Two ancient vases

An interesting story about a vase emerged in November 2010 involving 626 Squadron bomb-aimer F/O William Howe Newman who had joined 12 Squadron as a Pilot Officer in June 1943. He had flown as part of W/O  E. W Smith's crew and was with the eight Lancasters brought in from 12 Squadron's 'C' Flight in November 1943 to form 626 Squadron's 'A' Flight, with Squadron Leader Roden as their Flight Commander. 

Having already flown 22 missions with 12 Squadron, Bill had only eight more to complete with 626.  His first trip at the new squadron was on the 18th of November with W/O Smith in DV177 and the beginning of the Battle of Berlin. On the 28th of January 1944 he successfully ended his operational tour in Lancaster JB599 flying with twelve other aircraft from 626 Squadron again raiding their least favourite target, Berlin.

"JB599 was also experiencing trouble where the pilot, S/Ldr Spiller, could not get it flying above 18,500 feet. For the last time bomb aimer F/O Bill Newman looked down at a target and the markers. One can almost imagine the anxiety of the crew with wondering if the bombs dropped by the others flying 3000 feet above them would hit their Lancaster. Widespread fires and several large explosions were seen by most but at 0314Hrs there was one enormous explosion lasting many seconds and nine minutes later the Berlin West Power Station blew up in a blinding flash."     'To Strive and not to Yield', by Dennis West

The above photograph, which comes from the Wickenby Register, shows W/O E.W Smith's crew at RAF Wickenby. This experienced and successful crew were one of the eight from 12 Squadron who formed 626's 'A' Flight in November 1943.  

Left to Right Top  1 Sgt Albert George Luke (Rear Gunner),  2  Sgt K (Tony) Van-Hal (Flight Engineer),  3 Sgt John Colles (Wireless Operator),  4  Not known

Left to Right Bottom 5  F/O Bill Newman (Bomb Aimer)    6 W/O  E W Smith ( Pilot)   7 Not known   

The two crew members not identified are probably  Sgt G Parker (Upper Gunner) and  Sgt LCJ  Street (Navigator). 

Tragically three of those in the photo lost their lives on the December 2nd 1943 raid to Berlin flying in JA864 with 'A' Flight commander, NewZealander Squadron Leader Roden. They were the Rear Gunner Albert Luke, 20 year old Flight Engineer Tony Van Hal, and 34 year old Navigator Leslie Street.

An account has already been related in Dennis West's interesting book, 'To Strive and not to Yield', describing Bill's part in the origins of  626's squadron crest.

"One person of note was F/O Bill Newman. He was an ex-12 Squadron bomb aimer and thought it was right and proper that the new 626 Squadron should have a badge and motto, so he took it upon himself to bring this about and give the Squadron an identity. The inspiration for the badge and motto came from Bill's schooldays and his interest in museums and art. Tennyson's poem 'Ulysses' had stuck in his mind and the last line seemed to be what he was looking for. After a slight alteration so that it would fit on the space provided on an RAF badge, "To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield" was altered by Bill to read "To Strive and not to Yield". 

The next part was the badge itself and here Bill's knowledge of museums came into play. 

Fast forward to November 2010 and the ultimate ' Cash In The Attic' story – the Chinese vase that sold for £53.1 million at auction. Tony and Gene Johnson watched in astonishment as the price for their porcelain artefact soared to 40 times its estimate in a West London saleroom packed with Chinese bidders less than two weeks ago. 

It had been discovered in a house clearance of a modest suburban semi  in the London suburb of Pinner following the death of Mrs Gene Johnson’s sister, Patricia Newman, whose husband Bill had been the owner. Patricia Newman died in January 2010 and the estate was passed to her 85 year old widowed sister, Gene.

The 18th century 16 inch high porcelain vase from the Qing - pronounced ching - dynasty fetched the highest price for any Chinese artwork sold at auction. 

It had belonged to decorated wartime 626 Squadron officer Bill Newman and kept on a wobbly bookcase in his living room. When Bill, a retired office supervisor, died in June 2006, he left the house and its contents, including the vase, to his wife. The estate, including the vase, was valued at a mere £135,000.

