Farewell Uncle Syd We pay tribute to Uncle Syd Ireland, the last South African signaller of World War II
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Military Despatches
Vol 49 July 2021
The Aces
The top fighter pilots of
World War I
Farewell Uncle Syd
We pay tribute to Uncle Syd
Ireland, the last South African
signaller of World War II
The Thunder
Poland‘s Special Forces unit, JW GROM
Anthony Beaucamp-Protor
South Africa’s leading fighter ace of World War I and
recipient of the Victoria Cross
For the military enthusiast
Military Despatches CONTENTS
YouTube Channel July 2021
Page 14
Click on any video below to view
Army Speak 101
The SADF had their own
language. A mixture of Eng-
lish, Afrikaans, slang and tech-
no-speak that few outside the
military could hope to under-
stand.
Paratrooper Wings Most armies around the world Elite Military
Quiz also had their own slang terms. Units Quiz
Most military paratroopers In this video we look at some Most military forces have an
are awarded their jump wings of them. elite unit or regiment or a spe- Special Forces - JW GROM
after they have qualified. cial forces component.
In this quiz we show you 15 In this quiz we show you 15
different wings and you tell us and you tell us who they are and
where they are from. where they are from. 30
Features 18
Battle of Britain - a few facts
6 The Battle of Britain lasted
Top Ten WWI Fighter Pilots from 10 July – 31 October 1940
The Top Ten fighter aces of and was the first major mili-
New videos World War I. tary campaign in history to be
each week fought entirely in the air. Here
We will be uploading new are a few facts about the battle
videos to our YouTube channel 18 that you may, or may not, have
each week. A legend has passed on known.
So remember to bookmark On 29 May 2021 the last re-
the channel and keep an eye out maining South African signal- 24
Military Firearms for new content.
Who said that? ler of World War II, Sergeant 36
Quiz Throughout history military
The Dicta Boelcke
Sydney Thomas Ireland passed In 1916 World War I German Rank structure
This quiz is all about military leaders and politicians have had away at the age of 100. Matt flying ace Oswald Boelcke was This month we look at the rank
firearms. We show you 15 fire- some interesting things to say Tennyson pays tribute to the tasked to write a pamphlet on structure of the Polish Army
arms, you tell us what they are. about war. remarkable ‘Uncle Syd’. aerial combat tactics. The result and the Polish Special Forces.
We give you 15 quotes, you
was the ‘Dicta Boelcke’.
tell us who made them.
20 26 Quiz
Early repeating rifles Disobedient Heroes
The advent of the repeating rifle In the military it is expected 55
Please remember to subscribe to our channel. was to change the face of war- that you obey orders. Yet there Aircraft roundels
fare forever. are cases where there is a good We show you 15, you tell us
Feel free to leave a comment, and share this video. reason to disobey those orders. which country they are from.
00 3
CONTENTS
Page 60
Editor’s
PUBLISHER
Sitrep Hipe Media
EDITOR
Matt Tennyson
PHOTO EDITOR
I
t’s July and we’re into the achieves what is known as ‘herd Regine Lord
second half of 2021. We’re immunity’.
also been living under vari- Another thing that concerns me
CONTRIBUTORS
Raymond Fletcher, Ryan Mur-
July in military history
ous forms of lockdown for more is that it seems we’re into a third
phy, Matt O’Brien, Matt Ten-
than a year now. wave of the virus and many peo-
nyson.. Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review
On Tuesday 8 June I went for ple have become really lax when
the first of my two COVID vac- it comes to observing COVID 59
cinations. Having registered on precautions. They’re not wearing
Military Despatches is pub- 38 48
lished on-line every month. As the crow flies
the official website as an ‘over masks, not sanitising, and gather- The articles used in Military Aircraft of the Battle of Britain Fokker Dr.1 The story of Combat Group Al-
60’, I was told to wait for an SMS ing in large groups. Despatches are copyrighted This month we take a look at Flown by the Red Baron, the pha, later to become 31 Battal-
telling me where and when to go. I’ve always wanted to depart and may not be used without some of the aircraft, both Brit- Fokker triplane was forged in ion, as told by Colonel Delville
Of course I heard nothing. this realm at the age of 99 when prior permission from the edi- ish and German, that took part battle. Linford.
I decided to go to Lentegeur a jealous husband catches me in tor. in the Battle of Britain.
Hospital in Mitchell’s Plain as a bed with his 21 year old wife and Battlefield
The views stated in this maga- Front Cover
‘walk in’. I was pleasantly sur- not because some inconsiderate Famous Figures
zine do not necessary reflect the 52
prised with the experience. pillock gave me COVID. An operator from Polish Spe-
views of Military Despatches, Fall Weiss
I arrived at 10h00, was asked if For the past two months I’ve the editor, the staff, or Hipe 44 cial Forces unit JW GROM on
I had already registered, was then been harping on about our new Anthony Beauchamp-Proctor Stuka dive-bombers carry out manoeuvres in Poland. They
Media. the first mission of World War
asked a few questions, and took YouTube Channel and asking South Africa’s leading ace of are nicknamed “The Surgeons”.
my seat in the line. readers to please subscribe. The II during Case White.
email World War I, credited with 54
By 11h00 I had received my response, as usual, has been un- editor@hipe.co.za aerial victories. He was award-
vaccination and was out of there, derwhelming. ed the Victoria Cross, Distin- Gaming
and this included a 15 minute ob- Last month was the largest YouTube Channel guished Service Order, Military 56
servation period after getting the edition of Military Despatches Click here to visit our channel Cross and bar.
jab. Everything was well organ- (108 pages) since we began back Tank Mechanic Simulator
ised and efficient. I have to go in July 2017. This month we’re Updated with six new vehicles.
back in July for my second shot. back to a mere 84 pages. Since A really good simulator.
Back Issues
What worries me, however, is we began we’ve produced 3,710 To view any back issues of
the fact that to date only 3% of pages of the magazine. No won- Movie Review
Military Despatches, go to
South Africans have received the der I’m knackered. www.militarydespatches.co.za
vaccination. Take into account
58
or click here.
that we currently have a popu- Until next time. The Great Escape
lation of 58.56 million and you A classic movie based on real
Matt
can imagine how long it is go- life, one of the biggest POW
ing to take before South Africa escapes of World War II.
4 5
Top Ten Top Ten
at Armour Heights and then at servation balloons. Shortly
Top Ten World War I Camp Borden in Ontario, then
finally received further training
after his final victory, he was
killed in a collision with anoth-
fighter aces in England at No. 43 Training
School, Ternhill.
