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Dan does a fly pass at the cemetery the next day July 28 when we laid both Mom and Dad's ashes to rest
in the Needham family plot |
Ladies and gentlemen, if
there ever was a celebration of life...
this has to be it.
Almost 97 years of age is remarkable.
My name is Dan
Dennis and I am Barry's friend. Barry
and I became friends when he moved to the
Country Care home just south of Regina Beach about three years ago. We had a shared interest in aviation as we
are both aviators.
I would drop by for
a visit or he would show up at my place about a mile away driving is car with
his oxygen bottle in tow. He would tell
me stories and ask me questions about my career, and the discovery channel show
Mayday and others, as I tinkered with my aircraft. We would share the odd beer or rum and coke.
I did from time to time sneak a flask of red wine into the home which was our
secret. I always enjoyed his company, sharp mind and desire to learn things.
We took a few short
road trips and we attended the 75th Anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air
Training Plan, where he was the guest speaker. This was the training program
where Barry earned his wings. He stole
the show as everyone listened attentively to his speech. I was amazed with his
ability to speak impromptu. It was obvious his career in the air force was a
passion for him. It stayed with him until the day he died.
Barry and others
like him,....gave up their youth, and their lives to the war effort , so that
we are able to enjoy the life we do today.
We must never forget the sacrifice these men and women made.
Barry joined the
Air force in September 1940. There was an administrative error and his file was
placed in the unfit for duty file. This
delayed his acceptance. He was
eventually accepted and sent to Prince
Rupert on guard duties.This posting was to guard against the Japanese from
invading Canada. Apparently not much
went on there except rain, fog , whiskey and women.!!!
He later on was
approved for flight training and was sent back to Saskatchewan for abinitio flight training in Regina. He trained
in Regina on the De Havoline Tiger moth, then in Yorkton on the
original North American Harvard Advance trainer.
He was never really
sure why he was selected for fighter pilot duties, but after arriving in the UK
and getting into a Spitfire he thought it must be because of his slight stature. There wasn't much room in the cockpit and it
was a tight squeeze for anyone getting in or out.
I believe it was
his "mischievous and outgoing, on the edge type personality". This same personality existed years later
when he would drive over to my place on the back roads at the age of 95 looking
for his rum and coke. He thought no one would know or find out he was on an adventure.
We shared our last rum shorty before his passing.
Upon completing his
training on the Tiger Moth and Harvard, he was sent to England to join the 412
Squadron flying the early model Submarine Spitfire, a high performance, gun
toting weapon, sporting a Rolls Royce engine in excess of 1000 HP capable of speeds of
350 mph and the ability to climb to 30,000 ft.
This was a lot of aircraft for an inexperienced pilot. He had to have shown promising skills to have
been chosen for the role of fighter pilot.
So, once in England
with the 412 squadron, they took him up, did some aerobatics and training, a
little shooting practise that amounted
to about 30 hours or so of flying and
then turned him loose. He took a
wing man, as they always sent pairs out in the fighter group and told him to go
shoot up something German. Off they
would go crossing the English Channel into occupied France or behind enemy
lines-- taking out supply lines, locomotives, steam engines , u boats, flotillas or whatever they could find. It was called going on a" rhubarb".
In the summer of
1942 the Luftwaffe were bombing the south coast of England at will. They were having a great success hardly
being challenged. To counteract these
raids , Spitfire Squadrons were strategically placed along that area on
"immediate readiness" that means
sitting in their aircraft ready to go.
They saw bombs bursting over the village of Worthy. Off they went and in short order saw two German
Focke- Wulf 190's fleeing out over the channel.
The Focke- Wulf 190 was superior to the Spitfire in all aspects except maneuverability. Nothing could out maneuver the Spitfire. Barry would
always say " The Spitfire has no bad qualities".
The chase was on !!!. As Barry and his wing man dove in behind the 190's they got
close for a short period until forward energy from the dive depleted in level
flight. The Spitfires, Rolls Royce Merlin's were at full throttle
actually past the gate , as they say, and the 190's were still pulling away. Barry's wing man squeezed the trigger on his
Browning 303 machine guns and one Focke-Wulf fell from the sky. Barry's' victim
was getting to far away but he emptied his guns anyway and watched his target
fly off trailing smoke from a hit, but it continued on. Out of ammunition they
returned to England with one kill and one hit.
