evangilder
"Shooter"
Obituaries
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Nonskimmer
Captain
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
March 26, 2007
Matthew Chung
Staff Reporter
There had been months spent planning for this air raid on the
Gestapo's Danish headquarters in Copenhagen.
But now the daring daylight Royal Air Force mission was going all
wrong.
It was March 21, 1945 and planes in squadron 613 were flying just 50
feet above ground, loaded with bombs on a surprise, precision attack
with the hope of freeing some members of the Danish resistance held
prisoner.
Among the members of the special unit, which became known as the
Gestapo Hunters, was Bernard Standish, an English navigator who would
fly 44 missions in Europe.
Standish died March 15 at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. He was
95.
Sixty-two years ago, he and his pilot would help ensure the success
of the important mission in Denmark. Already he'd been cited for
valour and bravery and awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for
his job as lead navigator in a similar high-risk mission aboard a De
Havilland Mosquito.
In the raid on Gestapo HQ, a plane in the first wave had flown in so
low that it struck either the top of the headquarters or a tall lamp
post and crashed nearby, crossing up the second and third wave of the
attack.
Some other pilots mistook the burning plane for the target and
dropped their bombs, killing a number of children when the explosives
struck a French school. But others, including Standish's plane, hit
the headquarters. The mission did end up liberating some Danish
prisoners.
For the raid's success, Standish was again decorated, with a bar
added to his DFC.
But in the years following the war, Standish rarely spoke about the
missions, family and friends say.
"My job was to get them there," he'd say before pausing a moment if
you'd asked. "And get them back."
"He wasn't a man for bringing this kind of stuff into a
conversation, " said his son, John, 67. Like many who fought in the
war, "They felt it was a job that had to be done and they just had to
do it."
Born April 14, 1911 in London, England, Standish graduated from
school at the age of 15 and in 1927 began a career that spanned 49
years with the Prudential Assurance Company in England.
He met Mary Varnals at the company and they were married in 1938. It
was a partnership that lasted 60 years, until she died in 1998.
Being recently married and with their first child, John, just 2,
Standish hesitated to join the war effort, his son said.
But in 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and trained in
Chatham, N.B. and Fingal, Ont before shipping off to Europe.
When the war was over, Standish recalled getting up close and
personal with Mary Churchill, daughter to then-Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, after taking part in a low-level flying exhibition.
"After this (exhibition was done), one of the VIPs was Mary Churchill
and she asked for a lift back to London," John said. "Dad had Mary
Churchill on his knee for 2 1/2 hours as they flew back."
Standish returned to his office job in London until 1954, when he
accepted a transfer to Prudential's Canadian head office in Montreal
and Mary, John and daughter Margaret relocated with him.
He retired from the company in 1976 and moved to Guelph, having
climbed the corporate ladder to become senior vice-president,
administration. And during his climb, he'd advocated for pay equity
for women, said Alice Haughton, his secretary of 16 years.
"He was always ready to try and bring the gals up to where the men
were," Haughton said. "He promoted me ... I became a junior officer
of the company.
"I was happy about that, but they hardly knew what to do with me ...
I don't think there were anymore (female junior officers) in the
company, which was worldwide."
Following his wife's death, Standish moved to Ajax before settling
about six years ago in Beaverton.
Described by his son as "an officer and a gentleman," who, even after
retirement, kept wearing suits every day – "that's how he felt
comfortable" – Standish may not have spoken much about the war, but
Haughton says she used to kid him that his training there came in
handy when something needed to be done quickly on the job.
"Occasionally when something would be happening I would say, `Well I
guess that's your air force training," she said.
Matthew Chung
Staff Reporter
There had been months spent planning for this air raid on the
Gestapo's Danish headquarters in Copenhagen.
But now the daring daylight Royal Air Force mission was going all
wrong.
It was March 21, 1945 and planes in squadron 613 were flying just 50
feet above ground, loaded with bombs on a surprise, precision attack
with the hope of freeing some members of the Danish resistance held
prisoner.
Among the members of the special unit, which became known as the
Gestapo Hunters, was Bernard Standish, an English navigator who would
fly 44 missions in Europe.
Standish died March 15 at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. He was
95.
Sixty-two years ago, he and his pilot would help ensure the success
of the important mission in Denmark. Already he'd been cited for
valour and bravery and awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for
his job as lead navigator in a similar high-risk mission aboard a De
Havilland Mosquito.
In the raid on Gestapo HQ, a plane in the first wave had flown in so
low that it struck either the top of the headquarters or a tall lamp
post and crashed nearby, crossing up the second and third wave of the
attack.
Some other pilots mistook the burning plane for the target and
dropped their bombs, killing a number of children when the explosives
struck a French school. But others, including Standish's plane, hit
the headquarters. The mission did end up liberating some Danish
prisoners.
For the raid's success, Standish was again decorated, with a bar
added to his DFC.
