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F/Lt Paterson Clarence „Pat“ Hughes (RAAF, Blue 1) could be shot down either by Air Gunner or enemy fighters like se Fw. Eduard Koslowski (2.) of 9./JG 53, Spitfire at 19.25 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-152B), Oblt. Siegfried Stronk (1.) of 8./JG 53, Spitfire at 19.40 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-153B) etc. Debree is rather out of question with part off wing cut or shot off.
Time 11:17 P/O John Dallas Crossman (RAAF, B Flight) was killed probably either by Oblt. Ulrich Steinhilper (4.) of 3./JG 52, Spitfire Ashford 5000 m. at 14.35 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/I-70) or by Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob (14.) z 7./JG 54, Spitfire nad Tonbridge v 14.35 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-115B).
I had an 'adopted' great uncle Bob (Robert) who was an RAAF pilot seconded by the RAF to fly in China prior to the Japanese invasion of Malaya and bombing of Pearl Harbour He passed away in the 1950s and before I was born, the only other thing I know about him is a German woman was supposed to have tried to poison him while he was in China Adoption was more common then and I don't know if he used his original surname or if he would've used my mother's maiden name of Wilton I have an uncle and two cousins named after great uncle Bob
Another great video. To give context about other non-Brits, wikipedia notes " Among those killed were 47 airmen from Canada, 24 from Australia, 17 from South Africa, 30 from Poland, 20 from Czechoslovakia and six from Belgium. Forty-seven New Zealanders lost their lives, including 15 fighter pilots, 24 bomber and eight coastal aircrew. " It's worth noting that the population of New Zealand is much lower than most of the other countries listed. God bless them all.
The head count of non-British in RAF in Battle of Britain, includes more than pilots: From Commonwealth: A total of 126 New Zealanders, 98 Canadians, 33 Australians and 25 South Africans participated. They were joined by three Rhodesians, a Jamaican, a Barbadian and a Newfoundlander. (Newfoundland was separate from Canada at the time.) Other Europeans: 145 Poles, 88 Czechoslovaks, 29 Belgians, 13 Frenchmen and an Austrian flew in the Battle and many of these proved to be excellent pilots. From "Neutral" countries: 10 Irish and 11 United States citizens fought in the Battle of Britain.
@@mombaassaI remember looking up the 1940 population of New Zealand because they seemed to be over represented of what I was sure a relatively small population. Canada was about 11 million and Australia about 8 million.
I've always thought it odd that during Imperial days, the English (etc.) clung to discussing the country as "Home". I've never heard any other country that did that.
They were truly a credit to your country, and the rest of the Empire. Be proud and tell your son's and daughters of their deeds and courage, and remember your strength when needed is great.
On visiting Loch Leven, which is famous for its small island on which sits the castle where Mary QUeen of Scots was once imprisoned, I noticed a small, makeshift memorial by a small jetty - some flowers wired to a railing and a small sheet of paper printed out and laminated, attached to the fence. It was a hand-made memorial to Winston Vernon Stark - a New Zealander, not an Aussie, but like the men in this video, an example of how many answered the call to defend the world from the Nazis, coming halfway round the world to do his bit. On a training flight in 1943 his Hurricane went into the Loch, killing this young man. I was very touched that all these decades on, someone remembered Winston and wanted us to know of his life. The little pieces of history we sometimes come across on a simple walk...
Keith Miller was an Australian pilot in WW2 also a member of the Australian cricket team. When asked by a journalist about the pressure of playing test cricket and facing the English fast bowlers. He laughed and said.Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not".I think that sums up the Aussie spirit. 👍
I served in the RAF 1980-97, in my last posting at Lyneham , i had an Australian Flight Lieutenant who was a RAF officer and a RAAF Squadron Leader , on exchange with the RAF, who were my bosses. my previous Sqn Ldr went on to a posting to Australia under same exchange programme.
VG! I believe it continues... The Army side was called Long Look in the 90's. I had a Corporal from The Royal Tank Regiment as my Troop Corporal for a while... My Tp Cpl went to get on th' piss in England. 😉
Thank you for putting a spotlight on our contribution. We have a proud history of chipping in and punching above our weight. Locally we pronounce RAAF as "R double-A F" 👍
As an Aussie whose dad served 23 years in the RAAF, thank you. This vid made me humble, cry & the last pilot...laugh out loud. You truly encapsulated the Aussie spirit. Thanks again.👍
My dad was in transport over NG, as a transport pilot..in actual fact, it went further than that, he was a biscuit bomber. But my brother and I never knew that until we read some of his diaries entered into at the end of each flight. One entry said "Only 38 bullet holes, no one hurt, good day." But a lot of repairs before it took off again. Seemed like just another day at the office with his co-pilot.
Pilot officer Crossman grew up in Newcastle NSW and the local airforce cadet unit has a trophy named after him I won it many moons ago and it’s still awarded for outstanding leadership to this very day
Australias contributions to the Battle of Britain were not insignificant, however, the majority of Australians in the RAF served in bomber command, where over 4000 were killed, one of, if not the single deadliest campaign for Australia during the war an Australian bomber squadron has been credited as dropping more bombs on Europe than any other and G for George is the 2nd highest scoring lancaster currently surviving
My Grandfather was a Squadron Leader- He was an Australian in the RAF who took command of an RCAF Squadron- 420 Snowy Owl. He was shot down twice- landed safely- the second time the tail section was about 50 metres from the tail section. He never lost a crew member. First time he escaped through enemy lines with the help of the Dutch - the second time they were caught by Gestapo. He ended up in Stalag Luft 3,(after a stint in Colditz where he designed a "Flying Fox" to escape-this is mentioned in a book my Great Aunt had) - and was the Master Forger for the Great Escape. After Repatriation he was promoted to Wing Commander and placed in Command of the last POW camp for Luftwaffe who were not repatriated until 1947 (at Kingscliffe in Scotland I think). Great Guy-played a mean Guitar too. Gave me my first sip of Scotch and puff on a Cigar lol.
God bless the Ozzys and the Kiwis., and the Canadians.. and all the men of the Subcontinent.. and of Africa . The Poles ,the Belgians , the Czechoslovakians, the Dutch, the Norwegians., the Danish, the French and the Americans that helped in the fight! May blessings be upon all these men and women's souls. ! Nothing but respect and love for all of them . From a still grateful UK. Always. We will remember. ! 👍💛👊
One difference between Australia and New Zealand and the discrepancy in numbers was Australia with a very Australian stubborn streak, was trying to put together full Australian Squadrons at the start of the war, which took longer to deploy. The New Zealanders (like the Australians mentioned here) were on attachment to or enlisted in the RAF. New Zealand also sent a lot more pilots to UK for training than Australia did. The RAAF was the 4th oldest independent air force in the world. 20% of all Australian WW2 fatalities ended up being aircrew flying with Bomber Command.
