RAAF "Real Top Guns"
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Not a Top Gun
Here is a rare and fascinating account of a Lewis Gunner during WW1 from the detailed diaries of the pilot, Delfosse Badgery. Delfosse had previously practised his bomb aiming at Hobart, Tasmania dropping bags of flour from his Caudron wing warper. His was the first aircraft into Tasmania.
One morning at Suez, Major General Hare arrived with his adjutant to inspect our outposts from the air. So Captain Watt detailed me to fly him around. I took him up, but as the air that day was very bumpy I do not think he saw much. The next day we had a violent hamsene or hurricane which whipped up the sand and brought visibility to a few yards. The fine dust and sand permeated our matting huts and got into everything. I think this was the cause of my having sinus trouble. I started to get severe headaches which became so bad I could not rest for the pain. I was sent to 3 Australian General Hospital in Cairo. After inhalation treatment I got immediate relief and slept for a day and a half. In about a week's time I felt fully recovered and asked to be returned to my unit. I found it comparatively easier to get into a military hospital, but to get out was quite another matter. They had other ideas and I was sent to Ras-el-tin rest camp for ten days. This place was situated on the sandy shores of a delightful bay near Alexandria and most of the time was spent on the beach and in the water. About 300 yards across this bay on a high hill stood the Sultan’s palace with a private bathing enclosures below. On top of the hill was a flagpole and our orders were that when a red flag was flying from it, no one was allowed to enter the water on our side. Every morning about 10 am the Sultan’s harem escorted by about four coloured eunuchs would wend their way down to their bathing enclosure. All the officialdom re the red flag was brought about by the crazy prank of one of the lads at our rest camp who had previously swum across the bay and was doing the peeping tom act while the harem was bathing.
The ten days passed very quickly and I then returned to my unit at Suez feeling very fit. The next day Captain Watt left me in charge of Suez while he went to Cairo on business. The following day, 4 August, the battle of Romani was in progress and I received an urgent message telegram to report to Ismalia immediately. On arrival there my machine was fitted with four 20 pound bombs. There was only one other machine belonging to the Royal Flying Corps then on the aerodrome as all the others were away on service against the Turks in the scrap.
I was delayed for about half an hour before a gunner could be found for me. When at last one was found the pilot of the other machine and I were briefed to take off and keep together and drop bombs on enemy targets at Katia near Romani. We both set a course for this area. The other machine was a BE 2D which out climbed and out paced me. I could not bridge the gap between us and after about 20 minutes flying he was a speck in the distance and very soon after was invisible. The map I had was very accurate and I had no difficulty in finding our objective.
The battle area was most confusing. Our light horses were in some places almost surrounded by Turks and the Turks in other nearby areas seemed to be encircled by our troops. The situation was so confused, shells were bursting everywhere, that it was inadvisable to drop bombs for fear of hitting our own troops. At this stage I saw my gunner who was in the front seat getting round in a kneeling position with the Lewis gun in his grip. The Lewis Gun had a swiveling mount which enabled him to fire on either side and above the tail units over my head. On looking around I could see two enemy biplanes coming up on our tail, one to port and low down and one higher up on the starboard side. My gunner started firing at the starboard plane and after a good burst swung his gun over to the other side. I immediately kicked on left rudder which gave him a clear shot at the one on the port side. His drum of cartridges was soon emptied and I started to execute all the evasive tactics possible whilst my gunner was trying to put a new drum of cartridges on the Lewis. I was very perturbed because he was emptying live cartridges over the side whilst trying to rotate the drum into its proper position. Just at this stage both enemy machines peeled off and went away to starboard and were soon a long way off. I will never know what caused them to pull away, for had they pressed home the attack we were practically a sitting shot. My gunner afterwards said he thought he had hit the first one as it pulled away first.
It was a very puzzling situation, I wanted to get rid of the bombs to lighten the plane in case these biplanes decided to attack again. When quite certain of my position, I dropped the four 20 pound bombs and received a note from the gunner explaining his ineptitude in reloading the machine gun which read. “I am a Vickers Gunner and don’t know the Lewis Gun”.