But in the years following the war, Standish rarely spoke about the
missions, family and friends say.
"My job was to get them there," he'd say before pausing a moment if
you'd asked. "And get them back."
"He wasn't a man for bringing this kind of stuff into a
conversation, " said his son, John, 67. Like many who fought in the
war, "They felt it was a job that had to be done and they just had to
do it."
Born April 14, 1911 in London, England, Standish graduated from
school at the age of 15 and in 1927 began a career that spanned 49
years with the Prudential Assurance Company in England.
He met Mary Varnals at the company and they were married in 1938. It
was a partnership that lasted 60 years, until she died in 1998.
Being recently married and with their first child, John, just 2,
Standish hesitated to join the war effort, his son said.
But in 1942, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and trained in
Chatham, N.B. and Fingal, Ont before shipping off to Europe.
When the war was over, Standish recalled getting up close and
personal with Mary Churchill, daughter to then-Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, after taking part in a low-level flying exhibition.
"After this (exhibition was done), one of the VIPs was Mary Churchill
and she asked for a lift back to London," John said. "Dad had Mary
Churchill on his knee for 2 1/2 hours as they flew back."
Standish returned to his office job in London until 1954, when he
accepted a transfer to Prudential's Canadian head office in Montreal
and Mary, John and daughter Margaret relocated with him.
He retired from the company in 1976 and moved to Guelph, having
climbed the corporate ladder to become senior vice-president,
administration. And during his climb, he'd advocated for pay equity
for women, said Alice Haughton, his secretary of 16 years.
"He was always ready to try and bring the gals up to where the men
were," Haughton said. "He promoted me ... I became a junior officer
of the company.
"I was happy about that, but they hardly knew what to do with me ...
I don't think there were anymore (female junior officers) in the
company, which was worldwide."
Following his wife's death, Standish moved to Ajax before settling
about six years ago in Beaverton.
Described by his son as "an officer and a gentleman," who, even after
retirement, kept wearing suits every day – "that's how he felt
comfortable" – Standish may not have spoken much about the war, but
Haughton says she used to kid him that his training there came in
handy when something needed to be done quickly on the job.
"Occasionally when something would be happening I would say, `Well I
guess that's your air force training," she said.
Wildcat
Major
Olive Roblin
Olive Roblin, age 92, a resident of Spruce Lodge, 643 West Gore Street, Stratford, and formerly of Victoria, B.C., died at her residence on Saturday, March 24, 2007. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was the daughter of the late Ernest and Lillian (Coxon) Wilson. After completing her education in Albert, she moved to Victoria, B.C., to train as a Registered Nurse at the Royal Jubilee Hospital and graduated in February 1937. She went on to post-graduate work at McGill University where she graduated as a hospital administrator. She remained in Victoria and married Walter Roblin in 1972. After her husband's death in 1990, she remained in Victoria until 1992 when she moved to Ontario. She had served in the Royal Canadian Nursing Service in Canada and overseas during the Second World War. She continued on in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in Esquimalt, B.C., and later received the Royal Red Cross Decoration for her service during the war. She continued nursing in Victoria at the Veterans Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital until 1974. She received the Canadian Federation Medal in 1967 for her dedication to the nursing sisters in Victoria, B.C. She received a life membership to the Royal Jubilee Alumnae Association and the Naval Officers Club in Victoria
Olive Roblin, age 92, a resident of Spruce Lodge, 643 West Gore Street, Stratford, and formerly of Victoria, B.C., died at her residence on Saturday, March 24, 2007. She was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was the daughter of the late Ernest and Lillian (Coxon) Wilson. After completing her education in Albert, she moved to Victoria, B.C., to train as a Registered Nurse at the Royal Jubilee Hospital and graduated in February 1937. She went on to post-graduate work at McGill University where she graduated as a hospital administrator. She remained in Victoria and married Walter Roblin in 1972. After her husband's death in 1990, she remained in Victoria until 1992 when she moved to Ontario. She had served in the Royal Canadian Nursing Service in Canada and overseas during the Second World War. She continued on in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve in Esquimalt, B.C., and later received the Royal Red Cross Decoration for her service during the war. She continued nursing in Victoria at the Veterans Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital until 1974. She received the Canadian Federation Medal in 1967 for her dedication to the nursing sisters in Victoria, B.C. She received a life membership to the Royal Jubilee Alumnae Association and the Naval Officers Club in Victoria
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
This lady I met for only a few minutes at an air show near here. Very nice.
Gloria Bain
Gloria Bain (nee Jaggard), age 79 died on April 1, 2007. Born in Camden and raised in Deptford Township, she was a resident of Woodbury for over 40 years. She graduated from Woodbury High School and Glassboro State College and did graduate work at the University of Delaware and Rutgers University.
She retired from Deptford Township School System after 28 years of teaching. Gloria began flying at the age of 12 in Piper Cubs. She later flew on occasion a Culver Cadet and Wings (open cockpit biplane) and soloed at age 16.