VERY AWESOME EPISODE, PROFESSOR G!!!!! I can honestly say that this is the very first time I've heard anything about this battle and the Australian Airmen that so valiantly fought shoulder to shoulder with the British. I am so very impressed with the heart they displayed for history to hopefully remember! You are 1,000% correct in your statement that this DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED! I will certainly share this with my Grandchildren!!!!!
Australian's are poorly represented in all theatres of WW2 especially the Pacific where they were the main ground forces in the New Guinea Campaign until Germany war ended. New Guinea Campaign was Pacific island nations or Oceania, Aussies outnumbered USA ground forces. Yes USA navy did a huge amount even Australian RAAF did lots. I see American intelligence spotted Japanese movements through Pacific. was Australian coast watchers that were set up all through Pacific on outset of war and again USA stole other's for propaganda. Why Aussies rioted against USA in a battle called battle of Brisbane over 5000 people fought with 1 Aussies shot dead General MacArthur would report Aussie only wins as either allied or USA and said Aussies were poor fighters etc when they did the most. was lucky during Battle of Brisbane he was not in Brisbane as the Aussies went to his hotel HQ and smashed it up looking for him.
Thanks Lance, another great episode, it is gratifying to see internationally acclaimed historians are now delving into Australia’s contributions to world history. Goodonyamate !!🇦🇺
Brough is usually pronounced "Bruff". Think of rough and tough. Some Australian place names were not perfect either, but overall this is an excellent video, well researched and well presented. Thank you for highlighting this deserving topic. As another comment mentioned, Ian Smith of Rhodesia served in the RAF. Free Poles also. As an Irishman, I should also mention Brendan Finucane, known as "Paddy" purely for his nationality. The UK forces were filled with many nationalities, some who served out of economic necessity, but all of whom did their damnedest to defeat fascism, both in Europe and the far East.
There is definitely not enough of Australian History in the Australian education system. I'd have loved to heard about these brave young men. I was even in The Australian Airforce Cadets & didn't know all this information. One of my Commanders even flew in the Battle Of Britain. Thank you for doing this story. ❤
I believe the pilot of my first cousin once removed's Halifax bomber (my mum's cousin) was from NSW in Australia. Out of the 7 crew only 2 survived the crash on their last mission 2 weeks before the end of the war. They had come back from hitting an oil refinery when they were diverted as they came into land German fighters (part of Operation Gisela) who had hidden them amongst their escort and they ended up going off the runway into woods where it caught on fire. Of the 2 that made it out of the aircraft one died two days later from their injuries the last lived into old age and kept in touch over the years with John's baby sister who was 10 at the time, when he passed away in bed his family said he kept staring into the corner where no one was standing before smiling and saying quietly, "Hello Johnny it is time we were going." He passed away a few minutes later. His sister was haunted by the day until she passed as she was woken up by her brother's dog howling in the night when he never had before with her father and his brother turning from jokers to rather serious as they with her brother had been the pranksters and jesters of the family. She resented Harris for a long time as she said the mission wasn't necessary and had only partially achieved what it set out to do. That also bled into the government and MoD as they ignored the sacrifice for decades that the bomber wing had given because it was deemed politically unpopular even though those like her brother had just been told that they were being sent to bomber division and were ordered where to go by the very ones who were looking to sweep it all under the carpet. One of her most bittersweet moments when she was in her 80s was collecting her brother's medal and going to see her brother's name on the national monument that had finally been created for them so she was able to leave flowers for him and see his sacrifice hadn't been forgotten.
I’m Australian and my Australian great uncle Jock, flew for the RA during the Battle of Britain. He survived but was traumatized, his nervous were shot. He died of a heart attack roughly a decade after the war.
7:12: No.1 Squadron in France 1940. Clisby is 2nd from left. The fourth man from the right is Paul Richey who later wrote a book titled 'Fighter Pilot' which is worth a read. It tells the story of the Battle of France seen through their eyes. IIRC about half the men in the photo, including Richey, survived the war.
Thank you for highlighting the flying feats of the Australian fighter pilots. Another Aussie who won the DFC flying a Spitfire was Tony Gaze. After the war he went on to be a successful motor racing driver and started a fantastic motoring festival called Goodwood that is still run today in Britain. An incredible ace in two areas of combat.
In addition to the RAAF members there was also at least two pilots/aircrew who flew with the RN Fleet during the battle. great to see you back in my feed here, thank you for looking at our Aussie Forces
I'm the son of a American WW-II Fighter pilot that got his wings a year after Battle of Britain. He spoke very highly of the R.A.F. Thank you for another outstanding post.
My dad flew spitfires out of Red Hill with 452 squadron. Missed the "big show", arrived too late. Spent a lot of time shooting up ground targets in France. Came back to Australia and flew spitfires out of Darwin with 457 squadron...... Learned to fly in Canada with the Empire Air Scheme. His diaries and log book are with the War Museum in Canberra.
Kudo's on another GREAT episode! I do like how you bring out the small details that are overlooked by the larger whole. I now wish I'd listen to my elders, when I was young, as they told their stories.
I'm a 53 year old Australian history teacher. I've watched a lot of your video's, and have long been tinkering with subscribing. This video has tipped it for me. Either you are desperate for new material, or seeking to cover that which has never been given enough emphasis in the past, and deserves it's due. Methinks the latter. Well done cobber.
@@anthonyeaton5153 Aussies played a huge role in keeping Britain and the Empire (Tobruk etc) in the war, but Aussies had minimal impact in the Battle of Britain. Bomber Command another story.
As an Aussie I thank you very much for your recognition of our former flyers of WWII. But if I may I will correct you on pronunciation. The Brit's had the R,A,F. Australia had and has the RAAF known as the R Double AF or (how shall I put this),, the RAAAF as in Rif Raff. You mentioned the author Kristen or Kirstin Alexxander. She also has a great book about Clive Caldwell. Maybe you could read it, it is a great and controversial bit of our WWII history that is little known. Clive would be Australia's greatest flying ace of WWII, BUT read the book.
There were half a dozen or so Americans who “officially” fought in the Battle of Britain, and probably another half dozen who “unofficially” fought, having joined the RAF claiming to be Canadians. The USA had strict neutrality laws and any American who fought for either side risked losing their American citizenship.
Lots of "Canadian Volunteers" fighting for Britain during the war. Lots of awkward meetings when the real Americas finally showed up only to find some of their colleges had been fighting there for years...
Perhaps you could do something on the Eagle Squadrons of the RAF. These 3 (numbered 71, 121, & 133) squadrons were manned by volunteer Americans before these United States entered the war in December 1941 and existed from 19 September 1940 to 29 September 1942.
