Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

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Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

#1 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:18 pm

I am often accused of being a Saffer chauvinist, and in truth I am, but this guy's story deserves to be told and allows me to show respect to the RCAF, RAF and RAAF as well...

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What! South Africa never took part in the Vietnam War, true – but some South Africans did, and two of them lost their lives. Of the two South Africans sacrificed in this rather misunderstood, baffling and brutal war, it is this one – Everitt Murray Lance (called ‘Lofty’ because of his height) who really stands out for two reasons – he served as a pilot in the South African Air Force prior to fighting in the Vietnam War and he served with the South African Air Force’s 2 Squadron with distinction in the Korean War (yes, for those who did not know, South Africa did take part in the Korean War).

So, who is Lofty Lance and how the heck did he land up in both the Korean War and the Vietnam War? Let’s have a look at him as his story is an absolutely fascinating one and we hope to do him a little justice in this article.
Lofty Lance's Career..
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Re: Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

#2 Post by Rossian » Sun Apr 25, 2021 7:52 pm

I don't wish to hijack your thread GG howevercomma does the name Willi Van Warmelo mean anything to the Saafers hereabouts? I don't know whether he flew in SA but he flew Maritime Lancasters in Canada for a while and then came to the UK where he flew Shackletons which is where I knew him. He was one of the flight commanders on 120Sqn at Kinloss in 1969/70-ish. I believe he returned to SA on retirement having parted company from his Canadian wife. He was a very pleasant chap to work for.

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Re: Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

#3 Post by ian16th » Sun Apr 25, 2021 8:03 pm

In SA, I met a former Valiant co-pilot, who was on 49 Sqdn at Marham. His time at Marham overlapped with mine by about 3 months. c1962.

We became good friends, he unfortunately became a crime statistic. He was murdered when he returned home unexpectedly and disturbed burglars.

He was Flt. Lt Ivan Spring. He had a small publishing business, Spring Air.
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Flight Commander van Warmelo

#4 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:52 am

Rossian wrote:
Sun Apr 25, 2021 7:52 pm
I don't wish to hijack your thread GG howevercomma does the name Willi Van Warmelo mean anything to the Saafers hereabouts? I don't know whether he flew in SA but he flew Maritime Lancasters in Canada for a while and then came to the UK where he flew Shackletons which is where I knew him. He was one of the flight commanders on 120Sqn at Kinloss in 1969/70-ish. I believe he returned to SA on retirement having parted company from his Canadian wife. He was a very pleasant chap to work for.

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No hijacking at all. It is great you have mentioned a pilot some of us don't know... I have heard of Bokkie van der Merwe, Danie van der Merwe and JP Van Zyl but not Kaptein Willie van Warmelo unfortunately. Are you sure you are not talking about Wouter van Warmelo, well known for his support for the Red Cross Children's hospital near Rondebosch, once home to both Captetonian and me?

http://www.humansofsa.co.za/retired-roy ... fer-bruce/


Wouter van Warmelo has inherited that very British trait of self-effacement. He does not talk much about his achievements. When he gives presentations about his work as a volunteer photographer at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital in Cape Town, it's mentioned in passing that he is a retired Royal Air Force pilot. I was curious to know more. In out interview, he reveals that his RAF career spanned three decades, he retired with the rank of Wing Commander (the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the army) and his contribution was such that he received his MBE from Queen Elizabeth.
Flight Commander Wouter van Warmelo's story

wouter.JPG
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His last job in the RAF was in charge of the day-to day running of the UK Military Search and Rescue Organisation based in Scotland. The worst rescue mission he had to oversee happened when an oil rig came adrift in the North Sea due to extreme weather conditions. “We sent in helicopters, a Nimrod maritime patrol and search and rescue aircraft. It was a really terrible night. We rescued 180 people off the rig and transferred them to other oil rigs. But we didn’t know that there was something seriously wrong with one of the rescuing helicopters. Eventually they tied it down on an oil rig. The next morning they discovered pieces of equipment had been dislodged from the engine. But we managed to get everyone off that night. And the oil rig was also saved in the end.”
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You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
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Ivan Spring

#5 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:52 am

ian16th wrote:
Sun Apr 25, 2021 8:03 pm
In SA, I met a former Valiant co-pilot, who was on 49 Sqdn at Marham. His time at Marham overlapped with mine by about 3 months. c1962.

