Obituaries
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fubar57
General
fubar57
General
Moved from the other thread
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Fishboy
Airman
dick56
Airman
a repeat
DBII
Senior Master Sergeant
I grew up reading 30 seconds, God is My Co-pilot and The Flying Tigers. Heros of my youth.
Fishboy
Airman
I can remember my first week in junior high school. My first exposure to a library with a wide array of books. The first book I checked out was Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. The 2nd book was God is my Copilot. I agree.....heroes of my youth as well. Rest In Peace.
MiTasol
2nd Lieutenant
Another write up on Richard Cole and an early post war write up on three other Raiders.
Dick Cole - Honorary Unsubscribe
Dick Cole - Honorary Unsubscribe
S/L John Sauvage 
Born and bred Seychellois war hero John Sauvage who fought in World War Two, died on April 3 aged 100, after a short illness.
He was the last surviving member of his crew in the RAF's 97 Squadron.
Seychelles' high commissioner (HC) to the United Kingdom, Derrick Ally, will attend his funeral on April 29 at the Harwod Park Crematorium, Watton Road, Stevenage SG2 8XT in the United Kingdom.
HC Ally has described Captain Sauvage, a highly decorated Pathfinder, as a man of indomitable spirit.
"A man of indomitable spirit, Mr Sauvage played a major role in the fight for freedom during one of the darkest periods of the last century. His passing is a battle that he could not have won, he has won all others," said HC Ally.
Squadron Leader Sauvage was born in Seychelles and moved the United Kingdom to further his education in 1939. But when war broke out he joined the RAF and trained for Bomber Command. He went on to join 97 Squadron and flew in sorties over German-occupied Europe.
HC Ally added that the Seychelles high commission team was invited to Captain Sauvage's 100th birthday celebrations on February 9 at his home in Datchworth, Hertfordshire, in England. He celebrated his birthday with wife Rosemary, aged 94, and their five children at their home.
"Captain Sauvage was very pleased to see us and was touched when I conveyed to him the best wishes of the people and government of Seychelles on this important milestone," added HC Ally.
Captain Sauvage's favourite saying was: "Life consists of the quick or the dead, particularly when you have a Messerschmitt 109 up your arse".
One of his sons, Peter Sauvage, had this to say to Seychelles NATION about his father: "Jean Sauvage, Dad to us, was a man who we respected, admired and we're very proud of. There is no one we know who has achieved so much not just during the war but afterwards in his working life. He has lived in the UK but his heart was always in the Seychelles, his true home, a place he always wanted to talk about, proud of his roots, a place he was always happy to be a part of. He missed it but knew he had to be here to achieve his aims … which he did."
Squadron leader Sauvage was an RAF hero who survived 64 bombing raids, helped trick the Germans over the D-Day landings and pioneered the package holiday.
He was one of the Pathfinder squadron's most distinguished pilots in the Second World War, lighting up enemy targets with flares for the main bombing force to strike. And he was among the 10 per cent of Bomber Command airmen to survive the entire war, receiving three medals for his skill and courage.
To dupe the Germans that British and American forces were looking to land in France, he flew a lookalike for Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery to Gibraltar days before the landings.
If German intelligence thought the British Army supremo was 1,500 miles away then the Allied invasion of Europe would not happen anytime soon, was the argument. The episode was immortalised in the 1958 John Mills movie 'I Was Monty's Double' in which an actor played the part of Squadron Leader Sauvage.
After the war he flew planes in the Berlin airlift, before becoming a pilot at Eagle Airways based at what is now Luton Airport, developing the idea of packaged holidays abroad, and eventually becoming a chairman at the Thompson Travel Group. In 1943, he was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) following a hair-raising operation on industrial Friedrichshafen in southern Germany.
While over the target area his Lancaster bomber was shot up by flak but he managed to fly it on to Algeria as planned and made a safe landing.
His plane was so badly damaged it couldn't make the return flight to Britain and he and his crew had to catch a lift.
In August 1943 he took part in the bombing raids on the German V-2 rocket sites at Pennemunde on the Baltic coast.
He went on to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Bar for being a 'highly skilled and a determined pilot' and for his 'act of selfless bravery'.
Towards the end of the war Squadron Leader Sauvage became a VIP pilot to Battle of Britain supremo Sir Keith Parks and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
His eldest son Paul said: "He enjoyed a stellar career in the RAF. He flew in 64 bombing missions in the war and survived unscathed. That is a remarkable statistic on its own.
"But it is a fact that less than 10 per cent of aircrew who flew at the beginning of the war survived to see the end of it.
"Dad never spoke a lot about the war but the older he got the more he started to reminisce and opened up and when he did I always made a point of writing it down."
WO Tommy Doherty, of the RAF presentation team, said: "We are truly saddened at his passing and consider him a true legend.
"Squadron Leader Johnnie' Sauvage OBE, DFC, DSO had an outstanding career and served our nation in its darkest hour, we will never forget him."
Jennie Mack Gray from the RAF Pathfinders Archive said: "John Sauvage was one of the legendary Pathfinder figures, a brilliant pilot and leader, and a vivid and charismatic personality."
Captain Sauvage also served as a test pilot for the risky process of in-flight refueling and is credited with bringing the Boeing 737 aircraft to Europe.
In 1975 Squadron Leader Sauvage was awarded the OBE for his services to the airline industry.
source: Seychelles Nation
Born and bred Seychellois war hero John Sauvage who fought in World War Two, died on April 3 aged 100, after a short illness.
He was the last surviving member of his crew in the RAF's 97 Squadron.
