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Robert Henry Maxwell (Bobby) Gibbes, DSO, DFC and Bar, OAM (6 May 1916 – 11 April 2007) was a leading Australian fighter ace of World War II, and the longest-serving wartime commanding officer of No. 3 Squadron RAAF. He was officially credited with 10¼ aerial victories, although his score is often reported as 12, including two shared. Gibbes was also credited with five aircraft probably destroyed, and a further 16 damaged. He commanded No. 3 Squadron in North Africa from February 1942 to April 1943, apart from a brief period when he was injured. Born in rural New South Wales, Gibbes worked as a jackaroo and salesman before joining the Royal Australian Air Force in February 1940. Posted to the Middle East in April 1941, he flew with No. 3 Squadron in the Syria–Lebanon Campaign, and became commanding officer during the Western Desert Campaign, where his leadership and fighting skills earned him the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. Subsequently posted to the South West Pacific, he served with No. 80 Wing of the Australian First Tactical Air Force, and took part in the "Morotai Mutiny" of April 1945. After the war he spent many years in New Guinea developing local industry, for which he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2004. He continued to fly until the age of 85, and died five years later in 2007. ==Family and early career== The only son of Henry and Cora Gibbes, Robert Henry Maxwell (Bobby) Gibbes was born on 6 May 1916 in Young, New South Wales.〔Chisholm, ''Who's Who in Australia 1947'', p. 361〕 He came from a family that had long been active in the government and military. His great-grandfather, Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes, built his residence "Wotonga" at Kirribilli; the property was later refurbished to become Sydney's Admiralty House. Gibbes' grandfather, Augustus Onslow Manby Gibbes, owned Yarralumla station, subsequently the official residence of Australia's Governor-General. His father was a grazier and his uncle Fred a Sopwith Camel pilot in World War I who was killed in action.〔〔Gibbes; Stokes, "Gibbes, Robert Henry Maxwell 'Bobby'", p. 5〕 Gibbes attended All Saints College in Bathurst, and various schools in Manly, before earning a living as a jackaroo.〔Gibbes; Stokes, "Gibbes, Robert Henry Maxwell 'Bobby'", p. 3〕 Gibbes was working as a salesman when he joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 2 February 1940.〔Garrisson, ''Australian Fighter Aces'', p. 133〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Gibbes, Robert Henry Maxwell )〕 He exaggerated his height, which was below the minimum requirement, to gain entrance.〔 In a 1990 interview, he related that he had undertaken flying lessons at his own expense prior to enlisting, but "when war was declared, I thought I'd wait for King George to pay for the rest".〔 He further recalled that he applied to join the Royal Australian Navy at the same time, but was still waiting for a response.〔Gibbes; Stokes, "Gibbes, Robert Henry Maxwell 'Bobby'", pp. 3–4〕 After completing flying training at Mascot and Richmond, New South Wales, and Point Cook, Victoria, Gibbes was commissioned a pilot officer on 28 June 1940.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Wing Commander Robert Henry Maxwell (Bobby) Gibbes, DSO, DFC and bar )〕 His initial posting was to No. 23 Squadron, which operated CAC Wirraways and Lockheed Hudsons out of Archerfield, Queensland.〔Newton, ''Australian Air Aces'', p. 87〕〔RAAF Historical Section, ''Bomber Units'', pp. 69–70〕 He was promoted to flying officer on 26 December 1940.〔 Two of Gibbes' cousins—both born in 1915 and, like Bobby, only sons—were also pilots in the RAAF.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Gibbes, Augustus Rodney )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Gibbes, Peter John )〕 Rodney Gibbes joined the Air Force in July 1936.〔 Peter Gibbes, an airline pilot before the war, enlisted in December 1940.〔〔 Each earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Rodney in 1940 for his part in a Wellington bomber raid in Europe while serving with the Royal Air Force, and Peter in 1942 for his actions flying a Hudson bomber with No. 1 Squadron RAAF during the Malayan Campaign.〔 Rodney died in action over Italy on 16 May 1943. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bobby Gibbes」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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