Lt EW Bodley
- Rank
- Lt
- Squadron
- No 183 Squadron
- 1943 voyage
-
Sailed from Cape Town on the Rangitata in September 1943, and signed the group photograph taken in Montevideo on the way.
The story of the photograph
- In the book
- Pages 153
From the book
SAAF Airmen in RAF Squadrons
Seconded South Africans, Bodley, Drew, Eagar, Goodman, Hill, Lens and Meek flew No 183 Squadron Hawker Typhoons. This October 1944 photograph was taken at B67 Ursel a temporary airfield in Belgium. The Typhoon to the left JR390 became part of RAF Little Staughton’s Station Flight and was lost in October 1945 when Group Captain John Jeudwine the station commander and former bomber pilot, was killed flying the aircraft having no experience on the type.
A Journey of Discovery
No 183 Squadron’s “Operations Record Book” lists that as the first of four sorties flown that day and identifies Lt TV Drew and Captain LPT Eagar were involved in that sortie. Five others on the squadron, Lt EW Bodley, Lt BE Goodman, Lt AG Hill, Captain A Lens and Captain TA Meek flew sorties that day. The seven, sailed from Cape Town on the “Rangitata” and had signed the photograph mounting. Lens and Hill lost their lives on February 22nd 1945.