Interesting note. As many didn’t serve with RAAF squadrons, they formed the ‘odd bods’ association post war and marched under that banner on Anzac days
Americans were in the battle of Hamel to fill the depleted ranks of the Australian forces, and Monash chose the fourth of July to honour the Americans this battles was also to be used as an opportunity for them to get actual battle experience, the Aussies were the veterans here.
Great Video about the Australian role in the battle of Britain! Mind doing one for maybe the French soldiers at Gallipoli figthing alongside the Australians Kiwi’s and British?
yes 3 dozen Aussies made a great contribution. Maybe a video on the 150 Polish, 80 czechoslovakians, 120 Canadians and 130 New Zealanders (a country with only a third of Australias population) including Keith Park.
Many more than 3 dozen Aussies made an exceptional contribution. Not sure why you’d feel the need to play one-upmanship amongst allies, but no matter how big the chip on your shoulder may be, it can’t obscure the reality of Australia’s significant role in defending the free world from the Axis Powers of evil.
Thank you for putting all this together ! My father was ground crew in the RAAF ( usually referred to as the R doubleA F) in WW2. Great to hear about more local lads from S.A.
Another superb episode good Sir! I know you must have too many projects in the works, but, have you thought about doing an episode on the RAAF Base Point Cook? I believe it is one of if not the oldest continuously operated air force base still in use.
James Frederick Powell Brough seems to have attended 2 of the same schools my son did, Newtown and Elizabeth State School, which became Elizabeth Matriculation College and then Elizabeth College in 1987. My grandfather who was 7 years older than Brough also went there, and so did I, very briefly! I love these connections in our small city!
This Australian thanks you very much Lance. A cousin of my father’s and the father of a good friend served as navigators on bombers over Germany. Excellent mathematicians. I wish our government would act on the need to massively boost our defence efforts now instead of, it seems, assuming the US should and will keep bearing so much of the load.
Thanks for an entertaining and informative video. It's been mentioned below and you commented but I wanted to add that not only do Australians call the RAAF the R double A F, we also call it the Raff (ie, the word, not the letters)
A really fascinating ww2 RAAF subject is the Morotai Mutany. My Grandfather was RAAF aircrew attached to a US B24 liberator squadron, he was on Morotai when the mutany took place. Although he never took part in the mutany, he was a witness to it.
My mother had a good friend whose husband fought in the Battle of Britain. He got shot down on D Day, was ferried back, and flew sorties the next day. I have a picture of him flying his Spitfire “somewhere over England” that he gave me.
Thank you for the lesson. The Polish 303 squadron draws its lineage from a post WW1 squadron that fought the new Soviet Union for independence. Many of the pilots were Americans of Polish ancestry. They were returning the favor as numerous Poles served in the American Revolution. The 303 squadron emblem has 13 stripes for the 13 colonies.
I am named in honour of my Dad's brother Neville, who was an gunner in the RAAF, serving in the RAF who was killed in a bombing raid over Germany in September 1943. I tell my children what an honour it is to have his name, and while not exactly in the Battle of Britain i always tell them he was one of the 'Few' that Churchill talked about.
While the general concept today is that Churchill’s “few” meant fighter command, the context of the speech makes it clear that he was speaking just as much about bomber command.
🫶 and here I thought I was the only one that watched that! Terrific film, pairs well with piece of cake. I wish that it was better known. But then there's no shortage of tales and stories that need to be remembered and shared.
I remember watching "The Battle of Britain" movie when it came out. I have always loved airplanes and this movie was well written, acted, and photographed. I think it was accurate as well.
Great video on the Australians. Would be nice to see one about New Zealand, as it contributed 3 x more pilots to the Battle of Britain than Australia and perhaps the most famous and important leader in fighter command after Dowding, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park from NZ who led 11 Group. New Zealand with a much smaller population contributed both more by number and as percentage of population to the Battle of Britain than Australia. From the commonwealth a total of 126 New Zealanders, 98 Canadians, 33 Australians and 25 South Africans participated They were joined by three Rhodesians, a Jamaican, a Barbadian and a Newfoundlander (Non commonwealth, 145 Poles, 88 Czechoslovaks, 29 Belgians, 13 Frenchmen, 1 Austrian, 19 Irish and 11 American). There were four pilots who were "ace in a day" in the Battle of Britain: Archie McKellar (British), Antoni Głowacki (Polish), Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn (British) and Brian Carbury (New Zealander). 2 out of the top 10 aces during the Battle of Britain were from New Zealand, Brian Carbury with 15 1/2 and Colin Grey with 14 1/2 kills. Reference RAF Museum.
Well one of the reasons there was so many New Zealanders was just before the outbreak of the war. Something like 30 crews were in the UK to pick up new aircraft for use back at home
Too true, a magnificent contribution. Such a shame that NZ doesn’t have an effective defence force at the moment, leaving the defence of AUS/NZ to Australia, entirely. Successive NZ governments have followed that policy of basically doing nothing to make an effective fighting force, obviously with the consent of the majority of the New Zealand people. That is the saddest part, and is offensive to Oz and to the memory of the NZ’ers who made the sacrifices of the past.
Given the sobering content Lance, as an Aussie, I can't say that I enjoyed this but it was very informative indeed! Thank you for putting it together Mate! One little suggestion if I may though? Here we pronounce our Air Force's initials as "R double A F" not "R A A F)
Flight LFT Coates....................a fighter pilot when injured, became a navigator and participated in the 1000 plane raid over Dresden. Returned to Australia alive.
Way back in the good old days here in Aus when I was at flying school I got to have conversations with an ex RAAF pilot who flew Spits in Britain. VERY interesting guy. Not far from where I live is a museum of military aircraft used by the RAAF virtually since it's inception. When they have flying days they have two Spits up in air doing their thing. You can bet that I'm there. :)
Well done sir it good to hear of the exploits of Aussies at war as we don't hear much about it but plenty about the other counties involved cheers from tasmania Australia
Yet I notice in Wikipedia that a much smaller country (New Zealand) had 127 pilots against Australia's 32 and Canada's 112. The breakdown includes ... 145 Poles, 127 New Zealanders, 112 Canadians, 88 Czechoslovaks, 10 Irish, 32 Australians, 28 Belgians, 25 South Africans, 13 French, 9 Americans, 3 Southern Rhodesians and individuals from Jamaica, Barbados and Newfoundland.
@@chrisrabbitt The point is in the first sentence. From Tobruk to Long Tan, the Kiwis were vital to Australia’s military successes but don’t get their deserved recognition.
@@michaelwise1224 to say the Kiwis were vital to every Australian military success is a huge claim to make, especially as they weren't there for more than a few of them. Australia doesn't get much recognition either but they do recognise the efforts of the Kiwis.
