Barney Greatrex By Michael Veitch, Book review

[cristo]

BARNEY GREATREX by Michael Veitch

“ With my husband Auguste, we lived in the last house in the village. It was night and we were just going to sit down at the table for our supper when someone walked in our back door. It was a man in strange clothing whose language I didn’t understand , but who managed to explain that he was an aviator. We showed him in and gave him something to eat. We had heard about the plane which had fallen near Lagarde the preceding days. What were we going to do with him? Our neighbour opposite knew a little bit of English. Barney told him his story and of his miraculous survival. “

Marguerite Christment recalls how RAAF bomb aimer Barney Greatrex walked into her kitchen in occupied France after parachuting from his burning Lancaster.

The writing of the remarkable story of Barney Greatrex is a result of the documentary “ For School and Country “ Thistle Productions which records the war time experiences of twelve Knox Grammar students.
Using the research of Alex Lloyd and Angus Hordern author Micheal Vietch has crafted a remarkable account of RAAF bomb aimer Warrant Officer Barney Greatrex. It details his early life at Knox Grammar School on Sydney’s North shore to his RAAF training in Australia, journey to the UK and assignment to 61 Squadron RAF flying Lancasters on bombing missions until he was shot down on his twentieth mission to Germany.
Parachuting to safety the only member of his crew to survive and on the run from enemy troops he was fortunate to knock on the door of a house whose owners passed him on to the local resistance.
This was the start of nearly eight months of hiding out in the forests and mountains of north eastern France constantly on the move and in great danger not only to himself but to the people who sheltered him awaiting the D Day landings.
In the weeks before the Allied landings they were joined by SOE agents parachuted in to France to organise the training and attacks on the Germans by the resistance groups.
His time in France concludes with a perilous trip though the front lines to link up with the advancing American Army.
Veitch then covers his post war life and the chance encounter at a Knox Grammar function at ninety one years of age which resulted in this story being told.
Author Michael Veitch is an actor and radio and tv presenter but above all a story teller with a life long interest in WW2 aviation.
Barney Greatrex Hachette Publications is available in paperback 316 pages with 16 pages of photos.

[cristo]

Cover photo


Attached Image

[Brendan Cowan]

Definitely worth a read.