He was then transferred into
er German pilot on 10 August
1918. He was 21 years old.
During World War I hundreds of pilots would go on to become ‘aces’. This meant that they
had claimed more than five victories in aerial combat. This month we look at the Top Ten No. 34 Training School for final
aces of World War I. fighter orientation on the Bris-
tol Scout and Sopwith Camel,
O
n 17 December 1903 Dutch aircraft designer An- were subsequently developed. completing 9 hours solo on the
Orville Write made the thony Fokker developed a The American qualification of Camel.
world’s first powered successful gun synchronizer five victories eventually be- On 23 November 1917 he was
flight. A flight that lasted a mere in 1915, resulting in German came the standard, even though sent to France where he joined
12 seconds. Eight years later, Leutnant Kurt Wintgens scor- other air services had previous- No. 46 Squadron. His first air
in 1911, powered aircraft were ing the first known victory for ly used differing figures. combat was in February 1918, 54 victories
used for the first time in war. a synchronized gun-equipped In this article we take a brief where MacLaren successful-
This was by the Italians against fighter aircraft, on July 1, 1915. look at the top ten aces of World ly shot down a German fighter
the Turks near Tripoli. The Allies quickly devel- War I. ‘out of control’. 9. Erich Loewenhardt
It was during World War I that oped their own synchronization He was awarded the Military Erich Loewenhardt was a
the use of aircraft became wide- gears, leading to the birth of Cross for a sortie on 21 March German soldier and military
spread. At first, aircraft were aerial combat, more commonly 1918 in which he helped destroy aviator who fought in the First 54 victories
unarmed and employed for re- known as dogfighting. Tactics a railway gun with his bombs, World War and became a fighter
connaissance, serving basically for dogfighting evolved by tri- then shot down a balloon and ace credited with 54 confirmed
as extensions of the eyes of the al and error. The German ace two German LVG two-seaters. aerial victories. 8. Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor
ground commander. Oswald Boelcke created eight In September he was awarded Originally enlisting in an in- Andrew Frederick Weatherby
A desire to prevent enemy ob- essential rules of dogfighting, the Distinguished Flying Cross. fantry regiment even though he (Anthony) Beauchamp-Proctor,
servation led to airplane pilots the Dicta Boelcke. When the squadron commander was only 17, he fought in the VC, DSO, MC & Bar, DFC was
attacking other airplanes and Pilots often had little train- was killed in a crash later in the Battle of Tannenberg, winning a South African that served in
balloons, initially with small ing before being deployed into year MacLaren was given com- a battlefield commission on 2 the South African Army, Roy-
arms carried in the cockpit. combat. Some would have as mand. He was awarded the Dis- October 1914. al Flying Corps, and Royal Air
It wasn’t long before pilots little as 10 hours flying time. tinguished Service Order for He would serve in the Car- Force.
started to fit machine guns to The average life expectancy of his leadership of the squadron pathians and on the Italian Not only was he South Afri-
their aircraft. A single machine a pilot was a mere 21 days. in the last months of the war. Front before being medically ca’s leading ace with 54 victo-
gun was usually fitted to the top Yet there were pilots that not 54 victories MacLaren finished the war discharged in mid-1915. ries, he was also awarded the
wing of a biplane. They were only survived, they also began with a Military Cross and bar, a Following a five month recu- Victoria Cross.
difficult to reload and not very to wrack up a steady count of Distinguished Flying Cross and peration, Loewenhardt joined He was studying engineer-
accurate. aerial victories. 10. Donald MacLaren the DSO. He was also awarded the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial ing at University of Cape Town
In 1915 French pilot Roland The term “ace” (now com- Donald Roderick MacLar- the French Legion of Honour German Air Service) in 1916. when the European war broke
Garros and designer Raymond monly flying ace) was first used en DSO, MC & Bar, DFC was and Croix de guerre. After serving as an aerial ob- out. He took leave from his
Saulnier fitted deflector plates by French newspapers during a Canadian World War I fly- He achieved 54 victories, server and reconnaissance pilot, studies to join the Duke of Edin-
to the back of the propeller of World War I, describing Adol- ing ace. He was credited with despite the fact that his first he underwent advanced training burgh’s Own Rifles. He served
a Morane-Saulnier monoplane. phe Pégoud as l’as (the ace), 54 victories and, after the war, dogfight wasn’t until February to become a fighter pilot with as a signalman in the German
It was the first example of an after he downed five German helped found the Royal Canadi- 1918 and that he scored all his Jagdstaffel 10 in March 1917. South-West Africa campaign.
aircraft able to fire through its aircraft. an Air Force. victories in only nine months. Between 24 March 1917 and In August 1915, he was de-
propeller, permitting Garros to When aircraft began to shoot He joined the Royal Flying He died on 4 July 1988 at the 10 August 1918, Loewenhardt mobilised with an honourable
score three victories in April or force down other aircraft, Corps and did his initial training age of 95. shot down 45 enemy airplanes, discharge. He promptly went
1915. systems to count “air victories” at 90 Central Training School as well as destroying nine ob- to work with the South Afri-
6 7
Top Ten Top Ten
can Field Telegraph and re-en- He was 26 years old. summer 1917. That same year fighter pilot, squadron leader, 5. Mick Mannock 1918, and scored nine more vic-
rolled in university. He man- he dispatched a further 31 ene- and commanding officer who Edward Corringham “Mick” tories that month.
aged to complete his third year my aircraft while claiming mul- served in the Royal Naval Air Mannock VC, DSO & Two Days after warning fellow ace
of college before re-enlisting, tiple victories in one day on 11 Service (RNAS) and later the Bars, MC & Bar was a British George McElroy about the haz-
this time with the Royal Flying occasions. Royal Air Force. flying ace in the Royal Flying ards of flying low into ground
Corps (RFC), in March 1917. With his six British medals He was the highest scoring Corps and Royal Air Force dur- fire, that fate befell Mannock
He was accepted as an Air and one French, McCudden RNAS flying ace and the sec- ing the First World War. Man- and he was killed in action dog-
Mechanic Third Class. From received more awards for gal- ond highest scoring Canadian nock was a pioneer of fighter fighting too close to the ground
there, he passed on to pilot lantry than any other airman pilot of the First World War. He aircraft tactics in aerial warfare. on 26 July 1918. He was 31
training at the School of Mili- of British nationality serving was noted as a great leader in At the time of his death he years old.
tary Aeronautics at Oxford in in the First World War. He was the air, leading many of his own had amassed 61 aerial victories, Mannock was among the
England, where he was also also one of the longest serving. formations into battle. making him the fifth highest most decorated men in the Brit-
commissioned. By 1918, in part due to a cam- After the Great War, he be- scoring pilot of the war. ish Armed Forces. He was hon-
He managed to learn to fly paign by the Daily Mail news- came a permanent commis- In 1914 Mannock was work- oured with the Military Cross
despite his wiry stature of 1.57 paper, McCudden became one sioned officer in the Royal Air ing as a telephone engineer in twice, was one of the rare three-
metres. His aircraft was altered of the most famous airmen in Force (RAF), seeing action Turkey. After the Ottoman Em- time recipients of the Distin-
to accommodate him; his seat 57 victories the British Isles. against the Bolsheviks in 1919- pire’s entry into the war on the guished Service Order, and was
was raised so he could have a On 9 July 1918, McCudden 20, and subsequently com- side of the Central Powers he posthumously awarded the Vic-
better view from the cockpit was killed in a flying accident manding various Air Service was interned. Mannock was toria Cross.
and so he could reach controls. 7. James McCudden when his aircraft crashed fol- detachments. badly treated and soon fell ill.
Blocks of wood were also fas- James Thomas Byford Mc- lowing possible engine failure. During the Second World War, Turkish authorities repatriated
tened on his rudder bar so he Cudden, VC, DSO & Bar, MC He was 23. His rank at the time he commanded No. 204 Group him to Britain believing him to
could reach it. & Bar, MM was a British flyingof his death was major, a sig- (which later became the De- be unfit for war service.
