G'day from Australia

[syscom3]

.......i said dad and his mates had done 33 missions, its correct they had done 33 missions, ...... and then granted leave when they returned powers to be reduced the mission records to 30.

Why would they do that?

 

[Emac44]

Why would they do that?

Sys no idea why they did that. My best guess would be for operational records for the Squadron. but other than that i can't tell you. Except i know the idea why they went to the pub and then the messes on base. I would too if i knew it was end of the war. our side had won and life was to return to normal. Talking of normal. I have my dad's log book. at moment i can show you what it looks like on the cover see below but i plan on taking it to a book binder as cover and spine of book needs repair. so not game enough to lay log book flat on scanner screen in case i damage the book inside etc

 

[Emac44]

Which also reminds me of a story my dad told me coming back from a mission in Germany Sys. They were flying back from Germany via France and were flying low altitude to avoid German radar and fighters. The pilot asked over the intercom if any one knew what the time was? My father replied it was 0215 hrs. The pilot asked dad how did he know the time? Dad replied that they had just flown level with a town hall clock and the time was reading 2.15 on the clock. Seemingly the pilot decided to gain extra height as flying through French villages at that level wasn't healthy for any one concerned. My father Sys relayed many stories to his children of what he did during the war. It was his way of unburdening himself. Other men didn't mention their war time experiences, but dad was different, he told us. Not everything but most things. And we also were told about other matters that Dad didn't relay to us but were told to us by his crew mates to fill us in from another perspective etc. For example sys. if you look at the photo in my album of my father talking to 2 RAF Warrant Officers. He told those 2 Warrant Officers about his navigator in his crew urinating down a knot hole in the sargents mess under a billiards table. As so happened that the day Dad was visiting Waddington again the Mess had its carpets up and billiard table was put to one side. low and behold was this very same Knot hole in the floor boards where dad had said it would be. War it seems wasn't always so serious. It had its lighter moments at times

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

mmmm, RE the missing ops, aborted missions perhaps?

 

[Emac44]

speculation lanc no idea why 3 mission where not recorded and no this isn't a mystery. just something that occured officially 61 yrs ago and leaving it at that. father did 33 missions RAAF officially recorded 30. Log book confirms 33 Official records says 30. no idea why. except going to the pubs sounds a good idea and then indivvidual messes

by the way log book belongs to me now as brother decided it was better with me and safer. suits me. as i said will find book binder to restore log book to past glories