Peter Jeffrey (6 July 1913 – 6 April 1997) was a senior officer and fighter ace in the Royal Australian Air Force. Posted to the Middle East in July 1940, he saw action with No. 3 Squadron and took command of the unit the following year, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his energy and fighting skills. He was appointed wing leader of No. 234 Wing RAF in November 1941, and became an ace the same month with his fifth solo victory. The next month he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his achievements, which included rescuing a fellow pilot who had crash-landed in the desert. In 1942, Jeffrey was posted to the South West Pacific, where he helped organise No. 75 Squadron for the defence of Port Moresby, and No. 76 Squadron prior to the Battle of Milne Bay. He served two stints in charge of No. 2 Operational Training Unit in southern Australia before the end of the war, broken by command of No. 1 (Fighter) Wing in the Northern Territory and Western Australia during 1943–44, at which time he was promoted to temporary group captain.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jeffrey_(RAAF_officer)

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1801:

French Revolutionary Wars: A Royal Navy squadron attempted to eliminate a smaller French Navy squadron at Algeciras before they could join their Spanish allies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Algeciras

1940:

The Story Bridge in Brisbane, the longest cantilever bridge in Australia, was opened by Sir Leslie Wilson, Governor of Queensland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_Bridge

1978:

A sleeping car train at Taunton, England, caught fire, killing 12 people and causing British Rail to install state-of-the art fire prevention measures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taunton_sleeping_car_fire

2013:

Gunmen attacked a secondary school in Mamudo, Yobe State, Nigeria, killing at least 42 people, mostly students. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yobe_State_school_shooting

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

behove: 1. (transitive, formal) To be necessary for (someone). 2. (transitive, formal) To be in the best interest of; to benefit. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/behove

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Our identity as a nation — unlike many other nations — is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility. We become the heirs of Thomas Jefferson by accepting the ideal of human dignity found in the Declaration of Independence. We become the heirs of James Madison by understanding the genius and values of the U.S. Constitution. We become the heirs of Martin Luther King, Jr., by recognizing one another not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This means that people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed. And it means that the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation. ... It is the great advantage of free societies that we creatively adapt to challenges, without the direction of some central authority. Self-correction is the secret strength of freedom. We are a nation with a history of resilience and a genius for renewal. Right now, one of our worst national problems is a deficit of confidence. But the cause of freedom justifies all our faith and effort. It still inspires men and women in the darkest corners of the world, and it will inspire a rising generation. The American spirit does not say, “We shall manage,” or “We shall make the best of it.” It says, “We shall overcome.” And that is exactly what we will do, with the help of God and one another.   --George W. Bush https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_W._Bush