GEORGE NEWS - Two members of the Outeniqua Shellhole, Abe de Kock and Ron Filmalter, were honoured with life membership earlier in March.
Abe de Lock
De Kock (95), born on 19 May 1925, joined the SAAF in Johannesburg on 23 January 1943. He started senior flying training, flying twin engine Oxfords at 24 Air School Dunnotar, and received his wings and commission on 28 April 1944.
De Kock joined 12 Squadron at Pescara Air base on the Adriatic Coast of Italy on 27 August and reported for operational duty.
On 5 September, he carried out his first operation raid as second pilot to Lt Harvey. They dropped 10 x 250 fragmentation bombs on a German stronghold near Rimini. Fortunately light flak was encountered.
On De Kock's 10th sortie he was selected to fly as second pilot to the commanding officer of 12 squadron (Commandant) Lt Colonel Burniaux, a Belgian pilot seconded from the Belgian Air Force.
"With a full bomb load our Marauders could only reach 16 000 feet maximum ceiling, even with turbo chargers at full boost," remembers De Kock.
Once they were over the target ready to drop their bombs, they had to fly straight and level for a minimum of 20 seconds for their navigators to aim their bomb sights. Quite a nerve-wracking experience when the flak shells burst under the aircraft, lifting them quite a few feet into the air.
In North Eastern Italy on 28 December 1944, on a mission over the marshalling yards of Udine, Goerings 26th Panzer Antiaircraft Division which had pulled back from Russian front had their Marauder in trouble with 45 shrapnel holes, one of which was a large hole in the fuel tank.
De Kock was operating from Jesi Airfield near the coastal port of Ancona on the Adriatic coast when the war ended. He was 19 years old and had carried out 43 bombing sorties. He returned home on the Strath-Eden Mailship and arrived in Durban on 25 January 1946.
De Kock's association with the SAAF was a most interesting and adventurous one. The high standard of the officers and men helped to shape his life for the future and indeed inspired him to be an officer and a gentleman.
Ron Filmalter
Although Filmalter only became a Moth in November 1995, his association with the order began some years before. Through his interest in military history he met Doug Clapham, a Moth of many years, who was from Warrior's Gate Moth Museum.
Filmalter built cabinets and also refurbished the Sparrow Canon and Falcon Canon that were at the Warrior's Gate Museum. To his knowledge these items are still at the museum.
For Filmalter's efforts, he was featured in the publication Home Front Magazine. He was also introduced as a committee member.
After settling in Ladysmith, Filmalter joined Siegetown Shellhole in November 1995. As there was a huge amount of military memorabilia, he undertook to build a museum. With the help of a few other members, the shellhole converted into a fully fledged museum over a period of two years.
Filmalter served four years (2003 to 2007) as Old Bill at Siegetown and was also District Old Bill for Northern Natal from 2006 to 2007. He was also Province Old Bill for Northern Natal / Zululand from 2007 to 2008. He was the only Moth to hold three gold hats at one time and during this time received his Badge of Excellence from Northern Natal / Zululand.
Filmalter was made Old Bill and Midlands District Wee Bill, posts he held until June 2009 when they relocated to George.
During his time in Natal he was also chairman of the Durban Preservation of Militaria Society as well as the Pietermaritzburg Militaria Society, and in Ladysmith chairman of the Historical Society. He received a heritage award for history preservation in 2006 by Amafa (Old Monuments Council). In George, Filmalter joined Outeniqua Shellhole in 2010.
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