She was a Sergeant and Cadet Squadron Leader in the Almonesson Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. She was also a Cub Scout Den mother, Brownie Troop Leader, Deptford Day Committee Member for 20 years and served on the Woodbury Board of Health for 30 years in many different positions.
She served as Secretary and Membership Chair of the NJEA, 20 year Delegate for the NEA, Gloucester County Retired Teacher¹s Association and an honorary member and Newsletter Editor of the Friendship Fire Co. in Woodbury.
She was the wife of the late Andrew G. Bain Sr. Survived by children Andrew G. Jr. (Debbie) of Woodbury, Susan B. Nordaby of Woodbury Heights, Alan G. (Debbie) of Woodbury and Karen E. Bain of Woodbury, grandchildren Kelly Bain, Sarah McLaughlin, Michael Bain and sisters Ella Johnson of Colo., Shirley Borgerding of Minn. and Joanne Saccomanno of Calif.
Friends may call on Thursday after 7 p.m. and Friday after 10 a.m. in the BUDD FUNERAL HOME, 171 Delaware St., Woodbury, N.J.
Funeral service Friday at 11 a.m.
Gloria Bain
Gloria Bain (nee Jaggard), age 79 died on April 1, 2007. Born in Camden and raised in Deptford Township, she was a resident of Woodbury for over 40 years. She graduated from Woodbury High School and Glassboro State College and did graduate work at the University of Delaware and Rutgers University.
She retired from Deptford Township School System after 28 years of teaching. Gloria began flying at the age of 12 in Piper Cubs. She later flew on occasion a Culver Cadet and Wings (open cockpit biplane) and soloed at age 16.
She was a Sergeant and Cadet Squadron Leader in the Almonesson Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. She was also a Cub Scout Den mother, Brownie Troop Leader, Deptford Day Committee Member for 20 years and served on the Woodbury Board of Health for 30 years in many different positions.
She served as Secretary and Membership Chair of the NJEA, 20 year Delegate for the NEA, Gloucester County Retired Teacher¹s Association and an honorary member and Newsletter Editor of the Friendship Fire Co. in Woodbury.
She was the wife of the late Andrew G. Bain Sr. Survived by children Andrew G. Jr. (Debbie) of Woodbury, Susan B. Nordaby of Woodbury Heights, Alan G. (Debbie) of Woodbury and Karen E. Bain of Woodbury, grandchildren Kelly Bain, Sarah McLaughlin, Michael Bain and sisters Ella Johnson of Colo., Shirley Borgerding of Minn. and Joanne Saccomanno of Calif.
Friends may call on Thursday after 7 p.m. and Friday after 10 a.m. in the BUDD FUNERAL HOME, 171 Delaware St., Woodbury, N.J.
Funeral service Friday at 11 a.m.
evangilder
"Shooter"
April 25, 2007
Warren E. Avis, 92, Founder of Car Rental Company, Dies
By MICHAEL BARBARO
Warren E. Avis, a Michigan car dealership owner who, frustrated at waiting for taxis outside airports, founded a chain of car rental agencies and turned it into the nation's second biggest, died yesterday at his home in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was 92.
Mr. Avis's death was confirmed by his wife, Yanna, who said he died from natural causes.
In 1946, when Mr. Avis opened his first Avis Airlines Rent-A-Car in Florida and Michigan, all his rival companies were in downtown garages.
So Mr. Avis, a former major in the Army Air Force who spent a great deal of time at airline terminals, decided to open rental centers at airports, where he reasoned thousands of airline passengers would need a ride.
"Nobody thought it would work," Mr. Avis said in a 1987 interview. "There was incredible trouble. You had to get all the airlines to cooperate. Where did you put the cars?"
But it did work. Avis employees parked the cars outside airport terminals, and customers, who were at first confused, soon figured out the new system.
Within a decade, Avis was second in size only to Hertz — a fact the company would later promote to its benefit in advertisements that carried the tagline, "We try harder."
Warren Edward Avis was born in Bay City, Mich., north of Detroit, in 1915. His peripatetic career began in the Michigan department of investigation, where he investigated auto dealerships, moved onto a drug company, where he sold pills, and then to the Army Air Force.
When his military service ended, he bought a stake in a Ford dealership in Detroit, where he began developing a plan for a new type of car rental center focused on airports. Using $10,000 of his own money, he started Avis.
Despite the company's early success, Mr. Avis quickly sold it in 1954, putting in motion a series of sales that would, over the next few decades, leave his car rental company in the hands of a dozen different owners.
Mr. Avis, who acknowledged that he was restless in matters of business, began buying and selling factories, hotels — even a bank. When he decided that a company, like the bank, was "boring," as he said, he quickly sold it. Later in life, he invested in technology companies, purchased sporting goods distributors and began developing office buildings on his 300-acre farm near Ann Arbor.
