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)>
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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>
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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>
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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>
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