New Movie Featuring WW2 Aviation

 

A Memory Owed is a new movie about aviators in WW2, and it weaves some amazing action scenes into an emotional storyline. 

This short movie is being released on Youtube in a few days, and has already been nominated for awards. Below is a link to the trailer which can be found on Facebook.

A big thank you to Sally Dimmick for the heads up. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17S8PLwPRB/

Remembrance Day Report 2025

 Remembrance Day (11th. November) commemorates the end of WW1. In the UK it is conducted as Remembrance Sunday on the Sunday nearest 11th November. Australia adopted that practice up until the 1970's but now we conduct services on the actual date of the signing of the Armistice  - 11/11. Services are held in a variety of locations.

Repatriation Hospital Heidelberg.

On Tuesday 11/11/2025 representatives of the Odd Bods laid a wreath in the Remembrance Garden of  the Repatriation Hospital in Heidelberg, Melbourne. The Odd Bods have a long association with the Repatriation Hospital. One of the original Odd Bods banners was made by a seamstress in the hospital laundry. That banner served many good years at Odd Bods events including the Anzac Day March and is now on display in the hospital chapel. We also have a prominent brass plaque dedicated to Odd Bods in their Remembrance Garden. Nearby is a plaque dedicated to Odd Bod Joe Shuttleworth who was a Director of Administrative Services at the Hospital.

FOTOBAI President Peter Randell, Treasurer Gary Elliott, and Committee Member Robyn Bell attended this years service as shown in our lead photograph.

Poppies In Korumburra:

Amanda Riley is Daughter of FOTOBAI Secretary Greg Smith and Grandaughter of Odd Bods co-founder George Smith. She is also an ex Treasurer of the Medium Bombers Association in the UK. 

Amanda and husband Guy have a property at Korumburra in S.E.Gippsland, and their vegetable garden displays the Remembrance Day icon (RedPoppies) at this time of year. 

11th November is special to Amanda & Guy for a number of reason including the fact that their daughter was born on this day, and fittingly, her name is Poppy. Some lovely family connections.

Our photo was taken after the red poppies had been picked but the significance of these blooms has not been lost.

Incoming Mail - Best looking WW2 aircraft, Remembrance Sunday in UK, Mitchell restoration......

 

As we get closer to Remembrance Day our incoming  mailbox is growing, and here are just some of the interesting subjects.

The Best Looking WW2 Aircraft - get your debating gear on because this article on Slashgear has opened up the age old question of which aircraft from WW2 is the best looking. Click on this link to check it out - https://www.slashgear.com/2001650/best-looking-ww2-military-aircraft/

Runnymede Memorial Honours UK and Commonwealth Aircrew. A big thank you to our regular UK correspondent, Bryan Wilcockson, for this email - "Here are some very recent photographs of the RAF memorial at Runnymede ( where King John signed the Magna Carta, from which UK and Australia’s laws derive). The memorial is for the 20,000 plus UK and Commonwealth aircrews, who were missing presumed killed in action."

Amazing Mitchell B25 Restoration - This Facebook page has a list of videos detailing the restoration of  a Mitchell B25 including working turrets. Simply log into your Facebook app and search "Warbirds Of Glory Museum / B-25J Sandbar Mitchell Restoration" 

Visiting Father's WW2 Airfield - UK

 

FOTOBAI Committee Member, Stephen Trask, recently visited the UK, and his Father's WW2 airfield, Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire.

Stephen's Father, Trevor G. Trask DFC, was a F/O Pilot in 514 Squadron which operated Avro Lancasters out of Waterbeach from December 1943. The airfield still exists and an adjoining Military Heritage Museum displays a number of aviation records and artifacts from WW2.

Stephen has been good enough to provide us with some photographs of what was, no doubt, a very memorable visit. The photographs include a rather large piece of a Lancaster, and a mock up of the cramped space the Radio Operator was allocated in the aircraft.