With the gun out of commission and all bombs disposed of I left the scene of the scrap and headed for Ismalia with the nose down and about three quarter throttle. My controls were very sloppy and the motor up to its old intermittent firing tricks. On landing at Ismalia the plane came to a halt looking like a wounded duck with the right wing drooping as the result of damage from enemy fire. It was totally unserviceable so we left for Suez almost immediately by train. The Royal Flying Corps were going to recondition it and would let me know when to take delivery. Captain Watt requested that the 2D wings be fitted instead of the old 2C ones and this was done.
Might I digress here and become a little technical. The 2D planes had a more torpedo like entry at the leading edge called a Phillips entry. It causes an earlier flow of air over the top and lower surfaces of the wing section giving a greater speed yet not diminishing its lifting potentialities and was a great improvement. In other words the 2C plane section would be likened to a semi clutching hand moving forward and the 2D the hand would be held quite straight.
I made reconnaissance flights every day in other machines until I got my reconditioned plane back ten days later when Second Lieutenant A M Burton and I left by train for Ismalia to collect it. It was the hottest day of the year about 130 degrees and we received a terrible buffeting all the way back to Suez. However, the swim at Tewfik baths that afternoon offset our discomfort.
Here is a rare and fascinating account of a Lewis Gunner during WW1 from the detailed diaries of the pilot, Delfosse Badgery. Delfosse had previously practised his bomb aiming at Hobart, Tasmania dropping bags of flour from his Caudron wing warper. His was the first aircraft into Tasmania.
One morning at Suez, Major General Hare arrived with his adjutant to inspect our outposts from the air. So Captain Watt detailed me to fly him around. I took him up, but as the air that day was very bumpy I do not think he saw much. The next day we had a violent hamsene or hurricane which whipped up the sand and brought visibility to a few yards. The fine dust and sand permeated our matting huts and got into everything. I think this was the cause of my having sinus trouble. I started to get severe headaches which became so bad I could not rest for the pain. I was sent to 3 Australian General Hospital in Cairo. After inhalation treatment I got immediate relief and slept for a day and a half. In about a week's time I felt fully recovered and asked to be returned to my unit. I found it comparatively easier to get into a military hospital, but to get out was quite another matter. They had other ideas and I was sent to Ras-el-tin rest camp for ten days. This place was situated on the sandy shores of a delightful bay near Alexandria and most of the time was spent on the beach and in the water. About 300 yards across this bay on a high hill stood the Sultan’s palace with a private bathing enclosures below. On top of the hill was a flagpole and our orders were that when a red flag was flying from it, no one was allowed to enter the water on our side. Every morning about 10 am the Sultan’s harem escorted by about four coloured eunuchs would wend their way down to their bathing enclosure. All the officialdom re the red flag was brought about by the crazy prank of one of the lads at our rest camp who had previously swum across the bay and was doing the peeping tom act while the harem was bathing.
The ten days passed very quickly and I then returned to my unit at Suez feeling very fit. The next day Captain Watt left me in charge of Suez while he went to Cairo on business. The following day, 4 August, the battle of Romani was in progress and I received an urgent message telegram to report to Ismalia immediately. On arrival there my machine was fitted with four 20 pound bombs. There was only one other machine belonging to the Royal Flying Corps then on the aerodrome as all the others were away on service against the Turks in the scrap.
I was delayed for about half an hour before a gunner could be found for me. When at last one was found the pilot of the other machine and I were briefed to take off and keep together and drop bombs on enemy targets at Katia near Romani. We both set a course for this area. The other machine was a BE 2D which out climbed and out paced me. I could not bridge the gap between us and after about 20 minutes flying he was a speck in the distance and very soon after was invisible. The map I had was very accurate and I had no difficulty in finding our objective.
The battle area was most confusing. Our light horses were in some places almost surrounded by Turks and the Turks in other nearby areas seemed to be encircled by our troops. The situation was so confused, shells were bursting everywhere, that it was inadvisable to drop bombs for fear of hitting our own troops. At this stage I saw my gunner who was in the front seat getting round in a kneeling position with the Lewis gun in his grip. The Lewis Gun had a swiveling mount which enabled him to fire on either side and above the tail units over my head. On looking around I could see two enemy biplanes coming up on our tail, one to port and low down and one higher up on the starboard side. My gunner started firing at the starboard plane and after a good burst swung his gun over to the other side. I immediately kicked on left rudder which gave him a clear shot at the one on the port side. His drum of cartridges was soon emptied and I started to execute all the evasive tactics possible whilst my gunner was trying to put a new drum of cartridges on the Lewis. I was very perturbed because he was emptying live cartridges over the side whilst trying to rotate the drum into its proper position. Just at this stage both enemy machines peeled off and went away to starboard and were soon a long way off. I will never know what caused them to pull away, for had they pressed home the attack we were practically a sitting shot. My gunner afterwards said he thought he had hit the first one as it pulled away first.