He was not a gifted pilot. ace of the First World War andnificant achievement for a man sert Air Force) in North Africa, Mannock recovered and
Beauchamp-Proctor’s piloting among the most highly deco- who had begun his career in the achieving great success against joined the Royal Engineers
skills can be judged by the fact rated airmen in British military
RFC as an air mechanic. the numerically and technologi- and then Royal Army Medi-
he had three landing accidents history. cally superior Italian Air Force. cal Corps. He moved services
before he ever shot down an Born in 1895 to a middle He was retired in 1943. again and in 1916 joined Roy-
enemy plane. While he was not class family with military tra- Collishaw died at the age of al Flying Corps (RFC). After
particularly esteemed as a flier, ditions, McCudden joined the 82 on 28 September 1976. completing his training he was
he was a deadly shot. Royal Engineers in 1910. Hav-
assigned to No. 40 Squadron
On 22 June 1918, he was ing an interest in mechanics he
RFC. Mannock went into com-
awarded the Military Cross. On transferred to the Royal Flying
bat on the Western Front partic-
3 August, he was granted one of Corps (RFC) in 1913 at which
ipating three separate combat 62 victories
the first ever Distinguished Fly- time he first came into regular
tours. After a slow start he be-
ing Crosses. On 2 November, he contact with aircraft. At the out-
gan to prove himself as an ex-
was awarded the Distinguished break of war in 1914 he flew as
ceptional pilot, scoring his first 4. Ernst Udet
Service Order, followed by the an observer before training as a
victory on 7 May 1917. Ernst Udet was a German
Victoria Cross on 30 November. fighter pilot in 1916.
By February 1918 Mannock pilot during World War I and
He scored all of his 54 victories McCudden claimed his first
had achieved 16 victories and a Luftwaffe Generaloberst
in the SE5, becoming the most victory in September 1916. He
60 victories was appointed Flight Com- (Colonel-General) during
successful pilot in the type. claimed his fifth victory - mak-
mander of No. 74 Squadron. He World War II.
Beauchamp-Proctor was ing him an ace - on 15 February
amassed 36 more victories from Udet joined the Imperial Ger-
killed on 21 June 1921 in a 1917. For the next six months he 6. Raymond Collishaw
12 April - 17 June 1918. After man Air Service at the age of
training accident flying a Sop- served as an instructor and flew Raymond Collishaw, CB, returning from leave Mannock 19, and eventually became a
with Snipe, in preparation for defensive patrols over London. DSO & Bar, OBE, DSC, DFC 61 victories was appointed commanding of- notable flying ace of World War
an air show at the RAF Hendon. He returned to the frontline in was a distinguished Canadian
ficer of No. 85 Squadron in July
8 9
Top Ten Top Ten
I, scoring 62 confirmed victo- an RFC aircraft return from a Higgins, Bishop was ordered to they began referring to him as marshal in the Royal Canadian
ries by the end of his life. The mission, Bishop said, “it’s clean return to flight school at Upav- “Hell’s Handmaiden”. Ernst Air Force.
highest scoring German fighter up there! I’ll bet you don’t get on. Major Alan Scott, the new Udet called him “the greatest In January 1940 he was ap-
pilot to survive that war, and any mud or horse shit on you commander of 60 Squadron, English scouting ace” and one pointed Director of Recruiting
the second-highest scoring af- up there. If you die, at least it convinced Higgins to let him Jasta had a bounty on his head. for the Royal Canadian Air
ter Manfred von Richthofen, would be a clean death.” stay until a replacement arrived. On 30 April, Bishop survived Force. He was so successful in
his commander in the Flying While in France in 1915 he The next day, Bishop claimed an encounter with Jasta 11 and this role that many applicants
Circus, Udet rose to become transferred to the Royal Flying his first victory when his was Manfred von Richthofen, the had to be turned away.
a squadron commander under Corps. As there were no places one of four Nieuports that en- Red Baron. In May, Bishop re- Bishop created a system for
Richthofen, and later under available for pilots in the flight gaged three Albatros D.III ceived the Distinguished Ser- training pilots across Canada
Hermann Göring. school, he chose to be an ob- Scouts near St Leger. General vice Order for shooting down and became instrumental in set-
Udet spent the 1920s and server. Higgins personally congratu- two aircraft while being at- ting up and promoting the Brit-
early 1930s as a stunt pilot, in- In September 1916 he was lated Bishop and rescinded his tacked by four others. ish Commonwealth Air Train-
ternational barnstormer, light accepted for training as a pilot order to return to flight school. On 2 June 1917, Bishop flew ing Plan, which trained over
aircraft manufacturer, and play- at the Central Flying School at On 30 March 1917, Bishop a solo mission behind enemy 167,000 airmen in Canada dur-
72 victories
boy. Upavon on Salisbury Plain. In was named a flight command- lines to attack a German-held ing the Second World War.
In 1933, Udet joined the Nazi November 1916 after receiving er with a temporary promotion aerodrome, where he claimed By 1944 the stress of the war
Party and became involved in 3. Billy Bishop his wings, Bishop was attached to captain a few days later. On that he shot down three aircraft had taken a serious toll on Bish-
the early development of the William Avery Bishop, VC, to No. 37 Squadron RFC at Sut- 31 March, he scored his second that were taking off to attack op’s health, and he resigned his
Luftwaffe, where he was ap- CB, DSO & Bar, MC, DFC, ton’s Farm, Essex, flying the victory. him and destroyed several more post in the RCAF to return to
pointed director of research and ED was a Canadian flying ace BE.2c. Bishop, in addition to the on the ground. private enterprise in Montreal,
development. of the First World War. He was officially appointed usual patrols with his squadron For this feat, he was award- Quebec, before retiring in 1952.
Influential in the adoption He was officially credited to flying officer duties on 8 De- comrades, soon flew many un- ed the Victoria Cross (VC), al- With the outbreak of the Ko-
of dive bombing techniques as with 72 victories, making him cember 1916. Bishop disliked official “lone-wolf” missions though it has been suggested rean War, Bishop again offered
well as the Stuka dive bomb- the top Canadian and British flying at night over London, deep into enemy territory, with that he may have embellished to return to his recruitment role,
er, by 1939 Udet had risen to Empire ace of the war. He was searching for German airships, the blessing of Major Scott. As his success. His VC (award- but he was in poor health and
the post of Director-General of an Air Marshal and a Victoria and he soon requested a transfer a result, his total of enemy air- ed 30 August 1917) was one was politely refused by the
Equipment for the Luftwaffe. Cross recipient. to France. craft shot down increased rap- of two awarded in violation of RCAF. He died in his sleep on
The stress of the position and In 1911, Billy Bishop entered On 17 March 1917, Bishop idly. On 8 April, he scored his the warrant requiring witnesses 11 September 1956, at the age
his distaste for administrative the Royal Military College of arrived at 60 Squadron at Files- fifth victory and became an ace. (the other being the Unknown of 62.
duties led to Udet developing Canada (RMC) in Kingston, camp Farm near Arras, where Bishop’s no-holds-barred Soldier), and since the German
alcoholism. Ontario, where his brother he flew the Nieuport 17 fighter. style of flying always had him records have been lost and the
The launch of Operation Bar- Worth had graduated in 1903. At that time, the average life ex- “at the front of the pack,” lead- archived papers relating to the
barossa, combined with issues At RMC, Bishop was known pectancy of a new pilot in that ing his pilots into battle over VC were lost as well, there is
with the Luftwaffe’s needs for as “Bish” and “Bill”. Bishop sector was 11 days, and Ger- hostile territory. Bishop soon no way of confirming whether
equipment outstripping Germa- failed his first year at RMC, man aces were shooting down realized that this could even- there were any witnesses.
ny’s production capacity and worked hard his second year British aircraft five to one. tually see him shot down; after It seems to have been com-
increasingly poor relations with but in his third year was caught Bishop’s first patrol on 22 one patrol, a mechanic counted mon practice at this time to al-
the Nazi Party, caused Udet to cheating. March was less than successful. 210 bullet holes in his aircraft. low Bishop to claim victories
commit suicide on 17 Novem- When the First World War He had trouble controlling his His new method of using the without requiring confirmation
ber 1941 by shooting himself in broke out later in 1914, Bish- run-down aircraft, was nearly surprise attack proved success- or verification from other wit-
the head. He was 45 years old. op left RMC and joined The shot down by anti-aircraft fire, ful; he claimed 12 aircraft in nesses.
