As you all know, the efforts of RAF 100 Group back in 1944 and through to the end of the War, were a combined effort, a collaboration between the RAF and the 36th Bomb Squadron, ‘the Gremlins’ of the United States Airforce.
Scientists, Engineers, Intelligence People and Technical Personnel both in the UK and across the Atlantic, along with the Crews and Aircraft on the Squadrons on the Front Line, all worked together to ensure the European Victory that came in May 1945. Their work, their efforts both shortened the War and was instrumental in directly saving upwards of 8,000 Aircrew and countless others on the Ground and at Sea.
I have been involved with a Documentary project since 2015, which seeks to tell the RAF 100 (Bomber Support) Group story in a Documentary format, the first time this has been done. There are a handful of very good books published about the Group and its History and Janine’s books: ‘RAF 100 Group - Kindred Spirits’ and ‘RAF 100 Group - The Birth of Electronic Warfare’ are among the best.
To date around 20 on-camera interviews have been done with members of our 100 Group Veterans, but also, in addition to that, a number of Digital audio recordings.
The plan for this year, 2019, is to complete any outstanding Interviews with our surviving Veterans should they wish to be involved. If you are one of our RAF 100 Group Veterans and I have missed you to date or perhaps now, after all these years, you feel you would like to share your story, please, please contact Janine, or if you prefer you can write to me direct. We both would just love to hear from you and your interest will be treated in the strictest confidence. Your story, your memories are so important and neither of us want to see them lost in the mists of time.
This year too I would like to reach out to family members of our Veterans no longer with us. If you have memories and stories you would like to share, I would really appreciate hearing from you too. Some of you I know, so I’ll be writing over the next few weeks, but for those of you in the wider family that I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to be involved. My contact details I have included at the finish of this article.
Only a few weeks ago, I returned from the U.S. and Canada where I had the very great pleasure of meeting with some wonderful people, some for the first time, all except two being Gremlins of the 36th Bomb Squadron U.S.A.F. and part of our 100 Group Association Family.
I had the great pleasure of staying with a lovely couple Rafi and Kitty Ramos in Florida, who were over with us in 2017 for the 20th Anniversary Reunion in Norwich. Rafi served out of Oulton for a while during the War, also serving in Korea and Vietnam. They live in very beautiful tropical surroundings and have a playful little dog called Poochie who brings them a lot of joy!
Stephen and Pam Hutton, from North Carolina, were my next port of call, where I visited with them the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Airforce in Savannah, Georgia. Stephen is the Association U.S.A.F. Historian whose Father, Iredell Hutton, was one of the Gremlins serving with the 36th Bomb Squadron. He is the Author of ‘Squadron of Deception’ and they also love spending time in the North Carolina high country.
George and Marion Stewart, George was one of the founding members of the Canadian Warbird Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario, and was a Mosquito Pilot serving with 23 Squadron at RAF Little Snoring. They both have very busy social schedules and I can tell you both have great singing voices!!
Rex Arnett, also lives near Toronto and served with 223 Squadron. I found Rex clogged with a heavy cold when I visited, but he happily showed me some of his Artwork, including this one, still a work in progress, of an American Indian village.
George Eberwine. I had the very real pleasure of meeting George and Roseanne Eberwine, for the first time while over in the U.S. He is also one of our surviving 36th BS Gremlins with a remarkable story to tell and pursued a very successful career until he retired.
I also had the immense pleasure of meeting Mr. James P. Ostler, who likes to be known simply as ‘JP’; along with nearly all his family. He served with the 388th Bomber Squadron, then joined the 803rd BS which later became the 36th Bomb Squadron so we can proudly say that he is part of our wider RAF 100 Group Association family. Congratulations are in order as JP was recently awarded the French Legion of Honor for his action in the skies above France in service as a navigator with the 388th Bombardment Group. He lives with a very supportive family and is completely surrounded by squirrels!
When I visited, there were three flags flying on the front veranda: The U.S. flag, the flag of the Mighty Eighth Airforce, and the Australian flag! It was a nice touch. Thank you, Kathy!
I also had the opportunity of meeting Mr Murray Peden in Winnipeg, Canada. He was a B17 Skipper based out of Oulton and is remembered fondly by at least two (perhaps three) other surviving 214 Squadron Veterans that I know.
He was telling me that the Fortress was so easy to fly that even his Grandmother could fly it! The B24 Liberator by comparison was not so well behaved.
He is the Author of ‘A Thousand Shall Fall’, a book of his Wartime experiences. After the War he studied Law and enjoyed a varied and very successful career in the Legal profession. “Getting into Law was the best move I ever made” he said.
I would like to say that I do very sincerely regret the lost opportunity to meet Jim and Ruth Fawcett, also Association Members and part of our Veteran family. They live some distance out of Toronto and having no vehicle while I was there severely curtailed where I could go, particularly in view of a tight time frame. I am so sorry that I was unable to meet you both.
I also want to express my sadness again to Des and Brian Howarth for the stuff-up in my original bookings to the U.S. As a result, I was not able to visit, nor catch up with Veteran David Watson who also joined us at our 2017 20th Anniversary Reunion.
I do sincerely regret the way it all happened.
Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation and gratitude to all of you in the U.S. and Canada who opened your hearts and homes to me, for your warm and welcoming hospitality, kindness and generosity extended to me during my visit.
I truly appreciate each and every one of you and want to say a very big THANK YOU!
Stuart Borlase
If anyone would like to contact me, you can do so either via Janine or write or email me direct at:
Stuart Borlase, 67 Woodvale Drive, Woodvale, Western Australia 6026
mosquitofbv1@gmail.com or livingfilm@iinet.net.au
This article is from the Spring 2019 issue of Confound and Destroy