It was a very puzzling situation, I wanted to get rid of the bombs to lighten the plane in case these biplanes decided to attack again. When quite certain of my position, I dropped the four 20 pound bombs and received a note from the gunner explaining his ineptitude in reloading the machine gun which read. “I am a Vickers Gunner and don’t know the Lewis Gun”.
With the gun out of commission and all bombs disposed of I left the scene of the scrap and headed for Ismalia with the nose down and about three quarter throttle. My controls were very sloppy and the motor up to its old intermittent firing tricks. On landing at Ismalia the plane came to a halt looking like a wounded duck with the right wing drooping as the result of damage from enemy fire. It was totally unserviceable so we left for Suez almost immediately by train. The Royal Flying Corps were going to recondition it and would let me know when to take delivery. Captain Watt requested that the 2D wings be fitted instead of the old 2C ones and this was done.
Might I digress here and become a little technical. The 2D planes had a more torpedo like entry at the leading edge called a Phillips entry. It causes an earlier flow of air over the top and lower surfaces of the wing section giving a greater speed yet not diminishing its lifting potentialities and was a great improvement. In other words the 2C plane section would be likened to a semi clutching hand moving forward and the 2D the hand would be held quite straight.
I made reconnaissance flights every day in other machines until I got my reconditioned plane back ten days later when Second Lieutenant A M Burton and I left by train for Ismalia to collect it. It was the hottest day of the year about 130 degrees and we received a terrible buffeting all the way back to Suez. However, the swim at Tewfik baths that afternoon offset our discomfort.
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Don't stop now Milt, please at least 1 story a month!
A couple of gems from you at the end of a wayward thread where it has been suggested that;
- FJ aircrew are working 8 hour days knocking off at 1330 on Fri, in order to maintain their light aircraft intercept currency and 'pretend' fighting, and
- Sitting in the back of a herc getting shot at by sams should be every budding aviators ambition.
Keep it coming.
Back to the question on hand - I met the producer of the 'Real Top Guns' through a mutual friend in the industry. DVD sales exceeded all expectations, and one of the networks (that originally passed up the opportunity) had approached him to air the series having seen the initial episode. Not sure what their initial expectations were, but someone out there must rate it. I expect that eventually we'll hear the impact at the recruiting desk, although I would imagine RAAF pilot applicants are not in short supply (FJ or otherwise FTDK and PAF).
Regardless of what your opinion of the production is, well done to the boys regarding their efforts to relate the opportunities, lifestyle and experiences to the general public. Low level supersonic flight, dropping bombs, trips abroad and even defending the nations interests over a city somewhere in the middle of the night sounds hard to beat to me.
Naked.
P.S. Gradenburg - heard Renga on the radio a few months ago - flying for PelAir out of Nowra.
A couple of gems from you at the end of a wayward thread where it has been suggested that;
- FJ aircrew are working 8 hour days knocking off at 1330 on Fri, in order to maintain their light aircraft intercept currency and 'pretend' fighting, and
- Sitting in the back of a herc getting shot at by sams should be every budding aviators ambition.
Keep it coming.
Back to the question on hand - I met the producer of the 'Real Top Guns' through a mutual friend in the industry. DVD sales exceeded all expectations, and one of the networks (that originally passed up the opportunity) had approached him to air the series having seen the initial episode. Not sure what their initial expectations were, but someone out there must rate it. I expect that eventually we'll hear the impact at the recruiting desk, although I would imagine RAAF pilot applicants are not in short supply (FJ or otherwise FTDK and PAF).
Regardless of what your opinion of the production is, well done to the boys regarding their efforts to relate the opportunities, lifestyle and experiences to the general public. Low level supersonic flight, dropping bombs, trips abroad and even defending the nations interests over a city somewhere in the middle of the night sounds hard to beat to me.
Naked.
P.S. Gradenburg - heard Renga on the radio a few months ago - flying for PelAir out of Nowra.
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OK - here is another story about would be Top Guns
NOT a Top Gun yet but improving.
