RAAF Ace Bobby Gibbes passes away

[Mustang51]

Last week Australian Double Ace Bobby Gibbes DSO, DFC and Bar, OAM passed away. Born in May 1916, he enlisted in the RAAF and after training embarked for Eqypt as adjutant of 450 Squadron that was to equip with P-40 Tomahawks on arrival. Shortly after landing he was transferred to 3 Sqn RAAF which had been highly successful against the Germans and Italians with over 60 aerial victories. With 6 hours on Tomahawks he participated in the squadron's opening attack of the Syrian Campaign and one week later claimed his first aerial victory, a Dewotine D.520. 3 Squadron later returned to the North African Campaign and Gibbes gained a reputation as a great pilot and leader. He later commanded 3 Squadron during his two year tour of duty with the unit. He finished his tour with 10 1/4 aerial victories (now possibly 12 1/4 with new information from Luftwaffe records), 5 (3) probably destroyed, 16 damaged and 2 destroyed on the ground. He was shot down twice and on the second occasion walked through 70 miles of enemy territory to reach allied lines and in December 1942 landed his P-40 190 miles behind the German front lines to rescue a fellow pilot who had been shot down. After North Africa and an unsuccessful attempt to be posted to a Mosquito squadron in the UK, he returned to Australia as an instructor then Chief Instructor at 2 Operational Training Unit. He was later posted to 80 Wing aflying Spitfire VIIIs out of Darwin. He led 79 Squadron from Oakey to Morotai in the Halmahera Islands where with 452 and 457 Squadrons the Wing, and Gibbes now a Wing Commander, were used on interdiction strikes on Japanese troops and transports. Post war he formed Gibbes Sepik Airways in New Guinea operating a variety of aircraft including the Norseman and three ex-Luftwaffe JU-52s that he had flown from Sweden to New Guinea.

[JohnH]

If I remember right, he actually flew the ME 109 Black 6 back when it was captured, there's a pic of him in the book on the airplane.

JH

[JDK]

If I remember right, he actually flew the ME 109 Black 6 back when it was captured, there's a pic of him in the book on the airplane.

You remember right. Bobby was an amazing man in an era of exceptional characters. One thing that most impressed me was his candour about fear and being out of his depth in the desert air war, but he had to set an example and he did - for the rest of his life.

[JDK]

A Phil Makanna shot of Temora's Spitfire was one of the main features on today's ABC website.



http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/20 ... 899637.htm

The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/ ... 37764.html

[JägerMarty]

I read the obits in the Age last week, saw a snippet of the service on the news last night. Looked like there was a good turnout for him.
Farewell Bobby, fly far and high