schemes, gathered at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in observance of the Doolittle Tokyo Raid on Japan, 18 April 1942:

I spent about eight hours walking up and down the flight line, doing about three circuits of the aircraft, taking many photographs, learning additional new history, listening to war stories by modern aircrews and WWII veterans, seeing some old friends and making a few new ones, and absorbing lots of solar radiation -- a great day!

This nicely-painted B-25J carries the Doolittle Raiders official badge:

(B-25J Doolittle Raiders, Special Delivery)

Patriotic nose art, polished aluminum and a sunny morning combine for this warbird character study:

(B-25J Old Glory)

It was a very bad day for a Japanese merchant ship, if a patrolling B-25H crossed its path. According to Mr. Ralph Anderson, my high school science teacher who flew B-25s and B-29s in WWII, the proper attack technique is a shallow dive at the ship, while firing your 50-caliber machine guns. When you see bullet hits at the waterline, fire the semi-automatic 75-mm howitzer to put *BIG* holes in the target vessel a very successful anti-shipping tactic that rarely required a second pass!

(B-25H Barbie III)

Noontime on Wednesday: 40 Wright R-2600 engines starting and warming up in front of the large crowd, which has gathered at the Museum and on Colonel Glenn Highway to see the B-25 takeoffs and commemorative flyover:

The first B-25 is in the air and the wheels are coming up, for the formation join-up over Beavercreek and the flyovers at the Museum:

(B-25J Panchito)

Here's a good shot of the 16-ship fly-over commemorating the Doolittle Raid of 18 April 1942. These aircraft came over the Museum at approximately the Raid's bombing altitude of 1200 ft. AGL:

Yes, they were loud but not nearly as irritating as if they were jet engines!

I obtained several good close-ups during the flyover:

(B-25J Executive Sweet / My Buck)

(B-25J Devil Dog)

(B-25 Miss Hap)

(B-25J Yellow Rose)

I don't know about you folks, but the Missing Man formation *always* chokes me up

(From left to right: Miss Hap, Panchito and B-25J Bettys Dream see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_man_formation if the significance of this salute is unknown to you.)

After the flyovers, there was a short ceremony and a wreath-laying at the Doolittle Raiders memorial. Col. C.V. Glines (Jimmy Doolittle's biographer and an honorary Raider) gave a historical sketch, followed by a brief speech by Lt. Col. Richard E. Coles (Doolittle's co-pilot of No. 1, and a Dayton native):

It was remarkable that this 96-year-old has a stronger speaking voice than others (decades younger) we heard at the same event!

Some of the Raiders leaving the ceremony. From the left: Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, Engineer-Gunner of No. 7 (back to the camera); Cole; Glines; and Lt. Col. Edward J. Saylor, Engineer-Gunner of No. 15 (hand obscuring face). Take a look at these old gentlemen -- they are genuinely enjoying themselves!

At a reception that evening, I mentioned to Major Thomas Griffin, Navigator of No. 9 (in white cap toward the right in the photo below) that it appeared that he and the other Raiders truly were having a good time, and his response was, Oh, yes! We all look forward to this all year!

Thursday: The 80 silver goblets and 1896 bottle of Hennessy cognac were on display at the Raiders luncheon.

(The rumor on Wednesday evening, as related to me by one of the caterers, was that the Raiders would uncork the bottle for this year's toast to the departed Raiders. Although this is slightly contrary to Jimmy Doolittle's stipulation that the last two surviving Raiders would open it to drink a final toast to their departed comrades, it would be entirely appropriate for the Raiders to do so in this 70^th anniversary year, if they really think this will be their last reunion. I have looked but not yet found any confirmation of whether or not they cracked that bottle on Thursday -- does anyone else have the straight dope?):

(For the story of the goblets, see http://www.doolittleraider.com/the_goblets.htm )

The Reunion guests also included two Navy veterans who served on the USS Hornet CV-8 during the Raid (actually, who served on Hornet from its commissioning, 20 Oct 1941, to its sinking in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 27 Oct 1942!; CPO Allen Josey shown below), a woman whose husband had assisted Crew #2s evasion of the Japanese and return to safety from their Chinese village, and family members of the other Raider crews.