The Mustang had 6 50 cal guns.
Prolonged bursts of machine gun firing overheated our gun barrels. We soon found that, with the next live round being in the breach ready to fire, a state was soon reached where these rounds would become over-heated and cook off at random. Early in the process of learning this, I was line astern to Bay Adams, climbing up after a long firing pass when all six guns cooked off in rapid succession. I felt sure that one or more of these would have hit Bay's aircraft and was most relieved to learn later that none had. I refrained from telling Bay about this until many years later.
The gun-sight fitted to our aircraft was an early model gyro-reflector sight which would automatically provide target lead in a turn by swinging a dot in a ranging circle ahead of the line of flight of the target. The pilot had to set a selector knob on a scale of wingspan for the target and then use a throttle twist grip to vary the size of the adjustable ranging circle to fit closely around the target. This process provided a rough range solution which was then used to precess the sight’s gyroscopic mirror to set the aiming lead on the target.
For rocketry, bombing and air to ground gunnery we used the sight in a fixed condition which presented a fixed cross to signify the harmonisation point for the guns. It was not until I returned to Australia that I learned that the Mustangs there were fitted with improved gun-sights which provided the aiming solution during rocketry. It remains a mystery to me that we continued to use the early model gun-sights in combat.
An unusual incident would occasionally occur during gun firing. We carried successive rounds in the belts of ammunition of ball, incendiary, tracer, armour piercing and explosive. Sometimes one of the incendiary or tracer rounds would explode some 100 feet in front of the aircraft to form an almost perfect smoke ring. Whenever this happened I instinctively ducked, as this smoke ring seemed about to smash into the cockpit.
Smoke rings of other kinds were also ingrained in memory as the following descriptions will attest. For some time the North Koreans' advance was being held around a southern perimeter which passed about ten miles north of Taegu. Many of our ground attacks were directed towards protection of this vital airfield which the North badly wanted to put out of action.
Just north of the bomb line near Taegu were a few short railway tunnels. At night the North Koreans would use these tunnels to hide trucks loaded with supplies. We were assigned to attempt to make the tunnel entrances collapse using our rockets with their big 60 pound heads. We found that the best attack could be made by flying just above the railway tracks approaching the tunnel entrance. A little pull-up to allow for gravity drop just before release of the rocket was required followed by a very hard pull to clear the hill above the tunnel entrance. This could be followed by a half roll to give one a view of the rocket explosion. Using this technique about 1 in 4 rockets could be made to enter the tunnel. The resulting effects of the explosion of the rocket inside the tunnel was initially unexpected. There would be a whoosh of smoke out of the far end of the tunnel and a giant smoke ring would then come flying out of the near end.
After a couple of these we soon began a competition to blow the biggest and best smoke ring. For anyone or anything inside the tunnels it must have been decidedly unhealthy. The North Koreans soon stopped using those tunnels.
Other smoke rings were more ominous. These were from flak. I was never briefed on the finer points of flak until after a mission which took us over the harbour of Wonsan. Suddenly there were black puffs appearing about 5,000 ft above us. Bay Adams called flak and to start weaving. He was already doing this quite vigorously and I started to do the same. However I was intrigued that the flak continued to burst well above us, so my weaving dropped off.
During the debriefing after the mission Bay tore strips off me about my attempts at weaving. I exclaimed that the flak was way off target and nowhere near me. With raised eyebrows he said softly and with great effect, "Is that the first time you have flown through self destroying 40 mm ?" It now dawned on me that the AA must have been passing close to me and that the proximity fuses may have come awfully close to finding me. Perhaps if I had been weaving more vigorously I may have flown closer to one of those nasty things.
NOT a Top Gun yet but improving.
The Mustang had 6 50 cal guns.
Prolonged bursts of machine gun firing overheated our gun barrels. We soon found that, with the next live round being in the breach ready to fire, a state was soon reached where these rounds would become over-heated and cook off at random. Early in the process of learning this, I was line astern to Bay Adams, climbing up after a long firing pass when all six guns cooked off in rapid succession. I felt sure that one or more of these would have hit Bay's aircraft and was most relieved to learn later that none had. I refrained from telling Bay about this until many years later.