He is survived by his wife, Yanna; three children from a previous marriage, Wendy Avis-King of Moreland Hills, Ohio; Wayne Avis of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and Warren Avis Jr. of Palm Beach, Fla.; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Mr. Avis was fit and active until shortly before his death, even water skiing until the age of 89, his wife said last night. She called him an "amazing, out-of-the-ordinary man."
Mr. Avis was not bashful about his wealth, or his desire to spend it.
"I've never been interested in making a fortune and having a heart attack, as some people do," he told The New York Times in 1987." If you don't enjoy the money, then the money doesn't have any value."
Warren E. Avis, 92, Founder of Car Rental Company, Dies - New York Times
Warren E. Avis, 92, Founder of Car Rental Company, Dies
By MICHAEL BARBARO
Warren E. Avis, a Michigan car dealership owner who, frustrated at waiting for taxis outside airports, founded a chain of car rental agencies and turned it into the nation's second biggest, died yesterday at his home in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was 92.
Mr. Avis's death was confirmed by his wife, Yanna, who said he died from natural causes.
In 1946, when Mr. Avis opened his first Avis Airlines Rent-A-Car in Florida and Michigan, all his rival companies were in downtown garages.
So Mr. Avis, a former major in the Army Air Force who spent a great deal of time at airline terminals, decided to open rental centers at airports, where he reasoned thousands of airline passengers would need a ride.
"Nobody thought it would work," Mr. Avis said in a 1987 interview. "There was incredible trouble. You had to get all the airlines to cooperate. Where did you put the cars?"
But it did work. Avis employees parked the cars outside airport terminals, and customers, who were at first confused, soon figured out the new system.
Within a decade, Avis was second in size only to Hertz — a fact the company would later promote to its benefit in advertisements that carried the tagline, "We try harder."
Warren Edward Avis was born in Bay City, Mich., north of Detroit, in 1915. His peripatetic career began in the Michigan department of investigation, where he investigated auto dealerships, moved onto a drug company, where he sold pills, and then to the Army Air Force.
When his military service ended, he bought a stake in a Ford dealership in Detroit, where he began developing a plan for a new type of car rental center focused on airports. Using $10,000 of his own money, he started Avis.
Despite the company's early success, Mr. Avis quickly sold it in 1954, putting in motion a series of sales that would, over the next few decades, leave his car rental company in the hands of a dozen different owners.
Mr. Avis, who acknowledged that he was restless in matters of business, began buying and selling factories, hotels — even a bank. When he decided that a company, like the bank, was "boring," as he said, he quickly sold it. Later in life, he invested in technology companies, purchased sporting goods distributors and began developing office buildings on his 300-acre farm near Ann Arbor.
He is survived by his wife, Yanna; three children from a previous marriage, Wendy Avis-King of Moreland Hills, Ohio; Wayne Avis of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and Warren Avis Jr. of Palm Beach, Fla.; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Mr. Avis was fit and active until shortly before his death, even water skiing until the age of 89, his wife said last night. She called him an "amazing, out-of-the-ordinary man."
Mr. Avis was not bashful about his wealth, or his desire to spend it.
"I've never been interested in making a fortune and having a heart attack, as some people do," he told The New York Times in 1987." If you don't enjoy the money, then the money doesn't have any value."
Warren E. Avis, 92, Founder of Car Rental Company, Dies - New York Times
- Thread starter
- #71
syscom3
Pacific Historian
I saw this in the OC Register this morning.
He was a member of VMF-215 "The Fighting Corsairs" serving in the SW pacific off of Vella LaVella and Bougainville. Six kills to his credit, all over Rabaul.
Conant, Roger, 88, a thirty five year Newport Beach resident, passed away on March 10, 2007. He was predeceased by his wife Evelyn of forty-seven years, and survived by his wife Londi of seven years; his daughters, Gayle Novacek and Lynn Conant, and his son, Roger Conant. Born in Crystal Falls, Michigan, and raised in Marinette, Wisconsin, Roger graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1941 and then joined World War II as a fighter pilot in the South Pacific. In combat, he became a Fighter Ace and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross along with numerous metals and accommodations for bravery, heroism and his skills as a pilot. After World War II, he served again in Korea. Retiring from the Marine Corps as a Lt. Col., he then began work as a test pilot for Douglas Aircraft (McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing). His stories of bravery, heroism and his love of live are an inspiration to us all. He will be missed, but he will remain in our hearts forever. A memorial service is planned for May 5, 2007 beginning at 10:00 a.m., 500 Morning Star Lane, Newport Beach, California.
He was a member of VMF-215 "The Fighting Corsairs" serving in the SW pacific off of Vella LaVella and Bougainville. Six kills to his credit, all over Rabaul.
