christine liava'a Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 The highest ranking soldier from Fiji! I have just discovered that a person I had listed as NW Tedder, who joined as a member of the Dorset regiment and then transferred to the RAF, is actually AW Tedder, who stayed in the RAF post war and eventually rose to be Marshal of the RAF in WW2. In 1913 he was a lowly British Colonial service cadet in Fiji. There were other well known aviators too, Harry Worrall, who inspired some of Nevil Shute's novels, and Clive Brewster Joske- an Australian! Air ace, and they were both Fiji born. photo of Lord Tedder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 What a fantastic find in the byways of history! It's like finding out that the 2nd Lt who was Machine Gun Officer in 1st Bn Border Regiment at Gallipoli, was a Brigadier in France in 1940 about whom I could find next to no biographical info.. But just to be snitty (nothing personal Christine, honest!) I don't think Tedder got a peerage? He was made a Baron and an MRAF (Marshal of the RAF The Baron Tedder of Glenguin, Sir Arthur TEDDER) but I don't think he was a Lord? Oh, and when we have Lords, they tend to drop the initials and acquire a Lordship... e.g. had he, he might have been Lord Tedder of Glenguin, or 'Lord Tedder', but not 'Lord AW Tedder' If you read Neilland's new book 'Battle of Normandy 1944', Tedder does NOT come out well; a wilful interferer and plotter against Montgomery if you buy his takeon the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 Christine Captain C A Brewster-Joske appears frequently in Air Vice Marshall Arthur Gould Lee's excellent book 'No Parachute' which deals with his time in No 46 Sqn RFC - being based on Lee's letters to his wife. It's a classic of 1914-1918 aviation. Your man is also mentioned in Lee's other book 'Open Cockpit'. Brewster-Joske was credited with 8 victories, 1 when flying as an observer with No 1 Sqn and 7 while flying Sopwith Pups with No 46 Sqn. He was awarded No 46 Sqn's first decoration - a Military Cross. A photo of Brewster-Joske from 'No Parachute' is below. Dolphin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 There were other well known aviators too, Harry Worrall, who inspired some of Nevil Shute's novels, Christine As a Shute fan, which novels please? Regards Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 15 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2004 1929 : As Secretary of the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, Shute hires Harry Worrall as Club Manager and Chief Flying Instructor. Shute admires Harry tremendously and considers him an archetypal and ideal pilot. Shute describes Harry glowingly in Slide Rule and his good points are mirrored in The Rainbow and The Rose. http://www.nevilshute.org/PhotoLine/PLD-19...921-1930-05.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 15 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2004 I don't think Tedder got a peerage? He was made a Baron and an MRAF (Marshal of the RAF The Baron Tedder of Glenguin, Sir Arthur TEDDER) but I don't think he was a Lord? Oh, and when we have Lords, they tend to drop the initials and acquire a Lordship... e.g. had he, he might have been Lord Tedder of Glenguin, or 'Lord Tedder', but not 'Lord AW Tedder' My mistake. Sorry ( genuflecting, scraping forelock ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 Tsk! That'll learn ya! Seriously - no offence meant and I hope none taken! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salientpoints Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 If you read Neilland's new book 'Battle of Normandy 1944', Tedder does NOT come out well; a wilful interferer and plotter against Montgomery if you buy his takeon the issue. Hmm, not sure I would - having just read 'The Invasion of Europe' by Alan Michie, an American so no Brit bias - Tedder was credited with formulating the three axioms that created the model for air-ground-sea cooperation between forces that contributed to the greatest combined operation of the war - the invasion of France. Tedder showed through his previous experience in Africa and the Med that the first rounds of modern warfare had to be fought in the air, to win air superiority as a vital prerequisite to the success of land and sea force. Secondly land, sea and air power are indivisible but in order to carry out its responsibilities to land and sea air power must retain its own command i.e. neither sea or land can cry 'me' 'me' and distract air from the overall objective. Third and finally airpower frittered away in small packet ie calls of 'me' 'me' for example is worse than useless and should be concentrated in one place at a time. These concepts were at first considered revolutionary and heretical and were only applied after lessons were first learnt in the Mediterranean campaign. Tedder is described here as 'one of the RAF's wisest airmen and its shrewdest tactitian'. Eisenhower described Tedder as 'one of the few really great military leaders of our time'. The Air Chief Marshall was subsequently named Deputy Supreme Commander for Overlord. I would be interested to know why he was described as "a wilful interferer and plotter" to save me reading the book! I also thought Tedder was born in Glenguin, Scotland in 1890 not Fiji or are you saying he only served there? Cheers Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Biplane pilot Posted 15 February , 2004 Share Posted 15 February , 2004 Hadn't heard about the interferer & plotter contention. It seems that Tedder was rare (on both sides of the Atlantic) for his commitment to an Allied war effort rather than constantly glancing over his shoulder to see who might be gaining a geopolitical advantage. His excellent work in the Med, welding the UK and US air arms into a cohesive force, was one indication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 16 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2004 I also thought Tedder was born in Glenguin, Scotland in 1890 not Fiji or are you saying he only served there? He only served there, but I count him , for the purposes of my book, as from Fiji since that is where he left from to go to war. Fiji counted him too, even if they got his initials wrong. Many of the European soldiers from Fiji were not actually born there, but they were living and working there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Smith Posted 16 February , 2004 Share Posted 16 February , 2004 1929 : As Secretary of the Yorkshire Aeroplane Club, Shute hires Harry Worrall as Club Manager and Chief Flying Instructor. Shute admires Harry tremendously and considers him an archetypal and ideal pilot. Shute describes Harry glowingly in Slide Rule and his good points are mirrored in The Rainbow and The Rose. http://www.nevilshute.org/PhotoLine/PLD-19...921-1930-05.php G'day Christine, Harry Worrall was also the co pilot for Sir Alan Cobham for his flight around Africa. He also was the test pilot for Blackburn in Greece and Brazil. Harry test flew over 700 Lancasters during WW2 and was awarded the MBE for this work. I have claimed Harry as an Australian for my book, although his daughter Pam claims that he always thought of himself as British. I have a copy of his service record if you would like it. Regards, Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine liava'a Posted 16 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2004 Yes please. Do you know about his brothers? What is your book about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Smith Posted 16 February , 2004 Share Posted 16 February , 2004 Hi Christine, I know of the Worrall brothers, I have been in touch with two of the family members, one being Harry's daughter. I did a little research at the AWM for the grand daughter of (I think) Norman. My book is about Australians that served in the RNAS, Harry was included as he grew up and was educated in Australia. Regards, Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 16 February , 2004 Share Posted 16 February , 2004 Neillands claims that Tedder and Broadhurst went around SHAEF complaining bitterly that Montgomery had 'failed' by not seizing Caen on D-Day and that they weren't getting their much demanded airfields. He says that they then took every opportunity to bend Ike's ear about Monty's shortcomings as a commander. Neillands argues (I think with some grounds) that the number of advanced landing strips [which aircraft could readily reach from the UK] was increasing at a phenomenal rate, and that the sortie rate was going through the roof - and that, as a result, standing airfields were not as vital as T & B were pressing. Indeed, Monty hadn't captured Carpiquet - but the Germans made a great mess of it before withdrawing. I maintain a healthy scepticism (my view of Tedder tends more to yours, Ryan) stoked by that abysmal book 'War Between The Generals' by (sorry..cough) David Irving where he argues that all the great and good at SHAEF were so much either trying to stab each other in the back or make intimate acquaintance of Kay Summersby that direction of the war came a poor third . Sorry, give Christine her thread back. "Fiji? I can think of worse postings!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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