Honouring a wartime pilot

This is a story about honouring an Australian World War Two pilot, but I need to start with the historical and cultural context.

Today, 25th April, is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC) fought together, along with British, Indian and French forces, in the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign of World War One. They landed on this day in 1915 on the shores of Turkey for an operation conceived by Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, to knock Turkey out of the war.

The campaign ended in a successful withdrawal between the 7th of December and 9th of January, 1916.

ANZAC Day was first held on this day in 1916 to honour those who died at Gallipoli, and over the decades has become perhaps the most important Australian public holiday, celebrating the sacrifice and service of Australians and New Zealanders in all conflicts. Dawn services and marches are held all across the country, with huge gatherings in the major cities and smaller services held by local Returned & Services League (RSL) branches.

Its popularity has increased over the last decade or so, particularly with the centenary in 2015, and people travel to the site of the ANZAC landing, officially renamed ANZAC Cove in 1985, where the history is solemnly remembered by both Australians, New Zealanders and Turks.

As I write this, I am watching the service at ANZAC Cove (or nearby) and listening to a Turkish military officer read a moving commemoration to the ANZACS, attributed to Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkiye, in 1934:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives ... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore, rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours ... You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

The Gallipoli Campaign is thought by many to be the defining moment of Australia as a country, and it says something about the Australian psyche, and humour, that we hold a military defeat as one of the most important days in our history.

https://www.army.gov.au/our-heritage/traditions/anzac-day

The day is also recognised and celebrated by the Australian (Rules) Football League (AFL) with all the games the round for the week marking the occasion with special team jumpers. The culmination of the round is the game on ANZAC Day between the Collingwood Magpies (my team) and the Essendon Bombers, played before a capacity crowd of around 100,000.

I went to the ANZAC Eve game last night between the Melbourne Demons and the Richmond Tigers (my wife's team) in front of a crowd in excess of 84,000. Melbourne won.

Keith ‘Bluey' Truscott was a member of the Melbourne Premiership team in 1939 (defeating Collingwood) before joining the RAAF. Such was his fame, and the popularity of the then Victorian Football League (becoming the national competition in 1991) he was granted leave to play in the 1940 Grand Final (defeating Richmond). He played his one final game in 1942, having been recalled from the UK, but was unable to keep up as he was not match fit. Asked after the game if he would play again, he declined saying it was “too dangerous”.

Joining the RAAF, Truscott flew Spitfires with 452 Sqn RAAF in the UK, achieving 11 victories, and was the most famous Australian pilot back home. In 1942 he was recalled to Australia to lead 76 Sqn flying P-40s over New Guinea, including the Battle of Milne Bay (25 August – 7 September, 1942). He achieved a further 5 victories before the squadron was withdrawn to Perth. He died after misjudging his height over the sea during a training mission.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676754

So, how do these three threads, ANZAC Day, AFL and ‘Bluey' Truscott, come together?

As I said, the AFL clubs wear special ANZAC jumpers this round and, this year, Melbourne's jumper features a silhouette of a Spitfire in honour of Sqn. Ldr. ‘Bluey' Truscott.

https://demonland.com/forums/topic/55110-anzac-jumper-2023/

(Coincidentally, I am building Truscott's P-40, which should be completed and in the headlines shortly.)