How the 1740 Qing dynasty artefact originally came into Bill's  possession remains a mystery but friends say he had an ‘adventurer uncle’ who spent the inter-war years of the 1920s and 1930s travelling the world and left it to the family with a remarkable collection of mementoes, maps, antique travel books and ornaments. It was probably stolen when China’s Imperial Palaces were ransacked by British troops during the 19th Century Opium Wars.

Michael Bentine and 626 Squadron

"Patiently they sat down at the long tables and waited for the briefing officers to take the stage at the front and inform them of the route, weather expected on the trip, and the latest intelligence on the enemy defences. Individual branch officers were also to give information and advice about gunnery, radio procedures and frequencies, bomb aiming etc. One officer on 626 Squadron's Intelligence staff was F/O Michael Bentine who was to become a well-known radio scriptwriter and broadcaster of 'Goon Show' fame a decade later. "    'To Strive and not to Yield' by Dennis West

Michael Bentine CBE ( 1922 – 1996 )

"Regarding Michael Bentine, an extract from his biography:

Born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, Jan 26th, 1922, M.B. was the second son of an English Mother and a Peruvian Father (Adam Bentin). Educated at a Folkestone private school and Eton College he always intended to become an engineer and scientist, like his father who was a Pioneer of Aerodynamics and Aero-Engineering with Sopwith Aircraft.
The War intervened and Michael joined the Royal Air Force as a volunteer Aircrew Cadet. Once in the RAF he went through flight training. He was the penultimate man going through a medical line receiving inoculations for typhoid with the other flight candidates in his class (they were going to Canada to receive new aircraft) when the vaccine ran out. They refilled the bottle to inoculate him and the other man as well. By mistake they loaded a pure culture of typhoid. The other man died immediately, and Bentine was in a coma for six weeks. When he regained consciousness his eyesight was ruined, leaving him myopic for the rest of his life. 

Since he was no longer physically qualified for flight, he was transferred to RAF Intelligence and seconded to MI9 a unit that was dedicated to supporting resistance movements and help prisoners escape. In 1942, after being discharged from Hospital, he was considered to be physically unfit for operational flying and was offered an honourable discharge. He refused and was subsequently offered a commission in British Intelligence, RAF operations section. In this capacity he served to the end of the hostilities, with various Allied Squadrons and Groups, including liaison with the U.S. 8th Air Force, and operations with Belgian and Polish Squadrons.

He entered Europe with a fighter-bomber wing, continuing operations through France, Belgium and Holland, crossing the Rhine and finishingat Celle, where his wing helped in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration Camp. He considers this to be his most horrific wartime experience.

"A few decades ago we had The Goons comedy team. They comprised of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine. Michael Bentine had a clairvoyant ability that he expressed in his book "The Door Marked Summer". I came across the hardback copy in very good condition in The Oxfam shop in Troon last Saturday. It was selling for only £2.49 and I had told the shopkeeper I had found it very interesting when I read my copy years ago signed by the author. One chapter in particular related to his wartime experiences in the RAF.
He was stationed at RAF Wickenby in Lincolnshire with 626 and 12 squadron residing. From page 144, he tells the story of "Pop". This
particular story is very similar to many we have all heard in the past. Sometimes I think a higher authority determines the outcome of these events. (1) A person unknown to you offers assistance only to find later he is deceased. (2) A person known to you appears before you when you think he is still living. Michael was an Intelligence Officer at Wickenby. One of his friends was Flight Lieutenant Arthur Walker (Navigator), affectionately known as "Pop" because he was 31 and considered to be senior aircrew. Having just finished his tour of 30 operations, he was to become an instructor.
On Thursday 16th Dec 1943, Michael was granted a 48 hour pass. He spoke to his friend before leaving and wished him well. On his return late at night, Michael cried out "Hi Pop" as he made his way to his Nissen hut. Pop gave a sign of acknowledgement from a distance of about 35 feet or so as he made his way to his own hut. 

It was not till the next morning that Michael heard Pop had been killed on returning from a raid on Berlin in which he volunteered to help a new bomber crew. 12 Squadron's Lancaster JB715 PH-U had crashed at 23.45 hours at Hainton 9 miles WSW of Louth Lincolnshire on that Thursday 16th Dec 1943. All on board perished.
85276 Flight Lieutenant Arthur Walker RAF VR is buried in Whitehaven Cemetery." 

from www.ghosthunters.org.uk