@@michaelwise1224 yes I did read it that way. I see plenty of Australians highlighting the things their country have done but I don't see any Kiwis doing the same.. are they so ignorant of their own victories that had nothing to do with the Australians? There are a few of those too... it would seem less tacky doing that then complaining on a video about what Australians did. Just as an aside, how many of those 127 Kiwi pilots were aces and how many in the top ten aces of the battle of Britain? Genuine question, I could go and look but I thought i would see if you knew first.
Just a great episode. 303 Polish Squadron flying Hurricanes claimed the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down of the 66 squadrons that took part. Not to minimize the contributions from the Commonwealth which were essential to the successful outcome of BoB.
To correct your mis-quote of Churchill's famous 'the few' speech: “The Few” “The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. *Never in the field of HUMAN CONFLICT* was so much owed by so many to so few. “ -Tribute to the Royal Air Force, House of Commons, 20 August 1940. The Battle of Britain peaked a month later. Because of German bombing raids, Churchill said, Britain was “a whole nation fighting and suffering together.” He had worked out the phrase about “The Few” in his mind as he visited the Fighter Command airfields in Southern England.
I wonder if you could do an episode explaining the history of the East India Company, how it started, what it was and what happened to it? Love watching your shows! Keep up the great work!
You make great content, thank you for the effort! While watching this I can't help but be excited for something similar covering Sailor Malan and his fellow South Africans!
From a proud South Aussie Thank you for such an informative story. Well produced as always. I had heard of a story about WW2 which occured here in S.A over the suburb of Colonel Light Gardens. An American heavy bomber was flighing over when one of it's crew accidentally open the bomb bay doors and drop all the provisions loaded therein. It had been packed with PX articles so Coca cola chocolate bars and such. Some houses were damaged but I don't believe much of the stock was retrievable. I haven't been able to find this article again hope someone can enlighten me.
Another great video, thank you. might I say though respectfully, Its nice when those from over seas reference our Services as we do, it's not the R.A.A.F as its correctly written, but rather pronounced The R AA F {R Double A.F}. Brave men, Brothers, Uncles, Nephews, Husbands, & Sons. This tragic roll call does not mention those like my Aunties brother who died during his flight training.
And the star of the British mini-series Piece of Cake was post-Man From Snowy River Tom Burlinson, playing an Australian Flight Commander promoted to Squadron Leader. Of course, the man he replaced as CO was flying in his second war, Tim Woodward starred in the BBC's Wings about the RFC a decade earlier.
Cheers for telling some of their stories. They were a long way from home and unfortunately their achievements, sacrifices and stories tend to get lost under the cloud of the British flag, which is understandable, but in Australia we sadly don't hear anywhere near enough about our men and women who served and volunteered, they very much deserve to be remembered.
Battle of Britain was indeed an international battle against the Nazis... though we should remember that 80% were British , aircrew and groundcrew. its easy to forget when talking about contributions from ppl like the Poles etc . ofc Australians, New Zealanders, Canadian, South Africans etc were from Dominions within the British Empire. and mostly either first or second generation colonials by time of ww2. there were even a few Americans ( though not like the guy in movie Pearl Harbor ) who seems to have arrived a YEAR late be the only American in an American squadron and to have managed to go missing over the Channel where day became night in the time it took him to ditch his plane. :P
A third of RAAF squadrons (17/58) were stationed in the UK, right through to VE Day. Despite the fierce fighting in its own part of the world. Its heavy bomber squadrons were over Germany and Japan by that time.
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F/Lt Paterson Clarence „Pat“ Hughes (RAAF, Blue 1) could be shot down either by Air Gunner or enemy fighters like se Fw. Eduard Koslowski (2.) of 9./JG 53, Spitfire at 19.25 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-152B), Oblt. Siegfried Stronk (1.) of 8./JG 53, Spitfire at 19.40 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-153B) etc. Debree is rather out of question with part off wing cut or shot off.
Time 11:17 P/O John Dallas Crossman (RAAF, B Flight) was killed probably either by Oblt. Ulrich Steinhilper (4.) of 3./JG 52, Spitfire Ashford 5000 m. at 14.35 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/I-70) or by Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob (14.) z 7./JG 54, Spitfire nad Tonbridge v 14.35 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-115B).
P/O William Henry „Billˮ Millington (RAAF) was killed by Fw. Werner Bielefeldt (2.) of 7./JG 51, Hurricane at 13.40 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. 4/II-168).
Do you want to collaborate with me? 😁
I had an 'adopted' great uncle Bob (Robert) who was an RAAF pilot seconded by the RAF to fly in China prior to the Japanese invasion of Malaya and bombing of Pearl Harbour
He passed away in the 1950s and before I was born, the only other thing I know about him is a German woman was supposed to have tried to poison him while he was in China
Adoption was more common then and I don't know if he used his original surname or if he would've used my mother's maiden name of Wilton
I have an uncle and two cousins named after great uncle Bob
This video deserves a “ Thanks Mate ! “ from us Australians for remembering the sacrifices made by these brave men in dire times .
Too right, top vid, Glenn.
Another great video. To give context about other non-Brits, wikipedia notes " Among those killed were 47 airmen from Canada, 24 from Australia, 17 from South Africa, 30 from Poland, 20 from Czechoslovakia and six from Belgium. Forty-seven New Zealanders lost their lives, including 15 fighter pilots, 24 bomber and eight coastal aircrew. " It's worth noting that the population of New Zealand is much lower than most of the other countries listed. God bless them all.
The head count of non-British in RAF in Battle of Britain, includes more than pilots:
From Commonwealth: A total of 126 New Zealanders, 98 Canadians, 33 Australians and 25 South Africans participated. They were joined by three Rhodesians, a Jamaican, a Barbadian and a Newfoundlander. (Newfoundland was separate from Canada at the time.)
Other Europeans: 145 Poles, 88 Czechoslovaks, 29 Belgians, 13 Frenchmen and an Austrian flew in the Battle and many of these proved to be excellent pilots.
From "Neutral" countries: 10 Irish and 11 United States citizens fought in the Battle of Britain.
According to Statista, the population of New Zealand in 1940, was 1.63 million. Tiny.
@@mombaassaI remember looking up the 1940 population of New Zealand because they seemed to be over represented of what I was sure a relatively small population.
Canada was about 11 million and Australia about 8 million.
Kiwis rock. Just saying as a neighbour...
I've always thought it odd that during Imperial days, the English (etc.) clung to discussing the country as "Home". I've never heard any other country that did that.
Thank you so much for your stories. As an Aussie it’s good to hear our boys served well in the Battle of Britain. 🇦🇺❤️
Your boys fought like lions in every theatre of WWII, be proud.
@@steveneltringham1478amen. May they rest in peace
They were truly a credit to your country, and the rest of the Empire. Be proud and tell your son's and daughters of their deeds and courage, and remember your strength when needed is great.
They fought well everywhere
Thank you to Australia. Every time they are called by their friends to service, they answer. It is noticed and appreciated.
