George, Marshall (Bob)

Service number: 420655

Name: Marshall (Bob) George

Rank: Flying Officer

Bob was born in 1921. He enlisted in November 1941 and did his initial training at No.2 ITS, Bradfield Park.

He learned to fly on Tiger Moths at No 6 and then No8 EFTS before being posted to Canada to do his service flying training at Camp Borden in Ontario.

At an OTU in Britain Bob learned the trade of Photo Reconnaissance, training around the north of Scotland and the Shetland Islands.

After completing training Bob was flown first to Calcutta in India before moving to operational flying on 681 Squadron from Chittagong on the front line in Burma.

Bob flew many PR missions in Spitfire PR V and PRXI photographing roads, river traffic and bomb damage as well as potential targets.

Bob describes an unusual use for PR Spitfires: "One year we photographed the entire rice crop in Burma for economic warfare."

"We usually operated from 32,000 feet. The guns were removed for extra fuel, we had no IFF, we often had fighters scrambling because you couldn't identify yourself. The sump was also a bit bigger to give you distance. I think the fighters could only go about an hour and a half while we could go four and a half hours. In the MkV we used to go five and a half hours."

Bob describes the Spitfre: "It was an icon, all the big pilots swore by it."

Notes by Keith Webb from an interview for the Temora Aviation Museum