|
|
|
|
Wing Commander Nicky Barr
Born 10th December 1915. Nicky Barr was commissioned as a pilot officer in November 1940, joining No.23 Sqn, patrolling Queensland, but soon joined No.3 Sqn RAAF flying the Tomahawk. During the war in the desert at El Alamein, he was successful against several enemy aircraft before being shot down himself, being wounded and forced to crash land. While escaping the enemy lines he was wounded again, but reached the safety of Allied lines after a three day desert trek. On 30th May 1942, he was again forced to crash land by enemy fire, but again he returned to fly again. During the fighting around Tobruk, he was shot down once more, baling out injured from his burning aircraft, but this time he became a prisoner of the Italians. Months later he attempted to escape, reaching the Swiss border before being captured once more. Whilst being moved to Germany as a POW, he jumped from a moving train to escape, only to be recaptured weeks later by the Germans. Once more he escaped, conducting sabotage operations, and in March 1944, organising escapes for other POWs. Later in 1944 he became an instructor in Australia, leaving the RAAF after the war. He died 12th June 2006.
|
| Text for the above items : |
Desert Hawks by Robert Taylor A flight of Kittyhawks of No. 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force on a strike mission over the North African Desert in January 1942, in the build-p to the Battle of Alamein. No. 3 Squadron RAAF was the first in the Desert to achieve 100 confirmed victories, and continuing in combat throughout the fighting in North Africa, became the Squadron with the highest number of air victories of the Desert Air Force Squadrons. |
| Wing Commander Nicky Barr Aircraft details |
![]() Tomahawk Manufacturer : Curtiss Built : 16802 | Tomahawk A total of sixteen Royal Air Force squadrons used the Tomahawk from British bases, and five more squadrons in the Middle East, as well as South African and Australian units. The Curtiss Tomahawk equipped the legendary Flying Tigers of the American Volunteer Group in China, in 1941, before the United States was officialy at war with Japan. In all, 16,802 Curtiss Tomahawks in a succession of improved models, were mainly built for the US Air Force. |
| Wing Commander Nicky Barr Squadron details |
No.3 Sqn RAAF Country : Australia | No.3 Sqn RAAF |
|
Contact Details |
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
|
|
|