Ron Gordon - 460 Squadron RAAF

Subject:    460 Squadron - Binbrook information
Date:             Tue, 29 Jun 1999 21:21:07 -0700
From:           ANGUS WILSON GORDON <ANGUSG@xtra.co.nz>

I was just surfing around and came across this e-mail advert as part of a Binbrook page. My father was aircrew there 43/4. Look forward to any further information.

Subject:    Binbrook/460 Squadron
Date:             Wed, 30 Jun 1999 21:09:16 -0700
From:           ANGUS WILSON GORDON <ANGUSG@xtra.co.nz>

Further to last nights e-mail, I found your site "460 Squadron" after looking around the "Binbrook" site (uk provider). Anyway to fill you in on a few details my father Ron is a kiwi and entered the RNZAF in 1941 and went through the empire air training scheme. He started ops with 101 Squadron at Stradishall on Wellingtons in Sept 1942 then converted to Lanc's via Manchesters in Oct '42 and completed his first tour in Feb '43.

From June '43 until Jan '44 at 1662 Conversion Unit at Blyton(x2) and no 1AAS bombing leaders course at Manby. He then joined 460 Squadron at Binbrook in Feb '44 with F/Lt Willis as his pilot and did 9 ops with him between Feb and June '44. He was then posted to 625 at Kelstern and was bombing leader there and finished his 2nd tour there with a further 12 ops between July '44 and Feb '45. He also did a further 20 ops as an advisory crew member with 1st op crews while at Kelstern that were not included in his tour summary. I guess that you get many emails such as this so I hope that this one is informative. Incidentally Ron kept most of his photo flash photos over the Binbrook / Kelstern period which we still have along with other items of memorabilia. Incidentally Ron says that part of the reason for his posting to Kelstern was to split up S/LDR's Willis's crew as they were all the "station staff" and had come home on one engine 2 or 3 times (the W/CDR had a fit and put all his best eggs in as many baskets as possible to lesson the risks!!!) I look forward to hearing from you at some time.

Incidentally, I am 35 and farming in the central North island near a small town called Taihape. My father Ron is 83 and lives on one of the farm blocks in his home that is surrounded by an arbouretum of trees and other plants that he has planted there since he bought his farm in 1947.

Some 25 yrs ago a member of S/Ldr Willis's crew called into to renew his acquaintance with Ron, he was the Flt Engineer (Arny Barlow ?) do you know of him or his family?

I need your help

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