Conant, Roger, 88, a thirty five year Newport Beach resident, passed away on March 10, 2007. He was predeceased by his wife Evelyn of forty-seven years, and survived by his wife Londi of seven years; his daughters, Gayle Novacek and Lynn Conant, and his son, Roger Conant. Born in Crystal Falls, Michigan, and raised in Marinette, Wisconsin, Roger graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1941 and then joined World War II as a fighter pilot in the South Pacific. In combat, he became a Fighter Ace and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross along with numerous metals and accommodations for bravery, heroism and his skills as a pilot. After World War II, he served again in Korea. Retiring from the Marine Corps as a Lt. Col., he then began work as a test pilot for Douglas Aircraft (McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing). His stories of bravery, heroism and his love of live are an inspiration to us all. He will be missed, but he will remain in our hearts forever. A memorial service is planned for May 5, 2007 beginning at 10:00 a.m., 500 Morning Star Lane, Newport Beach, California.
evangilder
"Shooter"
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
He flew with "Butcher Bob" Hansen.
- Thread starter
- #74
syscom3
Pacific Historian
Wing-Commander Robert Gibbes
PHIL DAVISON
Second World War pilot
Born: 6 May, 1916, in Young, New South Wales.
Died: 11 April, 2007, in Sydney, aged 90.
WING-COMMANDER Bobby Gibbes was one of Australia's most decorated
Second World War fighter pilots, seeing action in north Africa, in
the defence of Australia against Japanese air raids and in the aerial
battles over Japanese-occupied Pacific islands. His P40 Kittyhawk
fighter was decorated with a painted kangaroo kicking the backside of
a German dachshund.
Gibbes, who died after a stroke, was shot down once and crashed once.
He was credited with downing at least ten enemy aircraft and was once
recommended, unsuccessfully, for the Victoria Cross. For his wartime
action with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), he was awarded
Britain's Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Distinguished Flying
Cross (DFC, with bar). In 2004, he was given his own nation's Medal
of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "services to aviation and
tourism", particularly in Papua New Guinea, then under Australian
control, where he moved as a business pioneer after the war.
One of Gibbes's most-renowned exploits, recounted in detail in his
1994 autobiography, You Live But Once, took place on 21 December,
1942, south of the Libyan city of Sirte. He and five other Kittyhawks
from the RAAF were on a reconnaissance mission over an Italian
airfield when they came under heavy ground fire. One of his
colleagues plunged rapidly to inevitable death. Another, Rex Bailey,
crash-landed.
Although his own plane had been damaged by shrapnel after he flew
over the airfield "at nought feet" and blew up an Italian Savoia
aircraft, Gibbes managed to land some distance from Bailey's downed
plane. Evading Italian troops, Bailey ran to reach his comrade, who
dumped his own parachute to fit him into the cockpit and "used him as
my seat" to take off and fly back to base. Having lost a wheel
against a ridge in the 300ft take-off, Gibbes had to pull off a
dangerous one-wheel landing at base. The rescue, and the Kittyhawks'
destruction of a dozen Italian planes at the airfield, were cited in
his DSO award.
Just over three weeks later, with his aircraft patched up, Gibbes was
shot down 120 miles behind German lines, but he evaded search parties
sent out by Rommel's Afrika Korps, fooling them by walking west -
away from his RAAF base. After 72 thirsty hours, his plan paid off as
he ran into a British unit, greeting them with the
inevitable: "G'day, mate. Got any water?"
Towards the end of the war, in the Pacific, "Gibbsy" was one of eight
senior Australian fliers involved in the so-called Morotai mutiny,
named after the Indonesian island where they and their Spitfire
squadrons were based. In April 1945, the eight complained they were
being relegated to "pointless" ground attack missions against
demoralised Japanese forces on non-strategic islands, and taking too
many losses from anti-aircraft fire because of their low altitude,
while their Spitfires should have been used in vital air-to-air
combat.
The officers were persuaded to withdraw their resignations. But, amid
split loyalties at the top of the RAAF hierarchy, Gibbes and two
others, including Australia's "top gun", Clive "Killer" Caldwell,
were hit with what was widely seen as a retaliatory, trumped-up
charge of smuggling alcohol. All three war heroes were court-
martialled - in Gibbes's case because of a bottle of gin, one of wine
and two of Scotch found in his quarters.
Needless to say, by attempting to ensure their supply of booze, the
three retained the sympathy and support of virtually everyone back
home, where they were by then household names.
Robert Henry Maxwell Gibbes was born in the town of Young, New South
Wales, in May 1916. When the Second World War started, he enlisted as
an air cadet and was flying with the RAAF by June 1940 after lying
about his height, short of the stipulated minimum.
From 1941-43, most of his combat action was in north Africa. In the
latter year, he was recalled to Darwin after continuous Japanese air
raids on the city. Crashing during a training flight the same year,
he suffered serious injuries and burns and found himself being
treated by a Red Cross volunteer called Jeannine Ince. They married
in December 1944.