“Our defeat was caused by Mississauga Horse cavalry reg- and became separated from his April alone, winning the Mili- In January 1936, Bishop was
Udet,” Hitler would claim. “That iment. Bishop quickly became group. tary Cross for his participation appointed the first Canadian
man concocted the most nonsen- frustrated with the mud of the On 24 March, after crash-land- in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. air vice-marshal. Shortly after
sical state of affairs ever seen in trenches and the lack of action. ing his aircraft during a practice The successes of Bishop was the outbreak of war in 1939, he 75 victories
the history of the Luftwaffe.” In July 1915, after watching flight in front of General John noticed by the Germans, and was promoted to the rank of Air
10 11
Top Ten Top Ten
2. René Fonck bilities of the aircraft he flew He seemed to overcompen- one area of Allied air activity to was feared that his death would
Colonel René Paul Fonck was was unsurpassed by his fellow sate for his shyness by con- another – moving like a travel- be a blow to the morale of the
a French aviator who ended the pilots. stantly mentioning his exploits. ling circus, and frequently set- German people. He refused to
First World War as the top En- Fonck took few chances, pa- As a result, he seemed distant, ting up in tents on improvised accept a ground job after his
tente fighter ace and, when all tiently stalking his intended vic- arrogant, even abrasive. His airfields. By 1918, Richthofen wound, stating that “every poor
succeeding aerial conflicts of tims from higher altitudes. He comrades respected his skills, was regarded as a national hero fellow in the trenches must do
the 20th and 21st centuries are then used deflection shooting but even one of his few friends, in Germany, and respected by his duty” and that he would
also considered, Fonck still with deadly accuracy at close Marcel Haegelen, considered his enemies. therefore continue to fly in
holds the title of “all-time Al- range, resulting in an astonish- him a braggart and shameless Von Richthofen led by exam- combat.
lied Ace of Aces”. ing economy of ammunition self-promoter. ple and force of will rather than Von Richthofen received a
Although he had been in- expended per kill. More often Fonck may have resented the by inspiration. He was often de- fatal wound just after 11:00 am
terested in aviation from his than not, a single burst of less fact that Guynemer remained scribed as distant, unemotional, on 21 April 1918 while flying
youth, he was rejected for the than five rounds from his Vick- more popular in the French and rather humourless, though over Morlancourt Ridge near
air service when conscripted ers machine gun was sufficient. press even after he surpassed some colleagues contended the Somme River. A single
on 22 August 1914. Instead, he His preferred method of aerial him in victories. Fonck also 80 victories otherwise. .303 bullet hit von Richthofen
underwent five months basic combat was not to engage into seemed to lack insight into the He was cordial to officers and through the chest, severely
training for the role of combat dogfights, but to carry out sur- effect his personality had upon enlisted men alike; indeed, he damaging his heart and lungs.
engineer; his training duties gically merciless executions. his image or career. 1. Manfred von Richthofen urged his pilots to remain on good His plane crashed in a field
included first digging trenches He was also reputed to be able However he and he alone car- Manfred Albrecht Freiherr terms with the mechanics who on a hill near the Bray-Corbie
near Épinal, and later bridge re- to spot enemy observation air- ried the flag of the French Air von Richthofen, known in Eng- maintained their aircraft. road, just north of the village
pairs on the Moselle River. craft from very far away, where Force at the victory parade on lish as Baron von Richthofen, He taught his pilots the basic of Vaux-sur-Somme, in a sector
On 15 February 1915 he most other pilots would have the Champs-Elysées. and most famously as the “Red rule which he wanted them to defended by the Australian Im-
was finally accepted into basic perceived nothing. His inter-war contact with Baron”, was a fighter pilot with fight by: “Aim for the man and perial Force (AIF).
training to learn how to fly. He By the end of the war, he had the likes of former World War I the German Air Force during don’t miss him. If you are fighting There has been much debate
trained at St. Cyr and then at Le accounted for all but 36 of Es- foe Hermann Göring and Ernst World War I. He is considered a two-seater, get the observer first; over who fired the shot that
Crotoy. He completed his pilot cadrille SPA.103’s 111 claimed Udet cast a shadow upon Fon- the ace-of-aces of the war, be- until you have silenced the gun, killed the Red Baron. The RAF
training in May 1915 and then victories. Unlike many leading ck’s reputation during the Ger- ing officially credited with 80 don’t bother about the pilot.” credited Canadian pilot Cap-
flew Caudron G III observation French aces, Fonck’s score con- man occupation of France, as air combat victories. Von Richthofen sustained a tain Arthur “Roy” Brown with
aircraft with Escadrille C 47. tained only three shared victo- did allegations of collaboration Originally a cavalryman, serious head wound on 6 July shooting down the Red Baron,
At age of 23, on 15 April ries. with the Nazis and the Vichy Richthofen transferred to the 1917, during combat near Wer- but it is now generally agreed by
1917 (“Bloody April”), Fonck Also unlike most aces, he regime. Air Service in 1915, becom- vik, Belgium against a forma- historians, doctors, and ballistics
received a coveted invitation to remained unwounded; indeed, After the war, a French po- ing one of the first members of tion of F.E.2d two seat fighters experts that Richthofen was ac-
join the famous Escadrille les only a single enemy bullet had lice inquiry about his supposed fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2 of No. 20 Squadron RFC, caus- tually killed by an AA machine
Cigognes. Groupe de Combat ever hit his aircraft. He had also collaboration with the Vichy re- in 1916. ing instant disorientation and gunner, Sergeant Cedric Popkin,
12, with its four escadrilles (or forgone the most hazardous air- gime completely cleared Fon- He quickly distinguished temporary partial blindness. firing from the ground.
