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New European
13-05-2025
- General
- New European
Raoul Lufbery, the Frenchman who became America's greatest aviator
The season was especially lovely that year, so much so that, on May 19, Lufbery took time to savour the lilac-scented morning. Nancy in bloom felt a very long way away from the battle front on a day like this. Still, when the American flyers were informed that a German spy plane had been spotted, the cry of 'in the air!' received an immediate response from Raoul, if not all of his colleagues. 'Unless the Germans find some new ways of protecting their shell factories, they are due for a very uncomfortable time.' So remarked air ace Raoul Lufbery in the spring of 1918. The hesitation was in part because it appeared the flap might be a false alarm, the silent gun batteries suggesting the enemy craft had already been downed. But then the Albatross was spotted again and with only the inexperienced lieutenant Oscar Gude currently in the air, it appeared that the chance to claim another scalp would go begging. That was until Raoul Lufbery – who'd commandeered a motorbike to get him to his flight as soon as possible – guided his Nieuport skywards. With 17 kills already to his name, the man affectionately known as 'Luf' fancied his chances of adding to his tally. That he wasn't terribly familiar with his borrowed plane seemed of little importance, likewise the reluctance of his colleagues to join him in the air. Lufbery was further hindered by the fact the plane's guns hadn't been recalibrated to his specifications. Quite how he was expected to engage the enemy was hard to say, but Luf had overcome bigger obstacles in the past. With so many things going against him Lufbery nevertheless manoeuvred into a strong position. Writing in Air Force magazine in January 1957, Ed Mack Miller thrilled at how Lufbery 'swarmed the Albatross at 2,000ft, firing several small bursts by way of warming up. Perhaps those first bursts confirmed suspicions that the Albatross had armour plate. Nevertheless, he attacked again only to have his guns jam. He circled to clear the jam then dived again to the attack!' Which is when everything went wrong. As Miller continues, '[Lufbery's] plane was seen to burst into flames. He passed the Albatross and proceeded for three or four seconds on a straight course. Then his friends at the airfield saw him climb out of the cockpit and almost back to the tail. The tiny figure on the blazing plane rode there for several seconds, and then they saw him jump.' Whether Lufbery leapt to spare himself the agonies of a fiery death or did so in a game attempt to splash down in the Meurthe, we'll never know. He may have even slipped from the cockpit accidentally when the plane tipped, having removed his seatbelt to attend to a jammed gun. Whatever the truth, Gervais Raoul Victor Lufbery died the instant he hit the ground. He was just 33 years old. Such had been Lufbery's contribution to the war effort, his funeral was as big an event as the circumstances allowed. Those in attendance included Eddie Rickenbacker, the man who became America's greatest dogfighter. Claiming that he 'learned everything from Luf', Rickenbacker was determined to pay his respects to the shy, quiet man who'd mentored him. In his memoir Fighting the Flying Circus, Rickenbacker noted that '[the mourners' flowers] covered the dead airman's casket and formed a huge pyramid over it.' Those to lay wreaths that day included Generals Liggett and Gerard and Colonel Billy Mitchell, the chief of the American Air Services. Rickenbacker paid tribute through his participation in a flypast, after which he and his colleagues returned to base where 'we silently faced the realisation that America's greatest aviator had been laid away for his last rest.' The only problem with that statement being that Raoul Lufbery wasn't American. Or rather, he wasn't just American. For one thing he was born in France. For another, he spent the years prior to the US entering the war serving in the French air force. Indeed, to this day, many of the tactics employed in aerial combat were either created or refined by Raoul Lufbery during his years of distinguished service with the French Air Force and the Escadrille Lafayette. Born in Chamalières to a French mother, Anne Vessière, and Edward Lufbery, an American citizen employed by a local confectionery company, Raoul was the youngest of three brothers. Though he had no memory of his mother, who died when he was just one, Raoul's identity was strengthened by his relationship with his maternal grandmother, Madeline, with whom he lived while Edward Lufbery returned to the US to begin a new job and start a new family. Following his father into the world of confectionery, the young Lufbery's wanderlust curtailed hopes he'd be satisfied with factory work. While still in his teens, he travelled to China, India and Turkey, as well as to Wallingford, Connecticut, where his father and siblings now resided. On his return to France, he did what many a nomadic Frenchman had done before and joined the Foreign Legion. Having fallen under the spell of stunt aviator Marc Poupe during his time on the subcontinent, Luf would soon transfer to the Aéronautique Militaire – where his persistence and attention to detail made him one of the country's most accomplished pilots. A reconnaissance gatherer to begin with, Lufbery began fighter training in 1914. However, his legend wouldn't really take flight until he joined the Escadrille Lafayette in 1916. Comprised of American volunteer pilots, the squadron would have been a liability had Lufbery not been involved. For while his colleagues were, for the most part, wealthy young men with no combat experience, Raoul arrived both battle-hardened and determined to show what a Frenchman knew about flying. With six kills to his name by the end of 1916, it was no great surprise that, when America entered the war the following year, Raoul enlisted in the US Army Air Service. Besides being mocked for speaking English with a Clouseau-esque accent, Lufbery's time in American fatigues was complicated by the higher-ups' conviction that he be of most use in an advisory role. Pilot-turned-author Edwin C Parsons would famously chastise the US military for their failure 'to recognise Lufbery's value as a fine fighter. They gave him the rank of Major and equipped him with a pretty uniform… then they left him to eat his heart out, sitting for months at a desk doing nothing.' While his experience made him perfect to train the likes of Eddie Rickenbacker, it was Lufbery's tactical skill that saw him return to the cockpit. Once back in the skies, he set about bringing down German aircraft in a manner that suggested a belief that either the war or his participation in it would soon be at an end, a dark thought that became a tragic fact on May 19, 1918. 'Every one of us idolised Lufbery,' wrote Rickenbacker with regard to his fellow flyers. Truth be told, he could have been speaking for all those who opposed the Axis powers.
Daily Maverick
08-05-2025
- Daily Maverick
Russian firm recruits young African women, including from SA, to build drones for war on Ukraine
Some recruits complained of racism and harassment. Others said they were subjected to excess surveillance and had to sign non-disclosure agreements about their work. A Russian firm is fraudulently recruiting hundreds of young foreign women — mostly from Africa, including South Africa — to manufacture drones which it is using to attack Ukraine, according to a new report. The women, aged between 18 and 22, though in the past some have been younger, are not told they are being recruited to Russia to make drones, according to the report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC). The report, 'Who is making Russia's drones? — The migrant women exploited for Russia's war economy', said the women were recruited by a private company, Alabuga Start, with promises of good salaries and educational opportunities. The company is part of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (Alabuga SEZ), an industrial park in the city of Yelabuga, east of Moscow. It has been manufacturing Iranian Shahed drones since late 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, in a deal with the Iranian company Sahara Thunder — a subsidiary of the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, says the report. No mention is made in the recruiting of the migrant workers that they will be contributing to Russia's war against Ukraine, nor that they could face danger, says the report. The production site in the Alabuga SEZ, where Iranian Shahed 'kamikaze' drones and Albatross reconnaissance drones are made, was attacked by Ukrainian drones in April 2024, injuring several African migrant workers. GI-TOC said Alabuga Start participants and other workers at the site described exploitative, repressive and punitive working conditions. Some recruits complained of racism and harassment of African workers. Others said they were subjected to excess surveillance and had to sign non-disclosure agreements about their work. Some workers claimed that they were not paid what they had been promised (around $500 a month), although others expressed satisfaction with the pay. The report noted that Alabuga Start had at times been pitched as a work-study programme and some recruits had been promised they could continue from the Alabuga Polytech alongside the factory, to study at Russian universities. But, reportedly, these opportunities did not materialise, and several workers complained that they were given the least-skilled, most menial work. Euphemistic descriptions GI-TOC found that up to 90% of the migrant workers ended up on the drone assembly line, while the rest did jobs such as cleaning in the factory. Meanwhile, the advertising for recruits contained 'euphemistic or generic descriptions about working as a 'production operator' or 'technician' in otherwise unnamed production lines'. The report's authors found documents which included staffing plans which 'set out three categories of personnel: specialist technicians (Russians); 'Tajik' engineers; and 'mulatto' workers, a derogatory term for the African migrant workers'. The report quoted Timur Shagivaleev, CEO of the Alabuga SEZ, who said the programme was aimed at relieving Russia's labour shortage as 'Russians are simply not ready to work for 30,000–40,000 rubles ($300–400) … in Third World countries … the starting salary is very low – about $200. And that's why foreigners from exotic countries are ready to work for such money.' The report said its research showed that the most recent starting salary was now about $500 per month. Shagivaleev was also quoted as saying Alabuga Start only recruited women because they were more 'accurate' in their work and easier to work with than men. According to Alabuga's figures, the programme recruited participants from 44 countries in 2023, said the report. It added that it identified recruits from at least 32 countries, though there were likely to be more. GI-TOC's list includes South Africa as a source country for workers, but does not provide details. The report noted that the drones produced at Alabuga were central to Russia's war effort, as it has been launching attacks on Ukraine using Shahed-type drones almost daily. The Shaheds are called kamikaze drones because they don't carry separate weapons — they are the weapons. Which means Russia needs lots of them. Alabuga is a private company, and GI-TOC said it had found no evidence that the fraudulent recruitment of migrant women was directed by the Russian government. However, it said the company had close government links — as Moscow is a financial backer and the only user of the drones. Strategic interests It added that Alabuga 'is in line with Russia's strategic interests of growing its presence overseas, including in countries in Africa, and it has often made use of private business to achieve these objectives (including in the case of Wagner)', referring to the private military company founded by Russian President Vladimir Putin's confidante Yevgeny Prigozhin, which helped him fight his battles in Ukraine, Syria and Africa before he mutinied in 2023 and died in a suspicious plane crash with his senior commanders. The report also discovered evidence that Russian embassies in Tanzania and Central African Republic were involved in the recruitment of workers from those countries. It said that Alabuga Start primarily recruited online, but also through recruitment partners in source countries, some of whom claimed they did not know the workers were being recruited to make drones. GI-TOC found that the governments of some African countries had assisted in the recruitment of their nationals for the programme. A damaged car at the site of Russian shelling near a residential building in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, 07 March 2025, amid the Russian invasion. At least eight people were injured after Russian missile strikes hit near a three-story building and a critical infrastructure facility in Kharkiv, the Mayor of the city Ihor Terekhov wrote on telegram. Russia launched 194 attack drones and 67 missiles across Ukraine overnight, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down 36 rockets and 186 drones, according to the Air Force Command of Ukraine. EPA-EFE/SERGEY KOZLOV It noted, though, that as the complaints from participating workers and others increased, Alabuga Start had become more politicised, and some host countries in Africa had begun to take action against it. It said Burkina Faso had apparently halted recruitment, while Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania had made moves to regulate recruitment. The report said Uganda had created a bilateral labour agreement with Russia that could cover Alabuga Start, while Kenya and Tanzania had reportedly discussed creating such an agreement. GI-TOC noted that though recruitment initially focused on Africa, it now ranged further, including Asia and particularly Latin America. GI-TOC said that according to the definition of the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime, Alabuga Start 'does not constitute a clear-cut case of human trafficking … but something that is more akin to fraudulent exploitation'. It found that Alabuga's failure to inform the recruits that they were going to Russia to make drones did amount to an element of human trafficking under the convention. However, there was not a wholesale denial of the participants' rights, including because they did receive pay and other benefits that were promised. And they were allowed to leave after their contracts ended. The ambiguity was reflected in participants' divergent views, 'which varied from feelings of exploitation to acceptance of the working conditions'. Highly irregular The report concluded, nevertheless, that 'the Alabuga SEZ recruitment programmes constitute an exploitative use of juvenile and migrant labour to support the Russian war economy. It is a highly irregular arrangement that shows the lengths to which Russia is having to go to sustain its military supply chains. 'There is a clear disjoint between the upbeat promises of the glossy marketing campaign made to young women from predominantly the Global South and the harsh realities of the working conditions, and the deception, coercion and risks to safety that the work exposes them to. 'By concealing the true nature of Alabuga's role in producing military drones it denies potential recruits the opportunity to make an informed decision about what they are undertaking as applicants.' The report recommended that countries from which Alabuga Start participants had been recruited should: Contact these participants through their embassies in Russia to ensure their welfare; Investigate the programme and the safeguards for participants; Identify the local intermediaries and ask them to stop promoting the programme; and Stop issuing travel documents to prevent their citizens from participating in the programme. International partners of these countries should share information with source countries of Alabuga Start participants about the company's role in the war economy and the treatment of migrant workers. They should also support the development of alternative work and education opportunities for migrant workers. Daily Maverick did reach out to Alabuga Start for comment, but had receive not response at the time of publication. Their comment will be added should they choose to comment at a later stage. DM
Scoop
07-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Katikati Man's Outstanding Contribution Of 50 Years To Conservation Recognised
Press Release – The ECHO My becoming a Member of the NZ Order of Merit is recognition of the need to work to protect our natural environment, said Mr Fitter. I believe that this, and the protection of our native species of animals and plants, is vital to the continued … Dame Cindi Kiro officially invested Julian Fitter of Katikati as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit on 3 May at Government House in Wellington. Arriving in New Zealand later in life this wildlife author and conservationist had no plans on retiring and watching the sun set. Not long after settling in Maketū in the Bay of Plenty, in 2009 Julian Fitter helped establish Maketū Ōngātoro Wetland Society, to protect the breeding population of Northern New Zealand dotterel on Maketu Spit. He was Chair of the Society from 2010 to 2023. During this time five Environmental Programmes were developed, funded by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, focusing on biosecurity and restoration to prioritise native biodiversity sites around the Maketu and Waihi Estuaries. In 2016 he then established Bay Conservation Alliance, (BCA) and is Chair. Almost a decade on, amongst the many services BCA offer, they support 35 conservation groups in the Bay, providing them with administration and on-the-ground advice and assistance and giving them a stronger collective voice. Julian says, 'We depend upon the natural environment for our wellbeing and our economic survival. Damage to the environment affects us all and we know that, and yet [we] consciously decide to do nothing about it.' He is passionate about education and believes that partnering together for nature will result in far better outcomes than working individually. He says 'We need to educate everyone about the importance and value of our natural environment and how protecting it can benefit us all. Working together we can fix it and can enjoy rewarding, comfortable and productive lives.' Julian has authored several books including 'Albatross, Their World Their Ways' (2008) with wildlife photographer Tui De Roy. He has written three books on New Zealand wildlife; 'New Zealand Wildlife' (2009), 'Field Guide to the Wildlife of New Zealand' (2010/2021) and 'Birds of New Zealand' (2011). His work over the decades has not just strengthened conservation work in New Zealand. Prior to immigrating to New Zealand Mr Fitter was a founding Trustee of the United Kingdom-based Falklands Conservation Trust in 1979 and is currently a Vice President. He was instrumental in establishing the Galapagos Conservation Trust in 1997, serving as inaugural Chair and currently as an ambassador. In 2008 he established and is now a committee member of the Friends of Galapagos New Zealand organisation, working with the Charles Darwin Foundation and The Galapagos National Park. Not one to slow down after fifty-plus years of service, in 2023 he helped establish the Bittern Conservation Trust, which he chairs. 'My becoming a Member of the NZ Order of Merit is recognition of the need to work to protect our natural environment,' said Mr Fitter. 'I believe that this, and the protection of our native species of animals and plants, is vital to the continued existence of Homo sapiens.' To find out more about Julian Fitter and more about conservation projects in the region please go to
Scoop
07-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Katikati Man's Outstanding Contribution Of 50 Years To Conservation Recognised
Dame Cindi Kiro officially invested Julian Fitter of Katikati as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit on 3 May at Government House in Wellington. Arriving in New Zealand later in life this wildlife author and conservationist had no plans on retiring and watching the sun set. Not long after settling in Maketū in the Bay of Plenty, in 2009 Julian Fitter helped establish Maketū Ōngātoro Wetland Society, to protect the breeding population of Northern New Zealand dotterel on Maketu Spit. He was Chair of the Society from 2010 to 2023. During this time five Environmental Programmes were developed, funded by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, focusing on biosecurity and restoration to prioritise native biodiversity sites around the Maketu and Waihi Estuaries. In 2016 he then established Bay Conservation Alliance, (BCA) and is Chair. Almost a decade on, amongst the many services BCA offer, they support 35 conservation groups in the Bay, providing them with administration and on-the-ground advice and assistance and giving them a stronger collective voice. Julian says, 'We depend upon the natural environment for our wellbeing and our economic survival. Damage to the environment affects us all and we know that, and yet [we] consciously decide to do nothing about it.' He is passionate about education and believes that partnering together for nature will result in far better outcomes than working individually. He says 'We need to educate everyone about the importance and value of our natural environment and how protecting it can benefit us all. Working together we can fix it and can enjoy rewarding, comfortable and productive lives.' Julian has authored several books including 'Albatross, Their World Their Ways' (2008) with wildlife photographer Tui De Roy. He has written three books on New Zealand wildlife; 'New Zealand Wildlife' (2009), 'Field Guide to the Wildlife of New Zealand' (2010/2021) and 'Birds of New Zealand' (2011). His work over the decades has not just strengthened conservation work in New Zealand. Prior to immigrating to New Zealand Mr Fitter was a founding Trustee of the United Kingdom-based Falklands Conservation Trust in 1979 and is currently a Vice President. He was instrumental in establishing the Galapagos Conservation Trust in 1997, serving as inaugural Chair and currently as an ambassador. In 2008 he established and is now a committee member of the Friends of Galapagos New Zealand organisation, working with the Charles Darwin Foundation and The Galapagos National Park. Not one to slow down after fifty-plus years of service, in 2023 he helped establish the Bittern Conservation Trust, which he chairs. 'My becoming a Member of the NZ Order of Merit is recognition of the need to work to protect our natural environment,' said Mr Fitter. 'I believe that this, and the protection of our native species of animals and plants, is vital to the continued existence of Homo sapiens.' To find out more about Julian Fitter and more about conservation projects in the region please go to
Edinburgh Reporter
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Review – Jah Wobble live ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's a Saturday night in Edinburgh's Cowgate and the streets are buzzing with revellers. Jah Wobble walks on stage and gives a strongman pose while sporting a 'Dub Specialist' T-shirt. There will be no argument from the trade descriptions act there. For opening number Albatross the East-End Londoner plonks down in a seat with the Fender P like punk royalty. He was after all one of the originals and given his name by Sid Vicious because the late Sex Pistol couldn't say John Wardle. The set tonight is Metal Box in Dub which delves into Wobble's time with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd. The material allows Martin Chung and former Siouxsie and the Banshees guitarist Jon Klein soon get to work on those choppy razor-like riffs. Watching them all lock into a groove is sublime. Memories finds versatile and jazzy keyboardist George King delivering flourishes reminiscent of Ray Manzarek from The Doors. Klein delivers something much closer to the jagged spirit of the original and together both styles complement each other well. Two young couples down the front dance as if their lives depended on it while older fans at the back nod along in approval. It's an arresting moment when Wobble stands up to deliver the opening speech from William Shakespeare's Richard III: 'Now is the winter of our discontent' he bellows into the mike. You could hear a pin drop as he conveyed the short spoken word performance with aplomb while throwing a few laughs in before the opening bass rumble of Poptones. The affecting circular riff fills the entire space as people begin to move and sway again getting lost in the moment. We are taken back to the autumn of 1978 and treated to two versions of PiL's first single Public Image. Fan favourite Swan Lake gets a roar of approval, the infectious dub groove with Klein's unorthodox style brings just the right amount of dissonance. An epic performance by a true punk original and genre-hopping pioneer. They don't make geezers like this anymore. Jah Wobble And The Invaders Of The Heart, at La Belle Angele PHOTO Richard Purden PHOTO Richard Purden Like this: Like Related