The gun-sight fitted to our aircraft was an early model gyro-reflector sight which would automatically provide target lead in a turn by swinging a dot in a ranging circle ahead of the line of flight of the target. The pilot had to set a selector knob on a scale of wingspan for the target and then use a throttle twist grip to vary the size of the adjustable ranging circle to fit closely around the target. This process provided a rough range solution which was then used to precess the sight’s gyroscopic mirror to set the aiming lead on the target.
For rocketry, bombing and air to ground gunnery we used the sight in a fixed condition which presented a fixed cross to signify the harmonisation point for the guns. It was not until I returned to Australia that I learned that the Mustangs there were fitted with improved gun-sights which provided the aiming solution during rocketry. It remains a mystery to me that we continued to use the early model gun-sights in combat.
An unusual incident would occasionally occur during gun firing. We carried successive rounds in the belts of ammunition of ball, incendiary, tracer, armour piercing and explosive. Sometimes one of the incendiary or tracer rounds would explode some 100 feet in front of the aircraft to form an almost perfect smoke ring. Whenever this happened I instinctively ducked, as this smoke ring seemed about to smash into the cockpit.
Smoke rings of other kinds were also ingrained in memory as the following descriptions will attest. For some time the North Koreans' advance was being held around a southern perimeter which passed about ten miles north of Taegu. Many of our ground attacks were directed towards protection of this vital airfield which the North badly wanted to put out of action.
Just north of the bomb line near Taegu were a few short railway tunnels. At night the North Koreans would use these tunnels to hide trucks loaded with supplies. We were assigned to attempt to make the tunnel entrances collapse using our rockets with their big 60 pound heads. We found that the best attack could be made by flying just above the railway tracks approaching the tunnel entrance. A little pull-up to allow for gravity drop just before release of the rocket was required followed by a very hard pull to clear the hill above the tunnel entrance. This could be followed by a half roll to give one a view of the rocket explosion. Using this technique about 1 in 4 rockets could be made to enter the tunnel. The resulting effects of the explosion of the rocket inside the tunnel was initially unexpected. There would be a whoosh of smoke out of the far end of the tunnel and a giant smoke ring would then come flying out of the near end.
After a couple of these we soon began a competition to blow the biggest and best smoke ring. For anyone or anything inside the tunnels it must have been decidedly unhealthy. The North Koreans soon stopped using those tunnels.
Other smoke rings were more ominous. These were from flak. I was never briefed on the finer points of flak until after a mission which took us over the harbour of Wonsan. Suddenly there were black puffs appearing about 5,000 ft above us. Bay Adams called flak and to start weaving. He was already doing this quite vigorously and I started to do the same. However I was intrigued that the flak continued to burst well above us, so my weaving dropped off.
During the debriefing after the mission Bay tore strips off me about my attempts at weaving. I exclaimed that the flak was way off target and nowhere near me. With raised eyebrows he said softly and with great effect, "Is that the first time you have flown through self destroying 40 mm ?" It now dawned on me that the AA must have been passing close to me and that the proximity fuses may have come awfully close to finding me. Perhaps if I had been weaving more vigorously I may have flown closer to one of those nasty things.
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Real Top Guns
Yes Mere Mortal, I am very proud of of what Rory (passed his CPL at Bacchus before joining the RAAF), Beau (GFPT at Bacchus), Khartik (GFPT with us at Point Cook), Matt Michell ( F111's - passed PPL with us at Bacchus Marsh), Ahdrew Habersberger (F111's - went first solo on Flightcamp), Samantha Webster ( GFPT on Flightcamp flew Hercs for several years) and the many others who are also flying for the Army and Navy who started out with TVSA either at Moorabbin, Lon gwarry, Point Cook or Bacchus Marsh. Many more who are now flying Commuter, Regionally, Domestically or Internationally keep in regular contact with us to tell us all about their many experiences. I am very proud of all of them!It was trerrific to be able to show our current International students what one of their fellow countrymen has achieved.
Grandpa Aerotart
Milt how about an in depth pilot report on the nuts and bolts of actually flying a P51?
Excrutiating detail requested.
I have come close once or twice but circumstances have thus far beaten me each time...one of these days.
Perhaps Capn Bloggs could do one for the Mirage too? Gotta be the prettiest of the Jet fighters.
Excrutiating detail requested.
I have come close once or twice but circumstances have thus far beaten me each time...one of these days.
Perhaps Capn Bloggs could do one for the Mirage too? Gotta be the prettiest of the Jet fighters.
