R G A Burgess

 Navigator
service number 403601  
   
   
   
             
Date Type Aircraft Flight Squadron Crew No. Notes
             
10/09/1942 Halifax II W7755 Shipping Tobruk 462 ME 8  
13/09/1942 Halifax II W7755 Tobruk 462 ME 8  
15/09/1942 Halifax II W7702 Shipping Tobruk 462 ME 19 Starboard engine u/s
25/09/1942 Halifax II W7758 Shipping Tobruk 462 ME 10  
             
05/10/1942 Halifax II W7758 Air test 462 ME 8  
10/10/1942 Halifax II W7755 Maleme Aerodrome 462 ME 8  
13/10/1942 Halifax II W7716 Taxi service 462 ME 8 Pick up a crew from Burg El Arab
27/10/1942 Halifax II W7758 Maleme Aerodrome 462 ME 8  
             
05/11/1942 Halifax II W7702 'Battle Area' 462 ME 8  
07/11/1942 Halifax II W1151 Sollum - Halfaya area 462 ME 8  
10/11/1942 Halifax II W1151 Tobruk 462 ME 8  
13/11/1942 Halifax II DT497 Transit 462 ME 8 to Kilo 40
23/11/1942 Halifax II DT497 Heraklion Aerodrome 462 ME 8 Glycol leak port inner engine
             

 

A Navigator’s Story
Robert George Albert Burgess [Shorty]


Bert to his family and ‘Shorty’ in the Air Force, commenced his aviation career in 1940 in the RNZAF. He did his initial training at Levin and then most of his training as a Navigator/Observer in Canada at London (Ontario) and Rivers (Manitoba).  He trained in Avro Ansons and Fairley Battles. He qualified as a  Bomb Aimer and as a Navigator.

After arriving in England he did his initial training in Wellingtons. Then he converted to Whitley Bombers in 10 Squadron RAF. He flew his first operation to Dunkerque [spellings as per his log] on the 3rd October, 1941. He formed a very strong partnership with John Kenny DFC, Pilot and they flew 31 operations together in Europe and the Middle East.
He flew 4 operations; to Bremen, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, Hamburg.


Like many who served, he never talked of his experiences and I never knew he had been injured and in hospital in Britain. One afternoon as teenager I was reading a book on Don Bennett [who also served in 10 Squadron, and subsequently (with the rank of Air Vice-Marshal) formed the Pathfinders]. Dad and I discussed a few aspects and his recollection of those times and I learnt that he was in hospital. Not until I inherited his logs and read the above entry did I find out why!


Last year while doing some research I came across the ‘Diary of Neil Ralph Blunden RNZAF’. He was obviously friendly with ‘Shorty’, who was mentioned several times. An entry drew my attention:-
‘Friday 12th December 1941
Cool day 5-8/10ths stratus 1-3000'. Nothing much doing all day.
Our two machines crashed on return. John Kenny hit a hill just West of Ripon and 2nd Pilot went for a burton- plane caught on fire but Shorty Burgess and Jack Taylor 2 N.Z'ers Obs and W/Op resp. put it out and saved Kenny who was jammed in pilots seat.
Other plane Sgt.....Captain landed in funnel instead of on flare path- all ok.
Going back to A flight tomorrow- good.’


I guess this explained a few things. Unfortunately Neil was lost in 1942 on operations.
Upon Shorty’s return to 10 Squadron he converted to Halifax bombers. His first Halifax operation in 1942 was on 14 April to Dortmund. Operations followed to Hamburg, Stuttgart, Warneműnde, Mannheim, Cologne [1st 1000 bomber raid], Sainte-Nazaire, Essen, Bremen, with some repeats to these targets.
In all, Shorty flew 20 operational missions out of the UK and then on 5th July, 1942 half of 10 Squadron flew to the Middle East via Malta, where they picked up crews from decimated squadrons there and then flying on to in Heliopolis, Egypt.  On 8th October 1942, this section of 10 Squadron became 462 Squadron RAAF. At this stage 462 Squadron had one Australian in its ranks! He flew nine operations in the Middle East in 10 Squadron and seven operational missions with 462 Squadron. Operations were to Tobruk [12 times], Maleme Aerodrome in Crete [twice] , Fuka and Sallum. His last operation was on 10 November, 1942 to Tobruk.

After this he was on an aborted mission to Heraklion, Crete [log states. PI – U/S. Coolant Leak]. From here his active war service ended, flying in various stages to Lagos on the West Coast of Africa, arriving there 26th January 1943.
The trail of his return to New Zealand through England is unknown and his next log entry is 17th May 1943 back in New Zealand when he was posted to 1 Squadron RNZAF (who operated Hudsons and Venturas).

Shorty had his 19th birthday in Canada, his 20th in the UK and his 21st in the Middle East. He flew 36 completed operational missions, returning to the RNZAF and served in Whenuapai, Ohakea and Wigram, mainly in air traffic control and flight checks, rising to the rank of Squadron Leader.