That was his first engagement in battle.
Many years later
Historian/ Author ....Chris Goss contacted both Barry and the brother of the
Focke-Wulf Pilot, who had been killed in
a later dog fight. Barry learnt that
the pilot had been an Ace from a previous war with several kills. He jokingly
told me that had he known that,
and since it was his first engagement with the enemy , he'd have been full throttle in the
opposite direction back to England.
A friendship developed with Willy, the brother of the deceased Focke-Wulf pilot, and over the years they communicated through letters , phone
calls and later emails.
In 2004 Barry and Martha went to Bad
Gleichenberg in Austria to visit Willy.
Willy presented Barry with a souvenir.
It was the 20 mm cannon shell that Barry had fired into the fleeing
Focke-Wulf 190. Willy said 'you gave
this to my brother, now I am returning it
to you." It was a very
special moment for both of them.
Barry had many
missions, and one which stays in my mind , is where he defended a crippled
American B17 and its jumping crew, from attacking Focke-Wulf 190's. After
running out of ammo he used dummy attacks to drive them off and was successful.
There were many
missions, but with the high risk and dangers associated the odds were against
these young fighting men and women.
Barry's number came
up, and while strafing a German transport group over occupied France, he was
hit by anti aircraft fire. Using the
energy he had at his disposal he climbed his crippled and burning aircraft skyward
until the flames became too intense. He
slid his canopy open and in his words " I popped out of there like a cork
from a Champagne bottle". He pulled his ripcord and burnt and bleeding he
floated earthward.
As such he became a
member of the "caterpillar club".
He has a card and a lapel pin of a "silkworm with ruby colored eyes" signifying you jumped from a burning aircraft and used a silk
parachute to save your life.
He was captured shortly thereafter by the
secret service while hiding behind bushes.
He was taken to a makeshift POW camp known as Stallag 221. He was treated for his injuries by French
nurses, whom he connected with many years later. He was fed a diet of cabbage soup( less the
cabbage), black bread and rank cheese.
Barry was lucky..
after 34 days the Americans liberated France and he started the long journey
back to Saskatchewan and his family. He
was assigned to Ferry command in Canada.
The war was over and the surplus
training, fighter, bomber and transport type aircraft needed to be
positioned around Canada for storage and dispersal. Once that was complete it was time for Barry
to move on with his life. He left the
Air force for the newspaper business.
In June 2004 while
at the 60th anniversary of D Day Barry
met a group from the "Normandy Association for Air Remembrance" and
discussed finding his downed Spitfire.
They had found 1500 of the approximately 3000 that went down. While describing his bailout one of the
members said " I think I know where
your aircraft is". On October 17, 2005
Barry and his family were invited to attend the excavation of his
Spitfire near Falaise, France. In a farmers field the backhoe brought up
pieces of an engine, propeller, cannons and machine guns, more that 15 ft
deep, What and exciting event, however
upon further investigation it was determined to be a P51 Mustang and not a
Spitfire after all.
The Group didn't give up and after a newspaper
story about the event, four locals came forward with new information. A farm worker who had been young at the time
of the crash had come forward and claimed he had seen Barry jump . He presented his diary to Barry and showed
him where the plane was located. This
time it was correct. The stench of
gasoline was prevalent with the first scoop full of dirt. It was the remains of the "Spitfire
MK622. Parts were recovered and the still inflated tail wheel was brought home and
is on display at the legion.
At an Airshow in
Estevan, a modern day spitfire pilot, Warren Pietsch who had spent time with
Barry and who roams the airshow circuit showing off the antique Spitfire said to me" You don't know what a gem you
have in Barry Needham". I do know
that and am sure you all do as well.
Barry I cherished
our friendship and the little time we spent together. I often think of what you've done for Canada
and our democracy.
Barry, has now for
the last time.... Slipped the surly
bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter- silvered wings, he,s topped
the windswept heights with easy grace. And I know he's put out his hand and
touched the face of God.
Barry, The Royal
Air force Motto goes with you "Per
Ardua Ad Astra" Through Adversity
to the stars.
Barry,
we all thank you for your service and we love you and will miss you . God speed my friend. God Speed.
