Verna Joyce

[Keith Webb]

Verna Joyce Russell made me a cup of tea yesterday. A very nice cuppa.

This Verna is special. In 1944 a 6 squadron RAAF Beaufort bomber carried not only her name but her husband Jack into battle many times, flying out of Vivigani airstrip on Goodenough Island by night and by day.

Jack Russell DFC is a man I interviewed yesterday. He was also a Hudson pilot who in 1942 flew missions from Darwin over Timor. Jack also flew what is now the world's last flying Hudson in 1944 when it was a training aircraft at Sale in Victoria, which is the reason I was filming him. His stories are vivid and exciting, told with humour and great humility. In fact it was only after the interview when I looked him up on the nominal rolls I found he'd been awarded a DFC.

Because he flew in the same squadron as my father I took his log book for Jack to have a look at. He opened it to May 1944, and running his finger down the left hand column was telling me about the individual aircraft and the pilot's names when he suddenly exclaimed "well, how about that!" There, on the right-hand page was his own signature where he'd signed as the O.C. "A" Flight. He had actually held that same book 62 years ago.

Jack was able to tell me all sorts of things about life on Goodenough Island in those amazing times I have often wanted to ask my dad about, but have not been able to as he died ten years ago.

As I was leaving, he quietly said: "You know, there aren't many days as good as this one." I could only agree.

Here's Verna Joyce, Beaufort A9-401 at Vivigani airstrip in May 1944. Jack is the man in the centre of the group.

[Max Hedges]

Keith what a day for you, your own special day and obviously very memorable

Max

[Col Tigwell]

Hey get a load of the wheel chocks.

Looks like they are "Stone Mark 1"

Regards

Col