August September 2022 Newsletter

CLUB PROGRAMME   to January 2023

Tuesday                2 August                            Committee Meeting                                                       1230

Tuesday                2 August                            Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              16 August                           Club Luncheon                     Club Lounge                  1230 for 1300

Tuesday              30 August                           Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              13 September                   Club Luncheon                   Club Lounge                   1230 for 1300

Sunday                 18 September                   Battle of Britain                 Museum                           1030

Tuesday              27 September                   Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              11 October                         Committee Meeting                                                       1230

Tuesday              11 October                         Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              25 October                         Club Luncheon                  Club Lounge                    1230 for 1300

Tuesday              8   November                    Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              22 November                   Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              6   December                    Committee Meeting                                                       1230

Tuesday              6   December                    Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

Tuesday              20 December                    Christmas Luncheon        Club Lounge                   1230 for 1300

This lunch and social being the final event for 2022

Tuesday              17 January 2023              Club Social Afternoon      Club Lounge                   1330

THE BREVET CLUB (CANTERBURY) INC

PRESIDENTS ANNUAL REPORT July 2022

It is 8 years since I last reported to you as your President.   In that time I have noted that some things have changed but many things have remained the same.   The biggest similarity is that our plans continue to be disrupted by matters which are outside our control – In my last term we needed to cope with the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes and now we are still dealing with Covid and its effect on our activities/programme and commemorations.   The other aspect which I often reflect on is that it is a privilege to belong to our little Club which remains a great Club to be involved with.

On the negative side, two things stand out: We are all getting older and slowing down!

Our membership continues to decline.   In 2012 our membership stood at 122, (78 WWII Vets), with a further 10 associates and 5 honorary members.   At 30 June 2022 the ravages of time had worn our membership down to just 44 including 5 WWII veterans.

The committee has been trying for many years now to encourage eligible military aircrew to join our elite group with little success.   Many have expressed interest but never join and most of those who do join are not active members.   It is a dilemma.   It was made very clear to me in my early days that this is a Club for military aircrew and it should not be opened up to a wider group.   I respect that view and honour it.

I also note that the Wellington Brevet Club also includes only military aircrew in their membership.

A question we need to resolve is how much longer can we or should we continue?

The Club continues to encourage our wives and late members widows to join us for social afternoons and lunches.   Their company is enjoyed and they do boost our attendance numbers!   A special acknowledgement and thanks to Diann for her assistance to those who struggle with mobility issues.

The disruptions mentioned earlier had a very negative impact on our programme.   Government legislation and Defence instructions to the Air Force Museum limited access to the facility and numbers who could attend functions.   Common sense also dictated that we would be putting each other at risk if we met and mixed.   Several social gatherings were cancelled including our Battle of Britain service and the Air Force Museum’s ANZAC Commemoration.   – This year??!!

Our relationship with the Museum continues to be very strong and both the Director and I are always looking for ways to enhance that.   Members need to remember that when visiting the Museum or just passing through to the Brevet Lounge, we are bound by conditions (which include mask wearing), imposed by the Director who is bound by Regulation and Defence instruction.   Simply, if members are not willing to follow the rules they shouldn’t visit the site.

Finances.   Our Treasurer Peter Foster will report in detail on our financial position.   Suffice for me to say that our finances remain very healthy and this is due in no small way to the oversight by Peter.   Our total funds remain relatively stable and we are in a very good position to be able to support our social activities.   It must be noted however, that the current investment scene is very volatile and we can expect that our balance may reflect this.   We are still easily on the positive side of the ledger.   Your committee continue to monitor the situation closely.

Social Programme.   Our numbers are reducing but the Club continues to sponsor regular bi-monthly lunches.   Since Covid lockdowns these have been successfully held in our club rooms and we plan to continue this arrangement.

Committee.   The committee has been stable for several years now although our numbers have reduced in line with membership.   My thanks to all those who give up their time to assist me in ensuring the smooth running of the Club.

I have posed the question about the Club’s viability and in line with this is finding members who are willing to join the committee and contribute to it’s management and future.

Sir Keith Park.   The committee continues to try and progress our project for recognition but it is proving very difficult.   We haven’t given up.

Conclusion.   It has been another difficult year but we have navigated it safely.    Hopefully the next 12 months will be less challenging.

Keep well and stay safe.   Please remember that if you take offence at my attempts to lighten the occasion you are being too precious.

Kevin Jones

President.

Last Post.