Reflecting on what these many heroes had risked, sacrificed and achieved is simultaneously inspiring, humbling and a terrific way to check ones perspective

During the office golf outing on Friday, five or six B-25s crossed our airspace (most of them singly; once as a 2-ship). It seems that many of the attending B-25 crews had stayed in town for the Raiders banquet on Thursday night, and then left for their home bases throughout Friday morning. It was nice to hear those big sweet Wright radials one more time!

(B-25H Barbie III)

Forwarded message From: Steve Link

Pictures start here..about 4 pages of really nice shots...
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40921&star t=75> &t=40921&start=75

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3
<http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40921&star
t=75> &t=40921&start=75

[

Got some photographs you would like included in the Vintage and Warbird web site? Post them on the Vintage and Warbirds Pictures list or send them direct to the Webmaster at darrylgibbs@yahoo.com

Aircraft of Australia Aviation Photography:
http://www.aircraftofaustralia.com

Vintage and Warbirds of the world http://www.vintageandwarbirds.com
Hosted by the Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group.

__,_._,___

http://users.skynet.be/bahl/index.htm

Interesting story of a Dutch airman who flow B-25 with 320 Squadron RAF

Joseph Marie Phillipe Bongaerts DFC, FC, OHK1
War hero and developer of the Groningen gas field

... Jo Bongaerts enlisted in the Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD), the air force of the Royal Netherland Navy, and trained as a pilot in the Dutch East Indies. On returning to Britain he was retrained by the RAF as a navigator and served in Mitchell B25 bombers with 320 Squadron. He was severely injured when his plane crash landed on the 25 October 1943 returning from a raid on a German airfield near Brest and was awarded the DFC. He told his son that “I couldn’t let my friends go to war, alone!” and after eight months in hospital and rehabilitation he retrained as second pilot and returned to active service with 320 Squadron.

Read more on http://www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk/JoBongaerts.html

Orbitory Yvan Kicq (5 Mb) by André Bar:

The story of a sistership of the B-25 under restoration in Belgium.
By the way, pyperpote is one of our friend with an incredible knowledge of the Le Bourget Museum.
Visit his site is to be sure to discover marvels

pyperpote.tonsite.biz

North American B-25J converti en TB-25N (entrainement) "Mitchell" s/n 44-86701 Imat N7681C
Localisation :

Cet appareil est une véritable vedette de télévision. Il a deux films à son actif.

Catch 22, film de 1970
Hanover Street / Guerre et Passion, film de 1979

Enjoy the last delivery of fresh information from Canada and all over the world.
Thx to Dave and his friends.

Dispersals the Newsletter of the 2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association

Dispersal 11/2011 (4 Mb)

bamfbamrs.blogspot.com

Provided to you by the Brussels Air Museum Fund (www.bamf.be )

Nieuw Deze page in het Nederlands (automatic translation) Cette page en français Nouveau

"A B-25 back to Belgium" project.

What's new since our last newsletter?

--
Yves Duwelz

Ever dreamed to visit the cockpit of a B-25 ?


B-25 Cockpit Tour - www.warbirdradio.com Tour the flight deck on the B-25 "Panchito". Thanks for watching! www.warbirdradio.com

Hello,
Found at the IPMS exhibition in Mol last Sunday.
Nice little book about aircraft of the Royal Air Force & Luftwaffe on D-Day.
Contains nice profiles of North American B-25 & Germain aircraft based in Belgium in June 1944.

The book is availlable from Aviation Bookshop at http://www.aviation-bookshop.com

www.greatmodels.com

ARF205 Operation Overlord Vol 1 (June - Sept. 1944)

Soft Bound 72 Pages compiled by Neil Robison and Illustrated by Jon Freeman. Pictoral Coverage of the color schemes and markings applied to the RAF's 2 TAF and ADGB aircraft during 'Operation Overlord' from June to September 1944 including RAF Commonwealth and Occupied countries and squadron units. Large representative selection of the operational aircraft types and sub-variants that took part & much much more!