squadrons), was the world’s first to-air combat: he shot down no ck. The conclusion was that his himself as a fighter pilot, and He regained his vision in time In common with most Al-
fighter wing. The then leading observation balloons. loyalty was proved by his close during 1917 became the leader to ease the aircraft out of a spin lied air officers, No. 3 Squad-
French ace, Georges Guynem- Yet for all his skill and suc- contacts with recognised re- of Jasta 11 also known as the and execute a forced landing in ron AFC’s commanding officer
er, was serving at the time in cess, Fonck never captured the sistance leaders such as Alfred Red Squadron and later on he a field in friendly territory. The Major David Blake, who was
one of its escadrilles, N3, and hearts of the French public as Heurtaux during the war. lead the larger fighter wing Jag- injury required multiple opera- responsible for Richthofen’s
had just scored his 36th victory. Guynemer had. Fonck was as- He died of a stroke in his Par- dgeschwader 1, better known as tions to remove bone splinters body, regarded the Red Baron
Known for his clinical pro- cetic and withdrawn. Instead of is apartment, Rue du Cirque, at “The Flying Circus” or “Rich- from the impact area. The Red with great respect, and he or-
fessionalism, he applied math- drinking or socializing with the the age of 59. thofen’s Circus” because of the Baron returned to active ser- ganised a full military funeral,
ematical principles to combat other pilots, he planned his fly- bright colours of its aircraft, and vice against doctor’s orders on to be conducted by the person-
flying, and his engineering ing missions and tactics, ironed perhaps also because of the way 25 July. nel of No. 3 Squadron Austral-
knowledge regarding the capa- his uniforms, and stayed phys- the unit was transferred from By 1918, von Richthofen had ian Flying Corps. Von Rich-
ically fit through callisthenics. become such a legend that it thofen was 25 when he died.
12 13
Polish Revolutionary Home ple’s Army of Poland. similar to the one in Lebanon.
Special Forces - JW GROM Army in 1982, General Edwin
Rozłubirski proposed that a
In 1989, many Jews were al-
lowed to emigrate from the So-
Petelicki’s ideas were well re-
ceived, and on June 13, 1990,
Part twenty-seven of a series that looks at Special Forces around the world. This month we clandestine military unit be es- viet Union to Israel. Poland was GROM was formally estab-
feature the Polish Armed Forces’ JW GROM tablished to counter the threat one of the handful of countries lished as JW 2305.
Sławomir Petelicki was cho-
J
from terrorism and other un- that provided aid in the form of
ednostka Wojskowa extensive medical training and a variety of special operations conventional threats. organization for the operation, sen as the first commander of the
GROM is one of Poland’s knowledge and their surgical and unconventional warfare This proposal, later dubbed Operation Bridge newly formed unit. As a Polish
premier special missions ability to coordinate and exe- roles, including anti-terrorist however, was (Operacja Most). intelligence officer from Służ-
units. GROM operators gained cute special operations. operations and projection of initially reject- After two Polish diplomats ba Bezpieczeństwa specializing
the nickname of “The Sur- force behind enemy lines. ed by the Peo- were shot in Beirut, Lt. Col. in sabotage and subversion, he
geons” due to their extensive Early History The unit was named after the Sławomir Petelicki was seemed perfectly suited to over-
medical training and knowl- GROM, which stands for Silent Unseen (Cichociemni sent to Lebanon to secure see the unit’s initial formation.
edge and their surgical ability Grupa Reagowania Opera- Spadochroniarze Armii Kra- the transfer of civilians and He gathered around himself a
to coordinate and execute spe- cyjno-Manewrowego (Group jowej) – Poland’s elite World the Polish diplomatic out- group of like-minded and pro-
cial operations. (for) Operational Maneuvering War II special-operations posts. fessional soldiers, functionaries
GROM was originally mod- Response), which also means unit. Upon his return to Poland, he and set about choosing soldiers
elled on NATO’s tier one spe- “thunder”, is one of the five In the 1970s and 1980s, presented his plan for the crea- that would be fit for special op-
cial operations units such as the special operation forces units of there were several for- tion of a special military unit to erations.
US Army’s 1st SFOD-D (Delta the Polish Armed Forces. mations of special forces the Ministry of Interior, a force Due to the high risks involved
Force), the US Navy’s SEAL It was officially activated on units within Poland, but that would be trained in spe- in special service, it was decid-
Team Six (DEVGRU), the Brit- July 13, 1990. It is deployed in these were either trained in cial operations to be de- ed that all men should be from
ish Army’s SAS, and Canadian purely military tasks (sabo- ployed in the defence professional service. The first
JTF2 . tage, disruption of communi- of Polish citizens batch of recruits all came from
The unit’s other name is Jed- cations and such) or in purely in situations a variety of already-existing
nostka Wojskowa 2305 (Mil- counter-terrorist roles. special units within the Polish
itary Unit No. 2305). GROM After the Polish embassy Armed Forces. Among these
operators gained the nickname in Bern was taken over by were:
of “The Surgeons” due to their a group of four Polish em- • 1 Batalion Szturmowy from
igrants calling themselves
14 15
Lubliniec (then known as GROM formed the part of the restriction placed on them was Team 6,British SAS,Austral- Approximately 75% of GROM
1 Pulk Specjalny Koman- core of the Naval Special Oper- regarding cross-border opera- ia’s SASR,Canada’s Joint Task personnel are trained as medics
dosów and now known as ations Task Group, along with tions into Pakistan. Along with Force 2 and Germany’s Kom- or paramedics.
JW Komandosów) US Navy SEALs, British Royal Direct Action successes, they mando Spezialkrafte. In addition, each group is sup-
• 48, 56 and 62 Kompania Marines and attached US Psy were considered very effective The training of GROM sol- ported by several professional
Specjalna Ops and civil affairs teams. in training and mentoring Af- diers includes a variety of dis- physicians. GROM soldiers are
• 6 Brygada Desantowo-Sz- On March 20, 2003, US Ma- ghan National Police units. ciplines. All of them undergo trained in capture or kill meth-
turmowa rines from 1st F.A.S.T. Com- the same specialized training ods.
• Polish Navy divers pany and GROM operators Training in anti-terrorism and special
• Anti-terrorist units of the assaulted the KAAOT Oil Ter- Candidates applying to serve operations, as well as frogman, Organisation
Policja minals, whilst US Marines from in JW GROM have to pass psy- sniping, and parachuting. Command and support staff
• Mechanised Warfare Officer 1st F.A.S.T. Company and US chological and durability tests, In four-man teams, each sol- in Warsaw.
School in Wrocław Navy SEALs from SEAL Team along with the so-called truth dier must be prepared to assume • A Squadron (ZBA) – Land
• Reconnaissance units of 8 and 10 seized the MABOT oil test, a physically and psycho- the respective responsibilities Element located in Warsaw
Polish Armed Forces (PAF) terminal, both terminals were logically exhausting field test of his colleagues, should it be- • B Squadron (ZBB) – Mar-
Out of the possible recruits, seized with no casualties and designed to filter out the weaker come necessary. itime Element located in
only a small group passed the explosives which were found applicants. JW GROM receives ba- Gdańsk
training. on the terminals were made GROM operators are known sic special operations training • C Squadron (ZBC) – Spe-
Many of these initial instruc- safe by GROM and SEAL op- force’s primary direct action to train with the best special from the Swedish Navy’s Spe- cialty unknown located in
tors were trained by the Special erators. assets, operating in conjunction operation units in the world. cial Command for Tactical Op- Warsaw
Forces of the United States and A mixed team of 35 GROM on multiple occasions. These include the US army’s erations based in Karlskrona, • Logistic and security unit
the United Kingdom. Currently, operators and 20 US Navy A GROM sniper aided Det Delta Force,US Navy’s Seal Sweden’s primary Naval Base. located in Warsaw.