We became good friends, he unfortunately became a crime statistic. He was murdered when he returned home unexpectedly and disturbed burglars.

He was Flt. Lt Ivan Spring. He had a small publishing business, Spring Air.
As you know, Ivan Spring is (was) the go to author of the history of the Catalina Flying boat in SA, vide. The history of 262 Squadron RAF and the origins of 35 Squadron SAAF... Any Saffer who is interested in the Catalina (like me) probably owns his book.

ivan spring.JPG
262 Squadron RAF

I am so sorry to hear that he was killed in this awful way. My father's old friend Jackie Pretorius died in similar circumstances in Johannesburg some years back.

The Catalinas of Lake St Lucia
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U-Boats off Durban
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Ivan Spring

#6 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:29 am

An interesting link prompted by the Ivan Spring reference...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... VsBlD-lO6A
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Re: Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

#7 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:42 am

Ivan had a book on the Valiant as work in progress. he had asked me to proof read some of it.

His unforunate demise prevented this. His PC was stolen in the burglary and all was lost.

He joked about the title of his book, saying a chap called W S Churchill had used the one he wanted; 'The Valiant Years'.
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Re: Wouter van Warmeolo

#8 Post by Rossian » Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am

...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

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Re: Wouter van Warmeolo

#9 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:22 am

Rossian wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am
...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

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Rossian, your old colleague was definitely alive last year. I have taken the liberty of contacting the lady journalist/blogger who wrote that article I linked to, and asked if he was still alive. I will let you know if she responds. Failing that one could follow up through the SAAFA in Cape Town or indeed The Red Cross Memorial Hospital (I could ask my ex-wife to drop by and ask there) I guess.

I see that Major Bondesio is mentioned in Steve Bond's second edition of Shackleton Boys.
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Re: Lofty Lance SAAF, RCAF, RAF and RAAF, killed in the Vietnam war...

#10 Post by ian16th » Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:33 am

If needed I have e-mail addresses of contacts in CT SAAFA Branch, including a former Shackleton driver.
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Re: Wouter van Warmelo

#11 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:03 pm

Rossian wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am
...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

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Rossian, the good news is that he is very much alive and the young lady has contacted him to confirm that he is prepared to share his e-mail address. I will forward that via PM as soon he has confirmed the latter, should you want to contact him.
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Re: Ivan Spring

#12 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:30 pm

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:52 am

As you know, Ivan Spring is (was) the go to author of the history of the Catalina Flying boat in SA, vide. The history of 262 Squadron RAF and the origins of 35 Squadron SAAF... Any Saffer who is interested in the Catalina (like me) probably owns his book.
I fished my copy out of the loft. It has a preface by Wing Commander ESS "Gar" Nash DFC, AFC.

WC Gar Nash's Sinking of German Submarine UIT-22 by Dr. JC van der Walt, Richards Bay.
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Dunedin Star

#13 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:58 pm

Apropos the use of Catalina's, Sunderland's etc. to hunt for hunt for U-Boats off the coast of Southern African during the Second World War.

The reality led to many myths, fables and post war, stories and novels. My favourite novel of this kind was A Twist of Sand, written by South African author Geoffrey Jenkins which featured an advanced U-Boat lurking in the mouth of the Cunene River (the story is essentially ludicrous, but it was a cracking read nonetheless).

A film was made of the novel which is now in the public domain...



