Here's a brief mention of 'Altair', one Liberator of (I believe) more than 19,000 built that after initial service with the USAAF, was passed to the RAF and found herself a Pathfinder aircraft with 614 Squadron in Amendola, Italy.
She was piloted by Australian Tom Scotland, who I had the pleasure and privilege of corresponding with over the project until he passed away on August 15, 2012. Regrettably, all his wartime photos of 'Altair' were stolen in a satchel he had in a car outside his home, so the rendition here is compiled from my detailed quizzing of Tom's memory, who fielded my persistence with remarkable patience.
My brother Nick commissioned the build more years ago than I can bear to admit to here, the motivating factor being that 'Altair' was home to our uncle, Ted Budd, who trained under Tom in the Pathfinder role.
Ted successfully completed his training and was assigned to another crew. On a flight in February 1945, that headed out over a winter Adriatic, his Liberator iced up and began to auger in. The pilot gave the order to bail out. Liberators were not easy aircraft to exit in an emergency but Ted and a crew mate made it out. The pilot rescinded the order when the Libby came back under control (presumably the de-icing boots finally succeeded in shifting the ice) but it was too late for Ted and his crew mate who's life expectancy in winter waters would have been measured in minutes. Their bodies were never found.
Tom has three sons living in Australia and I've been in touch again to confirm their dad's bird is now in print.
As my brother Nick remarked on Facebook yesterday -
"Well, here is my late relative Ted Budd's 1944/45 Liberator in 2016 glory. Massive thanks to my brother Steven Budd, who has faithfully replicated 'Altair' in tribute to Flight Sergeant Ted Budd and Flying Officer Tom ScotlandThis is essentially the end game to a 10 year research of one ordinary guy's contribution, amongst hundreds of thousands of ordinary guys contributions, who were caught up in this momentous time in our history. If I would have known at the outset what I would subsequently find out about a little known relative I would never have believed it.
It's not beyond exaggeration to say it's fairy-tale like in what I have been so fortunate to have learned. Our family's vague understanding of Ted's sad death passed down the decades, only to be resolved by a one in a million response by someone who had read the privately published Australian book 'Voice from the Stars'. That was the introduction to late Flying Officer Tom Scotland DFC and an emailed response saying 'Hi Nick, yes I knew your relative'....'I talk about him in my book'. Ted's previously misunderstood death being resolved in the chapter simply entitled 'Budd'. This was and continues to be an emotive journey and one that has now come to an end. I do wish our Aunt Eve, Ted's mother was around to have learnt all this. But, given the almost spiritual-like guiding nature of where this story took me and Tom's book being called 'Voice from the Stars', I don't think I need worry too much on this last sentimental postscript."
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Chris Clifford, editor of Airfix Model World, kindly agreed to publish the piece, which appeared in Issue 74, January 2017, out yesterday.
Ted Budd (on right)
In fond memory of Ted and Tom Scotland.
TTFN
Steve