After the war, realising the need for air links across the highlands
of Papua New Guinea, then an Australian "external territory", he
moved to PNG and launched Gibbes Pepik Airways, using Junkers JU52
aircraft he bought in Scandinavia. He sold the business in 1958,
developed a coffee plantation on PNG, and started a hotel, the Bird
of Paradise, in the city of Goroka, eventually turning it into a
chain.
By the time he returned to Australia in 1975, Gibbes was seen as an
important pioneer of Papua New Guinea's development. Never one to
take it easy, and already in his sixties, he sailed his 40ft
catamaran, Billabong, solo from Southampton to Sydney.
Still flying as an octogenarian, he built his own miniature, two-
engined aircraft in the lounge of his home on Collaroy Beach, Sydney.
After miscalculating its wing-span, he had to knock down a wall to
get it out and in the air, but it worked.
He flew the contraption, described by friends as looking "like a
lawnmower" until he was 85, when Australian civil aviation
authorities decided he was too old to retain his licence. He was not
amused and, as always, said so in no uncertain language.
During Gibbes's funeral in a Sydney Anglican church, a single
Spitfire Mk-VIII, its nose painted with a "shark's jaws" logo and the
personalised signature his own Spitfire used to carry - Grey Nurse -
overflew the church with an escort of four modern F-18 Hornet
fighters.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeannine, daughters Robyn and
Julie, and five grandchildren.
Scotsman.com News - Obituaries - Wing-Commander Robert Gibbes
PHIL DAVISON
Second World War pilot
Born: 6 May, 1916, in Young, New South Wales.
Died: 11 April, 2007, in Sydney, aged 90.
WING-COMMANDER Bobby Gibbes was one of Australia's most decorated
Second World War fighter pilots, seeing action in north Africa, in
the defence of Australia against Japanese air raids and in the aerial
battles over Japanese-occupied Pacific islands. His P40 Kittyhawk
fighter was decorated with a painted kangaroo kicking the backside of
a German dachshund.
Gibbes, who died after a stroke, was shot down once and crashed once.
He was credited with downing at least ten enemy aircraft and was once
recommended, unsuccessfully, for the Victoria Cross. For his wartime
action with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), he was awarded
Britain's Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Distinguished Flying
Cross (DFC, with bar). In 2004, he was given his own nation's Medal
of the Order of Australia (OAM) for "services to aviation and
tourism", particularly in Papua New Guinea, then under Australian
control, where he moved as a business pioneer after the war.
One of Gibbes's most-renowned exploits, recounted in detail in his
1994 autobiography, You Live But Once, took place on 21 December,
1942, south of the Libyan city of Sirte. He and five other Kittyhawks
from the RAAF were on a reconnaissance mission over an Italian
airfield when they came under heavy ground fire. One of his
colleagues plunged rapidly to inevitable death. Another, Rex Bailey,
crash-landed.
Although his own plane had been damaged by shrapnel after he flew
over the airfield "at nought feet" and blew up an Italian Savoia
aircraft, Gibbes managed to land some distance from Bailey's downed
plane. Evading Italian troops, Bailey ran to reach his comrade, who
dumped his own parachute to fit him into the cockpit and "used him as
my seat" to take off and fly back to base. Having lost a wheel
against a ridge in the 300ft take-off, Gibbes had to pull off a
dangerous one-wheel landing at base. The rescue, and the Kittyhawks'
destruction of a dozen Italian planes at the airfield, were cited in
his DSO award.
Just over three weeks later, with his aircraft patched up, Gibbes was
shot down 120 miles behind German lines, but he evaded search parties
sent out by Rommel's Afrika Korps, fooling them by walking west -
away from his RAAF base. After 72 thirsty hours, his plan paid off as
he ran into a British unit, greeting them with the
inevitable: "G'day, mate. Got any water?"
Towards the end of the war, in the Pacific, "Gibbsy" was one of eight
senior Australian fliers involved in the so-called Morotai mutiny,
named after the Indonesian island where they and their Spitfire
squadrons were based. In April 1945, the eight complained they were
being relegated to "pointless" ground attack missions against
demoralised Japanese forces on non-strategic islands, and taking too
many losses from anti-aircraft fire because of their low altitude,
while their Spitfires should have been used in vital air-to-air
combat.
The officers were persuaded to withdraw their resignations. But, amid
split loyalties at the top of the RAAF hierarchy, Gibbes and two
others, including Australia's "top gun", Clive "Killer" Caldwell,
were hit with what was widely seen as a retaliatory, trumped-up
charge of smuggling alcohol. All three war heroes were court-
martialled - in Gibbes's case because of a bottle of gin, one of wine
and two of Scotch found in his quarters.
Needless to say, by attempting to ensure their supply of booze, the
three retained the sympathy and support of virtually everyone back
home, where they were by then household names.
Robert Henry Maxwell Gibbes was born in the town of Young, New South
Wales, in May 1916. When the Second World War started, he enlisted as
an air cadet and was flying with the RAAF by June 1940 after lying
about his height, short of the stipulated minimum.