Jednostka Wojskowa GROM is SEALs from SEAL Team 5 One’s in its first “real” mission
co-operating with similar units
of other NATO countries.
seized the Mukatayin hydro-
electric dam, 57 miles north-
- a close target reconnaissance
operation - in which the sniper
Weapons used by GROM
During its formative first few east of Baghdad. Iraqi troops apprehended the target, (a sus-
years, JW 2305 remained com- guarding the dam surrendered pected insurgent sniper).
pletely secret and hidden from without a fight, there were no GROM’s early success in
the public. casualties to the team (with the Iraq made it a valuable contrib-
It was first reported to the exception of one GROM sol- utor to CJSOTF-AP. In Septem- Glock 17
press in 1992 and became dier, who broke an ankle dur- ber 2004, US Navy SEAL snip- Heckler & Koch HK416
known to the public in 1994, ing the insertion from a US Air er Chris Kyle was temporarily
after their first major military Force MH-53J Pave Low heli- assigned to GROM’s Combat
operation in Haiti. copter. Team B in Baghdad for a week.
Before October 1, 1999, JW SEAL and GROM units con- The CIA reportedly found
2305 was subordinate to the tinued to cooperate throughout GROM snipers useful due to
Ministry of Internal Affairs, af-the rest of the invasion phase, their low rules of engagement FN F2000 Tactical
ter which time command was with raids and anti-sniper mis- threshold.
transferred to the Minister of sions in Baghdad. In 2007, US Army Special
National Defence, until 2007. Following the invasion, Forces and Polish GROM con-
Since 2007 JW GROM is un- GROM operators formed the ducted Operation Jackal against Steyr AUG
der the command of Dowódca core of Task Unit Thunder, as an insurgents in Diwaniyah.
Wojsk Specjalnych (Command- element of CJSOTF-AP (Com- In 2007, GROM and JW
er of Polish Special Forces). bined Joint Special Operations Komandosów were deployed
Task Force-Arabian Peninsula), to Kandahar (after earlier suc- Steyr AUG
War on terror providing a Tier-1 counterter- cessful tours of Iraq operating
A 40-man GROM element rorism unit for the task force. alongside US Navy SEALs)
deployed to Afghanistan in ear- Along with Task Unit Raider under direct US Command.
ly 2002. (consisting of Det One opera- They weren’t restricted by Heckler & Koch PSG1
For the 2003 invasion of Iraq, tors), both units became the task any national caveats-the only
16 17
A legend has passed on
On 29 May 2021 the last remaining South African signaller of World War II, Sergeant
Sydney Thomas Ireland passed away at the age of 100. Matt Tennyson pays tribute to the
remarkable ‘Uncle Syd’.
I
first met Sydney Ireland of the last AGM and luncheon love nothing more than to sit
at the Italian Club in Cape of the 3rd Brigade Signal Com- and chat with Uncle Syd.
Town on 1 May 2016. A bit pany Reunion Association and Sydney Thomas Ireland was
of a strange place to meet as simultaneously ‘transferred’ born on 9 March 1921 on a
neither of us was Italian. the 70 year old tradition to the dairy farm in the Parow district.
At the time he was one of the Signals Association as the next At the age of 18 he joined the
three surviving members of the generation of Signallers. Union Defence Force (UDF)
3 Brigade Signal Company Re- I was there to film the event. and was drafted into the South
union Association. The other This led to me helping Robbie African Signals Corps as a
two were Major Charles Hollo- Roberts set up the Signals As- wireless operator.
way and Signaller Eddie Mills. sociation website and produce During World War II he served
At the end of World War II a quarterly newsletter called as a wireless operator in Kenya,
Charles Holloway decided to ‘Jimmy’s Own’. Abyssinia, British Somalia and
start a reunion of the members It was also the start of my as- Egypt. He spent much time in
of the Cape Town based 3 Bri- sociation with Sydney Ireland, Cairo and Alexandria and took
gade Signal Company. who was better known as ‘Un- part in the Battle of El Alamein.
Every year the would get to- cle Syd’. He would become the last re-
gether for an AGM and lunch. At every military veterans maining member of 3 Signal Bush War Books has probably one of the finest
This tradition carried on for the gathering or parade, Uncle Syd Company and the last South Af-
next 70 years. would always be there. He al- rican signaller of World War II.
collections of military titles available. Especially
Eventually, when there were ways had a smile on his face On 9 March Uncle Syd cele- on the South African Border War.
only three surviving members, and a warm greeting. brated his 100th birthday. The
they decided to call it a day. But After these events I would March issue of Jimmy’s Own
their legacy and tradition were was dedicated to him. Unfor-
set to live on. tunately, due to COVID regu-
With the encouragement of lations, we were unable to give
71 Signal Unit, originally 3 Bri- Uncle Syd the type of celebra-
gade Signal Squadron, estab- tion that he so richly deserved.
lished on 1 May 1946, and the On Saturday 29 May at 15h00 Click here to visit their website.
South African Signals Associa- Uncle Syd passed away at Huis
tion, which was established on Luckhof where he resided. It
2 December 2000 as an initia- was 50 days after he had cel-
tive by Lieutenant Colonel ebrated his 100th birthday.
Robbie Roberts, then of- A soldier, signaller, gentle-
ficer commanding of 71 man and a legend has left
Signal Unit, the 3 Sig- us, bringing to a close
nal Company Reunion the end of an era.
Association’s tradition We are sure that all
would continue. of you will join us
On 1 May 2016 when we say, Rest in
the Signals Associa- peace Uncle Syd. We
tion hosted an event will remember you.
which took the form “War does not determine who is right - only who is left”
18 00Early repeating rifles
The advent of the repeating rifle was to change the face of warfare forever.
T
he development of the Colt Revolving Rifle Model 1855
unitary cartridge in the
mid-19th century paved
the way for the “repeater” rifle.
This new weapon fed ammu-
nition from a magazine to the
breech as part of a single action LeMat Revolver Rifle
that emptied the used cartridge
case from the chamber, cocked
the action, and readied the gun
to fire.
The first repeaters were most-
ly American, and used an un-
derlever design. Europeans, Mauser Model 71/84
however, were familiar with
Spencer Rifle
Lee-Metford Mark I
the bolt action from
single-shot Mauser and
Spencer Carbine Model 1865
von Dreyse rifles of the
1870s, and came to pre-
fer it in repeating guns.
They considered the
bolt action not only easier
Schmidt-Rubin M1889
Henry Model 1860
to use in a prone position, but
also safer - because when the
bolt was turned, the action was
locked by lugs connecting with
other parts in the receiver.
Lebel MLE 1886/93
Winchester Carbine Model 1866
20 21Colt Revolving Rifle Model Spencer Rifle Henry Model 1860 Lebel MLE 1886/93 Prior to the advent of the re- to break and rout. During the
1855 peater rifle, reloading a rifle American War of Independence
Date 1863 Date 1860 Date 1893 was a time consuming process. irregular troops would be lucky
Date 1855
Origin US Origin US Origin France A properly trained group of if they managed to get off two
Origin US regular infantry soldiers was rounds before breaking.
