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Desert Hawks by Robert Taylor.
A flight of Kittyhawks of No. 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force on a strike
mission over the North African Desert in January 1942, in the build-p to the
Battle of Alamein. No. 3 Squadron RAAF was the first in the Desert to achieve
100 confirmed victories, and continuing in combat throughout the fighting in
North Africa, became the Squadron with the highest number of air victories of
the Desert Air Force Squadrons. |
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Desert Hawks by Robert Taylor
- The Signatures
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Wing Commander Nicky Barr (deceased)
Born 10th December 1915. Nicky Barr was commissioned as a pilot officer in November 1940, joining No.23 Sqn, patrolling Queensland, but soon joined No.3 Sqn RAAF flying the Tomahawk. During the war in the desert at El Alamein, he was successful against several enemy aircraft before being shot down himself, being wounded and forced to crash land. While escaping the enemy lines he was wounded again, but reached the safety of Allied lines after a three day desert trek. On 30th May 1942, he was again forced to crash land by enemy fire, but again he returned to fly again. During the fighting around Tobruk, he was shot down once more, baling out injured from his burning aircraft, but this time he became a prisoner of the Italians. Months later he attempted to escape, reaching the Swiss border before being captured once more. Whilst being moved to Germany as a POW, he jumped from a moving train to escape, only to be recaptured weeks later by the Germans. Once more he escaped, conducting sabotage operations, and in March 1944, organising escapes for other POWs. Later in 1944 he became an instructor in Australia, leaving the RAAF after the war. He died 12th June 2006.
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 | Bobby Gibbes (deceased)
Born 6th May 1916. Bobby Gibbes began pilot training in 1940, and by June 1941 was flying Tomahawks with No3 RAAF Sqn. By February 1942, he was commanding the squadron. Upgrading to the Kittyhawk, he had more aerial victories, before being forced to bale out on May 26th 1942. On December 21st 1942, during an action in the Western Desert, an aircraft from the squadron was forced to crash land a few miles from the target. Gibbes landed his aircraft in the rocky desert, aiming to pick up the downed pilot. He ditched his own parachute, sitting on the pilots lap in the cockpit. On take-off, one wheel fell off the aircraft after colliding with an object on the groud, but he managed to land the aircraft on the one remaining wheel, avoiding a damaging belly landing. He was then shot down behind enemy lines, evading capture for three days before being rescued. He returned to Australia, and was injured during a training flight crash. He died 11th April 2007.
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Peter Jeffrey (deceased)
Fought in North Africa with 3 Sqn RAAF. In April 1941 he shot down a Ju52 as it landed, before destroying another 3 on the ground. Two months later he shot down a Ju88 and a Martin 167 within three days of each other. He was awarded the DFC. He managed to return to base after being shot down in November 1941, sharing a Bf110 later in the month. He was then awarded the DSO. He died 6th April 1997.
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Alan Rawlinson (deceased)
Passed away 28th August 2007.
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