From 1941-43, most of his combat action was in north Africa. In the
latter year, he was recalled to Darwin after continuous Japanese air
raids on the city. Crashing during a training flight the same year,
he suffered serious injuries and burns and found himself being
treated by a Red Cross volunteer called Jeannine Ince. They married
in December 1944.
After the war, realising the need for air links across the highlands
of Papua New Guinea, then an Australian "external territory", he
moved to PNG and launched Gibbes Pepik Airways, using Junkers JU52
aircraft he bought in Scandinavia. He sold the business in 1958,
developed a coffee plantation on PNG, and started a hotel, the Bird
of Paradise, in the city of Goroka, eventually turning it into a
chain.
By the time he returned to Australia in 1975, Gibbes was seen as an
important pioneer of Papua New Guinea's development. Never one to
take it easy, and already in his sixties, he sailed his 40ft
catamaran, Billabong, solo from Southampton to Sydney.
Still flying as an octogenarian, he built his own miniature, two-
engined aircraft in the lounge of his home on Collaroy Beach, Sydney.
After miscalculating its wing-span, he had to knock down a wall to
get it out and in the air, but it worked.
He flew the contraption, described by friends as looking "like a
lawnmower" until he was 85, when Australian civil aviation
authorities decided he was too old to retain his licence. He was not
amused and, as always, said so in no uncertain language.
During Gibbes's funeral in a Sydney Anglican church, a single
Spitfire Mk-VIII, its nose painted with a "shark's jaws" logo and the
personalised signature his own Spitfire used to carry - Grey Nurse -
overflew the church with an escort of four modern F-18 Hornet
fighters.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeannine, daughters Robyn and
Julie, and five grandchildren.
Scotsman.com News - Obituaries - Wing-Commander Robert Gibbes
Wildcat
Major
evangilder
"Shooter"
Heinz
Captain
R.I.P sir........
pbfoot
1st Lieutenant
I heard he flew Daks on D day
By Duane Byrge
May 2, 2007
Tom Poston, the comedian and actor who was nationally recognized for his long run on "To Tell the Truth" and his comic turns on "The Bob Newhart Show," died at his home Monday in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 85.
During the 1950s and '60s, Poston was ubiquitous on quiz and panel shows. Beginning with guest appearances on "The Tonight Show" when Steve Allen hosted it, he was a popular talk-show guest. He won an Emmy for performing on "The Steve Allen Show," a stint he continued for four years.
Poston also was a recognizable comic actor. He played the grouchy neighbor on "Mork Mindy" but he particularly jelled with Newhart. His guest spots on "The Bob Newhart Show," when he played Bob's low-brow college chum, Peeper Murdock, who inspired the normally straight-laced Bob to "Animal House" antics, were popular episodes. When Newhart launched a new comedy series in 1982, Poston was cast as George Utley, his dull-witted sidekick whose loony observations packed wisdom. His slack-eyed look and slow-talking style were a hilarious combination, particularly when he punctuated them with inspired observations.
Poston was reportedly originally offered the role of Maxwell Smart in "Get Smart," but turned it down.
Similarly, Poston shone as a comic sidekick for Tim Conway's Derk Dorf character, and made memorable appearances as Mr. Looney, the school custodian, on "Family Matters." In 1995, he joined "Grace Under Fire" as Floyd, Russell's (Dave Thomas) odd father. He teamed with Howie Mandel in the short-lived 1990 Fox series "Good Grief" a comedy set behind the scenes at a mortuary. Poston occasionally appeared in TV longforms, like the daffy 1986 CBS miniseries "Fresno."
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While best known for his comedic TV appearances, he also did dramatic turns in such shows as "The Defenders," which starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed as a father/son lawyer team.
Poston was active in theater throughout his career, highlighted by his Broadway turn in the advertising satire "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" He also played Trinculo in the 1960 "Hallmark Hall of Fame" rendition of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
Poston's feature film appearances were sporadic. He began on film as a detective in 1953's "The City That Never Sleeps" and played the town two-timer in the Norman Lear comedy "Cold Turkey" (1971). He also performed in "Soldier in the Rain," which starred Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason, and "Rabbit Test," with Billy Crystal. More recently he appeared in "Krippendorf's Tribe" with Richard Dreyfuss, and "The Story of Us," which starred Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Poston was born Oct. 17, 1921, in Columbus, Ohio. He was a student at Bethany College, but entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and served in England from 1941-45. Poston was accorded an Air Medal for his efforts on D-Day, and won two other Oak Leaf Medals, gaining an Oak Leaf Cluster in military terms.
After his discharge, he moved to New York and began to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. He worked under such teachers as Sanford Meisner and Charles Jehlinger. Soon, he won a part in the Broadway production of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which starred Jose Ferrer.