In fact the reality was far more interesting vide. the Skeleton Coast which is a book by John Henry Marsh covering the true story of the wrecking in 1942 of the British refrigerated cargo liner Dunedin Star and the eventual rescue of all her 106 passengers and crew, at the cost of a tug, an SAAF aircraft and the lives of two rescuers...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Dunedin_Star

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Re: Ivan Spring

#14 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Thu May 06, 2021 7:59 am

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:30 pm
TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:52 am

As you know, Ivan Spring is (was) the go to author of the history of the Catalina Flying boat in SA, vide. The history of 262 Squadron RAF and the origins of 35 Squadron SAAF... Any Saffer who is interested in the Catalina (like me) probably owns his book.
I fished my copy out of the loft. It has a preface by Wing Commander ESS "Gar" Nash DFC, AFC.

WC Gar Nash's Sinking of German Submarine UIT-22 by Dr. JC van der Walt, Richards Bay.
I am rereading 'Flying Boat' by Ivan Spring and am finding really at the second time of reading. Mr Spring was an ex-SAAF 35 Squadron Shackleton pilot, who also piloted the Lockheed Ventura Bomber (see photo above) and the P.166 Albatross (last two examples lost in a crash back in 2011 - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_So ... ross_crash). His grasp of the detail of the war against the U-boats off the South African coast is superb. It is funny how one's approach to these things changes. First time I read this book, I skimmed it. This time I don't want to miss a word or a detail.
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Re: Wouter van Warmelo

#15 Post by Pontius Navigator » Thu May 06, 2021 4:41 pm

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:03 pm
Rossian wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am
...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

The Ancient Mariner
Rossian, the good news is that he is very much alive and the young lady has contacted him to confirm that he is prepared to share his e-mail address. I will forward that via PM as soon he has confirmed the latter, should you want to contact him.
I worked for him for a time. He was sqn ldr ops at Kinloss and really was indispensable. When he was you're they wondered how he could be replaced.
In the wing at the time was another officer who also seemingly had the ability to keep many balls in the air at once.
He was promoted to fill Van's boots but without an extremely capable Sgt the job soon proved the rules of promotion to incompetence. I won't go further as he would be easy to identify.
The Sgt was also a ceramicist and I still have my hand painted ceramic model of a Nimrod.

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Re: Wouter van Warmelo

#16 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Thu May 06, 2021 4:47 pm

Pontius Navigator wrote:
Thu May 06, 2021 4:41 pm
TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:03 pm
Rossian wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am
...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

The Ancient Mariner
Rossian, the good news is that he is very much alive and the young lady has contacted him to confirm that he is prepared to share his e-mail address. I will forward that via PM as soon he has confirmed the latter, should you want to contact him.
I worked for him for a time. He was sqn ldr ops at Kinloss and really was indispensable. When he was you're they wondered how he could be replaced.
In the wing at the time was another officer who also seemingly had the ability to keep many balls in the air at once.
He was promoted to fill Van's boots but without an extremely capable Sgt the job soon proved the rules of promotion to incompetence. I won't go further as he would be easy to identify.
The Sgt was also a ceramicist and I still have my hand painted ceramic model of a Nimrod.
Reference this subject, he did respond, but has never formally given me permission to share his e-mail address, so out of respect for his privacy I have sat on this one! I suspect he just wants to lead a low profile retirement, and who would want to deny the man that.
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Your destination remains
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Re: Wouter van Warmeolo

#17 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Tue Jun 01, 2021 1:52 pm

Rossian wrote:
Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:33 am
...thanks for a swift response GG. Having watched the video clip, yes, that's the chap I was talking about. Where could I find out if he's still with us??
One other SA chap who I know is NOT with us, is Mike Bondesio who was the copilot on my very first Shackleton crew. After the tragic death of their child in an accident in married quarters at Ballykelly he and his wife went back to SA where he flew the Mk3 Shackleton in the SAAF. I don't know all the circumstances but I believe he died of a heart attack whilst airborne. He couldn't have been very old when that happened.

The Ancient Mariner
Rossian, look at your PM's. Wouter Van Warmelo has responded very graciously to my earlier e-mail to him. :-s
Though you remain
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"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

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Wouter van Warmelo

#18 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:18 pm

Wouter van Warmelo I meant.

I almost typed Waatlemoen (watermelon). I am beginning to lose it, I really am...
Though you remain
Convinced
"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

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