As my contribution to the ANZAC Day 2009 posts, I've got organised enough to post some photos sent to me by fellow member Prison_Care (Clive). Clive has given his permission to post these. Fred Jacobsen was an air gunner with 22 Squadron - The Boston Boys - RAAF and served with men such as Bill Newton VC and Charles Learmonth DFC and Bar. The photos taken on March 16, 1943 are from the raid on Salamaua when Bill Newton and his crew were shot down. Interestingly, 22 Squadron was heavily involved in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea - again March 1943 - so it is very likely Fred Jacobsen flew trips to attack the convoy. Fred is at right in the aircrew pic and the Boston featured in G-for-George, the aircraft Fred often flew in. Note the four .50 cal guns in the nose replacing the nav's position. I've endeavoured to post the pics in some sort of chronological order (logical to me anyway!). As a result, what I think is an interior view of an Anson is posted first. Then we move to Charters Towers, Queensland.
G-for-George was A28-6. I'll run through my copy of Charles Page's Wings of Destiny to see if there's any mention of the aircraft or, of course, Fred.
Just received this from Clive. Can't quite work out the escorting Kittyhawks' squadron but they appear RAAF so that's narrowed it down a little! Some relatively distinctive noseart on the second aircraft.
Strewth, I don't know how I missed this thread. Great pics. I shall have to get my magnifying glass out to see if we can ID the Kittyhawks