Weight 4.55 kg Weight 4 kg Weight 4.3 kg
Weight 3.45 kg able to load and fire four rounds Compare this to a rifle such
Barrel 72 cm Barrel 51 cm Barrel 80 cm per minute from a musket. as the Winchester Carbine
Barrel 68.2 cm
Calibre .52 in Calibre .44 in Rim-fire Calibre 8 mm x 50R Now imagine trying to reload that was able to fire up to 30
Calibre .56 in a musket while facing an in- rounds per minute. This meant
The Spencer, which had a tu- In Tyler Henry’s repeating The Lebel MLE 1886 was the
fantry bayonet charge or, even that a trained company of 100
The 1855 was the third model bular seven-round magazine in rifle, an under-lever ejected a first rifle to fire a small-calibre,
worse, a cavalry charge. men would be able to lay down
of the Colt Manufacturing Com- the butt stock, was the world’s spent round, chambered a new jacketed bullet propelled by
It was not uncommon in sit- 3,000 rounds of fire per minute.
pany’s 1838 revolving rifle. It first practical military repeater. one, and left the action cocked. smokeless powder. This modi-
uations like this for the line
made a considerable impact, It was adopted by the Union A two-piece bolt joined by a fied version followed in 1893.
even though the loading proce- Army in the American Civil toggle-joint locked the action.
dure of the five-chambered cyl- War.
inder was cumbersome. Schmidt-Rubin M1889 People often ask me how I feel about my invention being used to kill people every day and the
Spencer Carbine Model AK being a common weapon of ethnic conflicts. I want to make it clear that I created my assault
Date 1889
LeMat Revolver Rifle 1865 rifle to protect my country. You can blame politicians for its spreading out of control on a global
Origin Switzerland scale.
Date 1872 Date 1865 Mikhail Kalashnikov
Weight 4.45 kg
Origin France/US Origin US
Barrel 78 cm
Memorable Order of
Weight 2.2 kg Weight 3.7 kg
Calibre 7.5 x 55 mm
Barrel 62.8 cm Barrel 51 cm
Tin Hats
Colonel Rudolf Schmidt of
Calibre 44 in and 16-bore Calibre .50 in
the Swiss Army developed a
Based on a similar pistol, the For this model, Christopher straight-pull bolt-action rifle
LeMat Revolver Rifle had two Spencer amended the design with a 12-round box magazine.
barrels. The lower, charged of his original repeater rifle It remained in service, though
Click on the photograph below to take a
with shot, acted as the axis pin and carbine to eliminate minor slightly modified, until 1931.
for the nine-chambered cylin- faults. The 1865 carbine had virtual tour of Warrior’s Gate and find out
der, which was charged with six-groove rifling. It was also Winchester Carbine Model more about the Memorable Order of Tin Hats.
ball cartridges. made under contract by the 1866
Burnside Rifle Company. Date 1866
Mauser Model 71/84
Date 1884
Lee-Metford Mark I Origin US
Weight 4.2 kg
Origin Germany Date 1888
Barrel 58.5 cm
Weight 4.6 kg Origin UK
Calibre .44 Rim-fire
Barrel 83 cm Weight 4.3 kg
Barrel 76.7 cm A modified Henry Model
Calibre 11 × 60 mm Rim-fire
1860, the 1866 allowed the re-
Peter Paul Mauser made Calibre .303 in (black powder)
loading - even part-full - of a
many attempts to turn the sin- The Lee-Metford Mark I had magazine via a port on the re-
gle-shot bolt-action M1871 ri- an enclosed bolt action and a ceiver. This doubled the rate of
fle into a repeater. The Model box magazine, designed by fire to 30 rounds per minute.
71/84 suffered from weakness- James Lee, and anti-fouling
es in the design of its magazine. rifling, developed by William
Metford. The Mark II followed
in 1890.
22 23with the German military doc- 4. Always keep your eye on Jagdstaffel 2.
The Dicta Boelcke trine of auftragstaktik, or order
tactics: The belief that the jun-
ior officer on the battlefield best
your opponent, and never
let yourself be deceived by
ruses.
By the time he died in ac-
tion after his 40th victory, he
had thoroughly schooled his
In 1916 World War I German flying ace Oswald Boelcke was tasked to write a pamphlet on knows the tactics needed there. 5. In any form of attack it is es- squadron in his tactics. Jasta 2
aerial combat tactics. The result was the ‘Dicta Boelcke’. As part of his staff duties re- sential to assail your enemy went on to be one of the two
B
vamping the Fliegertruppe into from behind. most successful German fighter
y 1915 the aircraft had more fighters became known doctrine for fighters, to no avail.
the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force) 6. If your opponent dives on squadrons during the remainder
become recognised as as aces. One such pilot was In mid-1916, Boelcke codified
in early October 1916, Boelcke you, do not try to evade his of the war, scoring 336 victo-
a weapon of war. They Oswald Boelcke. During mid- his tactics in the Dicta Boelcke,
wrote the Dicta, which was then onslaught, but fly to meet it. ries, and achieving a victory ra-
were used for observation and May 1915, he began to fly one which was the world’s first tacti-
distributed throughout the Luft- 7. When over the enemy’s tio that ran as high as 12 to one.
reconnaissance, as well as for of the original fighter aircraft cal manual for an air force.
streitkräfte as the world’s first lines never forget your own The simple Dicta Boelcke
bombing missions. Certain air- equipped with a synchronized During early 1916, Boelcke
tactical manual. line of retreat. manual has, over time, evolved
craft, however, were being de- gun. As he began to shoot down wrote a brochure entitled “Ex-
Spurred by the example of 8. For the Staffel (squad- into widespread use of tactics,
veloped almost exclusively as opposing French and British periences of Air Fighting”, giv-
the Dicta, many of the world’s ron): Attack on principle in techniques, and procedures
fighter aircraft. airplanes, he became one of the ing tips for attacking any one of
military air forces would even- groups of four or six. When manuals for air forces world-
Yet the word “fighter” did first German fighter aces. three types of opposing aircraft.
tually develop their own tacti- the fight breaks up into a se- wide. The United States Joint
not become the official English Boelcke was tasked by This was not unique; a few oth-
cal manuals, codified as tactics, ries of single combats, take Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the Unit-
term for such aircraft until after Colonel Hermann von der Li- er fliers in the war were sharing
techniques, and procedures. care that several do not go ed States Navy (USN), and the
World War I. In Great Britain’s eth-Thomsen with writing a such combat tips with one an-
for the same opponent. United States Air Force (USAF)
Royal Flying Corps – later the pamphlet on aerial tactics. Com- other on a personal level.
