Tie, Andrew 'Bow'

Andrew Christian 'BOW' TIE.

RAAF, Flight Sergeant

Number 5224, 457 Squadron

In about 1977, Ossie Osgood and I had been cruising around the Townsend properties adjoining the Reynolds River when, due to an unexpected shower making the road very slippery, between Bob Townsend's  Welltree Homestead and Litchfield Homestead, we elected to turn about and head home to Darwin via Ray Townsend's Wangi Homestead and the Wangi Road.

Having crossed the Reynolds River, we found no one home at Wangi Homestead and headed out to the Wangi Road. About half way out to the main road, we met a man and his wife, who had intended to camp and do a 'spot of fishin'  at the Reynolds River.  The still smoking, gutted to the chassis, remains of their caravan was at the side of the track, with their car and a few scattered belongings nearby.

Both persons had spot burns to their arms and shoulders, sustained in their almost futile attempts to drag a few items of clothing etc. from the van, which had been burning internally until they noticed a trail of smoke following their passage over the rough road.

We 'patched them up' as best we could and helped rake through the hot ash to find a few precious items which had survived the inferno.  Then, as the man considered he was fit to drive his car, we escorted the couple back to Ossie's Darwin residence, where arrangements were made for medical attention and accommodation until the couple were able to return south from their sadly shortened N.T holiday.

During conversation at the van fire site, Ossie and commented that we had been looking for Spitfire wreckage from W.W.11.  The man grinned , for the first time after we arrived at the disaster scene, then very proudly announced 'I'm an old Spitfire man myself'.

To cut a 'long story' a bit shorter, some time later, Ossie received a parcel from AndyTie (if I remember his name correctly) containing a letter of thanks and a set of R.A.A.F. Fitters photos, etc., with the comment that if we were going to build a Spitfire our of salvaged pieces, the circa W.W.11 publications would be of more use to us than him.

The publications were referred to many times as the RM797 Spitfire rebuild progressed and are now preserved in 'The Haslett Collection' for future reference or museum exhibition.  Item No. HC214 in the collection, a well preserved example of c. 1942 Flight Rigger's Course Notes, bears a neat endorsement inside the front cover '5224 FSGT TIE., A.C.'

After fifty years passing, 'Bow' Tie's name is still preserved at Darwin, where, as a young man, he helped to keep the Spitfires flying and fighting.

JOHN M. HASLETT

The 'Haslett Collection' of Northern Territory Aviation History

G.P.O. Box 3880, DARWIN N.T. 0801 Australia - Tel 089450054

est 1965 - A non profit conservation effort

Obituary Notice - Andy "Bow" Tie born 24/9/09, of Sebastopal Victoria died 4^th May, 1993  'Bow', a fitter11E, was an original member of 457 Squadron serving in the U.K. And the N.W. Area.  'Bow' Tie moved from the flights to echelon where he became Flight Sergeant in charge in 1943.

At the end of the war he was with 85 Squadron in Western Australia with Ken James as his Commanding Officer. Discharged 30/11/45.

In peace time, he and his wife Betty, conducted their own fruit stall at the Praharan Markets in Melbourne.  He returned to Ballarat where he died in his sleep in May, aged eighty three years.  He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

Edited by Paul Carter