--

Yves Duwelz

www.bamf.be

Support our action: Buy a sticker
price 6 Euro postage included
Payement account 310-1844762-05
Asbl Brussels Air Museum Fund 1000 Brussels

--
Yves Duwelz

From end 1944, the B-25 Mitchells squadrons of the Royal Air Force were base in Melsbroek near Brussels. In December, the Mitchells executed interdiction missions on targets in Germany in support of the counter offensive during the Battle of the Bulge. On January 1st 1945, Melsbroek and other Allied airfields in Netherland, France and Belgium were assaulted by the Luftwaffe. This video show the B-25 taxying in the snow in Melsbroek, the crews, scenes of Bodenplate and wrecks of Luftwaffe fighter after the battle. Although some scene of Bodenplatte are “replayed” for the camera, this is an important document about the role of the Mitchells in the liberation of Europe.

WW2 R.A.F Bomber Command Footage ( No still Photos)

My channel is a NON PROFIT channel dedicated to Remembrance of the WW2 allied soldier."RAF Warfront." 1 January 1945: B25 Mitchells shown in action; while returning their pilots are told not to land at their usual airfields. Film of wrecked Mitchells etc. on airfield in Belgium/Holland sector following German attack. RAF Spitfires retaliate - good footage of dogfights with Me 109s. Messerschmitts crash into the snow; a German pilot bails out; one is shot down over a town; another crash-lands near a tramway. Shots of wrecked aircraft and dead pilots. The "battle of New Year's Day" is a reminder of the dangers of relaxing while the German "tiger" is still active.Video Provided & Authorized by Imperial War Museum. All rights reserved.

--
Yves Duwelz

A very interesting 1944 video about the Falaise Pocket and liberation of the North of France and Belgium explaining the role of Air power. Includes footage of 2nd TAF B-25 Mitchells. The last sequence shows Mitchells above Brussels

	Centre d'aide \| options e-mail \| signaler un spam
Falaise Pocket, 1944 Normandy, France, Canadian Air reconnaissance British Sherman tanks advance through an unidentified French town (includes footage of a RAF Signal Sherman tank equipped with radio equipment to call in aerial attacks by supporting Typhoons). Mustang camera gun footage of attacks on German rail and waterways. RAF Typhoon attacks in the Falaise valley (includes graphic footage of dead German soldiers and horses). The final sequence of the film looks towards the push into Germany, with footage of Boston bombers flying over a damaged city.

--
Yves Duwelz

Hello,

Many years ago, when our “Belgian B-25” saga started we joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association, an organisation who grouped veterans of the B-25 crews of the RAF, their families and individuals interested in this subject. At this time the association published on paper a modest but already interesting newsletters : Dispersals. Many veteran associations are confronted with their members fading away for their last flight. In my opinion Dispersals succeed in keeping the link and the spirit alive. Coming from a modest 8 pages, the newsletters is now solid digital publication of more than 30 pages. Maybe more important Dispersals perpetuates the international aspect of the 2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association.

We are proud to help and support this initiative.

I invite you you to discover the last edition of Dispersals, thanks to the 2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association, David and his team.

We remember, we will not forget, we keep the spirit alive.

http://www.bamf.be/Dispersals/

Dispersal 08/2011 (7 Mb) Hosted on http:\\www.bamf.be Updated 12/08/2011

--

Yves Duwelz

Search This Blog

2013-04-03

2013-01-26

2012-12-25

2012-12-19

Belgians in RAF and SAAF 1940 1945 News

2012-10-07

2012-10-04

2012-07-01

2012-05-09

2012-04-19

2012-04-12

2011-12-27

2011-12-04

2011-11-02

2011-10-31

2011-10-22

2011-09-14

ARF205 Operation Overlord Vol 1 (June - Sept. 1944)

2011-08-13

Contributors

Blog Archive

Subscribe To

Belgianaviationnews.be

Our stat

Followers

Powered by