Poston varied his performances between Broadway and live TV. He soon won a gig as the host of a live daily TV show, "Entertainment." His early TV performances were on a wide array of shows, including "Lights Out," "Studio One," "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Robert Montgomery Presents" and "The Phil Silvers Show." During this time, he made periodic forays onto the game shows, frequently appearing as a celebrity or mystery guest on such programs as "What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret."
However, it was his turns on "The Steve Allen Show" which won him nationwide recognition and led to more starring roles on Broadway. His stage appearances became increasingly frequent, starring and touring in such productions as "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Come Blow Your Horn," "Bye, Bye Birdie" and "Fiddler on the Roof," among others.
Poston was married three times: To Jean Sullivan, Kay Hudson and, in 2001, to Suzanne Pleshette, who starred as Newhart's wife on "The Bob Newhart Show." He is survived by Pleshette and three children: Francesca Poston, his daughter from his marriage to Sullivan, and two sons, Hudson Poston and Jason Poston, from his marriage to Hudson.
By Duane Byrge
May 2, 2007
Tom Poston, the comedian and actor who was nationally recognized for his long run on "To Tell the Truth" and his comic turns on "The Bob Newhart Show," died at his home Monday in Los Angeles after a brief illness. He was 85.
During the 1950s and '60s, Poston was ubiquitous on quiz and panel shows. Beginning with guest appearances on "The Tonight Show" when Steve Allen hosted it, he was a popular talk-show guest. He won an Emmy for performing on "The Steve Allen Show," a stint he continued for four years.
Poston also was a recognizable comic actor. He played the grouchy neighbor on "Mork Mindy" but he particularly jelled with Newhart. His guest spots on "The Bob Newhart Show," when he played Bob's low-brow college chum, Peeper Murdock, who inspired the normally straight-laced Bob to "Animal House" antics, were popular episodes. When Newhart launched a new comedy series in 1982, Poston was cast as George Utley, his dull-witted sidekick whose loony observations packed wisdom. His slack-eyed look and slow-talking style were a hilarious combination, particularly when he punctuated them with inspired observations.
Poston was reportedly originally offered the role of Maxwell Smart in "Get Smart," but turned it down.
Similarly, Poston shone as a comic sidekick for Tim Conway's Derk Dorf character, and made memorable appearances as Mr. Looney, the school custodian, on "Family Matters." In 1995, he joined "Grace Under Fire" as Floyd, Russell's (Dave Thomas) odd father. He teamed with Howie Mandel in the short-lived 1990 Fox series "Good Grief" a comedy set behind the scenes at a mortuary. Poston occasionally appeared in TV longforms, like the daffy 1986 CBS miniseries "Fresno."
Advertisement
While best known for his comedic TV appearances, he also did dramatic turns in such shows as "The Defenders," which starred E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed as a father/son lawyer team.
Poston was active in theater throughout his career, highlighted by his Broadway turn in the advertising satire "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" He also played Trinculo in the 1960 "Hallmark Hall of Fame" rendition of Shakespeare's "The Tempest."
Poston's feature film appearances were sporadic. He began on film as a detective in 1953's "The City That Never Sleeps" and played the town two-timer in the Norman Lear comedy "Cold Turkey" (1971). He also performed in "Soldier in the Rain," which starred Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason, and "Rabbit Test," with Billy Crystal. More recently he appeared in "Krippendorf's Tribe" with Richard Dreyfuss, and "The Story of Us," which starred Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Poston was born Oct. 17, 1921, in Columbus, Ohio. He was a student at Bethany College, but entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and served in England from 1941-45. Poston was accorded an Air Medal for his efforts on D-Day, and won two other Oak Leaf Medals, gaining an Oak Leaf Cluster in military terms.
After his discharge, he moved to New York and began to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. He worked under such teachers as Sanford Meisner and Charles Jehlinger. Soon, he won a part in the Broadway production of "Cyrano de Bergerac," which starred Jose Ferrer.
Poston varied his performances between Broadway and live TV. He soon won a gig as the host of a live daily TV show, "Entertainment." His early TV performances were on a wide array of shows, including "Lights Out," "Studio One," "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Robert Montgomery Presents" and "The Phil Silvers Show." During this time, he made periodic forays onto the game shows, frequently appearing as a celebrity or mystery guest on such programs as "What's My Line?" and "I've Got a Secret."
However, it was his turns on "The Steve Allen Show" which won him nationwide recognition and led to more starring roles on Broadway. His stage appearances became increasingly frequent, starring and touring in such productions as "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Come Blow Your Horn," "Bye, Bye Birdie" and "Fiddler on the Roof," among others.
Poston was married three times: To Jean Sullivan, Kay Hudson and, in 2001, to Suzanne Pleshette, who starred as Newhart's wife on "The Bob Newhart Show." He is survived by Pleshette and three children: Francesca Poston, his daughter from his marriage to Sullivan, and two sons, Hudson Poston and Jason Poston, from his marriage to Hudson.