Ace😊
And so it continues…..
My wife has pinched my sign off. Nothing’s sacred any more. Roderick McKenzie…
20% of the Australian Imperial Forces were born in the UK.
@@brettmitchell1777 : And made tough in Oz.
The Australian's performance in The Battle of Britain was truly inspiring and very much deserving of remembrance.
On visiting Loch Leven, which is famous for its small island on which sits the castle where Mary QUeen of Scots was once imprisoned, I noticed a small, makeshift memorial by a small jetty - some flowers wired to a railing and a small sheet of paper printed out and laminated, attached to the fence. It was a hand-made memorial to Winston Vernon Stark - a New Zealander, not an Aussie, but like the men in this video, an example of how many answered the call to defend the world from the Nazis, coming halfway round the world to do his bit. On a training flight in 1943 his Hurricane went into the Loch, killing this young man. I was very touched that all these decades on, someone remembered Winston and wanted us to know of his life. The little pieces of history we sometimes come across on a simple walk...
Keith Miller was an Australian pilot in WW2 also a member of the Australian cricket team. When asked by a journalist about the pressure of playing test cricket and facing the English fast bowlers. He laughed and said.Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not".I think that sums up the Aussie spirit. 👍
No it sums up the pilots spirit.
I served in the RAF 1980-97, in my last posting at Lyneham , i had an Australian Flight Lieutenant who was a RAF officer and a RAAF Squadron Leader , on exchange with the RAF, who were my bosses. my previous Sqn Ldr went on to a posting to Australia under same exchange programme.
VG! I believe it continues... The Army side was called Long Look in the 90's. I had a Corporal from The Royal Tank Regiment as my Troop Corporal for a while... My Tp Cpl went to get on th' piss in England. 😉
Thank you for putting a spotlight on our contribution. We have a proud history of chipping in and punching above our weight.
Locally we pronounce RAAF as "R double-A F" 👍
As an Aussie whose dad served 23 years in the RAAF, thank you. This vid made me humble, cry & the last pilot...laugh out loud. You truly encapsulated the Aussie spirit. Thanks again.👍
My dad was in transport over NG, as a transport pilot..in actual fact, it went further than that, he was a biscuit bomber. But my brother and I never knew that until we read some of his diaries entered into at the end of each flight. One entry said "Only 38 bullet holes, no one hurt, good day." But a lot of repairs before it took off again. Seemed like just another day at the office with his co-pilot.
Pilot officer Crossman grew up in Newcastle NSW and the local airforce cadet unit has a trophy named after him I won it many moons ago and it’s still awarded for outstanding leadership to this very day
Australias contributions to the Battle of Britain were not insignificant, however, the majority of Australians in the RAF served in bomber command, where over 4000 were killed, one of, if not the single deadliest campaign for Australia during the war
an Australian bomber squadron has been credited as dropping more bombs on Europe than any other and G for George is the 2nd highest scoring lancaster currently surviving
What do you mean by highest scoring Lancaster
My Grandfather was a Squadron Leader- He was an Australian in the RAF who took command of an RCAF Squadron- 420 Snowy Owl. He was shot down twice- landed safely- the second time the tail section was about 50 metres from the tail section. He never lost a crew member. First time he escaped through enemy lines with the help of the Dutch - the second time they were caught by Gestapo. He ended up in Stalag Luft 3,(after a stint in Colditz where he designed a "Flying Fox" to escape-this is mentioned in a book my Great Aunt had) - and was the Master Forger for the Great Escape. After Repatriation he was promoted to Wing Commander and placed in Command of the last POW camp for Luftwaffe who were not repatriated until 1947 (at Kingscliffe in Scotland I think). Great Guy-played a mean Guitar too. Gave me my first sip of Scotch and puff on a Cigar lol.
@@lokiwiseyt8608could he mean the 2nd highest recorded number of sorties?
God bless the Ozzys and the Kiwis., and the Canadians.. and all the men of the Subcontinent.. and of Africa . The Poles ,the Belgians , the Czechoslovakians, the Dutch, the Norwegians., the Danish, the French and the Americans that helped in the fight! May blessings be upon all these men and women's souls. !
Nothing but respect and love for all of them . From a still grateful UK. Always. We will remember. ! 👍💛👊
It was definitely a team effort. And from Australia's perspective, if the Germans won who the hell would we still be able to play for the ashes ;)
We Aussies Salute You !!--and we always will have Britain's Back !!
@@johncaldwell-wq1hp fair play to you. 💛
We spell it Aussies mate👍
@@terryturner5360 😆😂yes you do. Sorry. X
Think we spell get fucked the same though 😉🤔😃
Australians call the Royal Australian Air Force the R - double A - F
Was going to comment the same thing!! As an Australian myself, people saying R A A F just sounds wrong!! 😂
It is because the USA had the Army Air Corps, would say it A A C
Truth be told, I didn’t know that. But, when in doubt, it is never grammatically incorrect to fully pronounce an acronym.
Or as an Aussie might say, "Ah double A F." 🦘
Yes we do
As a British Australian, I really appreciate your efforts in putting this together, Thanks.
@@easydoesit83 Nope, so suck it up junior!
@@easydoesit83
The same is true of the majority of Aussies
So you'd like Australia to cease to exist?
Thanks for recognising our service! We may not be numerically huge but our skills and bravery can never be questioned! Cheers🍻
Why can’t you Aussies for once when you hear or see something about your servicemen just accept it as it is without bragging how good you were/are.
My great uncle died in a training bomber in Adelaide. He was in his twenties. Only my old man and me remember him now.
One difference between Australia and New Zealand and the discrepancy in numbers was Australia with a very Australian stubborn streak, was trying to put together full Australian Squadrons at the start of the war, which took longer to deploy. The New Zealanders (like the Australians mentioned here) were on attachment to or enlisted in the RAF. New Zealand also sent a lot more pilots to UK for training than Australia did. The RAAF was the 4th oldest independent air force in the world. 20% of all Australian WW2 fatalities ended up being aircrew flying with Bomber Command.
Thank you so much for honouring my fellow Australian countrymen. Well done History Guy.
VERY AWESOME EPISODE, PROFESSOR G!!!!! I can honestly say that this is the very first time I've heard anything about this battle and the Australian Airmen that so valiantly fought shoulder to shoulder with the British. I am so very impressed with the heart they displayed for history to hopefully remember! You are 1,000% correct in your statement that this DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED! I will certainly share this with my Grandchildren!!!!!
Australian's are poorly represented in all theatres of WW2 especially the Pacific where they were the main ground forces in the New Guinea Campaign until Germany war ended.
New Guinea Campaign was Pacific island nations or Oceania, Aussies outnumbered USA ground forces. Yes USA navy did a huge amount even Australian RAAF did lots.
