Wieneke Archive Book 4j : War Presscuttings

.1.10 - 1.4 FA 44 .144 net -.J -11 Above: Glory and death came to Australian pilots and observers when Australian-tv.iilt Wirraway fighter-bomb- ers suddenly, for thei, first time, confronted the Japan ese. At Rabuul, in January 1942, five Wirraways went up to do something about a huge force of 450 -kilo- metres -per -hour (280 m,les-per-hour) twin-engined Ktsu- bishi Japanese bombers escorted by waves of 530 -kilo metres -per-hour (330 -miles-per-hour) Mitsubishi Zero fighters. Three of the challenging Wirraways were shot out of the sky. The other two landed safely - one with part of its toil shot away. The 220 -miles -per-hour (355 kilometres -per -hour) Wirraways were hopelessly out- classed, outgunned and outnumbered. The Japanese bombers went on to plaster Rabaul, Simpson Harbour and airfields. The sky was theirs. Wing -Commander John Lerew, commander of the Wirraway squadron, unable to get help from the RAAF, vainly sent signals south. Finally he had to evacuate his squadron before the Japanese took Rabaul. And in Swanston Street, Melbourne, Air Board was puzzled as its experts tried to decipher a final signal from Lerew in Rabaul. It said merely: "Nos morituri to salutamus." A Melbourne cipher officer suddenly cracked the code . . "It's Latin," he an- nounced. "It's the cry of the Roman gladiators before going to face the lions. It means 'We who ors about to die salute you.' " Painted by Battle el Britain Spitfire pilot Wing -Commander Gordon Olive, of Brisbane Above: Trainee pilot E. H. Lascelles (marked X) poses with fellow trainees beside their plane at Tern Hill aerodrome in England in 1917. Tern Hill was home to many RAAF pilots in World War II. From: E. H &kilo Street, Holland Pork. 9 The Sunday Mail Color Magazine, April 28, 1974 Right: For almost four years, the countryside of France was pockmarked by craters made by shells, aerial bombs and land -mines. This aerial photo- graph, taken on November 9, 1917 over the West- ern Front, shows a shattered village and roads and communication paths. Bottom, centre is the entrance to a German dug -out. From: .1 H. Pollot14 Forest Street, Mooraoka. Above: 1, with bar