Micky Martin From: Royal Air Force (Volunteer Reserve) Officers 1939-1945 A very interesting career! Martin, [Sir] Harold Brownlow [Morgan*] "Mick" Son of the late J.H.O.M. Martin, MD, and of Colina Elizabeth Dixon; married 1944, Wendy Lawrence, daughter of late Grenville Outhwaite, Melbourne; two daughters. * added at a later date 27.02.1918 Edgecliffe - 03.11.1988 Kensington and Chelsea, London Sgt. ? [1188004] P/O (prob) 17.06.1941 [68795] P/O 17.06.1942 (WS) F/O 17.06.1942 (A) F/Lt. (05.1943) (WS) F/Lt. 17.06.1943 F/Lt. 01.09.1945 (A) Sq.Ldr. (11.1943) Sq.Ldr. 01.08.1947 W/Cdr. 01.07.1954 Gp.Capt. ? (A) Air Cdre. 01.01.1963 (A) Air Vice-Marshal 18.12.1965 Air Vice-Marshal 01.01.1966 Air Marshal 1970 (retd 1974) KCB 01.01.1971 New Year 71 CB 08.06.1968 HM's birthday 68 DSO 28.05.1943 Möhne-Eder dams DSO 31.03.1944 * DFC 06.11.1942 ? DFC 12.11.1943 ? DFC 14.11.1944 ? AFC 01.01.1949 New Year 49 * Since being awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross this officer has completed numerous sorties and has continued to set the highest example of courage and devotion to duty. He is a brilliant and fearless leader, whose iron determination in the face of the fiercest opposition has won great praise. One night in February. 1944, Squadron Leader Martin captained an aircraft detailed to attack a target in Southern France. During the run up to the target his aircraft was repeatedly hit. One member of the crew was killed and another one was wounded. Squadron Leader Martin pressed home his attack, however, and afterwards flew the damaged bomber to an airfield where he effected a masterly landing in difficult circumstances. He displayed great skill and resolution throughout. Education: Bloomfields; Sydney; Randwick served Bomber Command: 17.06.1941 first commission RAFVR, General Duties Branch (11.1942) 50 Squadron (05.1943) - (03.1944) 617 Squadron (took part in raid on Möhne dam) (11.1944) 515 Squadron 1945 psa 01.09.1945 tranferred to RAF, General Duties Branch [permanent commission] 1947 won Britannia Flying Trophy 20.06.1952 - 1955 Air Attaché, British Embassy, Tel Aviv, Israel 1958 jssc 1965 idc 18.12.1965 - 08.06.1967 Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO), Near East Air Force and Jt Services Chief of Staff 01.08.1967 - 1970 Air Officer Commanding (AOC), 38 Group, Air Support Command 1970 - 1973 Commander-in-Chief, RAF Germany, and Commander, NATO 2nd Tactical Air Force 1973 - 1974 Air Member for Personnel, Ministry of Defence ADC to HM the Queen, 14.01.1964-.... Hawker Siddeley International Ltd: Advr, 1974-75, Principal, Beirut, 1975-78, Middle East Future Markets; Market Advr, Hawker Siddeley PE Ltd, 1979-85, retd. Oswald Watt Mem
Mick Martin was one hell of a flyer. Mick was considered to be a way better pilot than anyone else on the squadron, a total natural. He taught them all the tricks needed to fly a Lanc 60 feet above the ground. I believe he went on to the PFF under protest as he did not want to leave 617.
98% but it was Spidge's post about Micky's first name being Harold that helped! Didn't know about The Wall question but easy question. Have to keep an eye out for it.
98% - guessed a couple. Sadly, Mick Martin died a week before the 50th anniversary of the raid, aged only 71.
