The chin

This is one of my favourite photos of my father. I’m going to sound vague about where it was taken because, unfortunately, there’s no date or caption accompanying the photo.

If I look at the sequence of photos in Dad’s wartime photo album and cross-refer to his Record of Service, I’m going to say it was taken in the Sudan. The photo is next to the one of the tent (below), which Dad shared with Lloyd Mason before joining the 127 Squadron (which he joined on April 6, 1943 at St.Jean, Palestine). Along with these two photos is one of several chaps playing rugby on Christmas Day. Given that my Dad was an avid photographer all his life, I don’t think he was playing rugby but was the photographer.

Looking at his Record of Service, the Christmas before he joined the 127 Squadron saw Dad in 71 O.T.U. Carthago from November 1, 1942 until December 28, 1942. Then he was stationed in 22 P.T.C. Almaza from January 2, 1943 until January 8, 1943.

I have no idea what squadrons or units these are so I did a quick Google search. This revealed that 71 O.T.U. Carthago was stationed by the river Nile in the Sudan. O.T.U. is Operational Training Unit but I don’t know what the 71 means. I think P.T.C. means Personnel Transit Centre and Almaza is in Egypt.

Dad seems to have been in transit to a house boat in Cairo! His Record of Service refers to No.1 A.D.U (Cairo House Boat) from January 8, 1943 until February 12, 1943. Then he was in No.2 A.D.U. from February 12, 1943 until March 17, 1943. I can’t quite read the writing but I think it says 4.G. 237 Nr. Cairo. Following this, and just before joining the 127, Dad was in 136 AAD Benghasi (attached from 2. A.D.U. Temp) – March 17, 1943 until April 3, 1943.

I’m afraid this is all gobbledegook to me. I have no idea what A.D.U. stands for or why Dad would be on a house boat (does explain though why he always loved house boats. I believe he and his family lived on a houseboat around Wellington somewhere when he was a young kid).

So….I think I can pinpoint that the photo of Dad was taken when he was stationed in the Sudan over Christmas 1942. Dad taught me to take photos, so it’s very typical to read the caption and see he was worrying about the angle the photo was taken from. The caption reads: Gary took this. He should’ve made me put my hat back off my face more. My chin looks reminiscent of Joe E.Brown’s, doesn’t it?

I had to go off and do another Google search as I don’t know who on earth Joe E. Brown is or was. But I think it’s this chap who must have been popular during WWII. I also don’t know unfortunately who Gary was. I looked up the list of 127 Squadron pilots but no Gary. I’d love to know so I could pay homage to him on this blog by mentioning his full name.

Anyway. I like the photo of Dad. It’s as I remember him as I was growing up. Chiselled chin and rather dapper. I also remember that as a kid, I wanted to go camping and live in a tent for a few days. I couldn’t understand why Dad wasn’t so keen on the idea but guess if you lived in a tent in the desert during WWII, with all the heat, dust and scorpions, you might not want to relive that experience anytime soon.

And speaking of scorpions. To this day, I check my shoes every single morning before putting them on. Dad used to carry on about checking your shoes. He told me the story of one chap who put his shoes on in a tent in the desert, only to be bitten by a scorpion and die. This scared the bejesus out of me as I first heard him tell this story when I was around 6 or 7 years of age. I’d also love to know who this chap was so his name could be recorded.

Click on the images below to enlarge.

Caption reads: Home Sweet Home! This was Lloyd's and my tent in the desert before we joined the squadron.