WWII Gift comes home.
FLTLT Cath Friend
A small symbol of a friendship forged
in WWII between a RAAF pilot
and an American pilot was remembered in a small ceremony at 76 SQN,
RAAF Base Williamtown, on November
2, 2012.
In May 1942, F/Lt. Peter Turnbull
was appointed Squadron Leader & CO of 76 Squadron at the
outset of the Battle of Milne Bay against
the Japanese invasion force.In addition to the RAAF's
75 and 76 Squadrons,
air defence was shared by the 8th Attack Squadron of the 3rd Bombardment Group (L).
F/Lt. Turnbull met and
formed a close friendship with the then Lt. Bob Ruegg, an 8th Attack Squadron pilot.
After the defeated
Japanese withdrew, 75SQN hosted a farewell dinner for the 8th Attack Squadron during which F/Lt.
Turnbull gave his friend an engraved cigarette case embellished with the RAAF eagle as a farewell gift.
Shortly afterwards, Squadron Leader Turnbull was killed in action serving as the Commanding Officer of 76 Squadron, while Lt. Ruegg went on to have a long and distinguished career. He retired in 1972 as the Commander-in-Chief
Alaskan Command as a Lt. General and sadly died in 2009,aged 95. With his passing, his
family decided to track down the Turnbull family and return the case to them.
They contacted the 75 Squadron Association and
its secretary, Mr. Peter Nelm who in turn found Squadron Leader Turnbull 's great niece, Alison Turnbull, after which steps were put in place for the transfer of the gift.
On November 2, the US Consul General,
Niels Marqhardt, 75 Squadron Association Secretary Peter Nelm & author Noel
Tunny, met Mrs Turnbull and CO 76 Squadron Wing Commander Christopher Hake at the squadron headquarters.
Mr Marquardt presented the
cigarette case to Alison Turnbull. who in turn showed a mounted clock taken from Squadron Leader Turnbull's crashed Kittyhawk.
n his address, Mr
Marquardt said:"Today we commemorate when these two gentlemen came together with a lasting token of their friendship, mateship
and camaraderie that passed from one Australian to one American. "Here's to Australian and American mateship
that is just as strong today as it
was 70 years ago:' While the mateship has never changed,
to show what changes have been
made over the years, WGCDR Hake
showed Mr Marquardt and Alison Turnbull over a Hawk-127 Lead-In
fighter, a far cry from the Kittyhawks
flown by 76 & 75 Squadrons during those desperate days at Milne Bay.