98% - guessed a couple. Sadly, Mick Martin died a week before the 50th anniversary of the raid, aged only 71. ???? Mick Martin died in 1988 aged 70. 27/2/1918 - 2/11/1988 You probably mean David Shannon who died in 1993. He was only 20 years old at the time of the Dams raid. Dave Shannon
Dave Shannon An Australian member of the elite “Dam Busters” squadron. Shannon was just 20 when he took part in the famous bombing raid on the German dams in the Ruhr Valley. Squadron Leader David John Shannon, DSO (and Bar), DFC (and Bar) (1922–1993) The son of a South Australian member of parliament, Shannon enlisted in the RAAF as soon as he was old enough. After completing his flying training he was sent to England and posted to No. 106 Squadron RAF, where his commanding officer was Guy Gibson. Gibson left to form No. 617 Squadron for special flying operations and asked Shannon, already a young decorated veteran, to join him. No. 617 Squadron RAF was to make a daring raid using special bombs on German dams supplying the Ruhr industrial works, and Shannon was one of four Australian pilots involved. The operation took place on 16 May 1943. Shannon saw the Möhne Dam successfully breached and so was ordered to attack the Eder Dam, a difficult task because of the surrounding hills. For his part he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), while the squadron soon became famous as “The Dam Busters”. Shannon “had the unblemished look of a teenager [and] unruly blonde hair”. He failed to conceal his youthful look with a wispy moustache. When introduced to the King, an event which coincided with his 21st birthday, he was told: “You seem a well preserved twenty-one, Shannon.” The squadron continued its specialist role throughout the war and Shannon would be regarded as one of the pilots who were its backbone. He received the second of his two Distinguished Flying Crosses for an attack on the Dortmund–Ems Canal, and another DSO for an attack on Munich in April 1944. Not long after he left No. 617 Squadron, having completed 69 operations, he chose to drop rank to resume operational flying in Transport Command. After the war Shannon remained in Britain, becoming a business executive and travelling widely. He died only a few weeks before a reunion planned for the 50th anniversary of the Dam Busters raid. Flight Lieutenant David Shannon of the Dam Busters UK2640 Lancaster bomber pilot Dave Shannon before the Dam Busters raid. SUK10670 The Möhne Dam in Germany breached by the Dam Busters on 16 May 1943. 148949 Four-times decorated, Flight Lieutenant Shannon with his wife, a former WAAF, at Buckingham Palace, London, in March 1945. UK2644
Flight Lieutenant Robert Norman George Barlow RAAF (A/401899) Pilot: b 22 Apl 1911 Carlton, Australia. Killed in Action 16 May 1943.
on the quiz, Q15 is wrong. Nigger was a black labrador cross. Q20 is wrong. 8 crews lost which equals 56 men, but one (Possibly 2 need to check) survived. And now read it and weep boys! Your Score Is 100%! Good show, mate! Congratulations! You know your Dambusters! If I didn't know any better I'd believe that you might have served with them in a past life!
Way to go Kitty! I seem to remember in one of the 617 books I've read that members of the squadron, including Dave Shannon, were at a pub in uniform and one of the civilians commented at how desperate the RAF must be to send "kids" like Shannon to war. At that point, Dave Shannon turned around revealing the various decorations on his uniform!
Mick Martin died in 1988 aged 70. 27/2/1918 - 2/11/1988 You probably mean David Shannon who died in 1993. He was only 20 years old at the time of the Dams raid. Yes, sorry, got muddled and relied on my memory. Q20 is wrong. 8 crews lost which equals 56 men, but one (Possibly 2 need to check) survived. The correct answer is 53 - three men were POW; two from Hopgood's a/c, the next to attack after Gibson; and one from one of the a/c which was brought down during the outward journey.
Yes, sorry, got muddled and relied on my memory. The correct answer is 53 - three men were POW; two from Hopgood's a/c, the next to attack after Gibson; and one from one of the a/c which was brought down during the outward journey. What was the answer given for "Australians" that were involved? They did not state pilots, so the options are incorrect as there were over 12 involved.
i think it was 4 Ozzies. Oh dear, we seem to be ripping apart the quiz. Just the old adage. Ask the right question and you will get the right answer. I noticed an error at the Dambusters site: Flight Lieutenant Harold Brownlow Morgan Martin (68795) Pilot: Born: 27 Feb 1918, Edgeckuffe, Australia. Micky Martin was actually born in Edgecliff which is a Sydney suburb. Easy to see where/how the error was made.
one typo in a whole website. not bad. I am still getting people bitching at me cos I misspelt one road name in a WW2 display we did. One wrong spelling in over 70,000 words and thats all I hear about.
I am still getting people bitching at me cos I misspelt one road name in a WW2 display we did. One wrong spelling in over 70,000 words and thats all I hear about. It wasn't a typo of 'Bunt street' or 'Huck road' was it?...
one typo in a whole website. not bad. I am still getting people bitching at me cos I misspelt one road name in a WW2 display we did. One wrong spelling in over 70,000 words and thats all I hear about. The difference is that I noticed the typo, I wasn't looking for the typo! If a student handed in a paper on Micky Martin with that as his birthplace it would be frowned upon. (I am organising a school reunion for my primary school for those who commenced in 1955, 56, 57 & 58. Four of the students that I had huge difficulty in contacting, had dropped a letter from their surname which was most frustrating)
I did not want this lost with the *igger - Digger debate so added it here: My information originally came from the "Dambusters" website so would like to clear it up one way or another. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/film-reviews/7158-21st-century-dambusters-all-discussion-remake-5.html#post376993 clearing up misinformation Quote: Originally Posted by spidge Squadron Leader Henry Melvin Young ( 72478) Pilot and A Flight Commander: Born: 1916 Pasadena, California, USA. Killed in Action 17 May 1943 This is my uncle Melvin and I just wanted to clear up some wrong information. He was born in England, his mother was born in Los Angeles but moved to England with his father when they married, they had 3 kids including my mom. Would anyone be able to trace his birthplace with this limited information?? Cheers Geoff
