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Group Captain Ross H Glassop DFC* MID
Joined the RAAF in March 1941 and trained in Australia. In November 1941, Sgt Glassop joined 22 Sqn and in January 1942 was posted to 24 Sqn based at Rabaul with Wirraways. He was en route to Townsville when 24 Sqn was decimated by the Japanese. Ross was attached to 76 Sqn at Townsville on 24th May and flew his first Kittyhawk that same day. Arriving at Milne Bay on 24th July, he shot down a Zero strafing No.1 strip on 24th August. Glassop participated in many successful strafing ops during the battle and remained with 76 until they withdrew to Australia on 22nd September. In March 1943 he was posted to 2 OTU as an instructor until November 1943. Ross joined 5 Sqn equipped with Boomerangs in June 1944 and in November moved to Bouganville until the end of the war. Flt Lt Ross Glassop was awarded the DFC in February 1945 and a bar and MID whilst serving in Korea flying Mustangs and Meteors with 77 Sqn RAAF.
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| Distinguished Flying Cross | Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross |
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| Text for the above items : |
Milne Bay - The Turning Point by Robert Taylor. The Battle for Milne Bay in New Guinea was a story of true grit, determination, and valour; it was the moment when the Imperial Japanese Army tasted defeat on land for the first time in nearly three centuries. In the space of two weeks, the Japanese attempt to capture Milne Bay was halted, and any ambitions they might have held to invade Australia thwarted. And that victory was due in no small part to the Kittyhawks of 75 and 76 Squadrons RAAF. After the Japanese had invaded the north of New Guinea, their main objective was to take Port Moresby in the south. But defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 put an end to any invasion of Port Moresby by sea: instead they must strike across the Owen Stanley Ranges via the Kokoda Trail. Protecting Port Moresbys eastern flank was the key strategic natural harbour at Milne Bay, and in June 1942 American engineers, protected by Australian troops, began construction of the first of three proposed airstrips to be hacked out of the steaming jungle. Within a few weeks they had laid the first runway, formed by laying steel matting in almost impossible conditions. With heavy rain falling almost continuously, it was an extraordinary feat. Four days later the Kittyhawks of 75 and 76 Squadrons, RAAF, took up residence, together with a few Hudsons of 6 and 32 Squadrons to provide long-range reconnaissance. On the night of 25th August 1942, in torrential rain, a Japanese invasion force began their landin in the bay. With the Australian troops bitterly contesting every yard, the fighting was savage and bloody; conditions in the jungle battleground were wet, nuddy, and atrocious. At first light the next morning the Kittyhawks and Hudsons immediately joined the battle, flying continuous raids against the Japanese forces. Sortie after sortie, strafing and bombing the enemy troops, their landing barges and stores. For the next eleven days the bitter battle raged, the Australian troops fighting in savage hand to hand combat as the Japanese were halted at No.3 airstrips permieter. But eventually the Japanese were spent as a fighting force. With no hope of reinforcement, they were forced to withdraw. A quarter of their invasion force had been lost. Robert Taylors powerful painting depicts Kittyhawks from 75 and & 76 Squadrons RAAF, returning to No 1 Strip after attacking Japanese positions during the Battle for Milne Bay. Under the starboard wing of the lead aircraft, Polly, the smoke of action is clearly visible as the Japanese press from their landing site, along the coast towards the airstrip. Polly, now beautifully restored, resides in the Australian War Memorial Museum in Canberra, a tribute to the men and machines who stopped the Japanese in New Guinea. |
| Group Captain Ross H Glassop DFC* MID Aircraft details |
 Kittyhawk Manufacturer : Curtiss | Kittyhawk Curtiss Kittyhawk, single engine fighter with a top speed of 362mph, ceiling of 30,000 feet and a range of 1190 miles with extra fuel tanks but 900 miles under normal operation. Kitty Hawk armaments was four or six .50in machine guns in the wings and a bomb load of up to 1,000 lb's. A development of the earlier Tomahawk, the Kitty Hawk saw service in may air force's around the world, American, Australian, New Zealand, and the Royal Air Force. which used them in the Mediterranean, north Africa, and Malta. from January 1942/ apart from the large numbers used by the Us Air Force, over 3,000 were used by Commonwealth air force's including the Royal air Force. |
 Mustang Manufacturer : North American | Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. |
| Group Captain Ross H Glassop DFC* MID Squadron details |
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