I see American intelligence spotted Japanese movements through Pacific. was Australian coast watchers that were set up all through Pacific on outset of war and again USA stole other's for propaganda.
Why Aussies rioted against USA in a battle called battle of Brisbane over 5000 people fought with 1 Aussies shot dead General MacArthur would report Aussie only wins as either allied or USA and said Aussies were poor fighters etc when they did the most. was lucky during Battle of Brisbane he was not in Brisbane as the Aussies went to his hotel HQ and smashed it up looking for him.
Thanks Lance, another great episode, it is gratifying to see internationally acclaimed historians are now delving into Australia’s contributions to world history. Goodonyamate !!🇦🇺
th-cam.com/play/PLSnt4mJGJfGgDDIGx85ZLpAB8GaNx-t_S.html
Brough is usually pronounced "Bruff". Think of rough and tough.
Some Australian place names were not perfect either, but overall this is an excellent video, well researched and well presented.
Thank you for highlighting this deserving topic. As another comment mentioned, Ian Smith of Rhodesia served in the RAF. Free Poles also. As an Irishman, I should also mention Brendan Finucane, known as "Paddy" purely for his nationality.
The UK forces were filled with many nationalities, some who served out of economic necessity, but all of whom did their damnedest to defeat fascism, both in Europe and the far East.
There is definitely not enough of Australian History in the Australian education system. I'd have loved to heard about these brave young men. I was even in The Australian Airforce Cadets & didn't know all this information. One of my Commanders even flew in the Battle Of Britain. Thank you for doing this story. ❤
There is too much of Australian military history in the education. It’s lopsided.
I believe the pilot of my first cousin once removed's Halifax bomber (my mum's cousin) was from NSW in Australia. Out of the 7 crew only 2 survived the crash on their last mission 2 weeks before the end of the war. They had come back from hitting an oil refinery when they were diverted as they came into land German fighters (part of Operation Gisela) who had hidden them amongst their escort and they ended up going off the runway into woods where it caught on fire. Of the 2 that made it out of the aircraft one died two days later from their injuries the last lived into old age and kept in touch over the years with John's baby sister who was 10 at the time, when he passed away in bed his family said he kept staring into the corner where no one was standing before smiling and saying quietly, "Hello Johnny it is time we were going." He passed away a few minutes later.
His sister was haunted by the day until she passed as she was woken up by her brother's dog howling in the night when he never had before with her father and his brother turning from jokers to rather serious as they with her brother had been the pranksters and jesters of the family. She resented Harris for a long time as she said the mission wasn't necessary and had only partially achieved what it set out to do. That also bled into the government and MoD as they ignored the sacrifice for decades that the bomber wing had given because it was deemed politically unpopular even though those like her brother had just been told that they were being sent to bomber division and were ordered where to go by the very ones who were looking to sweep it all under the carpet.
One of her most bittersweet moments when she was in her 80s was collecting her brother's medal and going to see her brother's name on the national monument that had finally been created for them so she was able to leave flowers for him and see his sacrifice hadn't been forgotten.
I’m Australian and my Australian great uncle Jock, flew for the RA during the Battle of Britain. He survived but was traumatized, his nervous were shot. He died of a heart attack roughly a decade after the war.
7:12: No.1 Squadron in France 1940. Clisby is 2nd from left. The fourth man from the right is Paul Richey who later wrote a book titled 'Fighter Pilot' which is worth a read. It tells the story of the Battle of France seen through their eyes. IIRC about half the men in the photo, including Richey, survived the war.
Thank you so much History Guy. "Per Ardua Ad Astra"
Thank you!
Thank you for highlighting the flying feats of the Australian fighter pilots. Another Aussie who won the DFC flying a Spitfire was Tony Gaze. After the war he went on to be a successful motor racing driver and started a fantastic motoring festival called Goodwood that is still run today in Britain. An incredible ace in two areas of combat.
In addition to the RAAF members there was also at least two pilots/aircrew who flew with the RN Fleet during the battle. great to see you back in my feed here, thank you for looking at our Aussie Forces
Good morning History Guy and everyone watching. Another great lesson from a master story teller...
I'm the son of a American WW-II Fighter pilot that got his wings a year after Battle of Britain. He spoke very highly of the R.A.F. Thank you for another outstanding post.
My dad flew spitfires out of Red Hill with 452 squadron. Missed the "big show", arrived too late. Spent a lot of time shooting up ground targets in France. Came back to Australia and flew spitfires out of Darwin with 457 squadron...... Learned to fly in Canada with the Empire Air Scheme. His diaries and log book are with the War Museum in Canberra.
Just love the History guy, especially when my fellow Aussie’s get a mention. Great stuff mate
Kudo's on another GREAT episode! I do like how you bring out the small details that are overlooked by the larger whole. I now wish I'd listen to my elders, when I was young, as they told their stories.
Wonderful to hear you bring up our great heritage.
P.S. Brisbin is the way you pronounce Brisbane
Yeah , or brizzy if your a local ;) .
@@mikldude9376BrisVagas
@@mikldude9376not if you are British. Its Brisbane.
I'm a 53 year old Australian history teacher. I've watched a lot of your video's, and have long been tinkering with subscribing. This video has tipped it for me. Either you are desperate for new material, or seeking to cover that which has never been given enough emphasis in the past, and deserves it's due. Methinks the latter. Well done cobber.
I hope your knowledge is more expansive than the Aussie self congratulatory tone of some in this forum.
@@anthonyeaton5153 Aussies played a huge role in keeping Britain and the Empire (Tobruk etc) in the war, but Aussies had minimal impact in the Battle of Britain. Bomber Command another story.
Great upload
Thanks from a rural South Australian
As an Aussie I thank you very much for your recognition of our former flyers of WWII. But if I may I will correct you on pronunciation.
The Brit's had the R,A,F. Australia had and has the RAAF known as the R Double AF or (how shall I put this),, the RAAAF as in Rif Raff.
You mentioned the author Kristen or Kirstin Alexxander. She also has a great book about Clive Caldwell. Maybe you could read it, it is a great and controversial bit of our WWII history that is little known. Clive would be Australia's greatest flying ace of WWII, BUT read the book.
Ex RAAF veteran here, '87-2011, lots of pride in our service. Thanks for sharing and recognising their's.
There were half a dozen or so Americans who “officially” fought in the Battle of Britain, and probably another half dozen who “unofficially” fought, having joined the RAF claiming to be Canadians. The USA had strict neutrality laws and any American who fought for either side risked losing their American citizenship.
Lots of "Canadian Volunteers" fighting for Britain during the war. Lots of awkward meetings when the real Americas finally showed up only to find some of their colleges had been fighting there for years...
Perhaps you could do something on the Eagle Squadrons of the RAF. These 3 (numbered 71, 121, & 133) squadrons were manned by volunteer Americans before these United States entered the war in December 1941 and existed from 19 September 1940 to 29 September 1942.