Since our last AGM we have lost:

Alan Davis                  -           25.7.1922 to 14.8.21

Laurie Turner            -           25.2.1924 to 11.10.2021

Bill Warwick              -           10.9.1920 to 17.5.2022

Maurie Robinson       -                                10.6.2022

Elaine Branthwaite   -                                     4.10.2021

Our thoughts are with their families and friends.   Please remember them.

Luncheon: 16^th August 1230 for 1300

We trust you will all make it to our next Luncheon.  Please advise Kevin by Thursday 11^th of August that you will be attending and the usual cost of $20 per head applies

The following article is reproduced with the kind permission of Air Force News.  Our Club can be proud to record this in our archives.

Flying Officer
Jack Marshall DFC
1939 –1944

Working as a tail gunner in Bomber Command during World War II, chances were high that Jack Marshall would not return home. However, after two tours and 46 missions, he did.

“The chance of survival was only one in three. In Bomber Command we lost more men than the British Army did. That makes you think, doesn’t it? I must be one of the luckiest guys in the world to have survived,” the 101-year-old said.
London-born, Mr Marshall moved to Napier in Hawke’s Bay as a teenager after his father retired as a telegraphist.
He enlisted with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in December 1939 and flew out to Britain where he became part of the Royal Air Force.
“I joined for the adventure, I think. I had a sense of adventure at that age, I was only 19. Unfortunately the two young men I shared a cabin with didn’t come back. I joined as a tail gunner. I could have gone to a pilot’s course, but that meant something like six weeks in Canada and I didn’t fancy that.”
In his first tour, Mr Marshall was based at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Marham Norfolk, flying in Vickers Wellington aircraft. His second stint had him posted to an RAF base at Oakington,
just outside of Cambridge, flying in Short Stirlings. During that tour, Mr Marshall flew alongside New Zealand flying great Fraser Barron, a pilot with Bomber Command.
“He was a wonderful guy. It was very sad when he was killed over Le Mans, in northwest France.”
Mr Marshall and Wing Commander Barron were members of the Pathfinder Force, who were responsible for going ahead of the main force and marking targets. The main force then would fly in and bomb the markers.
One mission, on a flight to Genoa in Italy, has always stuck with Mr Marshall.
“We were approaching the Alps and the plane started to ice up badly – of course that means you can’t climb very high.”
The crew decided to alter the course to find a pass to go through the range, which meant gaining about 40 minutes extra flying time.
“Anyway, we went down to Genoa and bombed German ships – the Germans were using Genoa for refueling at the time. The exciting part was that as we touched down on our return to the base, three of the engines cut out. The ground staff were looking at it the next morning and reckoned we only had about three or four minutes left of fuel. That’s cutting it fine.”
Mr Marshall also lays claim to being one of the only airmen in the Air Force, “probably any air force” who swore at a Commanding Officer and got away with it.
“We were cruising along, going to Berlin I think, and we had this brass hat on board who was determined to see what it was like. He’s chatting away to the pilot and flak (anti-aircraft fire) was coming up. I was watching it and it was just about on my turret, so I had to do something, so I said: ‘for Christ’s sake shut up and put it into a diving turn skipper!’, and he put it into a diving turn and we got away from it. I often laugh about that.”
Another memorable part of the war for Mr Marshall was meeting his wife Molly.
“I met Molly at a place called Leighon-Sea in Essex. I took one look at her and thought, ‘I’m going to marry this girl’. We had 71 years of a wonderful marriage. Unfortunately she died about
nine years ago.
“We had a wonderful partnership. We’ve got three kids, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.”Returning with Molly to New Zealand after finishing his deployment in 1944, Mr Marshall thought he had come away unscathed. But it turns out the battle scars ran deep.
“We were visiting my parents in Wellington and dad had a go at me because I hadn’t written to my cobber’s mother. I said I hadn’t written yet and he said, ‘Well you ought to be ashamed of
yourself’. And my Adam’s apple came up and I ran out to the kitchen and sobbed like a baby. I had no idea I was affected that way.”
In 1943 Mr Marshall was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation for the award read: “A keenness and desire to engage the enemy were qualities displayed at all times by Flying
Officer Jack Marshall”. Next month Mr Marshall will turn 102. “I’d be one of the oldest veterans, I suppose. I don’t know how many of us there are left – we’re getting pretty thin.”
“The targets were railway sidings, ammunition factories and petrol installations – anything that would help the Germans win the war.”

The mind boggles at the number of captions for this. Copied from PUNCH

Keith Jolly, Editor

The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance