Tribute site: WW2 Beaufighter Pilot Arthur Geater
Hi and welcome to this site;
I met Julie Geater who is the granddaughter of Maj. Arthur Geater. I obtained Julie's contact detail via fellow pilot Steve Stevens. Julie was so kind to forward copies of her late grandfather's war photographs and memorabilia to me and also allowed me to copy the flying log book. Julie did a lot of effort to collect and preserve the memorabilia of her grandfather over the past years. We subsequently decided to construct this tribute page in memory of Arthur Geater.
Reginald Arthur Geater joined the SAAF in the early forties, qualified as a twin engine pilot and served for a long period as instructor. He subsequently served in 27 transport/maritime squadron, flying Venturas and Dakotas.
He was eventually sent to Italy in mid 1944 for operational service with 19 squadron, flying the rocket firing Bristol Beaufighter.
During his operational service he flew mostly sorties to targets in the Balkans. Missions consisted of rocket attacks against enemy shipping, -motorised transports, -gun emplacements, -buildings and rolling stock.
His operational tour was eventful. On his very first sortie Arthur was shot down over the sea. He managed to survive the ditch landing and returned to the squadron after a short ordeal behind enemy lines staying with locals on Greek Islands.
Arthur also participated in a daring raid where a German mine layer ship was sunk.
Arthur was awarded an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross for his exceptional service.
After the war Arthur was demobilised. He then had a long and successful career in the printing industry.
Arthur passed away on 3 November 1992.
Recently, divers found Arthur's ditched Beaufighter wreck off a Greek island. The underwater aircraft is surprisingly still in a fair condition.
This is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Arthur, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me.
If you perhaps have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during WW2 and you would want to find out more about his war service please contact me, hopefully I can be of some help.
Tinus le Roux
January 2015
a SAAF Beaufighter mk X with distinctive high resolution nose camera.
Beaufighter rocket attack.
Underwater photographs of Arthur's ditched Beaufighter recently discovered.
MILITARY CAREER
01/09/1941 No.75 Air School Lyttleton, ground training
31/01/1942 No.4 Air School Benoni, elementary flying training , 70 hours on Tiger Moths
21/02/1942 Solo after 15:10 hours flying
11/04/1942 No. 21 Air School Kimberley, Service Flying training , 166 hours on Airspeed Oxfords
25/09/1942 Qualified for SAAF wings
22/10/1942 No.42 Air School Port Elizabeth, Avro Ansons
22/11/1942 No.43 Air School Port Alfred, Staff pilot course, Ansons, Oxfords
17/12/1942 No.42 Air School Port Elizabeth, Avro Ansons, pupil instruction
23/05/1943 No.61 Air School George, GR course, Ansons
13/08/1943 No.24 Air School Nigel (29 OTU) , Ventura course
24/10/1943 27 Squadron Walvis Bay
01/11/1943 27 Squadron Phesanthe Kraal, transport, Ventura, Ju52, Dakota
29/05/1944 79 OTU Cyprus, Bisleys, Beaufighters
11/08/1944 19 Squadron (Beaufighters), Bifirno, Italy
12/09/1944 First operational sortie, shot down by enemy ship, ditched in the sea off Greek coast, spent time in enemy territory with partisans.
21/02/1945 Force landed at Zara, engine overheating.
23/01/1945 Promoted to Captain
22/02/1945 Promoted to Major
24/02/1945 Participated with the sinking of German mine layer ship "Kuck-Kuck"
02/04/1945 Immediate DFC award
06/04/1945 Hit in port engine with 20mm flak
18/05/1945 End of operational tour, 48 operational sorties, 159 ops hours.
27/08/1945 10 Wing Pietersburg
Wings parade 25/09/1942, 21 Air School Kimberley, Arthur getting his SAAF flying badge.
DFC award congratulations.
Arthur married to Rhoda Elizabeth Kennedy on 20 June 1945 in Kimberley. They were married for 23 years. Rhoda died in 1965.
Rhoda served as an officer.
TRAINING
Training was done at Benoni and Kimberley. Arthur was trained as a twin-engine aircraft pilot.
Tiger Moths were used for elementary flying training at 4 Air School Benoni.
Photograph of his advance flying school course class at Kimberley upon qualification for the SA flying badge. Note the foreign nationals also on the course.
INSTRUCTOR
Arthur was trained as an instructor and trained pupil pilots in 1943.
Arthur did many flights with Avro Ansons when pupil pilots were trained.
OPERATIONAL SERVICE WITH 19 SQUADRON IN ITALY
A SAAF Beaufighter over the Med.
SAAF Beaufighters were fitted with a high resolution nose camera. Photographs could be taken by the pilot either independently- or synchronized with firing of weapons. Photographs were used to evaluate the success of missions.
The two SAAF Beaufighter squadrons (19 & 16) were based at Biferno near the small town of Termoli. Missions were mostly flown to targets in the Balkans crossing the Adriatic sea.
A group of 19 squadron pilots/navigators. Arthur is standing 5th from the left.
Photographs believed to be the SAAF base at Biferno where 19- and 16 squadrons were stationed.
During December/January 1944/45 harsh weather were experienced which resulted in limited flying.
OPERATIONS
12/09/1944 Shipping sweep around islands, shot down by Siebel ferry
21/10/1944 Shipping sweep Fiume area, strafed M.T.B. M.L. ship in Olib harbour. The target was not an enemy ship as stated in sortie report?
24/10/1944 Attack enemy barracks at Bjelovar
31/10/1944 Shipping sweep in Planinski channel, Attacked harbour of Novi with RP rockets
05/11/1944 Attack on barracks at Tirana
08/11/1944 Photo recce of bridges
15/11/1944 R.P. Attack on barracks at Tarana
18/11/1944 R.P. Attack on Ostrozag village
20/11/1944 Attack bridges at Podgoriga
22/11/1044 Attack marshalling yards at Kutina
02/12/1944 Attack barracks at Bjelovar
02/12/1944 Attack gun emplacements Lussino Island
06/12/1944 Attack village at Gracac
15/12/1944 Strafed MT north of Podgorica
17/12/1944 Attack naval guns Lussino island
18/12/1944 Attack a ship (400 ton Schooner) in Karlabag harbour.
22/12/1944 Attack MTB human torpedo shelter and barracks
04/01/1945 Attack gun emplacements Lussino Island
11/01/1945 Attack gun emplacements Lussino Island
15/01/1945 Attack gun emplacements Lussino Island
20/01/1945 Special duty dropping pigeons Tidalwave (Austria)
24/01/1945 Attack enemy barracks on Lussino Island
01/02/1945 Enemy town Zuzemberk: returned due to bad weather
02/02/1945 Attack enemy held town of Zuzemberk
03/02/1945 Attack marshalling yards at Novska
07/02/1945 Attack marshalling yards at Karlovac
10/02/1945 Attack the Village of Sadinta Vas near Zuzemberg
14/02/1945 Attack rolling at Slovenj Gradec
15/02/1945 Attack M.T base and H.Q barracks at Novo Mesto
21/02/1945 Attack enemy H.Q. and barracks at Zolla
24/02/1945 Attack and sink German mine layer ship "Kuck-Kuck" in Fiume
27/02/1945 Attack enemy held buildings in Domzale
06/03/1945 RP and cannon attack on Zolla (Italy)
11/03/1945 Enemy H.Q at Novo Mesto destroyed
12/03/1945 Barracks at Skofjaloka attacked
15/03/1945 Attack town of Gargaro enemy occupied – destroyed double storey house
17/03/1945 Attack naval guns on island
20/03/1945 Attack castle at Gernik
22/03/1945 RP and cannon attack on Zolla (Italy)
30/03/1945 Attack castle south of Novo Mesto
03/04/1945 Attack 2 villages near Zuzemberk
06/04/1945 Attack town of Bosovaga, hit in engine
09/04/1945 Shipping sweep, no sighting
16/04/1945 RP and cannon attack on Zolla (Italy)
18/04/1945 Attack enemy town of Jastrebarsko
21/04/1945 Attack pontoon bridge at Bos Gradiska
27/04/1945 Attack on Zolla aborted due to bad weather
Typical nose camera shots. Here a photograph from Arthur's machine showing an attack on enemy rolling stock. See the Beaufighter flying and the explosions on the train .
Typical nose camera image of a rocket attack on the enemy held town of Zolla. Notice the high explosive rockets rushing towards the target.
Attack on trains.
SHOT DOWN 12/09/1944
Arthur was shot down on his very first sortie when they did a shipping sweep over Greek territory. While attempting to strafe an armed German ferry ship, Arthur's aircraft was hit and a safe ditch landing maneuver was performed in the sea. He was rescued by locals and stayed on the islands until being picked up by Allied forces. See Arthur's detailed diary of his experience with the ditch landing and time on the island HERE.
Recently Arthur's Beaufighter wreck was found by Greek divers. The wreck is still in a good condition. See Julie Geater's writing and a video showing underwater images of the Beaufighter HERE.
"My first op – going down in flames after being hacked by Siebel Ferry which is also in the picture. photo by S/Ldr M.Moir"
“ Another view – climbing on port engine just before ditching – close! ”
Under water image of Arthur's Beaufighter.
SINKING OF THE KUCK-KUCK 24/02/1945
19 Squadron was tasked to attack a moored German mine layer ship being refurbished with extra AA gun installations in the harbour of Fiume. Four aircraft took part in this raid under command of the experienced Lt. Col. Don Tilley. Arthur was part of this group. The ship was successfully sunk with the rocket attack.
The Kuck Kuck was attacked with the four aircraft line astern. Tilley's aircraft did the first strike with a perfect salvo hitting the ship just under the water line. The other aircraft made hits on other parts of the ship.
Crews that participated with the "Kuck-Kuck" attack, LtR: Capt. Dickson (killed soon after), F/O Craven, Lt. Col Don Tilley, Lt. Geater, Lt. Widdicombe, F/O Brace. (Lt Stevens and navigator were also participating in the attack but not present in this photo)
Map of the Fiume area: Arthur's memorabilia