A Winged Gunner

Hans Onderwater • Boek • hardback

• Samenvatting
  Air Commodore Andrew James Wray Geddes CBE DSO LoM EM RAF was probably the only British officer who retired as a captain in the Royal Artillery and an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.He was Officer Commanding No.II (Army Co-operation) Squadron when war broke out in 1939 and the Squadron fought in the Blitz in May 1940. He flew the first secret sorties to France in a Lysander, calling it radio calibration flights. Geddes served in North Africa and was involved in all the preparations for D-Day as Air Commodore Plans of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. He flew over the Normandy beaches, bringing home the first pictures of the landings. In 1945 General Eisenhower told him to prepare and negotiate food drops over starving West Netherlands. In 1985 Andrew Geddes was the Guest of Honour of the Dutch during the 40th anniversary of Operations Manna & Chowhound. This book describes his life, using his private diaries and documents. The life and times of the ‘Winged Gunner’ gives a fascinating testimony of the career of a brave and loyal officer.
  
  Air Commodore Andrew James Wray Geddes CBE DSO LoM EM RAF was probably the only British officer who retired as a captain in the Royal Artillery and an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force. As a boy he went to Wellington College and to the Royal Military Academy Woolwich to become a ‘Gunner’. However he was seconded to the RAF. This way he fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot. His career saw him fly an array of aircraft from the Avro 405 biplane to the Mustang fighter, some 30 types. He was Officer Commanding No.II (Army Co-operation) Squadron when war broke out in 1939 and the Squadron fought in the Blitz in May 1940. He flew the first secret sorties to France in a Lysander, calling it radio calibration flights. Geddes served in North Africa and was involved in all the preparations for D-Day as Air Commodore Plans of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. He flew over the Normandy beaches, bringing home the first pictures of the landings. In 1945 General Eisenhower told him to prepare and negotiate food drops over starving West Netherlands. At Achterveld in Holland Geddes sat opposite the Germans and secured eleven drop zones to allow 5,000 flights, bringing some 12,000 tons of food to the Dutch in less than 10 days. When his wife Anstice became very ill, he retired and joined local Civil Defence. In 1985 Andrew Geddes was the Guest of Honour of the Dutch during the 40th anniversary of Operations Manna & Chowhound. He renewed his friendship with HRH Prince Bernard of the Netherlands and was handed the Dutch Erasmus Medal by Prime-Minister Lubbers of the Netherlands. This book describes his life, using his private diaries and documents. The life and times of the ‘Winged Gunner’ gives a fascinating testimony of the career of a brave and loyal officer. Andrew Geddes passed away in 1988.
• Productinformatie
  Binding : Hardback
  Distributievorm : Boek (print, druk)
  Formaat : 174mm x 246mm
  Aantal pagina's : 392
  Uitgeverij : Nedvision Publishing
  ISBN : 9789083086033
  Datum publicatie : 04-2022
  
• Inhoudsopgave
  CONTENTS. Foreword by His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands Foreword by Lord Jock Stirrup Foreword by Air Marshal Philip O. Sturley Foreword by Mr. Angus Geddes, son of Air Cdre Andrew Gedde Preface by Hans Onderwater MBE 1. These wonderful flying machines. Geddes’ youth and introduction to flying 2. A pilot after all. Geddes’ flying training and his first secondment to the RAF 3. A passage to India. A tour of duty in the Raj 4. No. II(Army Co-operation) Squadron. Geddes joins the Elite 5. Phoney War, busy war. No.II(AC) Squadron moves to Drucat, Abbeville, France 6. The lull before the storm. The months before the German attack against the West 7. Blitzkrieg over Northern France and Belgium. No.II(AC) Squadron at the forefront 8. We deliver… Rebuilding No.II(AC) Squadron in England 9. New job: very strange, secret and useful. Preparations for the SOE-missions 10. Operation Crusader; a gunner in the desert. Geddes in the Western Desert 11. Mopping up the enemy. The last phase of Operation Crusader 12. Reflecting on Crusader at Battle HQ. Lessons learnt; evaluations made 13. Home to prepare for the Great Adventure. Geddes gets involved in Overlord 14. We called it BIGOT. D-Day preparations 15. From Normandy to Paris. D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge 16. From Paris to Brussels. Headquarters 2TAF in Brussels 17. A worrying winter. The last German offensive; the Allies under fire 18. The last chase. Moving into Germany 19. Operation Manna. Saving the Dutch from starvation 20. Flying a desk. The end of the Second World War 21. The last command. Geddes’ last appointments, retirement and civil occupations 22. The Dutch people never forgot those days. Geddes and the Netherlands 23. Postscript Appendix. Geddes Family; Service Record; Education; Military service; Civilian service; Decorations and awards; London Gazette; Who is Who: Geddes, Air Cdre Andrew James Wray; Old Wellingtonians (military); The RAF Army Co-operation Command; Army Co-operation Command (April 1942); Bibliography; For specific Operations; Special thanks Institutes; Special thanks People; Other books and articles written by Hans Onderwater MBE; Articles; Documentary movies; Lectures
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