Royal Air Force – these aircraft pleted in June 1916, it was dis- After Immelmann’s death,
The Dicta Boelcke each have their own air tactics
continued to be referred to as tributed throughout the German Boelcke was withdrawn from
1. Try to secure advantages be- Legacy manuals. Under the auspices of
fore attacking. If possible, After writing the Dicta, the North Atlantic Treaty Or-
“scouts” into the early 1920s. Army’s Air Service (Die Flieg- combat on 27 June 1916, while
keep the sun behind you. Boelcke’s tactics were taught in ganization (NATO), the USAF
The U.S. Army called their ertruppen des Deutschen Kai- he was the war’s leading ace,
2. Always carry through an at- the fighter school he had sug- trains German, Dutch, Nor-
fighters “pursuit” aircraft (re- serreiches). It would be almost and assigned to Fliegertruppe
tack when you have started gested founding. He suggested wegian, Turkish, Italian, and
flected by their designation in two years before the French and (Flying Troops) headquarters.
it. that fighter planes be organized Greek fighter pilots at Sheppard
the “P” series) from 1916 until British followed suit with their His reassignment was in line
3. Fire only at close range, and into squadrons. He also organ- Air Force Base, using air tactics
the late 1940s. In the French, own tactical guides.
only when your opponent is ized and led one of these orig- manuals descended from the
Portuguese and German lan- Often flying with Max Im-
properly in your sights. inal German fighter squadrons, Dicta Boelcke.
guages the term used (and still melmann, Boelcke gained ex-
in use) for fighters literally perience in the new realm of
means “hunter”. aerial combat as he discovered
This lead has been followed the utility of having a wingman,
in most other languages, an ex- of massing fighter planes for SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION
ception being Russian, in which increased fighting power, and
the fighter is called “istrebitel”, of flying loose formations
meaning “exterminator”. allowing individual pilots
During the first part of the war, tactical independence.
there was no established tactical Based on his success- SAAFA is an all-ranks Association formed to perpetuate a tradition
doctrine for air-to-air combat. ful combat experiences,
During this period of pioneer- he used his training as a
of comradeship, knowing no distinction of rank, race, language,
ing aerial warfare, the British professional soldier and gender or creed, which has developed over the years among
Royal Flying Corps air effort his powers as an ana- members of the South African Air Force.
could be summed up by, “At- lytic thinker to design
tack everything”. The French tactics for the use of
Aeronautique Militaire was aircraft in battle.
concentrating its efforts on Boelcke tried to Click on the logo above to visit the SAAFA website
building up its bomber force. interest Immelmann
Pilots who shot down five or in devising a tactical
24 25corporal. He was awarded the Desmond Doss the rank of corporal.
Disobedient Heroes Distinguished Conduct Med-
al at El Alamein for knocking
This was a man that wanted to
serve his country during World
In the military it is expected that you obey orders. Yet there are cases where there is a good out three German machine gun War II. As long as he didn’t
reason to disobey those orders. posts, destroying two tanks, have to kill anyone.
T
and capturing one hundred pris- He was a pacifist and refused
he military has a very settlement” (liquidation) action Battel’s stand against the SS oners. every order to carry a weapon
strict code of conduct. against the Jews of Przemyśl came to be recognised only a During the Battle of Sattel- or fire one. He was given a court
When a soldier is given on 26 July 1942, Battel, in con- long time after his death; most berg in the Pacific nation of martial and the court eventual
an order he/she is expected to cert with his superior, ordered notably, through the tenacious New Guinea, Derrick was now decided that he did not have to
carry it out immediately. the bridge over the River San, efforts of the Israeli researcher a lieutenant. carry a firearm and would be al-
Commanding officers can the only access into the Jewish and lawyer Dr. Zeev Goshen. On November 24, 1943, Lt. lowed to serve as a medic.
order troops into a suicide mis- ghetto, to be blocked. On 22 January 1981, almost Derrick was ordered to with- As his unit climbed a vertical
sion if it serves the greater pur- As the SS commando attempt- 30 years after his death, Yad draw his platoon because the cliffside at Okinawa, the Japa-
pose. When obeying orders, it’s ed to cross to the other side, the Vashem recognised Albert Bat- CO didn’t think he could cap- nese opened up with artillery,
necessary for those troops to sergeant-major in charge of the tel as Righteous among the Na- ture the heights around Sattel- mortars, and machine guns,
believe a commander wouldn’t bridge threatened to open fire tions. berg. turning his unit back and killing
order them into harm’s way un- unless they withdrew. All this Major Max Liedtke was also Derrick’s response: “Bugger or wounding 75 men. Doss re-
less it was necessary, that the happened in broad daylight, to recognised as Righteous among the CO. Just give me twenty Desmond Doss
trieved them one by one, load-
order serves a greater good, and the amazement of the local in- the Nations. more minutes and we’ll have ing them onto a litter and down
it’s not an illegal order. habitants. this place.” the cliff. Daniel Hellings
The military takes a dim view Still later that same afternoon, Derrick climbed a vertical Hellings was serving with the
A few days later, in the mouth
on anyone that fails or refuses an army detachment under the cliff by himself, holding on with British Army in Afghanistan.
of a cave, he braved a shower
to obey an order. Those that re- command of Oberleutnant Bat- one hand and throwing gre- On 7 September 2010 he was
of grenades thrown from eight
fuse to carry out an order can be tel broke into the cordoned-off nades with the other, stopping on a joint patrol with Afghan
yards away, dressed wounds,
court martialled and, in some area of the ghetto and used only to fire his rifle. He cleared allies in the Helmand Province.
and made four trips to pull his
cases, even sentenced to death army trucks to evacuate up to out 10 machine gun nests that An IED (Improvised Explosive
soldiers out. He treated his own
if found guilty. 100 Jews and their families to night and forced the Japanese to Device) was detonated in an al-
wounds and waited five hours
Yet there are cases where there the barracks of the local mili- withdraw. The Aussies captured leyway.
for a litter to carry him off.
is a valid reason for disobeying tary command. Sattelberg and Derrick was Two troops were injured in the
On the way back, the three
an order. Such as when they be- These Jews were placed un- awarded the Victoria Cross. initial blast, one blinded and the
men carrying him had to take
lieve that the order is putting der the protection of the Wehr- second with severe leg wounds,
cover from a tank attack. While
the lives of friendly troops or macht and were thus sheltered and a third was wounded when
waiting, Doss crawled off his
innocent people at stake. from deportation to Belzec. he triggered another bomb just
litter, treated a more injured
The following people not only The remaining ghetto inmates, metres away from Private Hell-
man, and told the litter bearers
disobeyed orders, they even be- including the head of the Jud- ings.
to take the other man.
came heroes because of it. enrat, Dr. Duldig, underwent Private Hellings was ordered
While waiting for them to
“resettlement” in the following Albert Battel come back, he was hit in the to withdraw from the alley by
Albert Battel days.
arm by a sniper and crawled his commander but the young
As a fifty-one-year-old re- After this incident, the SS Thomas Currie Derrick soldier realised there was no
more than 250 metres to an aid
serve officer and a lawyer by authorities began a secret in- Tom Derrick was an Austral- time to find an alternative route
station.
profession, Oberleutnant Battel vestigation into the conduct of ian who went by the nickname to recover the casualties and
He was twice awarded the
was stationed in Przemyśl in the army officer who had dared of ‘Diver’. volunteered to return to the task.
Bronze Star Medal for actions
southern Poland as the adjutant defy them under such embar- During World War II he With his metal detector ren-
in Guam and the Philippines.
to the local military command- rassing circumstances. joined the 2/48th Battalion of dered all but useless because so
For his exploits at Okinawa,
er, Major Max Liedtke. Battel Heinrich Himmler, Reichs- the Second Australian Imperial much metallic debris lay on the
Doss was awarded the Medal of
had been a member of the Nazi führer-SS, vowed to have the Force. ground, he carried out an hour-
Honour.
Party since 1933. lawyer expelled from the Nazi At the Siege of Tobruk, he long fingertip search for further
was recommended for the Mil-
Thomas Derrick He was the first conscientious
When the SS prepared to party and arrested immediately IEDs.
objector to earn the Medal of
launch their first large-scale “re- after the war. itary Medal and promoted to One hidden bomb he found
Honour and was promoted to
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