FLTLT Arnold Kenneth Asboe 404889

Arnold Asboe, nickname Bex, was born on the 31st of October 1920 in London. He enlisted in Brisbane and was discharged on the 6th of July 1945.

Regarding the photo with Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower - "Throughout the Normandy campaign Allied forces worked under broad direction from the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower or ‘Ike’ as he was popularly known. Eisenhower had enjoyed a meteoric career (In 1941 he was still a colonel), but some of his subordinates in 1944 remained highly doubtful of his military knowledge and strategic judgement. One thing, about which almost everyone agreed, however, was that Ike possessed excellent inter-personal skills, something which was extremely useful when it came to dealing with such huge egotists as Montgomery, Patton and Leigh-Mallory, and in channelling their efforts towards a common cause. Eisenhower also interacted well with ordinary soldiers, sailors and airmen, as this image suggests. "

Some information courtesy of rcauplands.com.au

From June until September 1941, he attended Course 31 at the Service Flying Training School at Uplands in Canada. Front Row L to R: Howard Murdock Goulter (404893), T.M. Thomas, Lloyd Charles Deignan (404808), N.E. Watts, (404819) +Harold Edgar Dimmock Back Row: R.L. North, K.B. May, Arnold Kenneth Asboe (404889), W.T. Hornby, A.B. Watson, J.J. Allen

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Flight Lieutenant Arnold Asboe, an Australian Spitfire pilot who flew with the R.A.F.'s 127 Squadron throughout the campaign. On 25 July he provided part of the fighter escort when Eisenhower made a trip to France to supervise the opening stages of Operation 'Cobra'. Here the Supreme Commander chats amiably with Asboe after the flight, although the latter seems slightly unsure whether to stand to attention or copy the more open body language exhibited by his superior.

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Australian Pilots in the Western Desert, 1942 (Asboe, Thomas, Cullen, Trench)

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The Severn Railway Bridge UK - Bex was given a severe reprimand for flying his Spitfire under the bridge in 1941 (see below). In his defense, Bex no doubt stated "I did it because it was there!" Bex, we love you and thanks for being a great Australian Spitfire pilot.

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The resulting charge sheet

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Extract from Arnold's Flying Log Book

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