Seychelles' high commissioner (HC) to the United Kingdom, Derrick Ally, will attend his funeral on April 29 at the Harwod Park Crematorium, Watton Road, Stevenage SG2 8XT in the United Kingdom.
HC Ally has described Captain Sauvage, a highly decorated Pathfinder, as a man of indomitable spirit.
"A man of indomitable spirit, Mr Sauvage played a major role in the fight for freedom during one of the darkest periods of the last century. His passing is a battle that he could not have won, he has won all others," said HC Ally.
Squadron Leader Sauvage was born in Seychelles and moved the United Kingdom to further his education in 1939. But when war broke out he joined the RAF and trained for Bomber Command. He went on to join 97 Squadron and flew in sorties over German-occupied Europe.
HC Ally added that the Seychelles high commission team was invited to Captain Sauvage's 100th birthday celebrations on February 9 at his home in Datchworth, Hertfordshire, in England. He celebrated his birthday with wife Rosemary, aged 94, and their five children at their home.
"Captain Sauvage was very pleased to see us and was touched when I conveyed to him the best wishes of the people and government of Seychelles on this important milestone," added HC Ally.
Captain Sauvage's favourite saying was: "Life consists of the quick or the dead, particularly when you have a Messerschmitt 109 up your arse".
One of his sons, Peter Sauvage, had this to say to Seychelles NATION about his father: "Jean Sauvage, Dad to us, was a man who we respected, admired and we're very proud of. There is no one we know who has achieved so much not just during the war but afterwards in his working life. He has lived in the UK but his heart was always in the Seychelles, his true home, a place he always wanted to talk about, proud of his roots, a place he was always happy to be a part of. He missed it but knew he had to be here to achieve his aims … which he did."
Squadron leader Sauvage was an RAF hero who survived 64 bombing raids, helped trick the Germans over the D-Day landings and pioneered the package holiday.
He was one of the Pathfinder squadron's most distinguished pilots in the Second World War, lighting up enemy targets with flares for the main bombing force to strike. And he was among the 10 per cent of Bomber Command airmen to survive the entire war, receiving three medals for his skill and courage.
To dupe the Germans that British and American forces were looking to land in France, he flew a lookalike for Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery to Gibraltar days before the landings.
If German intelligence thought the British Army supremo was 1,500 miles away then the Allied invasion of Europe would not happen anytime soon, was the argument. The episode was immortalised in the 1958 John Mills movie 'I Was Monty's Double' in which an actor played the part of Squadron Leader Sauvage.
After the war he flew planes in the Berlin airlift, before becoming a pilot at Eagle Airways based at what is now Luton Airport, developing the idea of packaged holidays abroad, and eventually becoming a chairman at the Thompson Travel Group. In 1943, he was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) following a hair-raising operation on industrial Friedrichshafen in southern Germany.
While over the target area his Lancaster bomber was shot up by flak but he managed to fly it on to Algeria as planned and made a safe landing.
His plane was so badly damaged it couldn't make the return flight to Britain and he and his crew had to catch a lift.
In August 1943 he took part in the bombing raids on the German V-2 rocket sites at Pennemunde on the Baltic coast.
He went on to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and Bar for being a 'highly skilled and a determined pilot' and for his 'act of selfless bravery'.
Towards the end of the war Squadron Leader Sauvage became a VIP pilot to Battle of Britain supremo Sir Keith Parks and Lord Louis Mountbatten.
His eldest son Paul said: "He enjoyed a stellar career in the RAF. He flew in 64 bombing missions in the war and survived unscathed. That is a remarkable statistic on its own.
"But it is a fact that less than 10 per cent of aircrew who flew at the beginning of the war survived to see the end of it.
"Dad never spoke a lot about the war but the older he got the more he started to reminisce and opened up and when he did I always made a point of writing it down."
WO Tommy Doherty, of the RAF presentation team, said: "We are truly saddened at his passing and consider him a true legend.
"Squadron Leader Johnnie' Sauvage OBE, DFC, DSO had an outstanding career and served our nation in its darkest hour, we will never forget him."
Jennie Mack Gray from the RAF Pathfinders Archive said: "John Sauvage was one of the legendary Pathfinder figures, a brilliant pilot and leader, and a vivid and charismatic personality."
Captain Sauvage also served as a test pilot for the risky process of in-flight refueling and is credited with bringing the Boeing 737 aircraft to Europe.
In 1975 Squadron Leader Sauvage was awarded the OBE for his services to the airline industry.
source: Seychelles Nation
Jan Linzel passed away at an age of 103 at liberation day today.
He was one of the Dutch Heroes!
He was one of the D.XXI pilots during the 5 days war in May 1940, flying form Ypenburg, The Hague. After some resistance work, he escaped to the UK and flew Spitfires and Tempest fighters from there. After the war he was comander of the VlieHorst and as such was responsible for the training of countless NATO fighter pilots. He was one of our last airwarriors left. Rest in peace Jan
For the interested, I did a thread about him many years ago: The May fliers - Jan Linzel
He was one of the Dutch Heroes!
He was one of the D.XXI pilots during the 5 days war in May 1940, flying form Ypenburg, The Hague. After some resistance work, he escaped to the UK and flew Spitfires and Tempest fighters from there. After the war he was comander of the VlieHorst and as such was responsible for the training of countless NATO fighter pilots. He was one of our last airwarriors left. Rest in peace Jan
For the interested, I did a thread about him many years ago: The May fliers - Jan Linzel
michael rauls
Tech Sergeant
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- Jul 15, 2016
fubar57
General