Interesting note. As many didn’t serve with RAAF squadrons, they formed the ‘odd bods’ association post war and marched under that banner on Anzac days
Served alongside an Australian engineer in Somalia named Nigel. During and since the Battle of Hamel, America's best ally.
Americans were in the battle of Hamel to fill the depleted ranks of the Australian forces, and Monash chose the fourth of July to honour the Americans this battles was also to be used as an opportunity for them to get actual battle experience, the Aussies were the veterans here.
Great Video about the Australian role in the battle of Britain! Mind doing one for maybe the French soldiers at Gallipoli figthing alongside the Australians Kiwi’s and British?
Nice one mate, good on you cobba!
yes 3 dozen Aussies made a great contribution.
Maybe a video on the 150 Polish, 80 czechoslovakians, 120 Canadians and 130 New Zealanders (a country with only a third of Australias population) including Keith Park.
Yes, very many stories to tell.
Many more than 3 dozen Aussies made an exceptional contribution. Not sure why you’d feel the need to play one-upmanship amongst allies, but no matter how big the chip on your shoulder may be, it can’t obscure the reality of Australia’s significant role in defending the free world from the Axis Powers of evil.
@@riiidiculoso8697one upmanship? Australia has been doing that since WW1 over the British.
@@anthonyeaton5153 WTF are you talking about?
@@anthonyeaton5153 crickets…😆
Thank you for putting all this together ! My father was ground crew in the RAAF ( usually referred to as the R doubleA F) in WW2. Great to hear about more local lads from S.A.
Outstanding, sir. Thank you.
Another superb episode good Sir!
I know you must have too many projects in the works, but, have you thought about doing an episode on the RAAF Base Point Cook? I believe it is one of if not the oldest continuously operated air force base still in use.
Fantastic, thank you, and love the "You're safer in the air".
What a great video. Thank you. Just a note, the RAAF is typically spoken as "R Double A F".
James Frederick Powell Brough seems to have attended 2 of the same schools my son did, Newtown and Elizabeth State School, which became Elizabeth Matriculation College and then Elizabeth College in 1987. My grandfather who was 7 years older than Brough also went there, and so did I, very briefly! I love these connections in our small city!
Good on ya History bloke. Good episode.
This Australian thanks you very much Lance. A cousin of my father’s and the father of a good friend served as navigators on bombers over Germany. Excellent mathematicians. I wish our government would act on the need to massively boost our defence efforts now instead of, it seems, assuming the US should and will keep bearing so much of the load.
4:26 - Pilot on the right is definitely the Aussiest of Aussies.
Ernest Milde a pilot who flew a Lancaster for 460 Squadron 🇦🇺 passed away 7/7/2023 at 99 years old.RIP Ernie 🙏
rip
Thanks for an entertaining and informative video.
It's been mentioned below and you commented but I wanted to add that not only do Australians call the RAAF the R double A F, we also call it the Raff (ie, the word, not the letters)
A really fascinating ww2 RAAF subject is the Morotai Mutany. My Grandfather was RAAF aircrew attached to a US B24 liberator squadron, he was on Morotai when the mutany took place. Although he never took part in the mutany, he was a witness to it.
THG you rock! Love the channel and content. Peace
My mother had a good friend whose husband fought in the Battle of Britain. He got shot down on D Day, was ferried back, and flew sorties the next day.
I have a picture of him flying his Spitfire “somewhere over England” that he gave me.
Thank you for the lesson.
The Polish 303 squadron draws its lineage from a post WW1 squadron that fought the new Soviet Union for independence.
Many of the pilots were Americans of Polish ancestry.
They were returning the favor as numerous Poles served in the American Revolution.
The 303 squadron emblem has 13 stripes for the 13 colonies.
I am named in honour of my Dad's brother Neville, who was an gunner in the RAAF, serving in the RAF who was killed in a bombing raid over Germany in September 1943. I tell my children what an honour it is to have his name, and while not exactly in the Battle of Britain i always tell them he was one of the 'Few' that Churchill talked about.
While the general concept today is that Churchill’s “few” meant fighter command, the context of the speech makes it clear that he was speaking just as much about bomber command.
Much appreciated, mate. Had two uncles in the RAF.
“Mission of Honor” is a great movie about the Polish pilots that helped win the Battle of Britain.
🫶 and here I thought I was the only one that watched that! Terrific film, pairs well with piece of cake. I wish that it was better known. But then there's no shortage of tales and stories that need to be remembered and shared.
@@HM2SGT Piece of Cake and Dark Blue World are both excellent depictions.
Apart from the battle of Britain some RAAF crews were involved in the "Dambusters" raid in Germany as well (maybe another video to look into).
Excellent video. Bravo. NB (for future reference) in Australia the RAAF is “R _double-A_ F”.
A use of "NB", haven't seen that in awhile. Keep it alive brother.
Honestly these videos are just amazing ! Thank you so much the HG
I remember watching "The Battle of Britain" movie when it came out. I have always loved airplanes and this movie was well written, acted, and photographed. I think it was accurate as well.
be sure to check out the modern remaster of it in HD. It is GLORIOUS!
Great video on the Australians. Would be nice to see one about New Zealand, as it contributed 3 x more pilots to the Battle of Britain than Australia and perhaps the most famous and important leader in fighter command after Dowding, Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park from NZ who led 11 Group. New Zealand with a much smaller population contributed both more by number and as percentage of population to the Battle of Britain than Australia. From the commonwealth a total of 126 New Zealanders, 98 Canadians, 33 Australians and 25 South Africans participated They were joined by three Rhodesians, a Jamaican, a Barbadian and a Newfoundlander (Non commonwealth, 145 Poles, 88 Czechoslovaks, 29 Belgians, 13 Frenchmen, 1 Austrian, 19 Irish and 11 American). There were four pilots who were "ace in a day" in the Battle of Britain: Archie McKellar (British), Antoni Głowacki (Polish), Ronald Fairfax Hamlyn (British) and Brian Carbury (New Zealander). 2 out of the top 10 aces during the Battle of Britain were from New Zealand, Brian Carbury with 15 1/2 and Colin Grey with 14 1/2 kills. Reference RAF Museum.
Well one of the reasons there was so many New Zealanders was just before the outbreak of the war. Something like 30 crews were in the UK to pick up new aircraft for use back at home
So how many British pilots were there?
@@bazd884 about 2500 give or take
Thank you for mentioning this. It's very rear to hear about the New Zealanders.
Too true, a magnificent contribution. Such a shame that NZ doesn’t have an effective defence force at the moment, leaving the defence of AUS/NZ to Australia, entirely. Successive NZ governments have followed that policy of basically doing nothing to make an effective fighting force, obviously with the consent of the majority of the New Zealand people. That is the saddest part, and is offensive to Oz and to the memory of the NZ’ers who made the sacrifices of the past.
Given the sobering content Lance, as an Aussie, I can't say that I enjoyed this but it was very informative indeed! Thank you for putting it together Mate!
One little suggestion if I may though? Here we pronounce our Air Force's initials as "R double A F" not "R A A F)
I’ll drive through McLaren Vale today and will think of Clisby and his mates. Didn’t know about him before. Thanks THG!
Flight LFT Coates....................a fighter pilot when injured, became a navigator and participated in the 1000 plane raid over Dresden. Returned to Australia alive.
Captivating from start to finish, thank you. Good on ya mate.
Way back in the good old days here in Aus when I was at flying school I got to have conversations with an ex RAAF pilot who flew Spits in Britain. VERY interesting guy. Not far from where I live is a museum of military aircraft used by the RAAF virtually since it's inception. When they have flying days they have two Spits up in air doing their thing. You can bet that I'm there. :)
Just a correction to the pronunciation of “RAAF”. It’s “R-double A - F”. Not “R-AA-F” (Kym in Darwin, Australia)
Thankyou. Excellent account. I learned much about my own county’s Air Force.
Well done sir it good to hear of the exploits of Aussies at war as we don't hear much about it but plenty about the other counties involved cheers from tasmania Australia
We are forever hearing about Australia by Australians.
Excellent end to my evening as usual. Good night
Another outstanding video! Thank you, HG!!
Yet I notice in Wikipedia that a much smaller country (New Zealand) had 127 pilots against Australia's 32 and Canada's 112. The breakdown includes ...
145 Poles, 127 New Zealanders, 112 Canadians, 88 Czechoslovaks, 10 Irish, 32 Australians, 28 Belgians, 25 South Africans, 13 French, 9 Americans, 3 Southern Rhodesians and individuals from Jamaica, Barbados and Newfoundland.
What's your point?
@@chrisrabbitt
The point is in the first sentence.
From Tobruk to Long Tan, the Kiwis were vital to Australia’s military successes but don’t get their deserved recognition.
@@michaelwise1224 to say the Kiwis were vital to every Australian military success is a huge claim to make, especially as they weren't there for more than a few of them. Australia doesn't get much recognition either but they do recognise the efforts of the Kiwis.
@@chrisrabbitt
I didn’t say “every”.
If you could read it that way, then I should’ve been clearer.
@@michaelwise1224 yes I did read it that way. I see plenty of Australians highlighting the things their country have done but I don't see any Kiwis doing the same.. are they so ignorant of their own victories that had nothing to do with the Australians? There are a few of those too... it would seem less tacky doing that then complaining on a video about what Australians did. Just as an aside, how many of those 127 Kiwi pilots were aces and how many in the top ten aces of the battle of Britain? Genuine question, I could go and look but I thought i would see if you knew first.
Just a great episode. 303 Polish Squadron flying Hurricanes claimed the highest number of enemy aircraft shot down of the 66 squadrons that took part. Not to minimize the contributions from the Commonwealth which were essential to the successful outcome of BoB.
Another wonderful episode, and what a fantastic timepiece.
To correct your mis-quote of Churchill's famous 'the few' speech:
“The Few”
“The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. *Never in the field of HUMAN CONFLICT* was so much owed by so many to so few. “
-Tribute to the Royal Air Force, House of Commons, 20 August 1940. The Battle of Britain peaked a month later. Because of German bombing raids, Churchill said, Britain was “a whole nation fighting and suffering together.” He had worked out the phrase about “The Few” in his mind as he visited the Fighter Command airfields in Southern England.
I wonder if you could do an episode explaining the history of the East India Company, how it started, what it was and what happened to it? Love watching your shows! Keep up the great work!
Thank you HG.
Thanks for this!, really appreciate shinig a light on the RAAF!
Great job mate, thanks and cheers👍🍻
You make great content, thank you for the effort! While watching this I can't help but be excited for something similar covering Sailor Malan and his fellow South Africans!
Agreed- so many more stories to tell.
From a proud South Aussie Thank you for such an informative story. Well produced as always. I had heard of a story about WW2 which occured here in S.A over the suburb of Colonel Light Gardens. An American heavy bomber was flighing over when one of it's crew accidentally open the bomb bay doors and drop all the provisions loaded therein. It had been packed with PX articles so Coca cola chocolate bars and such. Some houses were damaged but I don't believe much of the stock was retrievable. I haven't been able to find this article again hope someone can enlighten me.
Thanks for this. Im proud of our little country. We contribute little, but what we do give, we give it robustly
Thank you History Guy for an amazing video 👏👏😊🥲. Touche with both pronunciations of aluminium 😅
Another great video, thank you. might I say though respectfully, Its nice when those from over seas reference our Services as we do, it's not the R.A.A.F as its correctly written, but rather pronounced The R AA F {R Double A.F}.
Brave men, Brothers, Uncles, Nephews, Husbands, & Sons. This tragic roll call does not mention those like my Aunties brother who died during his flight training.
And the star of the British mini-series Piece of Cake was post-Man From Snowy River Tom Burlinson, playing an Australian Flight Commander promoted to Squadron Leader.
Of course, the man he replaced as CO was flying in his second war, Tim Woodward starred in the BBC's Wings about the RFC a decade earlier.
I suggest you could do a video about the commonwealth’s pilots who participated in the defence of Malta.
Cheers for telling some of their stories. They were a long way from home and unfortunately their achievements, sacrifices and stories tend to get lost under the cloud of the British flag, which is understandable, but in Australia we sadly don't hear anywhere near enough about our men and women who served and volunteered, they very much deserve to be remembered.
Thank you for this video on the Aussie pilots that flew against the Nazis. I was great to hear their names and their contributions.
Thank you THG, a lot of those airmen were trained in Brighton Qld ..
Battle of Britain was indeed an international battle against the Nazis... though we should remember that 80% were British , aircrew and groundcrew. its easy to forget when talking about contributions from ppl like the Poles etc . ofc Australians, New Zealanders, Canadian, South Africans etc were from Dominions within the British Empire. and mostly either first or second generation colonials by time of ww2. there were even a few Americans ( though not like the guy in movie Pearl Harbor ) who seems to have arrived a YEAR late be the only American in an American squadron and to have managed to go missing over the Channel where day became night in the time it took him to ditch his plane. :P
,,, what about Glen Miller and his pilot ,,, ?
@@rolandtamaccio3285what’s that got to do with the Battle if Britain?
Ohhh, nothing , the Channel , aircraft , two missing Americans ; however late or after the Battle of Britain .
A third of RAAF squadrons (17/58) were stationed in the UK, right through to VE Day. Despite the fierce fighting in its own part of the world. Its heavy bomber squadrons were over Germany and Japan by that time.
* RAAF combat squadrons.